floridaaaah

for spring break i headed down to florida to visit my mother's father, grandpa lantz. i'm not a huge fan of the state of florida as a whole but i am so lucky that the two properties of my grandfather's are some of the most amazing in the world. he has a beachfront property on anna maria island and his farm house in odessa.

he lives in a modest house with a lake in front, a swamp and a little peninsula to the side, and farm in the back. the whole property is flanked by cypress trees with spanish moss dangling down nearly to the crab grass. we pick grapefruit from his trees and make fresh squeezed juice in the morning. also in the morning i would take my yoga mat to the dock for some early, sunny stretches.

at the barn, there's the crazy looking turkey, four goats, one cow with two calves, and a handful of chickens (my favorite, of course).

my grandfather was a professor of child psychology at the university and is a bleeding heart liberal (doesn't he kinda look like roald dahl?). though his short-term memory is affected due to the strokes he has had, he is a passionate man that will not hesitate to tell you how it is and how it was. this is endearing at times and also, as you might imagine, a bit wearing. it's amazing the strides he has made in his ability to live independently, considering the health issues he has battled, esp since my grandma lantz passed away nearly seven years ago. we are all quite proud of him. he has a dog, sam, that keeps him company. he's the best dog that old man could have.