Fisherman’s Village, Punta Gorda

Posted on by Thor

While visiting my Sister, Pat Boehme, in south Florida over the Thanksgiving Holiday, we decided to hit some stores in Punta Gorda for Black Friday. Pat drove us to Fisherman’s Village which is a series of shops that line an old dock. The stores were all decked out with Christmas decorations. It was way too early for me to consider sketching Santa or Reindeer. I walked the length of the dock, looking in all the shop windows without much interest. I decided to sit outside behind the shops and enjoy the view of all the boats. Later this month there will be a nautical parade where boats are decorated to the hilt with Christmas lights. Stringing lights from masts certainly would make for simple Christmas tree shapes.

One of the boats motored out from its moorings while I sketched. A man was behind the wheel shouting out orders and a woman was on the bow coiling up some ropes. She was in a bikini. The warm beautiful day made it difficult to imagine that Christmas was right around the corner.

Land Sales Office

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My sister Pat Boehme took Terry and I to a Punta Gorda Historic Park. Terry wanted to go here because she learned that there was a large Eagles nest in one of the tall pine trees. I saw the huge eagles nest but there were no eagles inside. So, while Pat and Terry sat in lawn chairs waiting for the eagle to return, I wandered off and did this sketch of the Trabue Land Sales office which was built in 1886. This is the oldest building in Punta Gorda. The small tin roofed building now houses a gift shop with photography and jewelry for sale. The woman who cares for the shop is a member of the Audubon Society so she was aware of the eagles comings and goings.

When I finished my sketch, I wandered back over to where Terry and Pat were watching the nest. Pat’s son David was there now. Terry suggested that Pat, David and I make a sandwich run while she continued her vigil. We took Pat’s car to Publix to get Deli sandwiches. When we got back Terry was still seated, calmly watching the nest. Right after the first bite of my sandwich I saw an eagle fly over my head. I shouted and pointed, being less than subtle as a bird watcher. Terry had borrowed some binoculars from the gift shop and she watched the eagle land on the nest and rip into the fish he had in his talons. I wondered if he was thankful for his meal. I’m not sure I had felt humblingly thankful of my Moose Lodge meal. The eagle jumped out onto a branch and paused for a moment eying the small group of people picnicking under his tree. Then he spread his immense wings and gracefully took flight. He disappeared over a distant band of pine trees, gone as quickly as he had appeared.

Terry wanted to see him again. As she settled back into her lawn chair, I agreed with Pat that rain looked imminent. We dropped David off at his trailer and then went back to Pat’s home. On the drive back it did start to rain. Terry did not return to Pat’s home for many hours. She took shelter in the gift shop when it poured out. She had a long talk with the proprietress who was also a member of Audubon. Terry never saw the eagle again that day but she got advice on where she could see some wild Parrots so she followed that tip to another bay front park. She ended up seeing 7 wild parrots in some palm trees.

Punta Gorda Railroad Station

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After our Thanksgiving dinner, Pat drove us to Punta Gorda to see the sights. Our first stop was this Historic Punta Gorda Railroad station. The rear of the station is devoted to an antiques shop and the waiting areas up front house a Railroad museum. Terry and Pat shopped while I sketched. What caught my eye imediately were the separated “Whites” and “Colored” entrances to the station. An antiques dealer was telling Terry that in the 1970’s his school was one of the first in the area to allow full integration. When the building was restored, these signs were kept in place to remind museum goers of this regions recent history of segregation.

The building was first erected in 1928. The main purpose of the railway was to ship fish to Northern markets. It also functioned as a passenger train. This is the only station remaining built by the Atlantic Coast line that features the Spanish Mission style which would make more sense in California. In 1971 the depot was closed. In 1998 volunteers began to restore the building. In August of 2004 the building was badly damaged by hurricane Charlie, but it was once again restored. The depot is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

When my sketch was done, I went back to the antique shop to find Terry and Pat. Terry had been on a shopping spree. She had bought some antique plates, an Emerald colored ring for Pat and oddly a German Concertina or accordion. Now I can honestly say, momma’s got a squeeze box.

Thanksgiving at the Moose Lodge

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Terry and I drove south to Port Charlotte to have Thanksgiving with my sister Pat Boehme and Mike Napalitano. Rather than spend all day cooking, Mike bought tickets to have dinner at the Moose Lodge. We drove to Moose Lodge 2121. Above the entry “LOOM” was printed which stands for the Loyal Order Of the Moose. Mike explained that there is a hierarchy of these Lodges. Lowest in the pecking order are the Order of the Eagles. Apparently if you are an Eagle, you are slumming it. Next up the totem is the Order of the Moose which is middle class in nature. He said, “If you are an Elk, well you are a snob.” We got a table and a volunteer waitress quickly took our tickets. I believe the tickets cost $7. Only a Moose member could pay for drinks so Mike ordered us each a soda from the bar. As soon as I got back with Mike from the bar, the food arrived. Each plate had heaping portions of traditional Thanksgiving Turkey, stuffing, string beans, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes. The food was delicious although the meat was a bit too salty. The advantage to having dinner at the Lodge was that there was no temptation to have seconds. The amount of food was just enough. A waiter stopped by our table to pick up the plates saying, “Well you kids certainly cleaned your plates. When you get to be my age, everyone is a kid.”

In a corner of the room there were Moose antlers above a Coke machine. A small stuffed bird was perched on the antlers. There were several large bingo boards on the walls. You could tell they took bingo very seriously here. I think Terry and I were the youngest people in the room which was kind of refreshing. For desert we all had pumpkin pie and Terry ordered apple pie. When we finished I asked to be left behind to finish a sketch. An old couple sat down right in front of me and they anchored my sketch. They waited for the longest time for their food. I turns out their tickets had been put in the wrong pile and the waitress thought they had already been served. Their misfortune was my blessing since they modeled for me much longer than they otherwise would have.

I called my sister so she could pick me up once my sketch was finished. I sat on a bench in front of the Lodge waiting for her. Many people leaving the Lodge needed canes. One woman said, “Too much food in 24 hours, I am glad they had a take out box.”