Florida - End of January to February 21, 2015

Sister Jan surprised Mom  for her birthday,
with a long weekend visit .  The young
and beautiful woman is Jan's daughter Tara

Mom's companion Henry and Catherine, minister of
New Hope United Church, along with Wayne and Susanne,
helped Mom celebrate at the Valley Vista party.  Mom's January
28th birthday party turned into a month long affair…just as
it it meant to be at any age, but especially after age 80!

At the other end of the family spectrum, Bob and I were
delighted to receive this wonderful photo of "Miss Avery"
as her Daddy loves to call her….sitting up all on her own
at 8 months, and quite intently studying her play farm.
No doubt by the time we get home in April, she'll be building
Lego farms!

We adore our little bug houses and just to prove that we don't
miss a thing by having tiny kitchens, I'm proud to present
this Middle East work of art.  Thank you Yotam Ottolenghi!

We couldn't wait to shop at Whole Foods in North Naples.
Our buddy Tony, world master expert in our favourite
things, wine, chocolate, cheese and craft beers remembered
us from last year.  As we ate lunch and drank the darkest
beer on tap, he demo'd his technique of slicing this huge
Parmesan into affordable bits for customers.  He told us that
Whole Foods spends several thousands every month on tastings
kiosks in the store.  He gave Bob and me a huge chunk of Parm each,
right from this mother load
and we agreed we have not tasted anything as fresh and delicious -
EVER!!!

The next day, we rode our new bikes (did we tell you
that we bought new bikes?  Of course we did!)
to the Citrus Grove a few miles away from the campground
Above:  HoneyBells being sorted and bagged

Lots more produce and almost all of it
is delicious.  We stick by our expert however useless
opinion, that NOTHING can beat Ontario strawberries….
NOTHING!!!!!

Back on the water, we find Mama and Pappa
Osprey with their eggs not hatched yet…just
like last year.  That is one of the soon-to-be
parents swooping over Bob's head…just a little warning.

We are invited to a pizza party at Thelma and Art's for Super Bowl.
How can they stand this view of the golf course from their lanai?  

The last party we attended here was a mix of
two Canadian couples and two American couples
This one was comprised of 8 Canadians.  

Delicious pizza and great ads…apparently what most
Americans tune in to see!  

It was also Art's birthday but we didn't ask which one.
Sorry for the blurry pic….the candles melted my
iphone and Thelma almost got torched!

The next week, Thelma and Art invited us to do
a wildlife walk-about as we did last year.  This time,
we were rewarded with the sightings, for the first time
ever, of the white Pelican and the Roseated Spoonbill,
which is the colour of flamingo.  Couldn't get a shot
of the Spoonbills but did manage to get this distant shot
of the rare white Pelican

Last year and for years prior, the Wood Stork (foreground)
was in short supply and wildlife officials were concerned.
This year, we have seen so hundreds of them and I had a
bonus of the stork and the pelican in one shot.

Peek-a-boo pretty thing!

Can you spot the Zebra butterfly?

We head for lunch at the wonderful Havana Club in Chocoloskee
and drive through fascinating but kinda' creepy Everglades
City.  We can't quite put our finger on what it is that makes it
creepy but all of us agree that is is indeed!  This is City Hall.
Sorry about the pole.  We were on the move!

The famous Rod and Gun Club where Presidents past and
famous people gathered to …well…we aren't certain, but we assume they
gathered to oil their guns and string their fishing poles.

Lovely old architecture though.

Couldn't get a good shot of the interior with
all the shiny stuff about, but this gives you an idea.
Not much has changed since early 1900's.

For you Harley fans….

Just love these fascinating birds hanging around on rich man
waters at the club.

Bob and I take a spin around the Rookery.  Beautiful!

Then off to the Rookery Boardwalk to observe the birds
fly in before dusk

I happen to catch this pic of the Wood Stork, so bulky
and kind of awkward on land and so graceful as
he flies toward the setting sun.

