Yikes! Giant Spiders!

So much for blogging regularly (see my August 17 post). At any rate – I just got back from a dove-hunting trip to one of my favorite places in the world, my cousin’s farm in Bassfield, MS. Actually I spent most of my time down there bush-hogging, which is one of my favorite farming duties. I must have cut 25 acres of grass!

The hunting wasn’t bad either. I only got in one day of hunting because the season opened the day before I returned home. The hunting was poor in the morning, but we did pretty well in the afternoon hunt. The birds weren't flying in our field, but a friendly neighbor allowed us to come and shoot with them. I got 5 birds using 37 shells which is not too bad when it comes to hitting those little gray rockets.

The real excitement on the trip was my encounter with several really scary-looking spiders found in the Mississippi woods. I have been there several times but I had never seen one of these monsters before this trip. My cousin’s property is laced with wonderful lanes that run through pine thickets. We use them for driving four-wheelers and golf carts through the woods. On Friday morning I decided to take a walk using these lanes as my walking track. Sounds peaceful and scenic, doesn’t it? Well it was until I happened upon what South Mississippians call a “Banana Spider.” The spider’s real name is the golden silk orb-weaver spider (genus nephila). Apparently they are found throughout the world in temperate climates. And believe me, they are huge! I saw several that were as big as my hand (honest!). They also weave impressive webs that completely spanned the 6-8 foot lanes I was walking down. What's more, the webs were often head-high; perfect for catching an unsuspecting human. Well... actually they use their beautiful webs to capture all kinds of bugs and insects. An unsuspecting victim flies down the only path available to it, down the lane, and straight into a camouflaged death trap. Scary stuff. In fact, after I almost walked into two or three of the webs I finally turned around and headed back out of the woods the same way I came in.

According to some research I did on the web (pun intended), the spiders I encountered are not particularly poisonous but they do have a nasty South American cousin that is highly lethal. They also did not seem very aggressive. But let me be perfectly honest with you; I didn’t actually get close enough to tell if they were poisonous or aggressive. All I can say about them is they were huge and I would not want to walk into one of their webs, especially at night.

Pelican in Peril

We had an exciting afternoon at the beach. I was out in the water just floating around and I saw this guy chasing a pelican that was swimming fairly close to shore. I was thinking, “What’s with that guy? Leave the poor bird alone.” About that time I noticed several others were making their way through the water toward the bird. A lady said, “Did you see that pelican? He has a water bottle stuck in his throat!” I said, “No way,” but then noticed you could tell it did. You could even see the blue label of the water bottle through the skin on the bird’s enlarged neck.

Being a bird-lover I immediately joined the rescue effort with the guy in the lead. Unfortunately, just when it looked as though the bird was corralled it flew about 100 yards further out in the water, well beyond our reach in deeper water. Sadly we returned to the beach. The guy who was in the lead got his cell phone and began calling around to see if any wildlife people could come and save the bird. He did not have much success. About 20 minutes later I looked down the beach and noticed the bird had moved closer into shore. I walked down the beach and swam out to the bird, all the while trying to calm it by speaking to it. I got very close – I even touched its tail, before the bird flew again. Just then I looked up and here came the guy who had earlier tried to rescue the pelican to help me. Donna said that when he saw me get so close he began running down the beach to help me.

The guy and I made two more attempts to rescue the bird before it finally flew way beyond our reach in deeper water and we gave up and walked back to our chairs. I introduced myself on our walk back down the beach and found out he was from Minnesota. He was a real nice guy with a lovely family.

I went back to the house and got a snack before returning to the beach where Donna remained. I said, “Let’s walk down the beach and see if we see the pelican again.” Sure enough, we did, and it was closer than ever to shore. It also looked a lot weaker. We turned around and went back to get my Minnesota friend, but his family was packing up to go inside so he did not join me. Donna and I then walked down the beach and when we got near where the pelican was I asked a young man walking on the beach if he would help me. The young man agreed to help so we began wading out to the bird and this time the pelican let me get close enough to grab him. The young man then helped me by holding the bird’s wings while I squeezed its neck from below, forcing the bottle up toward his large mouth. All the while, of course, the pelican was trying to peck me. Finally I saw the top of the plastic water bottle so I reached in and grabbed it and pulled it out. The pelican then tried to take the bottle away from me again (I suppose he was protecting his “catch”).

We released the bird after I got the bottle out and it flew out a ways in the water, seemingly relieved. Several people in the water nearby who were, no doubt, wondering why two guys were attacking a pelican, began cheering and clapping when they saw the rescue and me holding the bottle.

