Stan took me on a drive about Sarasota; to Turtle beach made of rough brown sand where the wind was whipping and two people were harvesting limpets: to Siesta Beach, a mile long crescent of snow white sand which National Geographic has claimed to be one of the most beautiful in Florida; then downtown to various Theatres and over to the Asolo Theatre where Jim Bakkom and I did a weekend seminar so many years ago, part of UF and the Ringling Museum. I remember three long days, challenging questions, new insights and a long soak watching stars in the Gulf of Mexico.
Lunch was at a Cuban restaurant, which has served Floridians for 5 generations. Their “1905” salad honored great grandfather’s culinary skills. I was very pleased to see some of my favorite sculptures from” Grounds For Sculpture” in Trenton, NJ, represented along the Sarasota shore line. Last time I was at GFS, probably October 09, I noticed some pieces were missing. The dancing log partners now dance in Florida sunshine.
Joyce made a superb dinner and we caught up on 40 years! The last time we were together was in 1967 when Trudy & I “honeymooned” on a road trip from Wisconsin to Montreal during the very short 6-day war between Israel and Egypt. I am beginning to think memories are stored in a deep pool where events and people are layered like leaves falling into water. They rise up again in the most unexpected ways; like those black “8” balls which , after a shake and turnover, an answer to a question floats to the surface; “ Yes. She's waiting … or No chance”. We lived Next Street over 60 years ago so some names and events haven’t surfaced for a long time. Like Champagne bubbles popping these memories burst forth as entertaining and pleasant surprises.
One night I attended a Pulitzer Prize play called “Ruined” at the Keating Theatre in Sarasota. Got the last ticket. Heavy subject about war in the Congo and a whorehouse/ tavern run by a Mother Courage type lady who services soldiers from both sides with drink and comfort. She attempts to walk the thin line of fanatical politics as each side continues to slaughter the other. The working ladies are those who have been rescued from horrible brutalities and allowed to find a home working in her brothel.
The theatre had approx. 350 seats, so was intimate with excellent sight lines. The soldiers to a man, were physical specimens, muscles rippling and clearly representing mortal threats, the ladies in various stage of disarray and disposition; some very sexy, some shattered from gang rape and enforced slavery. Like Brecht’s play, one leaves the theatre with a feeling of revulsion against the inhumanity and savagery of mankind.
LaVahn, my circus professor friend, mailed complimentary tickets to the Ringling Circus Museum where Stan, Joyce & I spent 5 enjoyable hours.
The first tent housed the extraordinary Miniature Circus; a 45-year passion carved (!!) by one man, Howard Tibble , which I'll call, A DAY AT THE BIG TOP CIRCUS. It started with load-in, through performance, to load out , perhaps 24 hours later. 6,000 miniature people, 1 ½ inches tall, in 8 tents, interspersed and interacting with 800 animals, 100’s of vehicles and a 59 car, train, all to scale and representing every phase of living, working, performing and enjoying a Circus.
As I left I realized what I hadn’t thought of before, the extraordinary planning and organization required to transport and produce such a monumental event, (often only one day at a site before moving to the next). Hundreds of men and women on the “Flying Squad” arrived a day early to set everything up for the performers and their audience. A kitchen to serve 2000 in shifts was first, then animal tents, the Midway with all it’s games and temptations, the three rings of the Big Top, adjacent dressing room tents, holding space offstage for the next acts, and so, on and on.
One walked into the L shaped space of approximately 3500 square feet and on the short end of the L, passed empty freight cars, which had brought everything we were to see. Next, the first dinning tent and hundreds of tiny costumed people, row on row, all in different realistic poses sitting down to eat. By the time you reached the 3 rings of the Big Top, you had passed through the Midway, where the bearded lady, the thin man beckoned and of course, all the other ways a pocket could be lightened, balloons, cotton candy, peek shows etc. I felt like Gulliver looking down on Lilliputians surveying 50 acres of activity. Although we spent time at other attractions I was deeply impressed with the amazing thoroughness of Tibble's creation.
