While Gary and I were looking for a pickup, we saw a huge manatee sculpture on Highway 19 in Homosassa. I just had to show you a photo. The sculpture must have been 20 feet long and 10 feet high. Large public sculptures always amaze me.
You might recall previous posts about the pink elephant, or the road runner, or the horse sculptures in old town Ocala. If you really want to see a huge sculpture, check out my blogging buddy Cindy's very cool bicycle bloom sculpture in Anchorage, Alaska, now that's huge!
This time of year the manatees come into King's Bay in Crystal River to stay warm because there are springs which keep the water at 72 F. Manatees are gentle vegetarian creatures, related to elephants, and are rare with only three species in the world. There's a Florida, West Indian and Amazonian manatee.
The Florida manatee faces the greatest threat of extinction compared to other manatees, mainly due to boat propeller injuries. Please slow down, studies have shown even those sympathetic to the manatee, don't slow down in designated manatee habitat. I try to have my camera with me all of the time, always on the lookout for huge sculptures.
In other news, very early this morning, after a trip to the restroom, I was returning to bed and I tripped on the corner of the bedspread with my left foot. Just before falling down I thrust my right hand out instinctively and landed against the window glass. Just before my hand hit the glass with my full body weight behind it, I thought, oh no, I hope my hand doesn't go through the glass.
It was one of those moments where I wish I hadn't put out my hand but the alternative would have been hitting my head on the marble window sill. At the last moment I must have thought to brace myself from the full impact of hitting the glass and tensed up my torso and buttock muscles. This thankfully may have prevented my hand from going through the glass.
I forgot all about the incident till later today when the muscle deep in my right buttock started to hurt unbearably. It seems as if I have strained my right gluteal muscle severely and can barely walk or move without severe pain. In other words I have a pain in the you know what, a pain in the butt, which IS a pain in the butt. And now I know where the expression pain in the butt comes from. This type of injury is almost as bad as hurting your back, but not quite.
I now appreciate how much a person uses the muscles in their butt; this type of injury is very incapacitating. I hope I'm better tomorrow. Unfortunately, I read it could take from 48 hours to several weeks to recover, dependent upon how severe the muscle tear is. I hope the latter isn't the case for me. I did type most of this post and the next and make two pieces in clay before my butt muscle started hurting. I'll show you the pieces I made tomorrow.
Years ago while water skiing in Florida, the boats would often hit a bump. I always asked what that was and was told it was a log. We just weren't aware that we were carving gashes in one of the gentlest animals on earth.
ReplyDeleteDang, did not know you really could pull a butt muscle. That does not sound like fun and I hope you are well soon. Still,that might be better than dozens of stitches had you gone through the glass.
Take care and be well.
there we go again just thinking of our selves and not what lives around us.
ReplyDeleteAs for your pain! Ouch! You were really between a rock and a hard place.
Best not to have put your hand through glass.
I hope your....heals quick!
Last time I did that I couldn't think for two weeks!
ReplyDeleteUse ice, not heat.
ReplyDeletemanatees are the neatest creatures... love watching them.
ReplyDeletesorry to hear of your fall - i hope you have a speedy recovery!
Oh Linda!! Yes, it could have been much worse but still -egads! Ditto to what Brian said. Hope your hiney is better soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Patti, thanks, yeah I really feel for the poor manatees, I saw one up close and they are so inquisitive and so gentle, I hate to think of them suffering. My bum is somewhat better today, thankfully.
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith, thanks, I guess most accidents happen at home, I'll have to adult proof my home. Ha.
Hi Dennis, thanks, you are really a hoot, hope to meet you in person some day.
Hi Brian, thanks, I did use an ice pack last night and it helped.
Hi Michele, thanks, the manatees are wonderful and apparently they are really intelligent too, like dolphins and whales.
Hi Cindy, thanks, I'm doing a bit better today, but won't be running in any marathons for a while.
I love manatees! I dont know how i came across this definition in the urban dictionary a while ago, but its pretty funny:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=manatee
Hi Ben, thanks, there's so much to garner in learning about manatees and other creatures, even humans, the gentle beauty and wonderment. And ever so much to know and love in all that's pleasingly round to the eye, manifested as fat.
ReplyDeleteOMG! Linda, what a horrible fall. Could have been so much worse...stitches in head and hand, instead of a pulled muscle. Heal quickly. You know just the other night, I got up around 2a.m...hubby had kicked off the covers and I tripped on the bedspread just like you did. I managed to fall halfway on to the bed, clutching the blankets, then to my knees on the floor. It didn't help my bad shoulder at all, but at least I didn't fall on my face. Oy, those at home accidents...yikes!
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing the manatees when we were in Florida. Such gentle creatures.
Hi Barbara, thanks so much, I am doing much better to day, I can't believe it could hurt so much last night and to day it isn't that bad, perhaps the ice helped. My Gary was saying about the accidents at home, we are actually trying to look around and make sure stuff isn't lying around and trying to be more careful. but sometimes things just happen, I am truly thankful I didn't go through the glass, that would have been disaster with my right hand.
ReplyDelete