Blue and red

Bougainvillea branch, hanging over the lake

In 1768, when Admiral Louis de Bougainville (a French navigator and military commander) began his long journey to the Pacific Ocean and discovered the vine that now bears his name, it was the botanical highlight of the voyage.

Through the ensuing years, this Brazilian beauty has assumed its rightful place as one of the most popular, spectacular and beautiful tropical plants.

And a perennial favorite of mine...

Fish story

I caught this wood stork catching a fish...

...now fish for my catch here ;-)

Hem cat

So by now you probably heard that when Hemingway settled in Key West, Florida around 1931, he was gifted a six-toed (polydactyl) cat by a ship's captain. Today there are around 60 descendants of that cat roaming freely around Hemingway's Home and Museum on the island.

Most of them are named after a famous artist (Pablo Picasso, Emily Dickinson), but I could not find out the name of this black beauty so I baptized him Nikon - for our fellow blogger and lover of cats and all things Hemingway...

Day 5 and a quiz

For the past 2 weeks we hosted our good friends from Germany. We knew that they were both athletic and adventurous, but they totally wore us out!!! For the next few days I will show you just some of the things we did on their vacations!

I will end this series with our weekend escapade to Key West. What can I say about the Conch Republic besides its being the southernmost city in the continental United States?

It assaults all of your senses: it is funky and sexy and oh, so tropical...For more, visit here .

I will combine this post with the old perennial favorite (!) - Quiz Tuesday# 41. Today's question: Can you guess where this photo was taken?

Here are some clues: 1. yes, we are still in Key West, and 2. some of those cats are polydactyl...

Day 4

For the past 2 weeks we hosted our good friends from Germany. We knew that they were both athletic and adventurous, but they totally wore us out!!! For the next few days I will show you just some of the things we did on their vacations!

Are you still with me? Well, hold on tight...
One morning we drove to Everglades City and bravely climbed onboard an airboat for a Safari Tour through the swamp...What fun! I highly recommend it, if you are in the area. Click here for a short video.

Later that day, we visited an alligator farm. If you ever wanted to hold a (baby) gator or watch an adult one swallow a snake - this is the place for you! For more info, click here.

BTW - how would you like to have that job?

Day 3

For the past 2 weeks we hosted our good friends from Germany. We knew that they were both athletic and adventurous, but they totally wore us out!!! For the next few days I will show you just some of the things we did on their vacations!

One overcast morning, our visitors on steroids (as we lovingly referred to them) insisted on paragliding on Fort Myers Beach. It was an exhilarating experience, gliding in the air, water dips at extra cost ;-)


You'd think that would be enough excitement for one day. But nooooo...That afternoon we took a 4 hour kayaking trip through the alligator infested Spring Creek to Estero Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately, the gators stayed away, but we could almost touch this 6 foot tall Great Blue Heron, fishing in the mangroves.

Day 2

For the past 2 weeks we hosted our good friends from Germany. We knew that they were both athletic and adventurous, but they totally wore us out!!! For the next few days I will show you just some of the things we did on their vacations!


Early one morning we piled into our friends rented convertible (cabriolet, as they call it) and took a day trip to Miami.
We spent most of the day ogling the beautiful people on South Beach and the beautiful Art Deco buildings off the beach.



Around midday, we had a scrumptious meal at Oriente - a Cuban and Asian influenced restaurant inside the Cardozo Hotel, owned by Gloria Estefan.

And yes, we enjoyed some mojitos before the meal ;-)

Day 1

For the past 2 weeks we hosted our good friends from Germany. We knew that they were both athletic and adventurous, but they totally wore us out!!! For the next few days I will show you just some of the things we did on their vacation!

One morning we ventured into Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and took the 2.25-mile raised boardwalk through four distinct environments: a pine upland, a wet prairie, a cypress forest, and a marsh. Encountered quite a number of wildlife but no bears! Whew!

Click here if you want to take their virtual tour.

That evening we took a boat to Big Hickory Island and went swimming in Estero Bay as the fog rolled in. We had to leave sooner than expected as the fog became a safety concern for the boat trip back.

Believe it or not, we considered spending the night on the beach ;-)

Theme day - graffiti in your town

5th Avenue South

The Naples (commercial) gangs strike again!

Since the definition of graffiti is lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property, I think this fits today's theme, don't you?

Almost 150 City Daily Photo blogs participate in today's theme day. Please pay them a visit below:

Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, Aliso Viejo (CA), USA by Rodney, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Cologne, Germany by April11, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Detroit (MI), USA by Taittems, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Evry, France by Olivier, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Jsaltao, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montréal, Canada by Douber, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by MumbaiIteanu, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK by Cassie & Chris, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Radonvilliers, France by Deslilas, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation by Lark, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Terre Haute (IN), USA by Zann, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Wrocław, Poland by Loompi, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn

Give me a break...please!

From the storefront of "The lady from Haiti" boutique downtown Naples.

This is exactly how I feel today...well, maybe not so chipper ;-)

Let me explain. For the past 2 weeks we were hosting our good friends from Germany. We knew that they were both athletic and adventurous, but they totally wore us out!!! For the next few days I will show you just some of the things we did on their vacation!

(BTW - this was their first visit to the States and with the euro at an all-time high, they were...well, like kids in a candy store! Our food, gas and clothing seemed ridiculously inexpensive to them!)

The signs of spring...

A pair of Stinkpot turtles feeling frisky in the marshes...

Are you getting spring fever?

Naïf

There is a funky Caribbean art gallery and gift boutique in the heart of downtown Naples, called "The lady from Haiti".

This painting is just one of many vibrant works by the artist E Jean-Louis.

To see more paintings (and read about "the lady" herself), you can visit here.