Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Everglades & Biscayne Nat'l Parks


   

This year we camped at Long Pine Key during our stay in the Everglades having learned to stay away from  “the mosquitoes” in Flamingo.


The first photo was taken at 5:30 AM (Thanks George!) and is of the setting bluemoon (second full moon in a calendar month) supermoon (exceptionally near the Earth) and just the beginning of a partial lunar eclipse. Then there are some wildlife photos from various trails in the Everglades followed by some of our ranger-led canoe trip.


Super blue moon eclipse-January 2018


Alligator smiling for the camera
Snowy Egret










xx

Purple gallinule









Diane looking for alligators...
















Canoeing trails in the Everglades

Diane with her sun protection



Our ranger guide














Cypress trees in the sea of grass that is the Everglades


Biscayne National Park is mainly an underwater park, and you could make arrangements to go snorkeling, but when I asked if I was going to be wet and cold the answer was, "Probably, as it is the winter." So we took a boat ride out to Boca Chita Key to see some beautiful scenery and learn some history of the key and park. The lighthouse is really lovely but only ornamental, the rich builder not realizing that you can't just build and light up a lighthouse wherever you please! People "camp" on the key by tying up their boat to the dock. The photo with the pilings shows you Miami in the background and if you look carefully each piling had a bird on top of it.


Boca Chita Key in Biscayne Bay

Pilings with birds on top and Miami in the background









Moonrise over Long Pine Key










Sunday, February 25, 2018

St. George Island

Gulf side and bay side

St. George's Island is a 28-mile long barrier island off of Florida's panhandle. It is mainly sand dunes with vegetation of pines, bushes and grasses. It reminds us of Cape Cod. On the island you have the state park section on the east end, vacation homes/condos and a small town in the center and a gated community on the west end. We really enjoy this state park! It is very laid back.

Path to the gulf side beach 


Sand dunes on St. George's Island















The breakers with sunlight-gulf side

From along the island trail-bay side

Wild rosemary













 



Oysters at the "Tiki Bar" (What's not to like about a tiki bar??)






Saturday AM coffee & shell presentation at the state park




















Diane holding some pretty dangerous shells with hermit crabs!!
Watch out Cape Cod (or Narragansett Bay!)





















Hermit crabs in "kidnapped" shells-bay side


The bay side of the island

Tracks of a hermit crab (looking into water)-bay side

Looking down the beach-Gulf of Mexico side

Diane enjoying herself looking for things in the water. 

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Highland Hammocks and Myakka SP


And the Winner is.....
First, I want to acknowledge the winner of the "What is it? Mystery Photo" from our Miami-Wynwood Walls posting. All had good guesses and we thank you for your responses, but the person who came the closest was Joan Collins from North Farm. The photo was taken from inside our camp screen house looking up through the top at the morning dew drops that had formed. I'll see if we can find any more Mystery Photos! 

When we go on walks through the natural areas in Florida sometimes all I can think of as a description is "It's a jungle out there!" At Highland Hammock State Park, I asked George to take some photos of "The Jungle." The photos with water were taken from a boardwalk and the others from a walking path.

"The Jungle"


 


















Me standing in the hollow of a live oak.

An ibis in "The Jungle"

Myakka State Park
Photo of Myakka from the canopy walk

Live oaks with hanging Spanish Moss





The tower from the canopy walk.
The canopy walk structure

An epiphyte (air plant) hanging from a tree and backlit

We visited the John and Mable Ringling Museum in Sarasota which had sections devoted to the circus, their ornate home named Ca' d' Zan on Sarasota Bay, an art museum and the surrounding gardens.

The Ringlings traveled in Europe looking for circus acts and buying art, took their inspiration for Ca' d' Zan from Venetian architecture. Ca' d' Zan was built between 1924-1926 and became a popular entertainment spot during the roaring 20's.

The following photos are from a huge (it has its own building) circus model that was carved over a period of 50 years mainly by one man.


 








A clown in a tiny car...

We also attended the Sarasota Circus under the Big Top! It was lots of fun! 



This is a photo of two strong Ukrainian guys!


Banyan tree in the garden

Banyan tree with entrapped statue-
it's a little creepy...


Colonnade at the art museum

Ca' d' Zan - facing the bay 
Architectural style is called Venetian Gothic







Courtyard and gardens inside the art museum

Friday, February 2, 2018

Jonathan Dickerson II

Anne Norton Sculpture Gardens-West Palm Beach FL


This garden was planned, designed and constructed over 
15 years by the sculptress Ann Norton (1905-1982) 
and botanist Sir Peters Smithers. Norton made her sculptures 
on-site where her home and workshop are still located. 
As you walk among rare palms and tropical plants, 
you will come upon one of her “quite large” sculptures. 
The private garden now open to the public was her retreat 
in the expanding city of Palm Beach, Florida.

 
 









Giant Swallowtail
Second Seminole War Reenactment
Riverbend Park-Jupiter, FL
Second Seminole War 1835-1842


When the US army arrived in 1835 prepared to move the 
Seminole people to Oklahoma for re-settling, approximately 
180 warriors very effectively attacked using guerrilla warfare.
A combination of tribes eventually joined together, including 
many escaped slaves and formed a force of approximately 
3,000 warriors against more than 30,000 US troops. 
It was an expensive and hard-fought war on both sides.
In 1842, the hostilities ended though no peace treaty was signed. 
Most Seminoles were moved to Oklahoma.

The photos from the reenactment at the Loxahatchee 
River Battlefield Park is of one of the last major battles of the war.

 










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Jupiter Island