Fishing in Florida

There was not enough room on the last blog to do the fishing in Florida pictures.  Mike, Patrick and Timothy went fishing with a guide in the Everglades area south of Marco Island.  The guides name was Houston Brown  and he was a native of Florida, a 4th generation fishing guide and he had lots of great stories to tell.  The fish to the left was the star of the day...yes it is a blow fish and they do blow up when stressed...then it deflated when thrown into the water with a sound like burping frog.  Way weird!!

 Patrick caught so many fish that Mike, Timothy and the guide threatened to throw him out of the boat.
 The fish above is a red fish.  They have to be 20 inches to keep and a boat can only keep one fish per person.

 Here is Michael with his red fish.  They also caught some sharks, ocean trout, pompano and several Jack Kravels, ocean catfish, the blow fish.  They fished in the brackish water between the gulf and Everglades...its a shallow area (about 4 feet) with many species of fish.

The weather was beautiful...sunny and in the 80's.  The boys peppered the guide with questions about the ecosystem they were observing and he gave them great answers and information.  It is so stimulating to go someplace new and learn new information.

  What a haul on the dock before cleaning the fish.  We ate red fish that night that Patrick cooked...delicious!!!

 Timothy celebrated his 31st Birthday while in Florida and  we took a hike to a bird refuge, saw lots of birds and as you see below some alligators!!!  Creepy!

We traveled to Placida which is north of Fort Myers and stayed with Meg and Gary, friends from Traverse City.  Mike and Gary fished and caught many many fish.  For some reason there were no pictures taken so I am not sure what to think about the many fish stories!!  No really they did catch fish and Mike is always happy when he is catching fish.  It was a great visit and we thank them for their hospitality.  We are now on our way towards New Orleans to visit friends and then head back to TC.
Love to you all....Kathy and Michael

Marco Island Vacation

Well we did the Florida vacation this year...what fun we had.  Marco Island has great weather...the 80's.. and except for a few clouds at the end of the last day we had sunshine.  We rented a house with 4 bedrooms and a great heated (to 86 degrees) pool that allowed the little ones to spend lots and lots of time in the water because they did not get cold.
The beach was a few blocks away and Grandpa and Grandpa took the babies for a walk almost every day which was a real treat.  

 Patrick, Heather and Finnley at the beach.  We went for the sunset this afternoon and hunted for sea shells.

        Timothy, Casey and Seamus at the beach.  Timothy's birthday was this week also so we could                   celebrate him being 31.  We went on a hike to a bird refuge and even saw alligators!!

               I loved loved loved being with the two kids and playing in the sand was so fun for all of us. We made lots of great memories.

 What a GREAT picture.  Those sneaky kids got this one framed and surprised us with it and a delicious dinner with a decorated cake  for our anniversary...it will be 40 years in March so this was  our trip to celebrate with everyone.

                                            Here is the family... what a handsome group!!

 Deidre( Mikes niece) and husband  Stephen along with their kids Luca and Taj joined us for a couple of days.  Below are the newest Nolan cousins..Luca, Finnley, Seamus and Taj.  And if you think it was easy to get this photo you are crazy!!  Three toddlers in motion is like herding cats!!

Mike and I are now making our way north and are with friends in Placida.  Mike is fishing with Gary today and Meg and I are relaxing by the pool.  We will continue on and be home by March 2nd.  I know it is still snowing at home but we will be refreshed and ready to face it by the time we get home.
Kathy and Michael

Vacation in the WARM

Michael and I left a week ago and started our trip to the warmth of Florida.  We traveled the snowy roads of Michigan thru Ohio and Pennsylvania to Washington DC where Michael had meeting for his Cigar Association.  I spent several days on the National Mall visiting the wonderful Smithsonian Museums.  I went the the Natural History Museum and was lucky to visit  the butterfly house which was fantastic..the butterflies were everywhere.  I also saw the IMAX movie about the monarch butterflies.  Then I was lucky enough to get a free tour by a volunteer.  Great place to visit

 I also went to the American History Museum and saw many fascinating exhibits.  The one above is about cooking in America from 1950 to now and features various chefs...the kitchen above is the actual kitchen of Julia Childs that she used for her television show.

A sobering scene  for Black History Month...the lunch counter that helped start the civil rights movement.  We have come so far but the fight is never over.

Wednesday Mike and I were lucky enough to get an after hour tour with his cigar association  from a former US Rep.  We heard many insider stories and saw things that are not seen on the regular tours.  It was fantastic to be on  the House floor and sit in the seats that the Representatives sit in and learn how the room is arranged for the State of the Union address. There are no pictures allowed in that room due to security issues.

                           The rotunda with two statutes of important people from all 50 states was inspiring.

 We exited Washington DC in a snowstorm that paralyzed the city....but we are from northern Michigan and have snow tires so we left with no problems.  They are not prepared for a storm like that and the city was at a standstill. No traffic!!  We traveled down I 95 and did well till we got to South Carolina where large sections did not have electricity.  We did not find a hotel room till 8 pm and after going to many hotels and having them closed due to no electricity.  Yea for the last room at the Best Western!!!!!

 Our next stop was at our nieces house near Gainsville.  Deidre and her husband Stephen and sons Luca and Taj were gracious hosts for a night.  We got to meet the newest Nolan family member..Taj who is 5 months old.  He is a happy boy!!!

 So here we are on Marco Island with our grandchildren...Finnley and Seamus... oh and their parents too.  We are staying in a house with a pool and are able to walk to the beach. It is in the 80's and sunny.  What a change from the crazy winter we have been having in Michigan.  More in the next blog about the fun in the sun.

We are so pleased to be with our kids and grandkids.  However my heart is sad for the loss of a friend, Michelle, to breast cancer a few days ago.  We are thankful for every day of health and joy.  Prayers and love to her family.  More later....Love to you all   Kathy and Michael

Michigan Winter

 Michigan is the Winter Wonderland and this year is proving to be a challenge.
We have had lots of snow and cold temps as everyone has been hearing about on the news.  Our average winter snowfall is about 101 inches.  There are lots of different reports but depending on where you are in this area we are at 130 to 153 inches so far.  It is a challenge to find places to put it all.  Thank goodness for snow blowers.
The picture to the left is Finnley on our deck.  She is not in love with snow.  She has trouble walking except in shoveled areas and she does not like mittens.

                                                    Our little valentine with her Grandpa.

 We did have a few days with some sun...so uplifting to the spirit to see sun.  You can see the tunnel to the street.  It is about up to my chest where it is piled.  It was about 1 degrees the day I took these pictures.

 Deck picture and a picture of Patrick and Finnley in the alley...it is one lane now.  No place to put the snow.

 Finnley is in swimming lessons and is doing fantastic.  We leave for Florida, via Washington DC, on Sat and the kids and grand kids will be joining us on Marco Island.  We will have a pool so it will be great to relax in the warmth and let the babies play.

 I had to include this...a selfie of Finnley and Grandma.  Hope all is well with everyone!!  
Kathy and Michael