Florida Update....

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(BARB) OK now that things have settled down (it took me a week to get back to normal...well as normal as I can be), it's time for an update on things here in Florida.
We've been in our 22 ft. camper for 17 days. It's not so bad having such little space (and no TV)...but we haven't had to spend a day inside due to rain either...so we'll see how THAT goes when it happens! Right now we are in Highlands Hammock State Park http://www.floridastateparks.org/highlandshammock/default.cfm and it's a beautiful park. It has lots of history. It used to be a camp for the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) which was a gov't program used during the depression and prior to WWII to give young men work. Young men enrolled for up to 2 years and they were sent to 'camps' where they worked very hard....cutting down trees, planting trees, clearing land, building, whatever needed to be done...for 40 hrs a week. In exchange they got plenty to eat and, if they wanted, education and/or training in a trade. They earned $1 a day (hence the saying 'another day, another $1') and $25 of that was sent back home to their family. This was our early welfare system...and it sure sounds like a great idea to me, rather than the handouts that are given out so freely today. Anyway that camp became this park, which has quite a few trails to hike. They are not long hikes...the longest about 1/2 hr but they go thru the forest and some have boardwalks that go thru the swamp. Yesterday we went on a few of the trails and while we were on the swamp trail boardwalk we saw an alligator just about 30 feet away from us and then we saw a coiled up cottonmouth water moccasin sunning itself near a tree. Now we did not know it was a cottonmouth but later we saw a park ranger and we led him to where it was coiled and he told it was indeed a cottonmouth. He also added that it was a mean bugger and he did his best to stay clear of them. He said a rattler will at least avoid people who avoid them but a cottonmouth was just a mean ole snake who will strike for no reason except that he's just plain mean. He said he had had just tooooo many altercations with them in his lifetime. Now that was a little disconcerting for me!!! You all know how I feel about snakes. Skip has always told me that if humans left critters alone then the critters would leave them alone. Now I'm hearing that this snake is out there just waiting to strike anyone for no reason!!! But to my credit, I did not stop hiking...altho I was a little more cautious along the trails. Later on in the day we took a tram with about 30 people and a guide along the tram trail thru the forest and along the swamp. It was very interesting. We saw a mama crock and many babies plus many turtles and stalking birds (like our blue heron up north). He told us also, which I had been told before, that crocks are naturally afraid of humans UNLESS they have been fed by humans...then humans are related to a source of food and that is when they become most dangerous....that is why we are constantly seeing signs NOT to feed wild animals...but so many people still do! This amazes me that there are such ignorant people out there to ignore this, but I digress! So anyway it was a pretty full day.
Now here comes my problem. Next Monday we leave this park and head for Silver River State Park http://www.floridastateparks.org/silverriver/ and we are meeting friends there. We are supposed to all go to Juniper Springs http://floridatraveler.com/juniper-springs/ and go canoeing for the seven miles down the spring. Now I've been reading about this and it's supposed to be the 25th most desired place to canoe in the US. Our friend has done it before, more than once. He and his daughter went once and when they paddled by a crock she almost went into a panic. I've read that on weekends there are a huge number of people that canoe this but during the week hardly anyone is there...and we are going during the week. Now, knowing that people feed the damn crocks, it scares the crap outta me plus I've read that there are poisonous snakes that inhabit that area also, which DOUBLE scares the crap outta me. Bottom line is I really want to go on this canoe trip but I'm scared to death to go. Skip says I have until he rents the canoe to make up my mind and if I think I might panic then I'd better think twice about going. I don't know what to do and I've been spending a lot of my precious sleeping time thinking about it. So folks I will gladly read any advice/warning/concerns from anyone before I make up my mind... And I'll be sure to fill you in on the result...whatever it turns out to be. Wish me luck (and sleep!)

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Comments

[Marcia]

I don't like spiders, snakes and crocks
Hi Barb, Well, Barb you are a trooper...I can guarantee you that I would never attempt to canoe a body of water that contained snakes, crocks or any other creepy creatured..so if you do...best of luck...my biggest fear is that I would panic (and I have in a canoe (over a frog,mind you) and in the water I went! Sooooo, do whatcha got to do, but remember I want you here to be with me at the Flynn Garden Tour! Bless you...Marcia