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The struggle between what you want from nature and
what you don't. Wasps under the eaves? No. |
We're heading out on the community hiking trail this morning for a stroll along the Orange River in Ft. Myers. There's plenty of nature to see everywhere, and it's fun observing the constant struggle between the forces at play here . . . especially when you have a local guide with struggles of his own.
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| Yes |
Virg showed me the flora around his homestead yesterday, naming all the materials and explaining why some do well and why some don't. With a year round growing season there's a lot of activity and a lot to know about. He has help, but he does a lot of it himself. The result is a beautiful setting.
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They used to ship oranges from here.
(It isn't the same dock, of course) |
We continued our exploration of the urban wilderness, heading just down the road to the six-mile cypress slough preserve boardwalk, which is about a mile long public boardwalk along the six-mile cypress slough. We observed squirrels and skinks and in the ponds we saw turtles and an alligator and garfish and a green heron, but mostly the dry season has kept the critters down.
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| See the turtle? |
Years ago Kathleen and Stan took a similar stroll in the corkscrew swamp, quietly walking just a couple of feet above the water.
We're going to put in a couple of kayaks at 10 a.m. today and paddle up the Orange, so named for the international orange traders who once shipped produce from what is now Virg's back yard.
We hope to see a manatee.
