Wednesday the 16th
Another beautiful day. Up at 7:15 AM, the “Punky” alarm being turned off due to a late night walk, the kids and I went through our usual routine. Turn on the lights in the kitchen, start the coffee, wash, pills, dress, go for our morning walk, return for the kids breakfast, pour my coffee, fix a bowl of cereal, turn on the tube and plop down on the couch to eat. Eventually Tina got up and did her morning routine, of course it’s not as complex as mine, heheheh.
By 9:00 AM we’re ready to go for our bike ride so off we went. Today we made the loop in a little over fifty minutes but Tina thought we may have had some faster lights. Since we ride at an average speed of twelve mph, it’s hard to judge whether we rode faster or got some breaks with the lights. Once our time starts getting below fifty minutes though, I think Tina will be pleased to see that she is improving. Maybe by next Monday. We’ll see…..
After spending time organizing our photos and updating the blog, Tina went to get her hair done while I lazed about, reading, walking the dogs and getting Tina’s cyclecomp mounted on her bike. After dinner we went down to the club house and played Eucher for a couple of hours then called it a night.
Thursday the 17th
Well! Something must be wrong… I woke up on my own at 7:30 AM with Punky still snoozing away. She must have had a rough night, heh, heh! In fact, after getting up and getting ready to go out for a walk I had to go back in the bedroom and pick her up off the bed. Well!! After attaching leashes and going outside, it was apparent that nothing serious was wrong, she promptly led the way down the street and across to the big field next to the airport. That was more like it.
After we got back and everybody had breakfast, Tina and I hopped on the bikes and started our morning ride. While on the bike path in Sugden Park, we saw a bald eagle with a fish in his talons gliding over the lake towards a big pine tree. Riding a little further, Tina discovered him perched on a limb about thirty feet up and less than fifty feet away from us. Must have been his breakfast perch. The fish looked about two feet long and probably weighed close to three pounds.
Anyway, there he sat looking around at us, then losing interest in the watchers he tucked into his morning meal. We watched him eat for a few minutes then continued our ride completing our route in about 55 minutes. This is the same time as yesterday (adjusted for our eagle viewing stop) but Tina actually rode with less effort, so we were pleased.
After we got cleaned up I went down to the pool for a swim and to read in the sun for an hour. Once I got back to the coach we put together our shopping list and went to lunch at “Alice Sweetwater Shrimp and Oysters”. The place was packed, usually a good sign. Turns out the food was good but not spectacular. After lunch we went to Publix and bought a few groceries then returned home.
Later in the afternoon we took the kids for a long walk and spent some time visiting with some of our neighbors. By 4:30 PM we were all done with our outside activities. Fortunately. Fifteen minutes later the thunder, lightning and rain moved in and started to come down in buckets. So we were serenaded with big BOOMS and flashes of LIGHTNING while we ate dinner.
After dinner we watched a little TV, played some cribbage (Tina won as usual, heheheh) and relaxed to the sound of rain on the roof.
No photos today.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Bike Rides and a Visit to Naples Zoo
Sunday the 13th
Yesterday being the Christmas party, we took the today off to relax, spending some time at the pool, reading in the shade of the awning and just hanging about. Later in the afternoon, Fernando and I went over to the Sharks Den and shot pool for a couple of hours. We are fairly evenly matched but I managed to take the final race to five, shooting much better than last week.
Monday the 14th
The sun was out and it promised to be another nice day. Tina went to her exercise class while I stayed home and got our bikes ready for a ride. We decided to set up a loop ride that we could go on every morning after breakfast. With a fixed length of about eight miles we could time ourselves and see how much improvement we could achieve.
I had mapped out a ride that took us east through residential areas, then south to Davis Ave, across Davis to follow Lakewood Dr to US 41, across US 41 and into Sugden Park where we circle Avalon Lake on a very nice bicycle/jogging trail back to the park entrance. From the park we ride south on Avalon, then turn west on Thomasson Rd to Bayshore Ave. Following Bayshore north to US 41, we cross US 41 onto Shadow Lawn Dr which takes us back to Davis. Crossing Davis to Estey Ave, we turn east to Airport-Pulling Ave then head north to North Rd and return to Rock Creek RV Resort. The entire route is about eight miles.
We made the ride in a little over an hour, only getting lost for a quarter mile before finding out where we were and retracing to get back on route. Since we took a little over an hour, we figured we’d use tomorrows time as our baseline.
After we got back and cooled off, Tina did a little grocery shopping while I went down to the pool with my book. The rest of the afternoon we planned whaat we wanted to do this week, then relaxed until dinner. After dinner, I picked up Fernando and we went to the Sharks Den for the Eight-Ball Tournament.
