Blown Away

We spent our day yesterday on the water. We weren't at the beach or in the pool. We were in the rivers that surround Kennedy Space Center. As you can see, these large inland waterways are a perfect place for protection and food for many types of wildlife.

Originally we planned on going as a family on a pontoon boat ride into some of these areas. We are always excited to see wildlife in their natural habitats. But for nearly $200 and three hours in the heat of the day, we were looking for some other options.

Last week Sean discovered this local business and rented a paddle board. While he was out he was visited by some manatees. We decided that this would be our best option and rented a kayak for the day switching out the boat's crew now and then. With our cell phones we were able to communicate and meet along the river.
































At one point Sean took Miriam and Elizabeth on a longer trek to a point about two miles away. I drove with the other kids to pick up some food for a picnic lunch. About and hour or so later we met up again on the back property of Kennedy Space Center. It appeared to be a private dock with some areas for recreation and camping.

Miriam and Elizabeth were running around on the shore. And in the small dock area we found Sean surrounded by frolicking manatees. It looked like they were have quite a good time giving his kayak a little bump.

Hannah and I got in for our own close up experience. In these pictures you can see the manatee's snout coming out of the water and then its enormous back. There were likely five to seven of these giants swimming around us, coming up for air and spraying water. I had to keep reminding Hannah that they are vegetarians.


We also saw a school of dolphins, lots of jumping fish, a roseate spoonbill, pelicans and ,of course, sea gulls. Sean and Lydia took the two mile trip back and had some adventures visiting little islands while waiting for the rain to pass.

This day will not soon be forgotten. These are the kinds of adventures that I love- experiencing God's marvelous creation with eyes wide open.