FL
Island Gypsy Cafe
A few weeks ago Marlene and I traveled an hour to the Island Gypsy Cafe in Isles of Capri FL. This is an outdoor restaurant (under a canopy) on a marina close by the Gulf of Mexico. It is a beautiful setting. Good food, too. We met my friends Oren and Patty there for lunch. … Continue reading
My music education
Thanks largely to dating two women who love music, the past 12 months have been my most intense music education since the 60s. First and foremost is the Buckingham Blues Bar, an amazing (and amazingly inexpensive) bar/club that hosts some first-rate blues jams twice a week. Ooma introduced me to The Buck and I am … Continue reading
Four months and still a mess
I visited Fort Myers Beach for the first time since Hurricane Ian, on the 4-month anniversary of the storm. I didn’t expect to see a fully-recovered city, but what I saw was pretty shocking. I guess the good news is that the main drag – Estero Boulevard – is passable. But many structures are completely … Continue reading
Volunteer fail?
I started a volunteer gig when I returned from Thanksgiving in Tillamook. One day a week, for four hours in the afternoon, I drive a golf cart at the Lee Health Regional Cancer Center in Ft Myers, shuttling people from their cars to their cancer or rehab treatments and back to their cars when they … Continue reading
New Year’s Eve at the American Legion
The original plan was to attend the New Year’s Eve party here at my RV resort. But the tickets were $50 each, the band was the “house band” – a bunch of residents who jam together and are decent but not great (especially on vocals) and the food last year was just awful. Marlene found … Continue reading
A not-very-Florida Christmas
The high temperature on Christmas Day in Ft Myers was 51. The low was 39. The resort groundskeeper covered the flowering plants to prevent damage. People walked dogs in winter parkas and mittens. Rusty didn’t want to go out. Definitely not your typical Florida Christmas. I didn’t have a lot of Christmas spirit, but, fortunately, … Continue reading
Tuesdays at Gilchrist Park
Gilchrist Park is a large public space on the south side of Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda FL. On a nice day it is a great place to walk, bicycle or skateboard. But at sunset on Tuesdays it is home to a jam session by local musicians who serenade, gratis, anyone who cares to take … Continue reading
Nauti Parrot Oasis
I went to a benefit concert Sunday at the Nauti Parrot Oasis in Fort Myers. It was a fundraiser for homeless vets. Five bands donating their services from 1pm until 8pm and a special menu where 100% of the proceeds went to the cause. Lots of good music and a few beers warmed a cool … Continue reading
Punta Gorda after Ian
Punta Gorda is a nice little harbor town and former fishing village just north of Fort Myers. Like Fort Myers, it was blasted by Hurricane Ian. Also like Fort Myers, it is recovering quickly. I visited Punta Gorda last Friday and, yes, there was debris lining the streets, mostly furnishings from homes that were flooded. … Continue reading
Why I love living in Florida, reason #76
Feral peacocks, encountered recently while walking in the resort.