Sunset

Sunset's always get me. This was a good one.

The water has been beautiful and extremely clear around Cayo Costa Island. I spent four wonderful, starry moon filled nights on the island last week. The days were spent exploring barefoot through mangrove swamps looking at old forgotten trees and isolated Osprey nests. Paddling my kayak allowed access to remote regions of the

island. I observed little green heroins, mangroves crabs, and listened to the sounds of Osprey catching fish. New secret spots were discovered.

Today I adventured alone on a fossil expedition. It started with light rain which turned heavy. I was more than glad to have Jim Morrison talk me through the rain. "Keep your eyes on the road, and your hand upon the wheel." The fossil expedition was in progress. I traveled north of Fort Myers to a place near the Myakka River, just south of Venice, Florida. A true fossil haven. Nothing but the sounds of killdeer lurking by some forgotten barbed wire fence.

Fossil finds of the day:

• Shark vertebra
• Shark teeth (some extinct)

• Sting ray barbs
• A puffer fish upper mouth plate
• Large vertebra from a small whale
• Crab claws
• Manatee rib bones
• Petrified wood
• Tooth plate of a stingray
• Many other pieces of bone big and small that are yet to be identified.

The heavy rain slowed to a light drizzle as the poet, Jim Morrison, sang about swimming to the moon on a Moonlight drive. A great day exploring Florida's fascinating past.

I have been spending many nights on Cayo Costa this month. The stars have been amazing and the night sounds mystifying. Today was simply beautiful. Summer winds, summer clouds, a cool wind and dolphins to close the day.

Signs of spring are in the air, land and sea. The water temperature has warmed up and all different kinds of sea creatures are showing their faces. I was fortunate to get a great viewing of a mother manatee and her new born. The weight of a newborn manatee is seventy pounds. A mature adult can weight up to two thousand pounds. The spotted eagle rays are always spectacular to see. A few southern stingray have been spotted on the beaches of Cayo Costa along with moon jellyfish. All signs of warmer weather.