The Museum Grounds were scattered with impressive sculpture which Ringling had purchased in his worldwide travels. This one caught my attention. Don't know the story but would be easy enough to say she had said NO to some powerful King and he, to get her attention, tied her to an enraged bull.
After a delicious early dinner at " the best" fish house in Sarasota, we drove to watch a glorious sunset. Most people left as soon as the green flash moment passed. It did become colder but, 5 minutes later and a little patience, they would have seen this awesome sky.
Saturday just before leaving Sarasota for Port Charlotte, Stan & I found a flea market where I promptly bought “stuff”. Two ducks carved from South American rosewood, a finger plane, books, a 50 year old carved piece of teak, which I will have fun re-carving.
(I’m fulfilling my mission, old friends, theater, flea markets, National Parks, and wooden things.)
As I left I realized what I hadn’t thought of before, the extraordinary planning and organization required to transport and produce such a monumental event, (often only one day at a site before moving to the next). Hundreds of men and women on the “Flying Squad” arrived a day early to set everything up for the performers and their audience. A kitchen to serve 2000 in shifts was first, then animal tents, the Midway with all it’s games and temptations, the three rings of the Big Top, adjacent dressing room tents, holding space offstage for the next acts, and so, on and on.
One walked into the L shaped space of approximately 3500 square feet and on the short end of the L, passed empty freight cars, which had brought everything we were to see. Next, the first dinning tent and hundreds of tiny costumed people, row on row, all in different realistic poses sitting down to eat. By the time you reached the 3 rings of the Big Top, you had passed through the Midway, where the bearded lady, the thin man beckoned and of course, all the other ways a pocket could be lightened, balloons, cotton candy, peek shows etc. I felt like Gulliver looking down on Lilliputians surveying 50 acres of activity. Although we spent time at other attractions I was deeply impressed with the amazing thoroughness of Tibble's creation.
The Museum Grounds were scattered with impressive sculpture which Ringling had purchased in his worldwide travels. This one caught my attention. Don't know the story but would be easy enough to say she had said NO to some powerful King and he, to get her attention, tied her to an enraged bull.After a delicious early dinner at " the best" fish house in Sarasota, we drove to watch a glorious sunset. Most people left as soon as the green flash moment passed. It did become colder but, 5 minutes later and a little patience, they would have seen this awesome sky.
Saturday just before leaving Sarasota for Port Charlotte, Stan & I found a flea market where I promptly bought “stuff”. Two ducks carved from South American rosewood, a finger plane, books, a 50 year old carved piece of teak, which I will have fun re-carving.(I’m fulfilling my mission, old friends, theater, flea markets, National Parks, and wooden things.)
Harry & Carol Tokay live
on a canal where their 40 foot motor boat floats 50 feet from the living room. They helped me unpack and showed me to my nautically themed room . Harry collects ducks so the two I adopted, joined his. Our last meeting was in Atlantic City 10 or 12 years ago. They were sailing from Florida to Maine. Since then, hurricane Charley visited Port Charlotte in 2004 and devastated the area and thus created open lots where houses once stood and showed the strength of 140 mile/hour winds. 
Harry’s lost weight and his red hair, Carol seems to always stay young and still mischievous; both are healthy, enjoying their lives together and their daily activities of tennis, golf, boating, and socializing at a very neat Yacht club in Punta Gorda across the bay.
The night I arrived, Niah Lenwood Statscewich, Marla & Hank’s baby girl also "dropped in" , in a Fairbanks AK. birthing center; Trudy was in the outfield, Marla the pitcher, and Hank caught her. Marla says the placenta was slow in coming. She asked for a little more time before a medication would be given to speed up the process. One of the nurses pressed on a pressure point on her little toe and " vois la ", it also dropped out, a completely natural childbirth. Good on ya, everybody. Niah's trip was longer, probably more difficult and Marla was relieved and overjoyed.
We raised numerous glasses in their honors and hit the sack late.