A few days later, we join an organized kayaking group from
our campground, to take an excursion out onto Rookery Bay
to observe the hundreds of birds that come to roost on tiny Rookery Island
at dusk.  It was great fun and we learned a lot.

This is tiny Rookery Island where birds of many species,
nest to hatch their young, then continue to return
to the island to roost each evening once their young leave the nest.
We saw hundreds and hundreds of birds arriving in
flocks and individually (Pelicans) to wobble
on branches and to tussle and shunt for comfortable positions.
The rule is that we humans must not come within 500 feet of
the island and that is why you will not see the best shots
taken with an iphone.

Some of the experienced kayakers had little anchors (the tide
was going out and we were in about 6 feet of water) and we
were invited to join the little clusters that rafted together.

Contrasts of colour and the sunset sky

Our leader John, who gave us so much information and ensures that
certain we are safe, advises us to head back to shore before the
voracious mosquitoes attack.  We paddle like crazy and on
the way past a fisherman, note that his arms are waving in the air like
a blender….early warning…there are bugs!  Yikes!!!

February 10th, we head for Vero Beach, on the east side of Florida, to spend a couple of days with Toronto friends Marc and Marny.  We are greeted by Marny on her bike, at the gate of Sea Oaks Tennis Resort.  Marc is there with the car.  Marny leads us to the parking lot where our van will hang out while we stay in the house.  Marc drives us through lanes of mature overhanging trees and past old Florida style houses to their lovely home.  

Marny, tennis racket over her shoulder,
leads us to the parking lot of this beautiful resort

Each week there is a tennis match between
various pro's from tennis clubs around Vero Beach
and we, beer in hand, enjoy the game from the
stands at the end of the court

Exciting matches.  Michael, the pro in blue shorts on the right,
is notable for having beaten John McEnroe by default
because John contested a call by the judges in a match a few
years ago.  Great games, humour and so much fun.

After the matches, we freshen up and head to
The Club for dinner.  We were treated like royalty!

Fantastic dinner!!!

The following day, we head to the beach patio for coffee with Marny's
friend Myrna from New Jersey.  That night, we are invited to Myrna's
for cocktails with another couple.  Such great people.

Early morning view from the pool overlooking the Atlantic -
GORGEOUS!!!

Marny, Bob and I head off on a bike ride while Marc does
some work from home…online trading.

Then they took us to McKee Botanical Gardens
where there is a stunning display of Lego wildlife
and flowers by a famous New York Lego artist (no name…
book is in a bag under the bed and I'm not looking
for it).  Matthew, our Lego master…take note…
you could become as famous as this artist!  We
are bringing the book home for you as inspiration!

A beautiful building that houses probably the longest
table in the world

Lego lilly-pads and an iddy biddy frog

Love this giant bee

Hundreds of real orchids growing on the trees

Lego rose

One of the beautiful structures built by the McKee's

All Lego….well, except for Marny and Marc

Amazing dragonfly

Amazing Buffalo, her calf and if you look closely, a little
bird on Mamma's back

Real!

Lego lawn mower.  Not allowed to touch
it, you will notice that Bob's pretending to
use it but is actually "armless"

Beautiful reflecting ponds

And paths

Incredible life-size Lego gardner

Note the price of the Lego lamp for sale
in the gift shop

Turtle statue at the entrance to the gardens

A delicious lunch by the water.  Had Pompano (that's a fish)
for the first time ever!

Watched the yachts cruise by as we ate

Big surf on Vero Beach

Marny and Bob and their temporary footprints

Lovely glass of delicious wine while Marc cooks a gourmet feast

Marc is such a relaxed cook and his meals are always fantastic

Very fun times with these two

We leave Vero before dawn and arrive at the Miami
Boat Show as it opens.  We are delighted to see the city
has opened the adjacent Botanical Gardens for show for the first
time, for a Beer Garden.  It was our second stop!

The Miami Senior High School Rock group entertained
while we quaffed a beer.  Very, very talented.

A lot of great gear at the show.  Never disappoints!
NO boat show ever disappoints us!!

