Wednesday, August 10, 2011

101 Reasons Why I Love Florida: Reason #26





The gopher tortoise is currently a threatened species. Therefore, it was a treat to find one happily scavenging for leaves and grass when Terri and I were walking through Key Vista park the other day. He (she?) stopped, posed for a couple of pictures, then went back to gnawing on whatever plants had the misfortune of growing in his path. In fact, as he grazed, he wandered closer and closer to my feet. Very shortly after this last photo, I backed up several feet to avoid losing any appendages.

Monday, August 8, 2011

101 Reasons Why I Love Florida: Reason #25


Anyone who knows me is aware that I'm not a fan of arthropods. The fact that I'm featuring them on my blog should tell you something about how cute these little guys are compared to other creatures of the same phylum.

Walk up to any unpopulated beach area around here, and you'll see dozens of tiny, previously unnoticed critters go scattering in all directions and then disappear into the sand. When you get closer, you'll see tiny holes everywhere. If you stand extremely still and be quiet, the fiddler crabs will slowly begin to emerge from their hiding spots. Make one move, and they will vanish again. It's free entertainment!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

101 Reasons Why I Love Florida: Reason #24



I'm not a huge theme park person. I mean, they're OK, assuming the weather is perfect and the crowds are small, but that's an extremely rare occurrence. I'm also not a huge Disney fan. However, I must admit that the Disney people really know how to create an experience. The prices are far from cheap, but they do make sure you get your money's worth. And no one can walk away from Disney World without a few lasting memories.