February 23rd - March 1st

Thursday, February 23rd dawned calm with a few clouds

 

 

 

We took a trip south to Naples where we looked for a few geocaches. One was placed in Serenity Walk State Park.

 

 

How could one not enjoy spending time in a place with a name like this?

 

 

 

 

I saw some air plants growing in a tree stump that looked like something that would be nice to have in a professionally landscaped yard.

 

 

The geocache in the park had an interesting clue: “bend over”. This kept us searching for too long in all the wrong places on the ground, under trees and bushes until Cordell had an “ah ha moment”. Shortly after he looked up, he spied the container high up in a pine tree. In order to retrieve the cache to sign the log inside it, he had to bend the tree over. We enjoy these types of challenges.

 

 

At another cache, we scouted around an undeveloped area and decided to enter through some pines. Not very far in, we spied a large black racer basking in the sun. We took a very wide detour around him to reach the hidden cache. We decided to take a bee line back to the sidewalk to avoid Mr. Snake. We walked only a few feet along the sidewalk and there was another black racer in the grass. It was an interesting experience, but we weren't intimated because we have encountered rattlesnakes while hiking in the mountains.

 

 

Our day ended with another breath taking sunset. Makes me want to burst out in singing Taps.

 

 

Day is done,

Gone the sun,

From the lakes,

From the hills,

From the skies.

All is well,

Safely rest,

God is nigh.

 

Not all our time here is fun and games. On Friday, February 24^th, Cordell went to see a dentist because he broke one of his molars a few days earlier. When he began calling for an appointment, he discovered that many dental offices are closed on Fridays. But, he was happy that he found one that told him to come in right away. It is named Friendly Dental and they advertise Caring Dentist. I was impressed with the large size of the waiting room as well as the manner in which it was furnished and decorated.

 

It was reassuring to read the writing on the wall above the door leading to the treatment rooms.

 

 

There was a stuffed sofa with extra cushions and stuffed chairs which were very comfortable to sit on while watching educational programs on the flat screen television. I found a magazine that looked very interesting,

 

 

A nice play area for children was off to the side from the waiting room.

 

 

Cordell enjoyed the treatment chair because it had massagers in it. There was also a television screen on the wall which ran soothing nature videos.

 

 

After dinner, we went to the rodeo at Fort Myers which is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).

 

 

It was hard to believe that we were attending an outdoor event in late February. By evening, I wore a sweatshirt while Cordell was comfortable in his short sleeved shirt.

 

 

We were well aware that Florida has a long and rich cattle history—in fact this history is the longest history of ranching of any state in the United States. It was explained to us that the events that each rodeo event was the result of skills needed by the cowboys to successfully raise the animals and get them to market.

 

 

Some of the events appeared quite dangerous to me and I wondered if these men had lost their minds to participate in them. The tie down calf roping and the team calf roping were fairly tame, although it was not as easy to accomplish as I had imagined. The well trained horses were amazing to watch also, especially when they back up and keep the lasso rope tight during the tie down calf roping.

 

The saddle bronc and the bareback bronc riding were very exciting and not many of the riders were able to stay on the horses for the required time.

 

 

 

However, the bull riding seemed insane to me. If a rider stayed on the beast for the required time, it quite a feat to get him removed safely. And then, there was the added excitement of moving the animal out of the arena.

 

 

 

The most enjoyable event for me was the ladies barrel racing. This is not as easy as it sounds. Since the riders are trying to complete the course in the shortest time, they go around the barrels as tightly as possible. If they tip over at barrel, a time penalty is added to their score.

 

 

 

 

 

This rodeo is family friendly and they had a sheep chase event for the young children. Two sheep with flags attached to their collars were released in arena. A slew of children were waiting as the object was for them to pull the flag off the sheep and present it to the official. Prizes were awarded and all the children who participated were given Frisbees and t-shirts.

 

 

The sand in the arena was smoothed out at the intermission with an apparatus pulled by a tractor which reminded us of the zamboni used in the ice hockey rinks.

 

 

Last Sunday, February 26^th we drove to Sarasota where we went to the Baltimore Orioles spring training home opening game. This is becoming a tradition for us as it was the third opening game we have attended.
 

 

It was a bright sunshiny day. Each the announcer seems to delight in telling us the game time temperatures. The Pirates were the visiting team and it was 32° in Pittsburg while in Baltimore it was 44°. A raucous cheer went up throughout the stadium when the 74° Sarasota temperature was announced. It was a fact that was appreciated by fans from both of those pro team cities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Orioles are very involved with several programs in Sarasota. Today, they had children who had completed a fitness program escort the coaches and starting players onto the field as they were introduced.

 

 

It was an enjoyable game and even more so because the Orioles won it.

 

 

We decided to spend Sunday night in Sarasota so that we could do some geocaching in the area.

 

We view outside our hotel room included an area by a lake that included a fire pit with comfortable seating. Since we had baked enough in the sun at the game, we elected to stay in our room and rest up.

 

 

We stopped at Nathan Benderson Park where NCAA National Rowing Championships and other events are held on a 400 acre lake.

 

 

While watching a couple of teams pass under a bridge, we found it interesting that signs were posted forbidding diving or jumping. I suppose it is a temptation to some people.

 

 

While caching at another site, we got a laugh out of the alligator warning sign. I sure don’t need to be told to not to molest the alligators.

 

 

Sometimes, geocache containers and tied to the place where they are hidden and I thought I had found one placed in a fence gate post. Just as I was about to grasp and pull the “brown string”, it moved and I discovered it was the tail of a skink! I don’t know which of us was the more surprised—him or me.

 

 

One of the most touching cache sites I have ever visited was Garden of Joy & Prayer Walk which had been created after the tragic death of 11 year old Carlie Brucia. The Central Church of Christ and the community joined to develop a place of beauty and peace to demonstrate their conviction that good shall overcome evil and light shall overcome darkness.
 

 
 

 

The garden and walk were filled with various types of trees, shrubs and plants. Many inspirational quotes written on tiles and rocks or markers were strewn along with way as well as various statutes. I was particularly impressed with a large number of wind chimes that were hung closely together that made a delightful sound in the light breeze that blew by while we were there.

 

 

During our drive around Sarasota we passed two really unique houses. One was built in the  shape of a lighthouse and the other was in the shape of a boat. I really would have liked to tour the insides of both the see how they were furnished.

 

 

It seems that the temperature reached 92° today which is the highest since we arrived here. And that is just about as high as I like it.

 

 

Tuesday, February 28^th began with fog on the lake, which is not uncommon. Usually by mid-morning the sun has burned it all off.

 

 

Our good friends, Jim and Barb Hauser arrived and they will be spending a couple of weeks here with us. I am sure that we will find plenty to do together—we always do.

Jim took a nap before dinner while Cordell was helping Barb get connected to the WiFi.
 

 

 

My friend, Jennifer, went to our house to use our WiFi. While she was there, Cordell turned on the camera to his PC and we were able to see her.
 

 

 

Wednesday, March 1^st, the four of us attended morning Ash Wednesday service at Hope Lutheran Church.

 

 

When the landscaping crew mowed the grass today, I thought it was ingenious that they were circling the grounds in tandem. It looked like they were having fun too.

 

 

The weather was nice enough that we ate our lunch on the lanai.

 

 

Several hours were spent by Cordell and Jim solving puzzles for geocache coordinates.