Cole explores Jungle Gardens in Sarasota

This blog entry has a few pictures, but if you're wanting to see more, go to my FaceBook page.

This past several days, we were graced with the presence of Caitlin, our daughter, and 22 month old Cole Robert Kreienkamp, our only grandchild.  He will turn two full years on November 11, 2013, but this visit is just a "tune up" for my wife, who'll go north following the Rock & Roll cruise - which will be followed by the Hawaii cruise.

So, we organized our events around the local weather, and since 19 of the last 21 days featured rain, we had to work quickly.  Yesterday we get to the point where Dad put on his jungle "boonie" cap and and lead the family patrol deep into the Sarasota Jungle Gardens, where fierce alligators and crocodiles (yes, they have both) and snakes share space with parrots and flamingos.

Elizabeth had been there, MANY, many, years ago, but it was a first for me, Caitlin and of course Cole.  I found the place surprisingly nice, tucked away in a very small (in terms of acreage) property between US 41 and the Sarasota Bay.  The place was one property, with the fellow who developed it living there for a number of years.  The house he resided within is not a small restaurant/snack bar.  No lions or tigers, but plenty of birds to view.  The place is classic Old Florida, where these type of facilities used to be along all the major highways, BEFORE the Interstates came along.  It may be nostalgic, but I did enjoy it immensely.

Today, the ladies are headed out to St Armands Circle, the local shopping mecca, while I hold down the fort with Ripley who has been one of Cole's newest playmates.  After all, I have leftovers in the refrigerator from our visit to Outback Steakhouse that second night of the visit - somethings are new each time Cole visits, including the visit to the airport to see his Uncle's flight school and look at the small private planes, but somethings remain the same (the perfunctory Outback visit).  Tomorrow, depending on how tired they are, Caitlin and Cole may accompany us to church.  I'd blow it off, except that I volunteered to be the lay reader, and Elizabeth and our friend Mark will be singing a duet during the offertory.  Fortunately, we have two cars here.

That's it from Longboat Key and Jungle Gardens, Sarasota.  Go view my Facebook page for more.