Swamps and Stars

2/14

So we went on a marine bio field trip today. It started our miserable. Everyone teased me for “falling asleep” during lecture in the morning but I couldn’t sleep last night. I don’t know why. And I didn’t actually fall asleep in Marine Biology…I was still listening.

Anyway our field trip in the afternoon was to the Mangrove swamps. We got off the bus in the middle of nowhere and had to find “the path” which was basically created as we walked through the ankle deep mud. It smelled bad, there were bugs all over, and I don’t care much about identifying mangrove trees.

After that part was over, we went to a beach type place and collected sand samples looking for creatures. We saw a dolphin fairly close to us, and billion Soldier Crabs. There were so many of them that you could hear them walking. It was pretty cool. We all picked them up and played with them. Then we set nets out to collect fish for identification. We all pulled the nets in and there were a million fish including 2 large stingrays, a crab, a couple with poisonous spines, huge ones, little ones, and many, many herring that liked to get caught in the nets. Our job was to release and count all of the extras, as well as free the ones that got caught.

On the ride home I got dropped off in town to do some Valentines shopping. The girls all did a kind of secret santa exchange and went to dinner. I got lots of caramel chocolate, and crispy M&M’s from Mary.

Dinner was delicious and being able to walk on the beach and look at the amazing stars here in the middle of February on Valentines Day was pretty spectacular. I know how lucky I am…you all are fighting the blizzard to do anything and I was on the beach.

I miss and love all of you and am thinking of you on your American Valentines Day.

The Soldier Crabs

The Mangrove Swamp

Sting Ray we caught