Crossing Jewfish Creek marks the official transition from Mainland Florida to the Florida Keys. It lies at the end of the infamous 18-Mile Stretch, the part of US 1 where perfectly nice people lose their minds and drive as if they are the only person on the planet who wants to get to the Keys […]
Big Lagoon State Park is the westernmost state Park in Florida. On the day we visited, we were dodging rain and would have liked to stay longer…so we will plan a return trip soon. Even during our brief visit, we managed to paddle across the channel to Perdido Key, commune with hermit crabs and snails, […]
With both the wind and tide against us, we decided to paddle around No Name Key for our Friday adventure. This was not our finest hour: we forgot the sunscreen. Although we completed our course in under 4 hours, we were burnt to a crisp and exhausted at the end of it. We launched from […]
Our visit to Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park would have never happened without a chat with the helpful park ranger at Big Lagoon State Park. She mentioned that we could see wild orchids and pitcher plants just a couple of miles away, and we jumped at the chance! This park is pretty simple. No camping […]
The second in the Living With Wildlife lecture series presented by Volusia County Extension and UF IFAS was on Wild Hogs. This series is terrific! If you can possibly attend, you will find it a worthwhile 90 minutes of your life. Admission is $5, there are light refreshments, and the presenters are knowledgeable and entertaining. […]
As members of a civil society, we get a great perk: PARKS! Our municipal, state and federal governments provide beautiful parks for us to visit. If you’re planning a trip to a park, you will find tons of information online, in books, and travel guides. But if you really want to squeeze every last iota […]
Photo Credit: FWC Pitcher Plant at Tar Kiln State Park Lately, it seems that we have been having so many adventures I can’t get them written up quickly enough! Let’s see…I owe you reports of our trip to Blackwater Creek, Big Lagoon, and Tarkiln Bayou State Parks; there are some Sconnie and Max stories coming […]
This small native bird, Ammodramus savannarum floridanus, lives on grasshoppers and seeds and inhabits open prairies. Because the nest on the ground, the prairie must be dry. They are found in Polk, Osceola, highlands, and Okeechobee counties. Grasshopper sparrows breed throughout the year and there may be two or even three nesting attempts each breeding […]
With National Safe Boating week and the release of the 2018 Boating Accident Statistical Report, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages boaters to focus on simple, effective steps that make boating safer. Though Florida’s boating season never really ends, Memorial Day weekend marks the traditional start nationwide and is a great opportunity to focus […]
In 2019, Steve and I had a glorious plan for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner Picnic. We were going to start the day with a hike at Crystal River Preserve and follow that with our picnic at Crystal River Archeological State Park. But then there was that pesky triple bypass and our Thanksgiving plans changed to […]
Florida’s coastline is protected in many places by barrier islands. These islands are generally long and narrow and are separated from the mainland by a narrow lowland area. This lowland can take the form of a lagoon, a marsh, an estuary, or a combination of these. Occasionally, a peninsula may be long and narrow enough […]
The weather has really been doing a number on outdoor adventures this year. In February, a long-planned adventure had to be called off due to heat, in March it was so cold tender plants had to be protected, and an April panhandle trip saw weather much cooler than we like and much rainier than we […]
American Beautyberry is, as the name implies, a plant that is gorgeous when the berries are ripe. But this plant is more than just a pretty face! I’ve made a large batch of insect repellent with leaves I harvested when we trimmed some plants at East Lake County Chamber of Commerce, and I’m happy to […]
I’ve been really fortunate to have captured several bee swarms lately. Swarming is normal bee behavior, and if the bees can be collected they can be moved into a hive box and used to expand a beekeeper’s bee yard. Here’s a two-minute video of my latest capture, a super-easy job because the bees had thoughtfully […]
