Anna Maria Island

The wind was gusting, the temperatures cooler (12C~), but the sun was shining and I was itching to get back on my bike again.
I had a chill morning, got packed up to leave and said goodbye to my friends and was on the road again soon after 9 am.
I was going to meet up with my friends Dave and Val who were on Anne Maria Island. The island being about 25 km away I decided to explore more of the island and get some more Km's on my bike.  (Did 70 :)
It was actually really nice riding there since it was mostly along the river front and through a nature reserve.

Anne Maria Island was like tourist zone. Geared for people to spend money. It was kinda busy on the roads but there was a shoulder to ride on so not too bad, as long as I kept aware of what was going on around me, because some people can be a bit unpredictable and I had a truck turn literally just in front of me. Good thing I was going slow and able to stop in time!
The tailwind part was amazing, flying down the road, the headwind was slower by like 10 Km's! But I was glad I could be out riding, perhaps because I am keenly aware that the end of my trip is nearing.
I hardly notice the weight I'm dragging around and have grown comfortable with the balance. Amazing what a person can accustomed to!
The wind was nippy off the Gulf coast, but the beaches are so beautiful!
I got to see dolphins! So cool! They were swimming by the Longboat Pass, under he bridge I was cycling over.

Was able to meet up with my friends. Val and her husband have been following along on my trip via my blog and praying for me, so it was great to connect with them in person and spend the afternoon together.

 We went out to a Catholic Church where they had the "14 stations of the cross" in a lovely outdoor setting, and there spend some time in reflective prayer contemplating the cross of Christ. I had never had the opportunity to do this before and was glad to be able to spend the time in structured prayer.
From there we went back to the island, walked along the beach before going to the Beach House Waterfront Restaurant. They had a great patio outside from which we could watch the sunset on the Gulf. It was a good thing they had outdoor heaters to keep the dining area comfortable because the evening grew chilly.
Val's parents joined us (they live in a snowbird community not far from the island), and we enjoyed some wonderful food together as the sun went down.

For the grand finale we went to the beachfront chairs. It was lovely! As the sun vanished the observers clapped. Reminded me of when passengers of an airline clap after the pilot executes a safe landing, so perhaps in a way, it was like saying, Thanks God for another day in which the sun came up and our lives were sustained and we made it to another sunset by grace!