Woke up just after 2 am and couldn’t go back to sleep. Read a bit (Rachell gave me a great book for Step-Mothers Day), played a few games which usually sends me off to sleep, but no go!
Got up at 4.30 did a bit of packing, had breaky, finished packing, packed up the car and then stopped up the road to collect the rovers that were still there. 7.10 and peak hour traffic again, lol. But I didn’t mind the slow transit as I saw a flock/pack/gathering of vultures!!!!!!! In fact is was a good morning for birds. There are usually herons around wet areas on the side of the roads and there are 30,000 lakes in Florida, no wonder the place is just so green!
Went back and walked a couple of the areas from yesterday that I had had to miss, and the lakes edge is part of a birding trail. Saw roseate spoonbills (which are pink because they eat the same type of shellfish as flamingoes), a juvenile American white ibis (it’s brown, muscovy ducks (which apparently are native here) one lot displaying with tails wagging and heads bobbing and 2 of them with ducklings, which are always great fun to watch. A passerby who had brought her grandson to see the ducklings remarked that the numbers were dwindling, “Why” I asked, “‘gators” was the reply! So of course, then I was keeping an eye open for alligators! There were noisy black birds with round tails called boat-tailed grackles (isn’t google a wonderful thing!) and small black birds with a small red patch at the top of their wings, which turned into a glorious red-patch in flight, very pretty indeed. The local called them redtips but they are red-winged blackbirds.

Anyway on the way back from the last Trail munzee (couldn’t find the motel under the table) one of the ladies told me there was a young ‘gator up near the old boat ramp, which I was walking past anyway. Up near there was a young man perched on the side of s bench. I asked him about the ‘gator and he asked me if I was munzeeing. Tim is the local for the area and had popped out for a chat, it is always nice to meet up with others. We had a look for the ‘gator, but it had gone. Tim walked me back to my car and now I know someone who’ll be at the Event on Saturday, LOL.

Gave the GPS the address of the Space Coast Geocaching Store and just over an hour later I arrived. Met Barb, chatted, looked around the shop, bought a couple of things and ‘found’ a cache. Mind you it was a bit hard to miss, an enormous box outside the door, full of all sorts of things. Wandered off to get some of the many munzees around the store, popped back in and dropped off the rovers for Barb to look after for the night. And, now someone else I’ll know at the Event. As I was about to leave, Barb had spotted a special May Flower on small island reserve, the road which I had to drive past to get to the Motel, so that was great. Had a little walk there and then on to the Motel. Now the GPS has been good so far, but not this time. She took me to a Wine & Spirits Shop. I asked someone and she said it was a couple of traffic lights up the road, so 5 traffic lights later I turned right, pulled over and phoned, and of course it was at the next set of lights, so went round the block, turned left instead of right and had to do the whole get back to right spot again. The highway here in most places is 8-10 lanes of traffic and you can only go the other direction at lights, there are no breaks in the median strip. Oh well, got here, settled in a little early than check-in time and started writing this. Then figured as I have a full size fridge and a microwave in here I would walk to a supermarket and get some supplies for the next couple of days. The lass in the Office said it was quite a long walk, but as there were munzees on both sides of the road, I got directions and started. Found most of the munzees, but where the lights (and pedestrian crossings) had been quite close together near the Motel, the one after the supermarket (which of course was across the road) was a long way off. I stood there for several minutes, pushing the button occasionally when I finally saw there was another button for the direction I wanted to go, not the side road I had already crossed. Sigh!!! I don’t think it would have made much difference, the lights don’t change for a looong time. As there are so many lanes it takes a while to get across and though most cars stop for you, some of them sneak through in the bit you haven’t got to yet!
Found some salad packs and some plastic cutlery (free) and grabbed a gallon of water. Got a little lost leaving the shopping centre, headed down the wrong road, but I did realise before I went too far, LOL. Got back to the room and finishing off this, some dinner and then hopefully some sleep. xoxo

Tillandsia hangs in lots of trees

 Boat-tailed grackle

 Mum & bubs

 Red-winged blackbird

Couldn’t resist the lizard, like our fence skinks they are everywhere!

Tossed a bit, but did get some sleep, and didn’t really wake until 7.20, how decadent, lol.
Fiddled around for a while, online munzee stuff, and then left on the search for a sim. Traversed my first 4-way stop sign intersection (twice in fact), noticed that generally there are no number plates on the front of vehicles and most rear indicators are red not orange. Also noticed that speed signs are obviously for decoration, as no one, except me, seemed to see them. Traffic lights stay red for a very long time, far longer than at home!!
Found the shopping area with Verizon in it, and after a bit of a wait was told they couldn’t provide a sim for the iPhone, so I would have to go to AT&T, which was up the road about 5 minutes away. There was a Publix supermarket there so popped in and grabbed something for brunch and breaky tomorrow. Stopped up the road and couldn’t see anything that looked like AT&T, so a very nice lady in the Bank, pointed out the set of buildings further up and advised going the back way, not up the highway. So found the correct place, only to be told they only had one computer working properly and so I had to wait until it was available. Sigh, so left there just after 12, after being there the best part of an hour! But happy with a sim and a working phone!
Drove back to the motel so I could put my goodies into the fridge and then walked up the road to cap the Rover munzee Hunniees had put out for the rover drop. Only then discovering that Munzee was down and flummoxed the drop off plans. Oh well, the best laid plans of mice, men and munzee hunters…. lol. Waited around for a little while, but decided to head off to Kissimmee Lakeview Park and hope that Munzee would be working by the time I got there. It wasn’t!!
Decided on a wander by the lake anyway and there on the first lamp pole I passed was a nice blue mystery, so I scanned it, and yippee Munzee was up and I got 50 points. Much happier I carried on down the walkway, just scanning each lamp post until I got to one that said it was the 2nd in a Trail. I then had to back track to the first one and get that before continuing on.
Then it decided to rain, it’s 33 C, and raining, talk about broiled chicken, lol. I had left the brolly in the car, but it was basically a sun shower so cover wasn’t really needed, though over the lake behind it looked very heavy indeed, but a local said it was going the other way and it was! I couldn’t get as far as the 4th Trail munzee as I was expected at Joan’s for dinner, so headed back to the car, and found myself driving in peak hour traffic, talk about reminding me of home!!
Decided I really had to drop off those rovers as I was going past anyway, so did that and then on to Joan’s. We had a great dinner, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce (which comes out of a can and is sliced up) potatoes, peas, fruit salad, and then some more of that strawberry cake for dessert.
Marian is sleeping surround by eggs, she is a very happy girl! I had a tour of the cabinets of Joan’s eggs. Most amazing collection, they sparkle and glitter, hang and sit, play music and light up. No wonder she is a name in egg decorating circles. She also beads, not ony on her eggs, but pictures and jewellery, such beautiful stuff.
Back here now writing this and snacking on a few Californian cherries! Way past bedtime, so will catch you all tomorrow, driving to Merritt Island for 2 nights! xoxo

