Nature - God's 2nd Book

Yesterday I decided to learn more about God through nature. I took a 30 mile drive to Blue Springs State Park to observe a group of Florida's beleagured residents - manatees. This would be the first time seeing them in their natural environment, so my excitement was reaching uncontainable levels (if you know me well, you're quite aware that it doesn't take much to excite me)!

About manatees...whenever Florida has a "cold snap" they seek warmer water, meaning if the temperature of whatever body of water they reside in dips below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, they go elsewhere. This past week and a half has been a bit cool here in Central Florida, so that's drove them out of the St. John's River into Blue Springs. This spring's temperature is around 72 - 73 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Thus the reason for these docile giants in the St. John's River to congregate here.

About Blue Springs...the spring itself flows up out of the ground and creates an inlet as it flows into the river. The water is crystal clear and you can see all kinds of fish i.e. Longnose Gar, Tilapia, Bass, along with the manatees. A boardwalk with various lookout docks runs the length of the inlet ending at the spring itself, which is a huge limestone cavern where you can dive.

I arrived around 8:30 for two reasons, 1) to have some peace and quiet before the masses of people arrived, and 2) once the river water temperature warms up by mid-day, the manatees head back out to the river. As I approached the boardwalk, I could hear them going to the surface expelling air and intaking air, so I nearly ran to first lookout dock to catch my first glimpse. I've included five pix from my outing on today's posting, which can viewed below (click on any picture to see it in a larger format). The water had manatees everywhere! Fish were jumping out of the water catching the morning's breakfast, turtles were sunning themselves, and these big birds (Claudia, I figured you'd know the names of these birds) were out fishing. And last, but not least, I saw an alligator that was at least eight feet long. With gators, the rule of thumb is that the number of inches from its nostrils to its eyes indicate its lenght. That's what the locals tell me.

Alas, while it was wonderful to gaze upon God's handiwork, I could not help but notice mankind's pollution contribution. There were several cellphones, disposable cameras, and other pieces of junk lying on the inlet floor. I felt quite sad seeing the stuff. I had a major urge to dive into the water and clean up the bottom.

But that aside, it was such a wonderful day. There were a lot of clouds with some sunshine so it wasn't too hot. A gentle breeze was blowing, the temperature was around 73 degrees - an awesome day for picture taking. I had such a wonderful time, stay tuned as I continue to explore Florida's outdoor nooks and crannys, and the great world beyond.