Hi Friends!
I hope you had a great Valentine’s Day! Mark and I went to Manatee Springs State Park in Florida. It is a beautiful park, and it was the perfect day – a little chilly and rainy. Hearing the pitter pat of the raindrops on our umbrella was so romantic.
We walked along the boardwalk, following the spring where the manatees swim during the winter. Right now is the perfect time to see them, but apparently they prefer the morning, and we were there in the evening 🙁 Oh well, we’ve decided to go again soon. Next time we’ll be there when the park opens!
The knobby conical-shaped things sticking up from the ground are called “knees”. They are part of the roots of Bald Cypress trees, and they help anchor the trees in the swampy soil.
While looking for the manatees, I saw these beautiful flowers in the water. The spring water was perfectly clear, and we could see the sandy bottom of the inlet.
When we stopped looking for manatees, we saw so many other wonderful glimpses of animals – a baby turtle disappearing into a hole in a tree, little black fish, and about 100 black birds that stood perfectly still on the top branches of the trees. They were all there the entire time, but I didn’t see them before because I wasn’t looking for them.
Makes me wonder what other magic is right in front of me that I am overlooking…
And then, when we were leaving the park, we spotted a family of deer munching in the trees. They didn’t seem to care that we were staring at them. I hesitate to share a blurry picture with you, but it was the best one I got of them.
I hope you’ll overlook the blurry-ness for the chance to relive the moment with me 🙂 Deer are symbolic of gentleness and innocence, and it is always a joy for me to see them. Just another magical moment to remember with my honey. I don’t go in for red roses or heart-shaped candy boxes. I much prefer a quiet outing in nature with my honey and the raindrops.
Happy post-Valentine’s Day!
Love,
Melanie Jade 🙂
