Rest before plunging to get my goal
Ahhhhh another reflective sunrise showing off Star Trek like portal that lasted for most of the morning. The flock of gulls flew in for our regular bath time and stayed until the sun was up to show off their beauty.
There was a gannet near by resting from its long trek from Canada. We are heading into the “Fall out” season is when the migrating birds gets so tired they land and rest for a few days. If any of my bird friends want to share helpful information about the migratory birds, it would be greatly appreciated.
Gannets are gorgeous birds and magnificent plunge divers bring us the message to dive in! They bring the message of breaking through barriers to catch our goal.
This particular gannet was exhausted and covered in bugs. Bugs on birds are a sign of their health. She said, “Not to worry, I have a lot of life force, I just need time to rest before heading back to the friendly skies. Once I’m air borne, I can take time to flap around in the water to get the bugs off. I’m here to encourage rest to recover so like the gulls you soar with your wings and heat open.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Circle Rainbow from Sunset last night
Gannet resting from the long flight
Showing off my bones
Giggles, connect, love, hope
Mother Nature brought us a magical sunrise with breathtaking reflections, rain, and a rainbow!
Pink and gold came together to give us a copper color show. The light breeze flew cool and refreshing.
Rain on the horizon moved closer to shore bringing a sun shower and a rainbow just after sunrise. The vibe was most definitely one of hope.
While standing on the dock watching the rainbow grow a couple dolphins swam by on the way to grab breakfast.
Rainbows bring us the universal sign of hope, the promise of new beginnings. The rainbow says, “Keep the faith, everything is working out, even if you can’t see how.”
The dolphins added to the message, reminding us to play! Go ahead and giggle, connect, and love, those are the qualities that bring depth to our experience.”
Wishing you a day filled with love!
Stretching and Joy
Mother Nature used her intense color palette with dark orange and golds as the foundation for the reflective sunrise. When the waves rolled out they revealed a masterful painting on the wet sand.
The flock off laughing gulls was huge today! During bath time one of the gulls put his wings back behind his head saying, “Go ahead, stretch just a bit past your comfort zone. Even the tiniest stretch can open new possibilities, and it feels good too!”
After sunrise a couple dolphin swam into the lagoon for a quick bite. They bring the message of play! They said, “We encourage creating opportunities for joy and play. Like the gull said, even a quick moment of joy can create a positive shift”
Wishing you a playful day friends!
Stretch just a bit past your limits
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode- Nature has the best toys
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode- Nature Has the Best Toys!
Momma Charlee and her youngin’ Angel, along with Uncle Larry and Jagger came into the lagoon to play and relax.
The Lagoon is a calm area for the adults to nurse and teach the kiddos. On this day the adults were having way more fun than the kids. Momma Charlee followed Pip the Pelican with mangrove propagule time. The propagules are the perfect shape to play the stick game. That involves tossing it up sometimes with another dolphin or can be played solo.
Uncle Larry who is considered an elder river dolphin in his 40’s was so playful! He was teasing the pelicans and playing with paddle boarders too. In this post he is the one with the mullet, check out those pearly whites! More from Uncle Larry coming soon.
Stay tuned for more tales!
Charlee with a mangrove seed (Propagule)
Charlee playing
Charlee swimming by with the mangrove seed still in her mouth
Uncle Larry
Uncle Larry
Tales from the lagoon ~ Episode- Pip shares his weight training tips
Tales from the Lagoon~. Episode- Pip the Pelican Shares his Weight Training Tips
If you are just tuning in, I met Pip the Pelican back in March this year when he had a sheepshead filleted fish stuck in his gullet. The hospital was closed so they said to feed him until he got back on his feet. Well....that took a while, which means we became best of friends.
We spend almost every day together, some days for hours, other days just a quick hello.
He is doing great now! He has lots of friends, including a best bird pelican friend named Patches.
Yesterday, he was showing off his weight training skills that keep him strong and able to catch fish. He started with a stick, then went for some seaweed then spent a long time with a mangrove seed. (technically a propagule)
He was having such a good time, he played for 30 minutes with the various nature toys.
I hope these photos make you smile! Such a sweet and funny soul this one.
Stay tuned! Pip started the playtime, and a dolphin joined in the stick game.
Mangrove seed (Propagule)
Mangrove seed (Propagule)
Stick, Stick, Stick.
Say Ahhhhhhhh
Love all our bumps and bruises
As I walked to the beach, the clouds were fifty shades of grey with a little light peeking through along with a sliver of pretty in pink. The sand was still wet from a recent rain storm. With the heavy clouds and light breeze, the morning felt extra cozy.
The flock of gulls (Laughing Gulls) flew in to enjoy the sunrise. One Legger and Floppy were in the mix. One legger was showing her power move while Floppy strutted around showing her cool wings. These two remind us to embrace our strengths.
One legger said, “Whales have barnacles, dolphins have scratches and chucks missing from their dorsal fins, yet we see them as beautiful Beings. Join me in loving all of our bumps and bruises, even the ones on the inside.”
