This Little Piggy Stayed Home

We are staying pretty close to home. We are taking the Coronavirus threat seriously, especially due to our ages and infirmities. Funny how a microscopic spec can change the way one views herself. I have come to think that I might be old, instead of steadfastly denying it! But regardless of what the years say, I stay active and can't find enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on my list!

The dogs help me. They make me go out at least twice a day, and due to the nature of their breeds, they need long walks to keep them from going mental.

Luckily, at 10 and 10+ years of age, they are slowing down a bit so I can keep up with them. Were they younger, I'd never be able to walk them enough!

Our new community has several trails, lots of roads and open spaces, and a large, underutilized dog park.

 There are also many acres of cleared land for future development. We really aren't supposed to walk there, but I'll venture out there on Saturday or Sunday.

We come across all manner of interesting things:

• Dogs: Naturally, there are other dogs all around us. Tucker is very friendly, but aggressively enthusiastic in his greetings, which is a bit off-putting for some dogs. Gypsy is very watchful of her younger brother, and wades in with her teeth barred and a bark that is definitely worse than the bite, if she feels things are getting out of control with all of the sniffing and wagging going on. So I assume a straddle-armed stance trying to let Tucker visit, and hold Gypsy back, and not let the dogs and leashes become entangled. It's awkward. It's physically taxing. I avoid it. Most often if I see another dog we change our course.
• Food: Gypsy manages to find, and scarf up, every scrap of food that has been dropped by anyone along the sidewalk, in the middle of the road, and as we pass construction sites (we are living in a new and growing community. The homes pop up like mushrooms after a rainstorm, even with Covid-19.)  Gypsy especially loves construction sites! The workers drop all manner of yummy things on the ground. Especially bones; ribs and chicken wings and legs. Oh my! We get into quite a struggle as I work to pry Gypsy's mouth open and dislodge and remove the bone. Then, while I'm involved in that battle, Tucker usually has the time to find one for himself, and I enter into another battle. Before the virus shut things down, our community had "Food Truck Friday". Over a dozen food trucks would park around our central square and folks from near and far would arrive to indulge in a great variety of food choices. Naturally, some of this food found its way to the ground. Gypsy took it upon herself to be the official DFCU: "dropped food cleaner upper" in the community. She loved taking late walks on Friday, or cleaning up on Saturday morning, and can't wait for this event to begin again.
• Scents: I wish I could wire the dogs' brains so that I could see what it is that they smell. I especially love to watch them when they catch a scent in the air. Neither dog is much on tracking scent, but on occasion I have been encouraged to keep up with them as they swiftly follow a trail. 

• People: Tucker is the unofficial people greeter in our community. He talks to everybody. Some folks even talk back to him. He loves that most of all!
• Critters: Tonight it was a rat. As we turned the corner on the trail, he was gathering up some sort of something in the middle of the trail. He scampered away. We see bunnies. The dogs used to chase bunnies in our yard in Colorado. The marsh bunnies here are better at freezing, and we can often walk right by them. There was the morning of the alligator: 

Can I go for a walk with you?

 And the evening of the gator; I wasn't far from the house, walking through a newly cleared area destined to become wetlands, mitigation for wetlands that were filled elsewhere for development 

Newly created wetlands. They were dry when I saw the gator.

purposes. We were about to turn into a large open area when an alligator charged across in front of us, heading for the lake. He was at least 8' in length, maybe even 10. He was moving fast. The dogs wanted him. I turned and dragged the dogs back. We won't travel in that area again! 

We have also had a few run-ins with pigs. Yes, we have wild pigs in the area! Of all the critters we have encountered in our years of walking, I think the pigs evoke the greatest reaction from the dogs. They go nuts! I didn't have time to take pictures on the three encounters we have had. Once it was a piglet running in the scrub next to us. I'm sure the rest of the family was nearby. Another time a group dashed away from us in the brush. The third time I came around a corner to find 4 or 5 piglets and about that number of adults rooting in freshly turned earth in the wetland development area. I was thankful they were more afraid of me and turned hastily to leave. The pictures I have included are from the Babcock Ranch Eco Tour which is about 5 miles from our home. I have to say they are kinda cute, at least from a safe distance! And heck, these lands are their home. We encroached on them!

See You Down the Road

Our "Southern Adventure" caravan trip came to an end. It always seems to be a bit of a jolt when the folks you have been traveling with scatter to the winds. But, after  a few years of doing this, we know that we often bump into folks we have met along the road. It is never "good-bye" it is simply "see you later!"

Here is a poem I shared with the group:

Pretty soon forty days will have gone by,

"It's hard to believe," she says with a sigh.  

In just a few days we will all be alone.

We'll have to make reservations 

and plan routes on our own. 

No one to thump tires. No one who cares

When we leave and when we get there. 

