The Maple Hill Hop 119

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

On Saturday,
we took a trip back to Apollo Beach to visit the manatees.
They return to this area each year when the weather turns colder.
The waters around the power plant are warmer,
so it is here that they choose to spend some of their time.
Sister is visiting and some close friends joined us.
It was a memorable field trip.

Our visit in 2013

Here's the Center as it looked on our last trip.
That was a beautiful, sunny day.

This year's trek was a bit different.
The weather was cold and wet.
We were ill-prepared for the weather,
but we made the best of it.





We weren't disappointed.
There must have been at least 100 manatees 
enjoying the warm waters.


source

This is similar to what we saw this time around.
Folks must have heard they were in the area because there were quite a few human visitors.



source


The center has an education building where guests can learn more about these fascinating creatures. 
It was a great place to tuck in during the rain.
There is even a webcam that can give you a bird's eye view!
On sunnier days, it's a fabulous hangout to study nature
in their extensive butterfly gardens.
Even when the weather doesn't cooperate, 
it's a great place to explore.

What have you been up to outside?
Let's HOP!

  

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