Brew's other other hobby... some recent pics I took...

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
First an apology... sorry if you were looking for me last week..I was away on vacation with the family... we went down to Florida for a week of camping. We stayed in Naples, which is within minutes of the Everglades National park and Big Cypress Preserve. Kids got to see these beautiful places inbetween swimming pool fun and I got to take some photos and study up alittle on my biology.

Its beens years since I have been back down there..but there was a time when I used to spend alot of time there, studying the area's natural history, and taking many pictures.

This time I went down there with new camera Gear..I sold a bunch of my discus to upgrade from my 35mm slr to a digital SLR pentax k20D... I stayed with Pentax as I could use all my old lens. So this was literally my first time using the camera and gear together...I got the Camera days before leaving.

Its taken some getting used to....not in bad way... just in ways I hadn't anticipated....but all and all...I really like this camera!

So I shot over 10 Gbs of Hi res images... and got back here to find out that my computer software and computer really can't handle these images...:( but Thankfully I was able to improvise ...I can see a new Computer in my future...shortly after I decide which discus need to go to pay for it!

Anyhow..I resized a few and thought I'd share a few .

hope you like them,
al

[brewmaster15]

few more....

[dishpanhands]

Great pictures...Those are some tiny deer....LOL

[mmorris]

Nice to see you back, Al, and fantastic shots! I don't remember seeing that growth on your face...new? :confused:

[brewmaster15]

more...Fire is a major factor in the health of the Everglades... Prescribed Burns are used to lessen the chance that a major fire will destroy fire resistant trees and vegetation.. A cool fire removes brush and returns nutrients to the soil.

[brewmaster15]

Area of regrowth from Prescribed Burns around Cypress Trees.. This area is largely open "grassland" with islands and pockets of Cypress... The tree is deciduous and loses its foliation in the winter...Its just starting to grow back. Notice the green "grasses" starting to grow.

[William Palumbo]

Cool Shots Al...I like the bird eating the fish in the tree...It's a better Bass fisherman than me!...Bill

[brewmaster15]

Thanks !

Sorry I Missed your Call Martha:( yes that "growth" is new... The lizard decided to hitch a ride.:)

Heres a few more shots...

-al

[brewmaster15]

Okay last set for now....

What would a trip to the Everglades be without a few gator shots:D Normally I am not one that fears Gators as they usually are oblivious to me but when I was taking that Osprey shot it was next to a small Slough (slow running water) thats often fished and I think as I set up my tripod that a Gator there was a bit too used to fisherman. It swam from the far bank to me and was staring right at me... My Wife and Kids were in the Van next me and as I snapped dozen of Osprey shots they watched the gator to be sure it didn't come any closer...at its closest probably 15 feet away...not much all things considered.:D Its very unnerving when a big gator takes interest in you!!

-al

[Eddie]

Great pictures Al, looked like a great time!

Eddie

[rly]

Great pictures AL
thanks for sharing
Ron

[tacks]

Hi Al glad to see you had a safe trip up and down. It looks like you had some nice weather also and some great pictures Ed

[FLGirl1977]

Holy cow Al! Those pictures are awesome, especially of that osprey eating the fish! BTW, love the lizard on your face! lol.... my daughter catches those and releases them after a few days...

Hmmm... might have to look into that camera. I'm super jealous of the quality... did you buy any addition add-ons for that?

My pictures from Kayaking this weekend won't be nearly as nice as these... :o

[FLGirl1977]

BTW, did you have a chance to check out Clyde Butcher's Art Gallery while you were in the Everglades?

[brewmaster15]

Ron and Eddie ...Glad you like the pics!

Ed and Renee, I am so envious of you Floridians:) I came home to Cold CT weather.. It was so good to be out doors again!

Renee, I had a bunch of lens aleady, so I really just needed a camera body.. The Osprey was taken with an old manual 500 mm lens with a 1.5 X teleconverter....I was really surprised by how well it worked with my new digital camera.

