Big Cypress Nature Preserve

Thanks to the Happy Hoofers chapter of the Florida Trail Association, under the leadership of Steve, some 48 of us happy troopers enjoyed an invigorating 7.5 mile huke at Big Cypress Nature Preserve.

Photo of  the happy troopers (photo provided by Steve)

The preserve is located in Collier County around fifty miles from Ft. Lauderdale on the way to Naples and Alligator Alley.

Because it is part of the Everglades, the area is rich in flora and fauna.

This was the dry season so luckily we were spared the insects but in terms of animals, we only saw quite a few large and small gators and one turtle.

The gators which seemed quite well fed and shy, were all by the water bank  which we hiked beside when we first set out going south.

                                                                                                                                                             After we reached approximately 

One of the large gators we saw

 halfway, we had a bathroom stop  where women  were directed to the bushes at the east side and the men to the west).

We then headed inland towards Carpenter campsite, where we had lunch which we brought along and hung around fr a while, getting to know each other.

A discarded pot left hanging

While there, I noticed that someone had hung a saucepan on a tree. I guess after cooking they just couldn't bother to lug back that utensil! Or maybe they had burnt it so badly on open fire it could no longer be used.

After lunch we headed back towards our parking lot by a much more forested but dry area,  minus gators.

In this section, the numerous fallen trees lying across the trail reminded us that there had recently been a hurricane in Florida. As we wended our way slowly, we met a gentleman who had been hiking with a young boy and two other adults  who stopped by a large fallen tree along the track to help the ladies go safely over it.

I asked him if he was a boy's scout and he replied "I try to be." Very helpful and pleasant young man.

Christina (Cuba) Terry (Guyana) Sue (Uganda)

The best part of these hikes in my book is meeting new people and Florida is quite a melting pot.

 Celia (Romania) Stephanie (New Zealand)

The interesting thing is it is a state of migrants as very few people living here are actually born here or even in the USA.  I spoke at length to quite a few people along the way but only one was originally from the state. Four were from  Kentucky, Puerto Rico, Pennsylvania and N. Dakota but the others were originally from overseas......... New Zealand, Romania, Cuba, and Uganda and of course me, Jamaica.

I really don't know how come Trump has his favorite (?) home in Florida when he hates immigrants so. Oh well, I guess he only hates non -Aryans so  he can survive here!. (Now why did I spoil my thoughts of a day pleasant day by thinking of him! Darn)

Back to more pleasant thoughts. I was excited to learn that the Bietram's (Terry from Guyana and his wife Sue from Uganda) had just recently returned from a safari in Kenya, which I plan to visit later this year so I really picked their brains about what to see and do there.

I just love the great outdoors. I love hiking, I love going to new places and most of all, I love life.

Another great day in the magnificent outdoors.

The domestic violence epidemic

Because women tend to be physically weaker than men, domestic violence at the hands of their partners and even loved ones, is a terrible pestilence that countless women have been forced to put up with since the beginning of time. And because these women more often than not, have had to suffer alone and in silence, the perpetrators have usually gotten away with it.

Since this practice can filter down in homes from one generation to the next, it has now reached epidemic proportions in the USA (which keeps good statistics) and most likely the rest of the world, if the report published by the Huffington Post on December 6th 2017 is to believed. For according to that newspaper, the number of American women who have been murdered by current or ex male partners between 2001-2012 was 11,766 nearly double the  number of US soldiers killed during the same period in active warfare Afghanistan!

The statistics put out by the National Coalition Against Domestic violence are equally mind boggling as they declare that each year, one in three women becomes a victim of physical brutality by an intimate partner, resulting in one woman being assaulted or killed by a partner every 9 seconds!

I am sure that not even women who are themselves victims, had any idea that the practice within families was so widespread for many may have thought it was only happening to them.

Well, as they say, behind every dark cloud lies a silver lining and if there is to be a silver lining behind the recent debate on the Rod Porter affair,  it is that the refusal by president Donald Trump and his minions, Chief of Staff Kelly, Sarah Sanders and Kelly Ann Conway to firmly and unequivocally condemn domestic violence while praising the perpetrator, Porter,  has elicited near unanimous condemnation and brought the issue from out of the shadows and placed it firmly on the front burner. 

This, plus the stiff price Porter has had to pay since his double life has been exposed, will hopefully cause potential abusers to think twice when they have the urge to abuse women, for now they know it will most likely eventually come out and destroy their careers for the days of their devious actions being forever kept secret, are gone.

For those who are not aware of the Rod Porter affair, he is a former aide to Trump who had access to classified material although he could not get security clearance from the FBI, as his Jekyll and Hyde character left him open to blackmail.

When his record of beating his two wives and girlfriend was leaked to the press, he had to resign immediately although his disgusting supporters at the white house would have happily kept him on, were it not for public outrage, especially by women. 

With other men seeing how the career and reputation  of this otherwise brilliant and from what we hear, hard working and effective  employee,  disintegrating immediately because of his secret, undercover and despicable penchant to destroy those whom he had pretended to love, hopefully they too will get the message.

And if evolving from this issue too, there were  enough legislators courageous enough to push for laws to criminally charge the organizations that keep people employed, after they have evidence that they have committed acts of domestic violence, that would send an even better message that domestic violence will never be tolerated. For when people are not only named and shamed, but also lose all chance of making a living, I guarantee that most will think twice about ever raising a hand at weaker partner.

Indeed, society has a duty to do everything, both criminal and civil, to protect the weak from harm.

INSECTS? HECK, WHY NOT!

How and what we eat has primarily to do with culture. 

I grew up as an unapologetic carnivore who hated vegetables. You see, I grew up on a farm where we had a lot of livestock, goats, rabbits, chickens cows etc and I observed from an early age that the animals ate green stuff like grass and green while we humans  ate the animals. So  naturally, the only vegetables I favored were those processed in the stomachs of the farm animals and I have never changed that diet! 

However, as I have matured, I started to have serious qualms about eating the poor animals. You see, I love  all  animals (that are not going to make a meal of me!) and have always tended to make pets of those that would allow me to. As a child, among my favorites were ducklings, rabbits, dogs and cats and although  I ate rabbits and ducks with relish, had for years tended to criticize those who ate cats and dogs.

However, I am now badly conflicted at the thought of eating all animals, as these creatures being slaughtered for our pleasure and convenience, have flesh, blood and feelings. This has also led me to become more understanding of how culture affects our diets, thus whereas cats and dogs have a special place in the hearts of some of us, so do cows to Hindus, so they would never think of eating them.  So the people who eat what we consider animals specially designed as pets, are no more evil than we are, for they have never contemplated using them as such but have always raised them only as food.  Who are fellow carnivores to condemn their culture therefore?

While, because of my culture,  I had once considered the very thought of consuming insects repulsive, I have warmed to the  scientists who are now seriously promoting this idea, (which is not at all new as it has been practiced in countries like China and Vietnam for centuries), as it seems to be not only nutritious but practical and useful.

For the fact is, most insects with the exception of things like bees, are nothing but disgusting pests that have no flesh or blood so probably feel no pain and worse, they bring a lot a of discomfort  and diseases to us humans!

 I am therefore positive  that where these can be tastily and  hygienically prepared, I would be able to consume them with not only delight, but a sense of satisfaction because I would be helping to  rid the world of dangerous pests, while eating healthily.

However, these are some insects like the cockroach, which, while I would like to help to eliminate from the face of the earth,  I would give a wide berth to, Yuck!