New Year, New Adventures: February 2015

Last Monday- Deep Sea Fishing Trip.

Waking up at 4:15 and on the road heading towards the marina at 5 (that is A.M.) accompanied by Rolly, and Dick, Bernie was excited to get this fishing trip started.

Arriving at the pier, they were surprised and concerned by what they thought to be their fishing vessel.

But no, their fishing boat, accompanied by 2 captains, fishing lines, nets, coolers and bait, was a much better mode of transportation.

By 6, they were on the water and heading out about 65 km (40 miles)

Luckily, met with smooth waters and a beautiful sunrise they were all anxious to start their fishing expedition.

By 8:10,

the captain put the bait on the lines and

the anticipation of catching the BIG one had begun.

Only 1 picture of Bernie trying to land the big one as he was taking the picts. Perhaps Bernie should have put his line in the water to enable him to catch the BIG ONE!!!!

After being on the water until about 4 in the afternoon, they were ready to head home.
With a shared catch of grouper and red snapper in the cooler,

the ride home took about 2 hours giving everyone a chance to relax, sit and enjoy the view.

Everyone managed to catch fish with Carol, Dick and the captain landing the big ones.

Bernie managed to catch a grouper measuring 19 1/2 inches, but because the legal limit is 20 inches, his catch had to be thrown back and No, that was not a fish story , so I am told!

However, they all shared the total catch

and best of all the captain cleaned them all up-the fish that its!

O.K. Viv, you might not want to watch the videos below.

Sorry Jeremy, but still have not figured out how to rotate the video.

Just turn computers and iPads on their side and all will be fine.

The following night, we reaped the benefits of their adventure. A bit of grouper and a bit of snapper.
MMMM-MMMMM delicious!

As many of you already know, for the past few years, Bernie has refrained from eating fish, as he had a severe allergy to fish-not shell fish but fish.

Hives, puffy eyes and constricted air passage were all symptoms he showed, so no fish for at least 35 years

After going through allergy tests a year ago, he was informed by his physician that the allergy no longer existed. REALLY??!!!

Still being cautious, Bernie has gradually introduced fish back into his menu.

After a full meal of the fish he had caught- no headache, no hives, no puffy eyes, no swollen head???? and no restricted air passage.
He was good to go!!!

All in all it was a great adventure with a great group of Myakka friends.

A medieval castle in a Central Florida swamp – yep, complete with moat.

Solomon’s Castle covers 12,000 sq. feet and is three stories high, covered in aluminum printing plates retrieved from the Wachulka Press, a local daily newspaper.

A sample of the printing plate used in the building of the castle.

Built by Howard Soloman, a sculptor and resident artist, the quirky castle includes the Boat in the Moat Restaurant, a 60-foot replica of a 16th century Portuguese Galleon. He has also added a lighthouse to house the overflow of the restaurant.

Solomon, his wife Peggy, and other guides lead comic-fun tours through the castle and his on-site gallery of artistic creations, mostly made of other people's "trash," including a chair made out of 86 beer cans, an elephant pieced together with seven oil drums, a unicorn fashioned out of coat hangers, and about 80 stained-glass windows.

His first piece of art he created, at age of 7, was a tractor and trailer complete with moving parts

Soloman has a penchant for the use of puns, (Don-pun master of Stonemason, would have loved the tour )which is reflected in his artistic sculptures and art work displayed throughout the castle.