The camera body , pentax k20D is really a great camera for the price..

hth,
al

[brewmaster15]

BTW, did you have a chance to check out Clyde Butcher's Art Gallery while you were in the Everglades? not this time....but I have been there before...He's one of my photography heros.:D

-al

[Elite Aquaria]

Great pictures. I love the ones of the Birds. I'll forgive you this time but not next time...:D

[Ryan]

Looks like a great time! But I live here, so for me it'd just be more of the same. :p I haven't spent much time in the Everglades but I did get to enjoy the Keys a few years ago. Have you ever been to Big Pine Key to see the Key Deer? They're tiny; adults are probably about 3' tall.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/84644abe.jpg

[brewmaster15]

Hi Ryan,

Nice Picture !:) Yes, been there too... but a while ago...Those Key deer are special... pretty much the size of a small dog and very used to people.. I took this photo when I was last there in 1999... hoping to return and camp in the Keys this summer at Bahia Honda State Park.

-al


soory for the poor quality pic on this key deer... I need to rescan all my old 35 MM slides

[Eddie]

Hi Ryan,

Nice Picture !:) Yes, been there too... but a while ago...Those Key deer are special... pretty much the size of a small dog and very used to people.. I took this photo when I was last there in 1999... hoping to return and camp in the Keys this summer at Bahia Honda State Park.

-al


soory for the poor quality pic on this key deer... I need to rescan all my old 35 MM slides

Great Picture Al, even for 10 years ago. Back then I was using a 1.5 megapixel point and shoot. You couldn't see a thing. LOL

Eddie

[dishpanhands]

Those Key deer are about to be put on the endangered species list.

I was in germany while in the service and all I can remember is large mean pigs, large rabbits and tiny deer....LOL

I have never seen a Key deer but I have looked, just not enough time I guess.

[FLGirl1977]

I thought the Key Deer were already on the endangered species list? They are REALLY strict on your speed driving through that area... and they aren't forgiving. (No, I didn't get a ticket, but I've seen many who have) :p

Al, looks like that gator took interest in you because you were too close to her babies... if those aren't her babies, you might have been too close to their nest possibly. They get REALLY grouchy if you get too close.

I know how scary it is being that close to them. I took a trip to Ding Darling Park on Sanibel (during dusk) once and was walking in an area that I probably shouldn't have been (that time of day). I was within a few feet of a 10 foot gator's head (near the shoreline), but because of the lighting/reflection on top of the surface I didn't see him. Well, I did see him when I almost stepped on him! I screamed and jumped/ran so fast away that it scared him too and he jumped/turned back into the deeper area... the guy I was dating at the time had no idea why I was running so fast back towards the path! lol!!! I can look back now and laugh... especially at my date's reaction to me, but would NEVER want to be in that position again! :o

[brewmaster15]

Hi Renee,
Thats possible about the babies or nest and more likely as we head into Spring when they start to breed again... babies from several generations stay around the Mom and are tolerated by her... This particular gator approaching me was probably a male by its size... ( as was yours ...Most over 9 feet are usually males.) It can be a scary feeling...I've been to JN Ding Darling Many times ...excellent wildlife drive there...and yes...some big gators too... Being on an Island and protected in that sanctuary I think they get real big there.

Your story reminds me of when I was taking pics in Myakka River State park a few years ago.... I was trying to get a picture of a Limkin...a rare bird and did manage that...but it was across the river and I needed to be as close to my side as could..so I was at the rivers bank... and when I see a rare animal I zone.. my attention was 100% on that bird. I must have been there 5-10 minutes when out of the corner of my Eye I saw a large gator that was literally 5 feet from me.. It was covered with hyacinth( common in river) and was just laying there trying to warm up after the cool Feb Morning... I froze. Its eyes slowly openned and looked right at me...."deer in the headlight" look comes to mind...only I was the Deer... You never saw someone back away as cautiously and fast as I did!

Most Gators will avoid you all costs, but theres that occassional one that definetly reminds you whose jaws can close at a crushing 3000+pounds per square inch force... I admire these prehistoric beast alot and South Florida ecosystems are so dependent on them... They are probably the single most important vertebrate animal there.

-al

[Ardan]

Great pictures:) Glad you and your family had a great vacation:):)

Ardan

[FLGirl1977]

Its eyes slowly openned and looked right at me...."deer in the headlight" look comes to mind...only I was the Deer... You never saw someone back away as cautiously and fast as I did!

-al

:laugh: Now THAT'S funny... I can totally picture that... :p

[forrest]

hi Al,
looks like u were having great time....great pictures too.

best rgds,
forrest.

