Woodbridge, VA

Driving Cat

We've been doing nothing but driving the last 2 days, 7 hours from Anna Maria to Walterboro, SC and 9 hours from Walterboro to Woodbridge, VA.  There were some traffic issues that slowed us a bit.  (And there was the funny incident of the driving cat.)  We had a grand welcome at Juanita's and Carlton's.  Sandra and her beau, Todd, were there.  Juanita, the grandest hostess of all, had a full meal cooked for us.  Discussions were lively as always with them.  We criticized the sequestration which is personally affecting Butch and Sandra, analyzed the newest and oldest of movies, elaborated upon the Ai Weiwei show at the Hirshhorn.  A soothing end to a long day of driving. 

Perfectus

Christy and the Sarasota Art Center

Today was the final day of a wonderful and most relaxing month on Anna Maria Island.  I have high marks for the culture, one of civility, cheerfulness and openness.  We were told that the house we have rented for next year would be available for a visit today.  Before noon we picked up the key and drove over.  We are thrilled with it.  The flickr link includes a video of it.  Following the house visit we drove over to Sarasota.  They have a small community Art Center we visited last year and were impressed with.  Again this year the members juried show was hung as well as two invitational shows.  The members show is surprisingly good, the best being unusual takes on a subject or creative use of materials.  One of the invitational shows is an annual event in which artists from around Sarasota produce pieces of fashion from avant-garde materials.  The most interesting pieces were ones which surprised me when I realized what the materials were, i.e. a glittery gown made from pasta shapes that I first thought was threads and metals.  The second invitational, Child's Play, challenged artists to portray their formative years where "they were most likely a bully, victim, bystander or up stander-with the later being the least popular group. ... Some objects represent joy, other works, images of confusion and sorrow.reflect upon their formative years, they were most likely a bully, victim, bystander or up stander-with the later being the least popular group."  From the Art Center we walked up the street to a gem and jewelry show.  I anticipated jewelers selling unique and intriguing pieces.  Instead, it was vendors selling low end beads.  Back home, we're all packed and ready to hit the road tomorrow.  First stop Walterville, SC.  Pictures and video at flickr.

A Good Walk

Anna Maria, Bean Point

Wayne and I walked together today taking the beach route.  We walked completely around the end of the Island, known as Bean Point, over to the Tampa Bay side.  It was a good walk.  We stopped in at the Waterfront Restaurant again to repeat our experience with the fish tacos.  Still the best I've ever had.  On the way back to the house we finished off visiting any shop we had missed.  After a month we still love it here and are looking forward to next year.  Pictures of the walk are at flickr.  

Anna Maria

I began my day with a walk.  It is showing signs of spring here with plants that have new leaves and flowering trees.  I haven't seen any bulbs popping up.  But maybe they aren't prevalent here.  They might need a good freeze that doesn't happen here.  I think the plant pictured above is some sort of Magnolia.  The unopened leaf was about 12 inches long and the entire plant was approximately 10 feet tall and 12 feet around.  But it grew to the ground and was shaped like a bush.  I think it would make a nice painting.  Later, Wayne and I took a bike ride along our regular route which takes us to the end of the island and back along Tampa Bay.  

Singing in the Rain

Waterfront Restaurant, Anna Maria

It was pouring rain today; the first substantial, extended rain we have had since arriving.  We thought, "a perfect day to attend the movies and see Life of Pi".  We headed over to Bradenton for a 1:30 movie.  Upon entering the lobby I couldn't even see where the line began and where the crowds ended.  It seems everyone had the same idea.  Who would have thought on a Tuesday afternoon there would be so many people with nothing to do.  Well!  Anyone who thought for a second would.  The whole of the area is comprised of retired folk with too much money and too much time on their hands.  Before we could even have time to get bored standing in line, came the announcement, "Life of Pi is sold out."  Back in the car and back to Anna Maria we headed.  We changed our plans to shopping for Anna Maria Island t-shirts.  There are countless shops for such items.  In fact, every type store stocks tourist needs and wants; grocery, liquor, you name it, they have a t-shirt.  As we finished shopping, the sun came out and we decided to have our 2nd lunch of the day at The Waterfront Restaurant which faces Tampa Bay.  We had the best fish tacos ever!!!  No need to cook dinner when you've had two lunches!  