There were eight players and after the draw I faced Marce, a young lady just learning the game. Winning that match, I faced Fernando. He won the first game, then I took the next two. My next match was against Nate, Marce’s boyfriend and a really good player. He took the first game, then using all my guile and several safeties, I took the next two games to take the match and move into the catbird seat on the winners side. Eventually Nate worked through the losers bracket and faced me for the final needing to beat me two sets to win. It turned out to be a replay of our first match with him winning the first game and me winning the next two with good safety play, winning the tournament and $50. Yipppeeee!!
Tuesday the 15th
This morning there was a pretty good fog settled in. We fed the kids, had our breakfast and saddled up for our morning ride. Fifty-five minutes today. After we got home and cleaned up we took the kids for a long walk then went over to the Naples Zoo (http://www.caribbeangardens.com/).
The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, formerly known as “Jungle Larry's” was named after founder Lawrence Tetzlaff and his wife, who was known as "Safari Jane". The zoo was built in 1969 on a botanical garden site, which was planted in 1919. By 1925, the historic garden contained more than 3,000 species of tropical plants and over the years, the plants and trees have matured to the lush habitats where many exotic animals reside. A natural pathway winds around the 52-acre area, with about a mile of trails. Enormous fig trees provide a sprawling green canopy over the paths, providing shade and enhancing the feeling of being in another country.
The variety of wildlife living in this botanical oasis is remarkable, and includes African lions, kangaroos, zebras, exotic cats, spotted Hyenas, leopards several species of monkey , golden and ring tailed Lemurs and American alligators. Many of the animals are endangered, such as the African wild dogs (only seen in 2 percent of American zoos), rare Indochinese tigers (less than 50 in the U.S.) and Florida panthers.
We arrived just in time for the first show, “Planet Predator” hosted by one of the zoo keepers. We were seated in a large covered amphitheater where assistant keepers brought out several animals starting with a Harris Falcon. This was followed by a Two Stripe Skunk, a small Kinkajou, an Emperor Scorpion, a Two Toed Sloth, a large monitor lizard and a dog that had been rescued and spent the first three years of his life growing up with one of the tiger cubs.
After that we walked over to Cactus Hill to watch the Alligator feeding in Alligator Bay. There are about a half dozen large, I mean really large, alligators in the lake and they are all moving toward a beach just across from where we are standing. There are three zoo keepers doing the feeding. The lead keeper has a microphone and gives an explanation of their activities as they entice the alligators out of the water and onto the beach with turkey drumsticks. Pretty cool.
After that we walk over to the boat dock where we board a cruise boat for a tour of Lake Victoria and the monkey islands. There are spider monkeys, lemurs and several lesser species along with a large monitor lizard basking in the sun on one of the smaller islands. After the cruise we continued on our walk to the Zebra enclosure where there were several Impalas and a couple of large Kudu Antelope. From there we walked over to the wildlife habitats.
As it was probably about 83 degrees out by now, most of the animals were sleeping or resting. The porcupine was nestled in his drain pipe while the leopard was snoozing on the porch of his home. The lion, a majestic male with a full main was seated atop his rock plateau while the hyenas were relaxing in the shade. A couple of Panthers (Florida Cougars) were laying down as were the kangaroos, black bear and Fosa (think Madagascar “Foosa”).
By now it was about 1:00 PM and lunch time so we decided to have a late lunch after a stop at the bike shop for a pair of riding shorts and cyclecomp for Tina. Leaving the bike shop we headed to downtown Naples to check out “Trixies Torpedo Sandwiches”, recommended by a friend as a great place for lunch. I ordered a Reuben and Tina got a Pastrami Sub. Both were excellent. We could only eat half so we brought the other half home for dinner.
After getting back home we took the kids for a walk then spent the rest of the day relaxing, eating the rest of our lunch and generally taking it easy. Later, Tina went to the club house and played “Hand and Foot” for a couple of hours while I read and watched TV.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Yesterday being the Christmas party, we took the today off to relax, spending some time at the pool, reading in the shade of the awning and just hanging about. Later in the afternoon, Fernando and I went over to the Sharks Den and shot pool for a couple of hours. We are fairly evenly matched but I managed to take the final race to five, shooting much better than last week.
Monday the 14th
The sun was out and it promised to be another nice day. Tina went to her exercise class while I stayed home and got our bikes ready for a ride. We decided to set up a loop ride that we could go on every morning after breakfast. With a fixed length of about eight miles we could time ourselves and see how much improvement we could achieve.
I had mapped out a ride that took us east through residential areas, then south to Davis Ave, across Davis to follow Lakewood Dr to US 41, across US 41 and into Sugden Park where we circle Avalon Lake on a very nice bicycle/jogging trail back to the park entrance. From the park we ride south on Avalon, then turn west on Thomasson Rd to Bayshore Ave. Following Bayshore north to US 41, we cross US 41 onto Shadow Lawn Dr which takes us back to Davis. Crossing Davis to Estey Ave, we turn east to Airport-Pulling Ave then head north to North Rd and return to Rock Creek RV Resort. The entire route is about eight miles.
