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(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) It is a little cooler than expected this morning. The dirt of the old logging road is somewhat damp and it readily clings to the soles of our shoes. A path leading to the north is fringed with tall grass and our pant legs are immediately soaked as we veer off the track to look at a lavender wild petunia. Mourning Dove are… Read More
(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) The posted speed limit on this particular road is 60 mph. Traveling at that speed is hazardous to one’s safety. Especially at this hour, just before sunrise. The road is 35 miles in length and connects two major U.S. highways, one of which is a short distance from Interstate 75, a main north-south route through the peninsula. Commercial trucks and commuters use this… Read More
(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) For ten miles, the road stretches in a straight line through the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest. Multiple trails lead from the road into pine woods, oak scrub and sandhill habitat dotted with saw-palmetto. We stop often to inspect the fine reddish-colored sand to see who has passed in the night. On this cool morning, Wild Turkey prints were abundant. There were also… Read More
(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Thistles! Thrilling! I know. We’re easily excitable. Following a marathon of medical adventures, we needed to absorb as much fresh air as possible to recharge our souls. Today was a good step toward that goal. A refresher on central Florida’s Green Swamp region. Over 560,000 acres of wetlands, flatlands and low ridges are bounded by prominent sandy ridgelines. The region forms a sort… Read More
Our Natural Places 