Developments

Ok. . .I can officially let the word out. . .I went for a job interview today.
I didn't get the job. I had already decided that I wasn't going to take it, even if it had been offered to me.
I have a feeling that it would have been. Oh well.

It was for a digital media specialist at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, FL. That's right, Tampa, which is according to my calculations 1 1/2 hours from my house.

You ask, what's the big deal, move to Tampa, or even Lakeland (which is the in between city).
Put it simply, I don't want to. I don't want to move further away from my family, I don't want to move out of my house. Well really my yard. Just the thought of leaving my yard and all my plants slightly breaks my heart.
And I know it's fully possible for me to move to somewhere else and have a yard full of other new plants. . .I didn't say that all of my reasoning was rational! :)
My more rational reasons are that I don't feel like I can move too far away from my mom and her situation, both health and business wise. 

But anyways. . .mom and I drove down to scope out the location and how to get there this past Saturday.  In the process of spending all the extra gas and miles on the car, we also decided to make a day of it and head down to Ft. Desoto park in St. Petersburg.


Mom checking out the museum

Ibis bathing in the freshwater well

We've always loved that park. Mom and Dad used to take us there camping during the summer. It's also a great place to see migrating and shore birds.

We stopped at a new little museum that they've built to mimic an army barrack from the turn of the century, first.  It had a ton of information (almost too much), but it was still very interesting. Outside the museum there was a little fresh water well which had attracted all kinds of birds.

Shoreline plants

Mom "tilting"

Willet in the surf

We then made our way down to the fishing pier. This is where I captured shots of the shore life, including sea oats and all kinds of birds.
The Willet picture is one of my favorites, and it's a total accident. Well an accident in the sense of I was holding the camera and taking pictures the way that you do when you can barely see because it's so bright out. Well, anyways, I loved it once I saw it.

We also checked out a few hiking areas, although mom really couldn't go onto any of the trails, we still took the time to look for birds.

Saw a few interesting warblers, but mainly it was just a very beautiful day to be outside!