Author: Porter

Categories
Wildlife

Manatee Watching on Anna Maria Island

Watching out for manatee in Bimini Bay, Anna Maria Island

It is a huge privilege to get to see manatees in the wild on Anna Maria Island. Especially considering the fact that they probably will be extinct within the next hundred years. Those of us who spend time on or near the water know the tell-tale pattern on the surface that indicates manatees are below. A series of flat circles usually appears and then, every once in awhile, the nose of a manatee may surface. Sometimes the manatee pushes it nose through the water for a distance. Sometimes its back surfaces, too. Often, the back is badly scarred, having been hit by boat propellers.

A couple of years ago, we spotted a manatee swimming by the house, heading up the bay, and we quickly launched kayaks to go look for it. We eventually found two manatees. We stopped paddling and sat still, drifting, to observe them in the clear, shallow water. As we drifted, I ended up closer to the larger manatee than I would have liked to be. The sheer size of this gentle animal was a bit intimidating. I was worried for both it and myself that we might have an awkward collision unintentionally. Fortunately, I gradually drifted away and then kept a little more distance.

Continue reading “Manatee Watching on Anna Maria Island”
Categories
News

Space Shuttle Launch View from Anna Maria Island

Of all the man-made shows seen from Anna Maria Island, the most awesome is the launch of a space shuttle. Over the past ten years, there have been quite a few, and it’s surprising how much they vary. Perhaps it has to do with the position of the sun at the time. This week I arose to watch the last ever shuttle launch to take place in darkness. The program will end soon, and the remaining daytime launches probably will not be visible. It was 6:21, and the angle of the sun, not yet risen, made for a spectacular effect.

As I stood barefoot in the dark on the second-floor deck, facing east, I suddenly noticed an orange fireball right over the distant trees. It rose slowly and eventually I saw a tail on it. Then the cloudy contrail became apparent, and it zigzagged quite sharply, I assume because of the upper-level breeze. The thick trail was dark on the bottom and lighter higher up.

Shuttle launch exhaust glow 4/5/2010
Shuttle launch exhaust glow 4/5/2010

The shuttle became nothing but a small bright spot and it eventually started to look as if it were losing altitude. I worried for a moment and then remembered that the laws of perspective would predict this apparent descending path, from my position, as the distance became great and it headed around the curve of the earth. The most amazing visual development at that point was a huge, curved contrail behind the speck that was the shuttle. It must have been lit by the very early rays of the sun. This is my unscientific description and understanding of what I saw.

Continue reading “Space Shuttle Launch View from Anna Maria Island”
Categories
Real Estate

Only Cold-Hardy Palms Survived Anna Maria’s Cold Winter

Residents and visitors of Anna Maria Island are finally coming out of a particularly cold winter. Sadly, that’s more than can be said for many of the beautiful palms that grace the island. Cold-hardy palms survived fine, and are completely green. But many coconut palms are looking very brown. The other evening we were alarmed to see in a neighbor’s yard that the entire head of a coconut palm had fallen over, and was just hanging.

We have been staring at several of our own coconut palms. They are mostly brown now, and have dropped many of their fronds and coconuts. We think it’s very likely they will not survive, but since they are so tall, it’s impossible to see exactly what’s happening in the bud. A few of them still have signs of pale green in the newer fronds.

The University of Florida extension service is always a very helpful source of information about growing plants in this area. Regarding the treatment of cold-damaged palms they say the following, in their publication # ENH-92:

Protecting the Damaged Palm While Waiting for Warm Weather

To avoid attacks by primary or secondary plant pathogens, it is important that steps be taken to insure protection of the healthy bud until active growth resumes.

Remove the cold-damaged portion of the leaves. Leaves should not be completely removed if they are green (even if they are spotted from the cold). The green intact portions of the palm are important to assure adequate photosynthesis during the recovery stage.

Continue reading “Only Cold-Hardy Palms Survived Anna Maria’s Cold Winter”
Categories
Tourism

Income Tax Preparation Help

There is something cruel about the fact that the very nicest time of year on Anna Maria Island happens to coincide with IRS tax preparation time. Just when it’s beginning to be the perfect temperature to be outside on the island, it’s also time to think about looking for all those receipts, adding up all those deductions, contributing to an IRA. I really would rather be riding my bike or walking on the beach at this time of year. Or even just sitting on the deck looking at the egrets and herons that wander through our yard. Anything to avoid the federal tax return.

On the other hand, the island has become surprisingly busy, with traffic backed up for blocks at times. The other day it took me an hour and forty-five minutes to drive up Longboat Key from Sarasota to Holmes Beach. It would have been impossible to plan to be anywhere on time today, because traffic was gridlock at every intersection. This makes it a little less annoying to have to stay home and do those tax preparations.

Online efile tax preparation is still a chore but even tax preparation assistance with an excellent CPA at Key Accounting right here on the island, we spend a lot of time assembling supporting information which organize the material to be entered into the tax preparation software. For the next few days, I’ll just have to sit at my desk and gather all my information, maybe with the windows open and certainly with my mind on other things. Then we’ll just know we can stay on the island to take our information to the accountant.

Continue reading “Income Tax Preparation Help”
Categories
Environment

Robinson Preserve

It’s suddenly high season on Anna Maria Island. You can tell by the tremendous increase in traffic, by the length of time it takes to get a table at restaurants, and by the number of house-guests we locals are welcoming. One of the good things about having guests is that it gets us out to enjoy things we don’t usually do when we’re busy with work and daily routines. There are so many wonderful activities and attractions to enjoy on Anna Maria Island and in the nearby region. This week, a guest was the reason I visited Robinson Preserve for the first time. This lovely preserve is just across the bridge, accessible off of Manatee Avenue.

Robinson Preserve trail overbridge

Opened to the public July of 2008, this 487-acre natural area features 56 acres of diverse marshlands, 10 acres of uplands and open water. There are 2½ miles of kayaking and canoeing streams, and 6 nature trails, with 6 bridges, winding through the mangroves. The 500 foot boardwalk serves bird watchers well, and the trails are great for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Sponsored in part by the County Conservation Land Management, the preserve houses endangered species like the gopher tortoise, indigo snakes and the Florida scrub jay.

Continue reading “Robinson Preserve”
Exit mobile version