Day 12 Venice, Florida

Having difficulty typing as my body is badly burnt from a full day at one beach, then another, and then a pool. We're recovering here in Venice, Florida at Erin's grandparents house. They are a couple of quiet and kind retirees, with interesting stories about their trucker days. Even as I type this now, one ear is turned towards their conversation with my road companions about close calls behind the wheel of a big rig. It makes me feel less concerned with our little "fuel" mishap yesterday.

This morning we woke up to the sound of a curious cardinal, pecking on the window. The birdfeeders in the backyard attract various species, and I've tried to sit out in the garden, hidden behind the bushes in an attempt to get a sneak shot of the birds when they feed. I've been able to get a good shot of a squirrel, two pigeons, a woodpecker, and a sparrow - but everytime I line up the cardinal in my viewfinder sights, it takes flight.

We're much calmer today than yesterday when tensions were high after the car "broke down." We have no aloe, and are too cheap to buy any, so we broke off a piece of a cactus and rubbed it all over our pink bodies.

I think I'm set for sodium intake for the rest of the trip. I swallowed enough salt water at the beach to make my throat sore. The water here in Florida (along the gulf) is suprisingly salty, and really green, and very warm. But beautiful.

Heading to the Everglades soon.

Posted by Jeffrey
from inside the belly of an alligator