We All Do

Dry Tortugas, Florida November 2022

Winter and Spring are the busy seasons down here in my part of Florida. As such, many of the local parks and nonprofit organizations offer interesting outreach events.

In the past couple months I’ve attended several informative talks where I learned about horseshoe crabs, Florida panthers, rescuing seabirds, winter stargazing, the condition of the state’s many springs, and the status of Tampa Bay’s aquatic preserves.

Recently someone asked me why I care so much about the environment. The question dumbfounded me, how could I not care about it? I simply replied, “Because I live in it. We all do.”

Bedroom Toys

Westley is very particular about things. A personality trait we share (along with being headstrong, but I digress). An example, he prefers his litter mounded in one corner of his box. I smooth it into a uniform layer after I clean his box which he immediately “fixes” as soon as I’m done.

Another example, shortly after I adopted him, he decided that his shark and lanyard were bedroom toys. Not just bedroom toys but specifically, bed toys. If I toss either of them on the floor (or heaven forbid, into another room), he promptly retrieves it and brings it back onto the bed.

He’s certainly a character!

Orange Sky, Red Tide

The beauty of tonight’s sunset belies the sad truth that red tide is flaring up again in the gulf. The fumes tickling my throat were my first indication but as I walked along I also saw a few dead fish.

Out of curiosity, I checked the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s recent water testing data. It noted medium levels of Karenia brevis in the water along my favorite beach. I certainly hope this isn’t the beginning of a massive flare up…

Different Perspectives

After hearing about this amazing location for the past couple years, I finally had a chance to check out John Chestnut Sr. Park up in Palm Harbor. I spent four enjoyable hours wandering the various trails and boardwalks.

Keep in mind, for every cooperative subject I managed to capture, there were at least two others that snuck away. It was a stellar way to spend the day.

So, imagine my surprise when I overheard a young woman talking on her phone, “Nah, there isn’t anything interesting to see here.” It certainly gave me a chuckle…