Sunday was another busy day. My friends Terry and Ronda helped me finish cleaning out a HUGE storage unit I have been paying 'way too much money for. We started last Sunday, with the help of three others and two trucks. I gave away a LOT of stuff that day and moved some into my house. This week, we finished with the help of two others. Everything is pretty much settled into the house now. My old bedroom is piled to the top with stuff, and all the cleaning equipment and supplies are in my study. I packed a lot up a year ago, when I thought my house would be foreclosed on any time. I won't unpack any of it, except for my sewing machine and some books. I will continue sleeping on the sofa, keeping my clothes in a file cabinet and hanging a few things on hooks behind the study door. Won't set up my library again, either. Will leave all my good dishes, crystal, etc. packed up as well as all my expensive framed Florida nature photography and fine art prints. One of these days, when I am settled somewhere else, then I will unpack it all and enjoy it again. That will give me something to look forward to, and some positive emotional reinforcement to get me through the stress of what is coming.
When we finished, Ronda and I made one last trip to take care of her horses - lead them in from the pasture, feed them and bed them down for the night.
Then the three of us drove to a place north of here. This little creek shack has been in operation since 1926. It started out as a dock and bait shack for a tiny little fishing settlement. Some of the original fishermen's shacks are still scattered around. The fishermen gathered for cold beers beside the dock, and after a while, started selling beer to the locals. Ronda and Terry have lived in Bonita all their lives, and heard about this little shack now and then, but never knew where it was. Apparently, those who know where it is don't like to share the knowledge. They like to keep it "their little secret."
All you can buy is beer. No cans, no draft beer, you can only buy it in bottles. If you ask, you can have a plastic tumbler to drink it out of. If, like me, you like to shake a little salt into your beer, the bartender will root around and find a salt shaker for you. The only other luxury is fresh limes. After all, you can't drink Coronas without limes!
Most people drink from the bottle, and they bring their own "coolies" to put the bottles in to keep the beer colder while they are drinking it.
If you buy six bottles at a time, the price is cheaper. Six beers cost $12.00. (That's probably the BIGGEST reason patrons don't want to spread the word - if business picked up and the place expanded, the prices would go up and there would be tourists and snowbirds visiting, throwing their attitudes around, demanding flush toilets and disturbing our peace!)
I was taking pictures, saying "I'm gonna blog about this place!" Ronda and Terry said to be careful not to give away the location, so I won't. It truly is almost impossible to find, unless one knows how to get there.
Here are Ronda and Terry:
Here is the welcoming sign in front of the shack:
In this picture you can see the white bait tank on the left, the red ice chest in the middle and the dock on the right. Behind the ice chest is where they have the beer cooler and a small counter with three bar stools.
The cypress fence in this picture is pretty old and weathered, but still sturdy. Cypress grows with its roots in water. after all.
We sat at the far end of the patio. Here is a long view, with the "bar" at the other end. There are tables along the creek also, but we chose the patio with big fans blowing on us, to stay cooler.
I didn't drink enough beer to trigger an emergency, but Terry needed to use the "facilities." Ronda and I opted to wait.
If any of you visit here and want to see this place, I will have to blindfold you before I take you there, so you can't ruin our local secret! You can be a sport and buy us a six-pack. Whatever we don't drink, we will take away with us.
When we finished, Ronda and I made one last trip to take care of her horses - lead them in from the pasture, feed them and bed them down for the night.
Then the three of us drove to a place north of here. This little creek shack has been in operation since 1926. It started out as a dock and bait shack for a tiny little fishing settlement. Some of the original fishermen's shacks are still scattered around. The fishermen gathered for cold beers beside the dock, and after a while, started selling beer to the locals. Ronda and Terry have lived in Bonita all their lives, and heard about this little shack now and then, but never knew where it was. Apparently, those who know where it is don't like to share the knowledge. They like to keep it "their little secret."
All you can buy is beer. No cans, no draft beer, you can only buy it in bottles. If you ask, you can have a plastic tumbler to drink it out of. If, like me, you like to shake a little salt into your beer, the bartender will root around and find a salt shaker for you. The only other luxury is fresh limes. After all, you can't drink Coronas without limes!
Most people drink from the bottle, and they bring their own "coolies" to put the bottles in to keep the beer colder while they are drinking it.
If you buy six bottles at a time, the price is cheaper. Six beers cost $12.00. (That's probably the BIGGEST reason patrons don't want to spread the word - if business picked up and the place expanded, the prices would go up and there would be tourists and snowbirds visiting, throwing their attitudes around, demanding flush toilets and disturbing our peace!)
I was taking pictures, saying "I'm gonna blog about this place!" Ronda and Terry said to be careful not to give away the location, so I won't. It truly is almost impossible to find, unless one knows how to get there.
Here are Ronda and Terry:
Here is the welcoming sign in front of the shack:
In this picture you can see the white bait tank on the left, the red ice chest in the middle and the dock on the right. Behind the ice chest is where they have the beer cooler and a small counter with three bar stools.
The cypress fence in this picture is pretty old and weathered, but still sturdy. Cypress grows with its roots in water. after all.
We sat at the far end of the patio. Here is a long view, with the "bar" at the other end. There are tables along the creek also, but we chose the patio with big fans blowing on us, to stay cooler.
I didn't drink enough beer to trigger an emergency, but Terry needed to use the "facilities." Ronda and I opted to wait.
If any of you visit here and want to see this place, I will have to blindfold you before I take you there, so you can't ruin our local secret! You can be a sport and buy us a six-pack. Whatever we don't drink, we will take away with us.It was a perfect way to end a day of heat, sweat and hard work.
posted by Me | 6:54 AM
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