Venice & North Fort Myers 2012

We left Peace River Feb 9th and were off to Venice for two weeks.  While in Venice Mark and Chris came over for the day and we walked downtown Venice, and went to the Bird Sanctuary for a while and then out to dinner in Nokomis.  We are eating in the doggy dining room where the dogs can accompany you and they are served their own chicken and rice dinner.

 

 

The birds at the sanctuary are really beautiful and Mark knows them all by name!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the tree of us are watching the birds, Chris is around the other side of the water watching this guy!!

 

 

 

 

Lee and I spend some lovely days down on the beach.  Lee also got involved in helping our Canadian friends, Rob and Pat, with some design work for their cottage back home that they want to expand.

 

 

 

Lee also helped Lee put down some laminate flooring in their unit in Venice.

Pat cooked us a tremendous lamb dinner one evening.

 

 

 Lee and Rob going over plans.

 

 

The new laminate floors at Pat and Rob's.

 

 

I did a lot of biking around the park at Venice it is a very pretty location.

 

 

We left on Lee's 70th birthday for North Fort Myers (Pioneer Village campground)

From here there are lots of places for me to bike because all the main roads have sidewalks.  The biking really helps to keep my knee flexible.

Jim and Tracy-- remember how when we were here together we played Pickle Ball on the tennis court?  Guess what???? They now have 2 Pickle Ball courts.

 

 

Manatee Park is just around the corner from the

campground.

This beautiful oak tree provides shade for the amphitheater.

 

 

 

 

On the way home from my bike ride this morning I took a picture of this eagle.  You can actually go on line and follow the babies progress.

 

 

Tracy do you remember going to this church when we were here together?

 

 

 

 



Peace River/Venice Feb.2013

 

We're in Venice now and last night went to a place called the Brick Yard, which is a little shopping area, and ate at a Mexican restaurant there with our Canadian friends here in the park. An early Valentine celebration. 

Pictured below are Lee, Rob Pat and Eve.

 

 

This is a picture of the courtyard area outside the restaurant.  You can have your pet with you in the outside patio dining area.

 

 

This tree in the courtyard was just too cool.

 

 

Last Sunday when we came out of church Lee went crazy over this car.  It was beautiful and the inside was as pristine as the outside.  Lee says,"Jim would love this".

 

 

Spent some nice time catching up with Keith and Marie. They both look fabulous and I'm only sorry we did not have more time with them. They do just live a short distance away in Pennsylvania so perhaps we can get together this summer.

 

 

It was also sad leaving Janie and Ed.

 

 

Janie showed me the quilt she is working on now and I wanted you to see this Jane, so put it on the blog.  It is going to be gorgeous!!

 

 

Two squares done!!

 

 

This is a picture of Nicky hanging with us while we have coffee.  He is recovering well from his twisted stomach and has put 5 of the 8 pounds he lost back on.

 

 

Before we left Wauchula we spent a day over at Payne Creek State Park.  We like to hike the trails over there and it is just so quiet and peaceful.

 

 

A few years ago when we went to this park Nicky got about half way across this suspension bridge and then just stopped and wouldn't so any further.  As soon as he realized that the surface below him was moving he was done. He just sat there in the middle of the bridge and it took a lot of coaxing to get him over. Jim, you would have been very proud of Nicky, this time he just marched right across with Lee even after he felt the movement.

 

 

This is where Payne Creek empties into the Peace River.

 

 

Lee and I took an afternoon and went over to Solomon's Castle for a nice lunch.

 

 

We had not been back to this castle for about 6 years.  It is located in Ona, FL This castle in made out of lithograph sheets. Pull it up on Google for an interesting description.

 

 

 

This is the restaurant we ate in located on the grounds.

 

 

We walked a trail while we were there.  I love the trees and all the spanich moss.

 

We will be in Venice now until Feb. 23rd and then to North Fort Myers and then off to Naples for the month of March.  After that we will begin to head North.