I remember as a kid seemingly wasting away the summer and then when it was almost time to go back to school, we would try to cram in 3 months of fun into the last couple weeks. Now, I am no longer a kid but I find myself trying to do the same thing. Tuesday, we were invited to go out on the neighbor’s boat for the last time of the winter. The first experience in their boat was unbelievably beautiful as we motored down the river. This journey was no less beautiful, and this time I had my big camera.

We put the boat in at the Homosassa boat launch and headed down the river toward the gulf. The river was lined with million-dollar houses while we were in town, but then morphed into less opulence as urban turned into “the outback, off-grid” housing dispersed among the wildlife refuge land.

One of the many cabins

There were birds along the shore and in near-by trees. Here are some Osprey in random nestings.

Another raptor we saw was a Bald Eagle perched in a near-by tree.

Along the shore, and perched on many of the channel markers, gulls and pelicans. The brown pellicans were definitely the most abundant.

As the river gave way to the open waters of the gulf, we were on the lookout for the playful dolphins, and we were not disappointed. Off in the distance, we saw the tell-tale dorsal fin cutting through the water. One fin turned into several, and they were soon joined by a trio of pelicans. It was obvious the pelicans were letting the dolphins stir up the fish, and then the pelicans would help themselves to the bounty. We jockeyed around to get close to the pod of dolphins as they circled the school of fish, corralling them into a central location, at which point the sea exploded into a feeding frenzy that seemed to last for some time because we viewed it almost in slow motion. My camera bursts were like a machine gun as I almost held down the shutter button. When we looked back and timed the shots it was only about 30 seconds but, in my mind, that show of huntsmanship will forever be etched in my brain. Here is the best of the hundred or so shots from this experience.

We spent more time following this pod and looking for more, but it would be hard to top this event! As the dinnertime approached, we headed toward a local restaurant/bar, “Margaritaville,” for dinner. We tied up the boat at the dock and went in to get a table. We discovered that a party of 37 had just arrived, and they would be served before us. We decided to head down stream to another water-side fish restaurant, The Freezer. It is housed in an old freezer plant and their specialty is steamed shrimp. We ordered and they brought the containers of hot shrimp to us on the boat. We proceeded to shell the shrimp and gorge ourselves. I can say this was the best steamed shrimp I have had any place. They were served with melted butter and cocktail sauce. Once more an unforgettable day with great friends and nature at its best.

On the way back to the boat-ramp, I sighted another of the Florida avifauna, Its scientific name Phoenicopterus ruber metalica.

Thanks again Bill and Andre’e, you made this “old couple” very happy.

Now, it is time to start getting ready to head north to usher in spring in the Midwest. We are anxious to see family and friends at home but will certainly miss the new family and friends we have made here. “Parting is such sweet sorrow” but we will be back in the fall to start the adventure all over again. Until then we have lots of excitement ahead for us at home this spring. Stay tuned for all the exciting news.

Love and Light,
Dulany and Marilyn

Here is a link to the picture gallery on my DSDIgitals FaceBook page. You can click on the pictures there to see full sized pictures and can download by saving the image to your computer. If you copy an image, please give me credit for the photograph. I don’t mind sharing but like to take a bow now and then. CLICK HERE TO GO TO DSDigitals FB page