Saturday, February 20, 2010

Seminole Indian Rodeo











We took in the Seminole Indian Rodeo in Brighton Florida. THe weather was great, and so was the rodeo. There was a huge selection of seminole indian crafts.

Here are a few pictures of our day.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Speckled Perch Festival, Okeechobee










We spent the last day of our daughter's visit taking in the Speckled Perch Festival in Okeechobee. Once again it was a cool day, but it was nice and sunny.

Lyne tried out the bungee event. It was a riot!

Lyne tried out the fried pickles, and the boiled peanuts, while Chantale enjoyed a tasty corn dog.

Okeechobee: As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,784. The Speckled Perch Festival is held annually in honor of the most famous fish of Lake Okeechobee. This area was the site of the worst effects of the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, the first recorded Category 5 hurricane in the North Atlantic and still one of the deadliest hurricanes ever to strike the US.

Lyne & Chantale's visit











Lyne and Chantale arrived in Fort Lauderdale on February 11. We spent the weekend visiting Fort Myers, The Shell Factory, as well as Okeechobee. The weather was rather cool for this time of year. The low 60's. That's about 15 degrees lower than normal for this time of year. Nevertheless, we had a great time.

Fort Myers: According to 2008 estimates, the population is 65,394
Established in 1886, Fort Myers is the historical and governmental hub of Lee County. It is the gateway to the Southwest Florida region, which is a major tourist destination in Florida. The winter homes of Thomas Edison (Seminole Lodge) and Henry Ford (The Mangoes), which are both primary tourist attractions in the region, are located on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers.
On August 13, 2004, Fort Myers was hit hard by Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall north of the area. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma struck south of Naples, but caused extensive damage nonetheless in Fort Myers and its southern suburbs.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Cane Grinding Festival-Ortona Florida











Every winter we attend the annual Cane Grinding Festival in Ortona. This year we attended with Homer and Freda.

Sugar cane is ground with an old fashion mechanical grinder. The green juice that results is boiled down, much like maple syrup. This creates a very tasty cane syrup. It tastes something like molasses.

They hold this festival in early February. They have young cloggers performing, as well as a local bluegrass band. They serve up a barbecued chicken and pork lunch.

This year they had a medivac demonstration with the Tampa General Helicopter.

Here are several pictures from this event.

Activity Day at Meadowlark Campground







We spent 3 winters at Meadowlark Campground. Every year in January, they have an acivity day. We returned to Meadowlark as guests this year. Here are a few photos of our day.

New Year's Day-2010



We spent New Year's Day with our good friends Homer and Freda, from Kentucky

Christmas-2009



We spent Christmas day with our friends, Richard and Brenda from Recreationland. We enjoyed a nice turkey dinner with a Christmas cake.

Fishing at our Florida home








Here are a few preliminary pictures of happy hour on the dock.
Cheers

Fishing on the dock, and catching nothing! But, having a great time.

Also a view of the Florida sunset.