Birdy Love

One of my favorite things about being in Florida is watching the ospreys. There are so many nests here, it is unbelievable. I love it! Every morning when I walk, I pass a nest where Mama Osprey is watching over her chicks. Papa Osprey is off "hunting" for breakfast. Mama calls to him, a sharp keening cry. He responds. If his claws are empty, Mama talks back. I imagine the conversation goes something like this...

"Harry! The kids are starving! Get with the program, bud. Where is breakfast?"
"Sorry, Bertha. Fish aren't too plentiful this morning. I'll get right on it."
"Get going!"
"Squawk, squawk, squawk!"
"Do you hear the children? They're about to revolt!"

Then, Papa Osprey flies off to find some more fish for his family. I love how these birds communicate, look out for each other, take care of each other. It's the ultimate romance. They usually mate for life.

Yesterday, my son and hubby went paddle boarding. They really enjoyed it. But my son did have a slight freak-out. As he was paddling along, he went over what he thought was a "large rock." Until it started to move. It was actually a huge manatee! My son screamed "Oh My God!" and paddled faster than Superman to give the marine mammal some space. 

Today is fishing day for my kids and hubby. Can't wait to see what they caught! I just finished reading This Side Of The Grave, another terrific addition to the Night Huntress series, and I am now embarking on my next book, The Bride and The Buccaneer by Darlene Marshall. 

Ciao!

Penelope

Wildlife Extravaganza and Top Chef Family Fun Time

We had a wonderful day yesterday....absolute perfection (except for the occasional fight between my 13 year old son and 8 year old daughter when they hurled insults at one another and threatened each other with severe bodily injury). They also played together on the beach like best buds. Kids. Gotta love 'em.

We had another great drive-through at Ding. We saw this cool lizard (above) who was pretty well camouflaged on the rocks.

We also enjoyed a wonderful boat cruise and saw tons of dolphins. They were jumping and playful...but it was difficult to get a good photo, obviously. The history of this island and how it was affected by the hurricane of 2004 is fascinating. The storm caused catastrophic damage to Captiva, and the island is still recovering.

On the way back from the cruise, we saw this rockin' cottage on stilts J.N. "Ding" Darling built for his wife. She hated it! So he used it as an artist studio (he was a cartoonist). Seriously, I would maim and kill to have this cottage as a writer's studio. How cool would that be!

To finish off a perfect day, we watched the sun set at the beach, ate a bizarre meal at The Bubble Room in Captiva, and the whole fam watched Top Chef Masters together, snuggled on the sofa. Fun!

Happy Days,
Penelope