As has been for the past three years, in August I house/pet
sit in Naples Florida for a couple weeks, return to my home, repack, and make
my way to Vieques Puerto Rico. This year
is no different.
Arriving late in the evening, I joined Jim and Cynthia for dinner. We renewed our friendship, and enjoyed reminiscing our significant events of the past year. While much had changed in our lives, many things remained the same, and we shared most of it.
So without further adduce, let’s GO!!!
Jim and Cynthia departed mid-morning, while I remained at
the house to get reacquainted with Tuffy the dog, and acquainted with Kiwi and
Frosty, the new feathered members of the family. From my experiences, it’s less stressing on
the pets to see their owners out the door with me, the pet sitter remaining
behind, so normally, I dedicate my first
day to bonding with the pets.
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| Sanibel fishing pier |
The first week of this house/pet sitting expedition got started, and so did the rain. I had planned on visiting a few new places and revisit some of my favorites from years past, but the prediction of bad weather hindered these plans. Looking at the forecast for the next couple days, there was a break in the morning which would allow enough time to take-in my first new place; Sanibel Island Lighthouse.
As some of you know, I’m on a journey to visit Florida’s
lighthouses; the Sanibel light is my 9th. Marking the channel to San Carlos Bay, this light
was originally lit in 1884 atop a 98 foot tall, iron, skeleton tower.
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| A view from the beach |
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| Looking up from the base |
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| From the water |
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| Just a cool shot from the beach |
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| Sea turtle nesting area - DO NOT DISTURB |
Well, as predicted the rain continued and at times it fell devastating
amounts. Many areas in and around Naples
were and still are flooded (been here for 7 days), but the forecast is for less
rainfall in the next few days.
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| Rolls reversed; vehicles off the road |
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| and gators in the yard |
Finally we got a break in the rain, and I made the trip to
the Coral Castle in Homestead. The last
time I was in this area was in 1992, when after the massive devastation of
Hurricane Andrew, I deployed with the Air Force to survey the damage to
Homestead Air Force Base.
The story of the Coral Castle
revolves around a cancelled wedding and the construction of a monument to a
lost love. The structures revolve around
love, family, nature, and astronomy. While the castle is small, it still takes
about an hour for the tour which includes a live tour guide. These guides are knowledgeable and willing
accept and answer questions from guests.
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| Overall view of Coral Castle |
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| Living quarters |
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| Symbol of love; a heart table made of coral |
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| Umbrella table |
This journey will continue and with any luck the rain will stop. The ground will remain saturated and without a doubt, the mosquitoes and other insects will be abundant, I hope to get out and revisit some of my favorites from previous visits.
Until next time, safe travels
Mike
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