Boating; Manatees
"Don't touch that Manatee," I said to Cracker Bob's Great Grandson. He didn't listen to me, a former Yankee, so he went further down the dock ladder into the water. He got a finger on the tail of the small one just as it dove.
"Grandpa, why is he telling me what to do," referring to me. "He ain't nobody to me?"
Cracker Bob shrugged his shoulders and said, "His Grand Mother moved to Virginia years ago and he's always had a 'ginia mouth. His Mother is in the Army and you can see the Army Brat in him." Bob laughed when the 9 year old shot him a nasty look.
"Great Grandfathers should have more respect. I'd never heard that Virginians had a smart mouth," I said wanting more information.
"Yeah, they're to near them Yankee states, part Yankee themselves," said Bob and then he remembered he was speaking to a former Yankee so he tried make amends, "but you ain't like most of them Yankees."
"How does a true 'gray rebel' celebrate July fourth. I didn't see you at the parade?" He said he was at the fireworks near the San Carlos side of the sky bridge. The family was staying on Summerlin so they came down near the Coast Guard station for the explosions. "I think you're a very patriotic guy with the American Flag flying dawn to dusk."
"Hell yes, I'm patriotic but just like the Manatees I feel captive by my own success. When I was little and living on the south end of the beach we could swim with the Manatees in the summer. There weren't nearly as many as now. Hardly ever saw them in the winter unless they died. We'd row out to where the vultures were thick. Underneath the hoard of flesh eaters was usually a Manatee."
"Red Tide kill them?" He thought for a minute and shook his head. "Don't remember much of that until the 70's when they started building golf courses."
"You seem to have a lot of Manatees around your dock? What's your secret?" Don't be accusing me of feeding them, he said. We SHOULD be feedin' em because they're here year round because of us, said Cracker Bob!
I agree and yes this is where Jimmy Buffet and I disagree. Since he started the save the Manatee foundation, more Manatees have died from illness than boat strikes. Red Tide and hunger are killing them now. Slow zones for manatees are keeping the deaths down from boat strikes and it's illegal to feed them or pet them. If we are making them our PETS then we should feed them.
Publix and Sweet Bay and WalMart grocery throws tons of produce trimmings away every day. This is the perfect food for Manatees. If they would bundle it up and put it out for collection then our 'pets' could regain their health and fight off the red tide infections. Tour boat guides do it all the time and have the same cows and calves return year after year.
If you love them then we must change our approach to them. Never mind what the Virginia Army brat says, we have to leave them alone completely or adopt them like a pet.
Boatguy Ed (boatguiEd@aol.com) is the manufacturer of the worlds BEST anti-fouling bottom paint, www.supershipbottom.com. TWEET me @boatguyed and a corresponding web site is http://www.boatingbyboatguyed.com/........ NEVER, EVER TRY TO BUY HIM A DRINK!
"Grandpa, why is he telling me what to do," referring to me. "He ain't nobody to me?"
Cracker Bob shrugged his shoulders and said, "His Grand Mother moved to Virginia years ago and he's always had a 'ginia mouth. His Mother is in the Army and you can see the Army Brat in him." Bob laughed when the 9 year old shot him a nasty look.
"Great Grandfathers should have more respect. I'd never heard that Virginians had a smart mouth," I said wanting more information.
"Yeah, they're to near them Yankee states, part Yankee themselves," said Bob and then he remembered he was speaking to a former Yankee so he tried make amends, "but you ain't like most of them Yankees."
"How does a true 'gray rebel' celebrate July fourth. I didn't see you at the parade?" He said he was at the fireworks near the San Carlos side of the sky bridge. The family was staying on Summerlin so they came down near the Coast Guard station for the explosions. "I think you're a very patriotic guy with the American Flag flying dawn to dusk."
"Hell yes, I'm patriotic but just like the Manatees I feel captive by my own success. When I was little and living on the south end of the beach we could swim with the Manatees in the summer. There weren't nearly as many as now. Hardly ever saw them in the winter unless they died. We'd row out to where the vultures were thick. Underneath the hoard of flesh eaters was usually a Manatee."
"Red Tide kill them?" He thought for a minute and shook his head. "Don't remember much of that until the 70's when they started building golf courses."
"You seem to have a lot of Manatees around your dock? What's your secret?" Don't be accusing me of feeding them, he said. We SHOULD be feedin' em because they're here year round because of us, said Cracker Bob!
I agree and yes this is where Jimmy Buffet and I disagree. Since he started the save the Manatee foundation, more Manatees have died from illness than boat strikes. Red Tide and hunger are killing them now. Slow zones for manatees are keeping the deaths down from boat strikes and it's illegal to feed them or pet them. If we are making them our PETS then we should feed them.
Publix and Sweet Bay and WalMart grocery throws tons of produce trimmings away every day. This is the perfect food for Manatees. If they would bundle it up and put it out for collection then our 'pets' could regain their health and fight off the red tide infections. Tour boat guides do it all the time and have the same cows and calves return year after year.
If you love them then we must change our approach to them. Never mind what the Virginia Army brat says, we have to leave them alone completely or adopt them like a pet.
Boatguy Ed (boatguiEd@aol.com) is the manufacturer of the worlds BEST anti-fouling bottom paint, www.supershipbottom.com. TWEET me @boatguyed and a corresponding web site is http://www.boatingbyboatguyed.com/........ NEVER, EVER TRY TO BUY HIM A DRINK!
This blog/column is meant for educational purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. Do not read while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment.
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