sightseeing in Sanibel {part II}

2nd stop: J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge



This is a 4-6 mile nature park off the coast of Sanibel.

You can hike, ride your bike, or drive you car.

We chose to drive since it was cloudy and raining here and there.

We must've hit it on a not-so-good day.

There was only a handfull of animals we encountered along our journey.

{small fishies}

The landscape was pretty regardless.

I spy.....fiddler crabs!

Now, this is just freaky.

If there's one insect I'm freaked out over, it's a spider.

Next up, birds.

And lastly, a few lizards.

That's a wrap!!

p.s. we FOUND sunshine!!

Two days in a row.

We're off to enjoy our last day here!

sightseeing in Sanibel {part I}

tuesday we decided to travel the Island of Sanibel since the rain was going to be pretty much off and on all day..

Sanibel is home to the CROW rehabilitation hospital & 'Ding' Darling Nature Park.

First stop: CROW rehabilitaton center.

Dad really only wanted to stop here due to the name (it's our family name).

The "patients" are wounded animals off the island. Whether it be from a boating accident or simply falling out of the tree, all animals are brought in to this center.

Unfortunately, the animals were not in the visitor center for us to see up close.

Studies have shown that when the animals were introduced to human interaction, it only increased their stress level. Therefore causing them to potentially not recover at an acceptable rate, if at all.

The facility was full of pictures from real patients the clinic has encountered.

There were even screens with live feed from the hospital.

This was a display in the museum that contained objects that had all been removed from the bodies of patients within the clinic.

pretty amazing.

A radiograph board showed real x-rays from some of the wounded patients.

sightseeing part II coming tomorrow.

over & out, boy scouts!

ever been in the ocean during a thunderstorm?

we have!

we are vacationing in florida this week and by golly, we just can't find the sun.

morning after morning we rise up to a few rays of sunshine shining through the blinds.

by the time we get up, dress, and gather up our belongings.. it disappears.

all that's left in the sky, is this....

well, today was like any other. however, we wake up and decide that regardless of these unfortunate circumstances we are going to make the best of this trip. so we did.

we loaded up the little red wagon. stuffed a few beverages in the cooler. grabbed the umbrella. and down to the beach we went.

it wasn't long before the winds began to pick up. the clouds rolled over top of us.

and this was the result...

it seemed like 70 mph winds & dime sized hail.. it wasn't too bad.

we stuck it through & put up a fight.

with a smile of course :)

greetings from Sanibel friends! More pictures to come soon :)

birthday.

in celebration of my birthday yesterday, the family {all 20 of us} cruised over into town and ate at Longhorn's Steakhouse. Parmesan crusted chicken, pahlease? yes!

When my birthday {or christmas} rolls around and gift ideas are being tossed about, I always have a short list of items I have stumbled upon that I really like and would love to have.

If I end up with cash, I never spend it and buy something I truly want with it.

Therefore, the only way to get the desired item is to suck it up and tell somebody.

I wish everybody was that simple.

They all just had a written list for me to choose from.

I struggle with gifts & I find myself utterly happy and satisfied when somebody tells me exactly what they want! :)

Although it's still on it's way, I am now the proud parent of this babyyy.

a new, sassy Jo Totes camera bag.

looks like a purse, with the space & compartments of an ideal camera bag!

i hate lugging around the big ole' black/blue clasp tote.

mama/daddy ordered it in the fuschia...

so that it matches THIS adorable camera strap!

i'm stoked!

what better way to take pictures than with a little fancy strap around your neck & a cute camera bag to tote all of your accessories?

{MelVDesigns}

of course, the Longhorn's staff had to surprise me with singing & a delicious fat-free sundae.

glad I saved some room, the sundae was to die for!

the hubster, who forgot to tell me happy birthday, ordered a handstamping jewelry kit from beaducation for me!

cam, my brother from another mother, ordered me the "SHINE" necklace that I mentioned in my previous post.

still waiting on it to come in the mail :)

we are off to National Night Out downtown tonight!

xoxo-

happy 4th of july ♥

Hope your day was filled with fun, family & fireworks!

♥ , the Y's