January 2019
As I started writing my book, I realized that I never actually gone into Blue Spring State park so I decided to go back to the park for a real visit. I heard there were hundreds of manatee at the park just days before and I was interested to see what that looked like. Unfortunately, due to the warm weather that day, I did not see hundreds of manatee but I was able to witness a calf being rescued by Florida Fish & Wildlife and Sea World. I overheard one of the helpers say that the baby was abandoned by it’s mother for whatever reason and when that happens none of the other manatee step in and help the calf. She was all on her own. How sad is that? It’s a good thing she was left in such a safe place where she could be rescued and cared for until she is old enough to care for herself. It was a pretty amazing act to watch. After that rescue, I took a walk through the Thursby house which I heard was a real treat because it is not always open to tour. What I found to be most interesting is that it is built on top of an old archeological mound. I ended my time there with a leisurely stroll on the boardwalk. Even though the visit did not go as I had anticipated, it was still a beautiful day to see the park!