We made the ride in a little over an hour, only getting lost for a quarter mile before finding out where we were and retracing to get back on route. Since we took a little over an hour, we figured we’d use tomorrows time as our baseline.
After we got back and cooled off, Tina did a little grocery shopping while I went down to the pool with my book. The rest of the afternoon we planned whaat we wanted to do this week, then relaxed until dinner. After dinner, I picked up Fernando and we went to the Sharks Den for the Eight-Ball Tournament.
There were eight players and after the draw I faced Marce, a young lady just learning the game. Winning that match, I faced Fernando. He won the first game, then I took the next two. My next match was against Nate, Marce’s boyfriend and a really good player. He took the first game, then using all my guile and several safeties, I took the next two games to take the match and move into the catbird seat on the winners side. Eventually Nate worked through the losers bracket and faced me for the final needing to beat me two sets to win. It turned out to be a replay of our first match with him winning the first game and me winning the next two with good safety play, winning the tournament and $50. Yipppeeee!!
Tuesday the 15th
This morning there was a pretty good fog settled in. We fed the kids, had our breakfast and saddled up for our morning ride. Fifty-five minutes today. After we got home and cleaned up we took the kids for a long walk then went over to the Naples Zoo (http://www.caribbeangardens.com/).
The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, formerly known as “Jungle Larry's” was named after founder Lawrence Tetzlaff and his wife, who was known as "Safari Jane". The zoo was built in 1969 on a botanical garden site, which was planted in 1919. By 1925, the historic garden contained more than 3,000 species of tropical plants and over the years, the plants and trees have matured to the lush habitats where many exotic animals reside. A natural pathway winds around the 52-acre area, with about a mile of trails. Enormous fig trees provide a sprawling green canopy over the paths, providing shade and enhancing the feeling of being in another country.
The variety of wildlife living in this botanical oasis is remarkable, and includes African lions, kangaroos, zebras, exotic cats, spotted Hyenas, leopards several species of monkey , golden and ring tailed Lemurs and American alligators. Many of the animals are endangered, such as the African wild dogs (only seen in 2 percent of American zoos), rare Indochinese tigers (less than 50 in the U.S.) and Florida panthers.
We arrived just in time for the first show, “Planet Predator” hosted by one of the zoo keepers. We were seated in a large covered amphitheater where assistant keepers brought out several animals starting with a Harris Falcon. This was followed by a Two Stripe Skunk, a small Kinkajou, an Emperor Scorpion, a Two Toed Sloth, a large monitor lizard and a dog that had been rescued and spent the first three years of his life growing up with one of the tiger cubs.
After that we walked over to Cactus Hill to watch the Alligator feeding in Alligator Bay. There are about a half dozen large, I mean really large, alligators in the lake and they are all moving toward a beach just across from where we are standing. There are three zoo keepers doing the feeding. The lead keeper has a microphone and gives an explanation of their activities as they entice the alligators out of the water and onto the beach with turkey drumsticks. Pretty cool.
After that we walk over to the boat dock where we board a cruise boat for a tour of Lake Victoria and the monkey islands. There are spider monkeys, lemurs and several lesser species along with a large monitor lizard basking in the sun on one of the smaller islands. After the cruise we continued on our walk to the Zebra enclosure where there were several Impalas and a couple of large Kudu Antelope. From there we walked over to the wildlife habitats.
As it was probably about 83 degrees out by now, most of the animals were sleeping or resting. The porcupine was nestled in his drain pipe while the leopard was snoozing on the porch of his home. The lion, a majestic male with a full main was seated atop his rock plateau while the hyenas were relaxing in the shade. A couple of Panthers (Florida Cougars) were laying down as were the kangaroos, black bear and Fosa (think Madagascar “Foosa”).
By now it was about 1:00 PM and lunch time so we decided to have a late lunch after a stop at the bike shop for a pair of riding shorts and cyclecomp for Tina. Leaving the bike shop we headed to downtown Naples to check out “Trixies Torpedo Sandwiches”, recommended by a friend as a great place for lunch. I ordered a Reuben and Tina got a Pastrami Sub. Both were excellent. We could only eat half so we brought the other half home for dinner.
After getting back home we took the kids for a walk then spent the rest of the day relaxing, eating the rest of our lunch and generally taking it easy. Later, Tina went to the club house and played “Hand and Foot” for a couple of hours while I read and watched TV.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Market Day & Christmas Dinner
Saturday the 12th
Saturday morning I was up early and rode over to Naples to join a group of local riders for a 35 mile ride. When the others started showing up I learned that it was a training ride and the pace would be around 23 to 25, somewhat faster than what I like to ride. So I headed off and did a sprint through town to Gulfshore and rode down to the mouth of the river. On my return I found a farmers market so I raced (about 18 to 20 mph) home to tell Tina.
