Naked Came the Manatee...an informal review

now that the formal paper is written..it's time to give the informal review =)

LOVED LOVED LOVED this book.  completely unexpected and delightfully surprising!

First of all, these authors REALLY know their stuff...the depictions of Miami are incredible.  They referenced places I haven't been to in YEARS.  News Cafe....LOVE IT!  Miami Beach...LOVE IT!  I remember the days of parties until 6am then watching the sun rise on the beach just down the road.  I remember the AMAZING authentic Cuban cafes and the INCREDIBLE food...at all hours of the night, of course, because nothing ever closes in Miami...lol

I loved the point of view from Booger...I've always loved manatees and hated boaters with no regard for them...I loved that Marion was 102...I of course hated that she was murdered over a fake Castro head, but still, loved that she was 102 nonetheless.  She reminded me of my friend's grandmother a lot.  Her naked twilight swims in the bay with Booger and her selling a fake Castro head for a million bucks, specifically.  My friend's grandmother used to go naked twilight swimming in the inlet by her house near 195 in Miami...I used to tell her she was crazy...she used to tell me I was crazy for not joining her... her, at her ripe ole' age of 95...lol.  She was brilliant..and when she passed (bless her soul)...she left a key to my friend, that key went to a safety deposit box holding 500k in cash...and she was told to buy a house and a car and live happily...and never depend on a man. LOL...she really was brilliant.

I'm glad I chose this book...I almost chose Strip Tease simply based on the fact that I've seen the movie and enjoyed it, so the book had to be even better...but this was the perfect read for me.  I think I might have to try and find some other books written by the same authors.  They did a spectacular job with this, especially considering it was a conglomeration of a bunch of different things written by different people!!

Again, on a scale of 1-10, I give it an 11! =)

Insanity

This week has been insanity....and it's still not over.  With 4 papers due tomorrow by midnight, I'm cramming like I've never crammed before :(

I've barely gotten outside of school, work and my house other than to drive in between those places.  I am, however, getting my dose of nature by reading Naked Came the Manatee for Colloquium.  I didn't expect to be so caught up in the book....but I am!  I know it's meant to be somewhat comical, but at the same time, the descriptors used for nature are just fascinating!  Coming to Naples from Broward County, I can accuarately picture everything the authors describe - the people on the streets, the bodies of water, the body in the water, the way Booger the manatee floats a long the river....all of it I've seen before and I love that it reminds me of the places I lived for 13 years (well, not so much the body in the water, but everything else, of course). 

I'm almost finished with the book...then it's time to write the paper that goes along with it...then off to find a body of water to do my other paper...

thank goodness for daylight savings time....at least I know it'll still be light outside when I go!

diversity

Michelle Trica, a local photographer here in Naples, is attempting a new piece of art this weekend.  She's attempting to cover a wall with 1,000 photos of diverse people in order to help people realize naples isn't just the white guys golfing on the brochures.  I think this is an amazinggggg idea.  I just found out yesterday that Michelle is a friend of my boss's and Tammy (my boss) already went to have her photo taken! I think this is fantastic. 

Ever since I moved to Naples I've told my husband that it is so different.  Coming from South Broward, I lived amongst diversity for a good 13 years of my life.  I was the minority! The Hispanic population totally dominated caucasian.  There were over a thousand students in my graduating class, over 700 were hispanic.  It seemed crazy to me at first, but once I moved to Naples, I missed it.  People here seem so narrow minded.  It's like naples is the place for older folks to come retire and play golf, or for seasoners to come play in the sun for a few months out of the year.

The older people I've met here (I'm not speaking for them all, but only those I've spoken with) truly think Naples is for white people...I just don't understand that.  They see hispanics or african americans and they look down upon them.  I could never live in that mind set and just dont understand how they could.

I'm excited to go see Michelle and have my picture taken.  It's going to be an honor to be a part of this project!!!!

more info:
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/mar/16/photographer-aims-document-naples-diversity/

daylight...

it's so nice having more daylight hours!!!!  today, for the first time in months, I saw the moon in the sky while the sun was blazing bright!! The sunsets even seem more beautiful than before!  Crazy how that happens all because of a time change.

On another note, Sunday is the 3 year anniversary of the death of someone very close to me.  We used to have a spot in a state park in ft. lauderdale where we would go just to stare at the water and watch nature unfold around us.  The last time I went was 3.5 yrs ago before he died.  Taking colloquium and foundations this semester has made me much more in touch with nature than I've been in a while...I think I'm going to go back this year.  I've stayed away because it triggers painful memories...but I feel like after taking a new perspective on the earth and all its natural beauty, I can once again go back to our special place....sit and watch nature unfold, just as we used to.

