LOCALS ONLY!
I grew up being a beach town Local (Sound Beach, NY; Daytona Beach, FL; Virginia Beach, VA; and even SF has a beach).
I guess what comes around, goes around, as I am a Beach Local again!
As Locals, it is our responsibility to get to know the area! So we have, especially with our February houseguests!
This is OUR Local.
One of our neighbors:
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The Golden Silk Orb Weaver (I think)!
No worries…the bite is considered less severe than a bee sting.
And get this…their web silk is the strongest natural fiber known to man!
Okay Okay, below there are photos of cute Florida Fauna!
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First, here is some cute Florida Flora!
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Sea Grapes!
And they are edible…to us humans as well as local birds and mammals!
I have not tried them yet…but who knows with my crafting, I just may put together some Sea Grape wine!
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Back to looking for Florida Fauna!
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No, we did not find the elusive Audrey humanoid…we were looking for Manatees!
We are on North Hutchinson Island, South Beach, Florida at the Round Island Oceanfront Park, West. The west side of the park is on the Florida Inter-coastal Waterway where some manatees like to hang out in the warm waters! On the above day we actually saw a Mom Manatee and her baby!
It is hard to photo them as they do not show their cute whiskery face above water for too long! Even though I did not get a photo, I am glad we saw them as Audrey, after not successfully searching for them previously in Florida and Honduras, was starting to believe they are just a figment of people’s imagination!
I tell you, they are easier to find than the Vermont Moose! We saw no moose in Vermont (one in New Hampshire though) and I have seen manatees 4 times now and Jim has seen one!
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Now here’s a Florida Fauna Cutie!
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Look at that Smiling Southern Stingray! He is a regular at the Oceanography Center in Stuart, Florida! And you can even pet and feed him there. I love this place, check the link out below:
Oceanography Center Stuart, Florida
You can pet the below Sassy Stingray too!
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Below is my favorite animal of all time and if you ask me, one of the cutest fauna’s of all time too!
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Turtles have been my fav since I was a kid and took in a lost turtle. Since living in Honduras and seeing Sea Turtles while snorkeling and diving, I think they are my favorite out of all turtles.
This turtle is a rescue turtle, somehow his shell was cracked (probably from either a shark or boat motor) at one point in time messing up his buoyancy under water. Even though they were able to fix the crack, the poor guy’s bottom is always up which leaves him as prime dinner to some nasty ass’d shark (sorry I was channeling Randall from the Honey Badger video there for a second). He is now safe and happy at the Oceanography Center!
Some Local Turtle info for you. Around 50,000 sea turtles (5 different types) lay their eggs in Southern Florida from March to October!
We look forward to going on a guided hike to see them in action as it is amazing.
These Momma’s crawl up the beach far away from the water with just their front fins, dig a deep hole with just their back fins, lay their 100-150 eggs, cover them up and then head back to the water. And believe this or not, then they do that all over again 5 – 7 times in the same season! Another one of the reasons sea turtles are so amazing is that only 1 turtle out of every 100 eggs hatched survives! Between man and nature, those little guys (and they are tiny after they are hatched) have a hard start!
Ha, the Oceanography Center would be so proud of me sharing what I learned from just one turtle presentation!
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Back to the photos! A fine example of what so many look for when they come here!
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The manatee!
For those that has never seen one, this is a good example of the Sea Cow.
The nickname is from their land-locked genteel herbivore friend, but there was a type of manatee called Sea Cow that is now extinct.
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Now, a new species to Florida…THE HENDERSONS!
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At the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida!
Learn about the Castillo for yourself here: St. Augustine Fort, Florida
And on to other parts Castillo...
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Okay, I was intrigued by these matching billowy dressed gals.
As well as the architecture:
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And more Flora!
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Not to mention the fine old cannons!
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Now on the visit the cute streets of the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, Florida!
Learn all about historic St. Augustine: Old Saint Augustine, Florida
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Off to the Fountain of Youth, I drink this water as much and as often as I can!
Learn how you too can stay young: The Fountain of Youth
Just in Case!
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Peacocks love the Fountain!
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Feeling Refreshed after the Fountain water, we headed south!
To Daytona Beach, Baby…for a lunch with Dawn’s family!
Check out the facts about the Worlds Most Famous Beach town:
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My brother, Wayne, and Jim’s Dad, David, off to the water!
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The cute couple on the Boardwalk and then some!
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Back to Fort Pierce and being Locals by our pool!
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By the Atlantic in West Palm Beach!
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On a mangrove forest hike!
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And where Jim works!
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And now a break from The Henderson’s Florida Vacation for more Florida Fauna!
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The ever present Pelican and below is finally a photo of the elusive Manatee!
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Okay, maybe not what you were expecting…but that is as good as it gets!
AND THAT IS AS GOOD AS LOCAL LIFE GETS!
Florida Fauna, Flora, Beaches, Pools, Old Forts, and Sun!
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This post is in honor of a couple “Locals Only” peeps from my past, may their and their kid’s lives, be healthy.
THOSE OF YOU WHO REMEMBER THE VIRGINIA BEACH BAND, LOCALS ONLY, FROM THE 80’S…
HERE IS A FLASHBACK FOR YOU!
And they will have a reunion gig the weekend of June 15 and 16 in Virginia Beach!
Be There or Be Square (that is an 80’s phrase isn’t it?).
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.WE.ARE.GNOMADS. 
HOORAY! You and Jim are Locals “around the world”!
Hey~
Some of us do still read the Henderbalz blog when buggy-whipped into action by the occasional dunning message left in the inbox. How else are we gonna learn if that North Beach caffeine has finally burned off of sfgirl_dawn’s bloodstream yet or if Jim’s smile hasn’t turned catatonic from trying to keeping up with the aforementioned caffeine-inspired mania?
I’m happy to report that you both look healthier, shapelier, and prettier than the most handsome of manatees.
Thanks for keeping us all feeling younger, Henderbalz!
Joe
Did not start drinking caffeine until we moved to Honduras…uh…because I guess maybe it was already running in my veins! ;o) And Jim is sill smiling. We are more in love than yesterday, and not as much as tomorrow! ;o)
Thank you Joe, my long lost urban cowboy!