Tarpon Springs

Breakfast this morning was left-over Prime Rib with eggs and toast. While Randy was preparing this, Glenda played with Shorty, wearing him out so he will nap through the day while we are out. He loves it when we have company who will play with him!

After breakfast we drove to the church to get ice, and to show Aaron and Glenda the church. Since our congregation moved out of the school this spring, we've been enjoying this large facility. Then we headed west to Tarpon Springs, about a 2 hours drive. Tarpon Springs, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, is famous for its Greek heritage and natural sponges. The dock is lined with working boats that take tourists out or bring sponges in. 

We weren't ready to buy sponges yet so we went through the other shopping areas. We bought some goodies at the Candy Store, then found one store that specialized in Tagua, the "vegetable ivory". This has been used since the early 1900s for buttons. More recently it has been marketed as an alternative to animal ivory. 

I bought a necklace and Aaron and Glenda bought earrings, but Randy got the deal of the day. The store owner had an amazing carved diver's helmet in her window as a display piece. Randy made her an offer she couldn't refuse and walked off with the prize. It came in several pieces, so Glenda and Aaron helped carry it back to the truck. 

By then it felt like time for lunch. Randy had heard that Hellas was good so he looked it up on his gps and we walked the short distance there. 

We ordered 2 Greek Salads (scoop of potato salad under lettuce, feta cheese, Greek olives, and Greek peppers) and 2 Combination Platters (Mousaka, Pastitsio, Dolmades, Tzatziki sauce, and the best Gyro we've ever had).

Delicious! And so filling that we had to get doggy-bags. On the way back to the truck we stopped to buy some bath sponges at the Sponge Shack.

2 hours later we were back home, assembling the various helmet pieces. Whoever carved this did a wonderful job - even the bolts in the curved trim pieces are individually carved from wood! 

Now all we need is someplace big enough to set this thing!

After a full day and a big lunch, dinner was a low-key affair: chips, dips, deli meats and cheeses, followed by more Amish cake. Then just a little TV before bed.