We waited and watched a while and eventually saw the rescued pelican fly off looking none-the-worse for the trial it had undergone. All in all it was an exciting event as you might imagine. The photo above is of me holding the water bottle the bird had stuck in its throat.

Each Day is Special, God Made It So

God can be seen every day by the seashore. Look in any direction, and there He is.

I see Him in the clockwork precision of the tides, ebbing and flowing right on schedule every day, day after day, year after year. I see Him in the orderly rising and setting of the sun and the moon, and in the course of the stars as they make their way across the heavens each night. I see Him in the refreshing late-afternoon showers that wash away the heat of the day and clear the crowds off the beaches. I see Him in the beautiful patterned shells, strewn in a kaleidoscope of color on the pristine sugar-white sand in the golden light of early morning. I see Him in the waves as they relentlessly tumble up on land and then gently retreat back into the sea. I see Him in the wind and its daily shift from sea breeze in the daytime to land breeze at night.

I see Him in the pod of dolphins frolicking just off the pier, with a baby dolphin doing its best to stick close to its mother, mimicking her every move. I see Him in the bright flash of color as the mackerel and other fish strike my lure while I am fishing; and in even in their eyes as they peer up at me once I have caught them before I release them to fight another angler on another day.

I see Him in the flight of laughing gulls as they return to roost each night, winging their way across the island as the sun sets. I see His hand in the unique way each of the shorebirds knows exactly where, when, and how to catch its next meal; the sandpipers and sanderlings dancing with the waves as they pluck crustaceans from the wet sand, the terns as they hover motionless above the surf before dive-bombing unsuspecting fish below; the pelicans as they crash into the surf, mouth agape, filling their pouch with minnows; the black skimmer using its elongated beak to skim small fish from the water as it flies just above the surface of the water; and the stealthy great blue heron stalking its prey along the water’s edge knowing just when to strike in order to catch an unlucky shiner.

The seashore is a microcosm of the larger world and like the stars and planets and tides and wildlife, each one is imprinted with beauty and precision by the Maker’s hand. How sad it is that we often live our days unknowingly, our hours slipping by, our minds and spirits oblivious to God’s order, His provision, His purposes, and the gift of life that each day brings. When I return home, perhaps I will remember these times by the seashore and remember that each day is unique and each day is precious.

AMI

I am back on Anna Maria Island this 2009 Fourth of July week. I am sorry for everyone else who still slaving away at work back home – but this trip will be our last hurrah before a very busy fall, so I am not feeling too bad about it. I am going to try to get back into the habit of blogging this week, although my blogs will probably not be work-related as much as they will be life-related (which brings up the idea of a great blog about why we tend to compartmentalize our lives and the age-old question of “why can’t we live like we’re on vacation every day?”). Right now it is raining outside, so I am inside writing this.

I digress – let me begin by giving a little info about where we are. First of all, we are here mainly because Donna’s parents own a house here and so coming down is a very inexpensive getaway (basically just our gas to get down here and what we spend on food). I know, I am cheap, but I like to think of it as being a “really good steward of our resources.” (Thanks Don and Myralyn!)

What about Anna Maria Island itself? Anna Maria, known locally as simply AMI, is a beautiful seven-mile long Island that sits at the entrance to Tampa Bay. It’s about a 9-hour drive from our home north of Atlanta to here, but it is practically all expressway (mostly I-75), and always worth the drive. The best way I know to describe the island is to say it has the beautiful turquoise water like the Destin/Panama City Beach area, coupled with the “island feel” you get in St. Simons (some of you will be familiar with these comparisons). The pace here is very low-key and laid-back. There are no fast food restaurants, no high-rises and it is not nearly as crowded as the afore-mentioned beaches. The feel of AMI is often compared to the Florida Keys, without all the weirdness. Around here you see plenty of palm trees, hibiscus, oleander, lizards, pelicans, sea gulls, bicyclists, sea-turtle nests, and gorgeous sunsets. There is always something to do on AMI – but there is also no need to feel guilty if you just want to sit under an umbrella on the beach and read a good book.

