Computer Problems, Mangrove Snappers, Bluefish, and Parakeets

Just as I was getting ready to update the blog, our computer crashed 3*!^ARGH#! After four hours of looking up fixes on my smartphone and trying all the suggestions, still no computer. Now we have been on the road for nine years and the other computers crashed after three years each so we were due for a new one.

After a quick trip to the computer store we now have a new computer loaded with all the necessary software and security programs. I did have to spend additional time locating my saved programs and file and moving them but finally I am ready to write.

After the last successful fishing trip, Jen called us and invited us for another day of fishing by their condo. The greenies were plentiful and my new cast net worked great in quickly filling up the bait bucket.

Going back to the spot where Jen had caught the groupers I cast out and had one on. The fish was again undersized so it was safely released. More time and then Eric caught a mangrove snapper. They are a small fish but are excellent table flavor and so we kept it.

Soon Eric had another and then another and Jen followed suit. Not to be outdone I fished hard and caught eight undersize gag groupers. I even tried to get as close to Eric as I could get but he easily blocked my casts and I eased off. After all they are newlyweds.

Eric cast out again and had a fish take off on a run that threatened to spool his reel. Racing along the seawall he turned the fish and I was barley to grab the line and lift the bluefish over the seawall. Now blue fish are one of my least favorite fish to eat but several people told me that I was cooking them wrong.

Following other’s suggestions, we grilled the blue fish and it was ok. However, we also sautéed the mangrove snapper fillets with lemon and capers and most fish would come off second best when you also serve fresh snapper.

The next day Renita and I were returning to the computer store and as we stopped at a red light. Looking out the window, Renita said, “Look at the parrots”.  Sure enough bright green birds were feeding next to the busy highway and she tried to take an image of them as they flew away.

Racing home we got out the bird book and it was a new bird, a rose ringed parakeet! Furthermore Renita had taken an image of a nearby tree and there near the top was a monk parakeet, another new bird for our life list!

Two days later we went to Sam’s Club and in the parking lot Renita spotted a flock of black capped parakeets, also called a Nanday parakeet. Three new birds in two days! Its really funny as we have been coming here for four years, and while we have seen parrots and parakeets we haven’t been able to identify them. Now we had three great views of three new birds! Clear skies