This gator mom kept a close eye on me as she chased off a Great Blue Heron (the flapping wings about five seconds into the video). Her hatchlings were safely tucked in the hummock behind her. She does a nice impression of a log at the end.
Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, Florida 2018
Shortly before Christmas, I finally had a chance to tour Everglades National Park.* It has been on my list of places to visit ever since I read an article in an issue of National Geographic magazine as a kid. Sunny skies and mid 70s temperatures were a welcome change from the dreary, gray, and cold weather of my Central Oregon Coast home.
Spanning 1.5 million acres, the park is the third largest in the Lower 48 (after Death Valley and Yellowstone). I spent the morning exploring the sawgrass prairie at Shark Valley (in the northern section of the park). Though it was the dry season, I was not disappointed. There were alligator moms protecting their broods, dozens of wading bird species (including the stunning Purple Gallinule – gasp!), turtles, and did I mention gators?
For the afternoon I zipped an hour south into the mangrove swamps along the Florida Bay coastline. I’m glad I made the drive down, the scenery was just that much different. The havoc wreaked by Hurricane Irma in 2017 was obvious – boardwalks were twisted out of shape and the damaged visitor center was still closed.
After all day exploring a tropical wilderness I was grateful to have had only one mosquito encounter! A colorful sunset wrapped up my first full day of exploring Southern Florida. Up next, Key West!
*Pre-government shutdown.
And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
Dewy Flower, Lincoln City, Oregon 2018
My wish for all of us, that this year is better than the last! Excellent song by one of my favorite bands, The Paperboys. Give it a listen and if you ever get a chance be sure to see them in concert, they are fantastic!
“So as we raise our glass, to the midnight fireworks blast,
leave our troubles in the past,
hoping this year is better than the last…”
Fireworks, International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico 2006
May the best day of the past year be the worst day of the one to come.
~ Anonymous
Sun at the Beach, Manzanita, Oregon 2017
This is what we call the quiet season. That time of year has arrived when we look back at what we accomplished and ahead with anticipation of the new. Allow yourself to sit awhile. Imagine what the future might behold.
~ Anonymous
Oak Galls, Kolb Canyon, Zion National Park, New Harmony, Utah 2008
You cannot keep birds from flying overhead, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.
~ Martin Luther
Hummingbird on Nest, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona 2012
Spotted this recently in Key West, where chickens roam freely.
Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.
~ Chinese Proverb
White Ibis, Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key, Florida 2018
Every day above earth is a good day.
~ Ernest Hemingway
Red Ginger, Ernest Hemingway Home, Key West, Florida 2018
3rin's View... 