March 3rd week

We attended a seafood festival at Placida, fresh alligator tails were on the menu.

 Softshell blue crab, deep fried whole, shell and all, on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and sauce.

 Alligator bites, hush puppies, and fries.  Everything is fried!  Don't like grease...too bad!!

                                          Hibiscus as big as a small dinner plate, beautiful.

 Some things stay the same wherever you go,  :)  over the door at Bass Pro Shop, Fort Myers.

 Back home, the door handles would be elk horns or such....here it is brass alligators.

March, second week. On the water

Grandpa G can do business from his pocket wherever he is, whatever he is doing!

 Scott had to come to Naples on business.  Renee rode along, and the boys had a fun time at home   with Grandma L.  We drove 90 miles south and had supper with them.

 I was wondering if this was a banyan tree that they wove the roots back around the trunk instead of letting them go all over the place into the ground?  Just guessing, don't know.

                                                                The kayak project.

Still room for the car.

Ready to roll, waiting for company to enjoy them with.

Paddling away!

Happy Grandpa G

Many people do this every morning.

A fighting conch.  We found a pretty shell, and put it in our bag.  Later when we opened the bag to look, this animal popped out.  We took pictures, then returned him to the ocean.

The legs are from some marine biologists that walked by.  :)

March first week

I need to practice my sandwriting.

This flashing sign says, Caution, Fan Crossing.  It is Spring Training time in Florida.  We have to plan our trip to town according to the game times as the traffic is terrible.

Long lines of cars waiting to turn.

You would think there was a wreck.  At least 4 Sheriff cars with lights flashing to direct traffic.

The fans park on one side of the street, then traffic is stopped and they walk over in a bunch.

February 3rd week

R and L share a set of kids and grandkids with us.  We were glad they made a pass through here and stopped for a day.  We made a quick stop at the beach, found a few shark teeth, and soaked up some ocean ambiance!

Rum Bay restaurant is a 14 minute boat ride across Lemon Bay.  This was such a beautiful evening, the temp was just right and a relaxing time.  For some reason there were not too many diners, so we got a coveted spot on the deck.

A couple days later, we went over to Rum Bay with H and N our friends from here.  That was a little stormier evening, but hardly any othere diners, so a nice quiet supper.

                  The fresh baked pineapple bread with orange marmalade butter is a hit everytime.

 

It was raining on the boat ride home, but we had a cover and we were going the right direction.  Coming over, it was pretty windy and a bit cool.  We were prepared with jackets, so it was a great adventure.

Sarasota, Florida

We made an interesting trip to Sarasota with some friends that were visiting relatives and friends from Ohio.

This first picture is at the Manatee Park in Fort Myers.  They are not too pretty.  How could sailors have thought they were mermaids??  I thought mermaids were supposed to be beautiful??

No horses and buggies allowed in town, so bicycles everywhere,  3 wheel and 2 wheel.

Bicycles have the right of way here.

This was a horseshoe, basketball, game area.

C and K come to visit Florida February 7-14

You know it is going to be a good winter day when you wake up with palm trees outside your motel window!!

So fun to get together with another family of grandkids!

Seaworld sea lion Pirate show.

Going to the beach.  This was voted the most fun thing on the trip!

Everyone tries to get a picture of the "green flash" when the sun goes out of sight on the ocean.  I have not seen it yet.

A real live Beach Babe!!

Riding the water taxi over Lemon Bay to the Rum Bay restaurant.  We saw dolphins jumping in the boat wake.

Legoland Florida a fun place for little boys.

A not too scarey roller coaster.  The ride was just long enought to be exciting, but short enough to not be wishing you were getting off!

Fischer was nervous when the boy behind hit his car.  They had just said no running into people or you will get kicked out.  The little Lego cars were just the right size for the kids.  It might have been fun to do that twice.

Dusty checking out the dinosaur made out of many Legos  He was too short for the ride the boys were on.

Posing with the Lego man.

Wish you were here!

Dusty got to be an expert at popping heads off the shrimp before they went on the skewers for the grill.

Helping Grandpa G clean shrimp.  Spanish mackeral from the fishing trip were on the menu also.

Morning grandpa time.

Same beach, same game, different week, different players.

Empty flip flops.  All good things must end when real life begins again.  Sure was fun while it lasted.  Sure is quiet and lonely when it is over!!

They caught supper.

Hazen holds tight to a Spanish mackeral.

Fishing in Richard's bass ponds was very good!

Another view of the fishing trip results.