Sweetwater

Ahhh, Sweetwater! I don't think there's any other place like it on earth. This is old Florida at it's best. A private spring on a meandering spring-fed creek in the middle of the Ocala National Forest. The cabin, built by the CCC in the 1930's, sleeps 12 in two bunk-bed dormitory-style bedrooms. And there's plenty of room on the grounds for tents, hammocks and sleeping bags. The spring has a little platform for jumping off into the cool, crystal clear, soul healing waters. Just a few dozen yards down the spring run, is Juniper Creek, fed mainly by Juniper and Fern Hammock springs. The creek has some of the best kayaking on the planet. It meanders through oak hammocks, grassy marshes and palm groves as it makes its way from the springs to Lake George. Trees bend low over the water in so many places that paddlers have to do the limbo to get under them. The current is strong enough that to paddle upstream is a great workout.

The picture above is John Moran's appropriately named "Paradise Found". That's exactly what it feels like when you are there. The rest of the pictures are from our trip there last year.

Some of our younger group brought hammocks which were strategically placed around the spring and grounds for convenient access to bliss. One of the hammocks was anchored to a tree that had a large active beehive. That was my favorite place to take my book and relax. Except that I rarely got any reading done there. It was too sedating to lie there listening to the droning of the bees.

Another hammock was hung from a huge oak tree that hung out over the spring. That oak tree dominated the views of the spring while providing shade and respite for the locals. What an amazing place! I can imagine that this must have been a favorite resting spot for native Americans who no doubt also enjoyed the cool, crystal clear, soul healing waters, quite possibly under the somewhat less extensive shade of that same magnificent oak.

Cranes on Payne's Prairie

Wendell and I went out to Payne's Prarie on New Year's Day morning. We had heard that there was a much larger than normal population of sandhill cranes. And, even better, there was a pair of whooping cranes that had broken off of from their ultralight-led group and decided to join the sandhills this winter. We thought it might be pretty cool, but we were unprepared for the sight and sounds of thousands of sandhill cranes amassed near the north side of the Prairie, along La Chua trail.

The sandhills were a real treat for us. We see them frequently, but rarely in these numbers and rarely so close. But an even bigger treat was the pair of whooping cranes. This is one of the most endangered species on earth. They are making a comeback after dwindling to about 20 individuals. Now they number about 300 total. And we had never seen any before. I think it may be the first time they have visited the prairie for decades.

The cranes are very large, very noisy birds. When they fly over our house during the spring and fall migration seasons, I can't resist the impulse to run outside and spot the flock. Sometimes I can hear them so clearly, but can't find them because they are so far up or hidden behind the trees in our neighborhood. But this time, we were just 200 feet or so from a huge flock of the birds foraging on the ground. And more birds were joining them as we watched, in small groups of 2 to 10. The new birds didn't seem to care if there was enough room for them -- they would land right in the middle of the flock.

The sound of the cranes is incredible, especially when you are in the middle of a flock of several thousand. I tried to record it, but this video does not capture it well.

Note: We found out later from a park ranger that the two whooping cranes are "newlyweds". Whooping cranes mate for life and these two just paired off this year. May they live long and prosper!