me & snooty

In July, our older son Matt came to spend a few days with us while his wife Kyla went on a girls trip with her mom and sister. We missed having Kyla, but had fun trying some new things in the area.

On the evening of the 4th, we picked Matt up from the airport and ate dinner at the Vinoy Resort. We timed it so we were able to go out and watch the fireworks display shot from the St. Petersburg pier in Tampa Bay. One day he and Drew went to Nasa. The missile launch they went to watch was postponed, but they rode in a simulator and saw an alligator on the tarmac, so the day was not a total loss.

We also found time to do sunset on the beach, Ft. DeSoto Park, and the highlight for both boys, Drew's office. (not because it is so well decorated, but because they have to have a pass to get in and he can't tell us what he does.) Drew is about to relocate to less than a mile from our house, so he hasn't put up anything on the walls. At that time, we will fly in our personal decorator Joan Swim to add a few berry garlands and bows to liven up the place.

Back to me & Snooty. Snooty is the poster child around here for manatees. He's the oldest living sea cow on record. And he's about the size of a Volkswagon. At 6:30 one morning, we got up and drove an hour and a half to Crystal River and had Captain John take us out in his pontoon boat to swim with the Snooty and his pals. It was the bravest thing I have ever done. Actually, putting on a wetsuit was the bravest thing, but getting in the river was pretty wild, too. (me & Snooty look about the same in our wetsuits.)

We had to watch a ten minute video on how to behave around them, where we could touch them and where we could not (don't tickle them under their arms, that's where they nurse their babies, don't splash and scream). We bought an underwater camera and headed out. Captain John motored over to an area and saw a mother and her baby, floating along the bottom, eating water grass. He turned off the engine and a creepy silence came over us as we leaned over the edge of the boat and I pretended to see what he was talking about.

Drew and Matt went in first, without making a sound or a splash. Then I carefully descended the ladder. I was very still and quiet until my feet actually touched the freezing water and there's not one of you girls who could have remained calm and quiet while ice water ran up your wetsuit and got in all your business! Matt thought it was hilarious. Captain John was not amused.

For the record, let me just say that 'Crystal' River implies clarity. The Emerald River would have been more descriptive. I put on my mask and all I could see was green and murky water. Matt pointed to my snorkle tube thing. That's the video I should have watched. I never really got the hang of it. Captain John suggested that we swim under this roped area to see a spring. What he didn't tell me until I was already there, was that at the bottom of it were several big mouth catfish. I have seen that episode on the fishing channel (I'm too lazy to fish!) and they are ugly and scarey, so when I turned to hurry back under the rope, I lost my snorkle. Captain John was not amused.

There was an extra snorkle on the boat that he let me borrow. But here's the deal. The river was just about 4-5 feet deep. I realized that when I put my head under water to float, my bottom popped up out of the water, and people had cameras! So, I chose to be a lady and tip-toe around the river looking for Snooty. That's when Matt tried to get my attention. "MOM!" he screamed/whispered, as he pointed to his snorkle. I waved and smiled. "No, thank you. This works better for me." "MOM!" again with the pointing. Again, I shook my head 'no'. "MOM! YOU'RE STEPPING ON THE MANATEES!" I screamed. I flailed. I splashed. But I swear I did not touch her armpits! Captain John was not amused.

All in all, we saw about 5 of them. It was a slow day, apparently. But if we come back in November the river will have about 400-500 of them. I said, "Wow! Then I could just tip-toe from one to the other without touching the bottom of the river!"

Captain John was not amused.