Trunk or Treat - Part II

Sunday October 26th

I finally found out that these posts have a limit on the number of photos posted so this is just a continuation of the Trunk or Treat

The parking lot of trick or treaters after the kid's party was done.  They all descended on the "Trunks!"

Our costumes!  There were "turtle shells" on our backs and we wore masks too!

The Ninja Turtles!!!

Trunk or Treat

Sunday October 26

Something new that I had not heard of before was Trunk or Treat which is the way of giving out Halloween Candy to the neighborhood kids is a more condensed way.  What do I mean by that?  Cars that have been decorated for Halloween are driven to a central location and the kids come to that area and get treats from the trunks of the cars.   Seems to be pretty popular in the South.   Sure does beat the "old-fashion way" of having to open the doors at home to give out candy.

The homeowner's association put this together.  They also had a children's party with pizza and a mad scientist as well as a haunted hallway before Trunk or Treat started at 7 PM.   Here are some photos of the Haunted Hallway.

A lot of work went into the Haunted Hallway and I did enjoy it!

Here are some photos from Trunk or Treat

Our car for Trunk or Treat.  We were Ninja turtles.

 The organizers of our Trunk or Treat added a Bean Toss game for extra treats!

Our table of treats.  Maria, Jen's daughter, showing the Ninja warrior pose.

Crayola Crayon doggies!

Naples Gulf Shore Boulevard Ride

Sunday October 26th

I had met a gal, Karen, in spin at the Estero LA Fitness when I was visiting my brother back in February.  We have stayed in touch since that time.  She suggested that I come along on a very mellow ride with her husband, Mark, a gal who is just getting back into cycling ( and is originally from Medford, NJ), Kathy and herself.  With all the crazy fast riding I have been doing it was a welcome opportunity to enjoy a slower paced bike ride for a change.

We met at Naples Cyclery on Vanderbuilt Road in Naples at 8 AM.   We said our hello's, got our bikes ready and off we went across the street into Pelican Bay.  Pelican Bay is a series of home developments....surprise surprise....   Some of them are high rise condo's along the water and others are single family homes.  This development stretches for five miles or more.   It's a safe area to ride as there are bike lanes and most of the traffic there is residential traffic.   There is a small retail center in the development which blends in with the design of the homes and could easily be missed if not pointed out.  It's located near one of the Florida hills.....a bridge!

We crossed the bridge and made a left onto Gulf Shore Drive.   This is where we began to see a lot more cyclists in the bike lane.   Some where going pretty fast while others like ourselves were meandering along looking at the views...or at least I was.  I saw one house that was decorated for Halloween and decided to stop and take a photo. ( how many fancy house photos can I subject you all to??)   As I was taking the photo a walker on the sidewalk called out to me....."Do you know who's house that is?"  Nope I said.  I was thinking it was some celebrity but I was wrong.  It was the mayor of Naples home.  His name is John Sorley III and he must be Republican because there was a sign out on his lawn to vote for Rick Scott who is the Republican govenor currently up for re-election.

The red sign on the lawn off to the left is the election sign

We continued on Gulf Shore drive looking at all the expensive homes.   Here is a gated entry to one I thought was unusual.  Very Japanese looking.

We continued along until  we arrived at Naples Pier which was suppose to be closed for renovations but the town decided to postpone those renovations due to tourist season.  Renovations will now be done in March 2015.

This was a mosaic turtle in the walkway leading up to the pier

A view from the pier  Mark is in the yellpw, Kathy in pink and myself in the PFW tiger shirt

We witnessed baptisms being done in the ocean while we were on the pier

As we were heading back a man yelled to us that bikes were not allowed on the pier.  Really....we didn't see that sign.  He said that it would $117 fine if we were caught by the local police.   That was enough for me.  I high tailed it off the pier and of course saw the sign prohibiting bikes on the pier neatly tucked away next to a larger sign detailing all the rules for use of the area.   Sure are a lot of rules in SW Florida don't you think?

