barefoot on firestone in vero beach

I should have paid
more attention,
honestly.
As I began my journey yesterday
toward Vero Beach and
points farther south,
my odometer clicked over again.
Oh! Cool mileage - 166000!
That was my only thought.

I was traveling east on FL-192, a sweet stretch of nearly empty four-lane under a blue summer sky.
It was already approaching 100 on the Fahrenheit scale.
What did I care? I had the windows down and the breeze of my own making to keep me comfortable!

When I got to town, I went in search of a local spot for lunch,
with Nuvi's assistance.
Spirit Sage?
Um.. this is an herb store.
Mama Mia's Deli & Bakery?
Gone. Just an empty building.
The Barefoot Cafe?
Closed, but would be open tomorrow.

Seriously?
Well, it was a Sunday, and a Father's Day, too.
(Nice coincidence, isn't it,
that I was in
Daddy's birthplace
on this particular day?)
Still, I had already parked,
so I would walk a little.

Pocahontas Park was full of swings and slides and inviting benches.
Very nice, and shady, too!
Patriot, the horse, had been refurbished and was near the entrance of the playground. I wonder what his story is?
The Vero Beach Heritage Center looked interesting, but was closed until Tuesday.

I immediately was drawn to the turtle statue.
What gorgeous colors!
Then I came upon another turtle statue!
It was decorated with bits of mirror and broken shards of colorful tile.
What is that all about?
Are they part of a fundraiser, like the turtles down on Tybee?

Maybe so!
When I reached McKee Botanical Garden, a Rhinestone Turtle was awaiting me.
So very shiny!
It brought to mind Glen Campbell's tune, a nice diversion from thoughts of how very hot it was outside.
Because it was ridiculously hot.
I bought a bottle of water and splashed half of it on me, before draining it.
It was the first water I had since leaving the condo.
Stupid, right?
And the cafe on the garden grounds was closed for the season.
So, I went ahead and toured the grounds, found the bathroom was air-conditioned and rested in there, and refilled my water bottle.
Time to check in to Comfort Suites, maybe take a dip in the pool.
THE CAR WOULD NOT START.
It didn't even try to turn over. No sound at all.
It was as if the battery was not attached.
Seriously?
Now? When I was so hot I thought I might explode?
Seriously.
Two young men, both fathers, both locals, at the garden with their families, tried to jumpstart the car.
Nothing happened.
I thanked them for taking the time, then called GEICO Road Assistance.
To my rescue they came, successfully starting my car.
Off I went to the hotel, no stops along the way.
As soon as I reached the room, I shed clothes and got into a nearly cold shower for the next twenty minutes.
Finally, cool again!
I had been afraid I might have a heat stroke.
Seriously.

Now, what about food? It was already 6 PM and I had eaten nothing since breakfast at 8:30 AM.
Stupid, right?
Fortunately, Country Pride was a short walk away.
I had the Cajun Whitefish with Fried Shrimp dinner.
Ate every bite, too.
That was in addition to the chicken soup and the big salad that I helped myself to at the salad bar.

Then I strolled back to the hotel, watched the last half of "Men In Black 3", and crashed out.
The next morning, I was not surprised when the car did not start.
I had expected it.
After all, I've been waiting for the battery to go out on me.
I take that back.
I had expected the battery would die during the winter months. When it did not, I forgot about it.
Good thing it didn't fail while I was in the mountains with Morgan.
For it to fail on just me, when I had no time table to be kept, was ideal.
How very fortunate and blessed I am!

So, I called GEICO Road Assistance again. Again they rode to my rescue, this time towing me to Firestone.
I had called before even leaving the room today, to make sure they had the battery in stock.
Not only did they, but they also had a special on a synthetic oil change!
Most excellent!
Good fortune blessed me more:
the Firestone was only one block from the downtown area I had explored yesterday. I could entertain myself while they took care of my girl!
How incredibly fortunate and blessed I am!

My first stop was at
The Barefoot Cafe.
I even ate my lunch at an outside table, shoes off - very nice!
(smile!)
The Black Forest Melt, the special of the day, was immense, packed full of meat and vegetables!
Wow!!!

I put half of it into a "hot bag" -
right there at the table! -
and got more iced tea to
take with me.
Very important to stay hydrated on these ultra-hot days, right?
(smile)
I took time for more exploration of the area, out of the direct gaze of the midday sun.

I made good use of several of
these cut-through courtyards between streets.
As well as encouraging a breeze, they serve as small art galleries.
Look! Here are more turtles,
and a graceful dolphin arching
out of their midst!

And oh, look at this one!
What a sweet moment of time between a boy and his dog!
I sent that one along to my artist pal, Bill, for him and Tucker.
(smile)
I sat and watched the traffic for a while, from the comfort of a shady wall, then went to check on my car.
She was done!!!
Time to hit the road for South Beach, y'all!
And I have breakfast from Barefoot for tomorrow morning!
(smile)