On April 1st my daffodils bloomed even though the mercury only hit 42. With a forecast of rain and cold temperatures I was ready for spring break!
My family usually ‘stays home’ for spring break and enjoys a week of rest and relaxation in the Midwest while thousands flock to the warmer climates. This year my oldest daughter is a senior in high school so we decided to take her and her siblings on a road trip to Sanibel Island off the coast of southern Florida. I was informed by seasoned travelers that Sanibel is beautiful in early April with warm gulf water and plenty of sunshine. The little island attracts families instead of the rowdy spring break crowd—perfect for us. We packed the car and left for a two day drive (1100+ miles).
My family usually ‘stays home’ for spring break and enjoys a week of rest and relaxation in the Midwest while thousands flock to the warmer climates. This year my oldest daughter is a senior in high school so we decided to take her and her siblings on a road trip to Sanibel Island off the coast of southern Florida. I was informed by seasoned travelers that Sanibel is beautiful in early April with warm gulf water and plenty of sunshine. The little island attracts families instead of the rowdy spring break crowd—perfect for us. We packed the car and left for a two day drive (1100+ miles).
I had no idea the amount of traffic we'd encounter. It seemed like EVERYONE in the state of Indiana and all the states around us decided to head south. Bumper to bumper all through Indiana and Kentucky as the rain was pouring down. I kept visualizing the waves, blue skies, and sea gulls while the miles clicked on.
In Nashville my husband was driving while I was reading my Kindle. He very calmly said, “I think we have a problem.” Sure enough I smelled burning rubber. We pulled off to the side of the highway with a blown tire.
Not a problem. The rain had stopped and a stinky flat tire wasn’t going to put a damper on my vacation. My 14 year old son received some hands on experience in changing a tire—bonus!
Back on the road. Day two of driving. Traffic was CRAZY---especially in Atlanta.
In Nashville my husband was driving while I was reading my Kindle. He very calmly said, “I think we have a problem.” Sure enough I smelled burning rubber. We pulled off to the side of the highway with a blown tire.
Not a problem. The rain had stopped and a stinky flat tire wasn’t going to put a damper on my vacation. My 14 year old son received some hands on experience in changing a tire—bonus!
Back on the road. Day two of driving. Traffic was CRAZY---especially in Atlanta.
When we reached the beach the long hours of driving disappeared from our minds.
Shells, shells, and more shells lined the beach.
It was impossible to walk without stepping on them. We picked up as many as our hands could hold and showed each other the different types we found.
It was impossible to walk without stepping on them. We picked up as many as our hands could hold and showed each other the different types we found.
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We also found sand dollars and a sea urchin. The snake-like thing is actually a Whelk (mollusk) egg casing.
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We took pictures of abundant water fowl,
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beautiful trees and flowers,
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sunrises,
...and sunsets.
We visited the Ding Darling Natural Wildlife Refuge and saw a manatee poke his head out of the water for a split second. My husband and son saw a dolphin too.
What we didn’t see were these little tiny insects the naturalist called, 'no see ums'. Yep. We didn’t see them but they sure saw us. I felt the tiny bites and thought nothing of it…the next day I cursed those invisible buggers. Instead of putting after sun aloe on sunburn I was rubbing it on itchy bug bites all over my legs and arms.
Here’s a picture of a 'no see um' that I found on the internet. It is enlarged many, many times since the insect is smaller than a flea. Honest, I could not see them!
What we didn’t see were these little tiny insects the naturalist called, 'no see ums'. Yep. We didn’t see them but they sure saw us. I felt the tiny bites and thought nothing of it…the next day I cursed those invisible buggers. Instead of putting after sun aloe on sunburn I was rubbing it on itchy bug bites all over my legs and arms.
Here’s a picture of a 'no see um' that I found on the internet. It is enlarged many, many times since the insect is smaller than a flea. Honest, I could not see them!
Back home in Indiana we sorted our shells, shared our pictures, and made a center piece out of Sanibel shells and sand.
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We loved our trip to Sanibel and hope to return someday…maybe by airplane and if we visit Ding Darling we will arm ourselves with plenty of insect repellent.
Smiling and scratching,
---Anne
Smiling and scratching,
---Anne
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