22 March 2014 - Naples final art fest of the season

One of the clocks made with antique silver.

Garden statuary made from steel. Some of the animal's heads moved.

Colourful ceramics with hand imprinted decoration.

Photographic art by Edward Loedding from Brandon, Vermont.

Steel cactus was so realistic and would be awesome at night when inside lights come on.

Wood burl carving by Vic Baisley from Hollywood, Florida.

How lucky are we? Naples must be the most Art-friendly city in Florida and I'd bet money it rivals any other bigger city in the USA. For certain, there is nothing in Canada that can compare. Perhaps the fact that there's little rain, no snow and lots of money helps to do more than just promote the arts.

I went through the Naples Florida Weekly earlier in the week and marked it on the calendar so we wouldn't forget about it. I've learned that if it isn't on the calendar or there isn't a paper reminder we will get involved in one of a hundred different things and not get to the event.  However, we were up relatively early and downtown by 9:45 am. The weather has been very hot so that the mornings are the best time to do anything before it get just too hot to be anywhere but in a pool or the ocean.

I know I have said this a hundred times since we've been in Naples but...just when I think I've seen it all, I see one more thing...and it normally takes my breath away. The Art Festival was that 'one more thing' or rather, the artists who were showing at this festival. I saw things today that literally took my breathe away or brought me to tears with the sheer beauty of it. People are able to reach so far into their imaginations and spirits to create the things they do. It was far more than just photography, painting, ceramics, etc. Every artist seemed to have found another layer of creativity for their work and there were additional steps in the process to make something so beautiful or unusual.

One photographer printed large format photos and did some excellent photoshop enhancement before adding many thin layers of varnish so that it resembled a beautiful painting. Another artist took pieces of antique silver..trays, cutlery, etc...and created large pendulum clocks. A wood carver created large bowls (God, they were so much more than just `bowls`) from wood burls and they did intricate carving so that it looked like a piece of lace around the top. Wayne, of course, was mesmerized and talked to him forever! Another artist carved sea-life from wood and then painted it in layer after layer of high gloss paint so that each animal looked like it had just been plucked from the ocean. A metal worker had made the most realistic and gorgeous cactus in steel and they were lit inside so that at night the light would shine through the various holes and cracks. On and on........

There had to be about 350 artists in back-to-back tents down the main street and because the tents were all the same I`m betting they belong to the City of Naples are rented by each artist. We stopped at our favourite 5th Street Café for a coffee and muffin and by 11:30 am the temperature and the thousands of people dictated that we get out of there. We had parked at the no-cost parking garage (another A+ for Naples) and we walked over to the park to sit in the shade and see what was going on there before heading home.

The Avow Hospice is having a big benefit weekend and have chosen butterflies as their symbol of celebration. There`s a big Butterfly Ball tonight but in the park today they were having a remembrance celebration. There was music and a huge mesh tent filled with hundreds of butterflies that anyone could visit, while names of individuals being remembered were read out.  When the names were finished being read, the organizers raised the side of the tent and all the butterflies were released.  As I`ve said...just when I think I`ve seen it all.

We went to the beach yesterday and it was probably the hottest day so far. There wasn`t the usual breeze although I had a bit of a pinkish blow to my skin after Wednesday`s visit so sitting under the umbrella wasn`t a bad idea. I walked down the beach once to do some shelling and as soon as I had dragged myself back to our umbrella, Wayne and I both headed for the water for my first swim. It was heaven!

The art festival continues tomorrow and the Naples Concert Orchestra is playing in the park so we may head down early again and get to the park before it`s too hot. Everyone we talk to is starting to think about packing and heading back North..somewhere. There`s also lots of conversation about how cold it still is at home (where-ever `home` is) and how lucky we`ve all been to have spent the winter here. I still can`t believe the severity of the winter at home.

That`s what the Corkum`s are doing in Naples. Until next time, love and hugs to all. I wish I could send each of you a little bit of sunshine. xx

20 March 2014 - Wayne has a new gadget

To know Wayne is to love him. He's most funny when he's not intending to be funny and that's when he makes me laugh the hardest and love him the most.

Wayne is also a gadget person. He loves wine stoppers that suck out excess air and vegetable peelers that remove minimal amounts of outer skin. The internet has proved to be a boom for his investigative mind and there are always surprises arriving in the mail. Case in point.....

I came home from my writer's group today and he was at the pool. After he came back to the condo and changed from his bathing suit we had our first opportunity to find out how each other's day had been so far. It wasn't until we had been sitting and talking for about 15 minutes that I noticed he had a black band on his wrist. He loves watches and I thought perhaps he'd bought something different and so asked what the black band was about. His nostrils flared a bit....always the definitive sign that some really special was going to be revealed. When I think I've seen it all, I get to see something new.

"It's a FitBit", he said, and continued tapping on his computer. The look of confusion on my face prompted him to continue. He pulled out a small, lightweight, rectangular 'thing' from a small pocket on the black band and tossed it to me. It's about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide with a clip on the back that could be attached to a pocket or something.

