Still Gravity

The Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk - License our images  here . Fakahatchee means "forked river" in the Miccosukee language. This is a wild state park of Florida. The brochure told us that it's the world’s largest strand swamp.  Janes Memorial Scenic Drive runs for six miles across the old swamp forest. There are some trails along the narrow dirt road. The trails were old tram roads. The East and West Main trams are the most popular. Bear, Florida panthers, and alligators are common residents in the preserve. The Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk is an easy hike from the Tamiami Trail. It ends at a waterhole. We shared the peaceful spot with an alligator that was sun basking over a fallen tree across the pond.  We took this amazing photo of a killer tree in this boardwalk.

Pink hair grass is also known as Pink Muhly Grass   - for   science  Muhlenbergia capillaris. Pink hair grass moved by the wind - License our images  here . The branches resemble delicate feathers. Pretty low maintenance perennial plant. 

A wedge of American white ibises flying high - License our images  here .          This is the only moment when their black wing tips are visible. Our pollution has affected their mating behavior causing lower reproduction rates. The American Indians said that the ibis was the last bird to seek shelter before a hurricane and also the first to emerge afterwards. These birds are very common in Florida.

Mystery, magic, enigma. A lot of hypnotic power lives in a candle flame.  The multicolored candle flames - License our images  here . From Faraday in the 1800s to our modern NASA, science has fallen for the spell of the candle flames. In the tricolor product of an efficient combustion machine, the hottest part is the blue rich in oxygen. Hot mesmerizing beauty. Spell for focus and meditation.

The blue heron with its catch - License our images  here . The encounter happened in Shark Valley, Everglades National Park. Hey, big fella! How are you going to swallow such a huge fish?

The camping neighbors went for a walk and left plenty of food on the table. What happened next? Squirrel party! The feast of the squirrel - License our images  here .  The little one even opened the soft cooler. Smart animals trained by lazy campers. Bad idea to leave food unprotected. Wildlife gets used to free food pretty fast - the same happens to humans. 

We crossed a woolly bear in a trail of Little River Canyon.  Interesting little creature - License our images  here . The little fella played possum rolling into a ball and remaining motionless. We took pictures and moved it to safety into the nearby bushes.   Woolly bears come out from the eggs in the fall - the time of this hike. Their hair causes dermatitis to some folks, but it's a myth that they inject venom. This animal loses the black with age, and its journey ends in an  Isabella Tiger Moth . Old folks say that woolly bears foretell the coldness of the upcoming winter. If the brown band is wide, the winter will be mild. Others follow the intensity of the colors in the stripes: the darker the color, the harsher the winter. Tales and more tales.

The beloved tree is gone. Only remains the jealous lover, the hugger, the vampire.  The strangler fig hug - License our images  here . There are at least ten species of strangler fig in Florida - only two natives.  One of the most common is the  Ficus Aurea, the native known as Florida strangler fig. Their fruits are edible and were consumed by American Indians and settlers. They start in yellow and turn red later. Beware of hugs. Some hugs kill.

P.J. was sharp and funny - the Gonzo journalist once defined a bike as "...a donkey cart without the cart, where you do the work of the donkey". What did he say about blogging in 2010?  To start:  Very little that gets blogged is of very much worth. P.J. saw blog posts as "undigested thinking".  I do see one pernicious trend, which is blogging. I don't care much for blogging because it is undigested thinking, because it comes straight from the heart, or the lizard brain, or the mouth without due consideration. Adding later.  Blogging is very selfish. I mean, if you want a true picture of what somebody's thinking at a moment, kick them and see what they say. You'll get a blog. You'll get a tweet. You'll get a brief expression of how somebody feels at a given moment. But communication is all about the other person. It's not about the person who is communicating. It's about the person who is listening, or receiving, or viewing. And blogging

Big hole in the flatness of the Everglades - License our images  here . Impressive to walk on this part of the Glades that is usually underwater. No, this is not result of the global warming. It's a seasonal fluctuation of the water level.  Interesting to see all the marine rocks from the times when Florida was under the ocean. One day the sea will be back. Sweet revenge.