We left the show around 3:30, heading for Flamingo State Park at the bottom edge of the Everglades
through the worst traffic we have encountered on this trip.  What should have taken 2 hours, took 4…too many stop lights on what is considered an interstate highway (good grief!!!).  It was dark when we reached the park gates and it was another 38 miles to our campground.  There were some cars coming the other way and with no other ambient light, it was very, very dark.  At one point we could see little twinkly LED lights ahead of us and we slowed right down.  When we reached the lights, we realized that it was a couple on a tandem bike, cycling to the bottom of the Everglades.  We saw them the next day and learned they were German and shipped their bike all the way from home and were experiencing Florida this way.  We had no idea at this point, how brave they are!  More on cycling and driving in Florida later.

When Bob called the 1-800 to book a site, he learned that every RV camp site was booked.  We had not realized that this was Presidents Day weekend.  He used his charm and convinced the attendant that our little van could fit pretty much anywhere and that we didn't need electricity or water.  She booked us at a "walk-in site" - we hadn't a clue what that meant, and arriving in complete darkness, with no attendant on duty, we found the area we were to be in and all we could see were tents.  We parked on the little parking lot and went for a walk.  It was a chilly night (whenever a storm hit the north, we experienced cooler temperatures for a couple of days) and campfires were everywhere.  Looking at the sky, we were reminded of our many experiences way out in the middle of nowhere, where the stars seem to be right in our faces.  It was brilliant!

The sunrise the next morning was spectacular and when
it was light enough to see, we were so happy to see that we were
on the water…none of the RV campgrounds had a waterfront view
so we were grateful that Bob persuaded the reservations clerk
to let us stay in this one

Early morning bike ride…note the gloves.
It was a bit nippy on either end of the day,
however there were NO blood-sucking bugs!

We spent the first morning cycling the trails around our
campground and saw the remains of old aboriginal
fishing villages and other markers of the white
mans arrival and influences.

Right above us at our site, an Osprey nest.
There were babies in it but they were hiding.
See the parent on the branch way in the distance?
A wildlife photographer got fantastic action pictures
that day.

Momma Osprey.  We think Poppa was out
shopping.

Our fantastic view

At the Visitors Centre, we learn how to tell the difference between an alligator
and a crocodile.  It is in this place, Flamingo Park, that is
the most northerly point for the crocodile, and the most
southerly point for the alligator.  Sara had a rare
photo of an alligator and a crocodile side by side,
a first for the team of rangers

See the couple sitting on lawn chairs in the water?  Just up
the beach from here, a man caught a 5 foot Black Tip Shark
A ranger told me that people forget where they are and what
is in the water and on land that might hurt them.  They let
their small children run about in the water freely…..Big mistake!

We explored the hiking trails and loved the little
wading birds

Not a bad reflection!

Amazing beaks on the Ibis

Great view from our site and lots of wildlife

Everglades sunset

Cool night and Bob is happy to build a fire.  The
stars were so close we could almost touch them!

A wonderful group of 17 and 18 year old women and men
plus their pastor, his wife and leaders from Miami camp
next to us for the weekend.  Delightful and engaging, they were always dropping
by to invite us to join them or to ask questions about Canada
and our travels.

Osprey nests with babies on every available
flat surface.  And we think we see a lot
of nests in Georgian Bay!!!

Bob counted 40 Pelicans in one tree.  

Next stop - The Bahamas

In this direction -  The Keys

The water off-shore becomes so shallow that these fishermen
built a tall platform on the stern of the fishing boat where
one of them poles through the water to catch the
fish.  He is standing on the platform
with nothing to support him.  Quite a balancing act
and fascinating to watch.

The British from the Bahamas took almost
all mahogany trees away to be shipped to
Jolly Old England.  Thankfully, a few tiny trees
survived and a few were planted, providing lovely
contrasts to the scrub and shaggy trees of the Everglades.

