Hollywood FL

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My travel guide advised me to secure my cooler at Long Pine Key campground because of raccoons! I have learned to be wary of these critters, as they like to eat what I like to eat, so my cooler was extremely secure during my 4-night stay. Then, on my last night I attended an interpretive talk about alligators. When the topic came around to prey during the questions the ranger explained about the exotic snake problem they were having. It seems that within the last year and a half since my guidebook had been written Burmese pythons have eaten every raccoon in the park… Then he explained about their active capture program of these exotic snakes that are raking havoc in the food chain!

The morning I left the Everglades I stopped one more time at the Anhinga boardwalk. Since winter is the dry season in the park water is concentrated in low spots, which makes the Anhinga trail especially active. It is better than the best zoo, the animals are concentrated along a canal, and they trust that the railings, walls and walkways will keep the humans at a safe distance. Anyway, one of my new campground friend let me look through her good binoculars at an Anhinga (related to a Cormorants), who was showing that she was ready to mate by turning the skin around her eyes the most extraordinary aqua color.

Heading north and leaving the southern tip of the Florida peninsula was a little scary, especially since I was heading into the eastern seaboard craziness of the Miami area. Six-lane highways freak me out! However, my refuge was with my friends Randy and Barbara in Pembroke Pines, and I had a wonderful time with them even though Barbara had a terrible cold. They took me in and showed me around and I was so happy for their good company.

On presidents day I headed to north to Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

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