[DiscusDude85]

HAHA. Nice, Your hobby is my life. Im a land surveyor and all of your swamp pictures are reality for me. Im in the swamp all the time, Home away from home really. I enjoy being in the middle of a wet gator infested swamp more than in the city. Mother nature is amazing, People arent. We are a virus. You get to see any moccasins? Those are my biggest fear, In the summer they get really agressive and actually chase you. Glas for a razor sharp machette : ) . Well im glad you enjoyed the wonderful florida outdoors, Come back soon she'll be waiting.




Joe

[brewmaster15]

Ardan , Thanks my friend ... Hope you have been well too... won't be long before fishing season starts there huh?:)

Forrest, Glad you enjoyed the pics....someday I'd like to bring my camera to Malaysia for a discus and nature photo shoot!


Joe,
ThatSounds like my kind of work Joe...of course between studying the critters and plants and taking pictures I'd get fired for sure!:D

As for snakes... usually I do see some...they are one of the critters I really enjoy watching in the wild..but sadly this trip I saw none.:(

Oh well.. maybe this summer .

-al

[FLGirl1977]

Hey Al, did you manage to take any pictures of any Sandhill Cranes? I love those guys, but they're not as plentiful as Blue or Green Herons.... Would love to see more pics. :)

BTW, you should submit some pics to http://www.nbc-2.com/FirstPerson/, it's the local news station here, and we LOVE to see great pictures of the area! :)

[brewmaster15]

Hi Renee,
I'll dig some more pics out for you... as for the sandhills...I saw some...but no pics this time...I do have some from earlier trips..:)

-al

[poconogal]

Hi Al, great shots! Looks like you had a great time and the weather's been wonderful, even if a bit chilly at night! I'm also glad you did not wind up as gator bait!

Glad to see you made it back, but I did not, LOL! We were supposed to return this past Sunday, but instead couldn't face the thought of going back to snow and cold yet, so we extended a few more days. Now we leave tomorrow a.m. and this time, we have to leave, since we don't want to pay anymore change fees to the airline!

[brewmaster15]

Connie,
I envy you, coming back was depressing and I still see it all when I close my eyes. If I could, I'd live there...but its not possible at this time.

Best wishes to you for a safe return! Drop me a Pm when you get back to talk Discus.

-al

Hi again Renee!

Okay...heres some older photos that I was able to find...not the best quality but these should be some familar scenes to you and other Floridians;):D
hope you like... all were taken in Fl except the small Saw whet owl..thats a CT shot.

-al

[brewmaster15]

.....

more

[brewmaster15]

Last set...:)

-al

[brewmaster15]

whoops missed 2...

-al

[FLGirl1977]

Very nice Al... what is the own in the fourth picture? Not familiar with that guy... (up in the tree).

Nice pic of limpkin! Never seen one of those guys before either. What? No closeup gator shot with limpkin? ;)

[brewmaster15]

Hi Renee,
That owl is a saw whet owl... The Limkin is a great bird...very shy usually but if you go to Myakka River State Park, they can be seen...just watch for that gator.:D

http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=Saw+whet+owl&btnG=Google+Search

We have a great state park in Ct called Hammonasette State Park thats on the coast and is a migratory bird stop over in the fall.. In October I've seen as many as 10 of those at once within a small grove of Cedar trees there.. cute little buggers.

-al

[brewmaster15]

BTW,,,


This one...

http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=41518&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1235575393


is rare bird...found in the keys...its actually the white color morph of the great Blue heron...

http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=41524&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1235575641

just a bit of Bird trivia.


-al

[FLGirl1977]

Hey Al, cute little guy! Do you have any larger shots of the two you just posted?

[brewmaster15]

Yep they are in the last set of pics I posted for you@!:D

-al

[FLGirl1977]

The great white heron? I can only see small pics of them.. :(

[brewmaster15]

Hmmm.... post number 34?


http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=41518&d=1235575393

[FLGirl1977]

Okay, much larger now... thanks. :)

[GrillMaster]

Looks like ya got a lot of use outta that new camera of yours! Pics look great Al! :thumbsup:

[Rod]

Thats what i call a holiday!!

New camera seems to work mate, great pics. Thanks for posting. :)

[Discus-n00b]

WOW Al, those are all great! Love the Osprey and Bass. And the first Pelican picture is great.

