With the kids getting older we are finding it harder to get them to come along with us on family getaways. We were thrilled they could both get off of work to join us for a quick jaunt to the other side of Florida. We had a cute little Air BNB on Lake Rousseau. My husband Christian had just finished restoring a 1993 Boston Whaler Outrage, so we couldn’t wait to get on the water.

With Covid still on the rise in Florida, we did not eat out anywhere on our trip. we did have a great small group of friends gather with us on the water and share a few cold ones as we snorkeled for the little bugger which were few and far between. It was not about the bounty but about the bonds we share with our firefighter families.

Driving around this area reminded me of old Florida. Things are a bit slower over there. There didn’t seem to any real industry, other than boating. I’m sure we missed a lot keeping to ourselves as much as we did, but we are fine with that.

I’m sure we will do a little more exploring, but time on the water with family and friends is what this place is all about and we had our fill. Hopefully for the last time we have all the snorkels and fins we need. These darn kids have grown so much! But now we should be set, no more growing.

Once we had all our gear, we jumped in, swam around, at first it was hard to figure out the best way to hunt these guys down. For us it was not as fruitful, probably because of the storm that had passed by earlier in the week. They were good at hiding in the grasses. After a bit we figured out we could relax on the surface, float around and then we would spot the contrast of the shell, white with a dark scallop edge. It was helpful to carry with us a net bag as we swam around.

After 3 days on the water we managed the scrape together about 60 bay scallops, so probably an appetizer. Again, it was certainly more about the comradery of hanging with our kids and our fire family. Not knowing what to expect is part of the lesson and the adventure. From staying in a new home in an unfamiliar place to being on a body of water and trying to avoid crowds, it was an interesting trip. Fun none the less.