After a quick shower and change of clothes we headed back to the street fair for fresh vegetables and a few other goodies. Parking near "Tony's Off Third" we walked to the market. They had blocked off 3rd Street between 11th Ave and 13th Ave. There were quite a few people there and lots of vendors. We got some fresh blueberry muffins, bread, vegetables and some fresh eggs. We checked out other shopping opportunities but decided to go home and unload before doing anything else.
Since it was only 10:30 AM we took the kids for a long walk then headed off for the Big Cypress Market (http://www.bigcypressmarketplace.com/), billed as the biggest indoor Flea Market in SW Florida. We spent an hour there. I bought some Agatha Christie and Dick Francis books and then we headed home. It was somewhat disappointing since probably a third of the vendor stalls were empty. On the way home we stopped at a streetside vendor for lunch. I had a "Chicago Style Dog" and Tina had an "Italian Beef" sandwich. Yummmmm!!
We spent the afternoon relaxing, organizing photos and doing the blog. At five we walked down to the clubhouse for the annual Christmas Party dinner. Tina and the kitchen crew had spent Friday night peeling potatos, carrots and apples, then they made a dozen apple pies. Today, while we were out and about, several others did the cooking - roast beef, sweet carrots, mashed potatoes and gravey and carmelized onions.
We got there in time for a half hour of socializing before sitting down at our table for grace. There were 16 tables of eight people each so it was a pretty big crowd. With two lines, everybody was able to get served a great dinner. For desert, everyone was given a large slice of apple pie a-la-mode. Everything was delicious!!
After dinner the band struck up with dance music until 8:00 PM when they took a break and the Rock Creek Choir came up and performed a half dozen Christmas carols. Tina had been practicing with the group for a couple of weeks and they were absolutely fabulous, with several doen in four part harmony!! After their performance, Santa came in and handed out candy to all the guests followed by more dancing. Even Tina and I hit the floor for a couple of tunes!
By 9:30 PM we were ready to call it a night so we collected our stuff and headed back to the coach. After taking the kids out for a walk we deceided to call it a night.
To see all our photos click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Saturday morning I was up early and rode over to Naples to join a group of local riders for a 35 mile ride. When the others started showing up I learned that it was a training ride and the pace would be around 23 to 25, somewhat faster than what I like to ride. So I headed off and did a sprint through town to Gulfshore and rode down to the mouth of the river. On my return I found a farmers market so I raced (about 18 to 20 mph) home to tell Tina.After a quick shower and change of clothes we headed back to the street fair for fresh vegetables and a few other goodies. Parking near "Tony's Off Third" we walked to the market. They had blocked off 3rd Street between 11th Ave and 13th Ave. There were quite a few people there and lots of vendors. We got some fresh blueberry muffins, bread, vegetables and some fresh eggs. We checked out other shopping opportunities but decided to go home and unload before doing anything else.
Since it was only 10:30 AM we took the kids for a long walk then headed off for the Big Cypress Market (http://www.bigcypressmarketplace.com/), billed as the biggest indoor Flea Market in SW Florida. We spent an hour there. I bought some Agatha Christie and Dick Francis books and then we headed home. It was somewhat disappointing since probably a third of the vendor stalls were empty. On the way home we stopped at a streetside vendor for lunch. I had a "Chicago Style Dog" and Tina had an "Italian Beef" sandwich. Yummmmm!!We spent the afternoon relaxing, organizing photos and doing the blog. At five we walked down to the clubhouse for the annual Christmas Party dinner. Tina and the kitchen crew had spent Friday night peeling potatos, carrots and apples, then they made a dozen apple pies. Today, while we were out and about, several others did the cooking - roast beef, sweet carrots, mashed potatoes and gravey and carmelized onions.
We got there in time for a half hour of socializing before sitting down at our table for grace. There were 16 tables of eight people each so it was a pretty big crowd. With two lines, everybody was able to get served a great dinner. For desert, everyone was given a large slice of apple pie a-la-mode. Everything was delicious!!After dinner the band struck up with dance music until 8:00 PM when they took a break and the Rock Creek Choir came up and performed a half dozen Christmas carols. Tina had been practicing with the group for a couple of weeks and they were absolutely fabulous, with several doen in four part harmony!! After their performance, Santa came in and handed out candy to all the guests followed by more dancing. Even Tina and I hit the floor for a couple of tunes!
By 9:30 PM we were ready to call it a night so we collected our stuff and headed back to the coach. After taking the kids out for a walk we deceided to call it a night.To see all our photos click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
More Quiet Time
Our Week in Review
Monday we had planned to drive to the Everglades but another cold front rolled in and we had off and on rain showers. So we decided to move the drive to later in the week and spent time relaxing instead. That evening, a neighbor (Fernando from Toronto) and I went to the Sharks Den and shot in the 8-Ball Tournament. There were some pretty good players there, but with smoking allowed, I didn't play my best. Maybe better luck next week.
