Wednesday turns out to be a rather dull day. We started on a good footing with breakfast with the Densfords. By the time we dropped them off back home, it was raining. From here, we began our push more or less back to Phoenix. On the 70 East, it rains, it rains in Arcadia, and it’s raining in Okeechobee. Rain comes down at Fort Pierce on the Atlantic Ocean. Going north in the rain, it continues to rain. When we arrive at the hotel, it’s raining. Delivering dinner to Auntie and Grandpa, it was raining. What a wet, dull day.

To be clear about the quality of this dullness, I blame it on the low, heavy gray skies pouring rain down upon us. The rain had the effect of moving our moods in the wrong direction, but maybe it was also the fact that all of the important stuff is now done. The environment itself added to my own negativity as I was looking at the horrific urban sprawl of McMansions taking over forest land being turned into pseudo farmland for the sake of people’s egos to have it all. The Tampa/St. Petersburg / Bradenton / Sarasota Megalopolis is growing into the ‘boring’ flat nothingness lands that exist between the other cities and this corner of Florida.

Passing through Arcadia, a note was made to revisit this small town; it is still authentically small and not modernized by branded commercialism. As for the eastern seaboard here on the Atlantic, what a waste of time this coast is. Everything is privately owned; thanks to California for showing us how the coast should be available to all. Million-dollar luxury beachfront hurricane targets and view obstructions line up like row housing in any urban setting from a big city across America.

There is no ocean to see, no beach to walk, only private signs warning you to keep out. Mile after mile of inhospitable homes acts as a private gate to bar Joe Citizen from the Atlantic Ocean. So, if you are one of the ten million Americans who belong to the club of isolation, then you will probably enjoy your stay here in Snoberita-Ville.

As for our tour of Cape Canaveral that was to take place in the afternoon, the rain slowed us down so much that we were quite late. Even so, with so much rain, I didn’t feel we would get our money’s worth scooting between facilities while Auntie and Grandpa got colder and wetter.

So you see, if it hadn’t been raining cats and dogs and city planners hadn’t allowed the building of forest-destroying super homes with impenetrable iron walls blocking the view of the entire ocean, then things might have been hunky-dory and I wouldn’t have had a dull day.

Comfort food to the rescue, as there’s nothing like eating BBQ to soothe the soul. Tomorrow will surely be better.