January 19, 2005

Another beautiful sunrise this morning after a couple of days of "bad" weather.  I put "bad" in quotes, because bad weather here is nothing like bad weather in other parts of the country.  Barring the hurricanes and the brutal humidity and heat during a few months of summer, the "bad" weather here is quite tolerable.  We had some wind and some rain.  Got the wind from a different direction and had to pull in the awning for a day and night.  Poor us.  Oh, yeah, and it got real cold.  Clear down into the 40's.  Above zero, that is.  Sheese!  What some people won't do to find something to complain about, eh?

Well, we'll start this session off with another nice sunset, rather than end it that way.  And then looky what the Christmas Bunny brought Barb!  A new digital camera.  Small enough to carry everywhere.  It's a Canon A520, 4 megapixel and 13 different shooting modes which, of course, includes an "auto" setting which is good for about 90% of the pictures we'll ever take.  Our old Kodak DC620 was about to bite the dust and has been acting up a bit, it's heavy, only has 1.3 megapixels, and a pretty limited zoom feature.  This little guy (for less than $200) will do everything we need for those times we're not carrying the rather heavy Canon EOS D30 with us.  Mostly, Barb needs something she can take with her to the beach and other places where I'm not packing the big camera.

As an aside, the poor little guy died less than a month after we got it, and is currently on its way to Illinois for warrantee.  The shutter that covers the lens won't open consistently, and since it's not a SLR camera, we missed some good shots.

Later on Christmas day, here comes one of the volunteers that lives in the area.  Yuki is how her name is pronounced, and I can only guess at the spelling, and her daughter Teddy (again I can only hope the spelling is right) came by to bring Barb this beautiful coquina shell necklace.  Yuki and Barb had talked about making jewelry out of seashells, and Yuki has obviously mastered the art of making necklaces.  It instantly became one of Barb's favorites.  Tough to get the intricate details of these exquisite tiny little shells. 

Can you see the alligator in either of these pictures?  Neither can the birds, apparently, or they know he's not hungry.  Wonder how they know that.  Anyway, Slimy, as he's affectionately known, is in the picture with the little blue heron, but not the snowy egret.  He lives in a freshwater pond on Black Island, a bit off the nature trail where we spend a lot of our "working" time.

Christmas day was a fun one for us.  Seems that every Christmas is different from the one before it.  This one was full of fun with friends.  Tod is the leader of a small group bible study that we attended, and since he has no family in the area we invited him over for lunch and a tour of the park.  Notice his sandals?  They're just like mine.  He's the manager of the shop where I bought mine.  We're at the junction of a couple of the Black Island nature trails here, and the person in blue in the background is a fisherman.  There's a bench there and it's popular with fishermen, mostly because it's near the trailhead I think.

And the first picture Barb took with her new camera.  Me sorting/cropping/repairing/resizing the pictures you see here.

And then she caught a real rare moment.  Me doing the cooking.  Well, at least some of it.  We bought a pressure cooker a while back, and it's "mine" so occasionally I do something fun with it.  Like an old fashioned Yankee Pot Roast.  YUM!  Christmas dinner, non-traditional style.  And then to test her up close and personal skills with the new toy, she found this banded gull eating an urchin.  Pretty decent little point 'n shoot, I'd say.

Then for the evening it was off to Ken and Karole's place in Fort Myers Beach.  That's Karole on the left, Tod in the middle and Ken with the big grin on the right.  Lovely home, complete with an indoor hot tub that needs some work because of the flooding from Hurricane Wilma.  Ken and Karole are the managers for the concessionaire located in the park.

Talk about the King in his castle!  Ken is showing off the fact that he's going to eat the last of the Christmas cookies.  And then a fond farewell at their door.  Karole doesn't like to have her picture taken, so I had to use some wily ways to get a shot of her.

The first time we visited Living Waters Community Church in Bonita Springs, we felt like we belonged.  And on the way home (this was in late November or early December) we talked about joining one of the small groups they have so we could get acquainted.  Since there were several to choose from which met on different evenings, we were at a loss as to how to pick one and we sort of let the conversation die.  Then, rather than just go home as soon as we got to the park, we decided to pop into the concession gift shop to see what they had.  A great book selection and the usual tourist kinds of things was what we found.  And then a voice behind me said, "Didn't I see you in church this morning?" And there was Ken, with that big grin.  The conversation led to the small group thing, and he invited us to the one he and Karole attended that met on Sunday nights.  We accepted.  And then when I called the leader to find out exactly where it met and was talking to Tod, we discovered we'd already met at the sandal shop!  What fun!

Back to work.  On the left, Barb was pleased to see that brave little palm growing up in the midst of a rubbish pile on the Black Island Nature Trail that we're working on.  New growth here doesn't take much.  Then she shot me as I was deciding where to start trimming this "face slapper" back.  Not sure why, but I really like turning trees into logs, and brush into hedges.

