Captions2nd pic. Sandra with us
4th pic. Phil, Randy, Pat and Linda
Our New Year’s Day departure was delayed a week, but it just made our arrival sweeter. If you think I’m going to start gloating about how warm it is down here, you would be wrong. It turned out to be one of the coldest Januaries in recent history. It was comical to hear the news casters go on and on about the big freeze. It was the top news story for 2 weeks.
Our first canoeing trip was eventful. A bald eagle demonstrated unusual tolerance of our intrusion, as he maintained his post until we drifted into his personal space. We were discussing this encounter when a river otter hauled himself up on a branch next to the only downstream channel. We were amazed that this overly curious otter stretched out and watched us pass within a few feet of him. It’s amazing the sights you see when you don’t take a camera along.
Our second week was a Week of Dreams. We started the week at Disney World, enjoying Walt’s dream. Monday was MLK’s “I Have a Dream” day. Obama shared his dream with the world on Tuesday. We spent much of the remainder of the week at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), a direct result of JFK’s vision to put a man on the moon.
Usually we avoid most of the East Coast of Florida, but we decided to explore it this year. The Space Coast had more to offer than rockets. The KSC had purchased much more land that it actually needed, and these areas are well preserved in a natural state and available to enjoy. We were trying to identify some of the thousands of birds present in this refuge, when we were approached by a film crew. Some lucky Floridians might get to see us on a cable TV segment on bird watching.
Our last week could be called Reunion Week. We started the week in Stuart, FL having dinner with Sandra, who we meet in Costa Rica 10 years ago and had not seen since. She’s always on some exotic trip. Compared to her, we look like home-bodies! Next we drove to Fort Lauderdale, where my aunt and her son and several daughters live. Sometimes families lose touch for no reason, and this was the case, since I had not seen this family since I was 14 years old. Pat and I met my Aunt Bernie, first cousin Mary and second cousin Crystal for dinner. We spent a second evening playing cards with my aunt. Next time we return to FL we’ll have to catch up with the rest of the family there. Lastly, Pat’s nephew, Randy, moved to Boca Raton and we had not seen him for 10 months. Linda and their dad (Randy’s mother and grandfather) flew down from York, PA to see him while we were there. We toured the area together and watched the Super Bowl at Randy’s house. Linda and her dad flew back to snow country and we headed for the Keys.
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