Blaney Travel Log: Fort DeSoto update

So, many of you have been asking me why we haven’t blogged in a while. Well, not so much “many” of you but some of you. Ok, not really “some” of you. But seriously, maybe someone was wondering about our blog. Maybe not so much wondering out loud, verbally but maybe silently - like in their heart. So here is what is going on southern Florida by way of photos.

On Saturday our friends, Rick and Sarah Noel, who were vacationing in Clearwater, came to visit and go out to lunch. We had a great time and we appreciate the effort they made in coming to our campground.

We remembered last year that the ushers at St. John Vianney wore tuxedos. They still do. Maybe the idea is you’re less likely to give a tuxedo-dressed usher the leftover coins in your pocket.

After Mass we stopped at a farmers market and split a ham and cheese crepe.

We also saw this tuxedo dressed man making and selling barbecued ribs. Maybe he used to be an usher at St. John Vianney.

Here’s one of the reasons we haven’t blogged in a while. It’s so very easy to bike to the all but abandoned beach and get caught up in a book or the scenery. This is a photo of Cathy.

I may have stayed too long at the beach. You can see what type of sandals I wear as parts of my feet turned a very nice shade of red.

We took a drive down to Sanibel Island to visit our friend, Marilyn Maglio. After lunch, she was eager to show us her church.

Outside was some very cool statuary, including this bronze statue of Christ. I took this photo off the St. Isabel Parish website. Note how the bench was made for two, enabling the visitor to sit down and spend a moment or two with Christ.

In the back of the church hung a portrait of the area’s bishop, Frank Dewane, a Green Bay native.

We spent a night in Bradenton before venturing to Anna Maria Island to visit Mike and Mary along with their friends, Karen and Wayne Hollister. From our campsite to their house is about 6 miles as the crow flies or about an hour by car.