Turtles & Sharks & Stingrays, Oh My!

Next stop: Key West Aquarium. Actually we ate first. It was very hot. Just walking a block from the parking ramp to Mallory Square I was dripping, I mean, glistening.

We ate at the Red Fish Blue Fish restaurant.

(This photo was taken from the top of the wrecking tower -- more on that tomorrow.)

We both had fish, by the way!

Back to the aquarium . . .

They have a tour that we missed by about 30 minutes so we while we waited for the next one we walked through the aquarium.

This is the eel tank. Basically, the tails of two eels. I don't have a better photo of these because, frankly, they creeped me out a bit.


This is from the sting ray tank. (Also you can see the rear of one of the sea turtles.) There were about 10 - 15 rays in this tank. This is one of the larger ones.


This one's lookin' at me!


They vertical feed the sting rays at this aquarium -- which means the sting rays swim up to the side of the tank and the handlers hand feed them. The handler/guide said that this was preferable for them because they could make sure that all the rays got to eat (instead of the biggest ones being the food hogs) and they could more easily dispense medicine through the food, when applicable. This method is also a bonus for tourists as the sting rays are trained to expect food when they see someone at the side of the tank -- which provides a lot of sting ray action.

They also splash a lot!

This one is thinking my camera is a tasty morsel! I am trying to take the picture without getting splashed!

Tourists (me, included) were not allowed to feed the sting rays or the sharks. But during the tour the handler/guide did. She said the rays have sharp teeth -- her fingers didn't linger as she fed them tasty morsels.

Fish break! Some more of the fish tanks.

He likes me, he really likes me.


This guy liked me enough to sit in front of my face while I tried to figure out my camera and take about 12 pictures. (Of those I wound up with these two. I have never claimed to be a photographer!)


These are nurse sharks. They are the "nicest" shark , if there is such a thing as a nice shark -- excepting those in Finding Nemo. Despite their gentler reputation, they have one of the highest shark bite records. This is due more to the stupidity of humans who do not understand the "nice" in reference to sharks is not the same as "nice" in reference to say, bunnies.


This is the shark I got to pet. (Well, not just me, everyone who was on the tour.)


The shark feels like if you were to take a very fine grain of sandpaper and soak it in water. And my hand didn't smell like fish -- because sharks do not have scales. And yes, that is how close he is -- I didn't use my zoom lens.

Here is a video of the nurse sharks.

And I end this post with some photos of the sea turtle. The aquarium had four sea turtles.


Sea turtles are protected mostly because a lot of the time their nesting ground (the lovely beaches) are easily disturbed by throngs of tourist-type people. The guide said that one of this species' (below) nesting ground was in Mexico where armed military protect the egg-laden beach.

Butterflies & Nurse Sharks

The second stop in Key West was the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory. Which was the brother's absolute favorite part of the entire trip, especially since everyone walked out of it with this on their shoulder:


Ha, just kidding. He was somewhat indifferent. I, on the other hand, went camera crazy. And as I am not camera adept I did delete many of my attempts at butterfly photography. Here are some of the better photos.

This was the very first one we encountered. Pretty, huh?



This one opens up to be a beautiful blue color (the video below will show that) . If I was this butterfly's enemy I would easily be thwarted, as I didn't realize that this one and the beautiful blue butterflies I couldn't seem to get a photo of were the same butterfly. Yeah, that's me. I catch on real quick.

These photos (and the incredibly shaky video below) can not convey the experience. There were literally hundreds of butterflies (and some birds) in the conservatory. Fluttering around. It would be a great place for kids! Even big kids like me!

Okay, I am going to show you the video. You can't laugh, it is my first attempt at filming. Probably not my last, despite every indication that I will NEVER be a camera person.

Honestly, every time I look at this video I shake my head a little harder. But please try to ignore the camera handling and focus on the butterflies.

And one more:

Then there was a turtle off to the left of a footbridge.


And another butterfly.


There really isn't a lot of commentary to go with these photos and videos. The Butterfly Conservatory was more of an experience.


Tomorrow, sharkey's coming to visit.

Key West

Friday we headed to the Keys. The Florida Keys are a group of 1700 island that arc from the tip of the Florida peninsula to southwestern most isle Key West. Most of these islands are uninhabited.

The Keys are connected by Hwy 1, including a series of bridges.


The longest bridge in the keys, Seven Mile Bridge (17th longest in the world) connects Key Vaca to the Duck Key.


Running parallel the Seven Mile Bridge is a portion of the Old Seven Mile Bridge which is now used for fishing.


It took us about two hours to travel through the keys to Key West. Our first stop was the southernmost point in the continental U.S. (Photo below includes a rare sighting of the brother!)


Off to the left of the above photo is this view:

Towards Cuba.

Tomorrow butterflies, fish and ships.

5 things

5 things I missed while on vacation:

1. This beautiful face -->
2. My bed (despite my brother's comfy couch)
3. A building down the street from me burning down -- understand that I would have like the building to have endured for years, but in a small town a burning building is the biggest news around.
4. Teaching Sunday school & Awana
5. My library :)
   

I'm ba-ack!

