… when you’re having fun!
A little late, but here is my combined contribution to the last two Friendly Friday Photo Challenges. First came Amanda’s prompt, “Alleys”, and then this past Friday, Snow picked “Chairs” for the prompt. While sorting my digital photo library I came across my photos from our trip to Florida a number of years ago. We flew into Fort Lauderdale, rented a car and traveled all the way down the Florida Keys. After spending a few days in Key West, we drove up to Florida City, where we spent a night at the Everglades Hostel in a small cabin, located on their beautiful grounds. Right outside our door was this super comfy chaise/chair waiting for us to relax in, while appreciating the lush tropical surroundings complete with papaya trees, starfruit trees and even an avocado tree. It was the middle of December and pleasantly warm and sunny! Quite different from our rainy and cold Oregon! The next morning we jumped out of bed, picked a few of those delicious fruits to bring home with us, and then headed towards the Everglades. Driving along Highway 75, which is also known as the “Alligator Alley” gave us plenty of opportunities to pull over and explore the area.
We saw lots of different animals besides alligators, including bald eagles, pelicans, ibis, manatees, hawks (does anyone know which one I spotted in the trees?), egrets, herons, warblers, woodpeckers, wood storks ….
Friendly Friday is a weekly challenge alternately hosted by Amanda from Something to Ponder About and by Snow from The Snow Melts Somewhere. I hope you take a moment to check out their posts on alleys and chairs, and also some of the links in their comment sections which will point you to other participants.
I hope you had fun traveling down Alligator Alley from your comfy Armchair with me! 🙂
in cahoots with muddy boots 
Sitting in a comfy armchair is the BEST way to travel down alligator alley, I reckon!!!! 😲 Your photos are so gorgeous, as always – what an enjoyable response to the two challenges! Thanks Sabine! And also thanks for always introducing our challenge with such kind words. Oh, and that chaise…. ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Perfect!!!!! My kind of chair and spot!!! 😊❤️
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The chaise. Yes! Especially in the warmth of a Florida winter and under these fruit trees. I hope to go back sometime and go out on a canoe or kayak adventure. My husband said he’d keep the chaise warm for me! 😉 Thanks for always reading!
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My pleasure!
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Oh my, I’m in serious love with the canopied lounge, and…the pictures of your adventure. We had a chance to see crocodiles while we were in Australia. They, along with the alligators are fascinating prehistoric looking creatures. Have a fabulous week, Sabine!
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Wow, crocodiles in Australia! That sounds really cool! I didn’t realize that you had traveled there. And I have to agree that these prehistoric creatures are fascinating. Have a great week, Missy! Hopefully the sunshine will come back!
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We actually lived in Perth, WA for almost 2 years. The crocs we saw weren’t out in the wild, but at a park. Still, pretty cool. And yes, I’m hoping the sun will return soon. It’s been very Portland-like in Bend. Enjoy your week, too!
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If I ever need some tips for that trip, I’ll ask you! 😊
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The crocodiles in Australia are all up in the North and that is where they should stay – far away from me! Those gators do look impressive though. Fancy having an Alligator Alley – that is a very unique take on the photographic prompt, Sabine! Well done. You captured the animals ( and the chair ) very well. Beautiful photographs to keep as memory of your trip. Thanks for joining in on the Friendly Friday Photo Challenge.
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Thank you, Amanda! I do enjoy the challenges, in part because they challenge me! 😉 We will eventually make it over to Australia, and I do want to see the rainforest and crocodiles up north, but also drive along a marvelous stretch of coastline on the east side. Someone once posted some photos, and the scenery is stuck in my head!
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Do you remember which part of the coast? The Great Ocean road is in the South, but spectacular. Then there are beautiful beaches all down the east coast – quite a long way! It would take 3-4 days to drive the length of it!
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It was on a blog I follow. I’ll have to check if I can find the post! It was quite a while ago, but, oh the view was spectacular! Time wouldn’t necessarily be an issue. If I travel all that way, I’d like to see a variety of places!
