February 5, 2013 "Beautiful Estero Bay in Winter!"

It was a super day on the water today in Estero Bay as we enjoyed the weather and natural wonders of this special place, my back yard! I love my job and enjoy introducing others to this fantastic place!

Today, we saw tons of dolphins and birds as we slid through the still waters of the bay and renewed our spirits as we did so. The world can be an overwhelmingly complicated place, especially with people, politics, personalities, pressures and problems, but somehow, in this place, we can forget just for a little while, all of those complications and just simply rejoice in nature!

Thank you all for joining me today for these adventures and even those of you who shared some cocktails and fun after duty! It was a blast!

SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATORS! 

First Safari in March!

Well, welcome to a new month. It's hard for me to believe that February is over. What a nasty month it was. We have suffered a great deal of devastation here in the south and I'm sure I will not get much sympathy from my friends in the north who have been stuck in snow and ice for several weeks. The problem for us is more than creature comforts or discomfort, but more of ecology and economics! Our tropical environment cannot survive the cold . Our fish, vegetation and animals have suffered greatly here in southwest Florida. With the massive fish kills and loss of over 10% of our manatee population, we are quite concerned about the future impact of this cold spell, unlike we have seen for over 100 years.

Additionally, in my business, people can't go boating or kayaking or feel comfortable in the great outdoors of the Everglades so our livelihood has been effected. However, we will survive. Nature has a way of healing itself. We will just move forward and see what path it takes.

With that said, my first journey to the Glades in March was great. My guests were fun, the weather nice and mild, and the birds and wildlife were beautiful as always. I even talked my new friend Beverly from Boston into holding "Hollywood" our gator! You go girl!

I am a lucky man to have experienced this beautiful place and I will forever cherish this wilderness. My hopes and dreams are that my children, grandchildren and the continuation of the Locke clan will be able to see this "River of Grass" continue to thrive and strengthen herself in order to persevere mankind.

And to top off yet another wonderful day, I was relaxing in the late afternoon breeze of the sandy beach behind the Holiday Inn and peering out across the Gulf of Mexico. I viewed the wonderful sunset and it reminded me that even as a day begins, not knowing what adventures or disappointment it holds, it too must end and make way for another day full of more adventures!

I'm feeling a little under the weather today but tomorrow will be much better. I get to venture back into the Glades for another installment of my South Florida Adventure!