Here is a parrot that visited our little camp site this morning. It looks to be a Red Crowned Parrot, or a Red Masked Parakeet, I could not tell. In either ...well, as I am writing this, two returned to the same tree, and are at this moment, raising a ruckus. They were kind enough to wait around for me to put the glasses on them and identify them as being Black Hooded Parakeets. Even though there are not any more native parakeets (the Carolina Parakeet was driven to extinction at the trun of the last century) there are established colonies of these birds in Florida and Texas, and as far north as Virginia. Therefore, I get to include this beautiful addition to my life list, making it Bird Number 203! When I come to Siesta Key, I always bring my field guides and optics, for every time I get a new bird. Last month I got a Mottled Duck (I would have never thought), and this time the Black Hooded Parakeet! This is going to be a great day!
Beautiful morning on Turtle Beach. Up early, as this will allow me the opportunity to loaf longer. Morning temperatures in the low 60'sF. High today in the upper 80'sF. We have a nice Gulf Breeze this morning, which puts a little bit of a chill in the air. The smell of the Gulf is different from that of the Atlantic. Hard to describe. Not as salty? I don't know. Just different. Here is a photo of the Turtle Beach Camp Ground. If ever you find yourself on Siesta Key, we highly recommend this camp. The spaces are small, as you can see in the photo, but adequate. It is a wonderful thing when a Man knows that he is doing something for the very last time. This is a day of lasts. The last Friday in Florida for the season (there will be other Fridays in Florida in 2010, this is just the last of the Art Show Season). And the last Friday forever in the Scamp Camp. We have two more nights, tonight and tomorrow, and that is it for the Scamp. The reserve numbers went above our asking price, so now we only have to see who takes it over the next two hours.
It has been a great little camper. True to it's calling, it has been one of the best investments we have ever made. Over the last two years we have stayed in it over 90 weekends, for a total of over 200 nights. If you were to pay for that time in a Motel, your costs would be well over $3K, not including meals! It has saved us bundles of money, but the time has come to move up. We are excited about our new 18' Work & Play, and all of the additional room and amenities, but we will miss the little Scamp!

Well, Sherry just informed me that we are on our way to the beach to go on a shell collecting expedition, and so we are off.