A Great and Gentle Beast

Hello all!  I just returned from a lovely vacation to my beau's family's home in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and I must say it was incredible.  Though lounging gets difficult for me (I'm a bit restless and fidgety as a rule, so the concept of a vacation takes a couple days for me to really commit to it and adjust) I fell in love with the beauty of the area.

Along with that, I was blessed to witness so many creatures!  I saw upwards of ten manatees at a crazy close range and got to watch them play and feed and swim for two hours!  I also saw pelicans, a turtle, and a few porpoises VERY close.  Seeing all of these animals not only reinforces my beliefs when it comes to eating humanely, but it puts my actions into a practical realm that I can see.  Being vegan is wonderful, but when you get to witness firsthand animals that are affected (for instance, sea animals affected by overfishing, global warming affecting their habitat, etc) your purpose is renewed.

I looked up manatees (who are veg-eaters too!) online, and thought I would share some information with you all from savethemanatee.org:

West Indian manatees have no natural enemies, and it is believed they can live 60 years or more...A high number of fatalities [aside from natural causes] are from human-related causes. Most human-related manatee fatalities occur from collisions with watercraft. Other causes of human-related manatee mortality include being crushed and/or drowned in canal locks and flood control structures; ingestion of fish hooks, litter, and monofilament line; and entanglement in crab trap lines. Ultimately, loss of habitat is the most serious threat facing the approximately 3,800 manatees in the United States today.
http://www.savethemanatee.org/

Tragically, of the manatees that I saw, almost all had some sort of scar on their backs, clearly caused by the propellars of boats.  It's tragic.  They do not understand that boats are not friendly creatures, and people are too careless.

Finally, in observing so many majestic creatures in Florida I couldn't help but be sobered by remembering the disastrous oil spill.   Please visit: http://www.thekindlife.com/post/the-oil-spill to see plenty of links that will direct you to sites should you wish to donate your time, energy, and/or money--and please please do!

With a fully belly from a delicious salad of spinach, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, red onions, and a yummy piece of ezekial bread with hummus on top, I sign off and wish you all wellness, happiness, and peace:).