Visit from the Ricci's Monday Jan 18, 2010

The whole gang. Left to Right: Kim, Ron,Ella, Dom,

Brittany, Ruth and Ed.

The girls.

Ella and Kim

For all the years we frequented Sanibel, Ruth and Ed and their kids have become great friends. Their weeks staying in Sanibel always coincided with ours. Our kids played with theirs etc...

We have gotten together at our lake place, their lake place and at Kim and Ron's in Rice Lake for Ella's graduation from High School. They also came to Minnesota for Jackie's wedding.

So, it turned out that Ron and Kim and Dominick were coming for this week and Brittany who already graduated from U W Madison was visiting here sister in Sarasota where Ella is attending the Ringling Art School. So they all came over for dinner and laughs! It was so good to see them.

Ed had hunting land between Rice Lake and Lac Couturier (sp) so this past year or so they built a log home on the land. We will try to go there this summer to visit. It is always great to see them.

The next morning after they went back out to Sanibel, Kim scyped us...so we had another short visit.

Saturday Jan. 16, 2010 Manatee Park

All the flat spots are manatee's.
Mom, dad and baby? I think it's the dad...but for sure
the mom and baby...maybe it's an aunt.

An alligator...unfortunately it isn't real. I couldn't find

any to photograph so took the fake one.

We live just down the road from Manatee Park. I have been wanting to go there...forever!!! So, today I dropped in with the camera. The camera can't really capture how awesome these mammals are. The deal is: The gulf water if 54, the Caloosahatchee is 64 I think, and this channel that comes off the power plant is 70. When the water is lower than 68 the manatee come into the rivers to get warm. The power plant uses water from the Caloosahatchee in the power process. The excess hot water is poured into this canal and the canal is attached to the Orange River, which runs into the Caloosahatchee also. So the manatees swim up river to this channel to get warm. The Orange River is about 2 blocks from our house and we can kayak from here to Manatee Bay...and beyond.

It was really fun to see so many animals in such a small area. There were a lot of baby's too.

Oh well, my excitement for the day.

Peggy's "Big" birthday

Christine and Jerry
Birthday girl, Peggy and Dick

Christine, Peggy, Susan and I at PF Changs for lunch.

Christine, Peggy and Susan.

Little late in writing this blog....but this happened last Sunday the 10th. Peggy had her 65th birthday. She wasn't overly excited either. Us girls decided to take her out to lunch and shop for the afternoon. We then met at Susan and Jim's later for cake and ice cream, then we went to a show out at RiverBend. It was an Irish guy that sang and he was really good. Fun day.