Kim Jo IV: March 17, 2013, still at Snook Bight, Ft Myers Beach

Sunday, March 17, 2013

March 17, 2013, still at Snook Bight, Ft Myers Beach

Sunday: We have had a busy week, at least for us, and today we are just relaxing and enjoying the sunny 80 degree weather. My cousin Pete and his wife Daph just left yesterday to go back to the cold and snowy Kenosha, WI. They did have a pretty nice week with lots of sun and, of course, wind.

This past week we also went to the 2nd Annual Looper Luncheon in North Fort Myers at Cactus Jack's Restaurant. We were surprised at how many people were there, I believe the count was 45. We had a very nice time and met several Gold Loopers and also several new Loopers, some in the process and some in the planning stage. We had a great time. That evening our friends from Minnesota, Linnea and Jim from Otherwise, had us over for dinner. It was a most enjoyable evening of food and conversation.

Pete and Daph at Edison-Ford Museum on 3-13-2013

Daph and me at Edison-Ford Museum

Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis), planted in 1927 as a sapling circa and the Thomas Edison statue. It is my understanding that this tree is the 2nd largest in the world.

Edison, Ford, and Firestone formed the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in 1927 to find a fast-growing natural source of rubber that could be grown in the US. The banyan tree was one of more than 17,000 plant specimens that were tested during this project.

Ficus trees, such as the banyan, produce a fair amount of latex. However, labor costs and the tree’s slow growth made this option impractical for Edison, who was looking for a plant that could be harvested several times a year.