Dang it!  I was supposed to remember to get the name of the plant with these cute little seeds in their pod.  But I didn't.  Yet.  Anyway, they look like they're pink and black, but they're really red and black--very pretty.  But I do know that lacy winged bugs name.  That's a noisy cicada.  Well, it's noisy, but its name is just "cicada."  Their larva is one of the longest living bugs in the world.  Some species can live for 7 years before emerging as adults.

We'd heard the bug flying by, and then a sort of "thwack" as it landed.  I was taken by its lack of fear of me taking its picture, and its widely spaced eyes.  While she's out of focus in the background, you can get a perspective of the size of this critter compared to Barb as she's holding the branch for me.  Big boy!

These shots show just how easy it is to look at the pond and not see the 'gator laying there.  On the left, a cropped enlarged shot taken from the picture on the right.  Takes some practice to catch these critters in their habitat.  Lots easier if they're hauled out and laying on the beach someplace.

I thought it only fair to make my first shot with the new camera something like Barb's.  We'd just picked up a larger memory card for it at Radio Shack, and this was the first picture with the new card.  And then off to work we go.  I got a kick out of Barb's way of dealing with the cold and the bright sunshine all at the same time.  And then me playing Tarzan with the largest nickerbean vine either of us had ever seen.  You can tell by the shirtsleeves whether the pictures are taken early in the morning or later in the afternoon.  Most but not all mornings are pretty comfortable, but on those chilly ones we bundle up a bit, as you can see.

I guess that one of two things happened here.  Either I was feeling playful, swinging on vines and climbing trees, or Barb was catching me hard at work.  Hacking out the vines in a picnic area, and removing old tie-down ropes from the sea grape in the meridian strip of the main entrance.  Probably a combination of the two.  I'll admit it's been more than a few years since I've either swung from a vine or climbed a tree.

Well, it's a little late for Christmas, but it's still pretty in January.  We got shoots last Christmas from Susie (of Frank & Susie, see For Sale) and they're doing great! 

Dinner!  This is a small but legal Black Drum.  I need lots more practice fishing so I can catch bigger ones and get better at cleaning them, but it tasted great anyway.

Bigger ones like this one that neighbor Ron caught.  Matter of fact, he had to throw this one back in because it was too big.  Can you imagine that?  Catching a fish you have to release because it's too big?  In Florida they size fishes' legal length to "slots" and it's only legal to keep fish between those minimum and maximum sizes.  Most confusing bunch of fishing laws I ever had to deal with.  In the first place, it's not easy to identify all the fish (as a newbie) while they're still in the water, and secondly to get them measured so you can decide if it's legal to keep and eat.

The nickerbean (with claw-like thorns) is an interesting vine with these huge seed pods.  We wondered what they looked like inside, so......

...wearing our gloves (see the stickers), we cut one open.  This is an un-enhanced picture of the beans in those pods.  The beans really are that green and shiny.  And when they're mature and the pods turn brown and pop out the beans, they are grayish in color and extremely tough to crack or cut open.

Next to the butterfly garden there was this very old sea grape that had been damaged by Hurricane Wilma and it needed "pruning".  Three dump-truck loads worth!

Of course, why not take a picture of a white (rather than purple) morning glory while waiting for the load to empty.  Man, it's so much fun to live here and play with all their toys!

The butterfly garden, with me in the background near the well pruned sea grape.  The biggest reason to thin it so thoroughly is for safety.  It was full of broken branches, and we don't want any to hurt the visitors when they fall out.  Next, the sea grape is providing shade where we really don't need it.  In the butterfly garden.  Then, it's a very "dirty" tree.  Shedding its huge round leaves all year long.  And these leaves are tough.  Too tough to deteriorate very quickly, and they're quite large as well, so they block the sun from getting to the ground and the underlying mulch, and they keep water from getting to the ground as well.  So, now everybody is happy and, like a healthy rose bush, the sea grape will be putting out lots of new shoots quickly.

Ever seen a wild poinsettia?  Well, now you have.  Apparently there are several different kinds of the plant, and this one grows wild in Florida.

Bill and Diane are in Florida for some of the winter as well, and when they migrated over to the "left coast" we got to spend some time with them, showing them the park.  They brought their bikes, and not only did we do the nature trail, we managed to get down to the beach as well.  And perhaps as important as being able to spend some time with good friends, the night before their visit my computer had been infected with a Trojan Horse (virus).  Right past my daily updated Norton.  Bill (with help from Diane, of course) must have spent 5 hours working to get it removed.  And now I'm also the proud owner of some spy ware software.  How lucky can a guy get?  The night before a visit by some high-level Microsoft engineers (recently "retired") he gets infected.  Talk about good timing!  I really don't know what I would have done without their help.  Thanks again, you two.  Both for your technical abilities as well as the fun of having you here.

That's Barb's "shelling hairdo" she's grinning about.  It was obviously windy that morning out on the beach.  And speaking of windy!  How it blew for our Great Outdoor Adventure Day!

