Farewell, Florida

Or, as they say down here, "BYE, Y'ALL!"

I know a few folks who will be glad to sleep

with their heads on their own pillows tonight!

Vacation Condo, Not

Here's a view of the lovely white sand beach from the vacation condo in Siesta Keys, Sarasota, where we stayed for three days. I'd just like to point out that while buying groceries for the condo, making meals in the condo, washing dishes and doing laundry in the condo, cleaning up the condo because it's for sale and the owners want to show it, and keeping everyone organized for wedding and pre-wedding activities (some of which were held -where else - at the condo), I never set foot on this lovely white sand beach.

The only sand I came in contact with was the stuff that stuck to my feet after everyone else went to the beach and then came back and shook out their towels and bathing suits in the condo. Did I mention it was a "vacation" condo? Do I sound like I'm complaining? As someone I dearly love always reminds me, "Oh, the abnegation of the mother!" But hey, at least I didn't get a sunburn in the condo...

Happy New Year from Animal Kingdom!

Animal Kingdom offers us a "peaceful" respite

from the last couple of days.

Long in the tooth! This cheeky llama kept

swinging around to get a closer look at us.

The gang lets loose somewhere on the African plains.

Pssst, Chloé, this isn't really Africa...

This morning at the pond in front of our hotel I was delighted to see a
blue heron, harbinger of prosperity and good fortune,
putting his best foot forward on the first day of the new year.

Magical Kingdom? More Like Mob Scene...

Try to find your shuttle bus. Wait for shuttle bus.

Take long ride on shuttle bus. Transfer to monorail. Repeat.

*

Crowded. Really Crowded.

No signs of an economic downturn here...

He's smiling because he's not down here...

Honestly, who waits two hours to go
on a two minute ride? Uh, everybody.

But the fireworks were truly spectacular.
New Year's Eve an eve early!