Florida in Winter

So this is going to be a picture heavy post. I'd been to Florida two other times, once to the Disney Swan Resort and more recently to the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island. Both lovely, luxurious settings. But this time I actually had the opportunity to enjoy the kind of things that really turn me on - the natural world!

Even in late winter-not-yet-spring, there was much to see and enjoy. Blooms, birds, wildlife, smells and, of course, sunshine. We were able to visit a park with Dad and I had a great time seeing what I could see.

So here's what Florida looked like to me:






Haven't had a chance yet to identify these two water fowl...



Do you see the algae covering the shell of the largest turtle?


I found the Spanish Moss very beautiful. I could imagine quite the fairy land if I was a kid playing among these trees.




This was the second pair of eagles I saw while in Florida. That made about three more than I'd seen in Colorado in a decade.




And though the weather wasn't really warm enough to bring the alligators out of the water to sun, I was glad to see (part of) one during this visit.


Such grace!




I found Florida charming and beautiful. I'm not quite done sharing pictures yet so you'll have to bear with me on another post or two...