Days 3 and 4, Fort Myers Beach

Yet again, so many fun things done, no time to post. Here's a smattering of images from the last two days:

We went jetskiing to see dolphins. This is part of the group at a point where we stopped and saw dolphins swimming right up to and around our boats. Jetskiing is an amazingly exhilarating activity, flying across the water at speeds up to 45 miles and hour, bouncing on the waves like you were on a bucking bronco...Shayna even said it was like being on a horse...but oh so much faster! No way to take photos with all the spray at those speeds.

Scene from the pier at Fort Myers Beach.

Snowy Egret in the breeze.

City scene, Fort Myers Beach.

City center, Fort Myers Beach.

Street scene, Fort Myers Beach.

On the deck of the Caribbean Pearl restaurant.

Sunset and palm trees...this is what it's all about.

Red ibises in a tree.

 

Great blue heron in flight.

 

Great egret.

 

Osprey on a perch.  

Mama osprey guarding her young.

 

Osprey with fish for lunch.

Cormorant.

Pelican.

Pelican with fish scraps for lunch.

Shayna with her day-glo green bike. We were on bikes more than in the car because of the massive single file line of cars that for at least a mile, sometimes 2 or 3 miles, creep into the downtown of Fort Myers Beach. It was a great way to get around, and we even rode bikes on the beach.

Biking on the beach, among the driftwood and dead trees.

 

This is the feeling of exhuberance one feels in the warm late afternoon on a beach in Florida.

Day 2 in Florida

The day began with a disappointment: no jetskiing with the dolphins today. Too windy and cold. Had to reschedule for Friday. But still, the crisp, clean morning air with clear blue skies beats winter in DC every time. Above, we had a gorgeous sunset at Lover's Key State Park. That's Shayna in the shadows.

We had our beach bikes again and rode around the beach houses this morning before stopping for coffee and breakfast at the local hangout. Here's Shayna with her fat tired bike:

 

The beaches are wonderful, with loads of shells and shorebirds. Here are some of the smaller birds, sanderlings, in flight and running on the beach at low tide:

Here are some up close:

A piping plover, shell in beak:

  Shayna was enjoying the evening at the beach as much as me. Exploring the beaches for shells, wildlife, including live sea creatures was interesting to say the least. Here, finding baby conchs: 

Finally, some evening shots of my best model, on the beach:

Fort Myers Beach, Florida Getaway

Down on the Southwest Florida Coast at the Flamingo Inn, above, on Fort Myers Beach, Florida. A little getaway with Shayna. Shayna insisted on this car, a Dodge Charger. Looks nice. She can't wait to drive. Here she is with "her" car.

It was quite bumpy on the flight down from DC, and the storms continued as we arrived on the beach. Here's the scene this afternoon from the back of our digs -- Shayna arriving on the beach,

 

followed by a colorful lonely kite on a stormy beach.