Spring Training 2022 - Day 53

 As the end of our stay here is less than a week away, we are thinking more about getting ready to leave and the things we have to/want to do before we depart.  Time flies, as they say, and it has become apparent we are not going to do everything we wanted to do, visiting places and doing things, mostly activities we have done at least once before.  I think however, we will accomplish our goal of going to all of our favorite restaurants again, and some more than once.  

We will also have attended nine spring training games. Not as many in previous years but nine seems about right this year.  Once again, lots of fun in a friendly and pleasant setting among other interested and knowledgeable Phillies fans, mostly visiting from the Philadelphia area or living here in retirement while keeping their deep Philly roots.  Although there were only nine home games here this year, that is nine more than we thought we would potentially see when we left home to come here in the middle of a baseball labor dispute.  It has worked out and are pleased we were able to be here and see some baseball his year.

So, getting ready:  It was time to get go-home haircuts.  We have been going to the same person every year we have been here.  Carrie specializes in the mostly older RV crowd, but I am sure she can do others just as well.  Nevertheless, Judy skipped the older lady blue tint special, and I have not yet needed the comb-over gentleman's cut.  I am starting to get a touch of grey here-and-there, however.

After the haircuts we wanted to go to another Frenchy's restaurant on the causeway over to Honeymoon Island.  Bad weather was on the way, and we hoped we could eat a late lunch and get back to the RV before it arrived.  We didn't quite make it.  We were eating with one eye on the dark clouds coming in over the Gulf when it hit - heavy rain and high winds with thunder and lightning.  We were in the covered outside portion of the restaurant.  The roll down sides were quickly lowered by the staff and we watched it all through the clear vinyl canopy sides, taking our time to finish lunch as we were in no hurry to drive back to the RV in the heavy rain.  

Once again, another delicious Frenchy's meal: Key Lime Colodas, She Crab Soup, a Fish Pretzel and Key Lime Pie for dessert.

It did let up after a while and we made it back to the RV without incident.  At the ballpark in Tampa where the Yankees were playing, two people were hospitalized after getting hit by lightning in the parking lot as people were leaving when the weather arrived.

It continued to rain all through the night, not much wind however after that first round of heavy weather although it was consistent with heavy and moderate rain for the most part.