Polly want a cracker?

Nicest day so far, the temperature reached the average high for the date.  As previously noted we are not complaining.  But today was mid 70s, not much in the way of wind and a very pleasant level of humidity, nicest day so far.

We journeyed across the world's scariest bridge to Punta Gorda (or perhaps Poonta Gorda) to the BIG banyan tree over there by the Jim Cantore memorial hurricane hotel site.

That line is probably a little too inside to be decipherable by nearly anyone but me but here goes:  We know someone who thinks that the Tamiami Trail bridge from Port Charlotte to Punta Gorda is a terrible scary bridge the crossing of which is an absolute low light of her life, there was a famous weather stand-up in front of a hotel over there in the early to late early stages of Hurricane Charley in 2004, it IS a really big banyan tree and there is a division of authority over the accepted pronunciation of the name of that town.

The most fun of the day, however, was had down by the parrot tree.  I checked the Wikipedia article and southwest Florida is outside the natural range of parrots but it appears that enough parrots have escaped or perhaps have been released in Punta Poonta that they have established themselves into a nice little colony in some palm trees near the YMCA about half way down the series of waterfront  parks over there.

And by golly are they ever noisy.

They are a little hard to spot at first as they are parrot colored which sorta blends in with the tree.  This also renders photography difficult.

But I persevered and got a photo of fauna so exotic that they are not just exotic to a mid-continent guy, they are exotic to Florida.

There must have been a dozen or more parrots but not a single one of them responded to polly want a cracker.  I suppose that once freed they cast off the language of their serfdom and give voice to their true feelings.  Did I mention they are really, really noisy?

Sunset rapidly approaching.

Nicest day so far.