"They Told Me I Couldn't. That's Why I Did"

"What did they say you couldn't do?" I asked.  Patty said she came to the USA from Ecuador 23 years ago.  Her husband told her she couldn't speak English well enough, she was too nice, people would walk all over her, and she should go back to Ecuador.

Patty left that husband.  She now has a great second husband, two kids and a job she loves.  Last year she was named to the Delta Chairman's Club, one of only 100 out of 80,000 Delta Airlines employees.  The award is for receiving customer praise, a recommendation
from supervisors, and volunteering for community work.

Roseate Spoonbill

It was good of this guy to hang around for a while in a sunny spot.

Karen

Karen is a very fit fitness instructor.  She leads early morning indoor exercise classes and 

mid-morning outdoor water exercise classes.  I go to the water classes.

Coconut Point Mall

You have to get out of the car and walk to the sidewalk along US Route 41 on a pretty day to appreciate how beautiful the entrance to Coconut Point Mall in Estero, Florida, is.

Weekend Reflections.

Three Ibises

They flew into a tree as I approached.  Then they lined up nicely.

Ibises are the last to flee as a hurricane approaches, signaling that danger is near, and they
are the first to come out afterward, signaling that the coast is clear.

Dinosaurs

When I look at single-story storefronts along Naples' Fifth Avenue South, I see dinosaurs.

Though 5th Avenue Coffee & 6th Street Diner is a popular place, similar low buildings are being torn down and replaced with taller (and more expensive) buildings like the yellow one next door.

Same thing here.

And here.

It is not that the new buildings are especially big.  They are only three floors high.  But, parking is tough in this congested area, and the rents of new buildings price out the small local businesses.

This new building a block away, has just been completed, but all the ground level windows
have "For Lease" signs.  The businesses that were removed to
build this building can't afford to be there.

Rebecca and Three60 Market

Rebecca owns and operates Three60 Market, a thriving breakfast and lunch spot on Haldeman Creek off Bayshore Boulevard in East Naples.  She is also building a place across the creek, 

Celebration Park, that will host food trucks, a pavilion and a tiki bar.

People on a Morning in Naples

While checking out a Naples beach, I came across Johnny.  He is a contractor who was working on a nearby house and took a break to cool off in the water.  Johnny has lived in Naples

his entire life and goes to the beach whenever he can.

Lisa's long gray braid and her brightly colored top caught my eye.

She was flustered at first when I asked to photograph her, but she came around.

Jose was dressed impeccably on a Naples morning when most people were dressed casually.

I asked if he had a meeting.  No, he just likes to dress well.

His "little brother" Tim also dresses nicely, though not as formally.

I lost this photographer's card so I can't name him.  He was showing lovely monochrome photographs.  This photo of cypress trees and their knees was by far my favorite.

He said it was a thirty second exposure.

A Century since the Armistice

One hundred years ago -- at 11:11 a.m. on 11/11, or November 11, 1918 -- the Allies signed an armistice agreement with Germany, calling for the cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of German forces to behind the Rhine, Allied occupation of the Rhineland and bridgeheads further east, the preservation of infrastructure, the surrender of aircraft, warships, and military materiel,
the release of Allied prisoners of war and interned civilians, and eventual reparations.

Freedom Park, Golden Gate Parkway, Naples, Florida

Gari

Evelyn & Arthur is a clothing store for "mature" women who still feel attractive and young.  

They know their clientele well.

Gari was walking around with an Evelyn & Arthur sign and discount cards, while wearing

clothing and jewelry from Evelyn and Arthur.  

I admire the store's hiring of a beautiful model with gentle miles on her equivalent to

 those traveled by the store's patrons. 

Floating

This low-rise condo complex on Venetian Bay has always looked to me like it is floating.

If I wanted to live in a condo, I would look at these.

Autoberfest: People

Richard has been growing his mustache for nine years.  It was four inches longer before he cut it.

              Me:             Can I take your picture?
              Rosemary:  Why?
              Me:             I like to photograph interesting people.

              Rosemary:  Oh, am I interesting?

              Me:             Sure.  Red hair, pretty, fit . . .

              Rosemary:  That's enough.  Sure, go ahead.

Zack has a detailed tattoo of a sailing ship all over his arm.  

Joanna coordinated her cat ears with her shirt.

People sitting on hay bales listened to the band.

Autoberfest: Cars

Autoberfest is one of many car shows in Naples.

Austin-Healey

This tricked-up Jeep Wrangler is used by a guy who performs as a super hero at parties.

This Cobra got a lot of attention.

Alfa Romeo

Ferrari

Jaguar

Morgan

The Four Seasons

You saw the sculptures of the Four Seasons by Philip Haas separately over the past two days.

Here they are as a group.  In the first image, notice how they tower over the humans.

Winter, Spring and Summer

Yesterday I showed Philip Haas' take on Arcimboldo's Autumn, one of The Four Seasons.  

Here are the other three.

Winter.

Spring.

Summer. 

Autumn

Italian Renaissance painter Giussepe Arcimboldo painted four astonishing portraits -- The Four Seasons, heads representing each season -- using natural objects like fruits, vegetables, leaves, bark, twigs, trees, ivy, etc.  

Four huge and wonderful sculptures now sit outside Artis Naples, the concert and theater venue.

American artist Philip Haas has transformed The Four Seasons into four massive fiberglass sculptures, each of which is maybe 20 feet tall.

They are mesmerizing.

Hello Coffee

For years my favorite Starbucks was just outside the community where I live in the winter.

But Starbucks built a newer store three miles north and 

another newer store three miles south.  They closed my favorite. 

 It was empty all last winter, but in July a locally owned and operated coffee shop opened in that spot.

Hello Coffee.   I hope it will succeed.  The store has a good layout inside for reading or working or just hanging out and an even nicer space outside for doing the same things and breathing fresh air.

On the Way to the Clubhouse

Heading from my house to the clubhouse to start a game of golf, this was my view.

Friend

"Friend" is the theme for November for City Daily Photo bloggers.

Friends

The City Daily Photo theme for tomorrow, November 1, is "Friend."  I remembered this photo from 2013, taken at a Florida shopping mall.  Let's see what the CDP photographers

come up with tomorrow.

Hertz Arena

Hertz, the car rental company, recently signed a deal for naming rights to the arena where the Florida Everblades play hockey and many concerts are held.  The arena is across a man-made lake from
 the outlet mall where I was shopping.  The clouds were attention-getting.

President Trump will be at Hertz Arena tomorrow, stirring his base into a frenzy about
the Florida gubernatorial and senatorial races.  I won't be there.

World Champions!

The Boston Red Sox won again, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to one, 

to take the World Series.  

Steve Pearce hit one home run in the first inning as the third hitter in the game and a second in
 the top of the eighth.  Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez also hit home runs.
Pearce was named Most Valuable Player of the World Series.

David Price pitched a brilliant game through seven innings before being relieved.

I was attempting to photograph Price as the television shot changed from a close-up to a

distant shot.  Pretty cool, don't you think?