Our usual days consist of a couple hours of driving and running whatever errands we might have, then coaxing the van down all sorts of atrocious backroads it has no business being on. We scoped out the map and found an area titled "Tide Swamp N.W.R." NWR's, or National Wildlife Refuge areas, are all over here in Florida. They are tracts of land set aside for hunting, ORV use, resource management, and preservation of native plant and animal species. They are usually marked only on the map and are somewhat difficult to spot if you don't know they're there.
Today was no exception and we barrelled down a two-lane highway at 60 MPH, trying to scope out dirt roads.
"There's one!" I hollered
Dave, as is our system, slammed on the brakes hard, somehow bringing Charlie to a stop in less than two car lengths without flinging our belongings in all directions. He's a true miracle van handler.
We shot off down the sand and dirt road into the NWR, trailing a cloud of dust and exhaust. I even get a picture of Dave wrestling Charlie through an epic water crossing. That is a happy face indeed.
Once off the hectic pace of the highway, we slowed down to enjoy the scenery. There is an incredible amount of biodiversity and wildlife here, and we love taking it all in. We have started getting into more stereotypical "Florida" type forests of cypress, palm, and mangrove, hugged by vines thick as my wrist and draped in Spanish moss. The water is deep black and shallow, and if we sit still and settle, frogs chorus at us in strange voices that sound like twisting balloon rubber and squeaking shoes. We see great white egrets, roseate spoonbill, turkey vultures, wild turkey, whitetail deer, and even an armadillo! They're all quick and hard to catch photos of.
The next day we move on to another sandy area farther down the highway. The new spot is in an oak forest, a completely different environment than the spot we just stayed. Dark swamp has been replaced by twisted oak trees and dry leaves. There is an incredible variety and abundance of fungus here, and I see lots of sign of boar rummaging in the leaves. I also spot several large dens dug in the sand, possibly by a tortoise or some large mammal. Squirrels chatter irritably at me and a cardinal follows me for over a mile as I wander down a horse trail through the woods. He chirps at me in loud staccatos, cocking his head and flicking his tail.
It rained like Hell for the next two days, so we stay put and sat it out. On the second day I couldn't take the grime anymore and set up our shower for it's first test. We are using a Trekker pop-up shelter and a 4 gallon pressurized shower canister heated by a 1lb propane tank. It works beautifully! I took a long, hot shower while the rain came pouring down outside. It was a great feeling.
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