On Saturday we car pooled with four of our friends and headed back toward Everglades City where Lou and I were the day before. Our main destination this time was the Big Cypress Fest. It was advertised as a special event with several different organizations presenting information about southwest Florida and the Big Cypress National Park.
One thing that I was not aware of until we lived in Florida for a while was the apparent interest in the Indian Wars. I wasn’t aware that there were any in Florida. There were three wars between the US Army and the “Seminoles”. They were fought between 1814 and 1858. It is reported that they were more costly, per capita, than any other US war. Long supply lines, difficult terrain, etc were the cause of high costs. The Indians usually just moved further into the Everglades. We have a National Historic Site in Okeechobee commemorating the war in that grounds.
As an aside, you can left click on any photo and see it enlarged. Be certain to use the back arrow to return. Some images contain more detail than is visible in the thumbnail image.
Mangroves are a very important part of the ecology of Florida and 118 other countries were they grow. The three varieties are red, black and white. The red and white have prop roots that hold the plants up in the brackish to salty water. They also help stabilize the soil. They are coastal in tropic and sub-tropic climates, usually between 25 N and 25 S latitudes. Marine life depends on them for shelter and food.
No blog would be complete without a photo of the cast of characters. (I use the term characters loosely). Of course, Lou took the picture.
We observes many of Florida’s most notable wildlife. This one is about 10 foot long.
Anhinga are a common fish eating bird. They dive under and swim to catch their prey. Better images in a future blog. The light colored throat is the sign of the female of the species, Anhinga anhinga. (It is the only member of this genus so its scientific name sounds like you are repeating yourself.)
Can you guess what the structure that Lou and I are standing in front of? A hint, it serves part of two counties and the Indian population that is nearby. It was originally a shed to store drilling rig parts. It is on the Tamiami Trail somewhere between Naples and Miami.
If you guessed a US Post Office, you were correct. It is the smallest post office in the United States. It was not open when we were there. I took a chance a mailed a post card to myself using the mail box. It was stamped Ft. Myers. I had hoped for Ochopee, FL 34141. Such is life.
This is the lady who was our boss at the Bar Harbor KOA in Maine in 2011 and may become our boss at Trinity, California KOA for the summer of 2013. Negotiations arre underway at this time.
After a very nice day of travelling with friends we returned to camp for what Workampers do best. They eat, drink, talk and enjoy each other’s company around a campfire.
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