Lazy Monday in Naples

 We had coffee at Starbucks this Sunday morning and then decided to leave our car where it was parked around the corner on 7th Street from 5th Avenue and walk to the Naples Pier off 12th Avenue.  We had lunch at the Olde Naples Pub where we are sitting here.  The sun was bright and it was about 84 degrees so we got a little sunburned.  Dorothy Ann was dressed better for the walk than I was, as you can see here.  We didn't think about getting sunburned when we set out to walk 13 blocks with the sun directly over head.  On our way back to our motel afterwards we stopped and bought some sun screen.

 NAPLES BEACH north of the pier.  The beach was packed with people as far as you could see up and down the shore.

 We walked on the Naples Pier and I got a good picture of this dolphin off the end of the pier.  There were about 5 or 6 dolphins swimming around  the pier and back and forth under it while we were there. People kept running back and forth from one side to the other trying to see them.  The pier was packed with people walking up and down and fishing off it.  I never saw anyone catch anything but there were dead fish floating on the water and pelicans were eating them.  The other birds that grabbed up one of the dead fish just dropped them right away.  I wondered if that was because of the red tide.

 Sea Oats growing in the sand.  I saw a large framed print of a photograph like this at the art festival and really liked it so I thought that I could make one like that too.  I don't know though.  I think my camera doesn't get good clear colors anymore.  I'll have to see.

Here's a store I saw on 13th Avenue.  It's down near the beach in a little shopping area where we went to a big Farmer's Market in the parking lot where we park when we go to the Olde Naples Pub. Jay and I like Lovejoy Antiques, just not this one.  Though, since I didn't actually go in this one, I don't know whether I would like it or not.

Me and my sister, Dorothy Ann, in Florida

The first night we spent in Florida we stayed with Rhonwyn and Steve at their house.  We didn't see Steve because he had a night out with the boys.  (At least, that's what he said, but he kept sending emails from Starbucks, so I had to personally wonder!)  But we went to South Beach with Rhonwyn and Bryan and walked on the beach and ate at the News Cafe.  South Beach is always fun and so it was great that Rhonwyn took us there because there was no way I was going to drive over there with all those crazy people that are all over the place there!!!!

 We spent one night in Key West and walked from our motel out to the Sunset Pier to watch the sunset because that's what the guy at the desk of our motel said was a must see.  It was pretty good.  The pier was amazingly crowded and noisy.  But there were a couple guys playing guitars and singing and the music was good and loud enough so that we could hear it.  Dorothy Ann took a video of the sunset with her new smart phone and it came out good but I couldn't get it to download on here.

 Having stuff be the southernmost of whatever it is is a big thing in Key West and this here is the southernmost house that Dorothy Ann is standing in front of.  It was built by a ship captain who salvaged ship wrecks and got to keep whatever he got.  Apparently a lot of ship captains did that back when Key West was a small town and pretty lawless.  All these big gorgeous houses were built by ship captains from wreck salvage stuff loot we were told.

CHICKENS!!!!  I LOVE chickens!  And Key West has them wild.  Here's a little hen and a possessive rooster that keeps having to run off other roosters to keep her all to himself.  He kept watching us where we were sitting at an outside table here having a cup of coffee, but I don't think he was afraid of us.  These chickens are all over the place in town and don't seem too worried about people.  I think they are protected here.  I kind of remember something in the news a while back about some people in Key West trying to get rid of them and so then they got protected.

We are now in Naples staying just off the Tamiami Trail not far from downtown Olde Naples.  (That's how they spell it, Olde.)  We've been having a good time and haven't gotten lost TOO many times!  Unfortunately, Dorothy Ann is, if possible, more directionally challanged than I am.  We got here Friday, driving from Key West about 200 miles up through the keys over 40 bridges, (which is ALWAYS interesting!)  and then up the Tamiami highway seeing a lot of alligators laying (lying?) around along the way.  Yesterday we went to a really big Farmer's Market and today we went to an amazing National Art Festival with artists from all over the country showing their particular type of art.

Having a good time.  Wish you were here!