I was supposed to mow yesterday morning but when I heard there were flamingos at Shell Key I grabbed my paddle instead. The only good to come from Hurricane Idalia has been the multiple sightings of flamingos around the state.

At the end of August, Hurricane Idalia brought at least 20 flamingos to Florida (and points further inland). According to ornithologists, the birds were en route from the Yucatan Peninsula to Cuba when they were caught in the strong winds.

As wild animals, the birds have been moving around the state looking for food. There are at least 10 that have been spotted in various locations around Pinellas County. Wisely, a handful have recently gathered at Shell Key, a nearby wildlife preserve.

The various sandbars and mangrove islands that make up the preserve are a popular kayaking destination which I’ve paddled to before. It’s a lovely trip, even without flamingos. Lucky for me, four of them were hanging about. I had a fantastic time watching them, it was a great way to spend a morning (far better than mowing).

Here’s hoping that the flamingos find suitable habitat and decide to stay!

While relocating the fire wood in my backyard yesterday I uncovered a stash of little, round eggs. While I’m by no means a herpetologist, based on the egg and clutch size as well as the way they were buried in the sand, my educated guess is that these were laid by a Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei).

There are certainly plenty of them dashing around my yard! Unfortunately, it’s an invasive species which is putting immense pressure on our native Green Anoles (Anolis carolinensis). Not much I can do about it, so I will just enjoy my hardworking team of insectivores.

I stopped by the beach for a stroll after work the other day. The sun and the clouds played peekaboo as dolphins cruised by. Yet another stunner for the books…

I’m not much of a professional sports fan (though my preferred football team is Green Bay – a habit I picked up when I worked in Wisconsin decades ago). But when the local football team is throwing a free concert on a nearby beach it’d be silly not to go.

Best part of the evening was running into May, a friend from Sarasota. Another fun, sandy night!

I checked out Fort de Soto Park last weekend to see the changes wrought by Hurricane Idalia. While strolling the beach I found this yard-long burrow. Looking closely at the lumpy end, I noticed something cream-colored buried in the sand.

Ever curious, I gently dug down and uncovered this lumpy mass. In an attempt to determine heads or tails I gave it a quick rinse in the waves. I snapped photos of both sides before tucking it back into its burrow and continuing on my way.

A few steps later, a gelatinous blob drifting in the water caught my eye. I’ve spotted blobs like this before but never was able to identify them. After going down the sand worm/sea slug/gastropod rabbit hole, all I can definitively tell you is that my mystery photos are different stages of one species’ lifecycle.

Annoyingly, I cannot tell you which species. The closest I can determine is Sand Slug (Philine aperta), a predatory sea slug which looks very similar. It also produces translucent egg masses that it attaches to the sea bottom with a mucous thread. However, that species is only known in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

So, I’m officially stumped…

After a couple construction and design setbacks, I finally finished setting up my hammock area. It’s been said that any project is easy with the right tools. Narrator: She did not have the right tools and the project was the opposite of easy. Thankfully, Westley, my project supervisor, approved of the final outcome.

The solar lights were a gift from my friend Hector, while the vines were “appropriated” from a nearby alley. They are climbing well and will soon provide much needed shade. Now I’m just waiting for the grass to grow…

Hurricane Idalia swamped Gulfport just a few days before the tiny town’s annual Gecko Fest but that did not dampen their spirits. Wandering the streets, listening to live music, and watching people dance was a welcome reminder of resiliency.

Sadly, I’ll never get a chance to experience so many of the iconic things that symbolize Old Florida. They are long gone, having succumbed to “progress”. Cypress Gardens, Florida’s first theme park, is one of those.

The park opened in 1936 as a botanical garden but during WWII, water ski shows were added. Over the decades, as the park’s appeal grew numerous movies were filmed there. It became known as the Water Ski Capital of the World and it seemed poised for continued success.

But, the mouse is formidable. After Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the park struggled along but bankruptcy was inevitable. In 2010, the gardens were incorporated as part of Legoland Florida but the ski shows ended.

So, imagine my excitement when I learned that the water ski team continues to travel and compete under the Cypress Gardens name. The town of Winter Haven, in central Florida, set up a water ski course on Lake Silver and the team offers free shows every 3rd Saturday, March -October.

After a couple misses this summer, last weekend some friends and I finally made it over for the show. I was duly impressed. Not only with the music and theme but with the athletic ability of all the skiers (the youngest was 3 years old, while the eldest was in her 60s).

The coaches, boat captains, and ski team obviously put a tremendous amount of effort into their costumes, choreography, and skills. I definitely enjoyed the show!