Live Oaks and Everglades

 We took a walk tonight along what is called the Shingle Creek Trail.  It is the origination of what becomes the Everglades and apparently Florida will link this and other trails through the state so they can be hiked/biked over several days ending up in the Everglade area.  It starts in back of the middle school that is across the street from our apartment complex.  Dad goes over to run the track 3 mornings per week so he has been curious to see what it is like.  We took a walk down the trail for about 30 min tonight.




 See the "headwaters of the Everglades" tag?  And I guess you can canoe it also.



















 Look close and you can see the Spanish Moss hanging from the live oak trees in the background behind that "happy smiling " guy with the black tag.

You can't tell but there is quite a little current going south from here.

"shrooms" growing out of the tree trunk.










There are lakes all around here.  There is a large lake at almost every apartment complex and in most subdivisions.  They have fountains to keep the waters moving and I think there must be drainage systems that we are not aware of.  I think these lakes are used to drain off the water when we have one of these horrendous rainstorms that have been coming every day now about 4-6 pm.

We have a lake in the apartment complex and one just at the back of us.  The one in the middle has ducks and geese on it but the one at the back is fenced and there are no ducks or geese, we found out why, alligators!  I guess like many animals whose habitat has been usurped by humans the alligators have come up in these urban "lakes " to spawn and live.  Because they are on the endangered specie list they are now protected and so the people do the best they can to keep them contained.  In other words "Don't Walk at night"!!   And don't let your kids play on the lawn around any of these "lakes", "ponds" if your house backs up to one of these.  Keep your pets inside at night.   I am not sure whether a gator is any different than a cougar on the front porch or rattlesnakes in my garage.  Maybe California is looking better all the time.  Of course I hear that you don't want to have small dogs or cats out at night because of the coyote packs that roam the hills in CA. But then I am not a dog or cat lover, anyway.

It really is beautiful here but after 2 weeks I don't think it would be my 1st choice place to live.  Of course it might if all my children and grands were here but a plane rid to CA is over 5 hours and that is just too long for frequent trips.  So St. George is looking better.