Sunny Sunday drives in Florida are dangerous....


It has been a challenge adjusting to life in Florida.  The six month mark has come and gone by a few days now and looking back it has been a bit of a bumpy ride.  Not only did the weather prove to be more of a challenge than anticipated but my own outlook had too presented some challenges.

Did I just say "some" challenges?  Well, that may be an understatement.  All of that has nothing to do with the title of this blog although it is the reason for the journey.  A trip to see in person the famous manatees proved an epic fail yesterday because of a storm that hit the area.  It closed down the bridge leading south to my destination.  The reason-wind.

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As you can see the center of the bridge sits pretty high. The video demonstrates how windy it was.  These birds had tried to take refuge on the backside of an island but did not completely escape the wind.  While it was a little windy when I left home, I was unaware of just how windy it was and didn't know they would shut down the bridge.  So back home did I turn tail.

The following day was a much better day and I set off admits not so balmy temps of mid 40s.  A sunny day, not much traffic, the radio on and feeling oddly peaceful (having sought some help with some of the plagues of heart, a major angst has been quieted-now if a couple of these others can go the same way) and my destination was reached.

The temporary refuge of the manatees.  Due to the water temps dipping into the 50's in the bay these creatures come into the rivers and particular spots are more of a draw such as near power plants that are near the water and cause the water temps to be warmer than elsewhere.  They are odd looking creatures but such a cool sight.

And before you start thinking "wow, she got some good shots",         truth be told-the first 3 are off of the information boards at the park. Scroll down for my pix.

 
                                  
The elusive manatee, lots of almost shots, shots of tails, just below the surface bodies or noses:

 The two above are the best shots I was able to get.  It was cold and a little windy and it was not a day they wanted to linger above water.

I did find a couple of more willing volunteers to pose for me:

Ok, I admit the gator is in a permanent pose. 

With my adventure committed to film I started back toward home.  This is when the dangers of a Sunny Sunday drive in Florida took a left turn, or rather didn't take a left turn, completely missed the turn and didn't realize the turn had been missed for about 40 miles.  Yes, that is typed correctly 4...0...40 miles!  It wasn't until I saw a sign for Tarpon Springs which is way north of home that the realization that daydreaming on a sunny Sunday drive can lead you to somewhere you don't intend on going.  Not only had I passed home by 40 miles but had missed my exit about 50-60 miles before realizing it.  Oi!

If nothing else it lent itself to a good story, perhaps one worthy of the "Life and Times of...an ordinary person?!"

Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary - Saturday Dec 12, 2015

Two hour drive from home to a little off the road place.  This place houses rescued animals and has a little plaque telling each animal's story.  Some are quite sad - rescues from physical beatings trying to make the animals obedient to shoot commercials/movies/or whatever.

Some were purchased by people who really didn't think it through, tigers in the back yard? Really?  I guess it goes back to our roots, we really were meant to have a close relationship with the animals as Genesis 1:28 talks about.

The animals, for the most part, looked healthy looking despite some scars.   There were a few that have some health problems due to owners trying to keep them small or feeding them inadequate food.  One lion was kept in a dog kennel for his first year trying to keep him small.  The scars of some of the animals were seared on their personalities and have trust issues-hmmm sounds familiar.

Mufasa

Lilly, black leopard

 

I turned around and this kitty was staring at me, a bit unnerving.

 

 

I heard growling which stopped me in my tracks.  Checking around hoping one of the "residents" had not got loose...          fortunately it was just Frankie, not a name that inspires fear but OH THAT GROWL! 

 

 

 

Onyx was fed only milk for the 1st year of life as the owner tried to keep the animal from developing aggressive tendencies.

 

 Some were a little camera shy

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Other animals would "pose", this resident looks like he's smiling - not nearly as intimidating as one would think.  And this bird worked hard to get just the right angle for his photo shoot.

  Chill-axin

November 28, 2015  Out of the fire and into the...wind

Not sure why Florida has made one of the best places to live, the weather has moved from rain every day with hot and humid temps to no rain but hot and humid and now we have wind.  Hmmm.  No
pics of the wind but some pics of a drive through a state park and of some "wildlife" at the apartment complex:

 Kept hoping to see some gators or some other critter, had to settle for the flora of the area which is still pretty cool.




Lots of bird life...

And back home the gang was catching some rays...

 

November 15, 2015

Florida has rurals?

It does!  And its a bit scary...Why do I say that?  Anyone who knows me knows that I like to take off and drive, its, my thing.  I was in need of one of those drives so looked on a map and took off.  Leaving the freeway and driving through a little town I saw a sign for a Florida Railroad museum ("a" since there appears to be quite a few) and noticed a lot of cars in the parking lot and beyond the cars I caught sight of a swaztika flag!  A bit unnerved I kept driving and saw coming towards me two tanks!  Yes, the rurals of Florida are a bit scary!  

(Turns out as I looked online today for any news report of some civil uprising/squashing that is was a WWII reinactment of German occupation of Paris and a fictional battle and the last train out.  Whew!)

Bothered by what I saw but unwilling to turn around and witness what I thought was at the very least an uncomfortable situation, I made my way to my original destination....

 It was listed on Google as a Floridian Ghost Town and I needed to drive, so off I went not expecting to actually find rurals!  So much of what I have seen of Florida has been a concrete jungle with wall to wall buildings.

There wasn't anything at Fort Lonesome other than a little grocery store, no remnants of what ever existed previously because, come to find out that there never was anything there.  Not sure how if can be defined as a Ghost Town.

Decided to do some geocaching when I found "no-where" ...

Geocache container in case you are wondering

No houses, no cars going by, no people, I had finally found no-where in Florida and it was wonderful and peaceful and calm.

 There were come interesting critters as I moved from one geocache to the next, there were several on this wonderful road of no-where.

This squirrel had such beautiful coloring, wasn't sure what it was when I first saw it.

 Suprisingly the sight of a cow was very comforting...moooo!

My road to no-where eventually lead to the road that would take me back to the world of hustle and bustle that people view as normal and the retail temples at which they worship and spend their weekends.  

As for me, I am already planning a trip to find yet more rurals and more no-wheres in Florida.

 Well over 3 months and I was ready to believe that the plague of frogs in my life was over.....
IT'S NOT!!!!! ACK!!!!
What did I find on my walkway when I came home but this critter!  To give him credit, he did not move while I tried to get close enough to get a picture in the dark (zoom wasn't enough to get a good shot of him, even this shot could have been better had the unreasonable fear not held me in its grasp............AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!
AAAHHH!... AHAHHA!
 

 Onto other news, have tried to be adventurous but the attempt to get to see cool wildlife resulted in not-so-much.  A few good shots and a nice boat ride and education on sponge diving was the best of what resulted from the Dolphin Cruise: