Linda’s vacation: Flooding & snow in the South

Monongah High Alumni Association president Linda Lopez Gandy, Class of 1965, and husband Jim Gandy, Class of 1964, found that Florida is not always sunshine and warm weather.

Unfortunately, the Florida tornados with winds of 160 mph whipped up water and flooded their hotel.

Writes Linda:

“We were in our rooms till about 3:00 that afternoon the whole downstairs of hotel flooded no elevators we could get the stairs but never back up 9 floors.

“When we got out of the room we did take some beach time -- 3rd time all week -- and then packed up some of the car, then went to Charley’s Boathouse to eat. Had a long wait.”

On their way back to West Virginia and their Monongah Home, they were greeted by snow on I-77 in North Carolina.

They usually stay on Sanibel Island.

The Gandys have been married 47 years. Boy, do they have a story to tell their relatives and other Lions!

Joe Martin, Class of 1959, and his Nova Scotia, Canada wife Arlene Kitchin Martin, who live on Treasure Island near St. Petersburg, Saturday night got their taste of Florida nastiness, too.

Arlene wrote:

“Big storm in the night, power outage so here we are no breakfast no coffee no recliners no TV. How did we live without power?”

See,  we're not always basking in the sun in Florida during the winter. Although Paula and I are enjoying our 4-month stay in The Villages, which is playland for 114,000 senior citizens with more than 300 activities listed for EVERY day.