I'd love to make the trip down there sometime.

[John_Nicholson]

Great picture Brew!

Now a comment on the Key deer.....there is no reason to put them on the endangered list. It has been proven though DNA studies that they are not a distinct species. They are the same deer that run all over the southern states. They are only small because they have been raised with poor nutrition for hundreds of years.....

Glad you had fun Al. Wish that I had been with you. Of course the best camera that I have is an old Cannon AE1

-john

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Awesome pics Al. Next time you visit I can give you a tour of the Lab.

-Ryan

[two utes]

Awesome Pictures Al...Looks like you were in your element. Your love for nature shines through.Good Stuff Mate!!

[korbi_doc]

:D Wow Al, you're making us all envious, you're pics are awesome!! Your camera is sure doing a superb job.....thanks for sharing your great talent......keep up the vacations, they sure are fun!!!!!!

Dottie ;)

[mmorris]

More great shots! Well done Al. Is the white bird an Egret? Or still a Heron?

[Darren's Discus]

Al,
thanks for sharing those awesome pics !


cheers

[mmorris]

It has been proven though DNA studies that they are not a distinct species. They are the same deer that run all over the southern states. They are only small because they have been raised with poor nutrition for hundreds of years.....
-john

They are a subspecies and, I think, worthy of preservation. If they become extinct then we have lost that sub-species. Hundreds of years? Possibly six-twelve thousand years.

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Thanks Everyone for the kind comments.. I really enjoy photography and natural history so this was a great trip and its been great sharing with you all.:)

On the key deer.... Theres alot of info on them on the web, those interested can start here......

http://www.fws.gov/southeast/pubs/facts/nkdcon.pdf

I will say this.... They are so small that you feel like Gulliver among the little people when you see them in person...

From that Fish and wild life info sheet... Key deer are the smallest subspecies among 28 subspecies of white tail deer.

Thanks again,
al

[FLGirl1977]

Thanks for sharing those with us Al. It's a reminder for me to get out there to get some more pictures and enjoy nature before it turns into a sauna again. ;)

[brewmaster15]

Martha... The white one is still a Great Blue Heron ...but a color morph thats white ...Where it overlaps with The Normal type of Great Blues in the keys..they also form a rare hybrid morph called Wurderman's Heron.. which looks a bit like the two combined.:)

hth,
al

[thekarens]

Fantastic pics! Birding is our first love. Burrowing owls are one of my favorites, love the sawhet as well!

[Discus-Hans]

Nice pictures buddy, I know you had fun in Naples, I'm always at the other side, the Pier fishing :p Had to miss it this year :mad: :mad:

Btw. did you know Walter from DPH is a bird shooter (pictures) too???

I've send him one of those mega lenses a while back,

Hans

[Kenny's Discus]

Excellent photography Al! Glad you had a wonderful time with your family my friend. That's what it's all about!:)

Kenny

[DiscusDude85]

WOW Al, those are all great! Love the Osprey and Bass. And the first Pelican picture is great.

I'd love to make the trip down there sometime.




You should, But dont waste your time with the everglades, Visit the St. Johns river. Its WAY nicer. There are all sorts of camp grounds and parks, And its practically untouched. So much wildlife, I work at a marina on the St. Johns on the weekends. I see manattee, Alligators, Bald Eagles, Osprey, Cranes, Herons, packs of turkey, Bear all sorts of wild life. Florida is beautiful and hopefully we can keep it that way.



Joe

[AmberC]

Nice Job Al! Love the raptor w/lunch pics!

[brewmaster15]

Thanks again Everyone! :)

