The first order of business today was to take Zoey (Alex and Kathy's Yorkie) for a walk and to have Alex and Kathy show us around "The Fountains" We walked around the grounds and then through the main buildings. We were pleased to be able to see the art studio where Kathy works with some of the other artists here and to meet a few of their new friends along the way. It was a lovely day and the lakes sparkled and their were even a few flowering trees.
Alex and Kathy were our tour guides for a driving tour of Sarasota which included a stop at Siesta Beach to feel the sand between our toes.
Then we drove North to Bradenton. We had read about a community of artists in Bradenton who live and work in an older area of town. The artists have painted the small wood frame buildings multiple bright colors and have their studios and showrooms open to the public. We had lunch at a restaurant called "Arts and Eats" and then walked from one gallery to another chatting with the shopkeeper artists along the way.
Before dinner in the smaller of the two on-site dining rooms we had wine in the lounge and met many of Alex and Kathy's new friends. They were all lovely people who all were enjoying each other's company. It was nice to see how well Alex and Kathy have integrated themselves into this community.