Saturday/Sunday

12/23 - 12/24

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

We had a wonderful Blessed Christmas with Family and Friends.  

We spent Christmas Eve at our friend Captain Jerry's home.  He and his brother, Ray, live on a canal that feeds into the gulf.  Jerry keeps his yard groomed beautifully.  All the shade gives one a feel of Wisconsin.  Jerry is a true Wisconsinite.  He misses the north and all his friends at SSYC.  Hopefully he will be able to visit again someday. 

We watched the fantastic Packer Game with Jerry, while eating snacks and Mike's famous crispy wings (sorry Scott).  After the game we had a wonderful dinner, prepared by Mike.  He made fall off the bone ribs, stuffing and corn on the cob.  

Jerry's brother, Ray, joined us for dinner, after a day at work.  He has worked for the past 18 years at an exclusive golf club in Bonita Springs.  If you would like to join, it is $650/month, but you do have open T-times 😁

Christmas Day we spent with our brother, David.  David brought huge tenderloins with him to Pink Shell marina.  He cooked them on the marina grill.  We also had baby potatoes, a fresh salad, and fresh caught shrimp.  It was a very relaxing day.  As an appetizer, we had wonderful baby swiss cheese and wine.  Mikes sister, Sue, sent the cheese to us from Wisconsin.  

David brought us these famous Norman Love Confections.  They are to die for.  I ate one that tasted just like  a lemon bar. We are going to treasure them over the next few weeks.

So you ask, "Where are all the pictures?"  Someone deleted them accidentally.  He didn't like the way the dolphin pictures turned out and deleted all pictures on the camera.  It happens.  Hopefully David will send us a few that he took, to add at a later date.

David is watching the grill on Christmas day and takes a picture of Mike relaxing on the boat.

Elwood is watching for the many dolphins that are coming in to feed.  You can see one in the distance.

Joell is preparing baby potatoes with rosemary.  Mike made them for Kristin and Tom.  They were great.  Joell can only hope.

Monday

December 26, 2016

So, today Joell and I are very happy to have a slip at Pink Shell Marina..  Just after Christmas there's an influx of thousands of people coming to Fort Myers Beach (FMB)....

We rode our bikes through Time Square where they have the trinket shops and bars and went just a little further to the Hot Dog Stand... We had a Chicago dog each and split a basket of fries..... very good... Then we road back to the boat... Mike wanted to stop for a Bloody Mary at the Mermaid Bar but Joell didn't think she would make it back after that, in the heat.  It was sunny and in the 80's

Below you'll find various boats that cruise past us...  this is a slow, no wake zone but we've seen boats on full plane and most just plowing through here throwing a wake on the entire marina with no regard for others...  Once in a while the Coast Guard, Police or Sheriff's boat will cruise through and pull over or just verbally warn the boats....but we've seen no tickets given out...

To my brother Ken which requested daily postings... well... "Bite Me"

Here's the pirate ship going out...

Coasty cruising through...

Shrimp boat heading out...

A nice Sea Ray...

This guy must get paid for advertising on his big sign...

Fast boats...

Pontoon  boats

Thousands of Center Console boats...

Tow Boat US...

Oh, a lot of Hurricane Boats here...this guy's on the wrong side of the green marker...and throwing a nice wake...

Lots of Parasail Boats

Mark E. - this Formula slash/ family boat is sweet....

more Center Consoles

and more Center Consoles

I have no idea what this is...

Looks nice though...

Power and more Power boats (we see a lot of these in many different bright colors)

The Pirate ship coming back...

Arrrrrg.....

Mike wants us to be armed on the front of our boat, next time and pretend we are fighting back.  He already has the eye patch.  We are going into Time square tomorrow for the wooden swords.😊

This should be against the law...boating and texting...

More Parasail...

and more

Sea Boots...going..,

and coming...

and party boats....

                                 

Monday

December 21st, 2016

Here we are with Sam and George, good friends from SSYC in Milwaukee, Wi.

They picked us up and our first stop was right on FMB at the Beached Whale...

Food was excellent.  It was Happy Hour, Mussels and Wings were at a good price.

We all then went into the Fort Meyers downtown area and were quite impressed with the night life...

Merry Christmas...from Ft. Myers downtown area.

Up to the Firestone Sky Bar for a libation...

Sam and George showing us the way... "push the button Sam"

Great view from top of the Sky Bar...

Onward to the night life in downtown Fort Myers...everyone was out having a good time...

Outside seating everywhere!

One big frog...

Here we are at the Indigo Room, a Speak Easy...  Kind of a roaring 20's vibe...

George and Mike found a "flapper" (a woman of loose character) there...

she had fine character!!!

A little metal Artwork along our walk...

George and Sam also stopped at Costco and Total Wine and More (which is a very, very large wine store).  They also have a new Total Wine store in Brookfield, WI.  

Thank you Sam and George for the wonderful evening out.  We had a great time with lots of laughs and catching up on news.  Mike has been waiting months for another Costco visit.  He loves that store.

Tuesday

December 20th, 2016

Hello Liam!!!

Kristin and Tom waiting for the Fort Myers Beach Trolly...

Out on the end of the Fort Myers Beach Pier with a couple of photogenic Pelicans...

Liam's trying to take over Captain's Mikes job....

Sittin in the Big Chair in downtown Time Square, FMB

Tom and Mike made it to the Tiki Bar to help the Packers Win....

Tiki Bar Stuff...

Mr. Tiki...

Clair and Shawn drove down to join the group here on Fort Myers Beach...

The Group!

Nervous Nellie's Big Chair...

Some folks just don't know how to sit in a chair!

But with a little instruction... (smile Shawn!)

Back in the pool....

Trying on Grampa Mikes flip flops...

Somebody feed this kid...   he'll eat everything in sight!

Tom, Tom, Tom I'm trying to talk to you....

all by myself now...

No horse play in the pool you two...

Liz and Al's last day before flying out...

Relax Al, it's only -6 in Wisconsin...