Sorry I haven't had any posting lately. We’ve been on the boat for the past 2 weeks.
Check out the blog www.alwayslingerawhile.blogspot.com I have lot’s of wildlife there…but gators seem to be the biggest number.
Now that we are home. I’ll be keeping up with what the rest of you have been doing.
We’ve been walking Logue’s Way most every day since my sister has been here. She has a beautiful Golden Lab that needs lots of exercise.
I thought I’d share with you the different types of scenery you would see if you visited this area. There are many hiking trails in the area, and each one has something new to see.
There is a small parking area at the trail head. Stop at the center for a quick look at an overview of the area and pick up a map. The trail is marked but it’s nice to have. Be sure to sign in. If the area is being used it is more apt to be open. Many parks are being closed due to low budgets.
After you leave the sign in, you’ll follow a shell trail.
It’s only a short distance to the first boardwalk.
This is a wetland area….the boardwalk makes it possible to view the area without damaging it, or getting wet.
Whenever we hike a trail we stop an move debris from it….limbs, palm fronds etc. A lot of the work done to keep these places open is by volunteers…so we try to do our part as we enjoy it.
After you leave the boardwalk there is a short trail..
Then you’ll find yourself on another boardwalk.
After you leave the wetland area the landscape changes. It’s higher ground, sandy soil, tall pine trees and low growing palms. A great place for power walking.
The trail makes a loop through this area with many side trails and a couple of shortcuts. After the loop through the “uplands”…you’ll come back to the boardwalks and the trailhead. It is a nice hike…and can be as short or as long as you want. The whole trail is about 4 1/2 miles.
We’ve met some nice people on the trail. Some riding bicycles, walking dogs, horseback riding and even a couple of “geocachers”. We hadn’t realized there were geocachs out there. After talking to them, I checked it out on-line, at www.geocaching.com If you are looking for a way to get your kids interested in hiking with you….try geocaching. It looks like an inexpensive hobby…..and lots of fun. They can do research on caches on the internet…load them into the GPS and away you go. Techno-treasure hunting.
Around 4 this afternoon my sister, JoAnne, came in and told me the Armadillo was in the back yard. I grabbed my camera and headed out to see if I could get a few pictures. Only one came out. I like that he feels safe in our little area. Safe enough to come out in the afternoon. I usually just find all the holes it’s dug.
I did get some nice video. You actually get to see it’s face and watch how it hunts for food. I was standing about 8’ from it…when it starts standing and “winding” the air…it is sensing I am close.
It sure does make a mess of my yard…but when I get a chance to enjoy watching it working in the leaves…it’s all worth it.
These are fairly large birds, and I don’t think I would call them pretty.
They spend a lot of time in the canals feeding.
I followed these 3 for several minutes and they didn’t seem to be very afraid. They are beautiful when they are in flight. The black on the edges of their wings is striking.
A short flight over the fence into the horse pasture gave them another place to look for food.
I wish I had been able to get a good video of them in flight. That is when they are the most beautiful, but it was fun watching them stroll down the road. So nonchalant…..but they did keep checking over their shoulders to see if I was still following.
This Cabbage Palm is one of the favorites for the Woodpeckers. I guess there a a lot of bugs hanging out here. When the big fronds die they break off …leaving short pieces on the tree that catch debris and make a good home for bugs. They eventually break and fall off, leaving the tree trunk smoother.
I keep thinking I am naming this bird wrong…but it is zebra-backed with the red covering the head and nape of the neck, and that is the books description. This is a male. The females have red on the neck but not on the top of it’s head.
I love watching Woodpeckers work for their dinner.
My sister and I spent a couple of hours hiking on Logue’s Way. It was a chilly day , but the sun did shine a bit to warm it up. A great day for a walk.
The Way has a couple of different landscapes. You start out on a crushed shell trail that takes you to a boardwalk through a wetland area with palm and needle palms. It takes several twists and turns and eventually ends up in the “uplands”. It’s a higher bit of ground that is a totally different area. Low growing ground covering palms and tall pine trees. The soil is dry and sandy instead of mucky. All within a few minutes walk.
When traveling through the “uplands”, JoAnne spotted a Bald Eagle sitting in a tree a short distance from us.
It was looking away from us, but must have heard us coming. In this picture it is looking over it’s shoulder at us.
By the time I got closer…it had taken flight and spent several minutes riding the thermals.
It is such a beautiful bird.
This is a bit of a change from my “backyard” critters.
My sister, Joanne, and I went to New Smyrna Beach for a day of walking and looking for shells.
We found some beauties! 
My sister has lived in FL for many years and said that she had never found even one Crucifix Fish. We found 25-30 yesterday. They have an interesting legend.
“Of all the fishes in the sea our lord chose the lowly sailcat to remind us of his misery
His body on the cross is outlined, The hilt of the sword which was plunged into his side is clearly defined.
Look at the back of the fishes bone where the Roman shield is shown. When you shake the cross you will hear the dice being tossed for our Lords blood stained dress, those who can hear them will be blessed.”
I love watching the Gulls. Joanne tossed a piece of tangerine to 1 gull and the next thing we knew we had a small flock following us. I saw one gentleman jogging down the beach with a big flock keeping him company. I kept watching and realized he had a small bag of something for them and would toss them a bit every few strides. A nice way to have company on your jog.
I don’t spend a lot of time at the beach, so I’d never noticed these Black Skimmers before. It has a very big beak and doesn’t look very impressive here, all fluffed up from the cold wind. Almost like a stuffed animal.
But they are so beautiful and graceful in flight.
And for all of those still stuck in the ice and snow of the north…here is a bit of Florida sand and surf for you….
