The Land of 10,000 Islands

We took a road trip today to the land of 10,000 islands.  Just south of Marco Island the farthest point south on the western side of Florida in Collier County.  This area of islands is where the Everglades wetlands meet the gulf of Mexico.  The area consist of mangroves, oyster beds and sandbars.


10,000 Islands

We booked an eco tour with "Marco Island Eco Tours."  The cool thing about this was the mode of transportation for the tour.  It's a little 2 seater boat called a Craig Cat.  These things are like go-karts on water.





Our transportation today CraigCat

The tour lasted 2 1/2 hours.  We followed our guide Brandon through a maze of mangroves.  We had hoped to travel out to Cape Romano to see the Cape Romano Dome house but the surf was too choppy today to safely navigate out to the gulf.  If you get a chance google "Dome House of Cape Romano"  its a really interesting story and shows you the power of Mother Nature and how she has the ultimate say in what stays and what doesn't.


(not my picture) Dome House of Cape Romano

Our tour left at 11:30.  We waited too late in the week to book the trip and had to take the afternoon tour.  I think early morning would be better to see more wildlife since they are more active in the early morning hours.  The dolphins were plentiful and it was really cool seeing them up so close.




Hurricane Wilma tore through the 10,000 islands in 2005 at one time it was a Cat 5 storm. with a storm surge of 12'.  The damage done to the trees in this area is still evident today.  Our guide said its estimated that it will take 30 years for the foliage to fully recover. 






I truly don't know where this week has gone!  Have you ever noticed how life is a lot like a roll of toilet paper?  Bear with me here (pun intended).  Remember when you were young how time moved slower?  Summer vacations seemed to last forever.  Just like a fresh roll of toilet Paper it takes longer to make a complete revolution.  As we get older the roll gets smaller and smaller and the revolutions happen at an accelerated pace.

It doesn't matter whether you put the roll on over or under the unwind happens the same.  By the way Carol swears there's only one way to put on a roll of toilet paper.  If you want to make her mad just do it the opposite way.  I learned that very early on in our marriage.  Some other interesting facts about toilet paper I read somewhere that 7% of Americans steal rolls of TP from hotels. I'm happy to report we'll be leaving ours behind this week its only 1-ply!  TP wasn't packaged and sold in the US until 1857.  so that Sears catalog and Farmers almanac served a dual purpose back then.  It wasn't till 1935 that TP suppliers could promise "splinter free" TP.  OUCH!

For some of us life is like 1-ply kind of rough and not so smooth along the way.  For others its like 4-ply where things are cushy and soft.  Regardless what life has left for you lets hope you get a mega roll and when it is all said and done and your at the end of your roll you've accomplished all that you set out to do and not leave a mess for those who follow.

I know this blog has gone in the toilet.  If you were reading this in the library.  Don't forget to close the lid.













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