Zoe here, along with hundreds of shore birds, wading birds, feeding frenzies (not mine), new friends, and my sister, Phaedra. We can’t believe that on Monday, we are getting up early and beginning the journey north. All this week, it has been so hot that WE even got to go to the beach. If you remember, Papa and Mama spent a lot of time on the beach while we waited patiently at home for them to return. We love all of the Sanibel beaches. Did you know that dogs are welcome on every beach on the island? That’s right, every beach! We do have to stay on our leads, but sometimes I escape from Papa’s hands and charge down the beach after my ball. Phae loves to put her feet in the water, but since it’s only 75* now, I think I’ll wait for a later time and warmer water.
Phaedra and I have learned so much this vacation that we are qualified to teach about birds and their behaviors, alligators and crocodiles, manatees, and plants that surround the Education Center. I really think I learned too much. My brain is so full of Latin names for plants and trivia (about things like how big baby manatees are) that sometimes I can’t remember where I put my ball. Sometimes, though, it’s not because I can’t remember, it’s because Papa has hidden it in the truck just so he doesn’t have to throw it for me. That’s not very fair, is it?
We will miss our “Gated Community” a lot. There are some really great Interns who live right along with us. Joe came here from San Francisco and is a BIG sports fan. His team is Louisville. Papa goes over to his place at the end of each game and they talk and talk about it as if they can change the end of the games. Rachel, from New Hampshire, is another intern, and she and Joe work together in the biology department. They are always going out in kayaks or boats to count alligators, roosting birds, bobcats, and a bunch of other critters. Joe has set up motion sensor cameras in the mangroves and sanctuary to see who is out there. One night Papa and Phaedra and I walked across the street into the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) lands to see if we could find any bobcats. We only found Joe’s camera. He loved our pictures along with a pair of legs. He guessed who had triggered his camera! Then there is Jenny. She is a biology education intern and always has a wonderful smile every time she visits our deck. It is so much fun having all these people around. I have a new uncle, too. His name is Von. He loves to tease me with my ball. I go looking for him every time I go outside. If Mama won’t throw my ball, Uncle Von will. 
Bailey, our doggie friend, took her people, Woody and Judy, and left two weeks ago to return to Colorado. Bailey was obsessed over anoles. They are lizards. Mama really likes them and even got a book so she could identify anoles. Bailey would spend hours chasing them around the deck and up the palm tree trying to catch them. She never did! I bet I could have gotten one of them. I wonder how they taste. My ball is better, I bet! 
Papa and Mama finished their research on insects and plants for this year. Ranger Jeff asked them if they wanted someone else to work on it or if they wanted to take up the research next year. I am really surprised that both of them said they wanted to keep the project. You should have heard all the bellyaching and kvetching that Phaedra and I had to hear. Ranger Jeff even threatened to get out his stick and hit Papa with it if he didn’t work on the project. Guess what? Papa began to enjoy bugs.
It’s going to be different when we get home. We look forward to seeing our friend, Parker, and her family. We can’t wait to have out back yard to run in, but here we’ve had a really big area to run in, too. We’ll sure miss all the people.
You know, Sanibel welcomes dogs out on the patios of all restaurants. We never got to go; we just heard all about the cute and well-behaved dogs they met. They met lots more people than dogs, too. Who would believe that Papa and Mama would meet so many new friends on Sanibel? They just seemed to get “picked-up” by so many interesting people. They were always going out to dinner or playing bridge with their new friends. They saw beautiful homes, were offered kayaks to use, invited to parties, and now they have a long list of people that they are staying in touch with until they return. I overheard that they are kind of worried about keeping busy when they get home. They have gotten used to being so busy that hope they’ll still find things to be involved in. There’s no worry, though. I will make sure that every waking moment they throw me a ball. That’ll keep them busy!
So, for now, Phaedra and I say farewell to Sanibel, to the birds, to the people from far and wide who make Sanibel home.Zoe
