Seeing more family

I’ve left a message on facebook to my Uncle Mike letting him know I’m in the area. I probably should have gotten his phone number and given him a call, but alas – I’m a slave to convenience. Two days later he gives me a call, I happen to be nearly in his town already. Fifteen minutes later and I’m hanging out with Uncle Mike and Aunt Tawmmie. The fun began.

 

They give me a tour of the area, we go to the beach, I watch them play music at a birthday party, and at a rec center. We eat wonderful food, and swim in an 85 degree pool. We live the Florida lifestyle for a few days, and it was wonderful.

 

The first day we went down to a park in Punta Gorda. We see some wildlife. A blue crab, some pelicans, and a beautiful heron:

 

We visit a pottery and bamboo farm, where they have of all things pots:

And bamboo!

 

We visit Thomas Edison and Henry Ford’s winter estate. I forget my memory card, so they let me use their camera. We see the oldest banyan tree in the country (a crazy cool tree, hailing from india):

 

We take a picture of them in another ficus tree nearby:

 

The next day we are off to the beach. Florida has a cold snap, it’s in the 60’s or 70’s at the beach. People everywhere are in sweaters as Uncle Mike and I play in the surf. We laugh as the waves crash into us and knock us down. He feeds the birds a pretzel by hand while I shoot pictures like crazy:

 

 

Another dip in the pool, a dinner of alaskan king crab which was amazing, more music with friends. An amazing three days full of love, laughter, and life – food, fun, and family. A great three days.

 

And now I head north, to St. Petersburg to check out the city for a friend.