"It's says that I slept for 8.2 hours last night, was awake for 25 minutes, was restless for 14 minutes and I can see that I got up to go to the bathroom twice...and I know exactly what time each of those visits happened. It also tells me I walked 15,000 steps yesterday, and I ingested 43% fat and 42% carbs. The best part is that by the time I walk into the house it has downloaded everything onto my computer."

Seriously?

There was a look of pure rapture on his face that I've seen before...when he got the ForeRunner. No, not a Jeep or any other mode of transportation but a gadget that measures his heart rate before, during, and after exercising plus other things I once knew but have now forgotten. It also automatically downloads 'stuff' to his computer! What makes each of these almost an out-of-body experience for him is that it can all be put onto a spread sheet!

I admit I'm an exercise slag and therefore gadgets designed to tell me anything about how my body functions just doesn't excite me too much even thought he tells me the FitBit comes in pink. It appears that I can't have enough shoes and Wayne will never have enough gadgets.

17 Mar 2014 - Where will I put all the stuff?

Water Lilly in the Asian Garden at Naples Botanical Gardens.

There were HUGE Tarpon fish hanging around the dock in Key West, waiting for fish scraps.

Leaving Key West in our (considerable) wake.

Sue and Wayne at Clam Pass waiting for sunset.

Our landlady sent us an e-mail today: she has rented the condo from 2 Apr so must recant her offer to let us stay an additional week. It's a disappointment but we will probably take a few extra days to travel home and visit a couple of places on the 'list'. As much as we'll hate leaving, the pull of home is starting to creep in. The bottom line however....if there is a major snow storm in Ottawa on 31 Mar, I will be living on the beach in Daytona!

Al and Sue (Jen's parents) spent a few days with us last week and we enjoyed having them so much. They had been with friends in Orlando and came down  to see us. We got to the beach so that Sue could collect some shells which I suspect will re-appear on their beach at the cottage in order that 4 little girls can also enjoy the experience. The weather was fantastic and we got to see the baby Osprey that are growing every day.

We also took the Key West Express to.....Key West....for the day. We had to get up early and be on the road in order to get on the boat in Fort Meyers and it was quite a trip! The boat is double-hulled (like a catamaran) and holds about 400 people. There were 4 jet-like engines that pushed it through the water at nearly 50 mph, which really moves it through the water. It took about 4 hrs to get there and we were comfortable in nice seats and watched movies and snoozed. Once we got there we took the tourist train through town to see all the sights and then had a nice lunch. There were 2 cruise ships and therefore lots of people traffic to navigate on a very hot day. We got back on the boat for the trip home and as much as we enjoyed it, agreed that if we did it again, the visit would be for a least 1 night.

The visit to see the Manatees was less successful...they were nowhere to be seen when we visited Manatee Park. Last year they were jammed into the pool near the power plant but not a one this year! The water was also dark...not sure if it was the water or reflection off the bottom...so we would have had a hard time seeing them anyway. I must look on the blog for the year we went and see if perhaps it was earlier and/or the weather had been cooler which traditionally draws them to the power plant for the warmer water. We got over the disappointment though...Sue and I hit the outlet mall and the guys did Bass Pro Shop. She had a couple of items she still wanted for the little girls....they will be the best dressed kids in Ottawa and Aurora....and we had a nice lunch at the mall.

Al and Sue are so easy to be with and the time went all too fast. Wayne and I sure have lots of fun together and love to do lots of things together but after a couple of months here we were both happy to have someone else to bore with our stories. Al and Wayne go to the gym regularly at home and putter in the workshop so they were happy to catch up and make promises for new goals at the gym.

There were lots of St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the area but I've had a bit of a stomach bug which required me to be 'close to home' so we didn't get to enjoy any green suds. Tomorrow is the Major Haircut Day...I'm getting it sheared off as the first of a few experiments in easy-peasy cuts for Africa. We are back in Ft Myers to get one more set of baseball tickets for Friday and I think it will be our last visit for this year. There are a few place we still have to go....the Naples Zoo, Sanabel and Pine Islands, and any restaurant in Tin City. Oh...and the town called Ava Maria (honest to God....lol).

We got to video visit with our babies this week. Ty and Tori were so excited to tell us all about their holiday in Mexico and Gillian and Olivia giggled and laughed and blew lots of kisses. Olivia is starting to talk and now says 'Papa' so there were two very excited Grandfather's when that came out. Tori turns 4 this week, Ty has more empty spaces than teeth right now and Gillian is evidently missing her Honey.

There are only a couple of more meetings of the writer's group before we all leave for our homes 'up North'. One girl actually lives here but the rest of us just come for the winter. The Botanical Gardens is closing for the summer to finish up some major renovations and we are hoping that they will find a room for us to meet next winter as we have convinced them our Writer's Group will enhance the garden's vision of promoting the arts. It has been so rewarding and enjoyable and I will miss the girls.

That's our life in Naples. Hopefully the weather at home is showing some...any...sign of improvement. Until next time, hugs and kisses all around.