Ah, but Bill and Carol will get to stay in bed,

They don't have to leave early to get there ahead,

They don't have to count and map every camp site

And determine who will fit and for whom it's too tight. 

Charleston was the last stop for Gayle and Wes.

They are on their way back to Lubbock, Texas.

Sandy already left us and she's on her own,

Taking care of the things in her yard that have grown. 

We've been all through Florida and we've seen a lot

Of alligators, azaleas, large homes and big yachts.

John and Joyce were almost always first on the bus

And they often got out of camp before all of us. 

If you wanted to walk you could go with Marie or Fran,

You could also take a hike with Mike and Jan. 

Karen and Speed went out on boats to fish,

And treated us at the potluck with a yummy fish dish.

And as you know, the exit of most every stop

Involved going through some sort of gift shop.

You could count on Ceil to be shopping there;

She bought candy and cigars and at least 

one stuffed bear. 

At happy hours Sylvia had the most interesting drinks,

And Mike always had a wisecrack, quick as a wink. 

I have to admire Dell for sticking with his plan;

He's kept losing weight, 

does that make him less of a man?!

And Judy is there, to help him decide

What he can eat and what's best put aside. 

Our weather was near perfect. We had lots of sun,

For the most part the rain came after our fun. 

We saw planes and forts and artillery

And lovely homes and gardens and a distillery.

Our travels went well with only a few bumps in the road,

Ron and Mary lost a wheel and a new camper was sold!

Drew had low oil as he forgot to replace the cap,

And John and Joyce experienced a flat. 

Jim and Cherril lost their AC, and a mirror as well,

If it were me, I'd tell that mower he could go to....well,

This poem is getting far too long,

It's really time to get moving on.

I won't say, "Good bye", because one thing I know,

I'll see you again on a trip, at a rally or show.

Travel in health and may God be on your side

As you travel down the road, 

I hope you have a smooth ride. 

I made note cards for everyone on the trip, copying my attempts at art onto paper I brought along for the purpose. After creating the cards last year, cutting and pasting bits of paper, I investigated options for printing directly onto cards. I purchased a sample kit from Red River Paper, then ordered their 60 lb paper canvas notecard paper. I was very pleased with the finished look.



Each notecard depicted something we saw on the trip: alligators, this pencil sketch from The Everglades, an orchid in colored pencil from RF Orchids in Homestead, a sunrise in pastels from The Forgotten Coast (but in Florida could be a sunrise or sunset on either side of the state), a sunset during a cruise in Key West in water color, a heron at Magnolia Plantation in SC in water color, and my favorite, Doc and Duke, Percherons in Ocala, FL who took us on a carriage ride, created in gouache and white charcoal.  I had a lot of fun making the drawings/paintings and our new friends from the trip were very appreciative. 

Later Gator

We have seen more than a few alligators on our trip. The first alligators I saw were some babies in a tank at Pecan Park RV Reaort in Jacksonville. Although they are well fed, I felt sorry for babies being confined to a tank, and I felt sad for mama gator, having her babies taken. A mama gator probably can't/doesn't  experience emotions as the reptilian brain is more primitive than that of mammals and lacks a limbic system, where emotions are formed. But, I want to attribute emotions to mama gator as she will fiercely protect her young, even carrying them gently in her mouth.

Denis Philips put this shot on Facebook taken near Palm Harbor. FL. Aren't they cute? I wouldn't get very close!

Our group had its first sighting in the wild while on a glass bottom boat tour at Silver Springs State Park. We saw two gators. Our guide thought the larger gator was about 8' in length. The smaller gator, about 3 feet long, may have been a two to three year-old offspring of the first gator. The young gators have brighter yellow stripes on their tail (as seen in the one above) that begin to darken and aren't as evident when the gator is about four. It isn't unusual for young gators to stay near mom. Generally, we were told, a gator will grow about a foot a year. 

Young gator at Silver Springs

 As we ventured further south, we encountered more gators. We saw a few in The Everglades, and even spotted gator crossing signs. (I had to borrow this image from the Internet as I was never ready for the sign as we drove along the road.)

I saw dozens of gators on the boat ride through the Okeefenokee swamp. The weather had warmed up a bit and the gators were coming out of hibernation to bask in the sun. There were also many swimming in the water.  I was fascinated by watching them sink as our boat neared. They didn't leave a ripple, but simply submerged, like a submarine. Then, with a flick of their powerful tail, they vanished. 

Another interesting thing I learned is that birds will nest in areas where gators are found. They know, instinctively, that their nests are vulnerable to raccoons and snakes. Prey that gators will feed upon. A symbiotic relationship has been established. The birds nest above the gators. The gators benefit when the occasional offspring falls from the nest. 

This is a picture (again, borrowed from the Internet as I missed the shot as we drove by) of egrets nesting in the trees above the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. 

