July/August 2001

Sunday
Early tennis. NW brought mimosas for a post-match reward.

Tuesday
Woodpecker woke us up. Insists on pecking the only metal part of the entire mailbox.

Wednesday
Saw a manatee behind our docks for the first time in six years! Yippee!

Friday
Running over to Pine Island tonight with M&E to hear the Troublestarters.

Saturday
On the theory you can never boat too much: went to Barnacle Phil’s for lunch.

Sunday
Sat on the back porch studying Italian, drinking lemonade, and perspiring all afternoon—just like a true Southerner.

Monday
Dreamed I discovered a vineyard in the Bailey Tract. Un poco d’Italia!

Tuesday
Eight cars stopped on San-Cap today for a gopher tortoise. A nice reminder not to move too fast through life.

Thursday
MM took me out for my very first crack at tarpon fishing. No words describe how awesome those fish are.

Friday
Fixed sushi at home for S & me. Nemo treat: a plate of sashimi. Couldn’t help
thinking about the food chain after seeing a tarpon and then our “big” cat.

Saturday
Met MB at ’Tweenie’s pool for a game of Scrabble. Sun was hot, water felt great. Lots of locals.

Sunday
Drove down to Naples for an arts and crafts fair on 5th Avenue. Took the back way home through Bonita Beach and Lover’s Key. Hit the bridge just at sunset…ahhhh.

Wednesday
Found lemon cubes in the freezer (from K&M’s tree); made a huge pitcher of lemonade for S when he got home. Stargazing was excellent tonight!

Thursday
Night tennis at the school with S; his backhand is getting deadly.

Saturday
Filled up all the bird feeders and birdbath. I miss the hummingbirds—wish they stayed all year.

Sunday
B&M came out for the day. We walked on the beach, shelled, had piña coladas…did everything but write postcards.

Monday
How do you increase brainpower in a woodpecker? His mailbox agenda remains two inches away from success, and an hour away from my normal wake-up time!

Tuesday
Met S at the Mucky Duck for lunch, then a golf cart ride around the village. I still miss Timmy’s Nook and Andy Rosse’s falling-down docks.

Wednesday
Very loud rustling outside tonight. Raccoons are convening in the back yard.

Thursday
Shored up the short piling next to the birdbath. Wonder what happened to the little raccoon that used to use it?

Friday
S surprised me with a sunset sail. No other boats about; just us and the dolphins. It doesn’t get better than this.

Saturday
Had a refresher lesson on docking boats. Think I finally, truly understand “spring lines.”

Sunday
Early tennis, then sneaked off to a double feature with S. Air conditioning, ho!