Spend a Day with Me at Blue Spring

Hey, wanna explore with me today? Come on …

Let’s Beat the Crowds to the Manatees

Let’s get up and ride our bikes down to the spring early before the park opens. I hear that later in the mornings the manatees are in the river eating, but early they’re still keeping warm up in the spring. Plus there won’t be that many people around, just other campers like us. (And don’t worry: Tracy said he’d take over my morning walk with Banjo and feed her, so we have all time in the world this morning.)

Jimminy, it’s gorgeous in the morning. The sunlight on the water shows off the forest and the spring and the huge manatee right under the surface.

We got kind of carried away with taking videos, didn’t we.

I, for one, can’t get over how cool it was to hear these deep breaths throughout the forest, up and down the channel that feeds out of the spring. Just a few quiet morning birds and then EXHALE in one direction. EXHALE in another direction. It sounded like an aquatic call.

And didn’t it look like everyone’s back was itchy first thing in the morning? They were all twirling against logs. Or maybe doing morning manatee yoga?

Time to Wander through Sand Scrub

Thanks for helping me make that paella for lunch. Aren’t you glad I insisted on bringing my cast iron skillet?

All that oil though. I wanna walk it off. I saw a sign near the parking lot about a trail through the Scrub.

It’s “one of the most unique and endangered natural plant communities in the U.S,” says that park sign over there. Plus look at all those photos of snakes and bears and gopher tortoises.

These were the only critters out in the sun, though. Well, there were those Scrub Jays that Tracy was stoked to see. He’s seen plenty of tortoises on his other walks, and we all enjoyed a visit by an opossum at the campsite the other night. So no hard feelings, Scrub Hike.

Downtime = Uke Time

Okay, how about a little siesta. You’re welcome to read or nap or whatever; I’m going to practice the ukulele in the shade of the tent. I’m trying a new subscription lesson service, and I wanna keep up. I’m working on adding some variety to my strumming with the chuck (aka chunk) and hammer on and off. I love uke terms.

Let’s Say Goodnight to the Manatees

I just can’t keep away. And since the spring is just a bike ride through the campground, let’s run over there and see them before the sun sets.

The water is so clear and beautiful. The manatees are all still and quiet, but the fish are lively.

Uke Segment

Thanks for spending the day with me. It was so much fun that, after you left, I couldn’t sleep, so I played ukulele some more while Tracy snoozed. It’s hard to play quietly and whisper lyrics. Plus this song is pretty violent and tragic for a lullaby. Oh well. If is go slow enough maybe it’ll be calming.

Okay, see ya tomorrow. Take care until then.