Tuesday was Tina’s day with the ladies. The monthly ladies luncheon was at noon and about 40 to 50 ladies attended. They all brought something to eat and also a toy to donate to the Naples Fire Department. Several representatives of the NFD attended also. We are volunteering to help distribute the toys with the NFD the last week before Christmas.
While Tina was at lunch, I headed out on a ride to the Everglades which are only about fifteen miles away. I had planned out a route that would take me southeast of Naples down through a number of residential areas and over towards an area south of the Florida Sports Park, home of the Swamp Buggy Races. I got to Sabal Palm Road which was supposed to head into the everglade. The pavement ended about a mile down the road (not expected) but it looked pretty solid so I thought I might as well see where it went.
Three miles later I was passed by some hunters in a beat up old van. They made a turn onto "G" Road so I followed, skirting several big mud puddles. Being curious, I continued forward, at times having to walk my bike across several unrideable sections or around mud puddles that were probably fifteen inches deep and stretched from one side of the road to the other. Too bad I didn't have my camera to record this ride.
Eventually I figured it was time to turn around and retrace my route. There was absolutely no sign of life other than a few birds in the scrublands. Besides, nobody knew where I was and even though I had my cell phone with me, I was in Panther country. So, back I went winding around through the everglades along six miles of road better suited to my mountain bike rather than my road bike, but it was fun. Once I was back on the pavement, it was a quick ride back to the RV Park and a shower. The rest of the afternoon was spent at the pool with a book and chaise lounge.
Wednesday was the men’s lunch at the Captain’s Cabin. About twenty guys from the RV Park showed up to play pool, have a beer and a bite to eat. I partnered up with another neighbor (Rollie from NC) and we held the table for two hours. After lunch, Tina and I went for a short bike ride before dinner. Later after dinner we went to the clubhouse and played Eucher for a couple of hours.
Thursday we took the dogs for a drive out towards Marco Island to check out a rumor of guided kayak tours of the back bayous. Turns out there is one available on Wednesdays and Fridays so we got the phone number and will schedule a trip for early January. Later that evening we went to the clubhouse and joined six other couples for a pot luck dinner. Tina brought a special salad and we had a pleasant meal and visited for a couple of hours. Very nice!
Friday we drove to Rookery Bay Preserve (http://www.rookerybay.org/), part of the SW Florida Conservancy. Rookery Bay is nationally recognized as one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in the United States. The bay provides habitat for recreationally and commercially important fish and shellfish. Dolphins, manatees, and birds use the shallow waters for feeding. Established in 1978, the reserve is located in Collier County between Naples and Marco Island. The core of the reserve is 12,500 acres of open water, mangrove wetlands, and pine and oak uplands. When the Aquatic Preserve and Cape Romano/Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve are included, the area managed by the Conservancy is over 112,000 acres. The photo is a model of a Polka-dot Bat Fish, one of the strangest looking fish in the sea. Its pectoral fins are quite flexible and situated on arm-like stalks which it uses these to "walk" along the bottom. There was a small one in one of the aquarium tanks.
There are twelve habitats in the Reserve and adjacent lands, including Coastal Xeric Scrub, Cypress Dome, Freshwater Marsh, Coastal Hammock, Saltwater Marsh and Mangrove Forests. A unique upland feature of Rookery Bay are shell mounds. These are mostly kitchen middens and refuse sites used by aboriginal Indians. We spent some time with one of the volunteer scientists who was doing a feeding of several of the fish species found in the bays and estuary then headed for the boardwalk where we were able to walk out into several of the different habitats.
After returning home we took the kids for a long walk then spent the afternoon reading and enjoying the nice weather.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Monday we had planned to drive to the Everglades but another cold front rolled in and we had off and on rain showers. So we decided to move the drive to later in the week and spent time relaxing instead. That evening, a neighbor (Fernando from Toronto) and I went to the Sharks Den and shot in the 8-Ball Tournament. There were some pretty good players there, but with smoking allowed, I didn't play my best. Maybe better luck next week.
Tuesday was Tina’s day with the ladies. The monthly ladies luncheon was at noon and about 40 to 50 ladies attended. They all brought something to eat and also a toy to donate to the Naples Fire Department. Several representatives of the NFD attended also. We are volunteering to help distribute the toys with the NFD the last week before Christmas.
While Tina was at lunch, I headed out on a ride to the Everglades which are only about fifteen miles away. I had planned out a route that would take me southeast of Naples down through a number of residential areas and over towards an area south of the Florida Sports Park, home of the Swamp Buggy Races. I got to Sabal Palm Road which was supposed to head into the everglade. The pavement ended about a mile down the road (not expected) but it looked pretty solid so I thought I might as well see where it went.
