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

 

No More Waterfront Property!

February 29, 2016

Last week gave us one more drenching overnight rain, but we seem to have finally hit a drier trend in the weather. Check out the view out our side door. That's the most dry ground we've seen since we arrived.

Dry Ground!

A few weeks ago

Unfortunately, the trails are still under water and there are few hiking options for our visitors. A through hiker on the Florida Trail, which runs through the park so that hikers can tent in our campgrounds, hiked in over the weekend. He and his pit bull had to go through neck high water in Starvation Slough, west of here. The dog swam while carrying it's own pack of freeze dried dog food. Since we had no new information about the trail out of here, he opted to call a friend to drive him to “higher ground”. He was hiking from Key West to his home in Toledo, Ohio.

Hiking flooded trails offers many delights!

We've been happy with our routine. I'm in the office on Thursdays and Sundays, and Greg makes his own hours, usually pulling the invasive Sida planicaulis bushes a few mornings a week and spending a little time on the rental bike maintenance. He helped to build new shelves in the bike shed. In between we relax, walk, read, write, and just generally chill. We get some over the air TV, mostly from Orlando, which seems rather far to me, but keep up with a few programs and local news. We stream Netflix while we still have enough monthly gigabytes, and then catch up with DVD's. We're currently working through season 3 of “Vikings”. Thanks kids for the Christmas present!

Hog Rooting damage in the middle of Military Trail

Tree Frog that was hiding in the park entry cash box

Last Tuesday we made our bi-weekly grocery run, this time to FT Pierce on the Atlantic Coast. It's a little farther than Sebring in the interior (two hour round trip) where we have been going. We took a few loads of laundry with us since the volunteer's washer was moved out to be used by the campers, since theirs broke. No word on when we get another one, so we decided to find a laundromat. After three tries, (thanks Google Maps...) we found one, did laundry, then went to look for a Thai restaurant a short way up US 1 for lunch. Once again it was nowhere to be found, (again, thanks Google Maps...) and wound up at a BBQ joint called Dale's. It was crowded, the food was good, and lunch was a good deal, so we were happy after our laundry experience.

This egret was fascinated by the mirrored laundromat windows

BBQ!

Then we found a Publix supermarket nearby. Spent a ridiculous amount of time stocking up for two weeks, because being in a new store always takes longer. As we were checking out we had a torrential downpour and had to wait for a slowdown in the rain. Greg ran between the raindrops, we loaded up our tiny, silver egg, (not much room with laundry, too) and gave up on FT Pierce and seeing the ocean. We made a beeline for the park and were glad when we crossed in the gate just before dark when it gets locked for the night.


Greg's brother and his wife made a quick stop-over on their way from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast. Rob's comment as they finally got here and exited the car was, “You're even beyond the middle of nowhere!” We had a nice few hours and a picnic lunch with them, then they left to find civilization!


We've got a few photos of the wildlife including our resident opossum who we found at night trying to open our outside bin filled with cleaning products. He did manage to get the handles undone before we turned the flashlight on him. Usually he walks along the perimeter of our site at dusk and the crows shriek at him and try to run him off.

The baby alligators make a fairly regular appearance down the road, usually sitting on Mom's back or head. We've had snakes including cottonmouths or water moccasins, which are venomous, on the road sunning themselves. This week we spotted a northern harrier hawk, and most days we see red shouldered hawks. There are three does and a buck that pass through the campground as well, and the ever-present turkeys.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Baby gator hiding in the grass

Probably a Florida Water Snake

Baby climbing on mom's back

Checking on the gator babies

Constant supervision by the local hawks

Our most frequent visitors are the crows. They get into anything left outside. Greg has been leaving a little piece of plastic wrap tucked in the gaps of the picnic table. They like to come pull it out with their beaks, so that he will tuck it in again. Crow games... Their raucous calls and imitations of other local birds are always entertaining, especially the one who hoots like an owl!

The horses camped next door to us have left, and the campground is quieter this week. The weather is warming up and the wildflowers are slowly starting to bloom. Spring is coming and the hawks and crows are getting frisky! Wow! It sure doesn't take long to make baby birds! A little screaming and it's all over!

This week we are looking forward to a visit from our friend Brenda that we workcamped with last summer in New Hampshire. She is tenting, so we are praying for dry weather! So far the forecast looks good!