Sunday was glorious. We brunched at the Club and then drove around Punta Gorda.
on a canal where their 40 foot motor boat floats 50 feet from the living room. They helped me unpack and showed me to my nautically themed room . Harry collects ducks so the two I adopted, joined his. Our last meeting was in Atlantic City 10 or 12 years ago. They were sailing from Florida to Maine. Since then, hurricane Charley visited Port Charlotte in 2004 and devastated the area and thus created open lots where houses once stood and showed the strength of 140 mile/hour winds. 
Harry’s lost weight and his red hair, Carol seems to always stay young and still mischievous; both are healthy, enjoying their lives together and their daily activities of tennis, golf, boating, and socializing at a very neat Yacht club in Punta Gorda across the bay.The night I arrived, Niah Lenwood Statscewich, Marla & Hank’s baby girl also "dropped in" , in a Fairbanks AK. birthing center; Trudy was in the outfield, Marla the pitcher, and Hank caught her. Marla says the placenta was slow in coming. She asked for a little more time before a medication would be given to speed up the process. One of the nurses pressed on a pressure point on her little toe and " vois la ", it also dropped out, a completely natural childbirth. Good on ya, everybody. Niah's trip was longer, probably more difficult and Marla was relieved and overjoyed.
We raised numerous glasses in their honors and hit the sack late.Sunday was glorious. We brunched at the Club and then drove around Punta Gorda.
The houses and lots were tastefully groomed, with glimpses of Charlotte harbor behind palm trees and mangrove. No building can exceed 3 stories in height so the contrast with Sarasota where high-rises abound was striking. We visited a rescue center for birds and animals that could no longer fend for themselves. Two bald Eagles, both missing their left wings sat shouting their high-pitched bleat. (OK so it’s not a bleat, certainly not a whistle, perhaps a screech.) If one had a right wing, they could have teamed up, duct taped together and awkwardly flown?? White and brown pelicans in abundance, ospreys and red tailed hawks, a horned owl and quite a few buzzards and vultures who flew in to scrounge an easy meal. I bought a
n Eagle carved into a Tagua nut from South America. Tagua is called vegetable ivory in that the nut very hard and milky white.
Driving home we passed a Crafts show where I got an in depth introduction to ancient sharks by a guy selling fossilized shark’s teeth. Also, seen for the 2nd time (first with John in Lunenburg, NS), an excellent plastic simulation of a white crane made out of 4 inch, PVC pipe. The legs bent when blown in the wind and the head bowed, which I intend to make (someday). We had a beer at the Crab House and met the same honeymooners who asked us to take their picture in the park near the Craft Fair. The bar area overlooked the bay and was decorated with magnificent carvings.
n Eagle carved into a Tagua nut from South America. Tagua is called vegetable ivory in that the nut very hard and milky white.Driving home we passed a Crafts show where I got an in depth introduction to ancient sharks by a guy selling fossilized shark’s teeth. Also, seen for the 2nd time (first with John in Lunenburg, NS), an excellent plastic simulation of a white crane made out of 4 inch, PVC pipe. The legs bent when blown in the wind and the head bowed, which I intend to make (someday). We had a beer at the Crab House and met the same honeymooners who asked us to take their picture in the park near the Craft Fair. The bar area overlooked the bay and was decorated with magnificent carvings.
Check out the eagle in the entrance to the building.That afternoon the Yacht Club was reviewing the fleet. The three of us briefly joined them in Charlotte Harbor to take pictures and shout compliments to the passing boats. Out in the bay, a regatta was in progress with 60 sailboats scrumming for a start. (Yeah. I know; they don’t scrum, they ??? ). The sun was warm and for a change the temperatures enticed folk out to enjoy the weather. Once the sun set, it became quite chilly and cool. We headed for a Tia restaurant and has a good nosh. On Monday, I was looking for a project. The re-roofing of a shed seemed too ambitious so clearing out a poolside bathroom of toilet, sink and shower and converting it to better storage, sufficed. Tomorrow. For the first time, I’ll meet Hank’s Dad, Frank, the other Grand Dad in the Niah equation. He thinks a day fishing is the right thing to do. I lay my pole at his feet.
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