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And you should see a variety of places. It is a long way to come for a short trip. Many Japanese tourists do this and I wonder how much they enjoy it?
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We’ve never gone on a tour. We prefer to do our own thing and not be rushed around. When we make it over that way, we might break up the trip with stay-overs along the way. 😊
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That sounds very sensible. Otherwise, the experience is over too soon. I do like to stay around a week or more when I am fortunate enough to travel overseas. Vistiing local food places and wandering about gives me a better impression of a location, than just a tourist itinerary and those stimuli overload 14 countries in 12 days type tours….
Do let me know when the time comes for you to head this way.
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We tend to stay for three to four weeks and visit different places. We like off the beaten path too, but I also like to see some of the historical sights and I love exploring local parks! I’ll be sure to let you know, but it will probably be a while.
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I look forward to it – ‘sometime down the track’ – as we say here, or is that a universal saying?
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We say ‘sometime down the road’ here!
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Oh that makes sense… lol
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Great photos, Sabine. I particularly liked the first and the last ones although those close-ups of all the animals you saw are spectacular. The one with the bird and the alligator in close proximity made me smile. It sort of makes one think that liberals and conservatives COULD get along if we all tried. 🙂
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Thanks LuAnne! It would be nice if we could all get along! I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
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Beautiful photos Sabine. I did enjoy it from my armchair and I am hoping that the creatures in the trees would be the egrets and heron because seeing them on their spindly legs, almost within striking distance of the alligators made me nervous for them!
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Thank you Linda! I don’t know if the alligators would go after the herons and egrets. They didn’t appear interested in each other. The gators were quite a sight basking in the sun. I had only seen them in movies and a zoo or animal park before. But the birds were quite a treat! So many we don’t have here in Oregon. 🐊
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I would like that array of birds as well Sabine and those alligators were beautiful basking in the sun. I’ve never seen them in a natural setting either, just at a zoo.
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Winter is a perfect time to visit there! It was nice and warm instead of hot and humid like summer. I’d love to go back and do some more exploring there!
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I prefer the heat without the humidity either – last Sunday was humid here, a one-day event, then cooler again. Yesterday it was 45 degrees! I got caught in the rain today – had an umbrella, waterproof boots, but at 50 degrees, it was not fun. The weather across the U.S. leaves me shaking my head and I feel for the people with flooding and in Tornado Alley.
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Yes, the weather, especially across the central states has been unbelievable! We’re supposed to go back to sunshine today after a rainy and cold week. Stay warm and dry, Linda!
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Thanks Sabine – it began raining on my way to the Park this morning, so I never made it down there. We were expecting thunderstorms, but this afternoon, but the weather is so erratic that I walked in the neighborhood so I could just dash home if it got too dicey out. Hope all your flowers and plants don’t get “wet feet” after all this rain. If we keep up with the rain, there will be a lot of root rot out there.
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Our weather is nothing compared to the rest of the country! Being up on a hill helps with drainage. The ground gets saturated, but not for too long. From the weather report it looks like more of the wet and windy stuff is on the way! 😬
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I agree and I’m using their horrible devastation to give myself a reality check about not getting out to walk in this weather and grumbling less about it. I thought Spring 2018 was bad – this one is much worse. We have more severe weather on Friday night and into Saturday.
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It’s been crazy weather for sure! Stay safe!
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I will – thanks Sabine. I would like to return to our normal weather patterns but fear that is not going to happen again.
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Love the chaise with the canoy! You get way to close to alligators if you can get that good a photograph. 😉 That post office is one for the books though I’m sure there are more that size in other tiny towns. I’ve been trying to get caught up here for days but still so far behind. Talk soon. Hugs.
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I hope I could outrun one of those guys! 😉 There were fences in most places and signs warning you. The chaise was fun to recline in and watch the stars after dark! Take care Marlene! 🙋
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I love the smiling Alligators! So friendly looking! (:
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Same here!
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So much amazing wildlife & wonderful photos too!
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Thanks Cindy! It was quite different from what we’re used to on the West-coast!
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