In addition to a ringside seat at the Cirque du Cray, one of the advantages of living in Florida is that you can hike year-round. But as we slide toward summer, the dreaded season that transforms our sub-tropical wonderland into a sun-blasted hellscape, it pays to get started early.
We hit the trail early enough today to hike six-plus miles and be back home in the A/C with our feet up before the sun got a chance to simmer our brains in our skulls. Here’s a swamp we saw along the way:
We also saw several birds, including cardinals, grackles, egrets and woodpeckers. We didn’t see any mammals, though we did see suspected deer tracks and signs of feral swine. My favorite thing was this lovely creek:
It was clear and shallow and cool. I wanted to shuck off my shoes and socks and wade barefoot in that creek and follow it to the nearby river that empties into Tampa Bay. Maybe next time. But here is the aforementioned river, which isn’t all that impressive at this point:
Omnes Omnibus
Getting an oil change. My life is quite glamorous.
Aleta
I love these hikes and the enchanted photos.
schrodinger's cat
@Omnes Omnibus: My life is equally glamorous. On the agenda,
Grocery shopping, running errands and cooking.
Last week it was my birthday and we went for hike. Its still a bit chilly here, but couldn’t resist the bright blue skies after being cooped up the entire winter.
schrodinger's cat
Betty Cracker@top
Do you ever encounter snakes? What about bugs? I have never hiked in India, husband kitteh has and he says its enchanting especially in the monsoon. Your photos and the tropical vegetation remind me of the west coast of India (Konkan and Goa, specifically).
Renie
I was also wondering about bugs or mosquitos?
shell
@Renie: Up here in the North, all we have to worry about is Lyme Disease.
Phylllis
Watching the cooking shows on PBS; fixing to take a nap & probably read some more of Dead Wake. Later? Watch the Braves lose, like the glory days of yore.
debbie
Way up here in Ohio, I saw a heron flying south. First one I’ve seen in at least five years, but where is it he could have been spending his winter?
Germy Shoemangler
What movie did you decide to watch last night?
I was amazed at the amount of great choices I saw; some movies I had completely forgotten about,
Citizen_X
In East Texas, we have to deal with the same heat when hiking our swamps. I did see a coral snake on my last hike, though, that was cool! (They’re very non-aggressive; not much of a risk unless you try to pick one up, like a moron.)
Randy P
I just saw a trailer for “Jurassic World”. Lots of giant reptiles leaping out of things and eating other reptiles or people.
I imagine Florida must look a lot like that.
About a year ago we were visiting my Florida sister, and their family took us to a nearby nature preserve which is full of birds and alligators (harmless 3-footers we were assured). I was walking my sister’s chihuahua for much of the time we were there, and I can’t tell you how many people stopped to tell me to keep the little guy away from the water because the gators would make a quick snack of him.
This is not my idea of pleasant nature walks. Sorry.
satby
No hikes, gray rainy cool weather here. ARGH! it’s already 12:30 and I am having the hardest time getting going! A pot of coffee hasn’t really helped. Started a pot of bean soup and cut some soap loaves into bars… and that’s about it. Barely a tiny nick in my list of to-dos. And now I’m tired. Maybe I’m coming down with something…
satby
@Germy Shoemangler: So many good suggestions! You all really are my tribe.
Randy P
@satby: I saw the thread too late to contribute anything useful. I agree, lots of good suggestions. I was a little depressed at the description of movies that came out in my lifetime, that are in fact recent memories, which were being described as “old movies”.
To me, an old movie has to be pre-1960, i.e. before I hit consciousness. Movies from the 60s, when I was aware of them through ads but didn’t see many of them, are borderline. But I still wouldn’t call them “old”.
Felonius Monk
Ah geez, you mean the damned rethugs have invaded the swamp? Is nothing sacred anymore. Have they no decency?
NotMax
No signs of feral pearls beforehand?
Germy Shoemanger
@Randy P: I agree. I’m am somewhat depressed by movies and songs that seem (to me) like they appeared yesterday being thought of as old. But then again, I feel like I was born yesterday and I’m perceived as old.
To me an OLD film is silent era, thirties, forties, fifties, into early sixties.
I remember George Carlin doing a bit about a morbid uncle who watched old movies and declared who was dead: “He’s fifty in that movie? And it was made fifty years ago? Yup, he’s dead.”
