To New Port Richey, FL

And then I had to make a decision. I had carefully planned this trip for 14 days. That's the days' worth of my prescriptions I'd brought. I had two scheduled doctor appointments for the 16th. And yet…and yet…I had learned while visiting my sister, Louise, in St. Augustine, that my 90-year-old elder sister was, at this moment, in Florida.

How could I not make what might well be our last visit? I hadn't actually seen her for years as it was; and I am not getting any younger.

So I said farewell to my St Augustine sisters, and to St Augustine, and headed to one of the few towns in Florida I'd never at least driven through: New Port Richey.

This meant a partially-backroads drive, along SR 207 through Palatka…

…and Interlachen…

…and Ocala…

…and, finally, as I neared New Port Richey in Pasco County…

New Port Richey and Port Richey are two neighboring cities in Pasco County, Florida. They are both part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area. New Port Richey was founded in 1915 as a separate post office for the southern part of Port Richey. The name became official and the city was incorporated in 1924. Port Richey, on the other hand, dates back to the 1880s and was incorporated in 1925.

As I approached Florimar Street, I couldn't miss the one, huge, conodominium palace at the beginning of the street. I knew Betty lived in a condo. But the rest of the street was just single-family dwellings, including the house to whose address I'd been directed. So I called my cousin, Sue, and explained the situation. Sure enough, I had written the address down wrong, reversing a couple of digits. With the correct address punched into (actually, pronounced into) the Tesla Navigator, sure enough, that giant palace was the place.

Sea Castle, a condominium complex, has 10 floors and 110 units, ranging from one to three bedrooms. The building offers amenities such as a heated pool, a fishing pier, a boat dock, a fitness center, and a clubhouse. It also has a private beach access for residents and guests.

The condos have water views of the Gulf of Mexico or, in Betty and Sue's case, the Pithlachascotee River.

We were lucky enough to have some more of the kids' kids come over, but sadly my brain was already too full of grandkid names and none of them stuck. They were all adorable, of course.

Anyway, Betty slept with Sue in Sue's bedroom so I could have Betty's room. What a sweetheart! And they'd already put in fresh sheets, so I couldn't say no. In fact, I couldn't say anything as I was ready to crash, anyway.