August (08.01.09)

by Cleo Robertson

Important things to know: August is one of those months when the sun can hunker in, rain avoids us and it gets reallllllly hot! My recommendation? Go swimming, snorkeling, shelling, fishing—anything to be on the water where you have a chance of cooling off and getting a breeze. If you get sunburned, read below about the aloe plant; it can make a potentially bad vacation turn good in seconds.

Shells you might find:The collection on the left took me one week to find. Did I find them out deep? No. Did I find them while snorkeling? No. Did I find them in Costa Rica? No. The truth of the matter is I found them walking the shoreline of Pass-a-Grille. These are all local shells that lay their spirals of eggs in estuaries such as Shell Island and all throughout Tampa Bay.

So what is in this pile of shells? Three large banded Tulips (one golden color which is rare), many letter olives that look like bullets with writing on them, a long grandmother’s curl laying across the top in the middle, venus ray clams on the left side and top right (there is even a perfect venus ray pair shown) and a collection of other local shells. The moral of this story is when you take a leisure walk on the beach, look down occasionally to see all the treasures awaiting your eyes.

Important things to know: For locals and tourists alike, there are all kinds of bugs and plants that can sting, burn or scratch in Florida. Recently I was at the Paradise Grille in Pass-a-Grille and watched as two emergency trucks arrived to attend to a young man who had a reddish spot on his leg. They told his mother to watch it and if it gets worse, go to a doctor. As they left, I heard the mother say, “Well, honey, I don’t know what to do to keep it from itching.”

I did! I immediately went over and cut a leaf off an aloe plant, cut off the spines on the sides, split it in half and applied it to the boy’s leg. Within seconds he had relief and went back to playing. Mosquito bites, jellyfish stings, rashes and mysterious red marks all seem to respond to this remarkable plant. Sunburns should be covered with the juice immediately (we call it God’s goo). The juice seals the burn to keep it from dehydrating more and in most cases, the next day the redness will be gone and there will be no peeling. Jim Baille, a local resident, has been planting this wonderful plant all over, so hopefully you can find some when you need it. For locals, I suggest putting at least one plant in your yard.

Fun things to know: Merry Pier is a great place to watch for things happening. Pelicans and egrets hang out there a lot and fish are caught off the pier, brought in on a boat or talked about most of the time. Fishing seems to have picked up this year (free fish are greatly appreciated in bad economic times) because the seawalls, piers and beaches are full of people throwing nets for bait fish and catching lots. As I walked into the Gulf one day at the end of July I saw a huge Snook sauntering by. Even Angel fish gathered under and around my legs (I think they think we are a dock) and bait fish jumped over me as fish chased them. At Merry Pier the workers there will help you choose your bait, set your hook and settle in for the big one!

Whether sitting on a seawall or walking along the waterfront at the end of Corey Avenue or behind the current City Hall, down around SloppyPelican and Woody’s or on the beach, you’ll see lots of wildlife every day.

Birds to watch for: The Cormorant is a wonderful bird to watch as it dives in the bay and Gulf catching its daily food. The bird has little oil in its feathers, allowing it to dive for long distances in search of food. You’ll see its head popping up now and then and if you’re lucky, you’ll see it catch a fish and eat it. Every now and then it gets up on a pillar and dries out before the next diving session. Also there are more Ibis around than I have seen in years. Those are the funny white birds at the water’s edge with a long pink bill, pecking little animals out of the sand.

Fish and animals: Snook are out of season now so it’s a little frustrating to see them chasing bait on the shoreline. They are hard to see but fun if you catch a glimpse of a couple of feet of silver flashing by. While hanging out at the rooftop of the Hurricane in Pass-a-Grille one night I saw a leopard ray jump several times. These rays have spots on them and can be very large in size. I have seen them again and again over behind Shell Island so if you take the Island Shuttle over from Merry Pier, keep your eyes open, particularly on the bay side.

There’s August in a nutshell. Hope you don’t let the weather keep you from walking around and enjoying all the wildlife that’s active during the summer. Mockingbirds are still chasing black birds away from their nests, and porpoise are still going up and down the beach feeding on schools of fish. Seagulls will steal your food in a second, so watch out if you’ve just settled down for a nice lunch and finally, enjoy these wonderful tropical shores everyday.

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