Tue Feb 07 2012
When Floridians decide to get away from Florida, they go to Cedar Key. This little-known and laid-back group of islands is a fishing village and a small tourist area, but not in the southern part of Florida. It is not near Key West. Cedar Key is located on the Gulf of Mexico near the Suwannee River.
Our hope was to see manatees before they migrated. Manatees winter in the warm spring water that comes through the limestone geology. We came too late. We also wanted to add more birds to our ever-growing list. We just got a new digital camera that is magical. The combination of all the above provided us with opportunities that we never expected.
One ride through the Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge gave us, (I did not have to get out of the car,) close and personal picture of a barred owl, two snakes making whoopee, black vultures having lunch, and spring flowers. Actually, we did have to get out of the car to see the snakes. Of course if you are not into wildlife, there was the pre-historic Indian mound made entirely of shells from clams and oysters. People were swimming in the blue spring holes. We saw scuba divers going deep into the rising spring water of the holes.
We older folk also indulge in binge eating. This included a variety of fresh sea food in bunches usually dipped in melted butter. We wondered how the prehistoric shell mound was created and answered our own question when we threw out the oysters and clams after dinner. Throw the shells out for four thousand years and you to would have a mound. One way of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is saving the shells because they are made up of calcium carbonate. We also found a place that made clam chowder to die for. Our cholesterol and body weight increased significantly that week.
Some of us who have cell phones surgically implanted on our ears went in the delirium tremors from cold turkey, when we found out that our very expensive cell phones would not work. Cedar Key is a dead zone. Without cell phones, we could now relax and not bother listening other people's one-sided conversations who yell into their phone.
I did forget to mention the semi-wild cats all over the key. The stores put out money jars to feed them and also to neuter them. This seemed to be a replica of Hemmingway's cats in Key West. The cats roamed freely. Some are friendly and some are not -- probably been neutered (ouch).
From a gulf-side porch we were able to sit around and eat, drink and view (take pictures) of egrets; both great blue and tri-colored herons; laughing and bonaparte gulls; and brown pelicans. If you walked the beaches, you had to tread carefully to step over pairs of horseshoe crabs making whoopee. It was their season and they were not shy. Beach wave sometimes turn them upside down. My wife, as a personal crusade, turned them over and insured many future generations.
As always the ride back to Ohio was painful. We had been that way too many times. West Virginia and Virginia are up and down and around. We did see beautiful scenery. We were happy to get home to Noble County and the long-horned cattle, our closest neighbors.
(Gordon Forster lives in Pleasant City and can be reached at patdon@clover.net.)
Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite.
Inappropriate posts may be removed.
Byesvillevillagereporter.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.
Login above or Register to comment.
0 Total Comments Home | Back
Copyright Jeffersonian Co, LLC. 1995-2010. All Rights Reserved.
Content may not be republished without the expressed written consent of the publisher.
Content may not be republished without the expressed written consent of the publisher.
Dix Communications