Bootilicious (pronounced: boh-ti-lish-ous)

On the agenda for Thursday was a visit to the 'Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve' nature reserve near Fort Meyers. As the second part of the name suggests, this is a nature conservation swamp area consisting mostly of cypress trees and home to a variety of animals. Of particular interest to us were the alligators and turtles.

On site, we were greeted by a relatively empty parking lot, from which you can walk around the area on a boardwalk trail for about 1 hour, surrounded by the silence of nature and our complaining child. The impressions were truly unique. This ecosystem demands a high adaptability from the plants, as they either have to withstand being very dry or half a meter underwater for half the year. Although Frederik tirelessly expressed his desire to see an alligator in its natural habitat - Do-Go-Diiiii (crocodile) - we unfortunately did not have any luck and did not get to see one. (I have now learned that alligators live in freshwater and are mostly harmless to humans unless they see them as a threat, for example if they have offspring. Crocodiles prefer saltwater and are more aggressive than alligators - although there are only a few hundred left in the entire USA.)

Unfortunately, we also did not see any woodpeckers or otters. We were not very lucky when it came to spotting animals. However, there were many dragonflies and crickets - which sound more like a circular saw here and not like a romantic summer idyll. In an adjacent lake, we caught a glimpse of the shells of two small turtles from a distance, but that was about it. We really enjoyed our walk through this unknown landscape, but Frederik was bored. He had to endure.

Sweating four times and two bottles of water later, we sat in a fast food restaurant with a big golden M, replenishing our blood sugar levels. For dessert, Freddy got to eat ice cream - all by himself ;)

Back in our foxhole, I quickly went shopping, then we made ourselves comfortable in our cool bedroom - TV ON! EURO 2016! GERMANY VS POLAND!! and then a little surprise for the little grandson. A boat. He saw it, was soooooo excited and shouted loudly: BOOOOOOTiiiiiii!!! and immediately boarded it to test in which position he could best relax and watch football. In the evening, the bootiiiii was dragged through the apartment and tested how and where and with which extras it could be equipped and used - he found it bootilicous!

And look who is commentating for the US television:

Then we had to accomplish something big before we could go to sleep.

Today, Friday, we wanted to test the boatiii in the sea, which had almost a mirror-like surface in the days before. When we stepped out the door, a long-forgotten cool breeze greeted us - a chilly 25°C. We packed our bags, now including the boatii, into the car, went to the beach and what did we find? Big waves? Barely any space on the sand to sit? That didn't matter. This cool breeze was simply wonderful! For us, but not for Freddy's boat ride. Well, we tried in ankle-deep water, but the rocking and swaying was not suitable for the sensitive and young sailor's stomach, so we retreated to the mainland. He liked it there as well. And then, DRIP, DRIP, DROOOOP... It started pouring rain. Soaked up to our shoes, we made it back to the car to drive back.

After lunch, we spontaneously decided to drive to the outlet about 35 minutes away. It was wonderfully empty and we strolled up and down. However, we didn't make any major finds. But that was okay.

Back in the apartment, it was time for dinner, bathing, and bed. We are now also putting our feet up and watching our new favorite channel, which is all about construction and restoration :)