I write this from Sarasota Florida where Ken and I have had two weeks of delightful visiting and hosting two wonderful guests. Our friend, Helen Holzaepfel spent a week with us. Helen and Bill formerly lived in the St Petersburg area, thus they have many friends and memories in this area. We enjoyed sharing many of our favorite spots in and around the Keys of Sarasota and accompanying her on her "gunking" adventures at the various thrift shops in the area. She is an experienced and competent "thrift shop" shopper and is good at identifying the good buy as opposed to the junk. Usually we would all leave the store with some item that caught our fancy. Ken is now a converted thrift shopper and I am adjusting to the idea that it may be a practical resource for my "fixed income" complex. Amazing.
We lost some of our "allocated" tourist days as a result of a plumbing problem but once that was dealt with, we managed to get out and about with a more in depth itinerary. On Wednesday, we drove to Punta Gorda ( recently acclaimed one of ten best places to live by Woman's Day), for a walk about then drove on to Ft Meyers and Sanibel Island. Too late, we discovered that Helen had not visited the Edison/Ford estates and we were too late to fit in a tour that day. Thus, the Edison/Ford experience is on our agenda for Helen's return visit with us, which we hope she will do.
On Friday, we drove to Naples for lunch with Helen's brother-in-law and sister-in-law at Tin City. This was Bill's older brother, Dick. He looks very much like Bill, possesses the same sense of humor and has many of the same gestures. We had met him many years ago but we had not met his wife, who was also delightful. From Naples we drove to Marco Island for a walk around and overview of that picturesque spot. On our way back we met a friend of Helen's from Sandusky Ohio, Lynn Haas and her husband, Gene at the Olive Garden for dinner. We enjoyed meeting Helen's friends and family. We found them to possess the same wonderful traits of friendliness and warmth as we have always appreciated in Bill and Helen.
Those are but two of our busy days with Helen but we saw much, did a lot and found that she, at 81, had as much, if not more, energy as Ken or I. It was a fun week. My niece Joy arrived Saturday morning and we retrieved her from the Tampa airport after a red eye flight from Phoenix into Tampa. Saturday was a laid back day though we did get out and about for a visit to Ana Marie island and dinner at the Flying Bridge in Venice.
Sunday we drove Helen home to Orlando and then did a "drive about" Orlando and the Disney World Vacation complex which offered a free boat ride connecting the various resorts with Epcot. It was too late to invest a $50 fee for admittance so we "shined it on" and wished we had planned better because Joy has not visited Epcot. She also has something to return and plan for her next visit with us.
Monday was a long walk on the beach and listening to Ken share his various aches and pains during the rest of the day. As he is prone to do, he once again overdid his enthusiasm for exercise. A trek out and about in the late afternoon gave us an opportunity to "dine" out and that was the sum total of that day.
Tuesday, Ken and Joy went fishing and we enjoyed fresh fish for dinner that evening. Wednesday we toured the Ringling Museum and the estate of John and Mabel Ringling as well as fulfilled our cultural experience for the week, the art gallery located on the estate. Thursday, we drove to Ft Meyers where Joy and Ken toured the Edison/Ford estate and I enjoyed a "book reading" experience under the shade of a magnificent banyan tree. Bright and early Friday morning we were up and out, on our way to the Everglades and Everglade City. We enjoyed an air boat ride, a jungle boat trip through the Everglades and a land safari. It was a delightful day with the alligators, birds, racoons, pigs and wild species that abound in that beautiful spot. Ken's combination lunch about did Joy and I in. He had frogs legs, alligator, shrimp and fresh fish. Ugh! I tell you the man will eat anything. On Saturday we drove Joy to the airport in Tampa and from there, did a scenic tour of St Petersburg, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs and areas North. Our trip to the airport created the momentum for the day and by the time we were back at the apartment, Joy should have landed in Phoenix and been well on her way home. Of course, we did a boat tour and that made four boat trips in a single week. My cup runneth over! It is Sunday and our day is scheduled for laziness although Ken has already named several things he would like to do but today is MY DAY for relaxing and maybe some cleaning.
We return home Thursday and hopefully, by the time we get back the air will have cleared from the fires. Though we have not been there in person, we have watched with interest, worry and love as the television brought home to us the devastation of yet another fire, this one much too close to home and our hearts! California politics may be suspect but the State, climate and people are beautiful. Politicians be damned! It will be interesting to see if the Governator can do anything with the jerks responsible for the mess there! Where oh where to begin?
Our only day of picture taking during this trip was the trip to the Everglades and a few of those shots are included for your perusal.
Until next time.
Niece Joy Neely - ready to conquer the Everglades.
Sister boat departing ahead of us. A fun ride.
Alligator patroling the waters. Not recommended for swimming.
Three year old gator. Friendly now. I passed on a stroke or a hold. Joy stroked it. Ken held it.
RV Park and homes in Everglade City
Docile - Yes?
The Osprey at peace. -- beautiful bird.
The wildlife is well fed. The boat operators feed them on each tour and the wildlife expects it. Pigs ran to meet the bus and watched as corn was thrown to them.
Little racoons come running, waiting for their gratuity. Cute little beggars.