Friends and Neighbors

Kites Flying on Anna Maria Beach

Other than our normal day of living large, the only thing out of the ordinary today was that we locked ourselves out of the house.  That in itself would be annoying enough, but we also happened to be on the second floor deck.  Wayne had boiled some shrimp and we were enjoying them when the door slammed shut.  "I hope we're not locked out,"  I said.  And when Wayne tested the door saying, "oh, no,"  I of course laughed at his joke.  NO JOKE.  Although I did laugh a lot.  The deck is about 20 feet off the ground and cantilevers out.  No way to every get off without a broken bone or two.  From experience, we knew people would be walking past to see the sunset.  We bided our time and sure enough, Connie our neighbor came by.  Her first response was, "Jump.  I'll catch you.'  Now, the little added complication is that Connie has the beginnings of Alzheimer's.  It took some convincing to get her to go up the stairs and come in to let us out.  Thank goodness the outside door was unlocked.  At first, she just opened the door and was going to leave.  After some convincing, she came in and let us out.   
We walked down to the beach for the sunset.  Connie was there with Howard, her husband.  She lived in Lowell, MA and he is from Alabama.  It's quite convivial at the sunset ritual.  There are a lot of pictures of the sunset and day at the beach on flickr.

Just Another Day

Slim's Place

I realized as I began to write that each day has become more or less the same.  The usual walking and reading, beach sitting and bike riding occurred.  Yawn.   I thought could begin to write about some aspect of the Island that extended beyond my minute by minute activities.  So, alternatively I will delve into Island dining.  All the restaurants in Anna Maria are small, privately owned establishments; none of the chains are here.  They range from intimate such as the Beach Bistro to big and family oriented like the Sandbar.  Nearly all have outdoor dining space, the best being the Sandbar for its Gulf facing deck where we have pledge to go for at least one sunset.  Two of them sit at the end of piers that reach out into Tampa Bay where you can watch the dolphins entertain everyone.  The fare is, what else, seafood with some nods to steak and chicken.  Grouper and Mahi Mahi abound.  We've done our best to try all the establishments.  There is still the Waterfront Restaurant to be tackled.  Tonight we went to Slim's Place, which looks like a place I would never entertain dining in. It's only 2 blocks from the house and we walked.  From the outside it looks like a biker's joint.  But all the online reviews said it was surprisingly good food, and we felt it was worth the try. While there is a pool table and 5 TVs hanging on the walls, there is also a beautiful copper bar.  The view is non-existent.   I had a quesadilla and Wayne had a fish taco.  My quesadilla was deep fried and had no salsa. But there was enough melted cheese in it to sooth my disappointment.  Wayne said his taco was okay.  Bottom line, it's an okay place for lunch or last minute dinner.  It was inexpensive and price and quality aligned.

Looking Ahead

Wayne, Shucking Oysters

We made arrangements today to take the house on Lakeview with John and Kathy.  Next year, we will be there for 2 weeks in January and all of February.  Kathy and John will arrive Jan 4 and stay through the second week of February.  The house sits on a dead-end short road with 2 other houses and backs up to a canal.  The island is riveted with man made canals.  The house is very near the City Pier and shops, a great location.  We drove over today and found a spot to see the back of the house on the canal. To celebrate we got a dozen oysters and slurped them down while watching the sun set.  Yahoo!  Pictures and video of the day at flickr.

Anna Maria

My Walk Past City Pier

I took a new route today for my walk; I passed the City Pier where people were sitting on the boardwalk enjoying the view, continued on around Bean Point  and back to the house.  I calculated it was 3 miles.  Later, Wayne and I rode the bikes and stopped in at Green Realty to check on the availability of a house we liked for next year.  It is not available.  In fact, getting what we want for next year is looking dire.  We spent the afternoon on the beach reading.  It was so very nice.  As we readied to leave, Wayne tossed our stale bread to the gulls.  We enjoyed another beautiful sunset before retiring to the inside. Pictures and video at flickr.