I find myself doing the same thing. I’ll see a young child in an old film and think (or say to the spouse) “that kid, if he’s still alive, is about seventy right now. ”
I’m shocked sometimes if we’re watching ME-TV, an oldster will appear in a station promo. Like the kid from “The Rifleman” or “Chekov” from Star Trek.
A few nights ago we were watching “The Middle” (a show I find depressing, but Missus Shoe finds it amusing) and Jerry Van Dyke and Dick Van Dyke were on. I remember watching “My Mother The Car” as a five year old, and seeing “May Poppins” in it’s original theatrical release, and now here they were in my living room all these years later.
Germy Shoemanger
I’ve been moderated! Was it because I mentioned Mary Poppins??
p.a.
Yardwork? Done! (Well 60%). Next, follow Brown v Dart. & Cornell v P’ton online while sipping a beverage laying on the screenroom lounger. Hoping for C>P and B>D to bring Ivy tourney to LaProv next week. If negative outcomes, may stay on lounger and slam more beverages. Otherwise more yardwork then dinner out with friends. Thai or Venezuelan. Shortribs overnight in slow cooker.
? Martin
@Randy P:
I think Florida has more guns than that trailer suggested.
Hunter
Those photos look like what some of the forest preserves in Cook County (IL) will look like in two or three months. Or four.
Minus the duckweed/algae.
WaterGirl
@? Martin: Hey, Martin, haven’t seen you here much lately. Where have you been?
aimai
Waiting for word from old friends in Nepal. Waiting for everyone to get out of my hair so I can distract myself by cleaning a closet.
Roger Moore
I just got back from a longish (>9 mile) walk that swung by the farmer’s market on the way home. Naturally, I had some money and a bag, so I came home with some fruits and vegetables. I did see some wild mammals on my walk, most notably a coyote, who was walking down the street like he owned the place.
? Martin
@WaterGirl: Just been really busy plus taking a bit of a vacation from the politics stuff before the shit really hits the fan. Lots and lots of work right now, plus I’m dealing with some financial stuff that I’ve been putting off for ages. Nothing bad, just been neglecting things a little bit and with the first kid about to hit college need to do some heavy-duty housekeeping.
I’ll be back around more once things die down.
Baud
@Felonius Monk:
I’m gonna go with “no.”
Joel Hanes
Here in Silicon Valley, we got several blessed tenths of an inch of rain overnight.
Not enough to affect reservoirs or the drought,
but enough to provide a couple weeks of greened-up landscaping
for those of us who have eliminated yard watering.
Maybe the bushes in the backyard will survive the summer after all.
WaterGirl
It’s cold and rainy here today, so being outside isn’t really an option. I’m catching up on everything. I had left a few browser windows open so I could read some BJ recommended articles when I had more time.
The Myth of Police Reform by TA-NEHISI COATES was excellent. I had thought it was going to be a LONG read, but it wasn’t.
There was another interesting article, also at The Atlantic. Mixed Signals: Why People Misunderstand Each Other
If you missed them the first time around, it’s not too late!
I’m about to finally watch The President Interviews the Creator of “The Wire” About the War on Drugs.
WaterGirl
@? Martin: Thanks for the update. Will look forward to seeing you more once your catch-up is done.
Baud
@WaterGirl:
Is it more than 140 characters?
Lymie
Visiting ft Myers for a college hockey showcase.
Depressing how it is build build build with nothing left for wildlife.
Helped a leatherback turtle across the road. They have bulldozed her nesting grounds. She will be road kill soon.
Definitely too hot just in April for this New Englander. Home to 40 degrees again tomorrow!!
PurpleGirl
Slow moving today and I’m tired. I should get out at least for groceries but I was planning to go to a yarn shop that is closing. It’s a family owned business and has been there for 45 years; two years ago it went to being open only two days a week and now it’s closing completely. Its closing makes me sad.
Betty Cracker
@schrodinger’s cat: We slather ourselves in bug repellent. Otherwise it would suck. I always look sharp for snakes and gators too.
@Germy Shoemangler: We ended up watching K-PAX because the mister wished it. I bookmarked that thread for ongoing use! Lots of helpful suggestions!
@aimai: Thought of you when I heard. Hope your peeps are okay.
Mnemosyne (tablet)
I’m sorry I missed yesterday’s movie thread — that’s what I get for actually doing work while I’m at work. I’ll have to wander back and check it out.
