January 25
An interesting afternoon in Ft. Myers visiting the complex that houses
the homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.
the homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.
Edison built his winter retreat here between 1885-87 and later invited his friend Henry Ford to be his neighbor. The two good friends spent some parts of summer next door to each other for many years.
Henry Ford bought his home home next door in 1916 and enjoyed the company of the Edisons for dinners and parties in the warm Florida sunshine. Edison was hard of hearing and didn't particularly enjoy large gatherings because he couldn't hear the conversation. So Henry Ford would tell him ahead of time what the joke or story was that he would be telling so Edison could laugh at the appropriate time. That's what friends do for each other.
Both homes are filled with period furnishings. A pink and white tea service is arranged on a tiny table. The front porches are filled with white wicker furniture made comfortable with chintz covered cushions. The reproduction Tiffany lamps are correct for the period since Ford was known for his extreme frugality and wouldn't have spent the money for real Tiffany lamps.
Also ironic the fact that Henry Ford was a terrible driver and only got behind the wheel of a car several times in his life when he scared the devil out of everyone so his son mostly drove him around.
The unlikely friendship of these two iconic geniuses ended with Edison's death in 1931.
Ford never returned to the compound.
Later that day at the Groves RV Park I do the laundry.
Yes, it's possible to do the laundry AND
work on your tan.
The store closed in 1982 when the owner died and most of the merchanadise stayed put until a community group reopened it as a museum.
The old stuff is all still there making us feel like antiques as well. Wandering thru we remember using some of it and wonder what it is doing in a museum?!
More local wildlife at Big Cypress National Preserve.
Wonder if one of these alligators will show up on the road in front of me at some point. It happens.
Neither a Snowy Egret nor an Ibis,
I'm guessing this is an Anhingas.
They swim underwater to spear their prey,
then after resurfacing with a fish speared on its bill,
they slide the fish to the tip its bill,
flip the fish in the air, and swallow it head first.
Headed back down the Tamiami Trail, hwy 41, toward Key West to wait for the weather to get warmer up North before continuing my trip. Big snow storms all over the midwest.
Mother Nature is telling me to stay put in Florida a little while longer. No prob.
work on your tan.
Working my way down the Gulf coast I meet Bob near Everglades City and we stop at the Ochopee Post Office, the smallest in the US. Originally an irrigation pipe shed, it became the P.O. when the old one burned down in 1953.
We checked out the Smallwood Store which has been a Trading Post since 1917.
It sits high on barnacled pillars and overlooks the brackish bay at about 10 feet above sea level.
The store closed in 1982 when the owner died and most of the merchanadise stayed put until a community group reopened it as a museum.
The old stuff is all still there making us feel like antiques as well. Wandering thru we remember using some of it and wonder what it is doing in a museum?!
More local wildlife at Big Cypress National Preserve.
Wonder if one of these alligators will show up on the road in front of me at some point. It happens.
Neither a Snowy Egret nor an Ibis,
I'm guessing this is an Anhingas.
They swim underwater to spear their prey,
then after resurfacing with a fish speared on its bill,
they slide the fish to the tip its bill,
flip the fish in the air, and swallow it head first.
Headed back down the Tamiami Trail, hwy 41, toward Key West to wait for the weather to get warmer up North before continuing my trip. Big snow storms all over the midwest.
Mother Nature is telling me to stay put in Florida a little while longer. No prob.
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