Red Hot Music, Red Hat Ladies, Red Hot Art & Red Sunsets.....

Went to see "The Yard Dogs" at the White Elephant restaurant and bar with my friends Ronnie, Richard, Debbie and Helen...what a fantastic group...three guys that play primarily Banjo, Accordion and..what can only be described as a "Suitcase" (see pic)....mix in a little guitar, harmonica and keyboard as needed and call it all Florida Swamp Music...at least that's what they call it and the end result is a great time had by all ...















Met some great people while I we were there...the place was full and I invited them to sit at our table...I have to apologize...I have forgotten their names...and the names of the next couple that needed front row seats... but I did get a picture of the first couple....and if I don't get an email from them for sticking me with their bar tab...I'm going to post the picture in the Post Office most wanted list...I'm sure it was an honest mistake...but I want my twelve bucks back or at least a couple of drinks....get in touch guys and let me know you read the blog....Ha Ha..... At least the second couple didn't stick me with the bill but I forgot to get a picture...they had just finished four months of cruising the Keys on their Catamaran boat...what a life.....they both had son's in the Armed Services and they were either going or coming back from the conflict...I'm so glad Travis is back with his family now...I say a prayer every day for those that are not....





Stopped at Denny's the other nite for a late nite snack with Ronnie, Richard and Helen...just couldn't resist the Banana Split... first one I've had in years ..and the first one I've shared since High School...but I thought it would make a great picture for posterity....


The Red Hat Society had their annual parade and spent the afternoon in downtown Englewood...they sure are a very enthusiastic group... and I didn't see one of them not having fun....all of them were smiling and laughing...and enjoying what this especially beautiful day in paradise had to offer...



We had our annual art on the street day as well last week and it was another spectacular day...we sure do have a lot of talented people here in the area...my friend Jeaney and her dog Fenway as well as many other talented artists sat up shop on Dearborn Street and proceeded to produce some great artwork of downtown Englewood....later in the day they all gathered at the Englewood Art Center for a review of the day's work and an awards ceremony....


















Of course the highlight of every day...for me anyway...are the fantastic sunsets...I don't get to see to many sunrises...I'm sure they are just as beautiful but it's not my time of day...here are a few that I have witnessed lately and believe me everyone of them is more spectacular than the next and more beautiful than words or pictures can describe...















That's All For Now...

Til Next Time...

Live, Love, Laugh, Fish

Semper FI

Monk

Road Trip....

Well the road trip is over but I had a great time visiting two of my five sons...I will get a chance to see plenty of my other three sons and my beautiful daughter this summer but this was a once a year trip to connect with the two who are farthest away...Travis in California and Kyle in Wyoming...













Travis as you know just got back from overseas and got to reconnect with T.W.C.G. (Dakota) who is now one year old...as I have mentioned before..he lost a little ground in the relationship when she spent her second six months without him..I'm happy to say the ground has been made up and she is laughing and playing with Daddy once more...




However Daddy did not impress her with his kite flying skills...instead..he made his Dad and wife as well as the next door neighbors laugh their ass'es off at his attempts to fly a one foot wide kite in a 40 mile per hour wind...I have a video and may even post it on this blog...but for now here are a couple of pics...I didn't get a pic..but at one point he had it in the only tree within yards and looked like Charlie Brown...when we unfurled the nine foot long tails on this one foot wide kite the wind wrapped them around the string and we spent ten minutes unraveling them before we even left the garage...Dakota was not sure what was supposed to be happening since she has never had a reference point of a kite flying to go by...she will still have to wait til Dad decides to get a bigger kite...














Travis did not have much luck at feeding the baby pudding skills either but it was good for another giggle...he however is excellent entertainment for Dakota and they laughed a lot..It was really good to see them connecting once again and before I left I was told that by Christmas Dakota will officially be a big sister to the next member of the family...Shannon and Travis wasted no time in making sure of that...Congratulations...I'm very proud of you both...you make great parents and deserve all the best that life has to offer..

I even got Dakota to be happy to be in the same room with me...which...when I first arrived..looked like it would take at least till grade school to accomplish...she was very shy and of course did not recognise Grandpa...I don't know why not..I had seen her last when she was five months old...but by the time I left...we were on speaking (without running to find Mommy) terms and I even got to hold her..at least for a few minutes at a time....I'll see her again in June when Travis is on leave and because of this visit...I'll be one up on the rest of the family...HA....


While I was there Travis was bound and determined to get another tattoo..one of four or five he already has...this one was his best yet...and he was also bound and determined to have Dad get one as well...we had talked about it but I wasn't sure if I should or not....I have wanted one for a long time...it's a well known fact that you can't get into Marine Heaven with out a Marine tattoo...so I decided it was time to pull the trigger before my time ran out...I ended up loving the end result and I really don't care if no one else does...not that I have gotten anything but positive feedback..but it is one of those very personal things that has to have meaning to the individual...
















Not to be out done...Kyle got his first tattoo while I visited him in Wyoming and to tell you the truth...even though I was kind of against it...it really looks great...its not colored in yet but it is going to be a fantastic peace of body art that will not disappoint him later in life...like I said..every tat has to have meaning and for my boys the Eagle has significance...all through their lives I have reminded them that "You can't fly with the Eagles, If you hang with the Turkeys" and it has kind of stuck with them when a supposed friend has invited them to do drugs or otherwise make a bad decision....I'm proud to say that not one of my children is a wild child in that way...I'm sure they have made some bad decisions they have regretted...but that is part of life...but I know they have not made bad decisions that will ruin their lives and that's what counts.....

The visit to Kyle's brought the kid wannabe in me...I never had any of the single college life after high school...I was in the Marines at 17 and never looked back...like I tell my kids..I was being shot at and shooting back when I was 18...married at 20.. and a father at 21...I never had the chance to be wild...lets just say...wild in civilian life...the Marines was a different matter...Kyle and his good friends are some great young people and they are enjoying what life has to give them without being obnoxious about it..I don't know any other way to put it...they are serious enough about their school or job or both without giving up the chance to live and love the life they have right now...















I got totally wasted for the first time in many years and had the time of my life shooting pool and singing karaoke (Margaritaville of course) with a bunch of twenty-somethings...and it was fantastic...I'm not capable of doing it every nite anymore but it sure was fun for this old fart to hang with young crowd for one memorable night...Thank you Kyle, Lexy, Justin, Tasha, Doer, Aurora, Chris and Jessica for making me feel like one of the gang....

Well That's All For Now...

Live, Love, Laugh, Fish...

Semper Fi...

Monk