Thursday, March 3, 2011

Sitting on the Docks with a Manatee

     Yesterday, a manatee stopped by the boat and spent a little time, just what I needed after a hectic past few days.     These huge lovable creatures are the symbol of serenity to me.       It always becomes a great day when one of these magnificent creatures is in the neighborhood.      This one had a scar on it's back looks like it got to close to a whirling prop or something.     If you move slowly, you can pet them and give them some lettuce to munch on.     The love fresh water out of a hose and will stay put for quite a while if you offer it to them.     The scar is a symbol of the peril of many of these wonderful manatee's fate in the waters around South Florida and the Keys.     These big docile mammals are ofter killed by boats striking them.     They are finally emerging from the endangered species list and becoming more plentiful these days here in the Keys.

     One of the really great things is when you get to see a mother and her calf as they swim and graze on the sea grasses here in the smaller lagoons.        This always make me smile because it means that there is another on added to the count and I'll probably get to see them again before long.      I'm just sitting in front of the computer today with a big smile on my face thinking about how these simple creatures can make me so at ease and happy when they are around.       This is why conservation and the caring about your surroundings is so important.     Throwing trash and other junk in the waters is one of the biggest problem to many species and a simple thing if we take a few extra minutes to dispose of it properly.

     Enough of the soap box routine and back to the enjoyment of the evening.     I think today calls for a nice snifter of rum and enjoy this moment.     ;o)