Yep, that's what we're doing here ... a whole lot of testing. We're 36 hours away from cruising down the Miami River, headed to the Bahamas aboard the Coral Reef II. To find out why, check out this previous post for a little background.

I've been testing new equipment that will help us be more active with the blog while we're far away from the comforts of regular wireless communications. Technology is not exactly my area of expertise, and this is the first time I've blogged, so I've been tempted to chuck this equipment into the river more than once ... BUT there are sometimes Manatees swimming in there, so I don't.

Chris, Jeremy and Sherrie (the aquarist staff on the trip) were testing our life support systems by filling tanks and running the pumps. This is an all day task. Waiting for tanks to fill is like waiting for a watched pot to boil, so there was lots of scrubbing and cleaning while we waited.

The final result of a days work...It may not be the Bellagio, but it's pretty impressive to see all the tanks filling with water for the first time, and I've figured out how to share it with you all.

Stay tuned, we haven't even left Florida yet and there will be MUCH more to come ...

-Bronwyn