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Published: December 17th 2008
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Wes at the Mucky Duck, Captiva Island Dec. 16, 2008
Palm tree, Hobe Cat, our two empty chairs (vacated for lunch in the Mucky Duck) - sand, gulf, Wes === perfection We treated Monday as our "last night" in Pine Island --- What a time - we decided on Woody's for dinner. It's on one of the major Pine Island canals and features Zydeco night on Mondays. We made a good choice: the entertainment, Charlie from the Yard Dogs and many guest "sit ins" including young Tiffany who tore up the washboard; the food, the mango margaritas, the couple we joined at a high top (a sailing pair from Lake Michigan biding their time awaiting a 3 am (not a typo) high tide to get their sailboat safely to its dock), and barefoot Bob, a sensitive, widowed, Renaissance Man with a gray ponytail who dances like a dream. Barefoot Bob and I got on famously; and Wes joined in with great dancing too! It was just one of those nights - I switched to water to make the memory more memorable!
Tuesday was a great, very sunny, Florida day at the beach on Captiva Island in front of The Mucky Duck where lunch (seafood) hit the spot. By Tuesday night, after great homemade ice cream at Matlacha; we called SouthWest for our "A" designation, pulled out our suitcases, called to arrange the
taxi (land); and get ready for our Wednesday departure of this wonderful place. It is so funny that some people told us we would be overcome by mosquitoes and "nothing to do" on Pine Island - it could be a little marketing ploy to keep the crowds down.
The web site for Burt's Bar, Matlacha (Matt La Shay) says: "Most of Florida's tiny fishing towns are disappearing and giving way to McDonald's, high rises and hotel chains. But not Matlacha. Here, you still find cozy cottages, bed & breakfasts, fishermen tending their nets, bait shops and shrimp boats." Burt's copy writer is right on; only forgetting to mention that this part of Florida - which includes Pine Island and Bokeelia, is home to acres of wholesale palm tree plantations; and that arts and artists abound. This "old Florida" quality attracted us to Matlacha and Pine Island a few years ago; and we wanted to come back and spend some time here. The area didn't disappoint. Friday was "Art Night" and we visited about 8 galleries and shops near the "Fishingest Bridge in the world."
The art was housed in a full range of galleries from sweet little cottages and
Barefoot Dancin' Bob and Joanne
This man was such fun --- he has a great attitude - is a widower with six children - is planning his "first" grandaughter's wedding weekend in February (ceremony at the Sanibel Lighthouse). And, is a great dancer. When he walked into Woody's, Wes just said "there is my hero!" one very funky "manufactured home" to really lovely high end shops with back yard sculpture gardens nuzzled up against Matlacha's wonderful (and largely hidden) canal system. We ended the evening with an A.U.C.E. (the first plate was ample for us) fish fry while listening to the local (and quite good) Captiva Blues Band, at Burt's. On Saturday, we shopped for a water taxi for a later excursion; and picnicked at Pineland Marina. Bokeelia was as lovely as we had remembered - we browsed and enjoyed the work of scores of artists at Crossed Palm Gallery at the very end of Bokeelia and stopped in for clams, smoked fish spread and Coronas at the Lazy Flamingo on the porch as we watched the comings and goings at the Four Winds Marina. Sunday we took a water taxi (Island Girl) to Cabbage Key and North Captive Island. We had lunch (signature cheese burger and shrimp salad) at the restaurant at Cabbage Key and took an “explore” on several trails through what seemed to be a tropical forest.
The water taxi returned and took us to North Captiva Island where - lucky for us - Tim, a fellow who we met on the
The Pelican
This is Wes's alter ego. He loves pelicans. Splashing, fishing, posing and always engarde! This is a scanned image. Wish I could do such great work! first leg of the water trip - but who had gone on to Captiva when we got off at Cabbage Key - met us at the boat dock with his golf cart (no vehicles except for fire apparatus allowed on North Captiva) and gave us the grand tour. Much of the island is very private and "clubby." Tim, who is staying in a friend’s house for the winter, had access to all the hidden vistas and beautiful beaches. We ended our short visit with Corona's at Barnacle Phil's on the little warf that serves as a taxi stand and enjoyed a swift ride back to Pine Island. The water taxi business is good - the boat was full going back on Sunday.
One night Wes grilled gulf shrimp and asparagus from the farmers' market on the grill back at the park for dinner - yummy! We have heard from home and most of our friends, neighbors and relatives have had their power restored after a tremendous ice storm in upstate NY. We are so grateful to our neighbors, the Vanderwerkers, for keeping their eyes on our house and putting a kerosun heater in the kitchen. To Zita who was always
in touch during the storm and would have done anything. And, to the Wayman's who will leave a car for us at the airport - we can't get home without you! All is well! There are 29 pictures attached to this blog; so you man need to click on page 2 to see them all.
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