Joe,

But dont waste your time with the everglades St. Johns is a good destination as are many other in Fl... but The Everglades is recognized as one of the most unique eco-systems in the world... and its the USA's only subtropical one..which means you get to see most of whats in Southern USA to some extend and then alot of the plant communities from the West Indies... Its one of our most special natural areas... If anyone is going to see Florida's Natural Areas...you really get an appreciation if you drive thru... I'm really fond of the tracts of Forest Pine lands in the pan handle and the black water rivers there....then head south to Highland Hammocks State Park...one of Florida's first parks and a perfect example of a hardwood hammock.... next visit Myakka River state park..Florida's Largest state park which covers a variety of habitats.. Continue South... Hit up Sanible Island/captiva island..The beaches there are awesome and JNDing Darling wild life drive and preserve is a must see.. then continue south , Visit Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Big Cypress preserve, and hike into the prestine Fakahatchie Strand in which you can see some of the rarest orchids in Florida among everything else...... Next stop ... drive across Tamiami Trail and stop at the numerous trails and drive ins to the everglades.... continue to Homestead FL, and Enter The Everglades from that point... From there on South to the Campground at Flamingo....theres at least a weeks worth of exploring but I could easily spend 6 months there... must sees... Anhinga trail, ecopond, Gumbo Limbo trail, and my Favorite snakebite trail. Sunsets in Florida Bay there are stunning. If you do go.. plan on going November thru March the dry season... or the mosquitos will destroy you.. even then..if the breeze dies down... prepare to donate blood.:) when you leave return up the east coast on I-95 , and stop at the parks along the way...I like Jonathan Dickerson state park and Theres Merritt Island National seashore next to the Space Center...The wildlife drive there is great.

Years ago a friend and I used to make that trip in about 12 days...sleep was something we did when we got back to CT.:)



Hans, I did not know that about Walter...small world it is we live in!:)

Kenny my friend...Thanks! Been awhile , we need to catch up bro.

Amber... That fish was so heavy the Osprey was having trouble carrying it... Its amazing what these birds can pick up.. a few years ago I saw one snag a fish off the Sanibel Island Causeway and the osprey practically went under water from the sky high dive and came up with something twice its size...Birds have hollow bones and strong muscles.....but still...its just amazing..

Hi Karen,
Nice to meet another Bird watcher! I spent a week birding in texas along the coast about 13 years ago...I went to Aransas National wildlife refuge, Bentsen-Rio state park, Big Bend National Park, Falcon Dam and I even went and birded the Brownsville Dump for Chihuahuan Ravens.. South Texas has an amazing cross section of habitats as well and in many ways is very similar to South Florida.. I saw many of the same birds there and similar plants communities....but then you get the overlap from the west and Mexico...I really bumped up my bird count there... I need to return to that one again.. I'ves spent only a week there... In Florida I've spent accumulated months birding over the years.:)

-al

[t_j]

Amazing pictures Al!! Why can't I get the same kinda pics on my SLR:mad::(:o:)

[brewmaster15]

Hi Tiffany,
Thanks! What model SLR? is it digital? I may tread on some toes here..but most cameras are basically the same... sure a few may shoot a few frames faster or have some neat eye candy added... but from a Hobbyists point of view...They are just a recorder of an image... what usually makes or breaks a photo , at least in my case is the lens used, the light present, and how stable the camera and lens is.. Sturdy tripods rated for the total weight of your camera and lens are really critical.... My tripod for the 500MM lens weighs almost 30 lbs ...lol...Its Heavy!!:),... most of the bird shots were done using a Pentax 300 mm 4.5 ED IF Lens... Its got very good optics...I'd love to be wealthy as theres some killer lens out there...almost all mine though were bought used thru B&H photo (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/) or ebay.

hth,
al

[terps]

You can make money selling your photos online. It could help pay for your hobby.

Here's an article on how to do it.
http://www.dphotojournal.com/sell-photos-online/

Here's one of the websites that will try to sell your photos:
http://submit.shutterstock.com/

http://www.shutterstock.com/

If you're talented and have good photography equipment to meet the minimum requirements for submitting photos, you could make some nice spare change.

[brewmaster15]

Thanks for the Info... I've never sold a photo in my life except one to a Biology bud of mine ..she wanted a copy of a dead raccoon picture I took:)..made a whopping $5.00 on it to cover the cost of the print!:)

I'll have a look at the info, not sure if I would rate well enough to sell..Theres a world of a difference between enjoying taking pics and being good enough to actually sell them... But it would be nice... it would be real nice.

thanks again,
al

[terps]

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-187395-dead-raccoon-on-street.html

:)

[brewmaster15]

lol... Then I guess I am in the running...

-al

The dead coon shot was rushed..I snapped it quick with Print years ago.....I should have taken my time, looking back... I could have really done alot with that scene... I really regret that... but like I said... it was along time ago and I was a bit green.

The other was shot in fakahatchie strand in Fl years ago also... I think the little was sick... he stumbled around alot and sort of fell in a few times..but I couldn't catch that.

