Spongerific!

Thursday and Friday, February 2 and 3, 2012

DUNEDIN, FL – When the ice cream plopped into a soft heap in the bowl the other day, we knew something was fishy with our freezer. At first we thought it was because we had stopped for lunch after doing groceries, and the heat caused the ice cream to melt. But even if it had, it should have refrozen in the freezer after a while. So to test the unit further, Val filled the tiny ice cube tray with water and put it in to see what would happen. It took two days to turn into ice cubes.
So, yesterday morning we had a little visit from the RV repair van that frequents the park. Ed the repairman exposed the back of the fridge and immediately realized he was working with something he hadn’t seen before. He was right up to date with the 2011 fridge technology, but our unit is a 2012 model. After craning his neck with flashlights and prodding here and there, he decided it would be best to request the new material by e-mail and download it back at the office. So it will be a couple of days before we see Ed again. Meanwhile, the frozen stuff is frozen, so we’re not in any dire straits. We just want things to work right! Fortunately it’s all on warranty still.
It was a nice afternoon, so we decided to do some exploring north of Dunedin. We drove to the next town, Tarpon Springs, which has two claims to fame – its strong Greek heritage and its history as a sponge diving capital. We could see lots of Greek names on businesses and signs as we entered the small town. Then we turned onto Dodecanese Boulevard, where the sponge docks were located, and a sleepy little village was transformed into a seaside tourist haven, lined with little shops and boutiques where the wares spilled out onto the sidewalks and people milled about.
On the north side of the street dozens of fishing boats were moored at the docks, some festooned with sponges to attract the tourists, and others stripped down and worn from many a working voyage out to sea. The sponges are harvested at the bottom of the ocean by divers who remain at sea for several days at a time gathering them.
At several store fronts, figures of divers with heavy suits and bell-shaped headgear demonstrated the historic garb of some harvesters. The industry was founded here in 1905, according to a beautiful tiled mural we passed. Huge bins of beige and yellow sponges, ranging from grapefruit size to basketball size and even bigger, were displayed for sale at roadside stands – as well as fine, egg-sized sponges for applying makeup. We picked up a nice one from a tanned Greek saleslady, who explained how it would swell when immersed in water, and how gently it would clean our car.
At the end of the street is a popular restaurant called Rusty Bellies Waterfront Grill, which we will visit in the days to come when we have more time. We were due back at the park to go to Peggy O’Neill’s pub for supper with John and Fawn.
The pub was hopping when we got there – another couple joined us from the park, and we recognized several others, also from Dunedin RV Resort. Young waitresses in tiny kilts served us baskets lined with paper and loaded with fish and chips. The saucy message at the bottom of the back of their T-shirts read “Caught You Looking!” It was two-for-one night, and the bill for six of us (not including drinks) came to $43 and change!
Today was overcast and breezy. We stayed close to home in case Ed the repairman was going to visit. He called at lunchtime to say it wouldn’t be till tomorrow or Monday. No problem. Meanwhile, we finally have a chance to try out our new gas BBQ, with a juicy sirloin steak. Life is good.