I
spent the morning working; never did get to the laundry. By 11 a.m., I felt I
had to get out. The skies had cleared and it looked like a beautiful day. I was
at Gail’s by noon. We discussed possible bird sanctuaries and wildlife
preserves checking possible places on the internet.
She
offered to do the driving and we took her father’s van. I wasn’t sure my body
and legs would squeeze down into her PT Cruiser. It was great having someone
else drive. I got to look around and see some sights. We stopped at the Hobe
Sound National Wildlife Refuge. After looking at the reptiles in cages, we
headed out on a trail. To my chagrin, it was all soft sand and narrow paths.
Prickly bushes and vines made the path smaller in places. Gail scratched her
leg on something with long thorns and my walking stick kept getting hung up in
the vines.
The
temperatures were in the 80s and the sun beat down. Walking was difficult in
the soft sand and the first part of the trail went uphill. If my walking stick
didn’t catch in the vines, it sunk in the sand. My feet and knees hurt. I
struggled. The landscape was scrub habitat and in this area, these places date
back tens of thousands of years. This was part of an ancient high Atlantic
Coastal Ridge formed during the ice age. Much of the sand here had actually
washed down from the Piedmont of the Carolinas and Georgia to the ocean where
the currents carried it to Florida. There are many plants and animals here not
found anywhere else.
One
part of the trail was the highest point for miles around. Every once in a while
we got a glimpse of the river. Lightning strikes cause fires and
recent hurricanes have killed many sand pine trees; the snags of which provide
perching and nesting places for birds. In the distance, Gail pointed out a nest
saying she thought there was a bird in it. I snapped some photos, but until I
edit them, I could not tell.
The
only creatures we say, though was a gopher turtle, a bunch of little lizards,
and a couple of high flying birds in the distance.
We
reached a part in the trail were one way went towards the river and the other
back to the nature center. If we had taken that trail to the river to begin
with, it might have been easier for me. It wasn’t marked at the trail’s
beginning. Gail had had wondered when we started out if that was a short cut,
but I elected to follow the trail signs. By the time we did the one trail and
reached the intersection, I was too tired and hot to follow the other trail.
We
headed into Jensen Beach to have dinner at the Olive Garden. It was soooo good!
We
went to my hotel, changed into swimsuits, and headed for the pool. On the Pool
Rules sign, we had a laugh. At other pools, besides some of the normal safety
regulations, there were “No spitting in pool” and “No blowing your nose in the
pool.” This pool sign had another, “No one with diarrhea should use the pool.”
Oh, what pictures that conjures up in the mind, ha ha! I can see Gary Larsen
having “The Far Side” fun with this.
The
water was cool and once wet, the air cooler. I was a little self conscious when
a couple guys set up their laptops at a table nearby. They didn’t stay long. I did my pool exercises and after awhile, we got
out to lie in the sun to dry and warm up. Afterwards, Gail gave me a great foot
massage. I was hoping it would help the swelling. Unfortunately, it didn’t, but
they did feel better.
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