Our job for the day was to help the kids with the "casting contest."  The object was to put the lure into one of the three rings in the canal.  Talk about the Keystone Kops!  You should have seen Barb and me in a canoe trying to get those rings in the "right" place.  My bride is a lot more precise than I am about that kind of thing, and it ended up with her on the bank and me dropping the weights (anchors) and then waiting to see what the wind and tide would do to them.  And then pick it up and move it again.  And again.  And sometimes again!  Great fun.  Finally got the job done in spite of ourselves.

Our Volunteer Coordinator is Maria Lightner (239-463-4588) and she's also the one that writes articles in the local papers, is the coordinator for the Friends Of Lovers Key (FOLKS) volunteer organization, and takes care of special events for the park.  Talented lady, and great fisherman besides.  Here she is trying to hit one of the foam rings on the day we were setting up for the event.  Maybe I shouldn't have given out her number.......... we want to come back, and if there's too many applicants......... well, we'll leave it and see what happens.

If nothing else, Maria is a good sport.  It's tough to hit those rings.  A look at our site for the day, before we put the tent up.  Those yellow kayaks were moved out, and we were between the canoe rack and the water.

A few shots of the work going on Friday before the big day on Saturday.  That's me tooling around on my bike, waiting for Barb to quit playing with her new toy so we could go do something else.

Ah yes.  The relief stations.  Even included a sink, soap, and towels in one of those little overgrown phone booths.  That was a first for us.  And there behind me is the stage where a steel drum band will be playing for the 4 hours of the event.

Another stop at the manatee viewing area, and there one is.  How any sailor could mistake one of these for a mermaid only shows how long the poor guy has been to sea.   9-10' average length, 1000 pounds average weight, though they can reach 13' and weigh over 3,000 lbs.  They come up for air every 4-8 minutes.

Ever ridden a Segway?  Neither had we.  Until this.  From left to right, Matt (from the cast net class), Maria, Billy (the rental guy), Brie and Randy (both new rangers).

Anybody who wanted, got a chance to try it.  Simple as sitting down with a cold drink.  That's Elmer in the last shot, with Ron (the guy with the too-big fish) in the background.  We're in the shop parking lot, by the way.  Where we'd taken down the hurricane damaged pole barn.

Elmer had so much fun with it, I thought he was going to buy one for his wife Ann, there watching him.  But at $4,500 he was able to restrain himself.  This particular one had the fat tires that are good for off-pavement use, and would be a real handy thing to have around here.  Since we don't have any way to carry one with us, we didn't buy one either.  Yeah, right.  Sure was fun to ride though.

Any time a manager of an outfit will get his hands and feet dirty doing actual work, it's noteworthy.  This is Ken, from the Christmas pictures above, cleaning the kayaks in preparation for the Great Outdoor Adventure day.

The big tent is up, the rings for our casting contest are finally where they belong, and we're almost ready.  Tomorrow is the big day.

The aquarium arrived with its touch tanks full of critters for the kids to handle, as well as some fish they can learn about.  But it's windy.  Way windy.  Elmer went and got a sledge hammer and is driving the stakes that loosened overnight.  Barb told him to grin, and he's a good husband and does just what any wife tells him.  In the top two pictures, you can see evidence of that little lens cover not opening all the way.  The black corners are caused by it.

These ladies were Kettle Korn venders, and were real proud their tent went up and stayed up.  Ours broke its frame as we were setting it up, and it came right back down, as did almost all the others.  Another volunteer who's name I've forgotten was down there with me testing the rings to make sure we could hit them.  It was tough with the wind, believe me.  Later in the day there were white caps on the canal.  And rather than giving a ticket for the drawing of a rod and reel to any kid who hit a ring, we gave a ticket to any kid that picked up a rod and tried!

Most of the venders were informational only, not selling anything.  We sure did like the mounts of the fox and bobcat.  Both of which are native to the area; however we've never seen evidence of any here on Lovers Key.  The swimming pool has plastic fish that have metal tabs, and the kids use a pole with a magnet to catch them.  Then they take the fish over to the display and identify them, and learn about them. 

These ladies were dressed as the different birds and animals that are here in Florida, and while I was pretty well tied to the casting contest, Barb wandered over and listened to them for a bit.  The pink bird is a roseate spoonbill.

This little guy was just as happy to hold onto the pole and let me do the casting, and his mama was making sure I didn't use him for bait, I guess.  The winner of the rod and reel was the grandson of the vendor displaying information on sea turtles, and he'd arrived early like all of us.  And right from the start, he was certain he was going to win the rod and reel.  We'd send him off whenever we had somebody who wanted to try to cast, but if we didn't have any customers he was there casting away.  He got so he could hit the rings pretty well, too.  We gave two tickets to anybody who hit one of the small rings, and he had two tickets.  He would cast, hit a ring, and tell us he was going to win the prize.  Over and over!  And then he did.  What a kick.  The fellow with him is from the Brooks Fishing Club, and of course, Maria, who'd put this whole thing together.  Just behind her is the beach truck, selling hot dogs, hamburgers, deli sandwiches, drinks, both hot and cold, and chips.  We got tickets for a free lunch because we'd "worked".  Ah, if they only knew how much fun we're having.