A quick stop in Florida

After Ecuador, I stopped for a few days in Florida to visit my beloved Nana, who will soon turn 96. My parents and my uncle from California also came out, so we turned it into a little family reunion.

Though the trip ultimately felt a little too short, it's always great to see my Nana and we had a lovely visit in the little time we had. We went out to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner one night, and ate lunch at Nana's dining hall in Countryside Lakes, so she could show us off to her friends there.

It was heartwarming to see the great affection that members of the staff have for my Nana, and she for them. She has a particularly special relationship with one of the waiters named Gilbert, who is Puerto Rican from New York. He was apparently the first person who waited on her when she first arrived at Countryside Lakes, and ever since then, they've had a special rapport. He always offers her extra dessert (I think everyone there knows about my Nana's sweet tooth) and sends her off with some extra cookies to take back to her apartment after lunch.

While in Florida, we also took an eco-tour, as we often do, along the Inland Waterway. This time was special because we got to see four manatees! I'd only seen a manatee once before, but it never surfaced. We had only seen its big blobby shape under the water. But this time we got to see their snouts poking up out of the water! (The photo below shows one of said snouts.) Pretty cool!

And of course we saw lots of dolphins, as usual. This time was particularly fun because we got to see them jumping around and playing, and then chasing after some fish which were jumping out of the water and trying to get away. Lots of action!

My dad and I were very well-coordinated that day, so we had to capture the moment:

And before we knew it, it was time for us to each head our own ways. A very brief, but wonderful family visit. I love you, Nana!