Another Day In Paradise!

Well, it's FRIDAY and I'm sitting here wet and chilly after picking my wife up from work, wondering what this weather will bring tomorrow. So I have to now write two blogs today, one for today and one for yesterday. I was lazy yesterday and put it off till this morning, and when this morning got here I put it off till now. So NOW I have to write about yesterday AND today!

Yesterday, I helped Cristina with her presentation of Coastal Sea Life at the Ft. Myers Beach Library. We began the endeavor by collecting an assortment of critters from nearby New Pass. We collected starfish, sea hare, shrimp, hermit crab, and several other live specimen, as well as some deceased creatures we found floating around to include a pretty nice little octopus still in good condition.

We filled several buckets with sea water and headed to the library to set up. We were met there by library staff and escorted to the room where the presentation was to take place. After seeing the layout we began to bring in the stuff. Now, this is a library, right? That's where they "shush" you if you sneeze and look at you with mean looks if you drop books or turn the page of a magazine too loudly. So here we go, bucket after bucket of water, dead and live creatures splashing around in the buckets, and, the "bat fish", newly acquired, but unfortunately, dead and SMELLY! With every bucket I noticed that the staff behind the front desk was eyeing me, giving me that look, that "If you drop ONE drop of that on our carpet we will put you in the overhead projector and fry your little @%$!

So, I sweated as I trudged along. It was only about 20 yards from the front door of the library to the room where we were setting up but it took what seemed like 2 hours to get there. It was a scene from one of those movies where you know there is a boogey man in the room and you know you have to get out and you know it is only "over there" and if you can just get "over there" you will be safe. But, its a LOOOOONG way to "over there"! I made it though and I looked back over my shoulder and could not help but smile at those ladies behind the desk! Then, just inside the room I placed the buckets down and watched Cristina go to work setting up her presentation.

I sat in the far end of the room so I could take photos and had brought a cup of coffee with me from 7-11. I had set the coffee on the little step stool that was in the corner, and so in celebration of making it in with the buckets unscathed, I reached for my coffee, and BOOM, I spilled it! Thank God for that cap and the little hole they make you drink through because only about five drops fell out of the cup. As I left at the end of the presentation, I swear I saw one of those ladies shaking her finger at me like she knew about my little accident.

Later in the day after a wonderful presentation by Cristina, I had a Sunset Cruise with only 4 folks on it. We had a great cruise, nice weather but a little on the chilly side. We saw dolphin, although I thought I was being jinxed because before we even left the dock a dolphin meandered up behind the tour boat and played a little. That seems to always take away the chances of seeing some on the tour.

The Sunset was not that big of a thing because there were a lot of clouds low over the horizon but all in all the night was great. We did see nesting Bald Eagles and Osprey and that is always a treat. Although I did not get the story, it appeared that my guests were celebrating a departed friend or family member and were enjoying each others company in remembrance of this loved one. This is a special and peaceful place to share with others as we experience another South Florida Adventure!