Collage of December

I did some diving off Fort Myers with American Dream II and Aquatic Ventures. Kary McNeal owns Aquatic Ventures and I first met Kary when we were diving together in Ohio at Portage Quarry. Part of the reason we came to South Florida was for me to get back into diving and Kary has been a great help. The weather hasn't been cooperative for us with big waves and lots of rain.
Aquatic Ventures set up a trip to John Pennekamp State Park. We were supposed to dive the Benwood wreck but the weather blew us out and we ended up doing two dives on Molasses Reef. We were rained on just about the whole trip.
We took the back way to the keys on Card Sound Road past the infamous Alabama Jacks restaurant. 

Pennekamp Dive Shop

 Dinner at Alabama Jacks.

Later that week we took a tour of the Christmas Lights along the Intracoastal Waterway with old Ohio friends Rick and Michelle who now live in Ft Lauderdale. We traveled with Sea Experience, another local dive shop.

I took a trip to Ft Myers to meet up with Richie Law and Mike Sisler. You may remember our trip to Washington where we spent a month with the Laws. Mike, Richie and I were all in the Navy together. Mike is a Senior Chief and Richie is a first class ready to retire in April. They brought the 911 down from his Richie's brother-in-laws in Connecticut to store at his mother-in-law's house.

 Diner at Rum Runners in Cape Coral and then to a cigar bar.

I came back across the infamous Alligator Ally or I-75. I didn't see any alligators but I was concentrating on driving and listening to All Quiet on the Western Front on audio book.

 Lots of chain link fence to protect the wildlife and the drivers.

 On Fridays, Patrick and I go to Shake-A-Leg for sailing lessons.

A few pics of the campsite at CB Smith Park. This place is great for accessibility.

Patrick and his friend Dom love to play their Nintendo DSes. They spend lots of time together.

One of our many critter neighbors. This guy is about five foot long. I keep trying to talk the  boys into catching one for me so we can see if they taste like chicken.