Florida Day 19

March 17

Biked and hiked 6.5 miles

Road trip! We decided we haven't done this much. We usually stop at places on our WAY to the next campground.

Up to a beautiful morning and a short drive to the National Crane National Wildlife Reserve. It's beautiful complex charged with preserving the particular Sandhill Crane that is found nowhere else but here. After the movie, we learned that there are only 100 alive now, mostly from the human raising of the “second egg” from the nests.

Alas, the birds are nesting and mating, so none to be seen in the savannah, that has been restored for these cranes. So it became a “flora” trip on the trail. Beautiful:

David is enamoured of the moss hanging from the Swamp Cypress trees: 

And yes, that's me balancing a Long-leaf Pine cone on my head!

Talked with an Arkansas couple who are professors at the University there. I mentioned my teaching and she said she commiserated with me and all my English teaching friends. Her best story for a paper she deducted marks from for grammar (she's a Biochemistry Professor) which contributed to lack of understanding was the student thumping her desk and saying “But, you are SUPPOSED to know what I meant!”. Love it.

We may not have seen Sandhill Cranes, but we saw a sign for “Glenn's Crane and Rigging”.

We drove to the Mississippi Gulf Islands National Seashore. Not like in Florida at Fort Pickens where the beaches were beautiful and accessible. This is a little more swampy, guess it's because it's on the Davis Bayou and not the Gulf proper.

We took part of the Live Oaks Bike Trail along the beach. Interesting, the piers are private (owned by the big houses across from the beach) but the beaches are public. You can really sense how Katrina (and likely regular hurricanes) affected this area. You see places that sustained the storm and barren spots where you use your imagination to see what WAS there.

We did see another alligator (three states' worth of alligators) but the picture didn't work out (VERY hidden). But here are some turtles we also saw.

Back home to the peace and quiet of this lovely campground.

Here's the view of my chair (and husband and campsite):