[terps]

I certainly would try submitting photos to some of those photo services. You might make enough money to buy more equipment(lenses, flash, new camera, editing software).

Here's the guidelines for submitting photos to Shutterstock.com.

http://submit.shutterstock.com/guidelines.mhtml

You now need a camera that shoots photos 4 megapixels or larger for it to be accepted by shutterstock.

You can search their database to see what others submitted. They have photos on almost everything. The quality varies.

http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&searchterm=discus+fish&x=0&search_group=&y=0&sort_method=popular&rows_per_page=25&thumb_size=large

http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&searchterm=deer&anyorall=all&search_cat=1&search_group=photos&orient=all&photographer_name=&searchtermx=&color=

http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&searchterm=hummingbird&anyorall=all&search_cat=1&search_group=photos&orient=all&photographer_name=&searchtermx=&color=

I found out about shutterstock by reading this article in Smart Money.

http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/technology/small-business-how-to-beat-a-goliath/

[Jennie]

Wow Al, just saw this..Makes me miss my home!:( You are missing a picture or two of the giant mosquito!!!! They are huge in Everglades!!!

[brewmaster15]

Thanks Jennie,

Oh yeah... we used to have the round Bumper sticker on our cars from the glades that "we gave" and shows a giant mosquito.

The best time to go the Everglades is December- February...its relatively dry and the mosquitoes are bearable. I camped there in late april one year with a buddy of mine.... out of several hundred or so availible campsites.. there was one other tent and about 5 bazillion mosquitoes to go around... 4 humans...talk about giving blood!

Another time My wife and I were down in Flamingo at the tip of glades..this was winter and the suckers were not to bad in the open. We went for a hike down a trail called "snakebite" that went thru a hardwood hammock and then to ocean...being familar with the vampires there we wore mosquito headnets,jackets and pants..quite the sight I am sure. Down the trail came 2 bike riders in their spandex shorts and shirts..leisurely riding and smirking and laughing at us as we walked in nets... I looked at my wife and said "5 minutes...watch this." The trail goes thru some pretty swampy areas...the vamps are bad there even in winter...sure enough 5 mins go by and here comes the bikers back towards us, no longer leisurely and not laughing at as they swatted in vain at the hundreds of mosquitoes on their backs, arms legs, etc...my turn to laugh.;):D:D:D

-al

[Jennie]

ROTF! I gave my fair share there too. Are those dirt roads still 1 car wide?? you were smart to do that, those mosquitos carry disease.

[brewmaster15]

Some are...Theres some that are in real bad shape...lots of erosion and not great maintenance. Probably the worst thing is the hurricanes a few years back wiped out the Lodge/restaurant at flamingo....they have plans to rebuild but I don't think its started.
info and plans here... http://www.nps.gov/ever/parkmgmt/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=303992

The camping is as rustic as ever... showers are cold water and pretty open to the skeeters...

Still its my favorite place on Earth.....Those fresh water marshes, hardwood hammocks, birds, gators and bugs... I could spend forever there.

-al

[Jennie]

Showers?? Holy, fancy smancy! We had water holes..but first had to (remove) the snakes before we got in..wow..5 star accommodations out there now!

[Jennie]

Al, I also wonder did you get to go deep in by airboat??

[brewmaster15]

Al, I also wonder did you get to go deep in by airboat??

No I didn't. I'm not a big fan of the airboats there.....They can be abusive to the wildlife and the ecosystem is just too fragile in my opinion.. The other thing thats not high on my like list is the Mud buggey.....trying to hike a trail used by them is next to impossible. Not saying these things are bad everywhere...but the glades are unique in the world..Theres no place quite like them in the world...due to the geology,climate, Biological influences of temperate and west Indian influences, source of water...and Biodiversity.

I did make many Hikes into the thick of it...Got up close and personal with gators...explored tropical hardwood hammocks, Cypress swamps...went out driving and hiking at night for the denizens....even got to see a Florida panther briefly and at the tip of the glades...I got to see an alligator and Crocodile within a few hundred feet of each other. I've been many times, but never enough times. Someday, I hope to retire to that area...I can't think of anywhere I would rather be.

-al

[Jennie]

True, back in my late teens and early 20's, was not something I gave thought to..Just have good hurricane/flood insurance if you retire there!