Spring Fling

I've been out of town on a vacation with some friends, so I'm a bit late in my usual postings. Also, I didn't want to post on All Fool's Day - or April Fool's Day as it is more commonly called. Did you know that the tradition of April Fool's Day goes back to the sixteenth century? The generally accepted theory is that its origins go back to the creation of the Gregorian calendar. Want more info? Check out this short article or this longer one here (although their page background makes it a little hard to read - just highlight the text with your mouse to solve the problem).

My friends and I stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast in Matlacha, Florida. This was the view from our porch:
We also had the opportunity to watch a pair of osprey raising their three chicks:
I had lots of time for picture taking and caught this pelican as it floated by:

We went to Sanibel Island and enjoyed the beach and later toured the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge:
And then there was the big event on Saturday, March 29th, at the 17th annual Mullet Toss on Matlacha:
The idea is to see how far you can throw a dead mullet fish. You are not allowed to stuff it with rocks or other objects to make it heavier (and easier) to toss; however, you can roll it in the dirt to get a better grip on it. If you go, be careful where you stand as sometimes the fish fly off course and land amid the spectators. Personally, I tried to be very careful!