February 11, 2004 - Livingston, TX
Got here yesterday, and it's still raining like stink. Barb's out shopping (we ran out of milk, can you believe it?) and I'm still trying to get caught up.
Remember we were on the "swamp walk", right? Well, once home as I was fussing around with putting up a drying rack for our clothes, I looked up and one look at Barb's bottom made me wonder just what she'd been doing. And then she went back down to the edge of the lake, and I could see where she got muddy. She's washing her boots out in the lake, for crying out loud! Doesn't she know that splashing will attract any 'gator that happens to be in that lake?
I talked her into going over to the outside shower where we could use fresh water, and not be disturbing any of the sleeping wildlife. And I guess one bottom shot deserves another. Hers is cuter though.
There. All rinsed out and drying. Some time ago I saw some pretty fancy drying racks some clever guys had made out of PVC pipe. Ours isn't fancy, but it's functional and it comes apart for storage pretty easily. Those picnic table decorations are inside boot soles (one pair for Barb, two for me).
Almost everywhere we go, there is the opportunity for wonderful sunsets and sunrises. And the next day I was a little under the weather, so Barb did some sightseeing on her own. She thought the stork looked grumpy, and then she spotted the 'gator under its tree. Looks like a trashed tire, doesn't it.
Ahhh, the stork wasn't grumpy, it was just a stork! And an anhinga drying off. It's neck and head look a little like a snake just sitting there.
A Great Egret at top with Ibis. Different species of birds seem to get along well. And the site of a major conference. If you can't read the sign, it tells of a conference held between the Seminole Indians and several state and local government representatives. The politicians asked the Seminoles if there was anything they could do to help them during the trying times of the Depression. The Indians appreciated the offer but, fearing removal from their home in the Everglades, gave this response: "Just leave us alone."
OK. Barb's back home, I'm outside fussing around, and she spots the neighbor cruising by so I go get the camera. She then squats down, and the 'gator heads her way.
And it shows little concern that we're standing and squatting there watching it. And that rock it has it's foot on is the same rock Barb had her feet on when she was cleaning her boots! Not that this little guy would consider her for dinner, but still....... This is not, however, typical gator behavior and it's an indication of humans feeding the guy which is a huge no-no. A gator this friendly is usually removed for safety's sake.
A few shots of the area around us and its local inhabitants.
Gotta give Barb credit. She likes birds, and cypress swamps, and 'gators.
The "kissing storks" were interesting enough, but I'm going to have to be more careful about letting that woman out alone with the camera! She does have some pretty shots of birds in their mating plumage, I'll have to confess.
OK, we're off to Everglade City, and on the way is the smallest Post Office in the US. And it's worthy of more than just a casual glance. In the shot where Barb is helping a lady figure out her camera, you can see the customer at the counter in the Post Office. It's truly a one-man show when it comes to being served. The line starts outside! The building was originally a water pump station used for agriculture. That red building is and was a general store. It is the Smallwood Store, an old Indian trading post (& museum) in Chokoloskee, FL. The Indians used to come up with their furs and other goods to trade for staples, and the local white folks did as well. We're on an island, and the only access until 1953 or so was by water.
The very nature of this climate makes it difficult to find many old native artifacts. This artist found drawings depicting these masks, and he carved and painted them as replicas. Pretty colorful stuff, too. He's preparing them for mounting on the wall. The store is as much a museum as anything today, with a lot of the stuff just as it was 100 years ago.
We could have spent the entire day drooling on the stuff from yesteryear, but soon we were off. And this double-lobed leaf caught our eye. Well, actually Barb spotted the flower, and then we saw the unusual (to us at least) leaves.
There are numerous varieties of palm trees. This one was especially striking as it looked like a gigantic fan, both from the front and side (flat). Again, the beautiful swamp lily, and egrets being chased off by passing cars. So much beauty in this state and we so appreciate God's creation.