manana - Mexico City

 

and in this case manana really means tomorrow

 

oh yeah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so looking forward to this

 

you will hear all about it when I get back

 

adios



and the sea creature is

 

 Cassiopea

the upside down jellyfish

 

  

Cassiopea is a genus of true jellyfish and the only members of the family Cassiopeidea

the one I saw was Cassiopeidea andromeda  

 

They are found in warmer coastal regions around the world, including shallow mangrove swamps, mudflats, canals and turtle grass flats in Florida.

 

 

here is where they live in the world

 

they are carnivorous and eat small animals from the sea or just pieces of them after it paralyzes its prey with its mucous and nematocysts when they are released. 

 

nice
 

 

according to the World Register of Marine Species

this genus includes 8 species

(could not find photos of all of them)

 

1.  Cassiopea Andromeda

and
 

2.  Cassiopea depressa
3.  Cassiopea frondosa

4.  Cassiopea medusa

5.  Cassiopea mertensi

6.  Cassiopea ndrosia range - only 2 places in Australia

 

 

7.  Cassiopea ornate

 

 

 

 

8.   Cassiopea xamachana

 

 

They have a mild sting too, but sensitive individuals may have a stronger reaction

 



 



 The stinging cells are excreted in a mucus; swimming over the jellyfish (especially using swim fins) may cause transparent, essentially invisible, sheets of this mucus to be lifted up into the water column, where they are then encountered by unsuspecting swimmers. The stings, appearing in the form of a red rash-like skin irritation, are known for being extraordinarily itchy.

 

ouch

 

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopea

west coast visits the south east coast

 

our son Noah and his girlfriend Kasey honored us with a visit last week-end

 

 

the first day Uncle Noah got right in the pool - what a guy

 

 

Arlo took to him right away

 

 

Lulu loves to hang out with her pop pop

 

 

 

we were all so glad to finally meet Kasey

what a lovely young woman

 

 

that night at dinner we got the booth with the fish tank behind it

the kids loved it - it was pretty cool

 

they were staying at the beach

we wanted them to have a vacation and not be sleeping on the floor in our small house

 

 

that is their room on the end

 

 

nice view

the gulf was unusually calm that morning

 

 

the resort was right at the edge of the Stump Pass state park

lots of people on the beach

 

 

 

no people in front of the hotel - it is off season here in Florida

but I think summer is the best time - the water in the gulf is so warm

swimming is at it's best

 

so after lounging in the gulf

we moved to the resort pool

 

 

for more relaxing

 

 

and eating - so much swimming makes a guy hungry

Lucy is talking a lot

my favorite thing she says in a kind of expectant tone is: eat now?

eat now?

 

 

the pool had a great view of the gulf

oh the turtle - that's Stanley

 

 

the resort used to be owned by the Weston Family

and it was called the Weston Resort

it sold a couple years ago and is being redone

 

it is now called 

 

 

 the

 

 

Wanna B Inn

 

(Wanna be Westons.....?)

 

 

 

 

 

as handsome as ever

 

 

 

that night Noah made us a gourmet meal

and unfortunately I don't have photos - darn

 

 

 

 

I did however manage to get a photo of the pie Beth made

notice the alligators on top?

 

 

the "kids" stayed up and played Apples to Apples

 

 

(and if you don't have that game you need to get it - it is so fun)

grandma and grandpa went home early

 

 

 

next morning early - kayaking

 



 

they were naturals

 

 

they paddled circles around me

 

 

 

I have to digress to show you something amazing that I found in the water

as they paddled away I stayed - fascinated by what I was seeing

I was in very shallow water over eel grass

there were all these disk like things with what looked like cauliflower on the top

 

 

then I saw one flip over and start pulsating like a jellyfish

above was the best photo I could get

 

 

later on the internet I found these photos

 



 

 it was the most amazing

 

 

this is like what I saw, lots of them all across the bottom

 

 

 when they were flipped over they pulsated in and out

some were huge over 12" in diameter

 

 

also very colorful

 

 

 

the last night on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is as close to a family photo as we got

 

 

 

 

 

you could see it raining out over the gulf

 

 

 

 

 

watching the sun

we played on the beach until the sun set

 

 

and then we had to sadly say good-bye until next time