At the Movies

Fuzzy Pillow

The day started out cloudy and we made plans to go see Les Miserables.  The sun came out before we left but that did not deter us.  The movie was almost 3 hours long and not all of it interesting to me.  I did like all of the scenes to do with the French Revolution.  And, the art direction was interesting.  There were a lot of shots with points of view that the eye doesn't normally see, extreme angles, bird's eye views.  No pictures today.  Just a sketch of Wayne doing his thing.  

Out and About in Anna Maria

Anna Maria Beach Sunset

Today was dedicated to getting out and moving.  The last 2 days were cool and not receptive to outdoor activity.  I started the day with a 3 mile walk down the beach and back.  There were millions of preschool age children on the beach.  Okay.  That's a bit of an exaggeration.  But it has been so empty of kids around here that I was surprised to see them.  It is school vacation in the northeast; that may account for some increased activity.  After the walk Wayne and I road the bikes around checking out houses for rent that I found online.  One was quite suitable, right on the canal with a pool.  We talked to the neighbor who described himself as a Georgia Cracker.  He had cotton plants growing in front of his house.  Tonight's sunset was particularly beautiful.  After watching it, we walked to the Sandbar for supper.  It, too was crowded and we had to wait about 45 minutes for a table.  They have an outside dining area with benches where we sat and enjoyed the remainder of the evening sky.  See the sunset pictures at flickr.

Communing with Nature

Sarasota Bay

It was still a bit cool today.  We went down to Leffis Key, which is just across from Bradenton Beach on Longboat Key, to walk the Coquina Baywalk.  It is a tiny little key that has had the flora all restored to native plants.  One should be able to see dolphin, manatee and birds on a good day.  This day was not so good.  I think it is still early for the manatee to be in these waters.  At the top of one small hill, the walk affords a 360 degree view of the area.  From Leffis we explored an area of Longboat key that has a marine animal facilities: aquarium, research center, rescue center and a park.  One can see Sarasota across the bay.  We had lunch at St. Armand's Circle and then window shopped. On the way home we sighted a bald eagle soaring overhead.   Pictures of the Coquina Baywalk are at flickr.

At the Movies

Argo

No, we haven't been hanging out with Ben Affleck.  Although, I would certainly not say no to that.  Today was cold, really cold, 54 degrees.  So we put on our socks and sweaters and headed for the movies.  We mistakenly thought tonight was the Oscars and wanted to see Argo ahead of the awards.  We always cheer for our hometown boy, Ben.  And this time he truly deserves it.  The movie was fast paced, with just the right amount of tension mixed with humor.  It's about the rescue of 6 Americans who escaped the American Embassy in Iran during the hostage taking of 1979.  Now that we know the Oscars are next week, maybe we will take in The Life of Pi or Les Miserables.  

St Petersburgh, Etc.

Sunset over Tampa Bay from the Skyline Bridge

My Berlin friend, Carolyn, contacted me to say she was in St. Petersburg visiting her sister.  Wayne and I met Carolyn and Saundra in Gulfport for lunch at the Neptune.  Gulfport is, wait...wait, on the Gulf of Mexico and was part way to our destination of Dunedin.  It was a great visit and an opportunity to discuss art.  

Dunedin was having a week end arts and crafts festival of which we have seen several. They are mostly made up of amateurs who make ticky tacky kitsch.  I've had my fill.  But we had a nice stroll past a hundred or so booths, stopped for pizza and headed home.  The sunset was the best entertainment of the day.  See it on flickr.

Anna Maria

Sunset over Gulf of Mexico

We spent the day visiting Realtors and checking out possible rentals for next year.  We are going to share with Kathy and John.  They will begin in January, we will overlap 2 weeks in January/February and we will finish the last 3 weeks of February alone.  It will be fun to have another couple around to share with.  There were 1 or 2 houses that fit our wish list.  We will continue looking.  We rode bikes again today.  It's a good way to explore the island and get a feel for the neighborhoods.  The sunset was good, AGAIN!  On the way back, we met our neighbors, Howard and ????  They've lived here for years and have only good things to say about the area.  Sunset pictures at flickr.

