A Return to Florida

No, this was not a permanent return to Florida for us.  We have sold our motor home, so that phase of our life does seem to be over and we are living in St.Peters Mo.  However, as our daughter, husband and children, had plans to be in Florida over the holidays, John and I decided that would be our plan also.  We left a cold wet Missouri about the week before Christmas.  Our first night was in Mississippi, where it was also cool and moist.  The next night was spent near Dustin,Florida and what a beautiful sight from our motel balcony greeted us the next morning!

How happy we were to be back in Florida!  Two days later we were walking on the beach at sunset and we saw our first great blue heron for this trip.

In the following days we hiked around Saw Grass and Wall Springs Park, as well as Weedon Island Preserve-  favorite places of our which we wanted to revisit.  It was fairly cool the first week we were in the state, and not much wild life was sighted.  At Saw Grass, a place usually replete with crocodiles and turtles, we saw one of each.  Oh, and one armadillo.  It was hard to catch him still, he was scurrying around quite fast and stirring up leaves trying to find food.  What funny creatures!

Pictured below is what we think was a Florida softshell turtle, easily identified by his long snout.

About a week later, when the weather had warmed up and jackets no longer needed, we visited Wall Springs and found many egrets perched in the trees above Boggy Bayou.

At that park there was a new path for us to explore, which led to an observation tower which I am fairly sure can withstand some pretty strong storms!

One final picture here, which I think would make for a very pretty Florida Christmas card.  I espied this egret while walking around the neighborhood of our residence where we stayed for the two weeks we were in Florida.  There will be more postings in the future regarding our Christmas trip to Florida.