Friday the 13th!
Bud and Carol came down from Lake Placid to join us for a trip to Fleamaster’s in Ft Myers, lunch and to visit the Edison/Ford Winter Estates. They were late and we started to be concerned because the day had started out very foggy and their trip down was to take an hour. Ha! They had followed their GPS like we did and “she” took them to the opposite side of the locks - just like “Lily” had done to us! As we had to, they also had to go 10 more miles to get to a bridge and back down to this side and our spot! Laughs were exchanged and off we went!
Fleamaster’s is the well known, very large, weekend flea market and it must have been well known because it was very crowded and very noisy, but H, Bud and I all found something to buy. Lunch was the Oasis Café in downtown Ft Myers and was worth the stop!
Thomas Edison purchased his 13 acre estate on the Caloosahatchee River (aka the Okeechobee Waterway!)in 1885 and built his Seminole Lodge in 1886. He and his wife made several additions - like the swimming pool in 1907 and Edison’s office and Moonlight Garden in 1928 when Mr. Edison was 80! The original Laboratory that was on the site of the office and garden are now in Greenfield Village!
In 1916, Henry Ford purchased the house next door so he could vacation with his good friend Thomas. Another good friend, Harvey Firestone gave a 4 foot Banyan Tree to Mr. Edison in 1925 when the 3 gentlemen went into business together, trying to find a domestic source to make rubber from the sap of the Banyan trees. This tree is now over an acre in diameter and is said to be the second largest in the world.
Our journey took us out to the causeway to Sanibel Island but since it was so late in the day (and the fee is now $6 to cross) we declined the ride and headed home. Before our goodbyes and hugs, we stopped for supper at the Rib House on Rt 80. Yummy ribs with 3 kinds of BBQ sauce to top them! After Bud and Carol left, H and I settled in to watch the rest of the sunset and enjoy a cup of coffee in the peaceful evening- in our comfy chairs by the calm waters of the river.
