A great many things and August

Been slacking as usual, so here's some catch up.

As always I shall point to Andy's Instagram & LuAnn's Instagram as sources of somewhat more frequent updates. Here are some highlights since our last post.

     We took a trip to California! This is a travel blog right? I mean, sorta... after an uneventful flight to LAX, met up with the chilluns, Austen & Alexa, and her cool boyfriend Evan.

     We spent a some time driving around sightseeing and went up to Griffith Observatory:

    We headed up to Malibu where we stayed in the hills at a cool place with a hot tub, occasionally coming down to hit the beach and such. We climbed Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica mountains, at 3111 feet. Holy hell, it was tough!

     We left the kids in LA, got a JUCY camper and lit out up the coast to Santa Barbara where we checked out the beach, the amazing gardens, and especially Ganna Walska's amazing Lotusland.

     The next day we headed up to Morro Rock, & saw San Simeon, also known as Hearst Castle. Then we went up to Big Sur, stopping to see the sea lions on the beach and had lunch at Treebones Resort, which was delish, and offered an amazing view of the rocky coast. We did not stay in a yurt there, more's the pity. They were booked.

Sea Lions!

                                      The Pacific Coast Highway was pretty amazing!

     Then we headed back to LA, took a ride on the ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier and flew home the next morning. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip and we missed a lot of things we wanted to see but what can you do? One thing we've learned in our travels is that you can't see everything in one trip anywhere!

     I have to say I'm spoiled by Florida. I really like it hot and the California coast was amazingly cold for July. It got hot during the day, especially in the hills but they were still having what they call the "June gloom". As for the traffic, don't get me started. One of the best parts of traveling is it makes you appreciate home more and now that I live where it's warm all the time? Yeah. That. Yay! Home, Sweet Home!

     After arriving back in Florida I immediately got some sort of flu that lasted about a week, then LuAnn got it. Ugh. Summer flu; the worst. On the good side I got hired full time at the company I've been consulting for. That's sort of fortuitous timing because we are actually buying a house!

     I know, I did not see that coming either. We both really like it here in Jacksonville though and the theory is we can rent it out and use the incoming to do some more traveling after a few years. The rental market where we are is a hell of a lot better than it was in NJ and in the meantime we need somewhere to live anyway, so the timing just seemed right. We has a pool!

     So the job is going well, LuAnn also got promoted so she is doing some work travel down to Boca Raton periodically. The bands are going well, especially Back Alley Cadillac, and I think I will soon be able to get my hot rod biz www.JacksonvilleHotRods.com off the ground. In all Team We Trot About is still going strong and we hope to have many more fun and fantastic adventures so stay with us! Big Love! -Andy & LuAnn

Out with June; in tune with July

Hey Y'all! Welcome to We Trot About, the last day of June edition!

For more frequent updates try Andy's Instagram & LuAnn's Instagram!

Well let's see, what have we been up to? I can't even keep up anymore. I hate getting behind. We spent a lot quality time at the local beaches in Fernandina and GTM. Our pal Jan came up from Boca and spent a weekend with her that was super fun.

I shaved off the beard & mustache which was a big change. I haven't been bare faced in ages!

     No, just kidding, I got rid of the Teddy Roosevelt. I started a new job and it's going well. Working hard but that's actually a good thing. Filling up the coffers is highly desirable.  Also it has afforded me time to do something I love but rarely make time for and that is listen to music! Alas it is cutting into my late night writing & recording sessions. Still doing some gigs here and there.

     Speaking of music we had the Jacksonville Jazz fest where we saw Dr John and McCoy Tyner on Friday night, and Nathan East and the Dizzie Gillespie experience on Saturday. I love the awesome totally free concerts here in Jax. Three main stages, all class acts. Did I mention free?

     We had a lovely celebration at the rooftop bar of the black sheep restaurant for the prettiest wifeypoo's birthday. On Memorial day we bicycled down to memorial park had a lovely French style picnic by the river with red wine, baguette, salami & pepperoni, brie & chevre. I dunno where the pix of that all went.

     There was a Prince tribute in Hemming park with lots of great bands doing all Prince covers. It was a great time. Too bad he's gone so soon and seemingly so needlessly. We also saw Chvrches & Death Cab For Cutie at St Augustine and it was awesome!

     The big news is we are negotiating the purchase of a house now, so it looks like we're starting yet another new chapter in The Adventures Of LuAnn And Andy. We'll also be visiting the kids soon in LA so we're on the road again too. Guess y'all will be invited to the housewarming party!

Friday the 13th and May flowers too!

     Hello bloggy peeps! Thanks again for following along! I totally forgot to mention that our last post was on Earth Day! Happy Earth Day planet Earth! Sorry we're messing you up so bad. You're so pretty!

     Our son Austen came to visit and we had a nice time. We all went to Savannah for the Savannah Chalk Art Festival, which was amazing and fun.

     He and LuAnn went to the beach whilst I went bike riding with friends where I learned what a bike tree is.

