It was the pale, aquamarine water that sparkled in the sun that just about took my breath away. So different than the east coast of Florida, the gulf waters are very unique. A week’s vacation in Naples, Florida became a magical experience for me.
My favorite tree, the Banyan, flourishes there and I had my photo taken under the largest one in the continental United States which can be found at the Edison-Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers. Thomas Edison planted it in 1925 when it was just four feet and its diameter now reaches over an acre.
Photo Credit: Jypsee; Banyan Tree at the Edison-Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers, FL
But add to that the day we walked along the shoreline and saw thousands of striking, six legged starfish in the shallow waters as far as we could see and then another day witnessed hundreds of stingrays swimming with their tiny “wings” breaking the surface of the gulf as they swam. We witnessed dozens of Brown Pelicans perched in pine trees along a stretch of beach one afternoon, clacking and barking, as they wrestled for space on a limb.
Photo: Google Free Image, Stingrays in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida
The beaches in that area are known for their incredible shells and I brought home many of them. Nature was at her peak during our visit there and I will never forget the gifts that she bestowed.
shells of days gone by
urchin, sea fan, scallops, conch
swelling waves bring more
Rajani invites us to share about travels for our latest Haibun at dVerse Poets: http://dversepoets.com/2016/02/29/haibun-monday-8/
I’m also linking this to our guest host for Poetics, Matthew Henningsen’s post today: http://dversepoets.com/2016/03/01/poetics-adventures-in-travelling/
