Homeless Navy Veteran

A man with a long, wild beard rode a bicycle.  I pulled over and let him catch up to me.

Only after I got home and looked at the image did I see his sign.

Pickleball Popularity

Pickleball is becoming popular among young players because it is easier to learn than tennis.

The smaller court makes it popular among older players, who do not have

to cover as much ground as in tennis.

From all the signs and banners ringing the courts, it is easy to see that advertisers have discovered it.

Photographing Pickleball

Each pickleball court is encased in chain link fencing, so it was not easy photographing it.

I tried catching the players in holes through the fencing.

And I tried coming even closer and using the fencing as a frame.

And I tried ignoring the fencing and shooting through it the way on-site spectators watch matches..

U. S. Open Pickleball Championships

Last week Naples hosted the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships.  

There were 1,300 competitors on 46 courts at East Naples Community Park.

Pickleball is new to me but is fast becoming popular.  It is a tennis-like game played on a smaller (badminton-sized) court with a hard (ping pong-like) paddle and a hard (whiffle ball-like) ball.

Let's Eat!

Let's eat!  Even if you need a little help.

To see other interpretations of "Let's Eat" by City Daily Photo bloggers, click here.

Palm River Park

The Palm River Park is an odd little park in the Collier County system.  It runs for half a mile in a lightly landscaped  grass strip beside the Palm River on Immokalee Road in North Naples.

The park has a few benches and a few statues, including this memorial to a 13-year old boy from the neighborhood who was killed while playing at a nearby construction site. 

Bob and Jamie

Bob often spends time at "my" Starbucks reading a book, with one of his dogs lying at his feet.
This one is Jamie, an 11-year old cairn terrier.  One of Jamie's granddaughters
won third place in its class at this year's Westminster Dog Show.