Seaweeditee

We are vacationing in Destin, Florida, with a couple dozen of our best friends. Sounds like it would be hectic, but it's not. We're all here and we all do our own thing, and we bump into this family or that at the beach or the pool, but everyone pretty much does their own thing.

When we checked in the clerk at the front desk gave us a list of rules to follow. For instance, balcony lights go off early, because sea turtles are nesting between the months of May and October. The clerk threw in another tidbit:

"It's also manatee season. One may come up and bump you while you're swimming, but don't worry about it. They're just big dumb cows. They're actually nicknamed "sea cows."

My initial response was "Oh, my God, I hope a manatee bumps me!!! That would be AWESOME!"

A few hours later, however, Clint was regaling Steven with the manatee story, and he said "she said they'll bump into you. Like a cat!"

Steven responded, "Yeah, a 1,000 pound cat."

Remember when I thought I wanted to zipline? And I forgot that I hate heights, and signed up anyway? See...I didn't think that through. Actually, I don't think I've ever blogged the photo of me crying while I flew over a canopy of trees in Mexico. It is not a pretty picture, is why.

And so, with Clint and Steven's observations, I realized that if a 1,000 pound cat swam up and bumped me with it's big nose while I was floating in the ocean I'd probably come right up out of the water like a dolphin and make it to shore without ever touching the water.

We've spent the last 4 days, then, floating in around in the gulf, and every time I see this (see lower right, front)...

My head screams "MANATEE!!!" and I backpedal from the big dumb oafs.

Only every single time, it's been a patch of seaweed.

We have thus coined the term "Seaweeditee." "Calm down; it's just a seaweeditee."

Tomorrow morning, we're rising early to jet-ski with...dolphins. At this point in time, I think that I'm going to love (love, love) skimming along next to an entire school of 1,000 pound fish with 18 to 28 conical teeth (thanks, Wikipedia). 

The waterproof camera is charged. I will either post the pictures, or never, ever, post them. 

Wait and see.