We saw a rattlesnake during our Malibu hike a couple of weekends ago, but rattlesnakes really just want to do their thing without stupid humans bothering them — the rattle is a nothing to see here, keep it moving signal.
tybee
@Lymie:
seriously? a leatherback? http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Leatherback_sea_turtle_Tinglar,_USVI_%285839996547%29.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_sea_turtle&h=171&w=294&tbnid=o2rwSUqiqxSzlM:&zoom=1&tbnh=116&tbnw=200&usg=__m7NiZ9V0xIoE0Xd1tryDpmOoGXk=&docid=cXL84jtZ8eRGLM&itg=1
or a soft shell turtle? https://www.google.com/search?q=softshell+turtle&tbm=isch&imgil=9PnhAp6c6G1iCM%253A%253BbOzs5f_d98OJFM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.theradzoo.com%25252Fmeet-the-animals%25252Fturtles-tortoises%25252Fspiny-softshell-turtle%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=9PnhAp6c6G1iCM%253A%252CbOzs5f_d98OJFM%252C_&usg=__ovtkti1y__IAZyJZhFcoM8UjI5A%3D&biw=1602&bih=898&ved=0CCgQyjc&ei=ydE7VZjEBISfggTmkoPYAg#imgrc=9PnhAp6c6G1iCM%253A%3BbOzs5f_d98OJFM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.theradzoo.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F04%252Fspiny-softshell-turtle.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.theradzoo.com%252Fmeet-the-animals%252Fturtles-tortoises%252Fspiny-softshell-turtle%252F%3B1778%3B1185
WaterGirl
@Baud: Why, yes, yes it is. Surely you can make an exception just this once?
I knew it was Coates so I knew the article would be good, but I had no idea that it would be THAT good.
aimai
@Betty Cracker: Betty, you know what? That made me cry. That you thought about me that is. I just this second saw a facebook post from someone I don’t know marking my Nepali sister as “safe” after the earthquake. I don’t know enough about FB, which I only joined in order for her to message me occasionally, to know whether that is an earthquake convention or a fb convention or what. But I figure anyone who survived the earthquake will be fine, however horrible the aftermath. I myself survived an earthquake in Kathmandu many years ago and I remember that I didn’t realize that it would be international news so I didn’t go to the Embassy to try to notify my parents that I was ok. In fact it was my Nepali Sister, Radha, who came over to find me on a motorcycle. I remember her getting off it and saying “did you call your mother?????” My poor mother had gone 24 hours without word from me, thinking I was dead. Sorry to be rambling.
Baud
@WaterGirl:
On the road, but I’ll try to remember to read it later.
PurpleGirl
@aimai: I hope your friends are physically okay and haven’t lost too much (like a house) in the quake. I hope you hear from them directly soon. Rambling is fine, this is the place to do that ’cause we understand the reaction.
WaterGirl
@aimai: Okay, not you made me cry:
Edit: of course, you did make me smile earlier when you talked about cleaning out the closet. We all do that in my family, my sisters, their children. None of us knew anyone else did that until just a couple of years ago. So now we have a saying; “When the going gets tough, the tough start organizing.”
WereBear
In the course of helping my brother set up his online persona, I got jiggy with it and started a new blog:
this half is mine
In support of a future book. Because they take so loooooooong to complete.
And watching the remastered original Star Trek.
Gvg
for some reason mosquitoes rarely bite me so I enjoy hiking in Florida. I noticed as a teenager that they would fly past me to bite my family. sister thinks it may be my blood type but I don’t actually know what type I am. raising a kid has reminded me because I have to remember to spray him in summer when I don’t think there are any bugs around. it annoys her. she will ask me how come I didn’t spray him and I’ll honestly say what bugs? I have to work on newer habits. It’s not really fair to him.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
I’ve set up the Team Bella Q page for the May 9 NAMI walk.
You may join the team without a donation, and you can do so with your nym from here! Full disclosure: NAMI will require an email address, and will send you emails, but you can unsubscribe from their list pretty easily.
PurpleGirl
@WereBear: Bookmarked the new blog. It looks really interesting.
WereBear
@PurpleGirl: Thanks so much!
satby
@aimai: Sinai, I wasn’t aware you had Nepalese family, and I am holding you and them in my thoughts.
