Edison-Ford Museum and Eagle Nest

Thursday afternoon we drove to the Edison & Ford Museum in Ft Myers. It is about 6 miles away, on McGregor Blvd, the same street we turn off to get to our gate.

I fondly remember my last visit a few years ago when I went with Peter. He took the museum self-guided tour while I strolled the gardens, camera in hand. Now you have to pay the same price to just stroll the gardens. It would have cost us more than $50 just to cross the road and have a self guided tour, or just walk the gardens.  With less than two hours before closing, we chose to park and walk the botanical areas around the huge parking lot [free].

Joan spotted this sign which is warning that the fig tree in the background is messy...

I think the one single tree spreads over 60 feet and is likely about that height also. Here is a view of the roots that the tree drops from its branches as it spreads across the ground.  All those trunks in the background are parts of the same tree.

This is a view of most of the tree and you can see the size of the cars in the parking lot for scale. [you can click on any picture and see them all larger]

One of Joan's favourite plants 'down here' is the stag horn fern. This one has a core measuring about 4 feet, probably weights in a more than a ton, and is just hung from this live oak by a heavy duty chain.

We had a major thunderstorm earlier this week, and I have no hesitation in agreeing with this sign. We have never seen a warning like this sign before, but remembering the storm we had when thunder was nearly constant and lasted well over 15 minutes; I certainly would not like to be under these giant trees during a thunderstorm.

Next is a different fig tree that has an extensive just above ground root system.

First, a view of the trunks of this monster.

Next, the above ground root system.

 Yesterday, on our way to play Bridge, Joan spotted a number of parked cars, with guys and big lenses looking in the same area. I followed her directions and we found this wonderful sight: a pair of Bald Eagles over their nest.

Since the nest is walking distance from where we live, we drove back there this afternoon. Someone we met yesterday told us that they fed after three.   ...and they did.

Dad then moved over to another limb...

And finally, the family portrait. I hope to make more over the coming weeks.

Our former roommates Chris and Peter dropped in while on their way to their spot on Sanibel. It was nice to laugh with them again, and we hope to spend more time visiting with them.