How lucky can a human be? This morning...the past several mornings...on the aft deck, coffee, blanket over my legs...cat on my lap. Watching boats parade by. Sun. Clear sky. Warm. Light breeze. Safe as can be. Loved. Loving. Content. Really, what privilege. Well fed. Healthy. Sheltered. Adventuring. surrounded by beauty of water and sky. The wealth surrounding me makes me a little uneasy but....
Several mornings now it has been warm enough to sit on the aft deck with coffee, a meditation of sorts. Enjoying the beginning of an unstructured day. This day I got dressed for yoga at the Manatee Lagoon but the scene on/from the aft deck was so compelling that I didn't get off the boat in time to get to yoga.
I did make it to the Manatee Lagoon though and saw a baby and another that I assume was the mom as they continued to hang out close to each other.
There were also Sheepshead fish nibbling at their skin, feeding on algae and other critters.
And the water IS the color here and rather shallow, maybe 6'. There are also other fish and one more really big manatee. It was covered with algae that the "manatee Master" said gave the researchers an idea of where that one had been hanging out. I think it was fresh water that caused algae growth, rather than salt water. I learned that babies (calves) are generally about 4' long at birth and weigh about 60 lbs. All the ones I saw today, including the baby, had marks of boat props on their backs. Danger!
The MM said there had been 200 manatees in this area of the Lagoon in December. !!!
David was employed this morning to show a couple two boats that were for sale. He met them as I biked off to the Manatee Lagoon. After spending some time watching the manatees I biked to the Farmers' market downtown. I took a new route and went through some sweet neighborhoods with both large and small houses but all older and well maintained.
Often hedges add privacy to the compact house lots. This little hole in the wall hedge was lovely. Sometimes the houses are near the front of the narrow house lots with yard privately behind the house. Other houses were near the rear of the lot with lots of vegetation at the front either hiding or shading the property. Most of the houses in this neighborhood were smaller, one story cottages.
And there are alleys that give access to the backs of the houses and hide the trash cans and sometimes garage the cars. Those alleys are often as well maintained as the street side of the houses. Reminds me of St. Louis neighborhood I lived in once. Great bike ride exploring on this beautiful, not too hot, day.
I appreciated several different people with dogs shortening the leashes of their canines as I came close on my bike. At one point a little dog who seemed lost started following me. I outran it.
David joined me at the Farmers' Market when his "job" was complete. He and I had gone yesterday to see the boats he was to show today, to make sure he knew where they were in the mooring field and be sure he could find the keys and get aboard.
The boat parade continues......
These two may have been going to view the Boat show...or maybe they were for sale. Somehow, though, I don't think that is true of the top one. All those fenders cause me to think it is owned and enjoyed.
Post Farmers' Market and all that bicycle riding - 5+miles! - we came back to the boat for a nap. Exercise, sunshine, fresh air....all that calls for a recovery nap.
Then to the Sailing club for St. Patrick's Day celebration and dinner, mediocre dinner but I didn't have to cook. The music was a steel drum with back up rhythm. Irish? Good musician but...? The cheese cake was great. Back to the boat for Irish Whiskey.
New sunglasses to replace the red ones that lost a lens
longer hair
loose skin chicken neck
jammies
Ready for the evening at home.
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