Pictures of the Week 2008-11
Hello All,
Prior to leaving Florida for the season we decided to make a few short side trips. Our first was only seven miles to the south shore of Lake Tohopekaliga. The locals call it “Lake Toho” for obvious reasons!! There are not many six syllable words in our everyday language!!
Lake Toho is one of Central Florida’s best kept secrets. The 23,000 acre lake is at the headwaters of the Everglades. It is 11 miles long but only averages between five and eight feet deep. It is a fisherman’s paradise with major bass tournaments here annually.
Prior to leaving Florida for the season we decided to make a few short side trips. Our first was only seven miles to the south shore of Lake Tohopekaliga. The locals call it “Lake Toho” for obvious reasons!! There are not many six syllable words in our everyday language!!
Lake Toho is one of Central Florida’s best kept secrets. The 23,000 acre lake is at the headwaters of the Everglades. It is 11 miles long but only averages between five and eight feet deep. It is a fisherman’s paradise with major bass tournaments here annually.
But we didn’t go to Lake Toho
to fish--we went to take an airboat ride!
It is a great way of seeing wetlands, cypress trees and wildlife--alligators, turtles, birds and more in their natural environment. We whisked along at 45 MPH shooting between walls of tall grass stopping here and there to take photos. We saw a nesting Sandhill Crane.
It is a great way of seeing wetlands, cypress trees and wildlife--alligators, turtles, birds and more in their natural environment. We whisked along at 45 MPH shooting between walls of tall grass stopping here and there to take photos. We saw a nesting Sandhill Crane.
And, the pink eggs of Apple
Snails on grass. Apple Snails can grow
to the size of a grapefruit. Wonder why they don’t call them “grapefruit
snails.”
Alligators are always present
in any body of fresh water in Florida.
This little guy allowed the boat to pull up beside him as he posed for
photos. If you look behind him you can
see a dark looking ball. That’s an Apple
Snail.
This Blue Heron was not so
friendly and didn’t want anything to do with us.
Our next adventure was to Jetty Park at Cocoa
Beach, on the Atlantic Ocean. It is
about 80 miles east of where we winter in Florida. Jetty Park is an excellent place to watch
rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center.
There was a night launch of a Delta rocket scheduled at 2:09 AM; so we
drove over early and made a day of it.
We walked the beach and the fishing pier, took photos of the birds,
played a little cards, and watched many small boats and some very large ships
coming and going from Port Canaveral.
The sky was overcast so it was
“ify” as to whether they would be able to launch the rocket. So, as the time
neared in the wee hours of darkness, we waited, and waited. But, as the time
for liftoff was approaching the clouds parted, the winds settled, and the sky
lit up with the firing of the rocket boosters. The ground shook and the sound
was ominous. Over the “oooos” and “ahhhhhs” you could hear cameras clicking as
fast as they could. And then, in about 30 to 45 seconds it was all over, and
all you could see was a small dot of light in the distant sky.
Our day was complete.
Our day was complete.
Our next destination was
Butterfly World in South Florida but more on that trip later.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns