Father Jerry Paster of Sacred Heart Welcomes Children to Altar on Christmas Day

Calusa Bank Sign at Christmas Time

A Christmas Ride

Punta Gorda Kiwanis Christmas Card Lane

Downtown Christmas Tree Alight

A Foggy Morning in Old Punta Gorda Town

Rockets and Plane Light Up Boat in Peace River Lighted Boat Parade

Let It Snow.Elsewhere Christmas Card Lane Postcard Says

Christmas Ornaments Adorn Tree on Street in Historic District

Poinsettia Decoration Floats in Punta Gorda Pool

Sailboats in Lights at the Isles Yacht Club

The Lighting of the Fleet is this coming Thursday but there are sailboats at the Isles Yacht basin already in lights 

O Holy Night -- Stable Lit in front of Punta Gorda Baptist Church

Snow and Santa in Downtown Punta Gorda

Christmas in Lights at Punta Gorda History Park

Quednau/Hindman House in lights beyond the foundation at the Punta Gorda History Park

Fishville's Christmas Dolphins

The Village in Lights

Sunset Sky Ablaze

A Little Christmas Tree on Hector Square

Hector Square Tree appears diminutive caught between two giant royal palms. 

A Touch of Scotland in Punta Gorda - Bagpiper Outside of Opus

A Walk on the Wildside -- Punta Gorda Sandcranes

It's Beginning to Look Like Punta Gorda Christmas -- Downtown Christmas Tree is Up

Check out other pictures of Christmas in Punta Gorda 2010-2013

Reverie Mural on Visual Arts Center Wall for Art Festival Celebrating Art Nouveau and Art Deco

Mural recreation of "Reverie" (Alphonso Mucha's well known art nouveau work -- thought to be his best - from 1898 for the printer F. Champenois). by Liz Hutchinson at the Visual Arts Center wall for their current exhibition and art festival "Sensuality Meets Symmetry" through November 29.   

More Florida Fall Foliage

Manatees in Punta Gorda Canal Today in Search of Warmer Waters

A family of manatees approached the dock today for a drink of fresh water.   See more photos at www.facebook.com/youbelonginpuntagorda

Anhinga along the Waterway in the Linear Park

Bruce and Barbara Laishley Welcome Adam Putnam Florida's Ag Commissioner to Punta Gorda

The Laishleys welcome Adam Putnam Florida's Commission of Agriculture to the Captain's Table in Punta Gorda 

Are those Icicles I see over Fishville?

Punta Gorda Buildings - Mizell Law Firm on Olympia

Very Cool View through Skylight Dome from the Centennial Building

Jan Britland Local Author of Roger Dodger Dog Series at the History Park

Volunteer Gardener at Punta Gorda Nature Park on Beautiful Punta Gorda Day

Helen Cavanaugh Volunteer Works at Punta Gorda Nature Park on Beautiful Punta Gorda Day

Some of Punta Gorda's Pretty Fall Color -- The Purple Grasses

Photo of Planned Vietnam Wall in Kiwanis Veterans Park

Italia at River City

Not Strange Bubbling Monsters -- They're Mullet Finding a Safe Harbor in Punta Gorda Canals and Harbor

From spring through early fall, mullet feed and fatten in protected waterways and backwaters of Southwest Florida’s brackish coast.

Ponce de Leon and his Sign at Ponce Park

Idle Speed - Pelican Taking a Break

"Old Timers" Donate to new History Center -- Mayor, Vernon Peeples, Commissioner Deutsch and many Punta Gorda People There

Photo taken Wednesday as the "Old Timers" group of Punta Gordans who have lived in the area 25 years or more, donated $11,000 towards a new History Center for Punta Gorda to be housed in the old human services buidling near the highschool.  Among those in the photo are Linda Wilson, 1st left front, Gussie Baker 2nd left front, Edna Jane and Vernon Peeples (front center), Lee Swift front last right; Stephen R. Deutsch 2nd row left, Nancy Prafke center third row, Howard Kunik, back row 2nd, Gene Murtha (President PGHC) 2nd to end right last row,  Bruce Laishley last row right end.

A View Down Marion Avenue Passed the old Turtle Club

Marion Ave. Between Taylor and 41 North. Turtle Club (which is said to be opening again the Fall) in the foreground.  

Possibly one of the Oldest Buildings in Punta Gorda -- 756 West Marion Ave.

According to "Historic Houses and Buildings in Punta Gorda, Florida" distributed by the Punta Gorda History Society, this house was built in 1883.  Their write-up labels it Florida Land and Improvement (which makes sense as the land's owner at that time), however, it indicates that the building was built by the Consolidated Ice, Refrigerating and Fish Co.  This company according to records wasn't started under 1901 -- a puzzlement.  City records indicate a building date of 1920, but the PGHS booklet indicates that it was embellished at about that time.   The mystery goes on.   If the Ice and Fish Co. did build it that was likely to have been significantly before 1920, but not as early as 1883.   I suspect that it may have been a small one room building built by the Florida Land and Improvement Co. in the 1880s during the time that they were selling land in this area -- when Issac Trabue in fact bought the land for "Trabue" now Punta Gorda.   

Reflection

Punta Gorda First Baptist Church

Punta Gorda 1st Baptist on Gill Street.  The Congregation dates back to 1889 with the original church built on Olympia at Cross Street (41 South today).  The remnant of that church was destroyed during Hurricane Charley -- at that time it was a bridal shop.  

Freedom Swim Across the Peace River

Chris Constance and Wayne Sallade Clown Around for Charlotte Players Benefit

Bird House in a Tropical Garden Along the Punta Gorda Pathways

Governor Rick Scott Visits Punta Gorda Today

Courtesy B Scott 

The Freeman House as a Backdrop for a Gorgeous Red Poinciana

In May Royal Poinciana are in bloom all over town.  This one provides a intriguing foreground for the Freeman House.  

A Fallen Charlotte High Grad Remembered at Kiwanis Veterans Park

Sgt. Michael Woodliff a CHS gradutate remembered today.  He was killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004. Michael grew up in a military family. His father, Lee, retired as a Major in the U.S. Army in the mid 1990s.
His grandfather, a colonel, and great-grandfather also served in the military,

Spanish Moss Hangs like Icicles from Live Oak Along the Pathway

Along the Punta Gorda Pathways

Barbara T. Scott accepts Proclamation from Punta Gorda Mayor Rachel Keesling

Barbara T. Scott Charlotte County Clerk of the Courts accepts Proclamation from Rachel Keesling Punta Gorda Mayor for over 40 years of service to the County, 30 Years as Clerk of the Court.