Peek into our family photo album…Fort Myers Beach

Mom and sister-in-law Michele

Daughter Kiah

Brother Tim, Mom, Kiah and me

Tim helps Mom up (after putting on shoes)

Coffee and orange juice at the Outrigger (Meet my dad!)

Captain Tim

A Michigan State Spartan fan

Shells in the sky and other Gulf Coast tales

Shell in the sky

Hi, readers.  Still coming to you LIVE from the Florida coast.  Enjoying 1) warmth.  Temps around 74 today, 2)  sunlight.  Sunlight!  Sunlight!!  3)  Not too much wind.  Ahhhh….that adds another six degrees at least.  4)  family.  Oh, lovely, lovely family!!

I just took a poll from family members.  Here’s the scoop.  You can share what you think.  Lately I’ve taken to compressing 90% of the photos for this blog.  It takes ten seconds to upload, versus  3-4 minutes.

The first photo on this blog is non-compressed.  The next eight are compressed.  The last one is not compressed.

I asked Kiah and my mom.  “What do you think?”

They both voted unanimously for me to quit being lazy–although that’s not what they said–and post the non-compressed version.

Ibis pecking in the Bird Sanctuary near the Gulf

Most of these photos come to you from yesterday’s walk.  We walked the same path today.  It takes about an hour to walk from the condo to the beach and back.  Today we had three generations of walkers.  My mom, daughter, brother and me!

It’s amazing, how the landscape changes.  We’re walking an entirely different walk from previous years.  Storms and hurricanes change the landscape.  Where water blocked our path last year, this year it’s clear.

Driftwood, sandy shore

It’s also interesting how the tide changes everything.  Do you see the driftwood above?  Today, at high tide, it lay almost invisible in the rolling waves.

What is this man doing?

Yesterday we stopped, amazed, at the above sight.  A man–perhaps a scientist–looked through his fancy equipment at the–perhaps–tiny insects in the backwater pond.  His dog lay patiently at his side.  A piece of plastic protected him from the mud and wet.  (My mother just insisted he was photographing little birds.)

What a patient dog.

Perhaps he is a famous scientist.  Perhaps he simply pursues this as a hobby.  I wonder what he saw as he peered through his special equipment.  Will we ever know?

Little boy skipping in the surf

It’s fun to watch children play in the Gulf.  They splash with such abandon.  They give themselves utterly to sand and water.

Seashell and seaweed

My mom and I usually walk this alone.  Today was special with my bro and daughter.  We showed them the “jungle” through which you must walk at times to reach the shore.  I asked my brother how his winter had been. It’s hard to think of winter when you’re walking on Florida beaches.

One leaf in white white sand

After our walk on the beach, we tried to stop at the Holiday Inn and buy an orange juice or coffee.  The outdoor tiki bar did not open until 11 a.m.  We wanted to get back to the pool to sun.

We’ve been eating at restaurants like you wouldn’t believe.  Today we visited the Fish House just behind the condominium.  Tonight we’re driving to Naples to eat dinner with my mom’s cousin and her husband.  They are lovely people; it will be good to see them again.

Looks like this driftwood has legs

I am about done with my book.  Anyone have any suggestions for a good book?  A really really good book?  Not a mystery or detective novel or anything.  Some good fiction or historical fiction.  Of course, it has to be available at the island bookstore.  Unless we head to the interior for shopping.

Three leaves in sunlight & sand

I finally talked with #1 son (who celebrated his 28th birthday yesterday skiing in the mountains in Southern California:  HI CHRIS!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!) and #1 husband (HI BARRY!  Great to talk with you!  Glad you had a good gig last night.)

After today, only three full days here in southern Florida.  But we’re not going to think about that yet.  Not even thinking about Lake Superior.  Except some woman at the pool said we MUST talk to her husband. He loves the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  They’re going to visit next summer.

OK, that’s the scoop.  Hope you all had a nice weekend!

How many shrimp can you eat?

Start your engines! Start peeling those shrimp…

Oh my goodness. What a day.  It’s almost 10 p.m. and I’m brewing a cup of tea, pleasantly tired after a long day of fun.

Would you like me to re-wind the reel to share the day?

Fort Myers Beach annual Shrimp Festival

It started at 6:45 a.m.  Mom and I watched the news while Dad visited the coffee shop and Kiah slept.  About 9 a.m. Mom and I took off for a walk to the Gulf Coast.  We’ve walked a similar stroll through the “Bird Sanctuary” for several years now.  Amazingly, the landscape has shifted in the last year.  You can walk toward the Gulf in places once covered with water.

We traveled to new places.  We’re going back tomorrow, so you will have to wait until then for more beach photos.

No kidding. Someone is selling PUSSY WILLOWS in Florida!

Instead, let’s fast-forward.  After our beach-walk, Kiah and I lounged by the pool.  Then, a little after noon the family drove north on Fort Myers Beach to the annual Shrimp Festival.  We made our way through the crowd, attempting to find the Lion’s Club booth.  They sold peel ‘em and eat ‘em steamed shrimp.

We found a table to eat and ate…and ate…and ate.  We peeled those shrimp and ate ‘em until we couldn’t imagine eating another shrimp.  Then we ate some coleslaw.

These can’t really be alligator heads…can they?

My mom suggested we tour the shops and meet under the “Times Square” clock at 3:30 p.m.  Kiah and I wandered off on our own.  We couldn’t believe a fellow was selling pussy willows.  Pussy willows?  I asked him about them.  He said that a lot of northerners miss their pussy willows and want to buy them.  He talked enthusiastically about the pussy willows for at least five minutes.

We opted not to buy them. We wandered among the shops, viewing shells and heads of alligators…or are those crocodiles?

Pirate of the Caribbean!

I was utterly fascinated by the above pirate.  He stood stock-still, like a statue.  People would think he was a statue.  One lady came up and put her arm around him.  He moved.  She screamed!!  Everyone laughed and she got her photo with the pirate.  Then they tossed money in the treasure chest by his feet.  I thought he looked amazing.

Beneath the pier

Kiah and I wandered back underneath the pier.  Up on the pier the wind blew fiercely and you needed a jacket.  Below the pier, sheltered, the temperature lingered about 73 degrees.  The sun felt lovely.  It was good being together.

After our adventures at the Shrimp Festival, we rested at the condo before driving to my brother and sister-in-law’s place for drinks and dinner.

Beach daisy

I have a half-dozen other beach photos to show you, but we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.  We ooohed and ahhhhed so much about our beach walk that Kiah has agreed to go tomorrow.  My brother, Tim, says he’ll go, as well.  But let’s wait until tomorrow to see who decides to walk.

After all, it’s the Daylight Savings time change.  We’re meeting at 10 a.m., but that means it’s really 9 a.m.  Who will be ready to go at that hour of the morning?

My mom and I will be…we’ll see if the others join us.