I have to confess that it has been hard to adjust back in to the routine here in the UK after my great trip to my favourite destination, Florida. Of course everyone associates the State with the the theme parks and Disney but it is so, so much more and to me it offers opportunities to do and enjoy all of my favourite outdoor experiences. The beaches are absolutely fabulous with glorious weather and azure seas. Sunsets and the sunrise have to be seen to be believed and wildlife is abundant even in the heavily built up areas. Sea Turtles nest on the beaches and fresh water turtles ……… terrapins to the rest of the world show themselves constantly. Lizards and geckos scurry through the undergrowth constantly and feral Iguanas are abundant almost everywhere and in plague proportions in some. Blossoming trees adorn the gardens and parks with squirrels and woodpeckers competing for space. Manatees are in the waterways, I saw them 6 feet away on one memorable Sunday morning dawn! Herons and Ibis nest only feet from visitors in several wildlife refuges and even the common birds like Grackles and Doves are a great spectacle. If I have one criticism at all, there is an obsession by every American with an interest,  to turn the whole thing in to a sanitised "wildlife theme park" and almost every wildlife area has toilet facilities that would rival a good hotel in any other part of the world. But, parking is free as is the entry at most, and at least that way there is no litter or obnoxious behaviour. So once you are used to the inevitable  "have a nice day" greeting, you can enjoy the experience and imagine that you are actually in the wild! The people are lovely, friendly and sincere and those that I met either observing or photographing were so nice. I met a few people with a good knowledge of their local environment but most, and that included uniformed park staff know very little about the wildlife that surrounds them even describing cormorants as ducks and not knowing that the brown Ibis are actually young White Ibis for example. Thankfully conservation is on the agenda which has perhaps arrived as an afterthought because vast areas of the Everglades have been drained and turned into yet more sanitised suburban communities. Amongst these conurbations though are massive recreational parks and wildlife areas which give a glimpse of the real environment which once existed and still does further west some 25 miles from the coast and beyond. This is very convenient for wildlife watchers like myself as wildlife is contained in these areas in large numbers and can be observed at close quarters. All in all as I have said South Florida is a great place to visit, there is something special about a place where you can wear sandles and deck shoes for 3 weeks and forget what it actually feels like to have socks on your feet,  and occasionally have the need to step out of the air con to get warm. Even at 7 in the morning the air is warmer outside on your balcony than in doors!