Everything looks like a snake...

especially after you've just seen one. Walking in the preserve today I saw a pygmy rattlesnake on the trail. The dog had already gone past it, oblivious, and it was coiled up in a little ball next to a clump of grass. I wanted a picture but was afraid to alert Miss Daisy to its presence by taking too long over it. The result was that I aimed the camera and took a picture but not of the snake, darn it. And of course, every stick that I saw from then on until I got back to the car looked just like a snake to me. Minds are funny things. At least, mine is. Next time, I'll tie the dog up somewhere safe, and go back and get my shot.

Take the side track

I jumped in the car with my husband, Steve, on Memorial Day, ostensibly to go the beach for a couple of hours, but we got sidetracked after we saw a sign pointing to the Guana River State Park & Wildlife Preserve off of County Road 210 just east of the intercoastal waterway. There was a trailhead into the preserve with parking and restrooms and maps and, since we were feeling adventurous, we decided to hike the two mile loop in our flip flops. We did remember our water bottles, in case we got thirsty.

At the half way point in our hike we saw another sign that pointed to a wildlife viewing blind and we could see by the map that it was just a half inch away, so we walked out to it. At the blind we saw a flock of egrets on a pond with another sign (so many signs!) explaining that the water's ph is maintained by trained scientists so that it will be attractive to lots of wildlife. Well, it was attracting egrets anyway. We watched them for a while and then made the slog back to the car and then continued our journey to the beach to soak our feet.

I'd like to go back there one day soon, but with my shoes on.