From Nuts to Shrimp - Culebra Style

I'm not the most sociable person in the world, but on occasion, I can be induced to go out beyond sunset, especially if the company is potentially, temptingly better than the menu, and the menu was delectable. Last night was that combination, including a great view and a pool to finally quench the heat of the day. And hot it was; still and hot, with few people out in the mid day of what was that melting your brain while stealing your go-juice sort of heat. But with the sun down, in almost too warm but really perfect temperature water, with stars blazing overhead, laughter and chat floating back and forth? That's good.

I did read a good joke though, that crossed my mind last night. Ok, it's not really a joke, just a bit out of a novel, but I thought it was funny, it reminded me of my father's sense of humor. "I just drink to be sociable," he said. "Oh. When does it start working?"

In real life, St. Thomas looked much closer, close enough to swim over for a visit. Then the lights appeared, and as has been said many times of that night view (the first time I heard it I was on Jost Van Dyke), "Doesn't St. Thomas look pretty...from here?"

The thing about driving around with a very observant and well informed about the animal world person is that magic can be happening right in front of your eyes and you, alone, might just drive right over it, whereas the person aforementioned won't. Thankfully.

On the way home, we stopped because of what looked to me like it could have been a discarded flip flop, but to knowledgeable eyes was a turtle, not unlike a cross between a box turtle and a snapping turtle with a name I've unfortunately already forgotten, but it is an endangered species, so if you see one, be thoughtful! Its top shell looked hieroglyphic, its smooth bottom shell (is that called  a shell?) determined it was a female. I was getting a lesson and forgot to take a photo, sorry! 

After the turtle was safely moved off the road into the bush, we looked up to see glowing red dots of light, which turned out to be SHRIMP washing across the road. Really. That was so crazy that I did get the camera, because it was one of those moments that if you tell about it the listener might say...Had a fair bit of liquid fun earlier, MJ? One of those 'the more you protest it's true, the more you sound like a) an idiot b) a drunken idiot. So here is proof, even though it is one time I wish my camera didn't have a red-eye feature on it; they were glowing like within lit rubies from the headlight reflection in a pretty dramatic way. For true!

I've heard of shrimp around Puerto Rico, especially in the southwest of the big island, and I've been told they are sometimes here, but I'd been skeptical, relegating it to the  'you should have been here 30 years ago!' department. Now it is in the 'I love it when Culebra magic happens' department, a very full bin indeed.

Have a turtle magic Tuesday. Do something tip toe-ingly.