EG Simmons Regional Park, Ruskin FL
The rain ceased, but the wind continued to howl. It woke us at 3AM; we went outside and retracted the awning to keep it from being dislodged from the trailer. Even without the awning, the wind buffeted the camper. I couldn’t sleep, so I sat up reading at the kitchen table which was wiggling back and forth because the outside wall it on which it mounts was being flexed by the wind gusts.
Hoping to bike ride, we opted for walking in the afternoon. The wind made even walking difficult! We did cover a few miles and found nice subjects to photograph.
Then, we shifted our attention to our plan to meet Penny’s brother, Dan, for dinner and beer and music. In Sarasota, about an hour south of here, we met at The Blue Rooster, a supper club. Jimmy Fadden, a founding member of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, played the suitcase drums, played harmonica, kazoo, and sang. He was joined by two talented musicians and singers, one on standup bass, the other on guitar. So, it was acoustic blues to which the crowd responded favorably. Lots were dancing and singing along. The food was scrumptious as a bonus!
About 10PM, we headed north towards home to the Cortez Clam Shack in Bradenton. Dan joined us there as well even though it was farther from his home in Punta Gorda. On Tuesday nights, they have the Clam Jam, when numerous musicians share the stage. At times there were too many guitarists, but other than that great tunes emanated from the stage. Lots of people were dancing and having a good time.
We said “Adios” to Dan just before midnight and traveled north on the deserted Hwy 41, otherwise known as Tamiami Way; i.e., Tampa/Miami. We arrived safely at the camper and went straight to bed.