Early Summer, Fires, and Wild Beauty

March 11, 2016

After a wetter than normal January, drier than normal February (it still seemed very wet here), we have moved into another dry month, compounded by above normal temperatures. It has been in the 80's which are typical for mid-May. The dry prairie is slowly draining off into the Kissimmee River and we are having higher winds and dusty roads.

Ankle deep only a few weeks ago

With the drier weather and high winds, the rangers are catching up with their prescribed burns. We've had two big ones in the last 2 weeks. The prairie since its existence has burned over from lightning strikes. The plant life and wildlife need the regular fires at least every two years to maintain a healthy ecosystem. The first burn was over 5,000 acres and I spent the day working by myself in the ranger station while the rangers were out doing the burn. It was interesting to listen to them report progress to each other over the park radio. I got to help by reporting wind speed and direction to them from our indoor weather station.

Smoke from a burn a few miles away

Prairie burn smoke blowing over the camp

Crested Caracara ignoring Greg

Crested Caracara watching for her mate

Now he is back!

Both burns in different areas of the park created a lot of smoke, but since the winds were high both days, and the humidity at a reasonable level, the wind blew the smoke across the park quickly, so we didn't breath in too much. The grass and palmettos create a quick hot burn, so the wind helps to move it along quickly. We were never in any danger. Less then 1% of prescribed burns get out of control.

Smoke from a smaller but closer burn

Biking along the burn zone

Palmetto and wiregrass remnants the day after

Gopher tortoise shell

Sooty fake-tan over white sunscreen

We were also able to witness the SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral all the way down here! It was fun to watch it come up over the horizon and we were able to actually see two stages drop off.

Second stage ignition

 This past week our quiet camp was happily interrupted by company! Sunday our good friend Brenda, who we met work-camping last summer at Geneva Point on Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire camped here two nights. She arrived in time to take the swamp buggy tour with us. Greg has been out a bunch of times doing trail maintenance, but it was my first opportunity to go. Ranger Chris decided since we were on board, to extend our 2 hour tour to almost 3 ½ hours, and took us to see the first burned over area, the Cowboy Hammock, and then out to the Kissimmee River at the park's western border. It was a beautiful, sunny day in the 70's. Just perfect for exploring the preserve.

Swamp Limo!

Checking out Redroot that the feral hogs love

Tasting heirloom oranges from a tree in an old cowboy camp

Ranger Chris photographing wildflowers

The Kissimmee River

Exploring the 5,100-acre burn

Gator hole - glad the buggy is tall.

Exploring a former cowboy camp

Orchids waiting for rain

Looking across a bullseye marsh

Monday Chuck and Gina, also from Geneva Point, showed up and we had a nice visit. During lunch Lynda and Lyle, who we worked with at Amazon, also arrived. So, the more the merrier! Chuck and Gina took off for their winter condo, Brenda stayed another night, and Lynda and Lyle camped next to us for three nights. Greg and I managed to be off work to socialize. I hadn't realized how much I had missed everyone. We are so used to being our couple self-contained unit. It was good to re-live old memories with friends and make new ones. We spent time with Lynda and Lyle making our plans for working together at Amazon in the fall. Until then we have family time, and a summer stint working at a camping resort in Virginia.

Sunset over the prairie

We finally went into Okeechobee for groceries and errands last week. Now that we've tried the three “closest” places we have no preferred one. We asked the rangers what was a good place to get lunch in Okeechobee and they all said there wasn't one! So we settled on a little Mexican place. Not so good, not so bad...


Next week is the Florida Primary. Since we registered to vote here, when we changed residency over a year ago, we wanted to get an absentee ballot. Of course, I manged to miss the deadline, so Tuesday we are going to make the four hour drive to Green Cove Springs to vote. We are both feeling compelled to cast our votes this year, and missed elections since we started traveling over 3 years ago. I guess we'll combine it with a grocery run. It will make a long day, but we consider voting a privilege not to be missed.


Only three more weeks to go. We have been asked if we will return next year, but haven't committed yet. Greg has been asked to come back and drive and narrate the swamp buggy tours which he would like to do. We have one more visit to schedule to see Greg's Dad in Naples before we make the trek back to Maryland to see family.


Wish I could take a photo of the night skies here! Now that the storms have stopped rolling through we have been able to appreciate the International Dark Skies designation. Greg and I took a walk a few nights ago down the park road to see the lingering fires from the burn. Instead, what took our breath away was the vista arching overhead. We never cease to feel the joy and privilege of our nomadic life when we are here, or in the desert, and can soak in the glittering beauty of our galaxy displayed overhead. The vast expanse of the prairie, so unusual for populated Florida adds to the sense that we are someplace special and wildly beautiful!

Park biologist returning in the airboat