When we arrived at our lodging, a large condominium complex, I was pleased to see that there were surrounding areas of woods, as well as many ponds. On our first day, we went for a brief drive through the complex just to enjoy the view. I was stunned to see a pair of swans in the main pond. Not because I hadn't seen swans before, because I had. But these swans were immense! They had to be at least three times the size of any swans I'd seen before. Even my "we've already been here and seen that" traveling companions were amazed at their size. My friend Marie kept wanting to see armadillos, and one day I said, "We're going to see an armadillo on the way home tonight." And wouldn't you know it, we saw one just a few buildings away from where we were staying.
We also saw several opossums, a critter I have never seen in Colorado. We have some here, but not as far west as the Front Range area. What really amazed me the most, though, were the birds. There were multiple varieties of cranes and herons, and large birds of every color. One morning when we were headed to the parks, we were delayed by a group of large birds casually strolling down the street. Naturally I made my friend Thayne stop the car so that I could walk behind them and take some photos. And one day we even saw a gator in a large pond off the highway, his eyes and nose barely above the water, waiting for something delicious to swim by and become dinner.
And there was no shortage of fun at Disney. Not only were there fun rides and great food, but lots of wonderful people. We met people from all over the world. There were Canadians who were glad to get away from the sub-zero temperatures back home. And forgive me for perpetuating a stereotype, but the Canadians we met were all very polite! We sat at the same table with a delightful couple from Perth, Australia one night at dinner. They had been from coast to coast; their travels had taken them to California, Arizona and the Grand Canyon, and then to Florida. While the Canadians were enjoying the warmth, the Aussies were enjoying a climate a little cooler than the hot summer weather they were having at home.
I also enjoyed talking with various employees (they are referred to as "Cast Members") at the Disney parks. They come from across the US to work there, as well as from around the world. They come in all ages, shapes, and sizes. There was one evening I decided that some of the younger Cast Members had limited experience with life. Trent went into one of the gift shops looking for a cover for his cell phone. I was wandering around and got back to his location just as he was finishing his purchase. We started to walk out when he realized he had forgotten something. There was a purchase-with-purchase and he wanted to ask if he could take advantage of it if it was something I'd like to have. We turned around and went back to the counter, where he asked if it was too late to make that purchase. He was told it was okay, and he replied, "Well, I have to ask my wife if she wants it. Where's my wife?" The funny thing is that I was beside him the whole time, but slightly out of his range of sight. And naturally when he turned to look for me, he turned his back on me. So the whole time he was asking, "Where's my wife?" she (I) was right there. In my usual smartypants manner, I said, "MyWife is right here."
The young staff members thought that this was hysterical. They were laughing and saying, "Oh, my gosh, she is so funny! Did you hear her? She said MyWife is right here! That's so cool!" Trent and I got a chuckle out of their enjoyment of the moment, and I decided I didn't want the sequined reversible tote bag, so we went on our way. I loved it when when we had only gone a few steps and I heard one of them say, "She is the funniest person I have ever seen! Did you hear her? He said where's my wife, and she said MyWife is right here! That is so funny! They're awesome!" I allowed myself to bask for just a few moments in the knowledge that some sweet, naive kids thought in that moment that I was the funniest woman in the world. It isn't often that you have the chance to be the center of the good gossip in the employee break room! It's also good to know that you have managed to brighten someone's day. Maybe if I am lucky I can make a habit of it!
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