Update April 9

I am writing this update from the Lanai, where I am enjoying sunny skies and a delicious breeze. Actually, we have had a fabulous stretch of weather here ... sunny and in the low 80s and dry for the last 4-5 days.

The weather promises to continue until at least next Thursday, and we are soaking it up. We've been sitting out by our pool (and swimming), taking evening walks to Lakes Park (going one way) and to the Sonic drive-in (going another) for shakes and root-beer floats.

The big event this week was a trip to Everglades City to have an airboat ride and lunch. There are many companies doing airboat rides, but we chose Captain Mitch because they have access to the largest parcel of Everglades (slightly over 900 acres) of any of the companies, and will take you on the longest rides where you do not see any other airboats. Many of the other companies have access to small stretches of land, and you often see other airboats during your ride. In fact, a couple of collisions have occurred between airboats because quarters are so tight. Anyway, we had a beautiful day for it ... cloudy, but the rain held off until we got back. We saw a couple of 'gators, several blue herons, egrets, and so forth. Less than we expected, but our guide said the warm weather has started the nest-building season early for the 'gators, so they are off building nests in secluded areas. The females will lay up to 60 eggs in a nest. That sounds like a lot, but many of the 60 do not make it past the first year, because their skin is soft and the young ones fall prey to birds, otter, raccoon, ,and even other 'gators. It's nature's way of keeping the 'gator population in check. Our guide, Danny, looked to be a 4th or 5th generation Florida Cracker, and if you saw him walking down the street, you would probably assume he was homeless. But he's been driving airboat for 30 years and knows these channels and inlets like the back of his nicotine stained hands. Back at the ticket office, we got to hold a "toddler" alligator, about two years old, and I got a picture of  Dawn:

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Our ride was over at about 1 p.m., so we headed to downtown Everglades City (about 1.5 miles away) and had lunch at City Seafood, a favorite spot for tourists and even locals because the seafood is so fresh and good. Dawn had a shrimp basket, and I went with the fried fish platter, and we split a pan fried crabcake that was out of this world. I had a Corona while Dawn went with a Diet Coke. It was so incredibly delicious. The market had medium stone crab claws for sale at just $12/pound (I guess there has been a surplus of stone crab this year due to fall and winter storms that brought them closer to shore) so I bought a pound, and a mallet, and brought them back to the apartment and cracked them and ate them. DEE-licious, with melted butter and lemon. I went to the Winn Dixie just down the street and bought a bag of shredded cabbage and made some cole slaw to go with, and heated up some baked beans. A feast that cost me about half of what is would at Pincher's Crab Shack

Friday (yesterday) we went to the Lakes Park Farmers Market (now just across the street from us), with me riding my bicycle and Dawn walking. We missed our bicycle club buddies (the Peckerheads) for reasons unknown, but probably because several of the club members have headed back north. Maybe we will catch them next Friday.

Also yesterday, Dawn got a food package in the mail from a company called "Hello Fresh" (hellofresh.com) that was a gift from her friend, Amy, who visited here last month. The boxes are $69 each, and each box contains enough fresh meat and fixin's to prepare six meals (3 meals, each serving two people). Our box contained the following:

1. Zucchini and Parmesan crusted Chicken with Yukon Gold mash potatoes and green beans;
2. Ginger stir fry beef with asparagus and basmati rice; and
3. Spicy pork and kale soup with Ramen.

Tonight, we are preparing the chicken.

So things are kind of winding down for me here, but there a few things coming up. I'll be meeting up with my widows and widowers group next Tuesday for dinner at a Thai/Sushi place, and then the movie "Boss" with Melissa McCarthy. April 20, we are having our landlord couple and friend Heather (who was my first landlord and helped us find this newest place) over for wine and snacks. April 22 is Dawn's birthday, and we'll be doing something fun that day, no doubt. And, we have a new Nathan Famous (hot dogs) restaurant that just opened in Fort Myers that we need to check out.

Hang in there all you northerners, Spring's coming!

Bruce & Dawn