Very BIG gator

DELAND, FL - - Getting too close is not recommended.

Hang on while I scratch my neck

DELAND, FL - - How good is your balance?? This great blue heron does pretty well attending to an itch. This was one of many photo opportunities during our trip to Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge in Deland on Saturday. There was also a surprise discovery....but you'll need to go to Lydia's blog (via the link on the left of the page) to see what caused us to take a detour and reverse our direction.

Mom, we're hungry

TIERRA VERDE, FL - - There was a whole lot of squawking going on in this heron family on Bird Island as the youngsters wait for mom to feed them. She isn't aloof although it looks that way. What really is happening is that mom's stomach is churning the fish she recently caught into mush and she regurgitates (like barfing) that mush into the beaks of her family. There are four hungry youngsters in that cluster
We met the raccoon family at our campsite in Ft. Desoto campground. Mom and five of her six rascals are pictured here. It seemed the sixth member was always too slow, too fast, too involved with something which was attention getting or just plain straggling along to get involved. The group made numerous forays into our site looking for food and almost got into our VW camper. See Lydia blog via the link on this page for more pictures of our adventure last weekend.

A different view

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - A 'fractured' view from our trip to the New Smyrna Beach Art Festival on Jan. 30.