The Little Elf

I met a little Elf-man, once,

Down where the lilies blow.

I asked him why he was so small, 

And why he didn't grow.

He slightly frowned, and with his eye

He looked me through and through.

"I'm quite as big for me," said he,

"As you are big for you."

- John Kendrick Bangs

Don't judge people by what you expect them to be. Give them a chance to be who they are and maybe both your lives will be richer.

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Spooning?

During our recent trip to St. Augustine, we had several opportunities to dine near the water. While we were having lunch at the Conch House restaurant one afternoon, this fellow was panning for his lunch in the shallows near the marina. 

This is the same location where we saw the manatee, pelicans, baby sharks and a sea turtle. Click the link to read about that...don't worry, I'll wait.

Okay, let's meet today's special guest.

This is a Roseate Spoonbill. From a distance we were reminded of a Pink Flamingo, except for his flat, paddle-like bill. For more information on the Spoonbill and hear what he sounds like, click on the link.

The Spoonbill is a wading bird of the Spoonbill and Ibis family, and is found in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Mexico and the Gulf Coast of the U.S.

They feed in shallow fresh or coastal water by swinging their bills from side to side as they walk, often leaving a trail behind them as they sift through the mud.

Their diet consists of aquatic insects, frogs, newts, crustaceans and fish too small for other wading birds.

After lunch, I got some video of him feeding and leaving a trail in his wake.

To see more of my videos, visit my YouTube channel here.

The music in the video is called "Squiggly Line" by Podington Bear found at http://podingtonbear.com.  I think you'll see why it is so appropriate for this video.

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Nobody's Perfect

A good garden may have some weeds. - Thomas Fuller

You weed your garden today and tomorrow you find you still have weeds. Our imperfections are like weeds. We will never be free of them. Not to worry, nobody is perfect and just as we still get a good crop from our garden in spite of the weeds, and we can be good, productive people in spite of our imperfections.

Let's accept each other, flaws and all, and watch our garden flourish.




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Watching the Waves

My connection to the earth is reinforced 

through the rhythm of the waves. - Mike Dolan

St. Augustine Beach, June 2015

I often refer to this as recharging my internal batteries. To sit and gaze at the ocean relaxes both body and soul. Maybe it is the rhythm of the waves, or the layers of sand, water and sky, or the life-sustaining power of the ocean. Whatever the cause, the effect is the same.



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Linda Meets the Manatee

Here we have a couple of Pelicans hanging out looking for a handout. Fishermen were cleaning fish and tossing the remnants into the water. They are competing with a couple baby sharks for their lunch. Also present at this party was a sea turtle.

The star of the show, however, is the Manatee. Unfortunately these gentle giants are on the endangered species list. If you boat in areas where you may encounter manatees, please take a moment to read this.

This manatee likes to hang out where he can get a fresh, cool drink of water.

Here you can see his tongue and whiskers, and the algae and barnacles covering his tough skin.

I turned up my pants and got down under one of the fish cleaning tables to get a closer look. The hose to the right of me is where the sink drains.

Photo Credit: Ashley Morris

Such a gentle creature for one so large.

Yes, I petted the Manatee, and to answer one of the most asked questions, no he was not slimy. Although he might have been where the algae was growing. I felt the whiskers and they are like very thick hairs, flexible and not at all sharp.

Photo Credit: Ashley Morris

Bye-bye Mr. Manatee.  It was an honor to meet you!

Photo Credit: Ashley Morris

I compiled the video we got so you can see how he interacted with people and how much he enjoyed the fresh water. They truly are magnificent creatures.

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