Sanibel Island

It's our
last day
in Florida...

Tomorrow

we trade

white sand 

beaches...

...for
white snow
landscapes.

Brrrrr!

Better enjoy it
while we can!

We already
sent TJ home.

He has school
at HSE today.

So the girls
and I
set out...

...for
Sanibel
Island...

...for
shelling
school.

We stand around
the salt water tank...

...and learn about
the different
shell critters...

...while
 the horseshoe crab
crabbily
scurries
away.

Let's leave
this poor guy
alone...

...and
head out
to Estero Bay.

Al wants
to take
kayaks...

...but
KC and Nicky
want to stay...

...with
our tour guide.


Hmmmm.
Don't know why.

OK, girls!

We're off!

The water -
a mirror
of the sky....

...only stirred
by the squawk
of a cormorant...

...and the
high skree
of an osprey
on nest.

These birds...

osprey

cormorant

pelican

...

....were
almost
wiped out...

...by the DDT
thinning
their eggs.

Eggs crushed
by the weight
of the nesting
mom-birds.

But now
they're back!

Thank you, EPA,
for banning DDT
and saving
our birds.

We scan
the still waters
looking
for manatees.

They've
escaped the cold -
gathering
in the heated waters
of the Orange River.

We kayaked
there to see them
last year.

Alex
checks out
the mangrove islands...

They're full
of birds!





Back on land
at last...

KC and Al
opt for
a picnic....

...while Nicky
befriends
geckos...

...and I
go visit
more birds.

Let's go see
the other side
of the island...

The Gulf side.

Beautiful
peaceful
beach.

full of shells...

..and bright
green aloes.

I could
stay here
forever...

But I watch
the Florida sun
turn the white beach
gold...

Al
in silhouette
reminds me
how close
she got
to her last sunset.

Florida
orange
to black...

...and it's time
to return...








...to
Indiana.