I have to thank FGCU for requiring colloquium and foundations....I truly believe it would have been MUCH MUCH longer before I returned if I didn't have to take the classes....here's to accepting life and what it throws at you...and being able to pick up the pieces to move on....

return to summerland ranch

So a few items were left at summerland ranch after the weekend's festivities, and I drove up there yesterday to pick them up.  It looked SO different without all the setups!  I saw a lot more natural life (animals, bugs, critters, etc) than I did over the weekend, probably because there weren't a gazillion people running around back there.  I walked right past a snake (I nearly screamed) and there were 2 rabbits hanging out where our food station was.  I think this just shows how humans impeding upon land that belongs to animals really does impact their habitats.  I would've never gotten to see the animals in their comfort zone, so to speak, if I hadn't returned on a quiet afternoon.

It was flat out lovely to see.  There's nothing better than watching an animals in it's home...

Summerland Ranch

I spent this entire weekend helping with the Sacred Wolf Path Celebration at Summerland Ranch in Bonita Springs.  Shy Wolf throws the event annually, and all I can say is WOW!  Although the turnout wasn't as great as we'd hoped, I really had a chance to bond with nature.  The property is tucked far back on a dirt road and is full of trees and trails to explore.  There was music vendors healers readers and a drumming circle! It was so much fun!  I really felt like I was truly a part of nature!  Everything was set up around the trees and in little spaces tucked away on the paths.  There was a lot of chanting and meditation...I even had my cards read!  I really never believed in the power of healers and readers, but it was SO on point that it was scary!  I feel closer to nature more now than ever! I can't wait to help with other events!!  I might even attempt camping in a tent...something I swore I'd NEVER do...but if I can spend two days posted up in the middle of a mini-forest for this event, I think I could handle it! :)

the same egret...

Every day when I pull into work the same egret is wandering around in front of my office.  It's always trying to rummage through bushes and trees for food.  I always go out of my way to not disturb the bird when I'm walking to the front door, but other people are so rude.  The poor bird is only pecking in bushes for food - it's not bothering anyone.  There's a law office next door to my office.  Every morning a girl is dropped off by her boyfriend or husband (whichever he is) and they stand out front smoking before she goes inside.  Not only does he REALLY make me mad by throwing his cigarettes in the street, instead of in the ashtry provided, he likes to mess with the Egret.  He'll start to run towards it just to scare it away...or toss his cigarette in its direction.  I feel like that's a form of animal cruelty, even though he isn't directly harming the bird.  What if he tossed his cigarette and the bird tried to eat it?!?! I bet he wouldn't laugh about it then.

I swear, I like animals more than humans most of the time.  The animals were here first...we invaded their territory and land and turned their home into our own habitat.  Sometimes I wish a big scary animal would chase after a few of the humans I've encountered in my day.  Don't judge me for saying that....I'd just like to see inconsiderate humans squirm a little.  =)

On another note, tomorrow and Sunday is the Shy Wolf Fundraiser.  So far this semester I've donated 26 awesome hours to Shy Wolf Sanctuary...I had a lot of fun doing it.  But I sure am glad it's coming to a close.  Between three jobs and school, all the extra volunteering is running me down.  Spring break will be just that - a TRUE break!  Going to spend my time reading "Naked Came the Manatee" for Colloquium...I won't have enough downtime to get through it if I don't do it then.

I'm sure I'll have pictures and reports after this weekend's festivities.  There's also a strawberry and indie music festival in NE naples this weekend by Gulf Coast HS...I went last night but they were barely set up.  Going to go back on Sunday and check out the awesome vendors and bands!  :) 

...till then.....

wildfire....

I feel like I've been living under a rock.  I just flipped on the news to find out that Volusia and Brevard county have a wildfire destroyingover 16,000 acres of central Florida.  I'm hoping the coming rain will help with the fires.  Fire scares me more than anything else.  The winds could shift and it could easily change directions to scortch even more land than before.

the poor poor tree...

so every Tuesday we have maintenance men who come to my office park and do landscaping cleanup.  There's this really awesome tree that stands in the middle of some flowered bushes...so the maintenance men always bind the trunk and tie the ropes to beams that help keep the tree sturdy.  Apparently they didn't tie it too well this time and the tree fell over...3 times.  Now most of the flowers and flower buds on the tree are on the ground and it affected the bushes it fell onto as well.  I hope the tree doesn't fall over again.  I couldn't imagine being that tree.  I've always been an advocate of the idea that anything living (tree animal or plant) can physically feel pain.  I've never pulled leaves from trees or plucked grass from the ground.  I can only imagine it screaming "ow" as people walk all over it.  I always take sidewalks and walkways - after all, that's what they were built for anyway!