The Daily Dave

Live, laugh, logorrhea

When You Get Caught Between the Moon and a Bunch of Manatees

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The best that you can do …

The best that you can do …

Is fall in love take some photos and videos

Not Christopher Cross

Yesterday started as one of those those do-I-really-wanna-get-out-of-bed mornings. The answer was a definitive no. But I got up anyway.

In hindsight, not a bad decision.

Things Are Looking Up

I arrived on Bayshore to find Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon stacked up in the sky.

Here are two photos and a video:

Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon appear as small dots of light in the night sky.
From top to bottom: Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon. Click to embiggen.
Waning moon in the night sky.
Not bad for digital zoom, eh?

Manatees and Dolphins

As the sun came up, some friends joined me on my run.

Here are some lesser-known facts about manatees and dolphins:

  • Because of their size and color, manatees are often mistaken for the elephants from Walt Disney World’s Flying Dumbo ride. It is not recommended that you ride a manatee but, if you do, please keep your arms and hands inside the manatee at all times.
  • It is believed that dolphins can address each other by name by using whistles, clicks, and Hello, My Name Is stickers.
  • Manatees are vegetarians—but will make an exception for an In-N-Out Double Double Animal Style.
  • Dolphins insist on using Android, so they’re responsible for the annoying green bubbles in your group texts.

Dressed Woman

I went a little further south than usual to check out Mujer Vestida, the new Botero sculpture in front of the Ritz-Carlton.

Botero sculpture of a woman holding a purse in one hand and extending her other hand.
Mujer Vestido (Dressed Woman in English) is a perfectly cromulent name for the sculpture.
Botero sculpture of a woman holding a purse in one hand and extending her other hand. This is taken from a different angle than the other Botero picture in this post.
The woman is holding a purse, which seems appropriate given that she’s standing in front of some of the most expensive real estate in the area.

I admire Botero’s unique style and love having one of his sculptures in the neighborhood. I assume the Ritz-Carlton folks will cordon it off during Gasparilla so people don’t festoon her with beads.

By this time, the sun had risen and it was time to say farewell to Mujer Vestida and head back home—but not without taking a selfie.

A handsome mustachioed man standing in front of a bay. There is a pink cloud in the background.
Bye-bye, Bayshore. I’ll be back tomorrow.