February 18, 2012

This was a slower paced day and we didn't see so many things that were so very different. On the way to the Everglades again, we had to drive through Miami. This time, rather than the beach road, we drove on US Highway 41 which goes east and west. We were a mile from Little Havana. For about 2 miles there were no signs on stores, restaurants, etc. that were in English. They were for Cuban, Puerto Rican, Haitian, Dominicans and possibly more that I couldn't read. It was strange to be a minority.

One time today when I looked at the temperature, it was 89 degrees. Later in the day I saw a guy with a Chicago Cubs t-shirt on and started to ask Ed if the Cubs were playing today. It didn't take long to get used to really warm temperatures and forget about basketball and hockey.

We saw a lot of birds again and many alligators. There were also red bellied turtles just like the one at the Mounds except this one was larger and in the wild. One place there were 7 baby alligators all sunning themselves.

There were several exotic looking flowers along the paths too.

We saw a lot of porches and out-buildings that had thatched roofs. The Indians that lived, and some still live, here used these roofs on their houses.

There are cypress trees all over the lower part of Florida. We kept seeing these small trees that looked dead when all the rest of the trees have leaves. These were young cypress trees. This type cypress is a conifer and deciduous so it looses all its leaves in the winter time. We saw some with leaves and they look rather like a pine tree. These trees form knobs.

Here is a small cypress tree, just beginning to get its leaves.

Here is a mature cypress tree.

Here is a huge cypress tree with a strange growth on the right of it.  :) 

I was very excited that we would be able to see an eagle's nest but when we got there we discovered that vultures had chased away the parent eagles and the babies are either gone or died. It is hard to believe that a vulture could chase away eagles but the vultures down here fly in groups of 10 to 30. I suppose if a large group came at the eagles, they would have to leave. Here, at least, is the nest.

The good news is that the Decorah, Iowa eagles that I follow have laid an egg. Hopefully more will come!



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