Yes, I am home again after a week in sunny Florida. I had a great time with my brother and touring the Sunshine State.

I am glad I am home, despite the 30 degrees difference!

The next week or so I'll try to post my photos and talk a little about my trip.

I traveled all day Wednesday -- flying from Rochester to Chicago to Miami to Orlando. My flight from Miami to Orlando was delayed so we didn't get to my brother's apartment until about 1 a.m. on Thursday.

Thursday we decided to head down to the Keys. We stopped a couple places on the way down.

The first was the Manatee Observation and Education Center in Fort Pierce. This one was a little disappointing. I was hoping we would be able to actually see a manatee but you had to buy a ticket on a boat tour for $30 or so. The observation area of the center was being dredged, so no manatees.

It did have some fish aquariums and a lot of good information on manatees. For instance, did you know that today manatees have no natural predators? Also, manatees are curious animals and have no real fear of humans.


The second stop was the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum also in Fort Pierce. I found this museum to be very interesting. I have read about and seen movies on the Navy SEALs but this museum was truly a learning experience. The SEALs are an amazingly trained and skilled unit. Not only in military arts but in all areas of knowledge. They are scouts and demolition experts, skilled in languages and martial arts. They have been instrumental in key battles during WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf wars.


This memorial is to the left of the museum entrance and its plaque reads:

In memory of our fallen comrades who have sacrificed their lives in the service of their country while serving in the United States Naval Combat Demolition Units, Scouts, and Raiders, Underwater Demolition Teams and Sea, Air, Land Teams.

Above is a photo of some of the military equipment the SEALs units used in training and operations. One of the most interesting things I learned was these specialize units roles in D-day. If you look at the lower right corner of this photo you see some concrete and metal fragments sticking out of the ground. These were pulled out of the Atlantic Ocean of the coast of Florida. The teams had embedded them into the coastal floor to provide a training ground. Their job during the D-day operations was to explode as many of the obstacles along the northern European coastline as possible to allow the troops following behind them easier access to the beach.

Skilled men. Brave men.

I can say that I respect and appreciate them more after visiting this museum.

For more info on the history of the SEAL and special forces teams click here.

Tune in next week for more of my exciting Florida adventures. (As tomorrow is 5 things Friday!)

Going on vacation

So, on Wednesday morning I will be flying to Florida to visit my brother. I am excited for three reasons:

1. I am going somewhere I have never been before.
2. I am going on V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N.
3. I get to see my brother.

Meanwhile, I am not going to be blogging much this week. Hopefully, I will be able to send some photos of my V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N. Yeah!

5 things . . .

5 things I am looking forward to (in the immediate future):

1. Hayride (tomorrow)
2. Visiting my brother in Florida (next week)
3. Thanksgiving with my family -- including my New Yorker sister (next month)
4. Christmas (two months)
5. The new year
   

It could have been worse

Missing: 1/2 hour of my day
If found: Please, please use it for good.

I didn't sleep well last night. Which normally wouldn't affect my day in any way but being a little tired. However, last night's insomnia started a chain reaction that affected the entire day.

I didn't hear my alarm go off and I woke up 1/2 an hour after I was supposed to be at work.

Yeah.

It could have been worse, I could have slept hours later.

So in ten minutes I got dressed. Then I went to pick up my and my co-workers paychecks.

Yeah.

My co-workers were starting to get worried.

I was only 45 minutes late to work.

It could have been worse, it could have been an Tuesday or Wednesday.
Days that I open and am the only one there.

The rest of the day I felt off-kilter.

And tired.

Question

I have a question about the validity of vacuuming your lawn.

Is this really a worthwhile activity?

Pro:
Lawn looks nice.

Con:
You have to buy one of those blower/sucker thingys.

Pro:
Lawn looks nice.

Con:
You have to know how to use one of those blower/sucker thingys.

Pro:
You know, lawn looks nice.

Con:
You have to actually use one of those blower/sucker thingys.

Pro:
You know!

Con:
Leaves from the neighbors yards are going to blow into your yard.

Pro:
Yeah.

Con:
You have to start all over.

It seems to me that this is simply an activity to use up your time and make your neighbors look sloppy and feel guilty. (At least until all their leaves blow into your yard!)

Cat antics

So, a day in the life of Cleo the cat. WARNING: Photos may contain excessive amounts of cat-napping. View at your own discretion.






I know, my cat is odd. Very odd. Out of every possible place she could sleep she chooses the very edge of the couch.
















Notice the wide open chair in the background.












She decided to move to the back of the couch. She is so tired. It has been a really long day of napping.














This is her, "And you woke me because . . . ?" face. Very sarcastic, my Cleo. (Wonder where she got that from?)









Now for an episode of "If Cleo could speak . . ."






"Whoa, did you see that!"

(Hmm, I wonder if she'll notice if I take a nip of houseplant.)










