Gotta be outside!

 

The last 6 days have been so beautiful and warm and we decided that we should be outside as much as possible.
 

 

 

 

 

We stopped at a Post Office that is inside a mall which I like very much. I wish we had some of those closer to our home. I noticed that one of the restaurants had cucumber lemonade on their menu. That doesn’t sound like anything I would ever dare to taste.

 

 

 

It looked like someone had been into my candy box. Wonder who that was?
 

 

 

We spent a couple afternoons at the community swimming pool.

 

 

On Monday, we went back to Punta Gorda on another geocaching adventure. We really like this delightful town.

 

There are quite a few murals throughout town as we often see in southwest Florida.
 

 

 

 Even though we haven’t seen all of them yet, it was interesting to note that even the electrical transformer site had murals on the fence.

 

 

 

A bank building had murals along the side that depicted their history from 1893 through 1934.

 

 

We found a geocache at the Blanchard House and Museum of African American History. This house was built in 1925 and was the home of Joseph Blanchard, a Spanish American War veteran, steamboat pilot and fisherman who lived there with his mail order bride, Minnie.

 

 

The small museum has several interesting features on the surrounding grounds. A Memorial Garden has engraved bricks bearing the names of veterans.
 

A sculpture of Charles Philip Bailey, born and raised in Punta Gorda, is placed at the end of the brick walkway. At the age of 23, Charles enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was selected for one of the early classes of the Tuskegee Airmen.

 

 

Charles Bailey served in Italy and the European Theater and was one of only three African American pilots from Florida. Highly decorated, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, four Air Medals and a Presidential Unit Citation.

 

 

A stucco fence along the side of the yard has a mural that was painted by local children under the guidance of the Punta Gorda Garden Club.

 

 

Across the street from the museum is Bailey Brothers Park. All seven of the Bailey Brothers, which included Charles Bailey, served in at least one war.

 

 

This small park has made good use of limited space. There are physical fitness stations for exercising.

 

 

The picnic tables have chess/checker boards painted on top.

 

 

We have been participating in a weekly Bible study for several years. When our teacher moved to Texas, she offered to continue our study via video conferencing.
 

 

 

This has been a growing experience for her and most of the class as we learn how to use the Google Hangout. Some of our members meet at our church, one connects from Wisconsin, others from their homes in Maryland and Cordell and I join in from Florida.

 

 

On Tuesday, we hiked around in Rotary Park in Cape Coral. We have visited here in past years and will most likely return in the future. We were here today especially to look for a geocache that had been placed after we returned north last year.

 

 

I can say that we wandered down the “beaten path” because the only evidence of the trail was tall grass that had been trampled down.

 

 

Some of the terrain in the park consists of a boardwalk that meanders through mangrove wetlands. The rugged trail that we hiked passes through uplands and salt marshes. We found the cache at a lone pine tree.
 

 

 

When I saw these three convertibles parked, I was reminded of the words of a song my children watched on Sesame Street in the 70’s:  

 

“One of these things is not like the others,

One of these things just doesn't belong,

Can you tell which thing is not like the others

By the time I finish my song?”

 

 

It seems to me that the Florida sunshine is more intense. And so, we are aware that we need to be sure to use sunscreen every day.

 

 

When we set out on our adventure on Wednesday, we passed a workman’s truck in the neighborhood that was unlike anything we have ever seen. He obviously is a Christian who is not afraid to proclaim his faith and we liked the pictures on his vehicle.
 

 

 

We returned to Punta Gorda to look for some more geocaches and especially enjoyed one that took us to Indian Spring Cemetery. This burial ground was created in 1886 and several pioneers and leading citizens of the county are interred here.

 

 

In order to find the cache hidden here, we were required to stop at a few points throughout the cemetery and find information on specific headstones that was then used to determine the final coordinates of the cache location. Not only did we need to find the correct information, but we also had to make some mathematical calculations which is not always a given for our old math challenged brains!

 

 

Another cache took us to Charlotte Harbor Preserve. I am always careful anywhere around water here in Florida, but when I see signage that cautions us about alligators, I become even more watchful.

 

 

The cache we found had a different twist on a typical container that we found amusing. Ammunition boxes are frequently used by cache owners and especially in the forests. However, this one was unique in that it had a purse stuffed inside which contained the cache contents. Even though this is not a man purse, Cordell doesn’t look too bad with it!

 

 

Our last cache of the day took us to an area that even though it was close to a major highway, we had to bushwhack through thigh high grass, bushes and trees. Too often, it seems that we choose the hard way into a site and then find an easier way out, which was what we did here. Although the way back to our car was quite visible, I wanted Cordell to go before me even though a geotrail lead through trampled grass. It turned out to be the best decision I made all day, because he disturbed a black snake that was basking in the sun!

 

 

Many geocaches contain tradable items. When we take one of these items from a cache, we are to leave one of equal or greater value. When I spied this stuffed animal in a cache, I just knew it was meant for me to take it and I will put it in one of the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes that I will be packing later in the year.

 

 

We made a quick stop in Walmart and I noticed that the garden herbs are being sold now.

 

 

There is a Ruby Tuesday’s very close to our condo and we frequently telephone and order our dinner for carryout. Cordell receives coupons on his phone app so we never pay full price.

 

 

 

 

We have found that we like the peace of eating at the condo while watching the sunset.

 

 

Cooler and warmer temps.

 

Saturday was a relative quiet day for us. The temperatures had cooled off so we elected to spend much of our time inside.

