Tranquility

I am happy that in the middle of the hassle of moving, getting people to clean and paint today (3rd December 2022, my Guatamalan, nature loving friend Rosa, called to tell me she was going to Wakodahatchee Park to look at the birds.

You know me. Just say outdoors and I am there!

So, I told her give me two hours. 

Thankfully she did and it was a really a great afternoon. 

The Wakodahachee Wetlands, opened in 1996 are in Delroy Beach, Florida. 

It has a three-quarter mile boardw​alk that crosses between open water areas and islands with shrubs and snags to foster nesting and roosting.

 This site is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and offers many opportunities to observe birds in their natural habitats. 

Over 178 bird species have been identified there, along with turtles, alligators, rabbits, fish, frogs and raccoons and the words that come to mind are peace, beauty and tranquility. 

 I had the feeling I might have been there before with a Meet Up group, but nothing quite rung a bell. But I did, for I found the blog I did on that visit. 

Joan, my views: Alligator mating call (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

Anyway this is the type of place you visit over and over again if you can. 

In fact we met a retired federal officer who is an amateur photographer and he admitted he had been visiting this park for 47 years! 

We thought this stork was a dried branch! Great camoflage

I suspect he is not the only one, since all around you see dozens of photographers, amateur and professional, toting huge expensive cameras,  just hoping to get that special shot!

This is not just a place for leisure seekers and bird watchers though, for it is reported that each day, the Southern Region Water Reclamation Facility pumps approximately two million gallons of highly treated wastewater into the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, which in turn acts as a percolation pond, returning billions of gallons of fresh water back into the water table.

For us though, it is a place to enjoy nature and find peace and tranquility.

A colorful iguana

A tree covered with storks

George, the Park's mascot!

 

Manpower to the rescue

The off-road safari vehicle with all tires intact😊

Many of us drive around happily, but never know what to do in a crisis. For example, could you change a tire?

Even if one can, some vehicles are so heavy that no one person, even with the greatest skills, can get a really heavy vehicle up.

On a safari in Kenya in 2021, we found the main roads to be excellent. But to see the wild animals, one must get off the main and travel into the bushes. In our case in Maasai Country in Kenya, there was no road to our camp, so our off-road vehicle had to actually cut the road as we went along.

 Then bang, we blew a tire.

Our driver struggled to jack up the vehicle but alas he couldn't doit by himself. So, our super-strong host Denis, joined him in jacking it up.

They did, then after taking off the punctured tire, it turned out that the heavy vehicle had to go up even higher, as the fully inflated tire required more space.

We all learned something that day then went off we went into the camp to view the most wonderful animals in their natural environment and enjoy the peace, fun and excitement of an African safari.