We continued on Gulf Shore Drive to the end and turned around and headed back to Naples Cyclery.  We went a different way home leaving Gulf Shore Drive for another residential street and slowly returned home.  Kathy was getting tired and was having trouble with her elbow so the ride slowed down to a "turtle's pace" until we arrived back at the start location.

Breakfast was part of the deal and once the bikes were secured we headed over to Skillet's for breakfast.  It was Sunday and there was a line but the wait was only 15 minutes and we were seated inside for a not-so-healthy breakfast.

Pumpkin waffle....yum...but not mine

I had pumpkin pancakes as did Karen.  Only two of them but they were monster size so I was pretty uncomfortably full at the end of the meal.   Hey....gotta live sometimes.  Breakfasts like these are why we ride as much as we do.

Marco Island

Friday October 24

It was definitely not a beach day.  It was too windy so I decided to make it an exploration day and headed to Marco Island to have lunch and check out the area and their beaches too.  Marco is part of Collier County and my beach pass is good on their beaches too.

Marco Island is the furthest you can go on the west coast before heading across Alligator Alley ( Interstate 75) to Miami.  It was a bit of a drive for me....about 45 minutes....so I was interested in seeing the beach to see if it would be worth it for a future trip there.  Check my response later in this blog.

I drove onto Marco Island and it reminded me of Long Beach Island.  There were plenty of restaurants and businesses ( even a McDonald's...I surely thought one would NOT be there since it seemed pretty exclusive) and the streets were lined with expensive houses.  Surprise surprise.  Another rich person's paradise.  I saw a sign to turn off the main road for Old Marco Island and decided to check it out.  Here's what I found....

This is what the street lights look like though out the entire town


I found a lunch spot when the road came to the end and I looked to the right.   I was hungry and was glad to find this restaurant.

It was the best fish lunch/dinner that I have had since arriving here.  I had a grouper sandwich that was moist and very tasty.  There was a salad bar and bread too!  Weird....most restaurants in SW Florida do not serve bread with meals unless you ask and pay for it as a side.  Maybe they are watching my weight for me!  LOL. It's good for the waistline but I have left many a restaurant hungry because of that missing salad and bread.

 A sign I saw located near the bar.  Too funny

I decided to eat on the deck that had picnic tables.  Mine was covered just right with an umbrella which provided some much needed shade as the sun was pretty direct on this dining spot.   Here are some views from my table.

As I was leaving the restaurant after a great meal I saw this.....my next purchase?   No way!!

The waiter from The Snook Inn told me that if went back to the main road and followed it,  it would dead end at the end of the island and I would see everything.  As I headed back to the main road, Collier Boulevard, I saw a sign for Tigertail Beach but decided to continue to the end and go to the beach on the way back.   Here are some of the sites I saw along the way.

As I headed back towards the beach I saw the sign to Tigertail Beach and took a left and went through a road with more expensive houses on it.  I made a left onto Hernando and there it was...Tigertail Beach.  Finally!

A placard describing the area of Tigertail Beach. 

The beach was completely empty except for one couple.  It was a small beach in a cove. Even though the wind was strong this beach was pretty protected from the wind but still empty.  Surprising.   I decided that I was glad to see it but would not come back and make it a beach day here.  The sand was packed down hard almost like dirt and it didn't even look like a beach although it was.  Not very comfortable unless you sat in a chair while catching some rays here.  I stayed long enough to take some photos and I was back in the car in less than 10 minutes.

As I left the beach area I saw some of the most unusual mailboxes....at least in my lifetime.  However, these mailboxes, made out of concrete, were most appropriate for the area.

The undecorated seahorse

The dolphin

The decorated seahorse at another house.


These people have way too much disposable income.  I am glad that I live where I do!

Voting in Florida

Thursday October 23

I have listened to two debates between the candidates for Florida Governor and felt I had enough information to vote.  I didn't vote on other candidates such as sheriff  and other offices but I did on some other amendments including medical marijuana.

In Florida they have early voting that started on October 20th in the county where I live.  I hear that election day is a nightmare and you can be hours at a voting location waiting to vote so I decided to vote early at the Lee County Election office.

