Category: writing

Black Skimmers

Black Skimmers

Xamara L Maisonet

Marine Life Nuggets

Black Skimmers!

by Xamara L Maisonet

January 2017

I sat comfortably in my beach chair with sunglasses on,  ready for my “nothing to do day”. We were close to the shore line where the soft waves sooth the ambience noise.

Two peculiar bird flew by close to the water and shore line.  They caught my attention, but I was there for beach business so I continue to relax.  Few minutes later they were there again, two of them, one in front of the other. The birds were flying so low, almost touching the water. The duo passed by over and over again, they lifted their flight a little and continued flying until they disappear from my sight.  I never seen that kind of bird before. Their strange orange and black beak woke up my relax mode to alert mode. I notice that when they got close to the water, they skim the water with their lower beak. During the day I try numerous time to capture them in flight with my camera. I wanted to see the bird in details. To be honest, most of  my afternoon went by trying over and over to get pictures.

Scanning my pictures for details, I couldn’t find the birds eyes. I looked, I zoom, and there were no eyes! I thought to myself:

“Maybe they don’t have eyes? No! Impossible!”

At that moment, I wanted to take more pictures to  find the eyes of my flying friends. A little prayer asking them to stop flying won’t be a bad idea..  I wanted to meet the black and white feather creature in person,  a close encounter.

For my surprise my prayer request got answered. I was sitting on my beach chair again, looking diligently everywhere. Then,  I hear my husband calling,

“Xamara, hurry come here now! Hurry!”

I ran toward him and there it was, my friend stopped by to model for me.

                                                                                                                                         Can you see the eyes?

Fun Facts

about black skimmers
  • There are only three species of skimmers: black, Indian, and African skimmer
  • The black skimmer is the largest of the three species
  • They can be found in the coastal areas of  North, Central and South America
  • The lower mandible is longer than the upper one
  • Is the only bird in America that have the unusual feeding habit of skimming the water to capture small fish, and small crustaceans
  • Their young ones have the same length on both mandibles
  • black skimmer are not in the endangered list, but it is on the United State of America  watch list 2014
How TravelmyStories was born?

How TravelmyStories was born?

Xamara L Maisonet
 
 

Before I ever dream about travelmyStories, long time ago everything started with a divorce, no cable in my new place, Rick Steve, and a notebook where I started to write how I felt to let all my frustrations out.

I learned that from every bad experience something good come out of it. My circumstances back then,sure didn’t look any good. After my divorce my budget was limited. I didn’t have cable TV on my little apartment. The weekends that my kids were with their dad, I watched public TV. There was Rick Steve for me all weekend…literally. I didn’t have anything else to see, PBS was the only thing I had, and for some reason during the weekends the Rick Steve programs were on all they long. At the begin it was a whatever moment for me, but later I started dreaming and traveling with Rick Steve every weekend. 
At the same time I learned to love writing, when writing was my only way to express my troubles of that time. Without noticing my writings looked like poems or romantic thoughts. They had some kind of rhythm. I share them with some people. I continue writing songs, stories for church dramas and more. One day a friend of mine ask me why I didn’t write a blog. The rest is history. I took a while to be what it is now, but that is how everything started,that is the origin of my blog.
Now, how I combine that with the travel side of Travelmystories?
Traveling stayed in my mind like a dream. I thought it was going to be impossible for me to travel, as a single mom and two kids. I didn’t see it happening. Still I tried to explore a little close to home (Florida). Vacation has always be a big deal to me even if we “travel” around the corner. Then I met my husband, a pilot that loved traveling but didn’t do it much because didn’t want to do it alone. 
Together we filled each others empty spaces and we travel. 
 
TravelmyStories still a dream, because I can’t yet travel as much as I want, still a dream because I still not inspiring to travel all the people I want. Still a dream because I can’t quit my job yet. But that is the reason I became a travel agent, and that is how travelmystories is my little travel agency as well. That is the origin of travelmystories.net. 

Until then,
xamlinnette 🙂
 
Danube River Specialist

Danube River Specialist

Xamara L Maisonet

During this past months I had experienced an overload of information running through my brain while learning all about the industry of travel. I want to be well inform of what I can offer to my clients. Also this new view and information is giving me the tools that I need for my new future adventure, and story. One of the suppliers that I decided to know better is Viking River Cruises, and I have to say I am fascinated! Now I am a Viking River specialist with 6 certifications from them.

Danube River

Europe second longest river, and run across 10 countries. Viking River Cruises offers different itinerary options of how to enjoy this magnificent river, it’s countries and views. Viking Cruises gives you a wonderful view of history, culture and scenery like no other.

A good way to start knowing Viking Cruises is going and experience it. That is why I can not let my overload of information stay only in my brain, I have to share it and I have to live it,and then later on I will write about it too. Saying that I choose to explore culture and history with the Romantic Danube itinerary. I can’t wait for 2016 and live Eight days, 6 guided tours, and 3 countries with Viking River Cruises. Still I am working on some little details on exactly when I am going, but something is for sure, it is going to happen.

https://youtu.be/_-BSXhPm2ao
If you are interested on having an experience like this or want to know other itineraries thar Viking Cruises offers, let me know, we can dream together and make our own travel stories. Help me put in practice my overload of information.

Xamara L Maisonet

http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/myagent/travelmystories/

407 451-5006

xamlinntte@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Unwinding after a great success!

Unwinding after a great success!

Xamara L Maisonet

In my journey of life, trying to be a blogger and wishing that someday I could be a real travel writer, I have some other responsibilities than include writing and much more. I write scripts for my church, I create stories that could be a real story of our human daily life. I create stories with a message, a good message, a message of hope, of opportunities, of grace. I love what I do, I love writing these stories… but I love even more transforming these stories in animated stories. What I mean with that, is that I need to find a group of people to give life to my words. I have a team of people who believe in me and are willing to live my words on a stage. We have to practice for months to make these stories real and believable.

 

Since February 2014 we were working and rehearsing for the Easter presentation that already pass this past two weeks ago (4-18 and 4-20). But I was working and writing since October 2013. Now in April… 4/18 while I was sitting in front of the stage on Good Friday, and I saw how everything was running smoothly, when I saw that all the work pay off, my mind and body together all at once started to unwind little by little until the whole production was over on Sunday.

 

Now two weeks has passed, I feel relax and happy, with new strength to continue with the next goal for this year. Road trip 2014!!! I will be talking about it soon!!! Yeiii I am excited, This will be happening in June 2014.

Until then…

xamlinnette 🙂