Manatees, Pelicans, Eagles, and Owls...oh my!

Although the weather has been a little less ideal that we like it in Florida, we have managed to stay quite busy!

In early January, we met about 20+ other RVers at Crackers in Crystal River for lunch.  It was a mixture of old friends as well as some we had not before.  We enjoyed a great meal and it was fantastic getting caught up on what everyone has been up to.

One Saturday, we went to the Manatee Festival in Crystal River with Syl, Maggie, Vel, Ed,and Diane.

The day was cool but the sun was shining brightly.  We walked around the streets of the festival and had typical fair food for lunch.  Boy - our guts sure aren't used to all of that!  We did not even eat dinner that night.  We opted not to take a tour on a boat ($10 a person) and took the free shuttle bus over to Three Sisters Springs to see the manatees and they did not disappoint.

Those grayish blobs are manatees! 

We walked along the board walk and had wonderful views of these gentle giants.

One good thing about this cooler weather is that the manatee congregate in the Springs where the temperature stays consistent year round.

A beautiful place to kayak

We all agreed that we needed to come back to kayak Three Sisters Springs....we didn't think it would be enjoyable to kayak with the manatees and thousands of your closest people friends during the festibal!

It was a great day with great friends!

Quite a bit of time has been spent on creating a very special place....

A few years ago, Gin, Syl, Dan and I named ourselves "the pelicans".  Pelicans are kinda goofy (like us), not too coordinated (like most of us), and seem to be happy go lucky (like us!).  Not to underestimate the amount of work (or to simplify it in anyway - it was quite the effort by Syl and Dan and our friend Charlie - Gin and I were great supervisors!), but after brush was cleared, the sand base leveled, pavers installed, and a few cosmetic enhancements, we have one heckuva nice patio between our two rigs. And, it's complete with a wood shed, fire pit, and a  hitching post (to hold drinks, nosh, and whatnot).

Enjoying the day and Pelican Place

Ariel view of Pelican Place

It's very cozy, secluded, and a wonderful place to enjoy a campfire.

We have also been bike riding in Cedar Key a few times.  Yesterday, we went out with Syl and Maggie. We parked at the marina and pedaled to the cemetery and onto the boardwalk that overlooks the sound.  There were a few ladies there walking their dogs and mentioned that the owl's nest (which we found a few years ago), was active again.  Sure enough, you could see one of the great horned owls in the nest.  They said that there are eggs there and should be hatching in the next few weeks.  Well - alrighty then, we will definitely have to keep an eye out for babies!

Maggie had also mentioned that she had heard that there was a bald eagle's nest near the state park.  So, off we pedaled.  We were cruising down a side street when Syl and I spotted the HUGE nest (much larger than the owl's nest!) with a white head poking out.  We got turned around and parked the bikes.  The four of us watched the bald eagle and saw that she was feeding her baby (or babies).  It was absolutely amazing to see. Of course, I didn't have my camera with me but know that we will be back to watch some more and will get pictures then.

We have said it a thousand times...there sure is something special about Cedar Key.  There are no chain restaurants or motels (or even a stoplight!), just a small, quaint village that reminds many folks of Key West back in the 50s or 60s.  It's very laid back and bicycle friendly.  We just love our winter home!