Rescue at sea

As we were leaving the restaurant Trish and I, Kelly would not come she wanted to hurry home, walked out on a fishing pier. The first thing we saw was the flashing light of a Tow Boat US boat. It was towing a large motor boat.

 The Tow Boat let the lines go and the yacht seemed to come in and land using their thrusters. When it docked which it did without any trouble we could see it was a Hampton Endurance 700. New ones sell for about 3 million American Dollars.

It may be time to come home when the excitement is watching a boat be towed to a dock.

Just about time to head home

Yesterday we decided to search for a restaurant on the water and eat lunch. It may be our last day to do this. Friday it is suppose to rain and Saturday we start the trek home. We are all ready even if it is still winter in Toronto.

Our accommodation has been excellent, but! There is no golf walking distance from the house and I felt guilty taking the car for half a day. I did try to go and arrange a second game at Bonita Fairways, which was by no gage a great course. I drove over got out of the car and asked the starter how busy he was that day. Remember the day I played had a lot of room for many more players. I teed off as a two sum. He without looking at me dismissed me with "I have a league right now" and walked away.
I went home and did not play again. I tried to go to a driving range while Trish was in Saks Fifth Ave, but they only accepted cash and I had none.

The home had very nice walking paths which with Kelly's help we used a lot. These paths did not go anywhere close to the ocean. The house was about 10 miles from the ocean. While we were in Florida we were nowhere near boats. The biggest problem is total lack of any social contact. The neighbours are very nice when we meet them, but we never meet them. We have seen many Ontario licence plates, but no one we knew.

Back to our lunch Thursday. We ate at Bonita's Bills in Fort Myers Beach. The menu included peel your own shrimp. Trish and I had one order of shrimp and fries, while Kelly ate hot dog. The pound and a half of shrimp was excellent and all we needed. They also had live entertainment which was very good. We ate outside because Kelly is bothered by loud music unless it is blaring through her ear phones.

A rare picture of the three of us

A shrimp boat headed out

Fort Myers Beach Harbour. To the right are yachts on mooring balls.

Kelly and Trish waiting for lunch as I explore

Bonita's Bills

Looking across the Intercoastal

We've gone to the DOG

Yesterday we decided to go and watch Dog Racing. Trish and I did not do very well. in the first race we bet the Quinella 4 & 2. it was set to pay 17 to 1. The number 4 dog was the favourite while number 2 was about he 4th favourite. In the first turn our #4 tripped over himself and came last. Number 2 won the race. we won nothing.

Thanks to Kelly who liked number 8 in the 9th or 10th race we won $16.60. This meant that at the end of the day we were only down $7.40. Not too bad.

Here are most of the dogs the one we bet on I don't think make it in to the frame.

Starting Gate

The track

Kelly checking the form

Here comes Sparky The mechanical rabbit they chase

  

Trish and Bill Go Orange picking

The other day Trish and I took the back way home from a drive. We got to a place just north of Immokalee only to have the traffic stop dead. Fortunately the traffic was coming along an East West road and making a turn. Rather then getting in the line which did not appear to be moving we turned right.

This lead us to a pick your own orange farm. We went in and got about 10 pounds of juice oranges.
We have juiced about half of then and the result is delicious.

Naples and Tin City

Today is Sunday March 23rd. We intend to start home next weekend. It is not so much that we have had enough of Florida, but we miss everyone back home and have a boat to get ready. As of this week we only have 5 months to get ready to go away for a year.

This past Friday we went to Naples for lunch. There was a lot of traffic and by the time we finished lunch it was time to come home. We found a very nice place to eat. It was about what we thought Marco Island would be except this time we got a water seat. The bad news was I had a hamburger. I had a hamburger because their shrimp was fried. It is not that I don't eat fried food. I do try to avoid it, but the fact that once you fry something the amount of something what ever it is decreases.

It was great to be near water and we had a wonderful time. Oh yes we did see a lot of Pelicans.

The Pelicans meeting to decide where to have lunch

Before we leave Naples I would like to show you what you get for just over $500,000 American Dollars.

Naples and Marco Island

Wednesday we drove over to Naples. On the way from The keys a couple of weeks ago we drove through Naples and have gone to the northern outskirts, but had not actually gone to Naples. We stopped to see the beach which is beautiful of course, but nowhere near the number pf shells that Sanibel Island had.

Trish on The Beach at Naples

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We went to a nice restaurant on Marco Island. We had asked for a table right on the water. Their idea of right on the water and our idea was a completely different thing. We did have a good lunch and it was a nice place to be.

Scene outside restaurant  

We stopped on the way off Marco Island at a marina with a ships store. Not very interesting mostly clothes

Pelicans at marina waiting for lunch

Shells from the beaches of sanibel Island

Sanibel Island is a densely forested island just south of Fort Myers and Cape Coral. It reportedly had excellent shells on its beaches. Yesterday we got off relatively early about 9:00 and headed for the $6 bridge. It actually is only $3 because they only charge not the way to the island. It is free to get off.

Kelly and Trish collecting shells

They were both to intent on searching to turn around and have their picture taken

The tide was coming in

Trish looking for more shells

Some of the shells

Some of the Flora and Fauna we have seen

As we travel around Florida one of our surprises is the is not the colour or aroma that you see and smell in Hawaii. There is very little colour just a lot of green. There are a lot of birds but none have the colour of a Parrot or Macaw.

Lizard in pool area

Not very big though

Alligator on the move

Alligator getting closer

Alligator going under bridge

Big Bird in a tree but I do not know what kind

Rare colour

Alligator in pond beside walking path. Actually about 40 feet away.

Hawk best picture I could get/

Flower growing out of side of a palm tree

Another flower growing out of a palm

You don't even see very many flowers planted around public areas