2945 Estero Blvd

It's been so darn cold these last few days, it's hard for my thoughts to stay here in New York.  They've been wandering back several years to Fort Myers Beach.  Visiting Nanny and Weenie was always a big deal for me--a real treat.  Weenie always seemed so touched that I would save money to fly to them for vacation but it was "win-win" for me.  Warm weather and spoiling?  Who could say NO to that?  I went to Florida instead of the senior trip and never regretted it.  I will admit the story might be different if we still lived in Silver Creek when senior trip time came along but that wasn't the case so off to Florida I went.

 This is 1973--back in the day when you would dress up to get on the airplane.  And you could debark and have your picture taken entering the terminal.  I think we look pretty good here!  There was nothing like stepping outside the terminal to breath the air.  Immediately you knew you weren't in Kansas anymore!  The tropical air has always had an immediate healing affect on me.  It's similar to filling my lungs with Gloucester sea air--it acts to heal and ease stress. 

We'd drive over the big bridge and enter the park driving very slowly as per the resident rules and general common sense.  There was a store right there on the street as you turned into the park.  I liked shopping in that place--there was a little bit of everything there at all price ranges it seemed to me. 

Nanny and Weenie's spot was a double wide so there was plenty of room comparatively speaking.  The car would go under the carport, you'd enter the Florida room (aptly named) where Nanny's typewriter often resided.  There were steps up into the trailer and you'd immediately be greeted by the cozy atmosphere tinged with the distinct cigarette odor.  Nanny and Weenie each had their own chairs distinguished by their accessories--for Nanny, a knitting basket; for Weenie, a newspaper. 

There were rules to follow that Nanny laid down in a way that you knew she meant business.  One I remember especially was clearing up as much leftover water as you could in the bathroom after a shower so as to avoid mildew and such.  Another was respecting the pool hours for guests.  She would make us turn over our plane tickets for safekeeping.  It was from her that I learned to always take a change of clothing in my carry on in case my suitcase went astray.  This practice has come in use many times over the years!

She strictly watched over our sunbathing habits but sometimes a sunburn would still occur.  We reached the beach by walking across the street (a busy street) and down the walk way reserved for the park residents.  I especially loved walking along the beach with Weenie up to the pier and back.  The walks were part of his heart regimen I believe.  Hard to imagine he needed to walk for his heart since he worked so hard under Nanny's thumb on his "yard work".  I think his yard work covered the same square yardage as my desk here. 

These are fond memories and I can almost smell the tropical air right now.