Our First Stay in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

So from our stop at Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Center, we continued driving south on I-95.

Compared to European travel on the Interstate, this was easy and fast.

BUT that was in December 10 of 1984... NOT anymore like that and especially around the Fort Lauderdale area where we were heading towards.

 

Our destination was the Mariott Hotel & Marina for 3 nights.

We had a great room with balcony!

On Tuesday, December 11, we go to the public beach in Fort Lauderdale.

We had our stretcher in the car.

Time for reading my magazines...

And time for a bit of tanning...

We did not swim as the ocean was cold!

Funny to see the bag from Walterigato Appartments in Jesolo Lido, Italy... That was my previous beach vacation.

That's me on September 3, 1982 in Jesolo at said apartment on the beach...

We shared our lunch sandwiches with the seagulls and a dove that ate from my hand.

With our binoculars we studied the birds and a container ship that came passing by.

We stayed there from 10:00–15:00 with our winter skin...

On Wednesday, December 12 we did swim at the Marriott pool, while Mauzie stayed in the car.

The pool was not heated but we both swam!

Slowly getting in the pool...

Once in the water it was lovely!

From 11:00–13:00 we stayed at the pool.

View from our balcony.

Fort Lauderdale is also called the Venice of America, with all its waterways.

To the right you see the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 hotel where we later would be staying a few times...

In the afternoon we went shopping at the famous Las Olas Boulevard.

Pieter got a pair of shorts and a pair of wool plaid trousers.

And I got an ice cream...

Next day we drove with Mauzie to Orlando for 2 nights...

Stay tuned!

Related link:

Our Very First Stop at Kennedy Space Center | previous post by me

Our Very First Stop at Kennedy Space Center

 On Sunday, December 9 of 1984 we drove South on Interstate I-95 and spent the night at Scottish Inn, St. Augustine.

On Monday, we continued towards Fort Lauderdale and did stop at Kennedy Space Center and did admire the interesting rockets and space shuttles near the Visitor Center.

You needed to buy a ticket in order to tour by bus the rest but we did travel on...

Here I stand, together with Mauzie girl our dachshund.

Unreal the length of such a Space Shuttle... Me with Mauzie to the right.

One can only admire NASA for having accomplished this!

Pieter with Mauzie girl standing there...

Me with Mauzie standing below rocket...

Closeup

Pieter having an up close look

Pieter with Mauzie and the sun was reflecting in my lens...

We're in Florida — the Sunshine State!

In the distance, over the water, you see one of the huge buildings where you can visit when getting the tour by bus.

We would be back here; many times that is, with our guests–family and friends.

Below the tree, to the right on the water's edge is a Great Blue Heron.

Those are mainly scanned negatives, done with the Kodak Negative and Slide Scanner.

On to Fort Lauderdale... stay tuned!

Related link:

Working with my Kodak Negative and Slide Scanner | previous post by me

Eastern Phoebe Reside in Front Porch with Babies

Our newest residents...

Eastern Phoebe is a flycatcher...

Just a few weeks ago, when my severe midback arthritis pain did not permit me to bike,

I started walking the wood trail through our wood garden.

I left through the front door and noticed a broken bird egg on the tiles in our front porch...

This was on May 17...

SAD sight!

Looking up, I spotted the nest, on the ledge above our Vintage Woodworks...

Clever, as it is rather high!

On May 23, I captured its resident...

It turned out to be the Eastern Phoebe, a fly catcher.

We sure were thrilled knowing what it was!

Here I spotted both; male and female Eastern Phoebe.

How sweet!

You hear our senior kitty Dido in the background, as I captured them through our dining room window.

Here it is on the railing and I love its eyes.

Insect eaters, so they catch also mosquitoes; a bonus to have them around!

Just like our tiny bats on the driveway side, behind the gable vent.

We have had lots of heavy rain and since I have to get up often during the night due to my kidney problems, I noticed that the Eastern Phoebe was high up on the nest.

Pieter mentioned, maybe there are chicks in it?

So today I took the lightweight aluminum ladder from the garage and brought it upstairs.

 Looked inside the nest, with my iPhone on selfie setting...

Guess there are four babies, 3 beaks are visible but the other is moving as well.

Thrilled to have them!

Are you having any birds nesting around your home?