Upon entering the facility I was asked to have a photo ID ready. ( Al tells me that this is illegal??)   Apparently not in Florida!  As I checked in the woman took my Florida driver's license and readied a ticket for me to proceed to the next table.  I was directed to table # 3 and a two page voter ballot was printed for me to complete.   What does it take to complete?   You are given a ball point pen and the ballot and it is put in a "privacy folder" ready for you to color in the oval that represents your choice.  I remember these type of "fill in the ovals" when I was in high school taking standardized tests.   What happened to the machine with the curtain and the lever you could move and pull the curtain back and your vote was recorded?   The table where I completed my ballot was so flimsy that there was a sign above the table asking the voter not to lean on it..  Too funny.   Wait .....it gets better.

After coloring in the ovals on the ballot sheet you go to yet another section where a lovely assistant helps by punching in the voter number on your ticket and helping you to scan the document ( there were two scanners at this location) into the machine and the document never to be seen again.    That's it.  You are done and you even get a "I Voted Today" sticker if you want one. 

I thought technology had made this process in Florida obsolete.  Apparently not.  It was the most tedious process I have ever experienced as a voter.   Oh well......I exercised my right to vote and I am glad that I did it early and didn't wait in a long line on Election Day!

Paddleboarding

Friday October 17th

I have been trying to muster up enough courage to try paddleboarding.  I gave blood earlier this week and I was a bit tired today but if I don't do it today I never will.

I called Bonita Jet Ski and asked about the conditions today.  The winds have to be out of the East or the water will be too choppy for a beginner to try it out.  The winds were favorable in the morning but changing to northwesterly in the afternoon so I had to get my act together and get out to the beach if I was going to try it today.

I arrived at 10:45 AM, parked the car, took a deep breath and said.....OK....today is the day.   A friendly face ( didn't ask his name...shame on me) said the conditions were good and ended with a "Yes Ma'am."  Getting used to all this politeness here.  It's the norm and so I asked if he would take a photo of me on the board and he again politely said "yes Ma'am" but his helper would take photos as he set up the paddle and the board.  He also advised me ( which turned out to be great advice) to leave anything that I didn't want to lose behind with him at the rental shack.

 

There were several more photos like these but one is plenty to share!  

I wish he could have taken a photo of me standing on the board but this is the usual way to paddle out.

I did stay on my knees until I got further out and decided to try and stand.  I did it the first try!  You have to put your feet pointing straight and in the middle of the board.  Not too bad I thought.   I had to stay within the buoys that were placed strategically along the shoreline but far enough away from the swimmers. 

Easy I thought....until a little wave made me lose my balance and before I could react I was in the water.  Good thing I didn't have anything of value or it would have been gone.  I swam back to the board with the paddle in my hand.  The board was close enough that it was not too hard to swim to it and get back on and I continued up and down the shoreline till I got knocked off again. Darn.....is this normal or I am making a fool out of myself.  Since I was the only paddleboarder in the water I guess I will not know until the next time I go and there are others out the paddleboarding.

The second time I got knocked off the board it seemed to swim away from me.  Rut row.  I tried getting back to the board but it kept getting away from me.  I tried swimming with the paddle in one hand and the board was getting further away.  Do I ditch the paddle and get the board and go back for the paddle?  Yikes.  I tried putting the paddle under my armpits.  Nope that didn't work either.  Finally I stopped the panic and swam to the board which seem to stay in place long enough for me to grab it.  Whew!   I can tell you I was tired person when I got back on the board.   In fact.....I laid on the board for a minute to catch my breath before getting back on my knees and starting to paddle.   I learned that the lower you are on the board the easier it is to stay stable and paddle.  

I stayed out with the paddle board for an hour and my time was up.  Although it was fun it got a bit boring paddling up and down the shoreline.  Don't get me wrong....it was definitely an upper body workout and testing your stability but it's not something I felt passionate about.   Of course if someone who visits wants to try their hand at it I will be more than willing to go and enjoy a day on the board.

Beach toys.   I will save those for another day.

