Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Sunday - Orlando Weather: high 72, low 46. Mostly sunny. Wind NNE 8 mph.
A cold front came through, so it is cooler today.  Many times when a front goes through, it gets down in the 60's.  This winter is warmer in general in FL also.  It's still very dry, and you may have heard about the huge accident on I-75.  Smoke from a grass fire, combined with fog, made for zero visibility, but stupid drivers still speed along.  At least 10 people were killed, and the road was closed for quite awhile.
After breakfast, we went to talk to the timeshare people.  The inducement is a $100 gift card, so we got some questions answered and listened to a new plan they have, which we liked.  We went for lunch at the Olive Garden, and then got groceries at super-Target near the restaurant, which is west of us about 6 miles.  While Linda shopped, (you guessed it) I had a coffee at Starbucks in the store - no snack because I was still stuffed from our Olive Garden lunch. 
Monday - Weather: high 71, low 51. Very sunny. Wind NE 12 mph.
Easy morning, reading and computer work.  Linda did some clothes washing.  It's nice to have a washer and dryer in the villa.  At Ft. Myers Beach, they were in the building and free, but she had to go down stairs to get to them.
After lunch, we went to our favorite place, downtown Celebration.  It's about 3 miles away, and it has a lake with lots of places to sit, watch people walking, and usually some fishermen off the dock.  In a 2 block area facing the lake, there are 5 restaurants and (YES) a Starbucks!  After coffee and a donut, we walked around lakes 1 and 2 (there are 3 small lakes with inter-connected paved walkways).  There were lots of rusty blackbirds begging for food bits (the males look just like our blackbirds, but the females have a coppery rusty color).  Usually we see lots of water-birds around the lakes, but today only saw one anhinga and one osprey.  The lakes all have woods along part of them, and we saw a tufted titmouse and a carolina wren (they are like our wrens, but are a little bigger and have an orange breast).  
Tuesday - Weather: high 76, low 54. Mostly sunny. Wind E 11 mph.
For lunch, we went to a Panera Bread about 5 miles north, then to Walmart for a little shopping and so I could get a fishing license.  Next we went to Celebration and had coffee, tea and a treat.  Linda sat and read her book while I fished off the dock.  Not much luck, just one little largemouth bass about a foot long, but I enjoyed getting a fishing pole in my hands again.

Flower of some kind at the edge of the lake.

Another very pretty lake edge flower.

Same

Looking back at downtown Celebration from across the lake.  This is where we spend a lot of time.  The big building on the left is the Celebration Bohemian Hotel.  To the right of it is a sidewalk with benches, and in front of the sidewalk is the dock.  Middle right is a low red roof, which covers an open space with more benches in the shade.  To the right of it and across all the way is a pedestrian area with benches, tables with umbrellas, rocking chairs, and steps down into the water.  In this area are 5 restaurants and lots of small shops. (The Starbucks is to the left of the low red roof, not visible.)

Same area, but more to the right.  The tall red roof building has a restaurant below.  To its right is more sidewalk with benches.  The two towers are a landmark, and the movie theater used to be below, but it is closed.  In front of the towers is a popular fountain that goes up and down. 

I'm standing at the same place across the lake, now panning more to the right.  Behind the trees is a large area of condos.  At the far right, you can see part of the walk that goes around the lake.  Out of the picture to the right is a woods.  At the far left, you can see a white bridge with small arcs.  For future reference, this is where one of the canals emptys into the lake.

Linda sitting on one of the many benches on the walk around the lake.  Notice the woods behind her.

Another view of the Celebration Hotel.

Anhinga. (Blurry because the camera focused on the branches in the foreground.)
This is a female because of the light brown color on her chest and neck.  Notice the very sharply pointed bill, used to spear fish.

The white bridge referenced before (with the small arches).  We are standing on the bank of one of the canals that empties into the lake.

Some coots in the canal.

Footbridge that crosses the canal. 















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