A FEW MORE VACATION PHOTOS AND THEN BACK TO WORK

Just a few more photos from our recent 2-week trip to Anna Maria Island, Florida.

Our second week there, we moved a bit inland (just one street over) to our friends' house - they left to return to OH for the holidays and let us stay at their place.  It was a bit of a walk to the North Shore and Bean Point, but well worth it.  So few people around this time of year that we often felt like we had the whole beach to ourselves as we were out walking and walking and walking.

Joe, Sweetie and Cindy during a walk on the beach.  Cindy is pointing out the turtle nest and how to locate it in comparison of the houses farther back from the beach.  A turtle came ashore and laid eggs late in the year (October!) and the AMI Turtle Rescue group was going to excavate the nest while we were there to see if anything survived (nothing did out of 49 eggs).  They also had a dolphin rescue the same day where a juvenile was stranded and had to be cared for (once it was loaded onto the truck from Mote Marine Aquarium.  (We missed the whole thing since we left that morning to drive south to Punta Gorda to visit old friends of Jerry's who started the Gerace Research Center in the Bahamas - so I read about it online after the fact.)

Looking from the beach towards the land, the McMansions all in the row.  Loved that cloud mass over them!  Most of these are not rented out (or are rented for $3,000-$4,000 a week), but are owned by people who just visit occasionally- so empty a lot of the time.  Joe told me Cameron Diaz owns one of them but didn't point out which one.  I guess it's an investment?  

Little tracks around a feather.  Wonder why they didn't walk over the feather?  


Nothing more energizing and peaceful at the same time as walking on a white sandy beach with few people around, watching the waves lapping the shore, looking down for beach finds or nature's art :)