Nitrogen footprint

We are all joined by water.

Last night I went to a presentation at a local community center about the waterway I live on here in Florida. 

I thought it was man-made which is partly true, but the presenter showed us an aerial shot taken in 1948 with numbers of large ponds which were joined together by dredging. So now there is one big body of water snaking through the development. Partially natural, partially man-made. There are lots of birds, turtles and alligators living in "The Ponds" as they are called.

Problem is, they are sick. You might be able to see how green the water is in the foreground. 

                                  

Or here. This is me, sitting on our dock, with the sun behind me. The water is green because of algae. All water has some algae and some algae is good for fish. Too much algae is called a "bloom" and takes so much oxygen out of the water that the fish die. So do the birds and other animals that live on fish.

Our part of Florida has many strict laws about how often you can water your lawn and, particularly, how much nitrogen-based fertilizer you can use. These laws are sometimes resented by people who want a lush green lawn (grass) like we have up north. There is a feeling among some that the County has no right to say what you can and cannot do on your own property.

Except that the nitrogen you use on your own property runs off into the storm drains and eventually makes its way into The Ponds where it feeds the algae and impacts everyone in the watershed.

Really, grass is not for Florida. The types that people want do not do well in our current drought and in

 our sandy soil.

This is a bushy sort of plant, native to the area, which needs no fertilizer or watering. You might not want a whole yard of it, but it looks nicer than brown grass. It's a good alternative.

                                     

My other neighbor has this ground cover, pretty and green. In Michigan it is called a weed, but here people grow it in place of grass.

                                           

Finally, because I am sure everyone is tired of the eco-lesson, having bushes which grow at the water's edge, absorb excess nutrients and "scrub" the water. Their roots grow deep and hold the soil in place as well as providing a nesting area for all sorts of creatures. 

I love this stuff.  In Florida we live in the Lemon Bay watershed. In Michigan we live in the Looking Glass River watershed. If I hadn't have been a social worker, I might have been a botanist. 

Red tide and the Tub of Death

Florida seems to have more things than Michigan that are hostile to people. Take Spider Drop Park. That's not its real name but it is the name I have given it since there is a sign in this small park that says "Warning: spiders in trees". I was going to explore that park but as soon as I saw that sign, I was persuaded not to. I assume all trees have spiders, so if the trees in that park have so many spiders that it merits a sign, that's enough for me. Worse than Leech Lake, which is a lake in Minnesota.

Then there is whatever bit me today 3 times on the foot and I didn't even get to squash it because I didn't see it.

Then there is the Red Tide, also and more correctly known as an "algal bloom", which is not like a flower, but a naturally occurring mass of algae in the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico. This fall, apparently, it was bad, and killed off a bunch of fish, leaving the local papers to print - not a word, not a single word. At least not that we read, and Tom has taken to reading the papers down here online when we are in Michigan. 

The Red Tide has dissipated, mostly, the water is not red, there is no smell and no dead fish, but there is a certain irritant in the air that makes me cough a bit when I am at the beach. Actually there were a number of people coughing at the beach. It's not harmful unless you are a clam, and better than snow, but still.  

Finally, we have the aqua tub. I put myself in the picture because I am a little vain. It's a beautiful tub in a beautiful house but the bottom is very very slippery.  I figured that out after one shower and went and got one of those suction cup bathmats. That made it a bit better, but, a couple or three days ago, getting out of the tub, I hit the edge of the bathmat, dislodged it, slipped, and wrenched my back grabbing the hand-hold thing. So now my back hurts, not so bad that I can't go to the beach, but for a few days, bad enough that I couldn't put dishes in the dishwasher. And poor Tom had to do it.

So that's it, those of you that live in the South doubtless know of other dangerous things, like ticks, fleas, alligators, and Buford burgers.

A Walk on Manasota Key

Manasota Key is a barrier island 7 miles long and, in places, less than half a mile wide. It is jungly but more desert than rain forest due to the sand. The northern tip is developed, but the southern part is fairly wild and perfect for a weekend walk. 

Palm trees die and lie in the sand and new growth sprouts up.

I don't know if you can see this little crab which is heading toward the seaweed for a meal.

A pen shell.

