Monday Around Fish Hawk Key

     Monday is a great day for me, weather permitting it usually means get up in the morning, getting the work in the office completed and head out on the water in search of new and fun things.     Yesterday was no exception,  we visited Fish Hawk Key just to the North and East of Key West and found a pair of Ospreys and their aerie with the female sitting on eggs.     Her mate is a beautiful specimen that soared near us trying to keep our attention away from her.    This is nature at her very best, the female with fish in beak and the male circling above the aerie.

     What made this so special was we were able to observe these magnificent birds from the dinghy with the motor off and just drifting next to the mangrove key that they had the aerie nestled  in.     We only spent a half an hour or so watching the pair, but their actions yielded hundreds of spectacular photos of the two.    It is so rewarding to be able to take home such a great bunch of photos of such unusual and regal creatures.   

     Just a couple of sips from the flask of good Plantation Guyana Rum as we drifted by the pair. This just made the relaxation and enjoyment of the afternoon more complete.    It is, in a way like being lost at sea without a care in the world, drifting in and out of the mangroves silently, photographing the birds and the scenery without leaving even a footprint in the sands.     Making it even better the fact that there was no one else around to bother us or to scare the birds as they went about their business of fishing and keeping the eggs warm in the aerie.

     Here are a few other pictures of the Ospreys and a Kingfisher that kept us company during the drifting through the area.     ;o)  

The 12 Step Become a Pirate Program by Maria de Los Angeles

     Maria de Los Angeles in here Sex and the Beach Blog has published a great article about the 12 steps of becoming a pirate.   I found this to be a great article that you should really enjoy.

http://sexandthebeach.blogspot.com/2011/12/12-step-become-pirate-program.html

The 12 Step Become A Pirate Program

Trail of the Pirates is a travel series exploring maritime history, culture and lore between Key West and St. Augustine on the east coast of Florida.

If you don't want to read this epic post, just watch this video.

A funny thing happens when you start investigating and writing a lot about a particular topic -- you get sucked in. And if that topic happens to be pirates, that's a good thing.

Nine years ago, Michelle Murillo was a reporter in Florida doing exactly what I did earlier this month. She was on assignment covering Pirates in Paradise in Key West and got hooked. Today, she's still a journalist but also a professional reenacter who goes by the pirate name of Diosa (Goddess), teaching folks about pirate history through plays, demonstrations and lectures at events around the country.

It has taken me a year to follow in her footsteps, traveling around Florida exploring pirate history and events. Since my first trip to Key West and my subsequent time in St. Augustine where Iinterviewed Murillo about her role as famous female pirate Mary Read, she has become a mentor of sorts.

Read More................

ABOUT ME

MARIA DE LOS ANGELES

SOUTH, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

Award-Winning Freelance Writer: Travel, Food, Spirits, Blogging, Social Media, Sex, Fishing, Nature, Culture, Pirates, Humor, Yoga, Kitchen Sink. Whatever tickles my fancy and other parts. I tell like it is. Learn more at Wily Wordsmith.

Drop on to her blog and enjoy the entire story, it's really great.   ;o)