3rin's View…

The weather was absolutely perfect for a morning paddle, so I loaded up my kayak and headed downtown. There’s a little park just north of all the high-rises that has a small boat launch. I often walk along the Coffee Pot Bayou seawall, so it was nice to be out in it for a change.

This small, sheltered waterway just off Tampa Bay is favored by all manner of birds, dolphins, and manatees (though sadly, I did not see any of the latter today). Thankfully, my bird and dolphin sightings more than made up for the lack of sea cows. The best part was watching a momma dolphin carefully guide her baby as it rolled on the surface of the water (see its little white belly in the video below). What a morning!

*Yes, I wish I had been closer. Also, please admire my restraint as I did not squeal (though I really wanted to)!

The weather recently has been just delightful, sunny and warm (in the upper 70s during the day). Westley loves his outside time and especially enjoys it when I’m sitting out there with him. Though, as you can see in the second photo, he finds it annoying when I turn our afternoon into a photoshoot!

Could be worse, buddy, we could live somewhere cold and wintery!

It’s such a relief to see annual events returning to Treasure Island in the aftermath of last year’s damaging hurricane season. The actual carving and celebration of these incredible sand sculptures took place the weekend before Thanksgiving, replete with a craft market and live music.

I first viewed this artwork during the opening weekend but it was so crowded that I couldn’t manage decent photos. I knew I had plenty of time to get back and take pictures because, unlike other nearby sand sculpting festivals, the city leaves these standing until the beginning of the New Year (unless weather damage makes them unsafe, then they will be leveled early).

In case you noticed the color difference from our beach sand, these sculptures are molded from an entirely unique sand. The firm, uniform-sized sand the artists use for their masterpieces is trucked in from down near Miami. That special deposit is the remains of an ancient coral reef. Reef that was chewed up by hungry parrotfish who then pooped out this fine-grained sand mixed with an organic compound that makes it ideal for large-scale projects. The more you know…

As for the contest, Morphism overwhelmingly won first place, from both the judges and the public. You probably have to see it in person to appreciate all the hollow, empty spaces that the artist incorporated. The lacy look seems almost impossible!

A couple weeks ago I went on a birding trip to Roosevelt Wetlands up in Clearwater. The wetlands are actually retention ponds that were constructed as part of Pinellas County’s watershed management plan to help control flooding from the densely developed area nearby. As with most urban areas, if you set aside land, wildlife will soon flock there.

This new-to-me birding hotspot attracts a lot of birds during migration, some of which end up staying for the winter season. We tallied 53 species which was pretty good for a two hour stroll. We were a fairly large group of birders, so it was difficult to get good photos. As you can see from above, the birds left for quieter spots right when I raised my camera. Not my best shots but I can’t complain about spending time outside on a beautiful day.

My favorite part of the morning was watching a Banded Watersnake move across the top of the water. Unlike the birds, this snake was in seemingly no hurry. I wasn’t in a hurry to leave either, though I had to keep up with the group. Next time I visit I’ll linger longer…

I dashed out to Treasure Island early yesterday morning for the Run for the Beaches 5K. I signed up for it, not for the love of running, but because it brings in money to help protect and restore my favorite beach.

After hurricanes caused a hiatus in 2024, the event came back strong this year with 500 registrants. It was a mild, foggy morning and the race coincided with low tide. The tide was further out than normal, courtesy of the last super moon of the year, which revealed a number of interesting items. As you can see, I was distracted along the way!

The sun broke through near the end of the race so it was quite pleasant as we enjoyed the delicious post-race snacks and bevvies. I had a great time, got in some exercise, and saw some cool stuff but the best part of the event? It raised $25,000! Now that’s a darn good way to spend a morning!

To usher in the holiday season, the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement (MAACM) hosted a special event this past Tuesday. I was excited about the evening because it’s one of the few museums here in St. Pete that I had not yet visited.

The five-story, 137,000 square-foot museum was founded and designed by Rudy Ciccarello to house his private collection of fabulous pieces from the American Arts and Crafts era (1890 into the 1930s).

As the Industrial Revolution gained steam, and mass production took over, there was an intentional movement by craftsmen (and notably women) to create beautiful, yet still functional, objects for daily life instead. The basic tenets were simplicity in design, honesty in materials, and hand craftsmanship while depicting the natural world.

I arrived early so I could enjoy my time wandering through the exhibits. I’ve long been an admirer of what I call functional art, if you’ve been out exploring with me you know that I’ll stop on the street to photograph a decorative gutter spout or lamppost and some of my favorite household furnishings are nature-inspired (though admittedly, not always handcrafted, my budget doesn’t stretch quite that far).

The evening was delightful, filled with masterpieces, music, and even some delicious holiday treats. I was very glad I attended. Plus I learned that the museum is already undergoing an expansion, quite impressive considering it only opened in 2021. Sounds like I’ll soon have another reason to visit!

Just can’t resist sharing another photo from the beach last night. I will never get tired of that view!

Calm seas for sunset, nice and relaxing.

This, this is what it’s come to, Florida officially posts diagrams* showing us how to dress when the temperatures dip. Folks from other climates may laugh at us but after now living here for 6 years, I can tell you it’s the honest truth – we literally don’t know how to cope with cold weather. We’re that unaccustomed to it!

Now the tricky part (that they did not address in their infographic), the difference between chilly, cold, and extreme cold. To me, anything under 70° is chilly, under 60° is cold, and under 50° is probably a sign that Hell has frozen over.

I am well aware that other parts of the country are actually freezing right now and some are even living in snow-covered landscapes. Presumably, those folks are well-adapted to their environment and have the tools and skills to manage in it.

True, we don’t have to wear ourselves out shoveling snow or worry about slipping on ice but we do have other hazards, like dodging frozen iguanas as they fall from trees (now that I think about it, I bet a snow shovel would work well for scooping them up).

Warning: if you do scoop up a frozen iguana, please do not put it in your car or take it home with you – after they thaw, they revive and tend to be extra spicy!

*Note that at no time does anyone advise wearing socks with your sandals. Even though I wear flips daily, I will begrudgingly shove my feet in shoes before ever wearing socks with sandals! 🩴