What a lovely place! It was made even more special for us by being the guests of Rick and Mary from Exhale. We were met in the channel after sailing down Charlotte Sound and escorted to their canal home. Their neighbour was very accommodating with us traipsing through his side yard to get to Bushranger.

We were having such fun we stayed with them for five days. They showed us ‘their’ Ft Myers. Rick and Mary took us to a canal near a power plant to see manatees in the wild. And yes, we saw them! They are the most amazing graceful creatures.

The girls shopped and explored. Mary and I went to see the winter vacation homes of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, who not only were two of the richest and most admired men in USA, but were very good friends and bought their vacation homes to be side by side along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers. And as luck would have it, the day we visited there was a car show happening in the grounds! 

We found time to eat at Ft Myers Beach, have lunch at a very nice tea house, Wisteria, and pound the pavements of the historic downtown. 

The guys did boy things – fitted a very handy Heather handrail for climbing onto the bridge. The clever design doubles up as a line (rope) dryer. They enjoyed their time planning, purchasing and building the rail. And it works!

We dined and played and chatted and laughed. And to think we only knew them for three days before we descended upon them! Some day we hope to return their hospitality. Thanks a million.

Such is Life!