 

We did venture out to a couple of stores. I was impressed that the local Dollar General store had a bin in front where they were collecting snacks for our US service men and women. Individual bags were at the checkout counter and were being sold for 50₡ each. I bought a few and dropped them in the bin with prayers for whoever was going to be receiving them. Somehow, actually buying an item rather than donating money seems more tangible to me.

 

 

We stopped by a K-Mart that is closing permanently in March and boy did they ever have some bargains! I found it challenging to limit my purchases. I did buy 4 shirts and 3 pairs of shorts. I got a nice tank top for $1.20—couldn’t pass that up. And the shorts cost $4.98. I am seriously considering going back to buy some shirts for the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes that I will be packing.

 

 

There were a lot of egrets resting on the island tonight before the sunset.

 

 

On Sunday, it rained on and off almost all day. After church, we stopped by the Flea Market again because I had seen something there that I wanted to buy for Christmas gifts.

 

 

I liked this sign for Beach Rules. The advice is good for all times and at all places.

 

 

 

Palm trees can be seen just about everywhere here—even in very urban areas.

 

 

We had a quick lunch at McDonald’s. This restaurant had recently been remodeled and they have the automated ordering stations available. I saw only 2 cash registers at the counter and for most of the time, only one was being used. This is what $15.00 minimum wages are doing to some businesses.

 

 

When I saw the base of this sign in the parking lot, my first thought was that it looked as if a geocacher had been searching around!

 

 

We did get a chance to take a short walk around the neighborhood.

 

 

I do so enjoy looking at all the colorful plants.

 

 

We also enjoy taking naps.

 

 

 

It continued to be a little chilly on Monday, but we had beautiful clear skies. Barb sent this photo and showed me what we are missing in Maryland today.

 

 

Then, we countered with this photo that showed her what she was missing in Florida. She and Jim will be joining us here in a few weeks.

 

 

Our geocaching experience took us to an old cemetery. I don’t know why, but I really like old cemeteries. Perhaps, it’s because when I lived in rural Grayson County, Virginia, I spent a lot of time playing in a nearby cemetery. With no TV or electronic games in those days, and few toys for a poor family, it was a way that I found to pass time. Also, I don’t want these souls to be completely forgotten. This cemetery remains active and I was impressed at how well it is kept.

 

 

 

Lt. Carl Bailey Cemetery was originally established in the 1880’s and serves the African-American community. This cemetery was re-named in 1957 in honor of well-known hometown son, Lt. Bailey, a U.S. Air Force jet fighter pilot who survived combat missions in the Korean War only to lose his life in an automobile accident while on leave.

 

 

Several headstones have various objects left on them. Since I have a collection of angels, I was particularly taken with one that had several small statues on it. A few of them had been turned over, so I paused to place them upright again.

 

 

We searched for a few geocaches in an area around an active local airfield. One could only be uncovered by prodding with a hiking stick. We have to be ever mindful of where we put our hands.

 

 

 

We drove down a very deserted road and it turned out to be a waste of time as far as finding a geocache which is probably missing. However, we do enjoy looking at the undeveloped scenery.

 

 

The sunset tonight looked like the trees were on fire.

 

 

It began to warm up a bit on Tuesday and only one tiny cloud was in the sky.

 

 

 

As we left for a day of play, the maintenance workers in our development were trimming the palm branches. I wondered if that was all this man does the entire year?

 

 

We went to LaBelle and wound up hiking in a delightful little nature park that we would have never known about were it not for geocaching taking us there.

 

 

There are a lot of signs along the trail identifying the plants, shrubs and trees. Every sign had a QR code that we were able to access with our iPhones and read some detailed and very interesting information.

 

 

 

This Pepper Wine plant looks like one I should have, except it would never live in Maryland. Wonder how the edible fruit tastes if made into wine?

 

 

There were a few benches scattered along the trail through the park, but I imagine the one overlooking the Caloosahatchee River is the most popular.

 

 

The geocache placed in this park required us to search a few feet off the trail, but it seemed like we were in the Florida wilds.

 

 

After we left the park, geocaching took us to the site of Fort Denaud which was used during the 1800’s during the 2^nd and 3^rd Seminole Wars. It was abandoned in 1858 and gave its name to the nearby town now known as Fort Denaud. There is a quaint bridge on the roadway and it seems to be quite active. We had to wait for a sailboat to pass and the bridge to be reset.

 

 

We often pass by citrus groves with fruit still on the trees.

 

 

The locals tell us that unlike last January, Florida needs rain now. While walking in one field today, it sounded to me like we were treading on shredded wheat.

 

 

As January ends, I am grateful that it has been a much milder winter than what we experienced last year. However, even the coldest day in Fort Myers is a lot better than being in Maryland right now.

 

 

 

February 1^st was a quiet and relaxing day around the condo. Temps continue to climb, but still not quite warm enough for us to enjoy time at the swimming pool.

 

Thursday, Groundhog Day, promised temperatures in the mid 70’s. We agreed that we hoped the groundhog did see his shadow because we would welcome 6 more weeks of Florida winter weather.

 

 

We made plans to go caching with our local friend, Brian Wyllie. He had waited for our return so that we could look for some geocaches in Lehigh that were placed after we left Florida last year.

 

 

We found some cute geocache host containers today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

I also noticed some cute little wild flowers blooming. One especially reminded me of our Black-Eyed Susans, the Maryland State Flower, although it looked more like the little sister.

 

 

We packed a lunch and had a picnic.

 

 

We saw a few Travel Bugs in some of the geocaches today. I couldn’t resist retrieving this one simply because it has a wine cork attached to it! Its goal is to reach Napa, CA, and be left in a certain geocache. I will try to find a cache to drop it in near the airport here in Fort Myers and hope that a traveler will pick it up and move it westward.