(Just a little closer, careful now, you're almost there.)

"You know this is a really good view. And you've done wonders with those plants."













(Oh, she's looking! Be cool, be cool!)











"Wow, that was a big truck that went by! Did you see that?"







(She can't see me if I go slow, she can't see me if I go slow. Go slow, go slow.)




















[Notice the how she leans in.]








Following this last photo there was a flurry of motion on both our parts as I got off the couch to chase her away from my plants. She has realized that if I am lazy enough to NOT get off the couch she really has nothing to fear as my loud protestations do not bother her in the least.

Ahh, she is taking a little nap. Again.

In the farthest corner of the room.
Odd cat.

Seasons change

I have changed the look of my blog. Notice it has a fall-ish theme. The desktop of my computer also has a fall-ish theme.


Today, after storm washed away the humidity, the cool breeze of autumn blew through. Jacket weather.

I was talking to a co-worker the other day about the seasons. We were discussing other areas of the country. Those places farther north than Iowa that have a shorter summer and longer winter. And those places farther south than Iowa that have little to no winter and a long summer.

Really, for someone who likes the seasons, this is a great area to live. All the seasons get equal play time. Their songs don't get stuck in your head and by the time you want to hear them again you are ready.

Ready for the season's song.

5 things . . .

5 movies that cause my nostalgic glands aflowing:

1. How the Grinch Stole Christimas
2. It's a Wonderful Life
3. The Little Princess (with Shirley Temple)
4. The Princess Bride
5. The Goonies

Woolly caterpillars and an omnious winter

The last couple days have been gorgeous. I could stand a couple more weeks of sunny days.

Since I was just a wee lass (my terrible Scottish brogue rears its ugly head) I have heard the the tale about Pyrrhaclia isabella. Don't ask me how to say that -- I was barely able to spell it.

Normal people call it the woolly caterpillar. Eventually the woolly caterpillar becomes the Isabella Tiger Moth. But as a woolly little caterpillar, it is a barometer of the winter weather to come. Or so the stories go . . .

Supposedly, the wider the black bands on the woolly caterpillar (or the narrower the brown band) the harsher the winter. Which means more snow, colder temperatures, and possibly a longer winter.

Apparently, this tale has been around for ages. In fact, in 1948, the curator of insects from the Museum of Natural History in New York started an eight-year study -- during his vacations, no less -- to prove or disprove the folktale. He basically picked up every woolly caterpillar he could find and did some scientific tests -- measuring and recording. He concluded that the caterpillars wintery predictions were 70% accurate. Not bad for an insect. Better than most meteorologists, in fact.

All this to say that the caterpillars here seem to be less tan and more black this fall. And you know what that could mean -- more snow, colder temperatures, and possibly a longer winter. Hmmm . . . hopefully this winter the caterpillars will be 30% inaccurate.

Maybe?

Starry, starry night

David Trapani

I was walking home tonight and couldn't help but enjoy the beautiful starry sky. Granted it was slightly obscured by the street lights but it sure was pretty.

The above photo is NOT from tonight (cause, really, my camera could never take a photo like this and even if it could I could never take a photo like this). This photo of the star cluster Pleiades. I was reading about Pleiades in Wikipedia:

The cluster is dominated by hot blue stars, which have formed within the last 100 million years. Dust that forms faint reflection nebulosity around the brightest stars was thought at first to be left over from the formation of the cluster but is now known to be an unrelated dust cloud that the stars are currently passing through. Astronomers estimate that the cluster will survive for about another 250 million years, when it will have dispersed due to gravitational interactions with the spiral arms of the galaxy and giant molecular clouds.

I was thinking about this:

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. -- Psalm 19:1-3

Moms

I jumped on the internet tonight and this was one of the featured videos. I can't relate to this as a mom. But my mom has said most of this to me at sometime or other in my life. Although she hasn't sang it to the tune of the "William Tell Overture."

Hmm . . . I wonder if I would have listened better if she had?

Light bulb moments

Often, in my life, there are light bulb moments. A moment in time where many little tidbits of knowledge meld into a revelation. Usually, this revelation precipitates a change: spiritually, emotionally, etc.

Yesterday we had a guest preacher for the morning service as our pastor was visiting family. He said something that struck me,

"It is easy to say that we [as Christians] love everybody, but do we love the people that are around us?"

By around us, he was referring to our neighbors, acquaintances, people we come into contact everyday -- on the street, at work, at play.

He was teaching from Philemon -- a letter from Paul to the owner of the slave Onesimus. Onesimus had left his master and met up with Paul, where he became a believer. Paul told Onesimus he needed to return to his master and make amends but he sent Philemon a letter saying,

"For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." (Philemon 15-16)

Basically, Onesimus is coming back to you -- you are getting more than you had. Now you are getting a brother in Christ -- a beloved brother in Christ.

Other passages on love:

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. (Levitcus 19:18)

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17)

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:44-45)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.(John 13:34)