Is that an island?

Peeking over the side of the Chris Craft, she saw something floating close enough to the boat that she might be able to reach on her tip toes. "Is that island swimming?" she asked her dad. He turned off the idling motor and went to investigate, cigarette dangling from his lips. "Well I don't know little girl", he said. "Why don't we put you on it and see if it moves." She went willingly into his arms and as he picked her up he acted as if he was going to set her on this floating mound in the water. "Well how do you like that?" he said. "Looks like this island has flippers a tail and a big head. Maybe we better keep you in the boat." Her dad was always teasing her and she saw in his eyes that he knew all along this was not an island. Silly Daddy. The clear water surrounding this lower Florida Key was shallow and inviting and she couldn't take her eyes off the creature. She wondered if it would mind if she went for a ride and wondered where it was going. Watching the big turtle moving off on his journey, her dad anchored the boat and she settled for a swim with her Sinclair Oil bronto float. She'd been wanting one and they got it when they filled-up at the gas station in Homestead. Dino would do but the turtle made a little spot in her memory box and stayed there.

Fast forward more than 50 years and I'm lucky enough to still be in Florida, now on the northern coast; still enthralled and calmed by the warm shallow water. Today, I found out that this week, with a little help from the South Walton Turtle Watch, one of the Loggerhead sea turtle nests I pass on my morning walk gave us 100 new hatchlings. Observing something in it's natural habitat is magical; a random occurrence. I'm grateful and lucky to live somewhere I have that opportunity daily.

Well how do you like that? I don't see the gas stations anymore but, I just checked, and you can still get those Sinclair Oil inflatables on-line.