"FLORA-DAYS"

This past weekend marked the 18th year I have traveled to Florida for the National Reptile Breeders Expo. This was the 21st year for the Expo, having started in Orlando, Florida. As the event grew larger & attracted more people, it moved to Daytona Beach 10 years ago.

In past years, I have made attending the Expo a part of my "Florida Vacation", although since I retired, EVERY day is a "vacation". I would visit with my Mother in Wildwood, Florida & arrive in Daytona Beach a few days early to lay on the beach & enjoy the ocean.

Not this year.

As I have done one time previously -- in Orlando -- this year was a "weekend event" for me ... traveling on Friday & returning on Monday.

Thursday was actually the start of my plans for the Expo. That was the day I had to pack up "The Girls" & take them to Foster Animal Hospital. Not only were they boarded there, but it was also time for each one's annual exams & booster shots. There was a lot of "complaining" on the drive to the Vet.

In the great movie, The Accidental Tourist, the character writing travel books, played by William Hurt, points out that when we die, we will probably have to transfer through Atlanta, Georgia. It's obvious. It's one bustling airport.

Friday morning, I had a 6 A.M. flight to Atlanta. Of course, I was at the Little Rock airport before 5 A.M. Airports are filled with all sorts of ... ah ... "different" people. Especially at the early hour of 5 A.M.

Atlanta is the busiest airports in the United States. One of the biggest, too. I used my time before my connecting flight to Daytona Beach to get my exercise by walking the (busy) concourses. No riding the Tram for me.

In Daytona Beach, looking West, from the Hilton Hotel, the large white buildings in the upper left corner make up the Ocean Center complex. The "domed" building is the arena, where the Expo was held for many years. With the addition of the convention center (far building ... completed three years ago) there is much more room for the show itself & the displays of over 500 vendors.

The Daytona Hilton is a great hotel & I always enjoy my stay there, even the two years there were hurricanes. Well, maybe NOT hurricane "Charley". That did a LOT of damage to the hotel & the surrounding area.

The above photo is of the South Tower & is the original hotel, from when it was an Adams Mark Hotel.

This is the newer, North Tower & is the building I always stay in. This year my room was on the 10th floor. All rooms have an ocean view.

Almost every day at the beach is B-E-A-utiful. I thought I was going to "help" for several hours with one of the vendors at the Expo, but plans ... ah ... "changed", so I was able to get in several hours of "beach time" Saturday A.M.

It being Summer time in Florida, the heat & humidity brings afternoon thunder storms. This one circled around from the North & looked quite ominous. However, directly at the hotel, there was very little rain.

I did notice some fools -- standing in the water !!! I kept waiting for them to get hit by lightning. Finally, the Beach Patrol drove up & made them vacate. Spoiled my fun.

And the next day ... another fine day started all over again. It keeps me thinking ... maybe I should move to Florida ... while I am STILL young !!

I enjoyed my (brief) stay in Daytona Beach. The Expo was interesting; lots of unique, captive bred reptiles (NO wild caught) & old friends to see & greet once again, along with new faces & new friendships.

CONFIDENTIAL: I did purchase two "Cherry Head" Tortoises & two "Pastel" Turtles. Don't ask me how I got them home. What the airline doesn't know -- at least in this case --won't hurt them.

Then early A.M. Monday, it was off to the Daytona airport for my flight to Atlanta once again, no less busy than it was previously. I again did my "walking" as well as "looking" at the thousands of people all in the airport "traveling".

I was back in Little Rock on time & made a quick stop at home, mostly to drop off my luggage, take care of the new arrivals & check with my neighbor.

Then, off to the Vet to get "The Girls". I admit ... I cried a bit when I first saw them in their cages; meowing at me, pacing back & forth & "crushing" my hand & fingers as I reached through the bars to touch them. I was soooo glad to be getting them back & taking them home.

Still, Wobs was again hard to get into the carrying case. Not so with Precious & Nibblets. In they went. (But ... they "complained" the whole way home.)

We're all settled back in now. It seems to take a few hours & trips in/out of the house when they first get home -- one goes out, as one comes in -- before all The Girls settle down & get back into their routines.

As for me, despite bringing home a wicked head cold, I had my usual great time at the Expo & my time in "Flora-Days ... with it's ... Blue Sky's & Ultra Violet Rays".