CONDO UPDATE: landlady just sent another e-mail and we are good to stay until 3 Apr so potential Daytona arrest for vagrancy has been eliminated.

1 March, 2014 - WHAT!! Another week has gone past??

Pipervine Swallowtail butterfly

Zebra Butterfly (Florida's State Butterfly)

Monarch Butterfly

Bottlebrush Tree

There was a story in today's paper about the numbers of people desperate to escape the freezing temperatures. I cannot believe the temperatures at home or that it has continued to be so cold for so long. I feel just awful that everyone at home has to go through that. There....got that out of the way. God, it's beautiful here!

We had a great week and believe it or not, we are already starting to think about those things we still want to see and do before we have to leave. If the time continues to go as quickly as it has....we've already been here 7 weeks....we'll be busy for the next 5 weeks.

The six-hour rain delay at the Daytona 500 last Sunday was a bit of a let-down but I think we both ended up napping and then chowing down on chicken nuggets and potato skins for supper while we watched the race. Last year we were watching it in Puerto Vallarta...how continental are we....  The race season has officially begun and with any luck I'll get to see a race or two on the way home.

We decided to go to a matinee this week to see 3 Days to Kill (w/Kevin Costner). After following Gertie's instructions to the theatre, we ended up at the theatre at the Mercado. The Mercado is an entertainment district with a luxury condo complex of course, and about 15 restaurants. There's a space for concerts or other entertainment and a few stores. We went up the escalator to the show and after getting our ticket went into the lobby. There was a snack counter where you could buy sushi, a cheese plate, gourmet sandwiches or the regular old popcorn and chocolate bars. Oh yes, that could be had while sipping a glass of wine or a martini at the bar. When we went inside, I let out a squeal....the seats were B-I-G leather lazyboy type chairs that you sank down into...gorgeous. Welcome to showtime...Naples style! BTW, the film was quite good. Nice to see Kevin back.

I got to the gym for stretch and yoga twice this week and still trying to get a third trip in to complete the week.  There are a couple of other classes around 5:45 pm which I'm going to try and get to provided I can remember to eat lunch later than usual. I have rather odd eating habits and I'm not good at changing them. I have great intentions though and I'll figure it out.

All the times I've been to the Botanical Garden to meet with the writer's group, I haven't had much opportunity to tour the place. We don't finish our 'meeting' before noon and it is normally too hot to spend any time wandering around. On Friday I decided to get up early and be there when it opened at 9 am to take some photos and check out some of the areas. What a joy it was...I almost had the place to myself for the first hour and the bonus was that the butterflies were content to just sit on the leaves in order to warm up so I got to take unlimited photos while they sat and posed! The Asian garden area is wonderful and there is a Caribbean and Brazilian garden as well as a native Florida garden. The Children's garden has a jumping water fountain, play houses, a tree house and so many other wonderful areas for kids. I'm so impressed with the garden! They have a large water area that attracts all the native water birds (herons), a Zen garden and so, so much more. I think I took nearly 300 photos and it felt so good to be able to wander and take my time. It opens at 8 am on Tuesdays for photographers so I will be back next week.

Our next visit will be back to the Corkscrew Sanctuary which is about 20 miles from here. We did a recce yesterday and within 5 minutes we saw some extraordinary birds but because it was late we didn't do the 2-mile boardwalk. It's a large nesting area for the Wood stork and they are busy nesting right now and viewable from the boardwalk. We saw the most beautiful Painted Bunting...blue, yellow, and red feathers...can't wait to get a photo.

It was beautiful today and we spent almost 5 hours at the beach. There was a lovely breeze, which is dangerous, as the sun is still hot but you don't feel it. We lather up quite well and try to stay under our beach shelter when we aren't shelling but Wayne's feeling some warmth on his chest tonight. There was a wedding on the beach...there were 4 little girls as 'bridesmaids' and they each carried one big paper flower--they were so cute.

Added Sunday: We were up early and decided we'd go back to Corkscrew Sanctuary. It was cool when we got up and there was some fog but we knew it would burn off as soon as the sun broke through. We got there shortly after 9 am and made the decision to walk the 2.5 mile boardwalk. There were a few people but certainly not crowded, as it tends to get later in the day. What a wonderful spot! In the early 1900's the area was prime territory for hunters killing the large white herons for those glorious feathers the herons sprout during mating season. They were nearly killed to extinction and the enormous cypress trees indigenous to Florida almost decimated by logging. The sanctuary is one of the last nesting areas for the wood storks. We walked...or rather ambled...for a couple of hours and sat at one of the many benches along the way to eat a snack and just enjoy the quiet. The quiet was interrupted a few times by people who don't seem to understand that birds will not hang around when you talk and laugh. It was a beautiful way to spend a morning and we had lunch there and then headed home.

Tomorrow is the ballgame....Spring training game Minnesota Twins vs Toronto Blue Jays which should be fun. Until next time, keep that toque down low and the scarf pulled tight! Love and hugs to all. xx