Friday - Saturday, March 15-16

Friday - Mark and I were off to meet Mike and Claire at the Tanger Outlet Mall.    We all went together to Sanibel and met our friend Paul at Gramma Dots for wonderful lunch.     You have to get there early with all the crowds so able to get a table and seated by 11:15 with restaurant full and many waiting!  We had a great visit (Paul's dear Margie passed away from cancer almost 4 years ago).   Sanibel was their "home away from home" for a very long time.    And we've been blessed to visit many times over the years.

Mike, Claire, Pat, Mark, Paul

Said our good byes to Paul at 2 .....time to move on to the next activity for both the Alexanders and us.    Lucky that traffic was not a problem.   Said our good byes to Mike and Claire and on back to Flo.

 Back for a short time and then left for downtown to meet Charlotte, Doug, Beth and John at Firestone Grill for drinks on the rooftop.    Always a fun experience, but tonight, very crowded and a nasty cigar smoker sitting at the bar in front of us!!!   UGH UGH UGH!!!    Tonight is the 3rd Friday which means the March Music Walk where bands and/or other groups/solos set up to entertain on the streets.     We walked to the Lodge for an excellent meal.    It was packed and very lucky we got there early and found a booth.

Doug, Mark, John, Beth, Pat, Charlotte

The Birthday Boy - John

enjoying warm peach cobbler in a mason jar!

Doug had the funnel cake fries with raspberry sauce and Mark had Amish bread pudding

The guys were very pleased with their dessert choices!

  And then lo and behold, in the booth beside us were Joe and Bonnie from near Ann Arbor, MI.    Mark met Joe and Bonnie in 2011 in Charleston when we had Catrina heading south for the winter.   (I was shopping).   So, they've spent many winters in Fort Myers on their RV and we've gotten together with them off and on.    What a nice surprise.   Later we walked around to hear the music and got to visit a little more.

Pat, Bonnie, Joe, Mark

Sat with Beth, John, Charlotte and Doug and listened to some tunes from Elvis/Johnny Cash     They only sang  a few familiar songs while we were there.    It was a happening place - people people everywhere!    We were surprised to see puddles and wet pavement when we got home as downtown didn't get anything.

It was a busy day and we are tired so no blog tonight - but again, another fun one with all these very dear friends.

The RV's are really pulling out and leaving for the season here at Cypress Trail.    Many others are saying "we're waiting till the weather shapes up and then we'll go home"!

Saturday - we went to 8:15 Mass at St. Francis and on home.    Worked on the blog and then off to meet Roger and Carol at The Boathouse (seems to be our 2nd home these days)!     Weather sure was iffy - very cloudy, some rain, then sun, then misty rain, etc.    Despite the weather, a big crowd again and always fun to catch up with these long-time boating friends who live in Bloomington and winter in Punta Gorda.    Drove to Buckingham Farms to show them around and back to Flo.   We visited on our patio and then walked in the park taking cover under Jim and Lydia's gazebo when the rain started (2x).    Went to the clubhouse and the meditation garden and back to Flo for dessert.

Hope to get together when we're back in Bloomington in May.    A very enjoyable Saturday afternoon!

Roger and Carol

While we were waiting for our lunch at The Boathouse today, Charlotte and Doug passed by in their PDQ enroute to LaBelle where they'll store for the winter.

Charlotte and Doug on Abbottsford III

Happy St. Patty's Day!