A Fun Day with Dave and Sharon Horst Near Marco Island!

Ken and I were up by 6:30, had some flax pancakes, loaded up the CRV, and were on our way to the Horsts in "downtown" Goodland by 8.  We stopped by Paul and Regina's to deliver the 2 sets of jewelry she had purchased to take home as gifts.

Then we stopped to get drinks at the K Gas and from then on it was a non stop trip to Dave and Sharon.  We arrived at their "new" home at 10 and how exciting to see them again.  They are friends from back in PA who used to have a meat stand (Dave is a butcher) at the same Farmer's Markets where we sold candy.  Also, they had worked with Ken several times in the Real Estate business.  We appreciate their friendship.

Within the last year, they sold their very nice property in a community near Naples to buy the home of an older couple whose property was on the water and where Dave and Sharon docked their boat.  Because of health problems, the couple had not come to Florida the last 2 years and needed to sell the property.  They really wanted the Horsts to buy it and they loved the setting (location, location, location!) and that they could dock their boat in back of the property and have quick access to the Gulf.  So, they bought it and have they ever done an incredible job of remodeling it, doing a lot of the work themselves.

This is the setting looking at the back of their property from
their boat.

Not a bad place to seat and relax or read a book!

Love the reflection of the palm tree in the water.  This is
taken from their lanai!

Dave's boat has the green roof.  He has room to dock two
of his friend's boats!

  
We can only imagine how much work it was just to "clean-out" all of the other folks belongings, including food in cabinets and the refrigerator.  When that was completed, they had new vinyl siding put on as well as new windows and a roof. Then Dave and Sharon upgraded most of the electrical and plumbing, removed the old flooring and installed wood floors, repainted, put in an entirely new kitchen including removing a wall so the living room, dining area and kitchen could be totally open and overlooking the water, and had a new lanai added. They also redid the outside decking.  It was a major overhaul, but they did a great job.  Oh, I forgot to mention that they put sliding doors in their bedroom so they could have a water view from there, too!

This is the front of their "new" Florida home!

A brand new kitchen!

Sharon kept the antique desk of the former owners and made it into
an island for her kitchen.

They removed the wall that separated the dining area
and kitchen from the LR so they could see the water from
that entire area!

They removed all the old flooring and put new flooring throughout
the entire house!

We spent time just chatting in their lanai, since we hadn't seen them last year and we had  a lot of "catching up" to do.  Sharon's mother lives with them in PA for the last several years and her alzheimers continues to worsen.  We admire the sacrifices and great job they do helping her daily. It is definitely a labor of love!

Around 1:30 the 4 of us went for a boat ride to The Lump, an island about 8 miles from their property that is a great place to collect beautiful shells.  Ken and I are always thrilled to have the opportunity  to go there with the Horsts. Sharon is a shell expert and has such an "eagle eye" for spotting special ones among the piles of shells. Sea urchins were everywhere today and I found about 6 of my favorite shells - tulips!

Heading out the channel to the Gulf!

Some gorgeous homes and palms along the way!

Leaving the No Wake area and entering the Gulf!

That's The Lump in the distance!

We have arrived!

Shells everywhere!

And I mean everywhere!

Built in 1981 on the southern tip of Marco Island, the Dome House
is an igloo-like concrete complex made up of white dome chambers,
now decaying and in the ocean.  After completion in 1982, Lee
and his family sold it just 2 years later in 1984.  The new owners
got into financial trouble and the original family repossessed the
home and lived in it until 1993.  By that time the island was
already changing
and had washed away other homes in the area. 

6 years ago, Ken and I walked around this home as it was still
on the island.  Since that time it is now out in the water
 about a couple hundred feet from land!

Anchored at The Lump!

So many shells to pick from!

Part of the island!

Dave and Daisy enjoyed sitting on the beach while we were
shell hunting!

We were back to their property by 4:30 and they insisted that we stay for dinner.  Sharon is a wonderful cook and Dave loves to fish, so it was a seafood feast for Ken.  Dave grilled some sheepshead fish he had caught and they also had  cajun shrimp and stone crabs.  It was a gourmet feast for Ken and I did enjoy the shrimp and had some of the stone crabs.  We also enjoyed a variety of oven roasted veggies and some homemade coleslaw.  We had taken a tray of fruit that we had for dessert.  Good eating!!!!!

Cajun shrimp!

Sheepshead grilled fish caught by Dave!

Stone Crabs

Ken was in all his glory!

We left there around 7:30 after a phenomenal day with special folks.  We only got back to Waldo around 9:30, and we were very tired.  No reading or blogging but off to bed.

Boy, we are truly Celebrating Life Daily!