- It’s prettier in a picture.
We’ve been experiencing quite a heat wave here in Annapolis, Maryland. Hot sticky days and warm damp evenings make most of us seek out the comfort of air conditioned buildings. But my recent visit to Southern Florida has had the affect of making me think Annapolis in summer is not so bad, following the old adage it could always be worse!
Not that I didn’t have fun in Florida. I was on vacation, accompanyinig my husband Peter on a business trip, but for the very first time in my life I used up an entire tube of sunblock in less than a week. That’s how intense the sun was, pretty scary.
To avoid too much sun I did my beachcombing and swimming in the morning before 10:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. The ocean water was downright, warm, like bathwater.
One of my favorite places I visited on this trip was the summer home of Thomas Alva Edison, located right next to the summer home of Henry Ford in Fr. Myers.
It was actually a revisit, as I spent quite some time there 21 years ago while researching information for my first book on antique lamps, “American Lighting 1840-1940.” One of my favorite stories I remember from my last visit was the guide telling us how Edison would sit at the end of his very long pier pretending to fish, just to have some time to himself. This visit I heard the story of how Edison was so obsessed with his research on developing a form of synthetic rubber that he’d work straight through the night and into the next day, falling asleep in his lab. Now that’s being obsessed with your work!
Edison had so many different ideas, from the toaster and waffle iron to the electric pen, phonograph, and movie camera. And now his idea for a rechargeable battery for the automobile just might be part of the solution towards energy conservation.
Air conditioning was not one of his inventions, I don’t think? What did they do in Florida at the end of the 19th century without it?
At any rate, Annapolis is refreshingly cool at least in the early morning. It’s good to be home.
There are some wonderful activities and fun things to do on the Southwestern Florida coast. As soon as I recover the photos off my camera, I’ll be posting a story on the www.WhatsUpMag.com website. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for the latest complete calendar of events for Annapolis and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, www.WhatsUpMag.com is the place to visit!
Nadja Maril, Writer & Author 
My family used to visit South Florida when I was a child, and I vividly remember touring Edison’s property. The massive Banyan tree is simply spectacular!
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Yes, there are many beautiful trees on the property and I did take a photo of the one you are referring to. I’ll have to post that up when I get the chance.
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