Three miles later I was passed by some hunters in a beat up old van. They made a turn onto "G" Road so I followed, skirting several big mud puddles. Being curious, I continued forward, at times having to walk my bike across several unrideable sections or around mud puddles that were probably fifteen inches deep and stretched from one side of the road to the other. Too bad I didn't have my camera to record this ride.
Eventually I figured it was time to turn around and retrace my route. There was absolutely no sign of life other than a few birds in the scrublands. Besides, nobody knew where I was and even though I had my cell phone with me, I was in Panther country. So, back I went winding around through the everglades along six miles of road better suited to my mountain bike rather than my road bike, but it was fun. Once I was back on the pavement, it was a quick ride back to the RV Park and a shower. The rest of the afternoon was spent at the pool with a book and chaise lounge.
Wednesday was the men’s lunch at the Captain’s Cabin. About twenty guys from the RV Park showed up to play pool, have a beer and a bite to eat. I partnered up with another neighbor (Rollie from NC) and we held the table for two hours. After lunch, Tina and I went for a short bike ride before dinner. Later after dinner we went to the clubhouse and played Eucher for a couple of hours.
Thursday we took the dogs for a drive out towards Marco Island to check out a rumor of guided kayak tours of the back bayous. Turns out there is one available on Wednesdays and Fridays so we got the phone number and will schedule a trip for early January. Later that evening we went to the clubhouse and joined six other couples for a pot luck dinner. Tina brought a special salad and we had a pleasant meal and visited for a couple of hours. Very nice!
Friday we drove to Rookery Bay Preserve (http://www.rookerybay.org/), part of the SW Florida Conservancy. Rookery Bay is nationally recognized as one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in the United States. The bay provides habitat for recreationally and commercially important fish and shellfish. Dolphins, manatees, and birds use the shallow waters for feeding. Established in 1978, the reserve is located in Collier County between Naples and Marco Island. The core of the reserve is 12,500 acres of open water, mangrove wetlands, and pine and oak uplands. When the Aquatic Preserve and Cape Romano/Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve are included, the area managed by the Conservancy is over 112,000 acres. The photo is a model of a Polka-dot Bat Fish, one of the strangest looking fish in the sea. Its pectoral fins are quite flexible and situated on arm-like stalks which it uses these to "walk" along the bottom. There was a small one in one of the aquarium tanks.
There are twelve habitats in the Reserve and adjacent lands, including Coastal Xeric Scrub, Cypress Dome, Freshwater Marsh, Coastal Hammock, Saltwater Marsh and Mangrove Forests. A unique upland feature of Rookery Bay are shell mounds. These are mostly kitchen middens and refuse sites used by aboriginal Indians. We spent some time with one of the volunteer scientists who was doing a feeding of several of the fish species found in the bays and estuary then headed for the boardwalk where we were able to walk out into several of the different habitats.After returning home we took the kids for a long walk then spent the afternoon reading and enjoying the nice weather.
To see all our photos, click on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Quiet Time In Naples
Well, when it rains in Florida it really rains. The predictions for Thursday were for rain by noon so we didn't plan anything except a little laundry and some other chores. Needless to say it didn't start raining until late in the day. So what did we do? We did laundry and some chores, walked the dogs and took it easy.
Now on Friday it was sprinkling when we got up so out came the dog towels with one going on the floor by the entry and the other in the co-pilot chair. It rained off and on all day, sometimes heavy, sometimes not. Of course every time the kids went for a walk it was coming down pretty good, after we started out naturally. Later that night the sky opened up and we got a couple of inches of rain overnight.
Saturday morning it was still coming down heavy for our morning walk. By the time we got back we were all drenched through and through. More towels, some for the kids some for us. After changing clothes we stayed in and watched TV and read while we waited for the rain to go away. Sure enough, by lunch time it had started drying up and the sun was peeking through the clouds. By dinner it was about 70 degrees with a stiff breeze, the leading edge of the cold front.
Sunday dawned cool and clear (of rain) with light cloud cover. After a breakfast of Blueberry Pancakes,juice and coffee we watched our Sunday morning TV program, CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. After lunch we took the dogs up to the only Dog Park in the area at Veterans Park, north of Naples. The kids had a nice time playing with the other small dogs while we visited with their owners. Later we stopped at PetSmart and bought them each a new harness to replace their raggedy collars. After we got home Tina made some fresh salsa and burritos for dinner. Delicious!!
Tomorrow we are going to drive to the Everglades, stay tuned.
Now on Friday it was sprinkling when we got up so out came the dog towels with one going on the floor by the entry and the other in the co-pilot chair. It rained off and on all day, sometimes heavy, sometimes not. Of course every time the kids went for a walk it was coming down pretty good, after we started out naturally. Later that night the sky opened up and we got a couple of inches of rain overnight.
