Previously, I have written blog stories about wacky events in Southwest Florida such as the Mermaid Parade and the Turtle Races. But on a wacky scale for local events, the races at the Cape Coral Cardboard Boat Regatta vie for first place.
Continue reading “Anchors Aweigh at the Cardboard Boat Regatta”Tag: Cape Coral
Yet Another Critter in My Backyard
Florida has an abundance of curious animals. I have written about underground-living Burrowing Owls and the prehistoric-looking Green Iguanas that have been in my neighborhood in Cape Coral, the Florida city where I live. Along with common rabbits and grey squirrels, a new critter has shown up at my house… a gopher tortoise.
Ramblings by the Pool
It is a leisurely, warm, sunny day here in Southwest Florida. I am sitting by the pool while savoring a steamy mug of coffee. I recently found a great Hazelnut Cream java which is an excellent morning cure-all elixir. Although it is good, it isn’t quite as superb as the perfected European cappuccinos I have found in my travels.
My house is at the intersection of two canals. Boats go by on their way to the Caloosahatchee River between Cape Coral and Fort Myers, Florida. The river leads to the Gulf of Mexico. Later in the day, I will see the boats and their crew return from today’s water adventures.
The canals attract all sorts of birds and fish often jump in an arch out of the water. Sometimes the canals have wandering manatees or an occasional lost alligator! Iguanas reside in a tropical tree next to my pool. One just jumped out of the tree and landed with a thump on the dock. Often when the iguanas are scared, they take refuge in the canals too.
There is a gentle breeze today coming from the south. The 35′ palm trees that encircle my lot are swaying and the birds are singing. The bird sounds have recently changed as the birds from winter have appeared to leave. As the weather is now clearly getting warmer the bird sounds have also become more tropical sounding.
It is another beautiful day in paradise.
More Critters in My Florida Backyard
Almost a year ago I wrote a story “Discovering the Critters in My Backyard.” It is about the famous “Burrowing Owl,” the official bird of the city of Cape Coral in Florida, USA. I now live in a new place in Cape Coral which is adjacent to a canal and a new critter has now shown up.
There are many canals in this community and in them one can routinely see fish jumping and occasionally a larger creature such as a Manatee! Two days ago I discovered a Green Iguana sunning himself on the seawall in my backyard outside the screened pool area.
This story is about the Iguanas which are now found throughout Southwest Florida.
Splinters in the Dock, My Boating Instruction Experiences
A few months ago while visiting my friend Coconut Pete in Cape Coral, Florida, I decided that I wanted to learn how to operate a motor boat. I also decided that I would tackle this bucket list item on the Florida coast rather than a mountain lake near my apartment in Asheville, North Carolina.
My friend Pete owns a boat. This story is about my adventure learning to captain his twin engine Hurricane.
Continue reading “Splinters in the Dock, My Boating Instruction Experiences”
Discovering the Critters in My Backyard
As a youngster growing up in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania, seeing “critters” in the backyard such as rabbits, squirrels and occasionally a deer was commonplace. It just seemed to me that almost everyone had critters of some sort in their backyard.
Having traveled many places in the world and observing different animals, I developed an appreciation for the diversity of wildlife on every continent. Few animals are the same around the world. But they certainly are interesting. Everywhere there are new critters to discover and enjoy. This story is about discovering the Cape Coral Burrowing Owl.
Barry's Adventures Following Retirement 