Buddy Do You Have a Toe?

Today I slept in until 8am. I was awake at 5:30 but decided to keep sleeping in hopes that the bird friends I have been making would not take exception to the fact that I stood them up.

I’ve been tweaking the minds of the young ones here (grandkids and grandkids in law … is that even a thing?) By taking my thumb off and putting it back on. The story is that I was prone to sucking my thumb as a youngster and my mother would have no part of it after I turned six-years of age. One day she grabbed my wrist and pulled it, as she did, my thumb separated from my hand and stayed in my mouth. Mom, quickly reattached it and ever since I have been able to pop it off and then pop it back on again. It is a great feeling to see the faces of the 3-6-year-olds fill with awe … as eyes get big and jaws drop open. Of course they immediately want me to do it again, but after so many times it begins to hurt and so I need to recover. It is an effective trick and has harvested many minutes of conversation and interaction with the wee ones. I also expanded the opportunity and used it to talk about the free toes that are available at the grocery store. Sometimes toes fall off, or get cut off if one is overly energetic with toe nail clippers. They can be kept however, pressed flat, and deep fried into tasty crunchy snacks. Disgust is usually the reaction and the wee ones are skeptical when I tell them I can produce them from the grocery store. I did so, today, producing two bags of them for them to share. The bags are clearly labeled Fritos … free toes! 😉

Speaking of toes … we had a great time on a boat tour this morning. It was a tour of the bay with two stops … one for wading on a sand bar and collecting sand dollars and the other for netting stuff out of an underwater bed of seaweed to see what sort of critters we could find (and return to the water after shaking hands). Those grass beds serve as nurseries for all kinds of sea creatures.

It was overcast, windy and cool as we set off in two boats (with seven people on each) on a 2 hour tour. There was a song that kept running through my mind … only it had to do with a “three-hour tour”. Some of you will recognize the reference immediately … but if you don’t, google Thurston Howell.

It was a very good time and halfway back our boat developed a leaky gas line and the motor quit … out in the middle of the bay with 10-15 mph winds. We needed a toe (tow) from the other boat in order to arrive safely back in port.

Our guide/boat captain told us some interesting things about the area; one of the most interesting being the fact that there are often derelict boats moored in the bay. Older people come to this area, have no family and pass away leaving their boats untended. Homeless folks (who come to the area because of the temperate climate) watch the boats in the bay and if they identify one that hasn’t been visited in a while … they get in their dinghy and take it over as their home….and live there….and no one does anything about it. How weird!

Additionally, if boats capsize or sink in the bay (think hurricanes), they just leave them there and they become parts of the reef … go figger! Speaking of hurricanes, when hurricane Irma blew through it actually EMPTIED the Bay … exposing the bottom before the storm surge filled it in again. It was “eerie”, said the Captain.

Well, that’s about it from Anna Maria island today. It’s been a good day!