Edison and Ford Winter Estates

I can't believe I have lived here for 17 years and never been to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates before!  It is really fun and a beautiful piece of property.  My husband and I did the whole thing, including the gardens, houses, museum, and botanical lab, on a self-guided tour with an audio guide about a year ago.  The entry fee was $20 each and it took us about 2 hours to cover it.  There is a lot of history and fun facts throughout the properties on signs and via the audio guide.  Plus it is located on the Caloosahatchee River and benches have been placed all over to relax and enjoy.  It was really beautiful! Rarely are you told that you can walk on the grass at these historical locations, but here you can explore wherever you want and are told only to avoid stepping on the roots of trees and not pick any fruits or flowers.

Walking around the estates reminded us of being in Italy and going through the palaces, gardens, and museums.  And thinking about that trip is getting me excited for our next trip to Spain this summer!

Chardonnay In Memoriam

This is a post about my family dog.  He was a West Highland White Terrier named Chardonnay, or Chardy for short.  He lived to the ripe old age of 17 and has been gone for a year.  I love and miss him every day.

This was him after we first got him.  Look how tiny and scared he looks!

I love how cute he was.

See what I mean?

I love how he would let us do ridiculous things, like put him in a box with my sister...

...and on the counter with a turkey...

...and mixed in with my stuffed animals...

...and whatever is going on here.

He wanted us to be together and was sad when we would leave, especially with luggage.

I love how he would always find a comfy place to sleep, like on a pile of laundry...

...or on his favorite perch (sorry we bugged you)...

...or this comfy sun bed.

I love how he would be my companion (or in this case Toto) when I needed him,

but he would usually only give me one chance to snap a picture, so I tried to get it right the first time.

I love how he would pop up in the funniest places in our pictures. (Example 1)

(Example 2)

I love how he could always enjoy a nice warm breeze,

long walks, 

and sunbathing.

But most of all, I just loved how sweet he was!

We love you Chardy!