I remember waiting for two days after Katrina to hear if dear friends had survived. They had, but that was a hellish experience no one should go through. Hope your wait is ended soon and happily.
debbie
@WaterGirl:
I know he considers himself a knucklehead, but I think TNC is one of the strongest writers in the country today.
satby
@satby: and sorry aimai, that Kindle screwed up your name and I didn’t catch the edit window. I hate autocorrect.
WereBear
@satby: My bro and I are texting, being on opposite coasts, and the things autocorrect has us saying to each other are bizarre and hilarious.
However, if we didn’t know each other so well, it might cause a lot of trouble!
aimai
@satby: Heh. It always autocorrects me to sinai. I recognized it at once.
debbie
@efgoldman:
Goodreads lists two books for 2015 (probably different titles for the same book), “Tremble for My Country” and “Between the World and Me: Notes on the First 150 Years in America.”
(ETA: Two different publishers, so maybe two different books.)
WaterGirl
@aimai: @satby: And here I had decided that “Sinai” is some sort of greeting in that area of the world. Oh well.
Betty Cracker
@aimai: That story about your poor mom worrying for a day is what stuck in my mind, so I remembered you had Nepali connections. I hope they are all safe. And I hope our daughters would realize right away that they should call us if they ever run into trouble in a distant land!
the Conster
Been thinking about the Nepal earthquake all day. Last weekend for some reason I had a reverie – a deep sense of something – after recently reading how fouled Everest has become with trash, feces, canisters and dead bodies. Like, it’s a dump up there, and how Chomolungma the Goddess Mother of Mountains, the greatest peak ther is has in typical western fashion been shit all over and defiled. In my reverie I felt that this just can’t go on. We can’t just keep being so disrespectful to the earth without severe repercussions, and in fact we can’t.
The Ancient Randonneur
@the Conster:
Personally I blame Obama. But, I am willing to concede that it could have been the Jane Hamsher’s of the Left.
Dave
Shocking as it may seem to Floridians, us Michiganders can (and do) hike year-round. Tromping the ice-bound shores of Lake Michigan in January is an experience I would recommend to any hiker. And I think it’s easier to dress appropriately and be comfortable in a “winter wonderland” than it is in “a sun-blasted hellscape”.
Keep on hiking!
mclaren
Would that be an “advantage” like dodging the coral snakes and alligators? Holy crap, those pics look like the place where the Creature From the Black Lagoon did its hunting. I’m just waiting for the giant piranhas and 50-foot-long boa constrictors to show up…
If I lived where you live, I wouldn’t set foot outside the goddamn house.
Mnemosyne (tablet)
@mclaren:
Cuban tree frogs have attacked Betty inside her own home, so never leaving the house is not a solution:
http://www.rumproast.com/index.php/site/comments/an_open_letter_to_cuban_tree_frogs/
rstanny
@mclaren:
That would be Wakulla Springs, up near Tallahassee. Also a lovely spot.
henqiguai
Yeah, up hear we call that a ‘creek’. But it’s early and I’m a bit of a cynic, so…
grascarp
If fear of snakes, rednecks and really big bugs keeps you from visiting Florida don’t give it a second thought.
I walked the 600-plus mile Florida Trail and saw one snake and it was asleep as I stepped over it.
Florida, like anywhere else, is only what you make it. If you prefer not owning a coat and being able to go outside barefoot comfortably almost every day of the year you might check us out.
NCSteve
For those of us who were born and raised in woody highlands, the idea of going for a hike in a swamp is just surreal. For every sea level dweller who thinks “broken ankles, degenerate inbreeds and dueling banjos” when they think of hiking in the Appalachian woods, there’s a mountaineer who thinks “the Fire Swamps, pestilence, and, well, degenerate inbreeds and dueling banjos.”
Bill Arnold
@NCSteve:
Once as a kid, somewhere in western/northern Massachusetts or close, I actually took a hike (with a leader), in a swamp, up to our necks in places, for maybe 1/2 a mile, in the flowing part of the swamp. That would be insane in Florida, but in the northeast, swamps (and bogs and fens) are reasonably safe excepting possibly snapping turtles (which don’t get huge in the northeast, maybe 20 inches), at least if you can swim and are south of moose country. I don’t recall any leeches.
Clearly, kids would not be allowed to experience this today.