Tampa

Tampa Bay Museum of Art

We've had the first rainy and cool day which gave us a good opportunity to visit the Tampa Bay Museum.  They have a exhibit of 100 works from the Phillips Collection that is marvelous, fabulous and just wonderful.  Duncan Phillips used his inherited wealth to begin a collection in the home he shared with his mother that eventually became the Phillips Collection of Washington DC.  He described the project as "a memorial...a beneficent force in the community where I live - a joy-giving, life-enhancing influence, assisting people to see beautifully as true artists see."  It was nice to see his collection so soon after visiting the Barnes and compare the French influence of Barnes' collection to the American influence of Phillips'.  Among my favorite of the day were Richard Diebenkorn's Girl with Plant, Ernest Lawson's Spring Night, Harlem, Walt Kuhn's Plumes, and Guy Pene Du Bois', Blue Arm Chair.  In reality there were few works that I could not say were wonderful to look at.  
The museum has little in it's permanent collection, one room of Roman/Greek antiquities and one room of contemporary works.  The museum is located in a lovely section overlooking the Hillsborough River with the Hunter Museum in the distance.  Rainy day pictures of the Skyline Bridge are on flickr.  

Venice

Coy Wayne posing with Koi Dolphin

We drove down to Venice today.  Alice had said she and Henry liked the area.  We want not to discount anything as a possibility for next year.  It was more metropolitan than Anna Maria, a bit of a low key Naples.  But we still prefer Anna Maria.  And there is always St. Armand's Circle if we want a Naples day.  The main street was peppered with dolphin and turtle painted sculptures.  Check them out at flickr

Anna Maria

My Cutie with Oysters

We hauled the bicycles out today and road down to the city pier and then along South Bay Boulevard.  There are some lovely homes facing the bay that are for rent and sale.  It's more and more tempting day by day to sell and move here.  Still, time will tell.  We mustn't be seduced by sun in February.  Bike riding was fun and exhilarating.  We ended at Poppos Taqueria for chicken burritos.  

Back home I did some drawing and Wayne went to the fish market.  He returned with oysters (see the happy man in above picture) and mahi mahi.  There was another beautiful sky this evening which we enjoyed from the deck with our oysters.  We prepared the mahi like we had last night at Eat Here.  

We watch President Obama's State of the Union speech tonight.  It has been nice to be removed from politics while here.  I gave up on the speech about 3/4 through.  It was too long and too dull.  I went to bed to continue my book, Dennis Lehane's Live by Night.

A couple of more pictures are at flickr.

Anna Maria

Wayne Reading on Anna Maria Beach

After a lazy morning reading the paper, we walked the several yards to the beach and settled in.  I walked what I think was about 2 miles along the surf line to the north point of the island. There are many houses set along the beach there that would be great to rent.  There would be beautiful sunsets every night.  

We ate at a restaurant called EAT HERE.  It turns out to be owned by the same people who own The Beach Bistro where we ate the first night with John and Kathy.  We both had Mahi Mahi which was excellent and about half the price of the Bistro.  Tonight we stayed in watching tv and eating Wayne's blueberry pie.  flickr

Sarasota

Banyan Tree at Marie Selby Gardens

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are practically in downtown Sarasota.  It's surprising to find 7 acres of lush landscaping adjacent to busy roads and skyscrapers.  But once one is inside the compound, there is little evidence of the nearby city.  Two sides of the property are bordered by water, Sarasota Bay and Hudson Bayou.  The Selby's, William and Marie, bought the property in the early 1900's.  William and his father formed the Selby Oil and Gas company which later merged with Texas Oil to become Texaco.  Hmm, yes, a bit of money there.  Marie was the gardener and upon her death, will the estate to the city of Sarasota.  The gardens have an emphasis on epiphytes with hundreds of bromeliads.  There is a conservatory, too, with a chocolate tree.  I've asked to have one for Valentine's Day.  :-)  

Koi Pond at Selby Gardens

After leaving the Gardens, we explored further down the keys onto Lido.  It was blanketed with high rise condos and hotels.  The drive home was arduous with traffic moving at about .5 miles per hour.  Note:  never leave the island on a Sunday.  We went to Fresh Market and bought supplies for a blueberry pie.  Love that cook of mine.  

The sunset was grand tonight.  We were sitting on the front deck around dusk watching the locals stroll past for the beach and thought they must know something about sunsets.  So we walked down and caught the end.  No one applauded except me.  I guess that practice varies with each community.  
See pictures from the day at flickr.  

Sunset on Anna Maria Beach