Sanibel Island, Florida - last night

Much to our delight we were able to extend our stay at Periwinkle RV Park on Sanibel Island after our initial 2 reserved nights. Checking daily at the office, we managed to get a spot right near the entrance to the RV Park for an additional 4 nights. That meant we could spend New Year’s here as well as having a few days on the other side before moving on. On the downside we are right out near the main road and, except for the very early hours of the morning, the traffic has been quite consistent. With a longer visit we set up our 12’ x 9’ tent. It opens directly outside our van awning so it feels like we have a huge camping area. We also have set up an outside kitchen to enjoy the evening outdoors as much as possible. Our days have been marked with many visits to the beach. Doug and Denise have enjoyed some long beach walks while the girls have concentrated on making wonderful sand structures and collecting shells. Meals have been simple and wholesome. The warmer weather makes us all feel less hungry and we’ve enjoyed simple salads and grills. On New Years Day breakfast we celebrated with Chocolate-Banana pancakes, which were a real hit! We visited the Sanibel Island Wildlife Refuge one day and were delighted to see a flock of roseate spoonbills. Their colors make them appear like flamingos but their distinctive spoon-shaped bill gives them away. The other day, while Doug and Ruth went fishing in the river that passes through the RV park, Ruth hooked a huge (as in, much larger than a dinner plate) turtle. The poor animal had been gently sucking on her bait but ended up on our line. We pulled it out of the water – very heavy – then had to fight it onto its back so it would stop kicking and potentially biting while Doug got the pliers to remove the hook. The operation went well and the turtle was safely released back into the river. On that same fishing trip a river otter scampered across the bridge right next to where Doug and Ruth were fishing. It looked up, had eye contact, and then slithered into the safe dark waters on the other side of the low-lying bridge. Finally, a small ‘gator was spotted watching the whole scene from the safety of the river. On other fishing outings, the pickings were not as good. At the Fishing Pier Ruth managed to hook a small grunt that was then returned to the ocean but we had little success fishing from the main beach shoreline. Rose has officially been admitted to “Hogwarts” (of Harry Potter fame). Santa gave her the whole series of Harry Potter books and she has been relishing her time reading them – in one sitting if possible. On New Year’s Day she was allowed a full day of uninterrupted reading and completed The Goblet of Fire. She is eager to read more while her parents are equally eager for her to enjoy the beach and local experiences. It is agreed that she will return to Hogwarts one day next week. The weather has been near perfect - warm, sunny days around 72-78F and cool evenings that make for easier sleeping. The RV Park is in a constant state of flux as new arrivals come for their brief vacation and others move on after concluding theirs. There is a wonderful bird rescue center that concentrates on parrots – from all around the world – and puts on a daily show of feeding and education for anyone visiting. The birds are in cages near the main walkway so that visitors can easily see them during the day. The girls have taken a particular shine to “Peaches”. She is not a talker but has a wonderful knack of coming up to the edge of her cage – just within finger-scratch reach – to lounge as young children rub her about her head and body with their small fingers, usually in the places she directs. She is always receptive to a friendly scratch. Ruth has taken delight to the interaction and has learned that she can get Peaches to turn around by twirling her finger. Our many beach visits are punctuated by sea shell collecting. There is a marvelous number and variety of shells that wash ashore during the winter period and low tide is an especially rich time to look around. Meanwhile, a pod of dolphins can often be seen – morning and evening – heading along the shoreline doing their own fishing. There is a small sand bar about 30 yards from the main beach that runs parallel to the beach. It creates a small shell-catching channel. Waves wash over the sand bar to fill the channel. Dolphin activity is just outside the sand bar. Doug and Denise have taken the opportunity to do some short swims in the ocean. While Rose and Ruth continue to resist ocean swimming they have enjoyed a cooling paddle in the channel in the middle of the day. Mostly we’ve been getting around on our bikes. Florida is notoriously flat and makes for good bike riding though it can be hazardous mingling vacationers on bikes with vacationers in cars. There are no injuries or accidents to report but we’ve heard the sound of some near misses! Tomorrow we move on to Fort De Soto Park. We’ve been told by many people that Fort De Soto Park is one of the crown jewels in the Florida beach camping scene. We’ve secured 5 nights and are looking forward to extending our beach living for a while longer.