Do you think One Legger needs a different name, any suggestions?
Luna the osprey was hanging out at the marina after sunrise. She was holding her hurt foot up saying, “Rest is necessary to stay strong and heal. Go easy with yourself as your body catches up with your mind and spirit.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
One legger showing her power
Lean back, wings and heart open singing loud
Floppy strutting her stuff
Luna the osprey
The path will be illuminated
Mother Nature bought us a sweet and soft sunrise courtesy of a layer of fog and light breeze. The refections on the wet sand added to the heart expanding vibe. The soft colors on the ocean looked like a velvet blanket.
A combo message today from a surfer, the flock and pelican highway. The flock of seagulls flew in for our usual bath time. The water felt warm and refreshing as we splashed around getting the bugs off.
They said, “Everyone in the pool! We flock together for safety and companionship. We take a bath everyday to get any pesky bugs off so we stay strong and healthy.”
Pelican Highway glided past the sun all lined up reminding us our path will be illuminated as we align with our heart’s desire.
The surfer in front of the sun brings the message of perspective. Depending on your view, some objects may appear larger. One of the seagulls in his reflection said, “When things feel big and overwhelming, just keep stepping forward, one step at at a time, you got this.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Everyone in the pool!
A Warbler and whales!
Warbler and Whales!
On this chilly and overcast day, we were 6 1/2 miles off shore, nothing around, when this cute little warbler came to join us on our whale journey. The railing was slippery but this nugget knew how to keep his wings out until he was steady.
He stayed and rested with us for about 20 minutes before moving on. We heard later it found refuge in the cabin of a larger boat.
I felt very inspired by both the wee nugget and massive whale!
Stay tuned for more tales from California and new Tales from the Lagoon.
Sunrise from New Smyrna Beach is back and the previous post. For whale videos and photos, scroll back to earlier posts.
New beginnings
Ahhhhhh, so glad to be back in sunny Florida for a beautiful sunrise. The air was cool with a light breeze. Pelican Highway was cruising southbound using the perfectly formed waves to send them down the shore with ease.
The flock of seagulls came in hot and chatty! So good to see them! As they were changing directions quickly, I asked them about the new partial solar eclipse today and they said, “A new moon is about fresh new beginnings.”
“When you add a solar eclipse with it, be prepared for quick changes. New beginnings can emerge out of nowhere and carry you in a new and unexpected way.”
They said, “To navigate this energy, take extra time for self care to keep yourself grounded and ready for what comes your way.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
PS~ THANK YOU for the calendar orders while I was out of town. They are going to the post office today
otters are so fun!
What fun it is to hang out with otters, from a distance of course. This cutie was hanging out under a bridge where we could connect from a safe distance. They are generally pretty shy but I was lucky to find a few who wanted to be photographed.
This one let me photograph him for about 30 minutes before moving on to get snacks.
Check out the size of his feet and hands! More about their snacks and grooming coming this week.
Stay tuned!
If you haven’t seen, there are humpback photos and videos in previous blogs
Check out the size of my hands and feet. :)
Videos of Humpback Up Close and Personal
The first clip is of the humpback whale Vishnu coming up to hello! Truly a proper greeting, don’t you think?
The second video is two video clips together showing how this powerful yet gentle humpback approached the boat and stopped just a foot away then turned on a dime.
The second clip shows him going under the boat but never touching. he didn’t touch the boat until he was ready to move on, he used his dorsal fin to give a gentle bump saying good bye.
Turn the sound on to hear the powerful breath.
If you haven’t seen the previous posts, scroll back to see a humpback breaching and photographs of this whale and the boat I was on, taken by the boat next to us.
Stay tuned for more tales form Cali!
Breaching Whale
I have always wanted to photograph a breaching whale...this week I had the opportunity!
While on a private tour with Slater Moore Photography in Moss Landing, California, we saw this beauty flying out of the water for about 45 minutes.
S/He would slap his pec fins several times, then dive and emerge out of the water with a whoosh.
After spending time with a friendly whale then watching this one breach, I can't stop smiling.
More to share, stay tuned!
To learn more about the private boat tour I was on, check out Slater’s website. His photos and videos are amazing!
Epic Whale Experience
Yesterday was one of the most amazing experiences I have had with wildlife. Having a friendly whale spend time with us for about 30 minutes was truly amazing.
I’m visiting Moss Landing California and was on a private tour with Slater Moore Photography. https://www.slatermoore.photography/.
A website called HappyWhale.com accepts photos of whales and keeps track of where they journey, along with their names and gender if they have it. This friendly whale is called Vishnu, a humpback whale, his/her gender is unknown but I included a map of his/her journey.
When I was packing for the trip I thought, “Nah, I won’t need my wide angle lens, the whales won’t be that close.” I was wrong. Glad I had my phone to capture video of the close connection.
We started with 3 whales, two left while Vishnu stayed to played. As you can see the whales are larger than the boat. Vishnu had his/her head on one side of the boat and tail on the other side and never touched us. S/he was extremely gentle and caring with us.
