And this post finds us marching to the end of January. Momentous things have gone on since I last posted. I am very much hoping 2021 is a year of peaceful solutions. We can all use a break... Our biggest challenge at the moment is getting a COVID vaccine. 8 tries online so far. The appts fill up in just minutes and we've been stuck endlessly in the queues even using 6 devices at the same time. We'll keep at it.
The beach is deserted. At least when we went which was a few weeks ago. Sadly we've had a red tide situation which is quite nasty so we won't go back until it's gone away. It's a toxic organism that "blooms" in the Gulf waters that result in mass fish kills which end up on the beach along with a foul smell and irritants in the air. It is a phenomenon that happens sometimes in the summer but releases of highly polluted water from Lake Okeechobee (near the Everglades) have caused red tide to appear far more often and for longer periods of time. The highly polluted water is from sugar factories and fertilizer runoff. It's government run (U.S. Corps of Engineers) - not sure how well that's going...
River otters are out and about and I see them most mornings busy busy hunting fish. They are amazing in their graceful moves and play in the water.
We enjoyed the oysters at Tiffany's house at Christmas so much Mark decided to replicate with east coast oysters this time in Naples. He's getting good at this shucking thing - a newly purchased tool helped. Yummy stuff.
This is the head of a 7 foot long alligator currently living around the 17th island green of our golf course. Yikes. He's been in and out of the water, resting right where the ladies drop area is (or was) they moved it temporarily for safety. There's definitely extra incentive to make sure your drive gets over the water.
We are enjoying the lovely weather that is Florida in the winter. Lots of people have come down to enjoy along with us. Season is alive and well - I don't think the numbers are up to what is normal but it's certainly enough to clog up roads and make reservations for restaurants hard to come by. We are only doing outside seating so there's less to go around. Not complaining I hasten to say, we are so very lucky to be here regardless. First year we will not be going to Star Mt. for any part of winter. Too cold and too many restrictions - next year.