I liked this yellow shell. The sand is dark due to ground fossils - old bones of animals who lived here when this area was a savannah. Later it was reclaimed by the sea and so we have many whale bones and fossilized shark teeth here.

A place to stop for lunch.

This lady is showing one way to look for shark teeth, which is to scoop up sand and shells and shake the scoop until you find teeth.

Or, you can just look in piles of shells. Can you see the tooth here? It is grey and pointing down.

I found this hole in one of the rocks on the shore. The rocks are brought in to prevent shore erosion. I took about 25 pics to try and get this one the way I wanted, but I just couldn't. If you look through the hole, you can see the ocean. Sometimes waves come through.

Some people capture the beauty of this place by painting. I think this woman is doing a nice job. 

Thank you for walking with me. 

Birds, beaches, blackberries

I've been busy

Plump blackberries were on sale today so I got a pint and took them to the beach. We've had a few busy days. This weekend, the owners of this lovely house came by and we got to meet them. They have been sailing and living on their boat for over 2 years. They have decided to sell the boat and live in this house, starting when we leave. I was happy for them, but sad for us. 

Right away I started to look for other houses for next year and quickly found that "pet friendly" in online realtor ads often does not mean "cat friendly". And people are booking already for 2015. Yikes. I got a little freaked out, but our trusty and wonderful agent, Janet, found us a house very near here and it is cat friendly. 

In the meantime Honey, the timid cat, has become bold. She found a place on the screened patio where the screen was loose and she was halfway out when I noticed her. You know in Florida there are few ground mammals and no outdoor cats if you live near any water. Our neighbors tell me there are at least 2 alligators that live in the inlet pond our houses are on. With every telling the alligators get bigger; now they are up to 16 feet with razor teeth and infrared vision. I think these gentlemen are pulling my leg a bit. Still, Honey would be a tasty treat for any alligator, so I scooped her up, and that was the end of that. Tom and I fixed the screen, but when she goes out with us, she'll be leashed.  

  

Today I did the shopping, signed papers for the next year's rental, got the recycle bins sorted, did the laundry and headed to the beach with my blackberries.  Took some pictures. The top picture is a flock of little birds and the bottom picture is pelicans perching in a tree. I never knew pelicans perched in trees.

I guess that is it except you can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting someone from New York or New England taking a picture to "send to the kids back home". Or Ontario, lots of folks from Canada here. I'm tempted to take one of those pictures myself. 

Honey the cat goes to Florida

Accompanied by her faithful humans. . .

It was very cold when we left Michigan, everything covered in snow. My nerves were not eased by the fact that that morning on the news the apartment complex where our housesitter lives had been engulfed in flames overnight. I was worried about my housesitter and couldn't reach her to see if she was ok. Eventually I did and she was fine.

Honey sat on my lap and the pilot gave her a friendly scratch. She was calmer than I expected and I did not even give her the sedative my vet had prescribed.

It was a long time but a short time and we were flying over the beach I call my own. I'm having a hard time describing how I felt recognizing familiar places from the air. I was close to crying.

The rest of that day and the next was not so joyous. Renting a car and being introduced to Florida's bizarre "no fault" insurance laws which, apparently, require no one to have auto insurance and make you responsible for their damage even if they cause the crash. 

Then we discovered we had no internet, although I have to say the rental agency reps worked with us patiently until at last (and thank you Angie at Comcast) we were hooked up.

Then, finally, we were in Florida. Florida which is like a warm and loving mother with lemon scented arms. The air is silk, the birds are everywhere, and I found my orchid which I left behind last year in the same spot, a bit neglected, but with a bud. It could bloom again. I would be ecstatic. I also found some fresh catnip at Lowe's and planted it for Honey.

Walking into the produce department at the store, I was in tears again. There are so many scents: tomatoes, peppers, melons, coconut, roses, limes. I have never been in a produce department in Michigan that smells so good. 

And Key lime pie.

 

On one of these days, we stopped at the Venice Beach for a hot dog. . . 

And I dipped my feet in the ocean.

Thank you for reading, you are very kind.  I am lucky beyond description to be able to do this, and owe many people, not the least of whom is Tom's mother, who showed us the way.