There was very little water in the bayous and creeks between the mainland proper and the island of Cedar Key on this particular day. A very strong, very cold wind had helped to push water from the vast saltmarsh coast of Pure Florida.
I remember an early childhood book about a Chinaman who drank the sea and held it while a kid explored the now exposed sea bottom ... can't remember the title or details, but I remember how envious I was of the kids.
Anyone? Anyone?
A previously posted picture for the purpose of comparison.
There's that same pretty, crescent shaped oyster bar at extreme low tide. The white pipes on the dock normally carry water up to a clam nursery building so the babies can feed on plankton. I imagine the pumps were not running at this tide.
The vast tide of Pure Florida effluent will ebb for a day or two as I will need to be away from the computer. I hope your weekend is excellent, I should have something to say again on Sunday evening.
In the mean time ...
I will try and stay out of trouble.
I will have my camera with me.
18 comments:
We haven't had a tale of your misspent youth in a while. Perhaps we'll get a tale of your adult misadventures instead. (Does your absence have anything to do with the calendar on the wall, old man?)
Now that you mention it, I seem to remember that same story...I will research it when I go to the library today.
Noticed that qualifier - I will try and stay out of trouble -- hmm...
The story is called The Five Chinese Brothers. Have a great weekend.
To add to Doug's comment, I believe Pearl Buck wrote it, or a version of it. I
Love those low low tides. We're about to have some good minus tides here. After the early-January storms though, much of the sand shifted and the fossils are buried again. That won't keep us from heading out and exploring. Have a great weekend. Aren't you going to an old man's birthday party?
Pablo,
Define misspent ;)
As a forty something, I must say "old man" seems premature, but yes, there is that pesky calendar.
Swampy,
Did I say "try"?
Must be a typo.
Doug T,
Thank you!That sounds very familiar.
CJ,
Thanks! Welcome to Pure Florida!
Robin,
I thought you and roger could relate to these shots. Maybe the shifting sand uncovered other fossils for you to discover even as it covered the exposed ones.
I'm sure you'll let us know.
Yes, a pal turned 50 and we must celebrate...mourn ... whatever !
:)
i remember that book from my childhood too. i'm going to get it for my kids. as i recall it was wonderful.
Looks like a clamming tide to me.
I remember that story being read to me as a kid. And of course there is the REM version where it turns into Seven Chinese Brothers. (I doubt Jimmy Buffet knows anything about it though.) :)
I biked down to the bayou a couple times in the past few days to find minus tides- it's a fine time to enjoy the lesser herons as they poke about. I like the oyster bar photo. Going back a bit, the cormorant house photos are simply stunning- what a prize subject. The tea? No thanks.
Have a great weekend and be careful about the old man jokes- that's you sooner than you think.
I DO remember that book! I liked it too, for that reason. How fascinating if that could really happen, but I don't know any chinamen, just one china woman, and I don't think she could do it, quite frankly :)
Hope you have a good weekend. Mine is going excellent. I'm far, far from Pure Florida, in West VA skiing.
Pretty pretty!!!
...have fun (or stay out of trouble, whichever seems most interesting)
Reminds me of the lake bottoms around here amidst the ongoing drought. As with Florida, too many people, too few natural resources. But that's OK - GA is going to keep all the water so that they can continue to build uncontrolled and unmanaged projects, until AL and FL get none from any waterways that pass through the borders of its greedy neighbor to the north.. :-\
As an aside, I meant to point this out a while ago but didn't. You may be able to use this photo timeline of Actias Luna in your classes:
Luna Moth (Actias Luna) Lifecycle
Ciao!
DOH! Foobar'd the link, sorry.
Luna Moth (Actias Luna) Lifecycle
I'm curious where you are heading....if your camera is in hand it is sure to be quite interesting ;)
Funny about the good memories that book inspired in so many of you. What a gift.
Karl,
Welcome!
Good choice.
I got it for mine, but that was a while ago and it's been passed on.
Hoss,
You are right!
Rurality,
Jimmy knows all.
Vicki,
Yes, creeping closer. Low tides are wondrous anywhere I suppose.
Just especially so in FL!
Sharon,
Mind the trees and don't break a leg.
3C,
Definitely stayed out of trouble, but had a good time.
Dr. Know,
Thanks for the link.
Georgia is woefully behind Florida in water management. Our water management districts are a model they should emulate.
Kmoo,
That was on purpose .. . the vernacular of the time the book was published.
On the other hand, if anyone called ME an "Americanman", my chest would swell with pride and I'd say, "You're damn right I am."
I hope the Chinese feel the same about their country.
No PC here. Kindness, but no PC.
Danielle,
Stay tuned, I almost maxed out my 1GB card.
Use the lep pictures if you like, maybe someone will get some use out of them. Big pix are a click away from the small ones on the page. As for the water, I lived in FL for a decade after leaving GA - until I found the reasons I left GA moved there as well. Water management in GA essentially consists of appeasing all developers - plus the local guy who uses 440,000 gallons a month, during a drought; for what no one seems to know...
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