Blad Point State Park

The best way to travel, I get to wave at everyone passing!

Occasionally, my friends are invited to go to other parks.  Every now and then I manage to stowaway and get to go too!

My friend Rebekah recently went to Bald Point State Park to help them find plants for a program they were putting together.  I had never been to Bald Point before and so tagged along, hiding in a very sneaky spot!

Bald Point is a lovely park that has many different types of ecosystems including forests, marshes, lakes and a beach.  While we were there I got to see so many different plants and animals.  

Sarah and I riding in the gator!

I didn't want to have to sneak around once we got there, so I popped out and jumped right in helping them find things.  They were quite grateful for another set of eyes looking things.  We were quite lucky in having a vehicle to drive around looking for some of the plants, Bald Point is a big park!  We were given a map, shown a few areas that previously held several species they were looking for, and off we went exploring the park!  I tried driving the gator a couple times, but they thought I was a better spotter.  I hung out with Sarah a lot and helped find several plants and animals!

This is a beautiful flower is called Orange Milkwort and is common to many of the parks I have been to.  It's flowering head is shaped like a cylinder and has bright orange petals!  We saw this plant mainly around the scrub forest and flatwoods areas.  Parks that have lots of different ecosystems have lots of plants and animals that live in them!

 This was such a find!  This is an Osprey that just caught some lunch!  We were standing on a boardwalk that looked over the marshes when he came flying overhead and landed in a tree next to us.  He sat there for a long time drying his wings before he began to chow-down.  Ospreys are also common to many parks by the water, their diet is fish from salt and fresh waters.  We see these often at Henderson Beach!


At the beach side of the park, we came across several "creatures" while looking for plants.  They were very strange looking, we weren't even sure what they were!  After much discussion, poking, and prodding (and later some research) we figured out this was Sea Pork.  It is an animal that is related to certain types of primitive fish, like hagfish and lampreys.  It has a thick outer skin and is actually made up of hundreds of individuals living in a colony together!

I really enjoyed visiting Bald Point and was excited to see all the different environments, plants, and animals.  I had so much fun with Sarah and Rebekah and can't wait to share more adventures with all my friends!

Bye bye salt flats!

Visiting Friends

Over the last few years I have made a lot of friends at the park and it is fantastic to spend time with them at work and also fun to do things outside of work.  Recently, I got to visit Carolyn one afternoon and go for a swim in her pool.

Carolyn has a beautiful garden with all kinds of flowers.  We try not to point out the non-native plants...

After a long day of working, I really enjoy just laying back and relaxing!

I can't wait to share more of my many adventures!

An Epitaph for a desk and Pom Pom Fringe

Todays thoughts are on organization, being me and a teacher its imperative that we be organized.  7 people work out of 1 office which can lead to a lot of stuff being left around.  Well one of my friends left town for a week and I spent the whole week organizing, labeling  the desk, and storage room.  It was all very neat and clean!  Well she came back (I wont mention any names) and the picture says it all I had to cover my eyes.  I think this took only a week to revert back.  Notice the Pom Pom Fringe Isn't it Cute?   We had been working on an jelly fish project for kids and she bought this pom pom ribbon to use as the tentacles.  Well there were a few of us that were not to keen on this look and as Tim Gunn says " Stay true to your self" we ignored her pleadings to use it.   Well to brighten her return  we decorated her desk with the fringe and I can report as of 3 months it is still there.  I think she really liked it. Who could have known. She keeps muttering about needing a sombrero and fuzzy dice so I will leave that alone and let her follow her own style adventure.

It was a good day!

I want to share this I was getting ready to do an Interpretive program and people were pointing into the water and there was a sea turtle not 25 feet away We think it was a loggerhead but it was hard to tell since it just stayed out of a good viewing spot.   I was able to get a few pictures so enjoy them.

Spiders EEEKKK

crab orb weaver

banana spider

I went on a walk through the park and the front fence line was covered with banana spiders that are consummate web builders. Their webs have a roundish or "orb" shaped center like a fishnet, and since the silk is bright yellow they are very visible.  Here in Florida, a single banana spider can place a web across a 12 foot wide trail overnight.  Even tho they are big and scary looking I think they are pretty neat. Here are some of the other critters that I have seen here at Henderson and Rocky Bayou S.P.

 coach whip 

Friends, of Friends

On patrol with Sasha

Joey

Rebekah

Well it seems they have lost track of me again but never fear  just when it seems lost one of my friends pops up.  I actually spend my summers volunteering for the Florida Park Service and this summer I got to spend it as an Interpreter doing  programs for the public and campers at 2 parks.  But I have to honestly say even before I started I was asked to help with the Command Center for Florida with the Oil spill which was exciting.  Out of all the people; they asked little ol me to help so I made bunches of new friends but I will save that story for another day.  Well my time was up at the end of July and my friends were so distraught ( I think)  they  said we know lets make Flat DOE'S and keep her with us always. So today I want to introduce you to some of my friends.    

Chris and his drum 

Oh Where to Start?

  Actually, All of this should have happened several months ago but due to BP, work and other extra terrestial circumstances I fell well behind the proposed date.  My dear friends are keeping me facing forward and will quickly catch up 3 months of my travels and antics shortly (I hope).   I am back in Georgia teaching (Its my last year) and will retire in the spring.   It was hard to leave the panhandle of Florida this year and I have suffered with the vapors ever since.  Speaking of vapors I am wondering what was in the air when my friends decided to make me into a Flat DOEHOE.  Honestly I need to talk to them.   Just you wait my pretties!