Well, Michael and I are back from the Everglades. And we have some really exciting news to share: we got engaged on Sunday by Florida Bay! It still hasn't totally sunk in for me yet, I think--I kind of feel like I'm walking around in a bit of a daze most of the time. Strange how life can be the same yet totally different all at once... Those of you who know me know that I have wanted this to happen for a long time, and that I was actually starting to think that Michael would never be ready to propose! Happily, I was wrong, because he says he decided to ask me in the Everglades right after I suggested the trip. It was not a big, staged event or anything...I think he just waited until he felt like the moment was right and then asked me. Which is really, in my mind, one of the best ways to do it :)
Anyway, we haven't made any specific plans yet as to where and when and how, so I don't have very many other details to share. A lot will depend on where we eventually end up, and things like that. More information will be forthcoming, though I promise that this will not become a boring blog devoted to the minutae of the Wedding Experience. Sites like Going Bridal do it much better, and much funnier, than I ever would!
Anyway. About the rest of the trip. The weather was hot and sunny the entire weekend, with record highs for this time of year topping out in the low 90s. We took our time getting there on Friday, stopping at Homestead for lunch and antique browsing, and at Robert is here, the famous local fruit stand, for Strawberry Key Lime Milkshakes. We stayed at one of the cottages at Flamingo Lodge, which was walking distance from both the main lodge with the pool and the visitor centre and Eco Pond, a reclaimed area that helps filter local waste water and provide a home for wading birds and alligators. Because of the hot weather, we actually spent more time at the pool than we originally planned--the area was surrounded by bug screen walls and ceilings, which lowered the temperatures and kept the mosquitos and biting flies away. We did wander down some of the trails and boardwalks, though, picnic-ed in some of the rest areas, and spent a couple of hours canoeing in the Flamingo canal up to the backcountry. We wanted to take the boat up into one of our favorite ponds from last time, but we couldn't because the lakes were still dry! The rains have been late coming this year, which means some areas are still closed. Makes for good alligator viewing, though!
Our second night was interesting. A vulture flew into a park transformer, starting a fire and knocking out the power for about 14 hours! So we gathered with other guests by the pool and grilled our dinner on the communal barbeque. Things were back up by about 10 the next morning, fortunately, so we didn't experience too much discomfort.
So, all in all, it was a pretty good trip :) We wished we could have stayed longer, but it was back to work on Tuesday morning so no chance there. Anyway, the pool and much of the lodge is closed for the summer after June 1. We were also surprised to see that the Sunset Bay cruise (on an historic sailboat) and the 4-hour backcountry boat trip we took the first time we visited had both been permanently cancelled! Too bad, because we really enjoyed both trips. Guess it's good that we went when we did.
To end, a collection of links gathered from my catch-up on various emails and friends' sites:
- My latest Pause newsletter had links to the Slow Food and Slow Travel web sites. The last one looks particularly interesting. I've always thought that one of the best ways to travel is to take your time and actually get to know part of a place, and it's nice to know there are resources to help you do it.
- Randy notes that SCTV is up and ready for DVD sales. Yay for good Canadian Comedy!
- And also from Randy....make sure you're sitting down and not midway through a snack when you watch the video of Leonard Nimoy performing his seminal work, "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins". It's funny enough to be dangerous to your health otherwise!
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