Well, I over estimated how long it took to get here, not 36 but 34.5 hours and that was with landing 30 minutes early at
Orlando, LOL.

Jason dropped us off at Perth Airport about 15.30 and after a wander through the shops we ducked into the ladies shower (for
the bench) so Marian could give me a hand putting on some compression socks for those dreaded swollen ankles. Well,
didn’t work, socks too small, so after another wander through the shops and purchasing another pair, we once again
attempted the feat, LOL,we must have looked a sight, and a South African lady helped with the finishing touches. A wait at the
gate and we twere off on our Emirates flight to Dubai at 6.09 (one minute early, LOL). The plane had lots of empty seats, so
we managed to have our row of four to ourselves. Didn’t sleep much, my longest for the whole trip was the first 2 hour nap on
that flight, after that they deteriorated to intemittent very short naps.
The food was very nice, with some interesting foods I’ve never even heard of, but rather tasty. However, overall we had 3
dinners and a pizza snack before we got a breakfast coming into New York.
There was lots of turbulence so a rather bumpy trip, and once at Dubai we had to circle as there was lots of traffic. Interesting
that it was so busy in the middle of the night! Anyway, watching the lights of the runway getting closer on these great cameras
they use nowadays, when we rather sharply went skyward again. Apparently there was still a plane on our runway, so we
circled yet again, and they were big circles, to the extent when we got off the Departures board had our next flight as
Boarding! So very rapidly we headed for the train to the other side of the airport and our gate, Missed the train and had to wait
another 3 minutes. Got to the other side and the Departures Board now says Final Call,6 minutes. Well to say we hurried is a
little understatement, but we got to the gate where they were still boarding, only to discover the 6 minutes meant walking time,
the plane was leaving in 10 minutes! Shattered we found our seats and as this flight was rather full, managed to have one
spare seat in the row of 4 this time. Shared it with a nice Indian man who slepy most of the time to our envious astonishment.
When he finally woke and was asked, apparently he does the trip quite often and has trained himself to sleep the time away.
Lucky beggar, lol.
Sunday in immigration in New York – 2 people on checking the arrivals with new travel visas, so needless ro say the queue
took a while, but reinforcements did finally arrive. Had our fingerprints scanned & photo taken and then on to claim our
baggage and go through customs. Caught another train to the domestic terminal and as our cases had already been checked
through to Orlando, we found the drop point and then queued for check-in. The man there designated us as TSR checked,
which meant we were not to take anything out of our cases at security, eveything had to stay inside them. Very odd!!!
Another wait at a gate, and then finally on the Orlando flight which was very full as well. Got off the plane, caught another train,
claimed our baggae, and then picked up the hire car, I am driving a grey Volkswagen Beetle on the wrong side of the road on
the other side of the world, LOL. The GPS took us quite nicely to Joan & Hal’s, and as it was still light made it a lot easier,
though like home, no one likes sitting on the speed limit! Joan fed us some great home made soup and some strawberry
cake, and then I left Marian there and made my way to my motel room for the first 2 nights. Am now unpacked & showered
and blog written and as it’s 20 past 10 in the evening, am going to see if I can get some sleep. First priority tomorrow is a sim
card and then some walking after these 2 days of inactivity interspersed with airport walking!
PS I know it’s late, but it is still Sunday here, Happy Mothers Day. xoxo
PPS It’s thundering outside……

Well, here I go again, off munzeeing in strange foreign places, lol. I am accompanying my friend Marian, of egg decorating persuasion to Florida. Marian will be spending the 2 weeks fully immersed in eggs and fancy stuff with Joan Huff, whilst I hit the streets in search of a munzee or 2. Starting from Perth we fly Emirates to Dubai then New York and then on down to Orlando, 36 hours without hiccups.

Joan is based in Poinciana, Kissimmee which is nice and central. So I will be visiting not only Kissimmee but Merritt Island (Cape Canaveral), Celebration (Disney World) and Brandon, before returning to Kissimmee to collect Marian and a night near the airport for a very early start back home.

OK, now to get back to the packing (most of the list is ticked), food shopping for Lucy Goosey, and a spot of housework before I can leave the house about 13.00. So I will catch you all later. Might be able to update from JFK as we have 5 hours there, but otherwise it will appear when I am compis mentis again, LOL.