Monday, November 29, 2010

If They Gave Awards for Sand....




If They Gave Awards for Sand…Well, They Do by Elizabeth Marker is an article of Siesta Key in Sarasota FL. This article hits the main points on how not many people know about siesta key, as it isn’t advertised as much. But for those who know about the beach and have been to siesta they see how it is a “hidden treasure, especially in the summer.” Many come year after year and spend there time at the beach or in the small village walking around the boutiques and restaurants/bars. Many people who do come like the fact that” there are no crowds, no hustle bustle.” It also talks about the sand at Siesta Key, as how the sand never seems to be hot and the substances in the sand that make that possible. As this article describes everything that can be enjoyed at Siesta and a little about its history.
I completely agree with this article as I lived six years of my life near this beach and I go to it quite often so I see the beauty of it and how many people consider it a treasure. I also believe this article does hit many good points about Siesta Key as it is kind of crowded during the winter but if you compare it with other well known beaches it isn’t that many people and you can still enjoy all the restaurant and bar/tiki amenities that the village has to offer. I also think it does a good job explaining how the sand is so white and how it never seems to get hot. I think this article summarizes all the key points of Siesta Key, and how it has become a treasure to those who have seen it either as locals or tourist. 

Brainshark Presentation on Thalassomania

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Oil and its effects on the ocean wildlife

“Effects of Oil on Wildlife” by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority talks about how birds are not the only ones affected by oil spills. They are the ones that are seen the most in pictures on the news but marine mammals are affected and even small oil spills have a grate effect on them. As known not all oils are the same and due to that fact the oil spills impacts the marine mammals in different ways. The oil affects the animals as it creates a thick coat around them and as time goes by the stickier the oil gets which makes it harder to get it off. But as not oils are the same, oil that’s not sticky can also affect the wild life. They might not be sticky and the oil does not stay on the water as long as the other kind this oil affects the animals as it is much more poisonous. Other factors that impact the effect of the oil on the animals is the time they get to the oil, the weather conditions, and the location the oil reaches.
This article gives very important information as it covers not only how the oil affects the mammals and wildlife but as well it lets you know that there are different types of oil. It lets you know how each type of oil affects the animals and how the animals respond to the oil. I believe the article is very informing and gives an insight on the impacts the oil has on the wildlife. Effects of Oil on Wildlife

Monday, November 15, 2010

Friends and The Sunny Days


All you can hear is the waves crashing and the sun is going down as we arrive to the beach house. We had been in the car for five hours and we sat there just looking at the sun touching the water and the clouds spreading from the sun out. We were so excited to finally arrive at the beach house and realize we were there for a whole week. My parents jumped out of the car ready to make sure all the rooms where cleaned and ready for us to settle in. My brother, Dan, gets out of the car and goes straight to his room as mosquitoes were attacking him and he hadn’t put on any repellent, his friend, Fernando, follows him as he had never been to our beach house before. I got out of the car and grab my teddy and start walking towards my room while I explained to my friend Michelle where everything is as she as well had never been to our beach house. My parents at the time made sure everything was ready and then told us to come out so we could eat dinner. We all ate and then played some cards and listen to some salsa music and then went to sleep.
The next day Michelle and I woke up and sat on my bed , my bed covers were light blue and had pink starfishes ,  and were talking about how excited we were to be there and that her mom had let her come with me. Then we got ready and went out to have breakfast with the rest of the family. It was bright out side and it was still a bit breezy as it was early. After having breakfast we went to the beach and walked around and put our feet in the water to test what the water temperature was. To our advantage it was warm and we jumped and started swimming around and playing games with Dan and Fernando. The hours passed and the sun beams felt stronger , my mom came to us and asked us t start getting ready as lunch was about to be served. We all go out and got dried and ran into the house as we were ready to eat. We all ate all of the food that was served to us and were so full we decided to just hang out for a little before we went out to the beach again to do any other activities.
                I wake up and I look out the window of my room and I see Dan, Fernando, Michelle and my parents laughing and having a good time. I was furious as I realized that I had fallen asleep after lunch and everyone else had stayed up and were having fun and laughing with out me there. I jump out of bed and look at my clock to realize it was already there pm and I had missed hours of fun. I ran out the door and went to join the other and when I got there my brother was telling my parents how him, Fernando and Michelle had gone on the canoe and they were moving so much that they almost flipped the canoe. As I heard this I was even more furious as I had missed this adventure. As my brother and friends saw me they got quiet and they knew I was mad so they told me what had happened and told me that they didn’t want to wake me up as I looked tired.
                 They could tell that I was still mad that I had missed that adventure so they tried to make the rest of the day fun. The nest day I was sure not to fall asleep and everyone else was being kind of quiet and then my brother had the idea of going back out on the canoe so I could go with them and share an adventure with them. I was so happy, we got my dad to help us put the canoe in the water and he held it so that Dan, Fernando, Michelle and I could get on. We started paddling and we got to the middle of the ocean and we were all tired of paddling so we just sat there and talked and as we were telling a story my brother jumped up and the canoe was rocking really hard and we were laughing so hard that we ended up tipping the canoe over and got all wet and had to turn the canoe back over and get all of us back on and we paddled back to the house and laughed about that adventure for the rest of the trip. I was so happy that I was there for that adventure!