Not much time to write, sitting at Barnes and Noble to latch onto their wireless internet connection, but thought some of you might enjoy some of the photos we’ve taken of the wildlife here (around Naples, not at B & N!). It’s pretty much bird heaven here, even though it is colder here than since the ice age. Between fund raising events for The Brody Project (both smashing successes, thanks to the organizers and to the generous people of the area), Jim and I have soaked up some of the animals in the mangrove swamps and the beaches.
We’ve watched river otters playing in a mangrove swamp, dolphins arcing through the waves in the sea while we ate breakfast, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets (with feathery white plumes, black legs and yellow feet — they look like Dr. Suess animals), White Ibis, Wood Storks in the mangroves, Pelicans and Terns dive-bombing into the waves, Black Skimmer flocks swooping in like groupies at a rock concert, and leaving in one group just as fast, as if attached by invisible strings. The weather cleared (it’s raining hard right now) yesterday morning and we had a glorious morning of sun and bird watching on the beach. Granted, it’s cold, windy and rainy now, but hey, we got one glorious morning!
Here’s the Great Egret hunting in the swamp alongside our walkway to the beach. Such a gorgeous bird.
And here’s the flock of Black Skimmers swooping in for a group sit in on the sand right in front of us. Skimmers are amazing birds–their lower bill is longer than the upper one, and they feed by flying just above the water, lower bill drooping into the water. When it hits a fish, it snaps up and throws the fish down their gullet. This is a feeding style I can get behind… eating anything that hits my mouth. (The diet begins Monday….
Meanwhile, back at the farm, the wonderful farm sitter reports that it has snowed 6 inches since we left, it was 2 below this morning with a high of 9 today, that Lassie is peeing in the house every afternoon (too cold outside to empty her bladder? just old? bladder infection? liver troubles affecting her bladder? we’ll be back at the vet’s when I get back). But she’s also super playful, great appetite, and Will and sheep are all doing well. Thank you Lesanna for being such a great sitter! (Is there anything more important than a great pet sitter if you travel?)
I’ve loved reading your comments about Animal Assisted Activities and Animal Assisted Therapy (which is done as part of a medically approved, therapeutic treatment plan). The Brody Project does the latter, and is doing a fantastic job working with the staff at Moorings Park Retirement Community. The stories of how the therapeutic teams have changed people’s lives are oxytocin generators of the finest kind. The Brody Project is funded by Paula Brody, who saw how dogs profoundly improved the life of her mother, Sarah Brody, in her last years, and is, if I do say so myself, brilliantly directed by my friend Karen Lasker. She and some amazing volunteers have done a fantastic job getting this program off the ground, and it was a honor to be able to help raise funds for it.
Tomorrow we leave for home, back to the farm, the snow, the dogs (oh boy), and lots and lots of work. Will attempt to leave five pounds of holiday weight here with me….
Joanna says
Gorgeous pictures — thank you for sharing!
Amy says
Your pictures are AWESOME! I have never seen a Black Skimmer – lucky you! I also see Royal Terns and what looks like a couple Common Terns in that picture. That place sounds like heaven!
Safe travels home. I hope everything with Lassie turns out okay.
Q says
Great photos for northerners to see mid-winter. The feeding style of the skimmer suggests it would be extremely succeptible to flotsams of trash on the water. Another great reminder of our responsibility to promote/participate in a clean and responsible lifestyle choices.
Ann W in PA says
Beautiful birds! Thanks for sharing.
Sorry to hear about poor Lassie. It seems that our dear Louie decided one day that his seniority in the house no longer required him to abide by any kind of “rule” — and *certianly* not any rule that caused him to go to any kind of effort or discomfort (to include pottying outside if it was cold, or rainy). A brief re-training with treats bought us another few accident-free months at first. He also developed “selective hearing” at about the same time he was losing his actual hearing, and it was pretty difficult to tell between the two, maybe a little extra twinkle in his eye when he was pulling one over on us…
After much testing, we set aside our worry and stocked up on paper towels. I have to say, I think he earned every bit of our cleanup service. Here’s hoping Lassie has just decided that it’s time for you to provide “enhanced” owner services. Maybe Louie whispered in her ear.
C. E. Webster says
Nice photos. Thank you for posting them.
MJ says
Trisha:
Unrelated to this … I was sitting in the Warner Park dog park this noon, listening to you and Larry on the radio, while watching a young man with a young, strong and pushy pit bull trying to get some control over his exuberant charge by flinging him onto his back and holding him there. The dog never complained, altho he did struggle and once in awhile succeeded in getting away (before being officially released) to push a large aussie around. I sat in my car as this guy flipped his dog 8-10 times (and I mean flipped — scooped his four legs and flung him onto his spine on hard packed snow). I was so wishing I had a cell phone, could get you on the line and then hand it off to the guy “here, this woman would like to speak to you.” While pushy pit was being held down, the aussie would push right in and stand over the dog — which both owners let happen.
I sat in the car debating with myself on whether to mosey over and ask the guy how that was working for him. I’m still pondering what I should have done. The thing that amazed me was the dog putting up with it … over and over. I have Lhasa Apsos. All I could think was — if that was an apso, there would be blood!
I did take a moment to try to study the dog (in the brief intervals when he was up and moving) as he encountered the aussie. But I couldn’t get passed the tail. Vertical and stiff at the base and pointed straight and stiff over his back. I didn’t know a straight tail could go that direction! To my dog’s dismay, I drove away.
Dena (Izzee's Mom) says
MJ, sounds like a very well-bred pit. Able to be safely (?) handled by the owner even while in the throes of arousal. Not a chance that I would take with ANY breed! And definitely not the way to develop a good, trusting relationship with the dog.
Whinny and Snap says
I love the pictures! The one of the Black Skimmers is fantastic!