The only time s/he touched the boat was when s/he got ready to move on, s/he gave a purposeful, gentle nudge with her dorsal fin as if to say, “See you later” and moved on to connect with the people on the High Spirits boat.
If you don’t know this about me I love to know who the Being is that I photograph, I like to learn about their personalities and get to know them, so this was truly a dream come true.
Stay tuned for videos and photos!
After playing with us for 30 minutes he moved on to the other boat to play.
A map showing where the whale has been.
Ever heard a pelican talk?
Pip the pelican talking while haning with Spot the egret and Patches the pelican.
This is from a couple days ago when it was still warm and sunny.
PS ~ Ill be away from the sunrise and Florida for a few days..hoping to share wildlife photos from the adventure, so stay tuned!
Turn your resistance into a resource
Brrrrrrrr, it was a moist, windy and cold day for sunny Florida but that didn’t stop the birds from coming to hang out. The sun stayed hidden behind the fluffy moody bluesy clouds keeping the vibe cozy.
All the birds were chatting when they flew in hot. They were darting off in a flash, then back as quick as they left, bringing the message of spontaneity. Be open to quick changes and adventures.
I chatted with them about my struggle to embrace the wind and they said, “We know how to use the wind to keep us in place with little effort. We highly recommend turning your resistance into a resource. Remember what you resist, persists.”
Patches the pelican flew in after sunrise to say good morning. As she floated in with her wings wide she said, “Like the gulls, I’m here to encourage going with the flow, use all your resources to make life easier.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Quick connections feed the soul
Inhale, Exhale, Repeat….
A calm ocean and light breeze brought us a very relaxing start to the day. Low tide gave Mother Nature the opportunity to create a mirror image of the amazing color show. Streaming golden light beamed through the clouds adding to the heart opening experience.
So much wildlife this morning with laughing gulls filling seagull street, joined by sandwich terns, willets, ruddy turnstones and sand pipers. We were all getting squeaky clean as the gentle waves washed away all our bugs.
After sunrise I ran into Charley the dolphin who popped in to say a quick hello. A momma and baby were also hanging out nursing in the calm lagoon. Dolphins remind us to find our pod for connection and a sense of community.
A pelican flying by glanced over to make eye contact. He said, “Even a quick connection can feed the soul. Enjoy the moments no matter the duration.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Eye see you
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode Cloudy Day Play
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Cloudy Day Play!
A pod of dolphin were grabbing snacks and popping out of the water when the moon was full and skies were overcast. I think the combination of clouds and moon energy made for quite the party mood.
Check out the perfect dismount, a 10 for form, don’t you think?
Stay tuned for an update from Pip and friends!
Fall deeper in love to spread the love
Ahhhh, a reflective sunrise courtesy of low tide giving us a heart expanding sunrise. The color show was full of deep pinks, orange and gold. Pelican Highway was causing southbound over the choppy ocean.
The flock of gulls flew in at their usual time for bath time. Today we had bath time in the ocean and the ride pools.. One of the gulls in the tide pool brings us the message of falling deeper in love with ourself.
She said, “You see, as you love and care for yourself, you will send out ripples of love to others. If you are feeling good, your wings will open wide, so you can share the love with the flock. Look how pretty I am when I’m squeaky clean with my wings and heart open.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Falling deeper in love with myself
Sending out ripples
Amazing heart opening connections
He’s Back!
Tiger the Heermann’s Gull is back for the 3rd winter in a row. He is from California, and considered a bird celebrity here in New Smyrna Beach.
He flew in with the flock, circling, showing off his beauty and mad flying skills. He brings the message of unexpected connections that make you smile from ear to ear.
The laughing gull flock were very loud today flying in front of the sun, darting off then flying back with a whoosh. So much lively energy with the birds and the big of ball of light bringing warmth and intense golden light.
We enjoyed a great bath time together getting the bugs off to stay healthy. One of the laughing gulls opened her arms and showed how the light colored her feathers. She said, “Go ahead, open your wings and invite the light and love in. You will like how it feels.”
Wishing you a wonderful day filled with loving connections.
Tiger the Heermann’s gull
Tiger the heermann’s gull
Tiger the Heermann’s gull
Be your solid foundation
Mother Nature used low tide to bring us a reflective sunrise. The mirror image of the fluffy cotton ball clouds floating along was truly breathtaking.
The super cute flock of gulls flew in hot and chatty. Until today I hadn’t seen any accidents on seagull street. (Technically it’s called Laughing Gull street)
They said, “It’s true accidents happen. Not to worry we are both ok. For us, when things like this happen, we shake it off and keep flying.”
Mikey the great egret and Patches the pelican flew in after sunrise. Mikey is a very tall, lanky bird. This morning, I asked him how he is able to stand on the top of the mangroves with ease.
He said, “My secret is to be really grounded into my toes. You see, If I am solid then I can stand anywhere. I am the solid foundation which means no matter my footing, I feel safe.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Uh Oh, a little accident this morning. Not to worry, everyone is ok. :)
Mikey the great egret and Patches the pelican