Plants, Picnics, Pulleys, and Plates

The temperature promised to be higher today, so we started the day by going to the Botanical Gardens to see what blooms in Florida in February.  I got lots of ideas for the "someday gardens" for Gladys.  I will try to plant variegated shrubs to provide color, like crotons and gingers, while adding flowering shrubs alike azaleas, hibiscus, and a few others.  The gardens were fairly empty, so our walk through the gardens was very tranquil.  We had packed a lunch, and we had a delightful picnic at a bench in the middle of the palm gardens while fountains added gentle, soothing sounds around us.

On our way home, we got caught in traffic and were witness to former wrestling star Hulk Hogan, who resides in Clearwater Beach,  on a small motorcycle in what appeared to be a commercial in the making.  If he was not making a commercial, then he certainly was not trying to be incognito.  He was wearing a bright orange and yellow bandana with the word "Hulk" across his forehead and an orange feathery boa around his neck.  Traffic started to move, so our glimpse of celebrity was over, and that was fine with us.

Once home, we tackled the job we started yesterday to hang my bike for storage.  Due to my dermatomyositis, I do not dare try to ride this year.  I fear I would damage my muscles, leaving behind only scar tissue and no new muscle.  This is heartbreaking since we are just getting into the good bicycling weather.  One of the reasons that we liked Dunedin is the Pinellas Trail which gives us great walking and biking opportunities. At this point, however, we need the floor space in the garage rather than letting my trike sit there and gather dust.

Added cross beams in the rafter set the superstructure for
the bike lift system.

The bike rack that we tried came from The Container Store. We were not sure it would work, but once Rick put up extra 2 x 4s in the rafters of the garage and bolted the pulleys (rather than to use the screws provided with the system), we ended up with a fairly secure way to lift and to lower my ICE trike.

Up, up, and away... my trike is hooked up and slowly raises
to the rafters.

To those who are interested in the system, it is manufactured by Racor.  The only thing that we felt was not great about the system were the screws that they provided to hold the pulleys up.  The screws were long, but Rick had read about the system online and someone suggested using bolts rather than screws to more securely keep the pulleys in place.  Since trikes weigh more than regular bicycles, he went to Ace Hardware and bought the bolts strong enough to keep the trikes hanging in place.

My ICE trike safely hangs from the rafters, giving us both
head room and floor space in the garage.

Once my trike proved that the system worked, Rick went back online to order a second system to hold his trike.  We paid $25.00 for the system at The Container Store, and he ordered the same system through Amazon for $19.15, and we do not have to pay any taxes on it. Lesson learned.

Our new palm tree plate.

One thing that I wanted to add to the blog was the wonderful plate that Stephanie made for us.  The plate is about 6 inches square.  She made it and two other plates at a one-day glass fusing workshop.  We both really like it.  I would like to hang it on the wall as a small, delightful decoration.  Palm trees are part of our Key West theme for Gladys, so once I find a plate hanger, I will find the perfect place for it.

We ended the day by grilling dinner.  Stephanie came from ice and snow and -5 temperatures, so having something on the grill was a winter treat for her.

Tomorrow we will travel to the east side of Florida and visit the Kennedy Space Center.  We are looking forward to a few days off as we explore a new attraction and a new area in the state.