I was playing on the computer a few minutes ago and my wife and kids told me about the Sandhill Cranes in the back yard. I went out and snapped a few pictures of them and fed them some bread. They were screaching at another Crane on the other side of the lake. This is one of the joy's of living in Florida.

Tyler's First Birthday

Here is a photo of Tyler and Dylan. Tyler (left) turned 1 on the 1st of June and we had a birthday party for him. He had the joy of smashing a cake with his hands. Dylan had the joy of eating it.

Tarpon in Sarasota

I took a half day off and went tarpon fishing this morning. Two friends and I met this morning at Marine Max on Lido Key at 6:00 a.m. We spotted between 10-15 groups of tarpon "greyhounding". I learned today that greyhounding is when they are migrating in one directions and not stopping to eat. They are definitely off shore right now but evidently weren't hungry this morning. Regardless, we had a great time on the water.

Dr. Beach names Siesta Key one of the best beaches

Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, also known as a"Dr. Beach", came out with his top 10 beaches for 2007. Siesta Key made the #10 spot on the list. If you go here you can see his pick for the top 10 beaches in the country.

Dr. Leatherman is a professor of environmental studies at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami and serves as the director of FIU's Laboratory for Coastal Research. In 1998, he released his twelfth book, America's Best Beaches, describing and depicting many of the nation's finest beaches regionally and by category (e.g., best swimming and best walking beaches). He also has written more than 200 journal articles and scholarly reports.

A good meal at the Dry Dock Restaurant

On monday two buddies and I ate at the Dry Dock Restaurant on Longboat Key. I have been eating there on and off for over 15 years now. I can always count on a good meal. The restaurant is located on the south end of Longboat Key with wide expansive views of the Sarasota bay. Not only are the views great but the food is very tasty as well. One of my favorites is their Fish Camp Chowder. If you have not eaten before there give them a try.

New stores added to Ellenton Prime Outlet mall

Those of you who love to shop at the Ellenton Prime Outlet mall should be happy to hear about 7 new stores opening up there. Addidas, Perry Ellis, Starbucks, J. Crew Factory Store, Kenneth Cole, Luggage Factory, Dooney & Bourke are scheduled to open in various stages. Coffee lovers can enjoy a Starbucks as early as this coming weekend as the new store will be opening.

Prime Outlets at Ellenton opened in 1993 with 123,000 square feet and 40 stores. The outlet mall has grown to about 477,000 square feet with 130 stores. Plans call for a Main Street-type addition and more upscale names at the center, which already has a Saks Off Fifth.

Bull Shark Caught

A nine foot bull shark was caught last Saturday in St. Petersburg. The fisherman who caught it estimated the weight at 650 to 700 pounds. He caught it off the dock in the back of house located near Vinoy Park in St. Peterburg.

Bull sharks are in bays and inland waters this time of year to give birth to their "pups." After the effort they are hungry.

Though populations of some sharks are dwindling, the bull is common in area waters.

It is a shame the shark could not be released. The man who caught the fish was on the radio and he did not intetionally kill the shark. It died from exhaustion when it finally reached the dock.

Bonefish Grill for dinner

I took the family to the Bonefish Grill last night for dinner. All I can say is YUMMY! What a great restaurant. I always have a good meal there and highly recommend it if you have not eaten there. I had the pork tenderloin which was very tasty.

Rain!

Tropical depression Barry rolled through the Tampa Bay area on Saturday bringing much needed rain. Rain was welcomed in drought stricken Florida and Georgia where there were recent wildfires.

I am happy to see the rain. My yard needed a drenching and the lake behind my house was a little low. The current drought should end if we see as many hurricanes as predicted by the National Hurricane Center. They are predicting 17 named storms for the 2007 hurricane season. However, keep in mind there were many storms predicted last year but we had very few.

It's funny how I hear people complain about the drought conditions and then sometime in July they will start complaining about how much it rains. ;-)