It is home for the threatened Florida Scrub Jay. They are curious, outgoing birds. We met a particularly bold pair today. We stopped to watch as they hung out along the trail…this picture tells the rest.
How do you find manatees when they stay under water holding their breath so long? Watch for the farts! Yes, look for bubbles. The high fiber diet of eel grass and other greens results in lots of flatulence. Not real endearing, huh? This is straight from the scientific community that studies these amazing creatures.
Idle. No wake. Squinting, watching intently for a glimpse of the bulbous snouts or huge fanned tails to float into view. We are moving slowly through the basin that is the origin of Salt Spring. Water is clear and the temperature is 74F here, a cozy 10F warmer than out in the open lake.
One, two, manatees glide by not seeming to even notice us. We move on nearer to the origin of the spring then cut the engine to float and wait. Yes, they glide by just a couple feet below us. One flips its tail at the boat that has encroached on its space. Others, seemingly oblivious to our presence, methodically munch their way through the eel grass that covers the bottom of the lake. We hear the swish of their breaths and watch them peacefully loll in their giant hot tub. They will be heading out into the open waters soon. I am excited to get to see them again.
Paper sacks filled with crispy fried fish nuggets; carry in sides ranging from classic casseroles to gourmet marinated mushrooms and asparagus canapés. Follow that with desserts of every type including plenty of chocolate to celebrate Valentines Day a little early. Add live entertainment and 40+ individuals most of whom never met a stranger. It was a delicious, fun evening.
Lynn’s Largemouth Bass @ 2# & 17″
Today I caught my first bass. It was a 2# 17” largemouth. No fish for supper tonight though. We set him free to live another day. There is a big fish fry in camp on Tuesday. We can get our fix of fresh bass and hang out with a bunch of the folks from camp. It should be a fun evening.
At least for now. The local habitat crew has large groups signed up for the next few weeks so there’s no room for folks like us on their work crews. So, sadly Friday was our last work day with them. I did some painting…not my favorite task but made more enjoyable by the company of a half dozen young seamen who came to volunteer as well. Kent worked on siding again. It has been a fun experience. We will likely find a way to do something like it again as we continue our travels.
Blasting the heater even on 90 degree days. We have to do something about this. My faithful Miata is overheating even on flat road. It’s been a bit of a problem the past few months when Kent works her hard in the mountains or heavy traffic but now it is nearly all the time. Kent cleaned out the radiator fins (we have run on a lot of dirt road and it was a mess) but that didn’t do it. Now she’s in the hands of the local mechanic. He says it’s the auxiliary fan not running. He is replacing it today. I have my fingers crossed.
In the category of “why didn’t I do that”? They were giving free lessons on the percussions instruments of the early bluegrass times. Washboard with ten thimbles. Spoons. A couple kinds of percussion sticks. I was too busy listening to try it. Next time I will!
A log cabin that not only did not have mosquito screens but wasn’t even chinked everywhere. A huge copper still; but not for corn squeezings, for turpentine. The cane grinder and boiler were a bit worse for wear but blacksmithing, wheelwright and woodshop all looked to be working examples. They are all quiet today. This is Bluegrass jam day. Banjos, bass, guitars of many types, mandolin, dobros, washboards and spoons all gathered around the picnic tables for an open air jam. Skill ranged from simple melody picking to wonderfully intricate. It was a great afternoon in the bright winter sun. The Pioneer Settlement for the Creative Arts in Barberville, FL.
This is a fish camp but there is time for a few other things too. There is “happy hour” every day at 4 to share fishing stories and any other tales that come to mind. The carry in dinner yesterday was awesome. There will be a fish fry in a couple weeks. I joined a ladies day out to shop at the outlet mall in St Augustine. I didn’t buy much but it was a fun day. Add to that the Habitat crew, bird watching, and some local hiking trails make it a pretty well balanced place for our first extended stay.