An Evening Walk

Wednesday October15th

This blog will be short.  It's more about the photos of the views the girls and I see on most nights when we go for our last walk of the night.  Enjoy the sites of Southwest Florida!

Come visit and you can see these views for yourself!

The Animal Day

Monday October 13, 2014

Happy Columbus Day!   Another solo ride was on the schedule and as usual I took the girls for their morning walk before I left.   As I was turning the corner of the road that followed one of the man made lakes I saw it.  What you ask?  It was an alligator swimming across the lake.  Holy crap!  It was the first one that I saw anywhere since I have moved here.  Of course I don't looking for them but they seem to find you.  Luckily I was on a street a bit far from this lake and scurried on home like a scared cat with my two girls in tow.  I quickly texted my neighbor and asked what I should do....Report it??  My neighbor graciously offered to call the town center to report and found out that they don't remove alligators....only if they are aggressive and eat your dog.  Wow....it's not a problem until they eat your dog!

Whew....they were safe so I was on my way.  When I ride solo my usual warmup is two laps around the development on the circle road.  Each lap is 4.3 miles.  As I rounded the first corner going west an armadillo scooted out in front of me.  First live one I have seen.   Jeff Lippincott should be on this ride...it's the animal ride.

It was a humid day so I ended up going toward one of the malls, Coconut Point, and stopped at Panera's for a bathroom break and to fill my water bottle.  As I was sitting there, a Shih Tzu named Lucas came by with his owner and sat at the next table.  What a cutie and so well behaved.  

When the female owner returned ( I never did get her name but I know she was shared her time between here and Chicago) we chatted a bit.  I found out that Lucas was a frequent traveler on planes.  Because of his pushed in nose they denied him boarding on a flight one time.  Be careful said the owner.  If you ever take your dog on a plane don't tell them that there is any Shih Tzu in them.  Because of the pushed in nose ( something called bronchia something??) they can deny your dog boarding.  

I learned something today about pet travel on planes and I saw some pretty interesting animals from a distance....a distance I welcomed.   This ride was 40 miles and I suffered the last five miles back as I was facing a stiff 20 mph east wind.   The house was a welcome site to the end of this ride.

The Attack

Friday October 12, 2014

So much for Another Day in Paradise!  It was early on Friday morning that I decided to do a short ride before the service people came to fix some issues with the house at 11 AM.  Of course that includes a short morning walk with Cindy and Tracey before I can get out at sunrise and back within two hours.

The girls are always cooperative and excited to go for a walk anytime.  We headed across the street and along one of the man made lakes and then circled back towards home.  As we approached the street I saw a man riding a three wheel bike with his dog running next to him.  In an instant that dog was running across the street towards us. It was a total surprise!  I didn't know what kind of dog it was but I think it was some kind of bull dog.  It came up to Cindy, sniffed her nose, then her behind and then began to attack.  Boy was I surprised.  This dog had Cindy pinned and I was trying to kick her off of Cindy with my feet in sandals.  I thought it would be better for me to get bit than Cindy as this dog was going right for Cndy's head area.  I was screaming as loud as I could and the owner came running up as I was able to get Cindy out from under the pin of his female dog.  You could only imagine the words that were coming out of my mouth at both the dog and the owner.  It wasn't pretty that's for sure.  The owner said it was the first time she had ever done that.  Not sure I believe that.

When all was said and done, Cindy was ok and not bite marks on her.  On the other hand, my pinky was sliced from the lead.  It was not enough for stitches...or so I think...and is still in the healing process. 

I did get that morning ride in but I was pretty shook up.  The ride was a 27 mile solo ride just to clear my head and settle my nerves. 

It could have been a lot worse so I am glad that I was the only one injured.  Another day in paradise was not to be....at least for this day!

The Ride on Sanibel Island and Captiva

Sunday October 5, 2014

 The pro mechanic, John, invited me to join the group for a ride on Sanibel Island and Captiva.  I had been there a few years ago with my brother and his wife via car so I was interested to explore the island by bike.  The route length was 44 miles and very manageable with this group.  There were a lot of new faces and some worried about the speed of the ride but all 15 of us wanted to do this ride so off we went.  The photos in this blog were from the internet as this group does not stop for photos.

