Misty and I drove south today to a pretty little town called Venice just south of Sarasota for the Venice Art Festival today. It looked almost as though We wouldn’t make it in time, but we pressed on reasoning that if we couldn’t make it to the fair, we’d be able to explore the town, have a nice dinner, and maybe take a walk around town. It turned out that we got there a half hour before everyone packed up their stalls, and the crowd had thinned out nicely. So we spent the late afternoon chatting with artists, taking in the work, and window shopping in a town peppered with little clothing boutiques and art studios displaying beads and smiling Buddhas.

The real highlight for the day for me was the drive back. We made our way up the federal highway rather than on the interstate, and we traced a long path alongside the Gulf coast through towns and past the Ringling Art Museum. When we got home, I found myself pleasantly relaxed and full of ideas for new projects.