Are you taking the time to enjoy all of the amazing wildlife that surrounds us every day? We all have different opportunities to see the beautiful wildlife where we live and because we come from many different regions, there are things that can be seen that others can only read or dream about. The wildlife where I live on Sanibel and Captiva Islands is endless and I am fortunate that most of it is protected so we can truly enjoy capturing the moments that we are able to view.
I am also very blessed to have an osprey platform in my yard so that each year I can see the ospreys come back and make their home, one stick at a time to lay their eggs and have their little families. Then my family and I get to watch them grow enough to fly off on their own. It amazes me how they watch the other birds fly and even see their parents fly by many times before getting up the nerve to go and leave the nest.
Dolphins surround us, manatees pop their heads up now and then and alligators can be seen on the golf courses and sometimes, even heading across a path or street. Eagles, egrets, pelicans, spoonbills and many other species of birds are constantly flying around our heads and swimming in front of us. You may even spot a coyote or a bobcat now and then. I even saw a bear cross the road in front of me once a few years back on a commute to the airport!
We are so fortunate to have the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge in our backyard to enjoy seeing many of these things as well as CROW the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife to save these beautiful creatures. We have called Crow many times when we have seen a bird on the beach caught in a fishing line or even an animal clearly displaced.
I encourage you to take time wherever you are or wherever you live to cherish the wildlife that surrounds you and to take photos of the things that you see and cherish your experiences. Share them with people that might not get the chance to see these amazing creatures up close. I am starting a wildlife album on my Facebook page soon as well as a nature album so that I can start sharing these beautiful things with people that may not be lucky enough to see them everyday.
My affirmation for you this week is:
I am thankful for all the opportunities that I have to see and hear the wildlife that surrounds me and I will cherish the moments that they cross my path.
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