When I got to the office, I headed down to the river to see if the Manatees were still around. I didn't see them. I walked back to the office and made a plan for the day with our volunteer. I took care of the paperwork, we loaded up the empty gas cans in the truck, and headed over to Adams Tract. There, we picked up garbage and delivered a full gas can. All was well there and we headed into town next. We filled up the gas cans and picked up a much needed cup of coffee for me. Then we went back to Troy. On our way in, I stopped at the dumpster to offload the garbage. I spotted a lovely little flower. I think it is a Phlox.
Back a the shop, we unloaded the gas cans and I went to check on some visitors that had arrived while we were gone. The visitors were enjoying the park and I answered some questions for them. They also told me that they had seen the Manatee. Minutes later, a family showed up that had come in yesterday while the Manatee were here and were disappointed that they didn't have their camera. They were back today, camera in hand, with several extra people. I'm glad that the Manatee were still around for them. Next, the volunteer and I headed out to the barn with tin snips and saw horses in tow to cut some metal that was in storage. Our volunteer is building a roof to cover the chlorinator on the well at Adams Tract. The roof will keep rainwater from seeping into the chlorine barrel and protect the chlorinator. We returned to the office with cut roof sections and it was time to break for lunch. I saw a couple wandering the park and I went over to greet them. They were asking about the river so I started to walk down the hill with them. I told them that the Manatees had been around and we all hoped that they still were. We were delighted to find the same mother and calf from yesterday in the crystal clear water of the spring run. I was able to snap a few photos before they headed back out to the river.
While I was chatting with the couple about the river, two boys came in and they really wanted to catch some fish. They had already been fishing across the river and didn't catch anything. I recommended a good spot to them, but I didn't catch them before they left to see how they did. There weren't many people in the park today, but almost everyone was friendly and talkative. It was nice to be able to spend so much time with visitors.
After lunch, I kept myself busy with a little paperwork, straightening up the cabin, walking the park to make sure that everything was in order. When I checked the restrooms, I could tell that it was a cold day. One window was full of Anoles who were trying to stay close to the warmth of the restrooms. They are not heated, but they keep the wind out and stay warmer than the outside.
I checked in a couple of fishermen at the river later in the afternoon. They had caught one Mullet. I could hear the boys who were fishing, it sounded like they had some bites, but no fish. I didn't see any sign of the Manatee, but I heard something splashing on the opposite river back. It was just far enough away that I couldn't see what it was at first. There was an awful lot of splashing going on and it looked like something that was diving under the water and then surfacing again. I first thought that it might be an Otter before I realized that there was more than one splashy thing. I zoomed in as far as my camera would allow to get some photos of these birds. I don't know if they were Grebes or Diving Ducks of some sort. A good amount of time looking through my bird book didn't leave me with much. I wish I had had binoculars with me at the time. Maybe I will see them again tomorrow.
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