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Published: March 2nd 2008
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Brave and shy..
While idling in the bay near the docks, the pelicans had no problem landing on our airboat, not more than a few feet away. Move much or move the rope on this deck and off they flew... I actually wrote this last night, but just got it posted today...
It’s the end of a long day, even if a good and fun one. Frankly, I am tired and really am tempted to not write this tonight but rather in the morning. However, I really need to get into the habit of writing in a journal EVERY DAY - even if part of me doesn’t want to do so. Today I started with a trip to the Everglades and for an airboat tour. It was only an hour tour but still a blast. It started off with a up close shots of pelicans. Maybe these are pictures that others have in their photo albums, but still new to me and something new for me to experience - especially when one of the pelicans started flying away and his/her wing brushed me in the head! The pelicans were both very bold and rather skittish. While the boat was running slow, they had little problem landing on the boat and being within less than arms reach of them. Yet, as soon as you made a move towards them, the flew off. In any case, I have some great pictures of
Everglades mangroves
I forgot to ask if this "boat lanes" were made or were there and the companies just use them, but this was very typical of the areas we went through. Look at low the water level was this time of year...the rains are coming, I'm told. pelicans and makes for a great experience.
Once in the “mangroves”, (I think that’s what they were called), we saw the water was actually very low right now in the “dry season” as evidenced with the pictures showing a definite color line across all the trees and foliage. This is apparently where the water normally is when the rains come in the following months. While there were lots of fun and interesting parts of the tour, perhaps the most interesting part is with me in the drivers seat (even if for just a minute...I was in the seat while we spun circles!)
Today was a pretty close to perfect day weather-wise too. It was relatively warm and sunny, though I’m told cold for alligators. We ultimately did see one close up and I have pictures of our boat captain feeding him marshmallows and fish, though Captain Gary (great name, huh?) says we normally would not see one this time of year due to the fact it was “only” about 70-75F. I well realize it will normally be much warmer in the Everglades and, frankly, much more humid. In fact, when we were flying through the mangroves it became
Our friend
We lucked out and got the up close look of this alligator. At this point, Capt. Gary (not me, mind you, but the cap'n with a great first name), was feeding the alligator marshmallows and fish. This time, Gary was fine, but yesterday he got too friendly with a baby alligator, hence bandages on his hands today... pretty cool. In any case, I was still enjoying it, especially all the sun. It’s actually a good thing to be exposed to some sun...today I gained some very minor sunburn from our time on the boat and know this is really what I need for when I get to Ecuador...I will definitely have much more sun exposure!
As we headed back, we took a few minutes near the docks to look for manatees. We were also very lucky in that we got to see manatees poking up out of the water for air. According to Captain Gary, we don’t see much more than their noses/snouts, but we did see them repeatedly. Given you don’t normally see much of the manatees, I didn’t bother with pictures. Cap’n G says yesterday he didn’t see any, so we felt privileged. With this experience, we headed back to the dock.
Ultimately, I don’t know if or how this might work into a tour into South or Central America. Many flights go from Miami, so I suppose I could work with a company to provide an option of something to do if people were to meet in Miami as they got ready
When I took control...
It wasn't quite mutiny as Cap. Gary was nearby to guide, but I did run the boat in circles for a few seconds. to leave from Miami to warmer climates. That said, I will definitely keep Captain Doug and his fellow captains in mind for future reference.
Following the tour, we came home and rested a while. We then moved on to the other big item of the day...Hammond Stadium. I’m not sure I could work this into a tour unless it so happened to be Twins fans like myself and they happened to be in Ft. Myers at the right time. In any case, I made my first Spring Training game. Unfortunately, the Twins did not prevail against the Bo Sox, but it’s my first shot at some baseball for 2008 - and one of the last few live in MLB until my return home. Yes, I can watch some games online, but not quite the same. How do you eat a Dome Dog online? How do you fell the roar and vibration of the crowd as your team is making a great play? How do you experience the walking into the stadium and, for just a little while, part of you gets to be that little kid again (although one who can buy beer nowadays...) In any case, it was
Another new friend
Again, the pelicans were really pretty bold. Though the picture may not give a full sense of the depth, the pelican was no more than about 2 feet away. They never did anything, though, except accidentally hit me in the head with their wing while taking off. great to see some of the old names such as Morneau, Cuddyer, and others. It was also interesting to see some of the minor league players, though one has to ask what is going through their minds. For example, the player that ultimately had a chance on 1B after Morneau (whose name I don’t much remember at the moment)...he has to know he has little to no chance of actually playing major league games. I realize it’s all part of what minor leaguers do to prove themselves and get into line, but I think if there’s any part of Major League Baseball that plays for the love of the game as opposed to $80 million contracts, it’s these guys that are doing it. I suppose they all dream of the $80 million contract one day with a team, but right now they’re playing for a chance to play backup should, God forbid, Morneau gets hurt. In the meantime, I think I’m almost making more than they are (and that isn’t much at the moment). In any case, even with a 8-3 loss to the Bo Sox, it was still a better day than doing just about anything else. This part
of my journey is really just about fun. No finding “new places to go” at the game - though wouldn’t object to a tour requesting it as part of their tour, maybe a “one last look at the familiar” part of a tour.
Okay. look at pictures. It’s time for sleep for me. Tomorrow will come soon enough, plus a chance to work on the base tan - not only because I’ll look that much better but will acclimate my skin to much more direct sunlight. Tomorrow, go Twins to beat the overpaid Boston Red Sox!
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