Amelia Island ~ 2

4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Florida

The gopher tortoises live with huge hotels for neighbors!

4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Florida
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ gopher tortoise, Amelia Island, Florida
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ gopher tortoise, Amelia Island, Florida
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ gopher tortoise, Amelia Island, Florida
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Florida

There are more pictures of other places to come! But first, Tim took a couple of short videos of the gopher tortoises and lizards…

It still amazes me how the gopher tortoises can go about their business so close to so much human activity….

Amelia Island ~ 1

4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
Barbara and son Nate caught on film ~ 4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Florida

Another place we visited on vacation was Fernandina Beach, across the border in Florida, on Amelia Island. Shea had spotted some turtles here when she spent a day at the beach with friends. Because Tim is crazy about turtles we had to come see them! This place isn’t a nature sanctuary, and we found the close proximity of nature to civilization a little strange.

4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Florida

We were taking turns using the camera this day, too, but Tim took most of the pictures as I recall…

4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Florida

With a special pass recreational vehicles are allowed on this beach.

4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Florida
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Florida
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Florida
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ gopher tortoise, Amelia Island, Florida
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ gopher tortoise, Amelia Island, Florida
4.8.12 ~ Amelia Island, Georgia
4.8.12 ~ gopher tortoise, Amelia Island, Florida

A few more pictures from Amelia Island tomorrow…

a travel catalog came in the mail

Image: National Georaphic
Image: National Geographic

Doesn’t this look like fun?

Last week a travel catalog came in the mail – not sure how we got on their mailing list – a copy of National Geographic Expeditions for 2011. It’s fun to dream and fantasize… And we did find an expedition cruise we thought we’d both enjoy! As Grandmother used to say, with a twinkle in her eye, you never know just which dreams might come true.

Tim has always loved turtles. Before Walt Disney World in Florida had Animal Kingdom, they had a little place called Discovery Island. For our 20th anniversary we visited it and I have fond memories of Tim lying on his stomach photographing the Galápagos turtles interacting with each other. Interacting very slowly, but Tim has infinite patience and he got some great pictures.

Well, National Geographic has an expedition called “Galápagos Family Odyssey.” It seems about our speed, ten slow-paced days exploring and mingling with the wildlife on several of the Galápagos Islands. “Gaze into the old eyes of a giant sea tortoise…” And I’d love to see courtship dance of the indigenous blue-footed boobies!

Galápagos dreams in January…

And speaking of anniversaries…

Happy 8th Anniversary, Nate & Shea!!!

(¯`’•.¸(¯`’•.¸*♥*¸.•’´¯)¸.•’´¯)