The southern Everglades changes quickly and dramatically
from forests to sweeping grasses

We stop near the entrance to the park, to walk the boardwalk
on the Anhinga Trail

Cute "old man" Buzzard

Lots of Buzzards here

Wildlife sharing spaces….cautiously in some cases

Anhinga drying its wings.  If you recall
blog lesson from last year (ha!  didn't know there'd
be a test did you?), you know that the Anhinga,
unlike most birds, does not have natural oils
to waterproof it's wings.  Consequently, it air
dries them and gives us displays of amazing
gymnastic shapes

The Anhinga stretches into the most beautiful
poses

This beautiful turtle appeared out from under
the lilies

giving us a complete view of his magnificent colours

Hmmm…since I'm the one who gives blood most frequently,
I can possibly accept this fact….hmmmmm…maybe...

Turkey Vulture

Love the spooky Spanish moss

Endless fields of produce just outside the Flamingo
State Park gates.  Recovered land from the Everglades.

Before we reach our Naples campground, we stop for dinner
at our favourite Mexican restaurant discovered last year - Amigo's

Love the atmosphere…AND the FOOD!!!

As you can see, I forgot to take a pic of this delicious meal before I tucked into it.

Lessons we are learning in Florida.

When we arrived at the Florida border, we noticed immediately that the drivers drove with almost maniacal zeal.  They flitted in and out and the worst were the motorcycle drivers that would appear out of nowhere and zip in and out of the lanes on I-75.  Until we arrived in Florida, all had been calm and respectful through rain and fog.  People kept their distance and allowed others to move into other lanes, so the contrast was startling.  We asked people at the park about their perception of the drivers here, and they all agreed that it was pretty scary.  Our resort is beside a new hospital and at least a half a dozen times a day, ambulances scream along Collier Blvd approaching the hospital and on average, once a day, helicopters circle (there were 4 on one particular evening) and land.  When we were in Flamingo Park, I became engaged in conversation with one of the rangers.  I told him about the traffic around Miami, and he told me that he intended no disrespect, but that the issue was northern drivers being too polite when they drive down here.  He said that Florida drivers are insane behind the wheel and flit through amber lights that are about to turn red, or have turned red, and that we should do the same.

We have been told by every cyclist we've met, including professional cyclists, to never ride in the bike lanes because they are too dangerous.  The sidewalks are little used and at least 50 feet away from the road in most places where we are, so we ride our bikes on the sidewalks.  We take a route that allows us ultimate safety so that we cross the fewest intersections and estate entrances as possible.  The pedestrian, on his signal, is ignored and a truck driver lay on his horn one day as I was crossing with the signal.  A couple of weeks ago, a news item on NBC covered the volume of accidents in Florida.  In 2014, there were just under 85,000 accidents and of those, 25% were hit-and-run.  Cyclists are being killed in large numbers and it's not surprising.  On one particular 3 hour ride and with very few intersection or driveway crossings, I was nearly hit 7 times.  We have been warned by drivers who are concerned for our safety and we take every precaution we can.  Most of these crazy drivers are young!

There was a news item one night, about a woman my age who was waiting to make a left turn on an advanced green signal.  She was behind a pickup truck driven by a 52 year old man.  When the advanced green signal appeared, he backed into her.  She was stunned and got out of her car and approached his window and asked why he did that.  He smashed his fist into her face and she was taken to hospital with serious injuries.  Witnesses took his plate number and called police.  When police arrived at his house, he was sitting drinking a beer and asked what he'd done wrong.  In Canada, we have all complained about insane drivers, however we have never seen anything like this anywhere we have travelled.  A good thing to remember if you come here.  Our new car in Toronto, which does us no good here, is equipped with warnings when someone is walking or driving in our blind spot and we hear that by 2018, all new cars will have these alarms.  We've been cut off here by young people who are whipping in and out of traffic at alarming speeds, while checking their iPhones.  The distracted law was passed a year ago and we note that there doesn't seem to be a lot of people who are concerned about the law.  Interesting times!

Lots more to tell you in the next blog.  I hope to get it done BEFORE we get home in early April.