It was a cool morning with the starting temperature at 64 degrees.  People were actually cold.  It felt good to me after all the heat and humidity I have endured since arriving here on August 18th.   The fearless ride leader didn't show because he drank too much the night before.  Can you believe it?  Wouldn't happen in NJ.  Gretchen asked to see a copy of the route that John put together and graciously agreed to lead the ride.  We were suppose to go to the Latte Da Coffee shop but that didn't happen.  Bummer.  I was interested in seeing the place but I was more interested in having a leader take us there since I drove 40 minutes to the start location.  Another time.

We started from the Bike Bistro parking lot which is in Ft. Myers and before the Sanibel Causeway.  What is that I thought?  Maybe a Florida bridge?  Well that is was .....and more!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g34616-d3477957-i55715054-Sanibel_Causeway-Sanibel_Island_Florida.html


Now that's a bridge.  It was a little unnerving but there is a bike lane so I felt ok crossing over it as long as I was in that bike lane and with the group!  Of course the fast riders took off and rode off the bridge with a 36 mph speed!  I stayed with the slower group...and there were many....until I was off the bridge.

One thing that the ride leader told us at the start of the ride was that we needed to put one foot down at every stop sign.  Why you ask?  Bikes must come to a complete stop at every stop sign or face a $180 fine by the police if caught.  We were not taking that chance.  So much for being bike friendly.   There are a lot of rules on Sanibel and I was not going to test the waters so one foot down at every stop sign....and there were many stop signs along this route.  

We rode in the bike lane without incident to Captiva Beach which was the end of the island.  It wasn't the coffee shop but I was glad that the group took a break. The were portable toilets although not very clean.   That usually doesn't happen.  I was able to take a few photos at the stop.

Captiva Beach

Tom, Bob and Karin

Carlos and Dinine

Jeff, Uri and our fearless leader Gretchen


We started to ride back to the start and headed to Ding Darling.   I had no idea what that was.  I thought it was a section of the island that had a beach.  Wrong.  It is a wildlife sanctuary primarily for bird watching and clamming.   Every one who passes through this area pays....even cyclists.   The charge...$1.   We gladly paid the fee to see the area which reminded me of the long stretch of road at Island Beach state park but with more scenery and lots of bird watchers with large camera lens.

http://www.fws.gov/dingdarling/

This was the best link I could find to the area.  You will just have to come visit and I will take you there.

What Gretchen didn't know was that it was a one way trip through the area and we had to backtrack to where we entered the area which added more miles.  No one said anything at that point and we just continued on our way to get off the island and back to the ride start.

We encountered one nasty motorist who said blew his car horn at us and yelled something to us.  Well  Uri was not going to put up with that.  He got off the front of the line and went right up to the driver's window and informed him of Florida law and that we were considered a motor vehicle and had every right to be there.  I was a bit nervous because you just never know what the driver is carrying on the front seat.  Florida has relaxed laws as far as guns and there are many registered and unregistered owners of those things.  My motto....." Choose your battles wisely."   Thank goodness none of that happened but as that driver passed us he shouted that we belonged on bike trails. Funny how brave people can be when they can speed away.  So much for happy people on that island treating their tourists courteously.

We came back over the causeway....and I finally got a good look at that bridge.  There are two bridges before the big bridge.  Pretty scary and it didn't help that yet another driver blew her horn for a long time as she passed us on the causeway while we in the bike lane.   Not a friendly island.   I told my brother what happened and he said the residents think they own the island.  I got a taste of that for sure.

We ended the ride with 53 miles instead of 44 miles but it was a slower ride for sure.  We went to the Bike Bistro which has a small coffee bar area with fresh coffee and snacks.   I like to support local bike shops and happily purchased a cup of the coffee for the ride home.  Yummy.

Back home I walked the girls in the evening and ended the day with this.

Look closely......A blue heron!