The next morning, 2/27, we headed west and then south. We had tickets to hear Nick Bunick speak in Naples, FL that night. Nick is the 'main character' in the new book The Messengers, a book that I have read three times. I get his newsletter and had corresponded with him once. The angels let me know I was suppose to meet him in person, so we headed that direction. Both Tom and I were very glad we went. Nick shared powerful, uplifting messages of universal love, universal compassion, and living in truth-the messages of Jesus. The place was alive with energy, angels and love. We stayed afterward and talked to Nick about plans he has for creating centers for healing, learning and leadership training. Perhaps we will be connected in the future…who knows.
The APPLE's next neighborhood was the Sun 'n' Shade Campground south of Punta Gorda and north of Fort Myers, FL. The campground was large, well laid out, and very neat. The folks who run it were very friendly, as were most of the people who stay here--mostly snowbirds who return for the sunshine every year. There was a pool, clubhouse, pond (complete with a resident gator and turtle), and laundromat. Planned activities include exercise classes, crafts, cards, bingo, Bible studies, Saturday morning pancake breakfasts and even an annual play/musical review put on by the campground residents.
Our campground was only 8 miles from another cousin's home, Bo and Norma Rybnikar (sister to Jack Kalstad). We had a delicious lunch with them at their home on Sat., 2/28. Then they took us to see the summer homes of Thomas Edison & Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison was very fascinated by botany, so the grounds of his home are covered with unusual plants and trees.
We toured Edison's home, office, laboratory and museum.
Right next door was the summer home of Henry Ford complete with some old cars on display. It was a fascinating afternoon. Bo and Norma took us out to dinner that night and cooked out for us the next evening. We enjoyed three evenings together of playing cards, laughing and telling stories. It's great to have time to spend with family and friends.
On Tuesday, 3/3, I flew to Salt Lake City to do another Project Management class. It snowed several inches that night and again on Friday. I could have done without the snow, but the mountains were gorgeous with their white coats. I really enjoyed catching up with my friend, Jane, and her husband, Jerome, while I was there. Normally I would have stayed at their B&B, but the inn was full so I stayed at another B&B nearby.
While I was doing the class, Tom explored the area, including the Everglades. At Shark Valley he saw many gators, turtles, gar (fish), anhingas and various other water birds. The vastness of the Everglade landscape was hard to capture on film. He enjoyed walking the beach at Flamingo and checking out the campgrounds in the area for possible future neighborhoods.
When I returned from my business trip, we explored Sanibel and Captiva Islands.
Unfortunately the islands have become so busy that traffic is stop and go almost everywhere. Tom said it's ironic to complain about the traffic when you are actually a part of it and contributing to it! We also went to Manatee Park, a sanctuary where the wild manatees can come and go as they please. We saw three manatees as they surfaced (for about 1-2 seconds) to breathe. Someday maybe we'll go swimming with them for a closer look.
On Friday, 3/13 we headed north west to Amelia Island, just north of Jacksonville, where our friends Sally, Gary and Tony Seabert live. They have a beautiful home and a huge driveway, so that became our next neighborhood.
We also checked out the campgrounds (one on the beach and one in the woods). Saturday night Sally and Gary fixed us a wonderful fresh seafood meal of shrimp, tuna and grouper. Yum, Yum! Tony, who is 9, took Tom on a walking tour of the Golf Club of Amelia Island, which is right in their back yard. Tony took many digital photos--he's a budding photographer with a creative eye for composition.
Later Sally got a couple golf carts from the Club, and we toured the whole golf course. It was the first time either Tom or I had ever driven a golf cart or toured a whole golf course, and what a beautiful course it was!
We enjoyed our weekend with the Seaberts very much and will be back to visit them again.
After a scrumptious breakfast at Sally's on Sunday, 3/15, we decided the time had come to move westward and see if we could catch the desert bloom. We covered 2,200 miles in 5 days, crossing Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and finally arriving in Tucson, AZ late on Thursday, 3/19. Along the way we discovered that I-10 through Louisiana is rougher than a corncob (and just as much of a pain in the butt). Texas seemed to go on forever…or at least those 900 miles seemed like forever. Big Red was attacked by a gigantic tumbleweed, which left its mark including remnants that Tom had to surgically remove from Big Red's rear end. The 30 mile an hour head winds made the journey even longer. We met up with a cousin of the vacuum cleaner truck again one night in a Wal-Mart parking lot, and we learned that four trains per night pass the Wal-Mart in Sealy, TX. As we completed this leg of the journey I realized that I have now been in 49 of the states. (Delaware is the only state that I haven't been in yet, but I'm sure we'll make it there someday.)
I know these travelogues haven't come as regularly as you might hope, but it's sometimes hard to find the time when you're keeping the fun meter pegged. We will continue to write our travelogues and update our website once or twice a month. The next edition will have tales of the wild west and photos of the desert bloom.
Adios amigos…until next time…
Kay & Tom
