No, the title of this chapter doesn't refer to villagers assembling to select an annual sacrifice, as you might have read in high school in Shirley Jacksons short story
"The Lottery", (which, written 60 years prior, reads like the creative spark behind "The Hunger Games"). Instead, this is a lottery that you
want to win -- the Vero Beach resort's Turtle Walk lottery, to win a spot (although there's still a fee) on that evening's Turtle Walk to potentially see a nesting sea turtle. It's held a couple of days each week during turtle nesting season. I won't keep you in suspense for long, but the lottery was held at 10am, and of course I need to cover all of the ground leading up to it that morning.
The first thing after getting up and around, was to go looking for the coffee again this morning. I took my camera, so it turned into another photo stroll; I hope you're ready.
Once on the path to the Inn, I took a picture of the cottage in front of our building. Wouldn't it be awesome to stay in one of these?!
Here's a better view of the Spa than the picture I took the day before. A couple of windows to the left of the front doors is the room where we looked in on Judy and Marlene.
Another picture of the signpost. I'm not sure if this ones any better than yesterdays photo.
Then I walked into the Inn and spied the coffee pots (finally!). This picture shows their location better, along the hallway back to Shutters.
I filled my mug with some coffee out of the urn, took a taste, and...concluded that it was surprisingly good! Just about that time, a cast member came over to tend to the coffee and I asked, "is it Nescafé?" I thought that surely he would say, "Heavens no, its fresh-brewed." (And dont call me Shirley.) But instead he said, "Yes it is."
I thought, "Am I going crazy??! Nescrapé = good?"
Then he said that they changed it recently and that this was a new kind. I don't know if that was true or if he was just trying to restore my faith in my tastebuds, but believe it or not, I thought that it was pretty good. If you get some and think that it's still the same old swill, then you can put me down for saying that it was a slight improvement. I don't know what to think -- I'm still in shock that I didn't hate it.
Enough about the coffee, here's another shot of the room, but further left of the coffee pots. This is where the pressed-penny machines are, and the TV with cartoons for the kids (or the young-at-heart).
In the lobby I walked up the staircase to get a shot of the front desk and lobby.
Then I walked over to the corner to get a shot of the lobby towards the doors the lead to the ocean.
I walked down and talked to a front desk cast member about the different types of rooms and suites they have. She confirmed for me how lucky we were to have gotten the view that we did. I figure that probably only about 10% of the 1-bedroom suites have the balcony directly facing the ocean and are on the 3rd floor. Then, throw in the availability factor determined by when people check-out and...we were really lucky.
From there I walked over to the hallway to the right of the front desk. It leads to the Spa.
Just after I took that picture, a woman walked out of the restroom, there beyond the cannon. I still had the camera up as she walked out. Yeah, that wasn't awkward.
Here's some memorabilia on the wall in that room. They have baseball memorabilia because the Dodgers used to hold spring training in Vero Beach until 2008.
Here's the room as seen from the cannon.
I walked out to see what kind of a beach day it was going to be.
It looked promising!
Here's the Green Cabin rental shack. You can get down to the beach by the ramp, where I was standing to take this picture (and you've seen in previous posts), or by steps behind that gate to the left of the Green Cabin.
Yet another shot of The Inn.
Walking forward a little bit, I took a better picture of the lawn behind the Inn. I saw some people playing croquet out here later in the trip.
I got back to our suite at about 8 o'clock and we did our Insanity workout. Again, I was amazed at how cool it was to do this while watching the ocean out the window. Judy said that she tries to imagine it while she's working out in our basement.
All right, so it was finally getting to be lottery time. When we talked about it that morning, Judy suggested that either Marlene or I go over for the lottery, because we're lucky when it comes to things like that. For example, Marlene won a basket full of gift cards at a fundraiser at school a couple of years ago. As for me, I don't remember winning anything like that in particular, but I won Judy's heart
, and maybe that's what she was thinking of.
Anyway, as 10 o'clock approached, Marlene wasn't up and around yet, so I went over to the Lobby. Hopefully, my luck would be enough.
Everybody was milling around, hoping that other people wouldn't show up. Well, at least I was -- I didn't need any more competition than the people who were already there. There was a bunch of people, and to assess my odds I tried to figure out whether they were in groups or were representing others back in their rooms, like I was. I knew that there were only 20-25 spots on the walk, so it wouldn't take long to fill.
A little after 10am, a couple of cast members came out and asked that everyone who was interested in the lottery for that night's Turtle Walk to form a circle in the center of the lobby. I got a cellphone picture as we assembled.
They explained that the drawing was for that evening's Turtle Walk, which had a fee and was in high-demand, so if you couldn't make the walk, please don't participate in the lottery. Then they had everyone put their room key-card into a hat, but just one per room. I didn't count, but probably around a dozen cards were put in.
They asked a little girl to draw the first key-card.
It wasn't mine.
A cast member took the winner's information and made a note of how many were in their party.
A second key-card was drawn. Again, not mine. They took the winner's information and updated the tally.
A third key-card was drawn. Under my breath I said, "Please! Please! Please!"
Not mine.
There may have been a fourth key-card drawn that wasn't mine; I forget exactly. They updated the tally and it was around 12-15 people so far. I knew that I didn't have very many chances left.
They drew again.
And said Glennbo? (Not really, but you get the idea.)
Inwardly, I yelled "Yesssss!" and did some major fist-pumps.
Outwardly, I said "Here", and tried not to celebrate too much in front of those who were still hoping for a spot.
They took my information and added my 5 family members to the tally. I think they drew one more lucky person's key-card before calling it closed.
I texted Judy, "Got it!"
And she replied, "I knew u would."
Up next: Lets hit the beach!
Link to next chapter
Seriously, love my pedicures...it is my time to relax and be pampered since most of you men don't take care of that for us.
But they have a few things for a rainy day.
But the important thing was that he was the first to say 2 Judy's, even if he "wasn't playing".
Did you rush right out and buy some tickets for the next PowerBall drawing??? 
Say what?!
and let you know that I'm along for the ride. I hope your second turtle walk is more productive (or REproductive) than the first! 
