Sights [Sighs?] of Southern Florida

We've had some stormy weather AND some
beautiful March sunsets . . .

Along with Spring comes some 'seasonal' hazards . . . read about the dangers here. Oh the joys of Bonkers Florida!

We were just planning a trip to Corkscrew swamp the very day this video came into my inbox - beware she does swear at the end, but I thought she was pretty calm all considering a charging panther was coming straight for her.

This is Corkscrew Swamp. We saw plenty of wildlife, but no panthers or Bobcats.

Not being afraid to try anything with my point and shoot camera, I stuck it up to a telescope to view the ahingha nest below. See the Momma sitting on her eggs?

red-bellied woodpecker

Look closely - Ahingha on nest

There were also a few strange human sights in Southern Florida - we passed through on our way to Cuba, the subject of my next blog! Driving across Florida in Alligator Alley there isn't much to see, so the swamp was a welcome sight along with the Seminole Indian Tribes Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. We stopped at the Fruit & Spice Park, a good primer for visiting Cuban market gardens.

This is Coral Castle . . . 'an engineering marvel that has been compared with Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Egypt' - I am just quoting the brochure.  It was built by Ed Leedskalnin a 5 foot tall, 100 pound Latvian immigrant, who single-handed and without any modern tools, excavated, carved and moved many tons of coral rock in the 1920's and 30's. He did this to build a 'castle' home out of rock without roof for his finance who jilted him the night before the wedding; apparently his thinking was this 'home' would win her back!?! Weird and amazing just about sums it up - and needless to say the man was a bit bonkers (this is Florida ...).

Another wonderful sunset over the Gulf