| Sleet and occasional flurries of snow are
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| | Another item on my 'to do' list when I
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| making tap dancing sounds on my deck.
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| | reach the Apalachicola area is to go to
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| Outside the cat is snuggled up inside his
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| | the St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge.
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| box in the garage. He's able to go
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| | It's a barrier island, providing natural
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| outside if he wants, through the pet door
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| | protection for the mainland from damaging
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| which I have opened up again. A family of
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| | winds and waves. You can only reach this
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| raccoons decided to move in with him and
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| | northwestern Florida Gulf Coast island by
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| until they found a new home, I had to
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| | boat. One of the great things about this
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| board up the pet door.
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| | place is that there are no human
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| I'm keeping warm tonight by making plans
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| | inhabitants. There are caretakers who
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| for my summer vacation. I'm going to a
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| | live on the island sometimes and keep the
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| warm and sunny beach on northern
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| | place as natural as possible.
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| Florida's Gulf Coast. Having visited the
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| | This island, with its marshes on the bay
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| Apalachicola area before, I've decided
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| | side of the island, is home for many
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| that that's where I'm going again! Since
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| | specie of animals including Sambar deer,
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| the last time I was there, I've done more
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| | white tail-deer, alligators, loggerhead
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| research on the area and discovered that
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| | sea turtles, raccoons, ospreys, and bald
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| I missed a lot of things simply because I
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| | eagles. Threatened or endangered bald
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| didn't do my homework before I arrived.
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| | eagles, sea turtles and the red wolf,
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| This time I've made a list of some of the
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| | enjoy life of the island. My wife is not
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| things I want to do when I get there this
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| | as thrilled as I about going to an island
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| spring.
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| | that has neither souvineer shops nor
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| The first thing on my calendar when I get
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| | restaurants, but to me this sounds like
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| to the bay is to go oystering. I'm going
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| | paradise. Spending the day fishing on the
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| to book a four hour trip with one of the
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| | gulf side of the island and picking up
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| guides who make his living harvesting
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| | shells that haven't been picked over by
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| oysters. I didn't make the trip any
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| | others is my idea of a relaxing vacation.
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| longer than 4 hours because after reading
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| | One of the brochures I've read boasts
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| about the oystermen, who are called
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| | that as many as 2400 visitors boat to the
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| 'tongers', I don't believe my aching
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| | island and walk the beach each year. Can
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| body would last more than a few hours.
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| | you imagine? There are 2400 people on
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| At that I may be pushing the limits of my
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| | most Florida beaches each day! The
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| endurance!
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| | island remains primitive and pristine
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| Charters will take 2-4 people with them
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| | because visitors to the island take care
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| at a time. That's about all the 20-24
| |
| | and clean up after themselves as they
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| foot boat will safely hold. The boat
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| | should on every beach.
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| will have a culling board so you can sort
| |
| | These are my two must see trips I'll put
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| the oysters according to size when you
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| | on my calendar for this summer, but no
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| haul them aboard. The guide from whom I
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| | vacation would be complete without dining
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| booked the charter says culling is not as
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| | out at local restaurants. The last time
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| easy as it sounds, but by the end of the
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| | I was on St. George Island which is one
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| tour I'll probably be an expert.
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| | of the four barrier islands protecting
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| From what I have seen by watching
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| | the mainland, there were two restaurants.
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| oystermen from the shore, tonging looks
| |
| | All I can say is that one was wonderful,
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| like hard work. This is the way many of
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| | the way a seafood restaurant should be
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| their fathers and grandfathers harvested
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| | when you're on an island. The other one
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| oysters many years ago. They use a tool
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| | wasn't great. I would not recommend that
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| called 'tongs' that look like a heavy
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| | one!
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| steel rake with long wooden handles that
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| | It doesn't take much to make me happy.
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| operate a little like a post hole digger.
| |
| | Just give me a couple of brochures about
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| Sometimes the oyster beds are in 5-10
| |
| | fishing and eating and I'm happy. With
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| feet of water so the tonger has to be
| |
| | each day getting a little longer than the
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| able to reach that far down.
| |
| | one before, I know it's getting closer to
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| This certainly sounds like work to me,
| |
| | vacation time!
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| but I want to take a shot at it.
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| |
|
