I had hoped to paddle with friends this morning but the weather had other ideas. So we opted for a cool and blustery beach walk instead. Maybe not postcard perfect but it will always be beautiful to me.
Thankful to live here and truly thankful for so many things but most of all, thankful for my friends and loved ones. Y’all make this wild ride worthwhile! 🧡
Happy Thanksgiving!
The camera in my front yard recorded a furtive animal a couple months ago. I delayed sharing the video because I had hoped to get species confirmation from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
I used a process of elimination to narrow down the list of possible species. Based on the darting, somewhat secretive behavior, lean body, long snout, and short legs of the animal, I’ve ruled out raccoon, opossum, and stray cat. Which really only leaves members of the mustelid family.
Since FWC is collecting data on mustelid sightings to better understand their prevalence, I sent over my information but I have yet to get a response. Presuming that this animal was not an escaped or released exotic pet, there are three members of the weasel family native to the state to consider: North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis), American Mink (Neogale vison), and Long-tailed Weasel (Neogale frenata).
While I do live across the street from a small waterway where otters have been spotted, the smallish size of this animal leads me to believe it’s not an otter. Since it’s not as small and narrow as a weasel, I’m fairly certain it’s an American Mink, a species that also lives along waterways. A cool, new species for my yard!
I spotted this interesting fish at a nearby marina recently. It was nosing around the pilings, a behavior that reminded me of a Sheepshead but the color was definitely wrong.
A quick Google search identified it as a juvenile Atlantic tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis). Part of their common name derives from the long fins of the adult that extend back to the tail, giving the appearance of multiple tails.
It was a new fish species for me, though I’ve probably come across them before but just didn’t notice them. When they’re not foraging around pilings, they spend a lot of time floating sideways on the surface of the water, safely camouflaged among leaves and other debris.
A unique behavior my fish later demonstrated. A necessary adaptation because apparently they are thought to be delicious by both humans and other marine predators. Float on, little one!
My friend Katie and I hit the water early yesterday morning. Did we both have chores to do and errands to run? Yes, yes, we did. Did we ignore all that and take advantage of our calm seas and mild weather? Absolutely!
We launched our kayaks just after sunrise across the street from my house. It was a bit chilly at first but we knew it would warm up nicely as the day went on.
It was a quiet morning, we didn’t see a single boat on our a leisurely paddle out to Jack’s Island. We weren’t alone though, as a trio of dolphins escorted us to the middle of Boca Ciega Bay. Sharing the water with dolphins will never get old, I still squeal with excitement every time!
Continuing on our way, we paddled up on a large piece of marine debris (later identified as a removable keel), most likely a remnant from last year’s hurricanes. It took a bit of effort but we were able to haul it to the island, where we drug it ashore. We didn’t have the ability to haul it home but at least we got it out of the water.
A very bold Great Blue Heron flew in to check out our find. The bird watched intently as I played with the Sea Squirts that were growing among the algae on the keel (see video below). True to their name, they will squirt stored water when disturbed – one of their defense mechanisms. After I moved aside, the heron tried eating one of them but they were firmly attached (another defense mechanism), so he moved on.
A few minutes later, we spotted a mother and baby manatee grazing on seagrass in the nearby shallows. It was a pleasant surprise because the water temperature has cooled off quite a bit recently, down to 68°. Cooler water temperatures usually sends manatees searching for warmer water, inland at springs or near power plant outflows. We enjoyed our snacks while watching them slowly bob up and down, another sight I will never tire of!
Our planned leisurely island stroll quickly turned into a cleanup project since neither of us could stand seeing litter out there. We met a few of the local residents as wandered the sandy shores, and ended up filling four bags with trash.
The morning was wonderful reminder of why I feel so fortunate to live here!
Caught this show during my beach walk yesterday evening. It’s mesmerizing to watch someone practice their hobby. Especially since I can only imagine the number of hours it took to hone their skill.
I never know what I’m going to see on my beach walks but I have yet to be bored!
Today was one of those days. You know the kind, where everything just goes sideways and is completely out of your control.
I did what I could to salvage my work day but it was less than optimal. The only upside was that I got home before dark for the first time in a week or so (thanks for nothing, time change).
Did I have chores and important things to do at home? Yes, of course. Did I instead, change clothes and head directly to the beach? Darn tootin’!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that sand in my toes makes everything better!
I’ll admit that when I saw the forecast for this morning I didn’t really believe it. I mean, just Saturday it was in the low 80s down here.
But, thanks to an early season cold front, my morning temperature was 37° (with windchill making it feel like 27°). We were colder than Juneau, Alaska! 🥶 This sets a new record for the Tampa area, lower than the 40° recorded here all the way back in 1892!
For those of you worried about me and my lizard-like metabolism, I’ll survive with plenty of snuggles from Westley. Thankfully, this chill will soon be gone – it’ll be sunny and mid-70s here by Thursday! ☀️
Getting up early to volunteer is easy when there’s a view like this waiting for me!
The weather was perfect this morning for my long, trash pickin’, beach walk (mid 70s and sunny).
Don’t let that sunshine fool you though, the water was chilly! The Gulf has cooled off quite rapidly recently, the water splashing over my toes was a brisk 68° (down from a Summer high of 82°).
Cooler water means that fish (and their predators) are more active now. Caught the tail-end of a gull gulping his breakfast:
As they say down here, “it’s been a minute” since I’ve had a chance to hit the trail. I took advantage of a recent mild morning to explore a new one at Lake Seminole Park. There were a good number of folks using the path along with me so it wasn’t as peaceful as I wished but I still managed to share a few quiet moments with some locals.
It seemed humans weren’t the only ones enjoying the cooler weather!
I knew it was October 31st but I still didn’t expect all this decor when I went to the planetarium tonight. Apparently, there was a contest among the students for the best display. Personally, I’d have a hard time choosing a winner.
As for the star show, Craig Joseph, the astronomy professor at St. Pete College gave us a great tour of the sights in our current night sky. The moon is in a waxing gibbous stage with Saturn, the only planet currently visible to the naked eye, just to the left of it.
Though it was too cloudy for us to use the rooftop observatory, the star projector gave us a great view except for one dark region in the north. Craig explained that was just a burned out bulb in the aged machine that can’t be replaced. So, if anyone has a spare hundred grand lying around he’d love to upgrade the 1958 version for a modern one.
Now that I think about it, that was probably the scariest part of the whole night!
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