Saturday morning it was still coming down heavy for our morning walk. By the time we got back we were all drenched through and through. More towels, some for the kids some for us. After changing clothes we stayed in and watched TV and read while we waited for the rain to go away. Sure enough, by lunch time it had started drying up and the sun was peeking through the clouds. By dinner it was about 70 degrees with a stiff breeze, the leading edge of the cold front.
Sunday dawned cool and clear (of rain) with light cloud cover. After a breakfast of Blueberry Pancakes,juice and coffee we watched our Sunday morning TV program, CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. After lunch we took the dogs up to the only Dog Park in the area at Veterans Park, north of Naples. The kids had a nice time playing with the other small dogs while we visited with their owners. Later we stopped at PetSmart and bought them each a new harness to replace their raggedy collars. After we got home Tina made some fresh salsa and burritos for dinner. Delicious!!
Tomorrow we are going to drive to the Everglades, stay tuned.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tin City Bike Ride
Tuesday the 1st
It's about 70 degrees under a blue sky, the sun is shining and there's a soft breeze blowing as I take the kids for their morning 'before breakfast' walk. With a forecast of 80 degrees later today, can this really be winter? Hee, heee!!
We parked our bikes, locked them up and walked into the complex of shops and restaurants. With over thirty businesses we browsed our way through most of them. We found a Beauty Salon for Tina and a shirt place for me. Since we were on our bikes I snagged some business cards as reminders to return.
I ordered a Cuban Mahi Melt, pan seared mahi mahi pressed with jack cheese, tomato and smoked bacon on Cuban bread with a dill pickle mustard served with Mediteranean Orzo salad. Tina had three Grouper Tacos, fried grouper, shredded cabbage and chipotle aioli in flour tortillas, with salsa, black beans and rice. Just as good as we had yesterday!!
A beautiful collection of three and four story buildings with retail and professional on the ground floor and condos/appartments above. With beautiful landscaping, fountains, public art and underground parking, this area was a great example of improved urban development. I took several photos then we continued on our way.
It's about 70 degrees under a blue sky, the sun is shining and there's a soft breeze blowing as I take the kids for their morning 'before breakfast' walk. With a forecast of 80 degrees later today, can this really be winter? Hee, heee!! Once our morning chores are done, the breakfast dishes washed and put away we got out our activity list to see what we wanted to do.
Since it was so nice out we decided to go for a bike ride into town and explore a small shopping area called "Tin City" (http://www.tin-city.com/) which is just across the Cocohatchee River, next to the downtown core.
We have a really simple route to get downtown on our bikes. We leave Rock Creek and using the sidewalk along Airport-Pulling Rd we take the first right to ride through a residential area parallel to Davis Ave. Nearing the end of the stree we turn left to Davis and, again staying on the sidewalk, ride west on Davis to 5th Ave S and across the Cocohatchee River. Once across the river, we are able to access a pedestrian/bicycle underpass along the river to cross 5th Ave, coming out at Tin City.
We parked our bikes, locked them up and walked into the complex of shops and restaurants. With over thirty businesses we browsed our way through most of them. We found a Beauty Salon for Tina and a shirt place for me. Since we were on our bikes I snagged some business cards as reminders to return. Since it was nearly 12:30 PM we walked back to the Riverwalk Restaurant (http://www.riverwalktincity.com/) for lunch. Walking in we were shown to a table on the deck overlooking the harbor. Turns out Riverwalk Restaurant is a sister to The Dock Restaurant so we expected good food and we weren't dissapointed.
I ordered a Cuban Mahi Melt, pan seared mahi mahi pressed with jack cheese, tomato and smoked bacon on Cuban bread with a dill pickle mustard served with Mediteranean Orzo salad. Tina had three Grouper Tacos, fried grouper, shredded cabbage and chipotle aioli in flour tortillas, with salsa, black beans and rice. Just as good as we had yesterday!!After lunch we rode back through the 5th Ave underpass and over to a newly developed shopping and residential complex along the river.
A beautiful collection of three and four story buildings with retail and professional on the ground floor and condos/appartments above. With beautiful landscaping, fountains, public art and underground parking, this area was a great example of improved urban development. I took several photos then we continued on our way.We were headed north on Goodlette-Frank Street which runs parallel to Airport-Pulling but on the back side of the airport. As we rode along the sidewalk (not all streets have bike lanes, so bicycles are allowed on sidewalks) we came upon a sign for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida (http://www.conservancy.org/) so we decided to check it out. Turns out they are undergoing a major expansion and redevelopment but they are open so we will come back next week.
Continuing our ride north we passed the Naples Zoo (also on our list) finally reaching Golden Gate Parkway, a cross street we could take over to Airport-Pulling Rd, for the last leg of our bike ride. We finally pulled into Rock Creek about 3:00 PM. Ahhhh, just in time to do a load of laundry. Tina usually does a small load on a daily basis in the coach. But for big loads like sheets and towels we do that at the camp laundry. So we loaded up the laundry bag, took our books and went to do a load. I had changed into my swim suit, so after dropping Tina and the laundry, I walked down to the pool for a refreshing dip and a little sun.
