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Well, what a difference one weekend makes.

It seems, most of us there made money.  How refreshing.

Bonita Springs is an oldtime SW Florida community just a wee north of Naples, not far from Ft. Myers too.

An art league sponsors it and there only director for the life of the show, Barry Witt, runs it.

Originally it was held in an upscale shopping plaza right on Route 41.  Lots of traffic, lots of high end neighborhoods, golf courses, yada, yada, yada.

We all made money there..\

Then the plaza closed, got sold, new owners wanted to rework things--so, aloha to the show being there.

Now, it is on Old 41, the original old Tamiami Highway that goes through an old-time downtown.

A little market, laundry mat, retail stores, kayak outfitters, local artists' studios in old huts.

The lazy flowing Imperial River is just up from the show, complete with an old-time Florida tourist stop--se local wildlife, nature, flowers, and of course fauna.

Me, I'd just once like to see Bo Derek floating on a kayak on the old Imperial.  I would even get up earlier then Dick Cunningham to shoot that shot.

Oh well, one can dream.

Barry took a calculated risk moving the show off a well-traveled venue--but hey, you gotta have parking and room for a couple of hundred booths.  So the location works.

They close off Old 41 to traffic for three days so we can leisurely set up all day on Friday and then do the show on the weekend.

Originally, people, well some, were poo-pooing the location.  They were saying all the merchants windows had burglar bars on it.  The locals were  not to be trusted once it got dark.

None of that is true.

No crime, no thefts, it is a very mellow location.

Most booths are on concrete with plenty of storage behind.  The northern end of the show winds down a grass path in the park.  Nicely shaded.  You can almost hear Tarzen calling out to Jane.  Wait!  Did that wily chimp steal Cunningham's tarps.  He's got plenty of money, he can buy more.

BTW.  Dick Cunningham is a wonderful photographer that I admire, and he lives in Bonita Springs.

There is a mellow little coffee shop/ restaurant tucked back one block down from the show.  Great for a breakfast, snack or a beverage.

According to my good friend Lou, they sell a hell of a fine giant can of beer too.  Such a deal.

I guess you could call that a mini-Tequila Report.  Look out!  I may revert back to a few new ones in 2015.  Just without the salt.

Where was I?

Oh, the show.  Come on Nels, tell us more.  Tell us about the moola.

What I like about this show more than the recent Naples show are few really good things.

One, no lousy 4 AM setup time Sucks, Naples, really sucks.

Two.  It is a more compact show.  Easier to get back around to booths, you can actually get "be-backs."

Three.  This is no dog walk show.  The people actually take time to look at the artwork.  What a concept.  Do ya think it has any chance of happening elsewhere.

And four, an extra, most artists are selling.

I saw mucho packages go by my booth both days--big change from Naples.

The level of your fellow  exhibitors is very high here.  You see all the big boy/girl artists on the circuit here.  They know a good thing.  They certainly are not here just to see some alligators.

Saturday brought balmy weather and heavy crowds early.  Lighter after 1 PM but still sales were happening.

My new strategy for selling in 2015 bore fruit for me.  As I posted on FB recently, I was going to make bigger pieces, 40x50, and go after sales over $1K.  It happened here, twice.

Don't ya love it when a plan goes good?

Sunday brought a little breeze and the sniff of rain.  Also lighter crowds, more looky-lookers.

We got rain, from the east, yikes!, around 2:30, then less than an hour later, more, harder.  Streets pooled up, crowds kinda melted away.

Barry came around and told us we could pack out early, if you wanted to schlep out.  No vans in until 5 PM.  Most schlepped.

We were on the road by 5 PM.  Ellen did the show too. She also made moola.  Yikes!  I have a rich wife for the minute.  Gotta love it.

Also, consider this as a min-Tequia Report.

FIRST OFFICIAL TEQUILA REPORT SINCE GOD KNOWS WHEN AND FIRST IN 2015

Anna Maria Oyster bar.  Right off I-75 at the Ellenton Retail Outlets exit.  This is the first exit north of the bridge that separates Palmetto from Bradenton.

We have eaten two successive Sunday nights after doing Naples and Bonita.

Here is why it is such a deal.

Cheap, fresh fish.  What a concept in Florida.

Last week I had fresh Amberjack, this week fresh Mahi. 

You get great hush-puppies for 99 cents, six of them.

Cheap lobster, clams, oysters and shrimp.  i have found a new deal when coming home from a SW Florida show.

Easy to get to and get out.

Plus, the Pilot gas station has the cheapest gas anywhere for 50 miles around.  When we filled up on Friday, it was down to $1.99 per gallon.  On Sunday, it sunk two cents lower.  Meanwhile, Bonita was at $2.48 per gallon.

There you go, an authentic Tequila report.  I had a draft, just one.  Yumm!

Later Gators, Nels.