Okay, okay, I realize I sound like a travel guide now, so I will stop, but honestly, it is a great place to relax and unwind. I have been here less than 24 hours now and I am beginning to start to relax – it takes a while for me. Once the rain stops and I can get back outside and get some sand between my toes, I will begin the process of unwinding the coil that is usually wound so tight in me. I will be writing more soon…

Eco-Kayak Tour

On Thursday morning Donna, Amy and I took a 2.5-hour kayak tour in the canals and waters around Anna Maria Island, Florida. We met our guide and 6 other adventurers at the store that organizes the tours, Beach Bums in Anna Maria. We drove over to our launch point where our “sit-on-top” style ocean kayaks were waiting for us. The first thing we did was to get acquainted with how to handle a kayak. Our guide, Captain Scott MacGregor gave us a quick lesson. During our lesson Captain Scott pointed out a relatively rare bird sitting in a nearby mangrove, a beautiful Roseate Spoonbill. It was an exciting start to our adventure! Captain Scott is a U.S Coast Guard certified sea captain and a retired high school marine biology teacher. He has a wonderful sense of humor and kept us laughing as well as taught us about some of the wildlife, flora and fauna we ran across in the island’s rich eco-system. We learned some interesting facts. For instance, did you know that a one-acre island of mangroves can produce three tons of fish food annually as the mangrove leaves fall into the water and decay?

For those who know the area, we kayaked around the Robinson Preserve in Bimini Bay. There we saw nesting birds, including herons, pelicans, and many types of gulls. We also saw mullet jumping out of the water and, of course, lots of beautiful houses and boats lining the bay. We went up one of the many canals around the bay. Oddly enough, the canal we went up is the one Don (my Father-in-law) has his boat on. We kayaked right past his dock and it was interesting seeing things from that angle. While in the canal Captain Scott pointed out a couple of trees that are not native to the area which are causing controversy, a large shady Australian Pine and a towering Norfolk Island Pine. Originally imported to fight erosion, these trees are now outlawed in many parts of Florida due to their invasive nature, rapid growth rate, and non-native status. After Captain Scott showered Amy with pine nuts from the Australian Pine we kayaked back out of the canal and down the length of the bay. We made a brief stop halfway down the bay to get out of our kayaks and stand up in a very shallow spot (the whole bay is actually pretty shallow). After our brief rest, stretch, and a sip of much-needed water we continued on down the bay and went under the Key Royale Bridge and out into Anna Maria Sound. Once we got out in the sound Captain Scott told us that it is supposedly good luck to be able to see three bridges at once. From our vantage point in Anna Maria Sound we could see the Manatee Avenue Bridge, the Key Royale Bridge and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Also while we were in the sound we saw three or four dolphins. We had hoped to see a manatee somewhere along our tour, but we did not see one.

On the long paddle back to where we started out we saw more birds including a flock of parakeets that flew over the bay right in front of us making quite a racket. Everyone made it back safely, albeit with tired arms from the paddling. Especially me because I used a tandem kayak and paddled it by myself the entire way. There were not enough single kayaks for everyone and Donna and I were not willing to share a tandem – we each had to have our own kayak (some of you will understand).

This was a great adventure that allowed us to see a side of this beautiful island we would not otherwise have seen. I highly recommend the tour to anyone but must warn you that it does require some upper arm strength and the ability to stand the sun and heat. Even though our tour was in the morning, you still get pretty hot and it is a long haul. One of the people on our tour had to rely on Captain Scott for a tow for part of the way (none of us Jacksons I am happy to report!). Beach Bums does offer tandem kayaks, so if you are worried about making it you may want to share a kayak with someone else (preferably a strong paddler). The cost of the tour was $55 per person. The website for Beach Bums is here, tell them you heard about them on my blog and I am sure Captain Scott and the Beach Bums gang will throw in a free paddle and life vest with your kayak!

Steve and Amy's Turtle Adventure

We had another fun adventure early Wednesday morning at the beach. Amy and I were walking on the beach and we noticed a crowd of people standing around watching a woman dig a hole in the sand. We went over to see what was going on and found ourselves right in the middle of a loggerhead sea turtle nest relocation. During the night on Tuesday a mother loggerhead had crawled up on the beach and laid 104 eggs that look something like ping pong balls in a hole she dug in the sand about 28 inches deep.



Every morning around dawn from May to October volunteers from the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch Association (http://www.islandturtles.com/) walk along the beach looking for signs of these nests. Unfortunately some of the mother turtles lay their eggs too close to the water's edge and the nests wash out. When a nest is too close it is relocated further back on the beach by these volunteers. That is what the crowd had gathered to watch today.

Amy and I learned tons of interesting facts. The incubation period for loggerhead turtle eggs is approximately 55 days. The eggs we saw being moved should hatch around August 4th. The sex of the juvenile turtles is determined by whether they are stacked on the top of the group of eggs buried in the nest or whether they are on the bottom. The difference in temperature (hotter nearer the surface) determines the sex. The photo above shows the nest on the left (it is shaped like an upside down light bulb) and the bucket with some of the eggs before they were taken approximately forty feet further up on the beach to be reburied.

