Westgate River Ranch Lake Wales

... the oak grove to look at the view and enjoy the breeze. The sun dial also includes a carved graph that provides information about how to convert what you see on the dial to Eastern Standard Time ... not sure I've ever seen one of those before.

After viewing the gardens, I walked the Pine Ridge Preserve Trail -- it begins at the "Window by the Pond" -- a viewing shack for bird watching. As I entered, I thought, "It's like those viewing stations in African ...

... d be interested in sponsoring/hosting me for the night. The women at the counter looked at the man next to her. Yes. yes... yes! wow, I couldn't believe they were giving me a night. This was so exciting, I felt like I really needed a boost; a fresh start, a hot shower, a helping hand. The room was perfect, and I was able to pull my bike in. I dried my tent washed my ...

... Probably my age - been 36 too often now. The Archbold Research Station wasn't just good for Florida scrub jays. It also had this fantastic wasp spider and a gopher tortoise on the way out.

... should I take my hairdryer, what's the weather like over there......all sorts of information. I've been planning trips and making every bit of money I can before I leave, just so I can go. And let me just tell you, it's been a hectic few weeks. My trip starts off at Orlando International Airport. From there I fly to JFK Airport in New York, then on to Madrid, Spain, to begin my adventure. Hopefully my next entry will be from my new seņora's (Concha) house!

The trip back went well despite our delay in Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. The temps were hovering around -18C or 0F in Edmonton. Therfore, the reports of 50 degree temps in Orlando sounded very tropical to us! The photos added to this entry are to help remember the trip. Thanks to Carrie, Sean, Joe, Chris, Linda, and Ann for a fun trip. It was great getting to spend time with everyone and share in such a great, unique experience :)

We have now left Cayman and because of all the travelling and rushing around it has taken me 20 days to find the time to sit down and write the details of what we have been up to. I am now settled in France with a glass of red wine and the computer. Neil, Heather and Oscar Davidson left yesterday after a fantastic visit, but more about this in a later travelogue. Our departure from Cayman was relatively uneventful, apart from the fact that I had only 3 hours sleep and ...

This is my first entry for my trip to Miami. This is my third travel assignment and my first with Med Travelers. I will start working at Cedars Medical Center in downtown Miami on Monday 5/15/06. Its an assignment that will last for 3 months, possibly 4 months if Cedars and I like each other. I have to admit I was stressed at first trying to get everything prepared for the move here ...

... it is raining, and some other unidentified stuff is coming down. Fortunately the roads have not yet gotten cold enough for the precipitation to freeze, so the drive wasn't bad. I get to the airport and have to park in the remote "return your rental car here" lot. It is a hike, 5 miles at least. (not really, but it makes the story better)

... new home. It was a beautiful day with sunny blue skies and temperatures around 80. The water was wonderful though quite cold. We threw the football around for a bit and swam a little. However, it was hard to completely relax as we had been informed that the lake was home to several gators. Even though we were assured they only feed at dawn and dusk, you couldn't help jumping everytime you felt or heard something. Later that night, James' bro (John) cooked us up some ...

We arrived to a much warmer America, found ou red little hire car and headed off to find our motel in Kissimee. The thunder and rain started like you'd never believe, to the extent that I had to stop and pull off the road, as driving on the wrong side of the road and the car ahd thrown me for a while.