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.

 

January/ Venice and Wauchula Florida 2013

It doesn't get much better than this--my Kindle, a cup of coffee and the beach.

 

 

Above is our camping spot in Venice, Florida

 

 

Myakka River in the park area of the campground.

 

 

There is a lovely residential area I go walking in and this is a picture taken in that development.

We moved from Venice, FL to Wauchula, Fl this is our camping spot in the campground there.

 

While in Wauchula we got to meet up with a lot of our friends.  Lou and Carol Hands,whom I did not get a picture of yet:  We spent several evenings with them and it felt so good just to have the opportunity to catch up with these dear friends. 

Pictured above are Lee and Travis putting up Travis's Christmas present from Dede.

 

Pictured above are Ed and Janie. We all went out to dinner when we were there and Janie and I spent a pleasant morning picking strawberries and eating as many as we could as we picked.

 

Jane, Miss Molly says hello.

 

When Nicky and I go on our 5 mile walks we love to watch the birds.

 

This is one of the things I miss the most when I am home--the Spanish moss. It's like having tinsel on the trees year round not just at Christmas.

 

The Peace River is beautiful, even on a foggy morning. There is just a very peaceful feeling that comes over you watching the river.  I guess someone else thought so too--thus it is called the Peace River.

 

 

When we are in Wauchula Florida we do widow visitation for the church we attend. This young lady below is Wanda, she is 87 and has some fantastic stories to tell. Lived in Wauchula all her life and is still living in her own home.

 

This is Viola, who is 96 this year and still on her own.  She loves to have Nicky come to visit and this visit I was also able to help her with some cleaning.

 

Chris and Mark had us over for the day.  They are staying in Sebring at Tanglewood campground. We had a lovely day and a fantastic dinner. Later that week Chris and Mark came over to Peace River and I made them dinner and then we all went out for Pure Magic Ice Cream.

 

Chris and I are looking forward to meeting up for a couple of beach days and shopping days when we are back in Venice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner with Ed and Janie and Lee and Gerry at Gloria's in Bolling Green, FL.

 

 

Now this man is enjoying his fish!!!!

 

 

Going down the road I saw this pickup truck with a dog hole cut in it.  Isn't the cool?

 

 

We left Wauchula and moved back to Venice

 

The first 4 days went really well.  We got to the beach a couple of times and then Lee worked with a neighbor for 2 days helping him put in pergo floors in his model. On Wednesday Nicky was vomiting so I figured he'd gotten into eating some grass.  It continued so Wednesday afternoon we took him to a vet and the vet gave him a shot to stop the vomiting.  Thursday morning we took him to another vet recommended by people in the campground.  The vet took Nicky back immediately. He knew within 15 minutes that Nicky had bloat (a twisted stomach). The vet waa not sure Nicky would make it.  He was on IV 's from thursday morning till Sat. afternoon.  It was not until Saturday that he began to eat and drink on his own.  He has lost about 5-6 pounds and those of you who know Nicky know he was slim to begin with.  We took Nicky home Sat. afternoon and by Sunday late afternoon he was beginning to act like the Nicky we know. He's got a lot a rebuilding to do but with all of your prayers I think he will make it . 

 

 

I made up the bed in the living room and Nicky has been recouping there.

 

 

Nicky says thanks for all your prayers through this ordeal.