The ladies doing the relocating from the Anna Maria Turtle Watch group were really into their work and were very helpful explaining things as they did the hot work of relocating the nest. There were several children and adults watching them and they made quite a few “converts” by taking the time to explain what they were doing. Amy and I were glad for the good fortune of happening upon this interesting event. Now that the nest is relocated hopefully in about two months there will be 104 little baby turtles that will hatch and make a mad dash into the sea.

We do our Eco-Kayak tour on Thursday morning – we can hardly wait!

Beach Life

I am at the beach this week, enjoying the laid back lifestyle. It was quite a run for us right up to Leigh’s wedding. We pretty much went non-stop from Easter on, so it was nice to get in the car before dawn on Sunday morning and head to Holmes Beach, Florida. Holmes Beach is on Anna Maria Island, just off Bradenton, Florida in the Tampa bay area. Anna Maria is less touristy and has more of an “island feel” like St. Simons Island in Georgia, but Anna Maria has the beautiful turquoise water and white sand beaches like Destin or Panama City. It is really the best of both beach worlds.

So far we have enjoyed walking on the beach, reading, playing scrabble and cards, sunning, bicycle-riding, fishing, and, of course, eating some great seafood out. We have all gotten a little too much sun (that’s why I am inside blogging at the hottest part of the day today). This morning we went over to the city pier at Anna Maria and I caught four mackerel in about fifteen minutes. The photo above is one of the fish I caught. The last fish I had on the line got off when my line got tangled with a bird. I ended up having to cut the line to keep the bird from injuring itself. It was pretty crazy for a moment with me having a fish and a bird on my line at the same time. Donna, Amy and I also spent some time on the pier watching dolphins swim around and pelicans and other sea birds feasting on the schools of minnows around the pier.

This morning Amy and I watched a sea turtle nest being moved. I will write more about that later as it was very interesting.

Tomorrow morning (Thurs) we are taking a kayak eco-tour through some of the canals and creeks surrounding Anna Maria. We’re looking forward to that!

We have heard from Leigh and John in St. Lucia and it sounds like they are having fun too.

I will hate to leave this place when we have to come home. Perhaps someday we’ll come to a beautiful spot like this and just never go back home…there are times when that sounds very tempting.

I’ll blog some more later on. For now I think I’ll lather up with sun screen, slip on some flip-flops and head to the beach. Ahhhhh….

Birds

Have I mentioned I’m a birder? No? Well, I am, sort of. By that I mean I’m not a “gung ho” kind of birdwatcher who travels great distances to see birds, or who spends hours behind binoculars watching for birds at home, or even one who spends a lot of money and time trying to attract birds to their yard. Basically what I mean is I enjoy watching them and trying to see how many different kinds of birds pass through our yard as the seasons go by.

I have three bird feeders out now along with four hummingbird feeders. Regular visitors to my yard include the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Carolina Chicadee, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, several species of Fly-catcher (they all look alike to me), Blue Jay, Brown Thrasher, American Crow, White-breasted Nuthatch, some kind of Wren (not sure if it’s a house wren or a Carolina wren), House Finch, American Goldfinch, Eastern Meadowlark, Robin, Eastern Bluebird, and the Mourning Dove. Oh, and of course, lots and lots of squirrels in my feeders!

The photo above is of a Barred Owl that hangs out around our house. In fact, there is more than one. We hear them fairly frequently. If you’d like to hear what an owl like this sounds like click HERE. This particular owl was sitting right behind our house on Sunday afternoon. I had been looking over at a feeder I put out on a limb just below where the owl was sitting when all of a sudden I noticed the owl. They are masters at camouflage. This guy sat there for at least 30 minutes and he kept falling asleep. I had time to go inside and get my camera and come out and take several photos of him. He did not seem to mind. Eventuallly he flew to the ground as if he was going to catch a mouse or something, but when he landed there wasn't anything there. He just flew down from the tree to the ground, swiveled his head around a few times, and then he flew off. I’m sure we'll see him again though, because like I said, we see and hear them fairly frequently.

We have had a few hummingbirds so far – but not too many. It’s a little early yet. In time we’ll have them fighting over the feeders we have situated around the house. I love to watch them set up their little territory and then bomb any intruder that tries to feed at “their” feeder. They are amazing little birds.

All in all, I feel close to God watching birds – actually I feel close to Him any time I’m out in nature. God is so creative and his creation so precious and beautiful!