Today was one that was so much fun. We visited the Florida Oceanographic Center in Stuart. This is a center dedicated to conservation and education, with lots of interesting exhibits and programs.
It may sound strange, but I think my favorite part was touching the stingrays. Before you start shouting, “ but, crickey, Steve Irwin,” these rays have had their barbs clipped, so it’s safe to pet them. Some were very social, like the one in the picture, while others stayed low in the tank and stared at us.
We also attended a program about the Indian River estuary and the game fish it contains, and the issues it faces. We walked the nature trail through the dense mangroves to the Indian River lagoon. The cool front moving through meant that I got lots of very atmospheric pictures.
We ate lunch at the Seaside Cafe across the road from the oceanographic center, literally next to the beach. Lunch was delicious—blackened mahi sandwiches with a delicious mango-habanero chutney, but I was too busy admiring the view to take a picture of my sandwich.
After a busy day and a filling lunch, I was glad that we’d planned an easy dinner. Nothing beats a stir fry when it comes to ease of cooking. I made one that comes from the first Asian cookbook I ever owned, a slim Better Homes and Gardens Oriental cookbook that I think I got about the same time as my first wok, in the 1970s. Its main ingredients are beef and fresh tomatoes, but other veggies, too, and I tend to add whatever I have on hand. It turned out really well tonight.
Happy eating!
So Many Dishes 
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