Marriott Ecotour

The Marriott on Marco Island is currently under renovation, and oh so beautiful!

As part of my job, I was invited to check out their eco-tour program. We sailed through the Ten Thousand Islands on this replica of a 3000-year-old Polynesian catamaran.

This is Morgan Beach. Same location that the pilot whales stranded two years ago. Great way to call it a day's work :)

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Trivia night at work

Part of my responsibilities at work is to develop new programs for the public to come and enjoy. So I worked with a marine biologist and created Ocean Trivia Nite for families. I dressed as Professor Sea Bean Sarah and made quite a spectacle! This picture was actually in the newspaper!

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New fans

My bedroom fan has always made a swishing sound so I rarely turned it on. I decided to upgrade to a new one and the electrician discovered there was a sort in the wiring and it had been smoldering in the ceiling! I guess karma told me to get a new fan!

I like the looks of it much better and it's nearly silent. And there is a fancy remote! No more pull chains. And you can change speeds while in bed!

The electrician talked me into replacing the living room fan as well. I can't find an old pic, but it was pretty 80s looking, with gold brackets and all. Now the house is almost ready for Airbnb!


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Hurricane Hunters

Here is the C-130 actually used in hurricane weather forecasting! It came to the Naples Airport as part of a tour of only 6 cities.

My coworkers and I waited in line for a tour and got to meet several Hurricane Hunter pilots and crew.

Inside, it's the same military plane but with added padding because flying through a hurricane can toss you around, said the giant guy in the green flight suit!

This aircraft has flown through all of the storms listed here. Impressive!

It is a huge machine!

The event was free and open to the public. There was quite a showing!

Also on display was Gonzo, the NOAA plane which operates the National Weather Service hurricane prediction program.

The showed us the drop sondes that are literally ejected from the plane as it flies through the eye. This $30,000 drop sonde measures wind speed and many other parameters on its way back to earth, sending data to a satellite along the way. The device is never retrieved.

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Tamiami Trail Triathlon

What an adventure! Sue, Lisa, Susan, and I checked this off our bucket list today!

We began in Everglades City at Everglades National Park.

We paddled 3.5 miles from the Gulf Coast Visitors Center.

Gorgeous conditions!

Then we hiked around Sand Fly Island. In order to count as a finisher, you have to take selfies next to the triathlon signs to prove you were there. The selfie stick came in handy- thanks Greg!

The trail was beautiful.

We learned a lot as we explored the 1- mile trail.

There was some hugging of trees.

I'm a tree hugger from way back!

Next stop was a short drive to Big Cypress National Preserve Oasis Visitors Center for a 3 mile hike on the Florida Trail.

And we saw panther tracks!

Last leg was a 15 mile bike ride at Shark Valley in Everglades National Park.

It was hot! But the bright blue skies were so picturesque.

We stopped half way through for a quick break at the overlook tower.

You can see for miles and miles across the Everglades from the top.

On our ride back, we saw a few alligators!

And a pretty sunset!

What a day of exercise, nature, and laughter! Great gals, we will do this again!

After we completed the activities, the ranger station awarded us with these finisher bumper stickers. It was tiring but well worth the effort! The entire day, from departure to return, was 13 hours!

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Peace River Fossil Hunt

Adam and I spent his birthday looking for shark teeth in the Peace River in Arcadia, Florida. We met up with my friend Ryan and his family and paddled 8 miles.




I didn't take a pic of my finds, but here is what Ryan, fossil-hunter extraordinary, posted on social media. Pretty impressive!

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