An hour later we were done with the laundry and pool so gathered everything up and headed back to the coach and dinner. Later I went down to the Sharks Den and shot pool for a couple of hours. I was in stroke as the owner watched me shoot a couple of racks. After setting up a couple of practice shots he came over and invited me to join one of his teams. I explained we were just visiting but thanked him for the offer. I left around 8:30 PM but plan to return for the 8-Ball tournament on Thursday.
To see all our photos, click on:
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Wine and Cheese Party
Monday the 30th
It's another beautiful day on South Florida so we decided to go for a drive to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/). The Sanctuary, located about twenty miles NE of Naples, is an 11,000-acre nature preserve with a 2.25 mile long boardwalk trail. The walk passes through various habitats – pine forest, wet prairie, bald cypress and sawgrass marsh.
After parking and grabbing the cameras and a bottle of water, we entered the Blair Audubon Center and were greeted by a member of the Audubon Society. She gave us a rundown of the areas we were about to enter and told us that there were a number of Naturalists along the trail to answer questions.
Relatives of the Redwood, these trees are really impressive soaring 130 feet, many with a diameter of 25 feet. Massive branches are draped with mosses, lichens, air plants, orchids, and ferns, home to many species of frog, insect and bird.
We got home about an hour and a half later, took the kids for a walk, gathered up some snacks, some pop for me, a bottle of wine, our chairs and hiked to the other end of the campground for a Wine and Cheese Party. We actually got there a little late but since there is an every day gathering at 5:00 PM things were just getting under way. We sampled several snacks (meatballs, little smokies, several different cheeses, chips and a couple of different salsas), listened to some country music and visited with our neighbors.
It's another beautiful day on South Florida so we decided to go for a drive to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/). The Sanctuary, located about twenty miles NE of Naples, is an 11,000-acre nature preserve with a 2.25 mile long boardwalk trail. The walk passes through various habitats – pine forest, wet prairie, bald cypress and sawgrass marsh. After taking the dogs out for their 'after breakfast walk' we headed out. Driving north on Airport-Pulling Rd we turned east at Immokalee Blvd finally arriving about 10:30 AM.
After parking and grabbing the cameras and a bottle of water, we entered the Blair Audubon Center and were greeted by a member of the Audubon Society. She gave us a rundown of the areas we were about to enter and told us that there were a number of Naturalists along the trail to answer questions.One of the points she made was that part of the Sanctuary has the largest collection of ancient Bald Cypress in North America, the last unlogged virgin forest with many trees over 500 years old.
Relatives of the Redwood, these trees are really impressive soaring 130 feet, many with a diameter of 25 feet. Massive branches are draped with mosses, lichens, air plants, orchids, and ferns, home to many species of frog, insect and bird. We headed out on our walk and were fortunate to see a Hawk, several Ibis, three different specias of Heron, a couple of Anhinga (relative of Cormorants), a couple of White Eyed Verios, a Pileated Woodpecker, a large Alligator, Cattle Egrets and evidence of Black Bears (claw marks on the Cyprus trunks). We were out on the trail for almost three hours before arriving back at the Center. We really enjoyed our walk and highly recommend the Sanctuary to anyone making a trip to the Fort Myers/Naples area. For more information about the sanctuary click on:
http://www.ecofloridamag.com/archived/corkscrew_swamp.htm
Since we missed lunch, Tina suggested we have a late lunch/early dinner at The Dock Restaurant (http://www.dockcraytoncove.com/) back in Naples on the Cocohatchee River next to the City Marina. We got there about 3:00 PM and were seated on the deck looking out over the marina. We both ordered sandwiches, I had a Kobe Beef Hamburger with Orzo Salad, Tina had a Cuban Pulled Pork with Black Beans and rice. Mmmmmmm, mmmm good!
Since we missed lunch, Tina suggested we have a late lunch/early dinner at The Dock Restaurant (http://www.dockcraytoncove.com/) back in Naples on the Cocohatchee River next to the City Marina. We got there about 3:00 PM and were seated on the deck looking out over the marina. We both ordered sandwiches, I had a Kobe Beef Hamburger with Orzo Salad, Tina had a Cuban Pulled Pork with Black Beans and rice. Mmmmmmm, mmmm good! 
We got home about an hour and a half later, took the kids for a walk, gathered up some snacks, some pop for me, a bottle of wine, our chairs and hiked to the other end of the campground for a Wine and Cheese Party. We actually got there a little late but since there is an every day gathering at 5:00 PM things were just getting under way. We sampled several snacks (meatballs, little smokies, several different cheeses, chips and a couple of different salsas), listened to some country music and visited with our neighbors. We returned home around 6:00 PM after a long, enjoyable day.
To see all our photos, click on:
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