My Blog List

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Memories

Today as we went walking in the rain, I couldn't help reminiscing about last week's trip. I'm not sure I will ever get over my amazement at the variety of flora and fauna that seem to be routine in Florida. Today we felt fortunate to see a lone robin! Last week we saw egrets, ibis, alligators, and anhingas to name just a few.Reflections
Many of the birds were in their mating plumage and looked extra fancy. This anhinga is trying to get warm after a swim.
Drying out
We saw several kinds of herons. My favorite is the stately great blue heron which we also see here in Bellevue.
Among the other types of smaller herons that we saw was this little fellow.
Little blue heron
In Shark Valley alligators are everywhere. They appear to be quite lazy, but they can move surprising fast after prey or if provoked. Our guide said that they can swim 29 MPH!
Smile!
As you can see in this photo, the other animals seem rather nonchalant toward the gators. We did, however,on another occasion see an alligator chase down a turtle like this one.
Coexisting?
We were just a little early to see many spring flowers, but we did spot this beauty tucked in the woods.Hibiscus
And no trip to Florida is complete without a sunset photo.
Goodbye to another day.
In addition to spending lots of time outdoors, we also did a little bit of shopping. I found an intriguing yarn shop called Needles and Knobs. Can you guess what the knobs were? I didn't buy any, but I did find some yarn! Surprise, surprise.

5 comments:

Susan Elliott said...

Welcome back Judy -- though I can tell from your posts your still lingering over your vacation and I don't blame you! We've got eight inches of snow this morning! My Dad lives in Pelican Bay in Naples which is not far from Bonita Springs -- I too am amazed at the flora and fauna. I"m wondering if that visitor that comes to the house when you come is a sign from someone who may have passed away? Loved the orange pics and the pelican and the fisherman. That's probably my favorite! Glad to have you back!
Susan

Paula Hewitt said...

what a great trip you had. great photos!

Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddies said...

Hey Judy! Sounds and looks like you had a wonderful trip - so many fabulous memories in those photos! Not sure I wanna go to Florida with all those alligators, though! Eek! Glad you're hope safe and sound, even if it is to snow after a sun-break! Bear Hugs! KRIS

JK said...

Hey darlin, good to see you home safe and sound. Your trip sounded wonderful, and thanks for letting me come along. I love birds (mostly raptors) but these others were so beautiful, and makes me wish I lived closer to the beach area to see these types. But I'll be content to see our hawks, bald eagles, and condors every week or so. Again, welcome back!

Fünfzigerjahremädel said...

Judy,you show us wonderful fotos of nature,but I'm very happy,that we don't have alligators in our river!;-)))
Especially I like the foto with your grand children! It's wonderful! Grandma and grandpa are so happy!!!
All the best for you,Ulla