January 8, 2018. The Iguana Terror Debunked - Sanibel and The Island Cow.

January 8, 2018.  The Iguana Terror Debunked - Sanibel and The Island Cow.  The mother of my first granddaughter smugly sent the first picture.  She read the last blog about the terrifying big lizard that crossed our backyard.  She scoffed at my description of the menacing reptile by forwarding a picture taken on their recent cruise.  She evidently thinks Annie and I were unnecessarily cautious.  The picture shows my fearless granddaughter cuddling with an iguana in Jamaica.  I think the iguana is drugged.  Either that or it is stuffed.  They do some pretty miraculous things in taxidermy these days.  What person in their right mind would pick up one of those ugly, fearsome, scaly things?  They bite, you know.  I wonder if the picture is photo shopped?  They do bite, I heard it on the news.  They do.  Lauren, put that thing down!

As predicted, it warmed into the lower 70s today and we drove to Sanibel.  We first visited the island about twenty years ago.  We have returned several times, once spending a week there in a vacation home.  Today, it bustled with tourists.  I don't remember it being that populous on our previous visits.

We lunched at the Island Cow, a popular eatery in the center of the island.  The Island Cow is an institution.  It is decorated inside and out with fascinating art.  There is a big green frog stuck on the ceiling.  It looks as though it was decorated by a deranged beach bum who had way too much time on his hands.  Still, it holds the attention of visitors.

After lunch, we strolled the beach.  There is no personal income tax in Florida.  However, the governments seem to charge the users for most public services and facilities.  There are toll roads everywhere you turn.  There is even a kiosk at the welcome center allowing visitors to rent a transponder which allows you to use the fast lane at toll booths.  There are toll bridges almost everywhere.  At the beach, it costs $5.00 per hour to park your car.

The beach was more crowded than I remember it being.  There were dorsal-finned amphibians near the shore.  Of course, Annie thought they were sharks.  I thought they were dolphins.  We settled the debate tonight when I showed her a picture - not included here - which depicted a head with a blow hole in it.  Sharks don't have blow holes.  They breathe through their gills.  Finally, a debate I won.  I don't win many.

You may recall some of the New England lighthouses from our trip last fall.  They were stately, many made of stone or brick.  They evinced a certain dignity and inspired awe.  Most had lightkeeper houses attached.  The lighthouse on the south end of Sanibel is a steel and cable structure apart from the lightkeeper house.  While less impressive than its New England cousins, it works and has guided sailing ships for more than a century.  It was first illuminated in 1884.

We will go back to Sanibel and its companion island, Captiva, before we leave.  I want to see if it is always as crowded as it was today.  I'll let you know what I conclude.  That's it for today.

Goodnight.