To the Sea

My little CVS underwater camera

takes me to all the places I wish I could take my DSLR. 

Snorkeling at Kados and Coral Cove, 

to the sandbar with my parents, 

and under the water. 

Sean and Kate letting their pet conchs touch.
Casablanca and Cleopatra.
Those were their names, right?

Our boat trip.
My parents weren't working and the weather was Florida perfect,
so we went out to the sand bar with Nana.

Walking slash swimming across the river to the neighboring island.
This is the island Chris, Cassie and I explored last Memorial Day,
you wouldn't know it but there are hundreds of birds nests in those trees.
And Chris being the bird explorer that he is - took us to see the baby birds.
We had to crawl under branches, stand on mangrove roots, and step in sick pee-water
to get a good sight.
At one nest, Chris was in the furthest, then Cassie, then me.
After we had seen the birds and were turning around, Chris yells "Run!"
and I thought there was something in there about to attack - so I turn around,
and bolt out of there, tripping, clawing, and fighting my way out. 
Meanwhile, Chris and Cassie are behind me just laughing and laughing
because
1. There was obviously nothing in there - Chris just thought it would be funny to yell at us.
and
2. There were "claw" marks in the sand as I escaped for my life. 

This was the joke of the century, 

Max and his "claw marks" in the sand.

Could there have been a better day to stay home from work?
Sunny.
Clear water.
One foot waves.
I'm thinking not.
So instead of going to work - I went snorkeling.
Best decision of the day.

 Rapid bubbles coming out of my mask = I thought I was struck.
I wasn't, just a small panic.
It was so clear and colorful.
Definitely one of the better days to be out snorkeling.

I cut my foot on the reef, 

got stung by fire coral, 

and had some weird calf-cramp spasm, 

but I would all take that - and double - to do it all again.