SuDu - Sculptures along the waterfront in Sarasota

Applause - in front of the VanWezel

Lovely day to stroll along the waterfront and check out the various sculptures in that area of Sarasota.  A fun Su-Du.

Facts of Life

Photon II

Sue and Old Man

Really Big Fish

Best Friend - in front of Library

New Camping Toy

Acquired a camp oven to try out during the Thanksgiving camping trip to Suwannee River State Park.
We'll be trying out bisquits, brownies and pizza - and anything else we can think of.

Checking the flame/temp.

In all its glory !!

Beautiful Bisquits

Ready to eat !!

Master Gardener Walkabout

All the Master Gardeners and home owners

 were decked out in lime green t-shirts - 

idea being - ask a green shirt and they should 

know something !

Volunteer Cassia was in full glorious
bloom for the walkabout

Master Gardeners Walkabout - a first of many to come !  Marvelous morning for all 75 participants as they walked around historic Palmetto's yards.

Free Plants were a huge hit with the participants

People were all over all the yards

looking at things and asking questions

Each home had two Master Gardeners 

to help with the participants.  Was really

fun for everyone.

EMPTY BOWLS FUND RAISER FOR FOOD BANK

Fund Raiser for Manatee County Food Bank - 10th year of the Empty Bowls Fund Raiser

Beautiful Bowls

Decisions, decisions

  

Huge crowd in shade

and huge crowd in sun

Hibiscus Armagaddon

Just discovered that the weird looking parts of our hibiscus and althea were caused by a miserable critter called 'the Pink Hibiscus Mealybug'.  Took samples to the Extension Center and had it ID'd.  This was recognized in the early 2000's in the Miami area and can KILL your Hibiscus plants - all varieties.
Hibiscus should look like this:

 Now, if your hibiscus foliage looks like this - check it out at the local Extension Center - take clippings in to have the problem identified.

Lots of crinkled up foliage

 And here is a photo of the little critter who is responsible for all this damage:

Mr. Mealybug

If you find damage of this sort, get help immediately - take in samples to the Extension Center and get their advice.

Bike Rally for MOTS at Linger Lodge

We'd never heard of the West Coast Bike Rally - got a small taste of it today at Linger Lodge.  We helped man a booth that raised money for MOTS (Manasota Operation Troop Support) by selling tickets for a variety of items - tickets were $1 each or an arm length for $10 or a wingspan for $20 ! Only needed a phone number and the number of the item you wanted - drawing will be at the Sunday afternoon event at Peggy's Corral - don't have to be present to win.  There were lots of organizations represented at the Rally - raising money for many different charities.  Had been a long time since we'd been to Linger Lodge and it's changed a bit - to include a new dining porch - Some pictures of the Rally, a huge snake and Linger Lodge.

MOTS table set up

Some of the goodies

Inside - name is spelled out in rattlesnakes

Entry to Linger Lodge Restaurant

Bar inside - lots of critters
 - mostly crawlie ones

Inside restaurant

A visit with  Matthew Wildlife Rescue

One of the porches

UPDATE to continuous compression CPR

Tried to put this on Facebook but it would not accept the length of the document.  Regarding the CPR method, I wrote the Red Cross to get their take on the Compression only CPR.  Here is their reply:

Red Cross Position
Red Cross encourages everyone to be trained in full CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). We support the links in the Cardiac Chain of Survival including: early recognition and early access to the 911 system, early CPR, early use of an AED until professional medical responders arrive and take over.
We recognize that, upon witnessing the sudden collapse of an adult, calling 9-1-1, and providing Compression-Only CPR until an AED is available is an acceptable alternative for those who are unwilling, unable, or not trained to perform full CPR.
It is important to note that the Red Cross is helping to lead this research through a CPR skill retention study which looks at different educational models and Compression-Only CPR versus full CPR.

Bill's New Toy

Has to do with fishing, of course - a fishing cart from BassPro - has been a huge help, especially when dragging fishing stuff down the beach - and then, too on the fishing pier at the beach.  It's living at the beach cottage for use by anyone taking things down to the beach - ask only that it's returned and hosed down.

First challenge - putting it together

All loaded and ready to go

Lots and lots of bait available

Beautiful morning

AMI City Pier

Visit to see Harry's new digs - and of course, out to lunch

From the street

Since we were going to St Pete to retrieve the book, we called Harry and luckily he was free for lunch - he gave us a tour of his place, raged a tad about the driver's license bureau and the ridiculous requirements that have recently been instituted - if you have to renew your license, be sure to get a complete list of the required documents BEFORE you go and stand in line - makes one wonder about this country.  Here are a few pictures of his cottage which we're sure he's going to enjoy.  Was a lovely day and a good lunch at Billy's.

Dining room

Neat fireplace

Lecturing about driver's license

Backyard patio

Livingroom

The quilt is hung