Leavenworth WA for Christmas

Bruce and I arrived in Seattle WA, on Tuesday just before dark.  After relaxing for a day we took a rode trip to Leavenworth, WA, even though we thought it might be to tourist like we found we were wrong, super groovy, had a ball.

Nine Days No Work

My cousins daughters and one of the girls son relax after turkey

Thanksgiving was great we had two dinners and it was the first day of my nine day vacation to Florida much of it in Cape Coral. 

Leo Klejnot

I flew out of Fort Wayne, IN where I finally got a photo of my dad's name on the Art Smith exhibition in the air museum at the airport.  I have no idea why his name appears here as he was never a pilot and served in the Marine Corps during WWII.  Finding the answer to my question is on my to do list, additionally I want to research his service record I have always been curious about my fathers time in the Marines and the war. 

Mother, mother ocean

Just the thought of the sunshine put a smile on my face as I flew across the country, I have been in my long underware for nearly two months already. 

The first stop for fun was my favorite beach in Lee County for high activity, Fort Meyers Beach, which offers lots of bars, shopping, restaurants, all water sports and activities yet somehow maintains its charm and character.  We popped down for the sandsculpting contest which is super cool and we saw chain saw carving as well.


I finally got up to see a friends place near the Peace River.  We went to the local bar for lunch and listened to a few tunes in the Chickie bar where a man and woman were performing.  Great atmosphere, cheap cold beer and fine chow, who could ask for more?  I always liked this area I worked for a landscape architect who had a great house on the Peace River in Port Charlotte, the gardens were fabulous, every square inch was plant material.               

My pal Sue came to visit from St. Pete, she stayed a couple of days we toured Pine Island one day eating, chatting, checking out the sites.  Sue is buds with my sister and brother in law as well, we go way back, talking one of those 45 year friendships we don't see each other all that often but when we do an easy rhythm develops quickly.

There is a lot of art and color in Florida which is one of the things that turn me on about hanging south.  Of course the other big deal is being outdoors in the sunshine and cruising past mother ocean.  If I lived there I would have some form of small watercraft a small runabout and a kayak or two.  It would be great to live on the water perhaps a river, I don't know that I could live in the city after all these years in the country.

The wildlife can often be found on the walls;  gators, herons, egrets, boars and fish are mounted and displayed in restaurants, bars, boutiques and roadside stands, personally I was never a huge fan of stuffed critters hanging over my dinner plate but it must appeal to the masses.

Of course when you can see plenty of species of living wildlife in Florida if you take a bit of time to stop and smell the flora and fauna.  Birds are especially prevalent, shorebirds, birds of prey, waders added to the many migratory birds that flock south each winter and you have a birdwatchers dream.  Gators are common in most any pond or water source and my pals on the river say they see bobcats regularly. 

A priority with any visitor to SW FL should be to get out on the water, whether it is in the mother or down the river, include a airboat tour in the Everglades and your FL vacation will be complete.

Christmas lights and displays abound in FL as well.  Must be the warm temperature inspires more people to go all out stringing the lights, no problems with frozen fingers and toes leads to some pretty tricked out trees and palms.  I think most of Collier county is in some type of decorating contest all agreeing to use white miniature lights.  Oh well works for me.

My nine days off was fun and relaxing I caught up on some much needed sleep and cruised my sisters new hood on her bike.  Riding in FL is fun and easy since it is so flat.  The thing you need to watch out for is traffic when you pedal in the city, the most dangerous time is crossing near a Publix market.

 My oldest sister now lives very close to my other sis so we will be seeing more of each other.  We are all that is left from our family of seven.

One week from today I will be blogging from Seattle.  Bruce and I will be going to the pacific northwest for about three weeks.  We will be visiting Oregon and California.  Our itinerary is wide open right now so we have a bit of planning to do before we split.

Fort Meyers Beach Sand Scuplting Championship

It is good to be back in southwest Florida especially with the temperature being in the teens back
home.  Attending the annual sand sculpting championship on Fort Meyers Beach yesterday was a pretty groovy start to my vacation.  The contest started on the beach in 1990 that first year my sister Cass, her husband Jim and two friends entered and won the amateur division. 

It has gotten to be a much larger event with vendors, chain saw carving, food, drink and even live music.  The sculpture area itself is now contained by fencing and they charge five bucks a head to view the artist at work, but it was worth it to see the beautiful and intricate designs. 

Over the years I have helped produce a couple of different sculptures (not in a contest just for pleasure), it is challenging but lots of fun.  Points are awarded for creativity, difficulty (arches are especially hard), theme adherence and making sure your sculpture stays standing and does not crash to the beach.

They also had a children's play area with lots of sand toys, a mock rock climbing wall and these great colored balls that allowed the kids to walk inside while floating in a small pool.  We ended the day with a cocktail and stone crab claws at Pincher's bar.  A fine young singer entertained us filling the air with a few great tunes.  All in all a pretty good beginning.