     Then we had a bitchin porch party where my band played and a bunch of friends came.

     Saturday May 31st we went to St Augustine, went to the beach, took a Hobie Cat out on the Salt Run, ate at The Floridian and saw Alabama Shakes at St Augustine Theater. Sailing is so fun!

                Alabama Shakes! So great! Best show we've seen in ages. A+, would see again.

     The St Augustine Amphitheater is super cool too! Death Cab For Cutie in a few weeks!

     It was an eventful month, really. I had several gigs with Back Alley Cadillac at the Bayard Rooster, a biker bar with tons of cool Harleys, and on Victory Cruises Gambling Boat. I finally figured out the homosexual agenda, courtesy of the hilarious Betty Bowers. I also learned the actual significance of Cinco De Mayo and decided that it is more aptly named Drinko De Gringo here in America, because these gringos go loco on the tequila and margaritas, helped no doubt by the bars having specials on same. It's Mexican St Patricks day and, like St Pat's and New Years, it's amateur hour.

     Mothers' Day we spent on the beach at Guana River State Park and Wildlife Management Area. Definitely our favorite beach. Shhh!

     In other news Prince died, over which I am gutted, the Ab Fab movie trailer came out, over which I am elated, and I finally landed a real, honest-to-goodness full time consulting gig, over which I am terrified. I dunno if I mentioned that I've been working remotely and part time these last couple of months, which has been great, but now it's time to make some real money.

     The thing is, even after 25 years of success in an industry unforgiving of error, I'm still terrified that people might find out I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm just making it up as I go along. That's not actually true of course (I hope) but I still FEEL that way.

      Also we started looking at houses to buy, with a view towards renting them out and traveling again at some point in the not too distant future. Man, sometimes the future comes at you fast & furious. I gotta say I miss the road, but it'll be nice to have somewhere to come back to this time.

Want more? Try Andy's Instagram & LuAnn's Instagram!

April...Flowers?

Welcome to another edition of We Trot About...Slowly.

For more frequent updates let me suggest Andy's and LuAnn's instagrams!

     Well, let's see. What have we been up to? We went to the #ArtWalk in DownTown Jax #DTJax AKA #Spark Walk  since they were hosting the #OneSpark inventors' showcase there.  There I got arrested by stormtroopers but moments later I used the force to escape. Harrowing!

They replaced the shark sculpture there with a 600-lb orange chicken made of recycled traffic cones.  I say it's a much better use for them!

     We went to the Orlando airport to pick up our son Austen who is visiting from Austin. Yes, you read that right. While we were there we went to the Leu Gardens, a wonderful 50-acre park full of David Rogers' giant bug sculptures. It was a great experience that we highly recommend!

     We spent a bunch of the past week showing him around our new town on bicycles. The weather has been spectacular and biking over the bridges above the Saint Johns River afforded some great views of Jacksonville Landing.

     We hit a bunch of the beaches and had lunch at Joe's Crab Shack, another must have experience here. All in all a rocking few weeks. As always we are working our art stuff, I had some gigs and continue working with the new Andy Toomey Trio and LuAnn is painting. Tune in next time for more #Florida #Fun!

Spring @ #WeTrotAbout

Spring!

     Once again I must mention our slow pace here at #WeTrotAbout so, for those wanting more frequent news of your hosts, I direct you to InstagramAndy and Instagram LuAnn. Meanwhile...

     In recent weeks we trotted about! First to Palm Coast for the Washington Oaks State Park & Garden on the Matanzas River, which was absolutely gorgeous and wonderful! We also saw the cool Coquina Rocks there, which are sedimentary rocks made from seashells. They were quite extensive and beautiful!

     Another travel adventure took us to Boca Raton to see Cirque De La Symphonie, featuring a live symphony orchestra plays behind acrobats, magicians, jugglers, strong men & aerialists from Cirque Du Soleil. It was a really entertaining program! Also, since our friend Jan works for one of the sponsors, we got in with her for free, including free food and drink. Hey, you can't beat that!

     More traveling! We explored the beautiful Ringhaver Park nature trails, saw some amazing birds, fish and snakes, plus met some nice folks too!

     We also did some biking along the riverfront and saw the Mystic, a 100-year-old three masted schooner tied up there. Alas, she's for sale & no tours. Sad face.

     In non-travel news we're getting ready for LuAnn's next art show at the Cool Moose Cafe in April. She's been doing some more painting lately, which you can see at www.LuAnnDunkinson.com

     I played at the opening of The Yarn Cow, a local yarn business owned by a friend. Met lots of cool local musicians and I found a sympatico bassist and drummer quite by accident who inexplicably enjoy playing my compositions, so that's really fun.

     I've been writing & recording songs since I was 16 or so. Going through the archives I discovered that I have recorded more than 170 original songs. That's pretty crazy, no? Even if most are just OK that's still an impressive accomplishment in my view. Yay! See you in April!