The Everglades

We traveled from the gulf coast of Florida to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Everglades. We stopped at the Miccosukee Indian village for a tour. Our tour guide was well-versed in the history of this tribe, which is part of the Seminole nation. She showed us through a typical "home" consisting of several "tikis", each used for different purposes.

The tikis have thatched roofs of palmetto fronds, and are open on the sides. One tiki is use for cooking. Another is where food is eaten. A sleeping tiki has "beds" suspended on ropes, with mosquito netting in a hammock-like conveyance above the bed. 

There were several Indians demonstrating crafts in other tikis. One fellow was carving spoons. Traditionally a Miccosukee young man would present a hand-carved wooden spoon to the parents of the woman he wanted to wed to show he could provide for their daughter. 

There were also jewelry and beading artisans. I loved the way the word "Miccosukee" rolled off our guide's tongue. I asked if she would say some more in the Miccosukean dialect. She could not. It turns out she was actually from Puerto Rico! 

Following our tour, and a visit to the on-site museum, we were treated to an alligator wrestling demonstration. 

Historically, Miccosukee Indians wrestled alligators to capture them and bring them back to their homes. Alligator meat was a staple in their diet, but in the heat of the Everglades, the meat would not stay fresh for long. Therefore, having pens of alligators they had wrestled and captured provided them with a a ready store of fresh meat. We were all given the opportunity to try alligator wrestling following the demonstration. 

I had everything under control! Well.... on a fiberglass model. 

We took an airboat ride. It was fun to skim across the water, over reeds and grasses. We saw a few alligators, fish and birds. We went to a tiki island where members of the tribe still meet today. Then, earplugs went back in and we were whisked back to the landing, to return to our RVs and head on our way. 

Gators

Yesterday's hurricane post brought back lots of memories of life in the low country of South Carolina.  I was reminded of a misadventure with an alligator. Yes! We had alligators in the coastal area of SC. Having lived in New York most of my life, it was truly exciting to see the gators sunning themselves on the banks of lagoons (so... when does a pond get renamed a lagoon? Does it have to do with latitude or attitude?)! Living with gators is a novel experience for this transplanted yankee. (You do know the difference between a yankee and a 'damn yankee', do you not? A yankee is a person who comes to the south to visit, and then returns home. A damn yankee is a person who comes to the south to visit.... and stays!)

Not my picture!

Jeannie was also from NY. She and I began our teaching careers together and formed a quick bond, having much in common. Jeannie's parents came for a visit and of course, whenever yankees came down to visit the sultry south, it was customary to take them out to see an alligator. Jeannie knew of the perfect spot to catch sight of one of these prehistoric-looking beasts. They walked to the bank of a small outlet for a lagoon pond and sure enough, there was the beast they were stalking, probably within 10 feet of where they were standing. He was a magnificent speciman. Easily 5' in length, from the tip of his knobby nose to the last little spike on his powerful tail. As they watched, the alligator flung his tail to the left. He ground his tail to the right. He opened his large mouth, filled with razor-sharp teeth, and he closed his mouth. Jeannie's parents were duly impressed. The alligator swung his tail to the left. He swished his tail to the right. He opened his large mouth, as wide as could be, and he closed his mouth. Jeannie's parents were in awe. Imagine living in a place where alligators sunned themselves beside the water just as red-earred turtles sun themselves on logs. The alligator pitched his tail to the left. He rolled his tail to the right. He opened his large mouth, you could actually see down his throat, and he closed his mouth. Jeannie's father began to smell a rat. This just couldn't be. Alligators are things you see in zoos, or in movies, not living in the wild. Not like this. Not just....there, in front of you! The alligator wagged his tail to the left. He scraped his tail to the right. He opened his large mouth, you could almost hear a hissing sound, and he closed his mouth. Jeannie's father continued to puzzle over this enigma. Then.... he noticed the smallest wire coming out of the corner of the alligator's mouth. The alligator cranked his tail to the left. He shoved his tail to the right. He opened his large mouth, so very wide, and he closed his mouth. Jeannie's father exclaimed, "Ah hah! This isn't a real alligator, this is a Disney creation." As he took a step forward he continued, "See, there's a wire coming from his mouth." Her dad grabbed the wire. Jeannie stared in horror. The alligator lunged. Her dad ran. This, dear readers, was not a Disney creation. This was, in fact, a real, live, honest-to-goodness, stinking mad alligator who had swallowed a fish...hook, line and sinker! And Jeannie's dad had just tugged on a line that was attached to that fish, hook and all, some place waaayyyy down in the Alligator's craw. Alligators, despite their bulky, ungainly appearance, can run very fast for short distances on land. Jeanie's father could run faster! He escaped the mighty jaws of the beast, but will be forever memorialized in the tale that both Jeanie and I love to tell. I hope you enjoyed my story as well!