Marketplace II

Luigi sells Italian sauces made from his father's old recipes.

Megan is a former teacher who now sells textiles made by indigenous women around the world.
This selection was from Guatemalan women.

And Tyler sells the most delicious French bread and pastries.
I had a croque monsieur and a raspberry tart.

Marketplace I

Maria sells orchids.

Matthew sells products to help your arthritis, dry skin and anything else that ails you.

Diana photographs birds.  I am REALLY jealous of her dancing heron photo.

Gulls

There was a gull convention on Fort Myers Beach.

Weekend Reflections.

Thanksgiving

The American holiday of Thanksgiving has its origins in the celebration of a successful harvest by
the Puritans -- the first permanent European settlers in New England -- after many deaths on the trip to America, a difficult first year and a summer drought.  There may or may not have been a communal dinner.  The settlers may or may not have invited the local natives to join them.

There is no record that the Puritans lined up at midnight to go shopping.  Few of them played or watched football.  And I am pretty sure that no Puritans put up Christmas decorations three weeks before Thanksgiving.  (But I hope they had turkey, cranberry sauce and pies.)

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends.

Sand Sculpture

Fort Myers Beach hosts a ten-day sand sculpture exhibition and competition every November.

Two sand sculptors added children's heads to their work.

That is a palm behind the woman on the right, not a crazy wig.

The castle was a popular prize winner.

Amazin' Walter built the castle.

Happy Birthday!

Tyler was at the cash register in front of a wall of Happy Birthday balloons at Party Time.

Happy birthday to everyone having a birthday today.

(And especially daughter Susie.)

Arturo

Arturo Samaniego is a Mexico-born figurative and abstract artist.

I photographed him in his Naples studio, in front of his gorgeous portrait of

the Chinese dissident artist, Al Weiwei.

To watch Arturo create this Weiwei painting, visit this time lapse video.

Even if you don't have 13 minutes to see the whole video, at least sample it.

You will be fascinated to watch him turn a blank canvas into fine art.

LPGA at Tiburon

The best female golfers in the world have been in Naples this week for the year's last tournament.

Julieta Granada of Paraguay leads the field going into the last round today.

Morgan Pressel (Florida) is in second place.

And Michelle Wie (Hawaii) and Sandra Gal (Germany) are in contention.

Tiburon is a Greg Norman golf course.  It is part of the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort.

Emily James

Emily James has been an artist in Naples for many years.

Last month she opened her own gallery a few steps off Fifth Avenue South.

She is featured in the current issue of a local Naples glossy magazine.

I walked past while the doors were open and Emily was painting.

Sundown at Wiggins Pass

 Someone who calls himself Doctor Beach rates the top ten American beaches every year.

My Naples home is two miles south of the #2 beach for 2014, Barefoot Beach, and

two miles north of the #10 beach, Delnor-Wiggins Pass Beach.

Here is Wiggins Pass at sundown.
Lucky me.

Josh

Josh Manring is a photographer, naturalist and author whose Naples gallery shows large format photographs from his travels.  So, what would you call your gallery if you were a

photographer who loves travel?  Journeyman Gallery, of course.

The top photo is from the second time I visited Josh.  The first time, Josh's gallery was closed and he was dressed scruffy, to catch up with stuff.  My camera rested on his glass table.
I liked that photo (below) EXCEPT that one of the pictures behind Josh was
glossy and reflected a car outside the gallery.  So, I came back.
This time he was dressed neatly but not as "artistically."

Would you have ignored the unwanted reflection and shown the bottom photo anyways?
Or would you have gone with the more conventional top photo?

Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club

Two views at the golden hour.

Golf course.

Beach.

Bob

Bob is a bartender at HobNob.  When I asked if I could take his photo.

Bob grabbed a near-by bottle and struck a pose.
(It is Kah tequila . . . the things
I learn for you!)

HobNob

HobNob is a new restaurant and bar on Naples' Fifth Avenue South.

It was listed in the New York Times' 36 Hours in Naples feature in October.

Koharig

Koharig is Armenian.  She lived in Egypt for most of her life before her husband and she had to leave during the turmoil of the past few years.  Today she paints in her Naples studio.

The Lady from Haiti

Rachel was sitting on a bench outside The Lady From Haiti, a gallery on Naples' Fifth Avenue South.

She was dressed in brightly colored clothes, so I asked if she was from Haiti.  "Yes," she answered, and gave me a handout explaining that this is her mother's store.  It has been operating

in Naples for 20 years.  The new Fifth Avenue South store opened a month ago.

The story about the beginnings of The Lady From Haiti is on their website.
It is worth reading.

Sanibel Bike Trails

Sanibel bike trails run the entire length of the island.  25 miles of them.  Some run through preserve lands.  Others run parallel to the roads.  Residents, renters and day trippers all flock to

the bike trails.  Everywhere should be like this.

Sanibel bike trails.

She Sells Sea Shells

Many beachcombers on Sanibel go home with pretty shells.

Those who don't find special shells, or who want bigger specimens than they found on the beach,

visit shell stores like She Sells Sea Shells. 

Sanibel Lighthouse

Sanibel is a barrier island off the coast of southwest Florida.  There has been a lighthouse at

the eastern end since 1884.  The Coast Guard electrified it in 1962.

In 2010 the lighthouse was transferred

to the City of Sanibel.

The Little Bar

The Little Bar is a quaint restaurant in Goodland.  The founder scoured his native Chicago for interesting old buildings being demolished, and constructed the Little Bar with the remnants.
Some tables are made from bowling alleys and some walls are made from organ pipes.

The bar is more than 100 years old.  It came from a neighborhood joint in Cicero, Illinois. 

The owner has a weakness for nutcrackers.

Nikki (on the right) is the granddaughter of the founder.  Karen is the hostess and cashier.
Old photos of Nikki's family line the walls of one of the rooms.

Goodland Multiples

In the quaint fishing village of Goodland, multiples caught my eye.  If one is good, more is better.

Picnic benches and American flags.

Lobster traps.

Pallets.

Nutcrackers at The Little Bar.

Fletcher

Fletcher was riding his bicycle in Goodland, an old-fashioned fishing village.  
He paused to say hello.

Jack:  "Where are you going on your bike?"

Fletcher:  "I'm going to find some liquor and hang out."

Marilyn

Marilyn's round red eyeglasses caught my attention.  I asked if she was an artist.  

"No, a musician."  Marilyn was a concert pianist.  She is now retired, 

but she occasionally plays for parties, for a community orchestra and for herself.