Lola

Life in Florida brings one adventure after another, and sometimes we don’t even need to leave the comfort of our own home to experience encounters with wildlife that is more expected in a river or lake.

This beautiful young alligator paid us a visit. It was very small, certainly less than 4 feet long, and still had the stripey baby gator tail that I love so much. It arrived late one afternoon and was gone by the next evening. It allowed us to get within about 10 feet, but would then slip into the depths of our pool to avoid us.

In the days following this encounter, an alligator attacked a small dog and was pulled away by the dog’s owner (you can see it here). Lola, as we named “our” gator, was a bit smaller than the one pictured in the video, but we have a dog much smaller than the dog in the video. So, as much as we loved sharing the pool deck with an alligator, we’re glad Lola found a better home. We were considering catching her in a box and taking her to Lake Eustis, where we’ve seen other small gators, but all in all I’m glad we did not have to do that, especially after watching what a fierce fight the gator in the video put up!

Scipio Creek, Apalachicola

Apalachicola is many things: a great little town, a magnificent estuary, and a treasure trove of small adventures. If you visit, make time to hike the small boardwalk nature trail across from the Extension Center offices.

This trail is short, I’d guess about half a mile one way, but has something for everyone. The beginning section is an oystershell trail, but the major portion is a beautiful boardwalk. Those who walk through the swamp on this boardwalk are rewarded with a scenic overlook where a bench beckons you to relax and enjoy the view and birdsong.

Whoooo lives here?

Your senses will be delighted by this trail. My favorite memory will be the discovery of this gorgeous northern rough greensnake — you can hear how excited we were, and I’m sure it was just as memorable an experience for the snake. While our excitement is understandable, we should have not touched the snake. It’s just irresponsible behavior, especially for naturalists, and we have both agreed to not repeat the experience. We are quite sure the snake agrees!

Chiggers are the Antichrist

ALERT: I really do not like chiggers, and the language contained herein reflects my dislike. If you are offended by swearing, you may not want to read this post. Feel free to contact me for a cleaned up version.

When Steve and I took off down a trail through the Ocala National Forest a couple months ago, we were looking forward to seeing new sights and having new experiences on the trail. And we did, because the ONF never disappoints! BUT . . .

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Packing for the Panhandle Part II

I am packing for a two week tent camping trip in the Florida Panhandle. I’m meeting my friend Sharol and we are anticipating two weeks of kayaking, hiking, and hanging out in nature, soaking up all the good stuff you get from earthing and forestbathing.

This will be the longest tent camping trip I’ve taken in many years. While I want to have as many comforts as possible, I don’t want to undo the simplicity of living in a tent. So with that in mind, here are my suggested guidelines for packing for a tent camping trip (car camping, as opposed to backpack camping). As with my first article of camping suggestions, this is not a list of items, but a list of things to think about as you prepare for your own trip.

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Cape St. Blas and St. Joseph State Park

The panhandle is so full of beauty, and you can miss it so easily! St. Joseph State Park on Cape San Blas was not on our radar until we took a back road back to our campground and passed a sign for it. When we looked it up, we realized it was the spit of land we could see from our campsite, and decided to stop in for a few minutes to check it out before we left the area.

On the last full day of our trip, we made the turn to Cape San Blas and followed a narrow road past heavy development of a mix of beach homes and vacation houses. There are some nature trails in the area. But the farther back you go, the sparser the development, until you are in an area of sand and pine scrub. As we entered the State Park, we asked the ranger what we ask all park rangers: “What’s your favorite part of this park?” She answered, with no apparent joy, “The way it was before the hurricane.” We assume she meant Hurricane Michael and not Sally, but we did not ask because she was not at all friendly. Not expecting much of the place after this, we parked the car and climbed the boardwalk over the dune to the beach.

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