Today we left Everglades City to return to Palm Beach Gardens, where we’re staying with Adele, our Dad’s friend. A very special lady, that Adele.
Anyway, we had a leisurely breakfast with a long chat with the host of Ivey House, David Harragan. He really knows the Everglades, having led tours there for quite a few years now. We enjoyed chatting with him about his adventures and travels, his family and their vacations. Great host. Great inn.
After leaving, we stopped by the Everglades City Chamber of Commerce, where we picked up a few little shells for Tam’s artwork. She has had some really interesting ideas about where her art may be going, which I look forward to seeing as they develop.
We took a different route home, so as Tam was looking over the map, she spied something called “Flamingo Gardens”, a non-profit botanical garden and small wild animal rescue place. On the spur of the moment, we decided to go check it out, and boy are we ever glad we did! We really had fun – the Gardens had several mini-habitats from all different parts of Florida, and many animals to represent them. The birds were usually there because they had been injured and were not able to be returned to the wild, or because they had been raised by humans and then given away – also unable to go into the wild because they had no skills to fend for themselves. Anyway, the cages were large and clean, and the animals seemed uniformly content and healthy. There were also two BIG gators, several turtles, three playing otters – and I think there was a panther, but we weren’t terribly motivated to go see him/her, and we ran out of steam anyway. We arrived at the otter pen right after they had been given a fun treat – sardines frozen into large chunks of ice, so they could play with the ice while getting their food. We really enjoyed watching them play and eat – they really seemed to be having a good time: just like otters usually do!
I think my highlight was the fact that they let us feed the flamingos! There were little food dispensers, and the flamingos came right up to the edge of their pen and ate right out of your hand! Did you know that flamingos are as gentle as hens are when they nibble up the food? I was so surprised! And just like chickens (which of course, Tam and I are very familiar with, having raised them for years), they all seem to have their own personalities. There was this one really large one – we think it might have been the grandma – who everyone else deferred to. And if you tried to offer her your empty hand, she would check it out for treats that might be stuck between your fingers, but then she’d knock you hand away! What a funny girl.
Anyway, we had a leisurely breakfast with a long chat with the host of Ivey House, David Harragan. He really knows the Everglades, having led tours there for quite a few years now. We enjoyed chatting with him about his adventures and travels, his family and their vacations. Great host. Great inn.
After leaving, we stopped by the Everglades City Chamber of Commerce, where we picked up a few little shells for Tam’s artwork. She has had some really interesting ideas about where her art may be going, which I look forward to seeing as they develop.
We took a different route home, so as Tam was looking over the map, she spied something called “Flamingo Gardens”, a non-profit botanical garden and small wild animal rescue place. On the spur of the moment, we decided to go check it out, and boy are we ever glad we did! We really had fun – the Gardens had several mini-habitats from all different parts of Florida, and many animals to represent them. The birds were usually there because they had been injured and were not able to be returned to the wild, or because they had been raised by humans and then given away – also unable to go into the wild because they had no skills to fend for themselves. Anyway, the cages were large and clean, and the animals seemed uniformly content and healthy. There were also two BIG gators, several turtles, three playing otters – and I think there was a panther, but we weren’t terribly motivated to go see him/her, and we ran out of steam anyway. We arrived at the otter pen right after they had been given a fun treat – sardines frozen into large chunks of ice, so they could play with the ice while getting their food. We really enjoyed watching them play and eat – they really seemed to be having a good time: just like otters usually do!
I think my highlight was the fact that they let us feed the flamingos! There were little food dispensers, and the flamingos came right up to the edge of their pen and ate right out of your hand! Did you know that flamingos are as gentle as hens are when they nibble up the food? I was so surprised! And just like chickens (which of course, Tam and I are very familiar with, having raised them for years), they all seem to have their own personalities. There was this one really large one – we think it might have been the grandma – who everyone else deferred to. And if you tried to offer her your empty hand, she would check it out for treats that might be stuck between your fingers, but then she’d knock you hand away! What a funny girl.
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