A terrific find in Sarasota is Vintiquity Lane . The name is a combination of vintage” and “antique”, which should help you imagine what you would find here. Last time I was in this vintage marketplace, I found the perfect picture to take for this theme. 
And there they are – squares, rectangles, and ovals!
Mark your calendar – Vintiquity Lane is only open the 3rd weekend of every month.
This past weekend we braced for Hurricane Irma as it appeared that Sarasota may be in its path. Wind and rain pelted our homes Sunday night. On Monday many of us dealt with power outages. As ours came back on, Tuesday my mother was ready to return to her home. As we took a ride down the newly opened Lorraine Road, we saw rows of uprooted newly planted trees.
As we drove from Lakewood Ranch, to Sarasota, out to Siesta Key, and then through downtown Sarasota, we noticed that most of the destruction left behind was fallen newly planted trees that had not been established yet and also older mature trees. This row of trees will be easy to set right up again, but many many trees did not fair so well in our neighborhoods. And now the clean up begins.
In a bowl…ing alley! Labor Day weekend was the annual “Good Old Days” event at Sarasota Lanes. Bowling, beer, soda, and hotdog prices were rolled back to one dollar each. Word was put out in our new Del Webb Lakewood Ranch neighborhood to introduce new residents to our local bowling alley. We filled seven lanes and will most certainly return another day!
Finally! I always felt we should have “Sarasota” painted on the huge blue water tower that is seen from I-75, located between the Fruitville Rd and University Parkway exits, and finally it’s happened! Sarasota wants to put their best foot forward as they host the 2017 World Rowing Championship at Nathan Benderson Park later this month and it was planned to have the “Visit Sarasota County” logos painted on the tower before the event. This is the first time this rowing regatta event has been held in the United States in over 20 years. Some 42,000 athletes and supporters from all over the world are anticipated to be here to enjoy the World Rowing Championship and experience all that Sarasota County has to offer.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, approximately 134,000 vehicles pass the tower daily. The two logos painted on the tower will be visible to drivers going both north and southbound. Local tourism officials hope that the logos on the tower will entice drivers to stop off in Sarasota. From Nathan Benderson Park, it is visible in the backdrop across the interstate.
“To climb a tree is for a child to discover a new world.” Froebel
One of Sarasota’s best kept secrets is the “living” museum at the John Ringling Museum. The John Ringling Museum of Art and Ca d ’Zan (the home he built for his wife on Sarasota Bay) is the legacy that John and Mable Ringling left behind, but among the 66-acre garden of exotic trees and plants at the estate, are 14 Banyan trees which is the largest collection in Florida. Banyan trees represent some of the world’s largest tree girths and the unique growth pattern of their aerial roots and support trunks can cause them to cover an acre of ground in less that a century. I am not certain if the banyan I have pictured here is one or more!
We stumbled on this on a Monday visit to the museum and found that there is a wonderful children’s playground and picnic area that had been built just a few years ago for the children of Sarasota to enjoy for free. And aside from the man-made playground, the children enjoy climbing in the trees nearby, as well.
The Ringling Banyan was cited in the Millennium Landmark Tree Project. The following text about the project is from the America the Beautiful Fund Website:
“America the Beautiful Fund initiated the Millennium Landmark Tree project in the year 2000, with the goal of designating one historic tree in each of the 50 states for preservation in the new Millennium.
This program was supported by a grant from the US Forest Service as part of the White House Millennium Green Initiative. Individuals and their communities were encouraged to seek out the history of the trees in their area, and send a letter describing the type of tree they would like to nominate as well as any historical information pertaining to the tree.
The program was extremely successful in awakening public interest in preserving and protecting these Landmark Trees, which have stood witness to the historic growth of our country.
The Banyan Tree at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida was honored at the National Arbor Day Celebration on April 2000. The tree was given as a gift from Thomas Edison to Harvey Firestone, who gave it to John and Mable Ringling for their Florida garden to see if rubber could be produced in America.”
“Olly Olly Oxen Free!”
My son and daughter-in-law introduced us to Sky Zone last year and here he is hiding from his son Graham. This is the Foam Zone.
And when my daughter came to visit this Spring, her sons Ethan and Berk, loved to hide, too!
“A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.” ~ Anonymous ~
Two-way traffic had shifted to the south side of the street as the Bee Ridge Road widening project has been underway. The project began July 2014 and expects to be completed in 2016. This fire hydrant on the south side is a clue (OMG) on how much dirt must be brought in to raise up this side of the road to match the nearly finished north side. It appears that the road shift for traffic to the north side will be in September – right around the corner (pun intended!)
“Government is the people’s business and every man, woman and child becomes a shareholder with the first penny of tax paid.” ~ Ronald Reagan ~
“Our tax dollars at work” is evident in Sarasota. Revenue from a penny surtax approved by voters in 2007 has enabled Sarasota County to complete capital improvement projects without raising property taxes. This sales tax is collected from year-round residents, seasonal residents, and tourists.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” ~ Chinese Proverb ~
My husband Greg’s favorite thing to do is to go fishing. This can be a solitary sport. As for me, when I go with him, I read while he fishes. To each his own solitude!
52 week's of Marie's Life 