From freezing to Florida and back

A week and a half ago Steve and I drove to the new Indianapolis Airport. The car thermometer read "-11". Heading to Florida right about then seemed like a really good idea! In fact, the next day we heard reports of -20 degrees back home. Unfortunately, the same frigid blast that turned the north to icicles turned the south to cool (low 60's when we arrived, compared to the 80's it had been for the previous week or more). At least that's what the Floridians told us! Sweaters and long pants made us quite comfortable, whereas long johns, double socks, and triple tops would not have kept us warm in Fulton County!

We had a wonderful visit with Steve's parents and sister Connie. We even helped Connie celebrate her birthday. She may have received more celebratory help than she wanted...

We made Connie her favorite cake -- white with buttercream icing.

In the park where Steve's folks are staying, we visited with several friends from the Fulton County area. A beautiful area full of interesting plants and wildlife. The lush green and brightly colored flowers were welcome sights after months of brown and white in Indiana. Palm trees are so warming, even if it is breezy and you need a sweater!

While in Florida we saw wild turkeys, bald eagles, herons, egrets, pelicans, and momma alligators and babies. Can't forget the foraging armadillo we saw in the brush near the beach! We also were introduced to gopher turtles or tortoises. These good-sized land turtles (about 12-15 inches long when full-grown) dig holes in the sandy dirt--we saw them in the undergrowth near Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs--and that must explain their name. So maybe we should add a gopher turtle to our blog profile. What do you say?

Here's a picture Steve took of one...

Some baby alligators (about 2 1/2 feet long) just outside Connie's office building. Mother was across the pond on the opposite bank.

Connie took us on a tour of the incredible development for which she is office manager. We toured a couple of houses and a couple of condos.

At Connie's sales office building

Here are a few pictures from her favorite house. It is for sale, so you could buy it...that is, if you save all your money for the rest of your life and inherit millions. It was gorgeous!

The staircase and a formal sitting area.

The backyard. I guess the backyard was really the Gary Player golf course to the left of this picture. This is the patio? Lanai? Our whole family could live in this house and not even bother each other!

The master bathroom.

It honestly reminded me of the spa at the resort in Mexico we have visited. It was spacious, open, ornate...beyond description! I looked for the masseuse, but didn't find her. Sigh.

While we were waiting for dinner to be served in a restaurant specializing in buffalo meat, Steve stepped outside to capture the sunset! This is my favorite picture of our Florida trip!

We returned to cold weather, but we have warm memories thanks to our dear relatives in the South! Now we can picture where Connie lives and works, where Mom and Dad G. live, go to church, and hang out with friends. That always makes one feel more connected, don't you think? We're looking forward to another visit in the future.