January 30-31, 2015

Friday, January 30th

 

We had another quiet day hanging out at the condo. After all, we do have to take time to wash our clothes and take care of some other things.
 

I had left overs for lunch today and the best part of the meal was that I also had some leftover wine to drink. It seems like everything tastes better with wine! I haven’t tried it with a PB&J sandwich----yet.

 

 

We took a quick run out to Walmart and I have never seen such a nice area in one of their parking lots.

 

 

We saw a vehicle towing a boat and the motor looked huge!

 

 

When we took our walk through the neighborhood late this afternoon, we strolled up to the Club House and checked out the swimming pool. There were three people basking in the sun. We haven’t taken advantage of the pool and hot tub yet, but it is only a matter of time until we do.
 

I found it interesting to see that there are two parking spaces reserved at the Club for the male and female golf club champions. That’s a nice perk, especially since their names are written on the signs.

 

 

There were more ibises walking around in the neighborhood yards today. I think I have seen more of them than I have of squirrels!

 

 

When the sun set tonight, I was reminded of the old hymn, “Now the Day is Over”.
 

Now the day is over,

Night is drawing nigh;

Shadows of the evening

Steal across the sky.

Jesus, give the weary

Calm and sweet repose;

With Thy tend'rest blessing

May mine eyelids close.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, January 31st

 

Wow, it’s hard to believe how quickly the time has passed! Already one-third of our vacation here in Fort Myers is over.
 

Today we went to Wild Turkey Strand Preserve. It was acquired as three parcels in 2001, 2003 and 2008 and totals 3,137 acres. Preserves such as this one are immensely important since 93% of Florida residents get their drinking water from ground water sources—more than any other state. Due to negative impacts that result from withdrawing too much water from the aquifers, only a fraction of that amount is available for use. The preserve provides the ability for the land to absorb water to prevent flooding and to help keep the aquifer supplied with clean drinking water.

 

 

We hiked at least 1.8 miles in the Wild Turkey Strand Preserve.

 

 

 

Portions of this site were once part of the Buckingham Army Air Field’s Flexible Gunnery School. It was here that recruits trained over 5 weeks as turret gunners assigned to bomber planes flying in the European and Pacific Theaters during WWII. I thought it was appropriate that we saw several airplanes flying over while we were here. Today, they were commercial airplanes, but I could imagine how it must have sounded during 1942-1945.

 

 

 

 

 

By the war's end, more than 50,000 gunners had trained here.  The airfield and gunnery school included runways and taxiways, a railway, rifle and small arms ranges, skeet and trap shooting ranges, ground moving target ranges, parachute/ditch training grounds, and hundreds of buildings.

 

 

 

As I was standing on one of the remaining concrete turret foundations, I paused to think about all of the men who had been in this very place and was thankful again for the sacrifices they made for our freedom.

 

 

There are two solid concrete structures on the site and no one is really sure what purpose they served. There are two ventilation holes on the front—one of which is very near ground level. I peeked inside one of the buildings and was amazed to see an uncountable number of wasps nests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part of the trail is comprised of a rubberized material that makes it easier for a handicapped person to travel. Boardwalks make up a very small portion. Most of it is just a trodden path on the sandy like soil or grass. However, some sections are covered with gravel and a seashell mixture which we have never traveled on in Maryland.