A rainy day!  Gee, when was the last one of those here in S/W Florida or the Keys?  I don’t remember one.  It’s been a little breezy, but the sun is still shining brightly.  The weather guessers are saying today’s (Thursday, Feb. 5th) high will be 73 degrees.  A hard rain storm passed through at 9 a.m. and since then it’s been raining steadily or drizzling here in Everglades City.  I guess it’ll be a computer day and maybe I’ll get to send an email.  The Festival sets up around the library, and the streets are closed, so I won’t be able to drive there.  This’ll be my 18th Festival in a row!  I was in Islamorada for the weekend and planned on using the library’s WiFi on Sunday, but they’d turned it off on the day they’re closed.  Monday morning I left for Long Pine Key on the road to Flamingo in EverGlades N.P. near Homestead.  It’s a new place for me and I think has been built since the last time I was to Flamingo, where I was disappointed by only seeing lots of tourists and more mosquitos.  I never went back.
 
I ended my Keys sojourn low key le’id back, the way I like it, by gorging on KW pink shrimp, listening to John LaMere’s music & antics, enjoyed the EcoCenter Reef Exhibit, and plus people watching.  The last week I got several friendly warnings about parking overnight/sleeping in a vehicle, the truck battery ran down, and as I left I could feel a familiar vibration, which increased as I got closer to Islamorada.  The last of the set of B.F. Goodrich tires had gone bad.  I had it replaced there.  Hopefully, the truck troubles are behind me now.  Enough already!!!  The engine still runs like a new one.  Since another tire went bad, running over that curb, probably didn’t make the tread come loose from that other tire, so it wasn’t me!
 
After a scrumptious Spanish Omelet at Harriets (MM 95),  I headed for Long Pine Key which will become a regular stop. Although I didn’t see any spectacular (alligators, most wading birds & Royal Palm Trees are common to me) wildlife, the Anhinga Trail is scenically gorgeous and there’re lots of buildings full of displays (I skipped them - not my style), and there’re lots of hiking trails and more.  I was only there for one full day just to discover what it had.  There are also 90+ camp sites, so no reservations are necessary.  The nicest, most isolated, closest to the lake and hiking trails are reserved for tents, so next time to qualify for one I may find that “pup” tent I started with 17 years ago and put it at the site; but probably won’t sleep in it, though.  Lone Pine is also less than 20 miles from Homestead, so relatively easy to get to, whereas Flamingo is about 40 more miles to drive.
 
After I left I supplied up for the next month at MegaMart, bought a large frying pan at $G, picked six pounds of tomatoes, and bought a dozen ears of sweet corn grown right there and pulled that day.  Now, I have a down day til the EverGlades City SeaFood (Music for me on a world class stage & sound system) Festival.  Lynyrd Skynyrd is here again. They played “Free Bird” last year, and last year there was a vendor selling local produce.  I hope to add some squash and other veggies to “grill” in a little canola oil and crab spice in that frying pan, when I’m back at Big Cypress for a couple weeks.  Speaking of crabs, I tried to catch some yesterday, but it was cloudy and breezy - not good for seeing crabs.  Here if I can see them I don’t need any bait; I just net them in the shallow water.  I was lucky a couple years ago, heard someone caught a bunch back in December as I was leaving Everglades City, so I I’ll keep trying.
 
On my way here after getting the tomatoes and corn, I took Loop Road that passes through picturesque Sweet Water in Big Cypress National Preserve.  I stopped to take a look and as I was getting my camera gear from my camper, I saw something move in my cupboard.  I see everything, especially movement or a shape that does match the rest of what I’m seeing; that’s how I see so much wildlife.  It was a large dark mega bug.  OMG, my world stopped.  There’s not enough space in this camper, my nest, for that critter and me!  I took everything out of the cupboard, didn’t see it, but sprayed the sides with Raid anyhow.  That shook my day.  If that damn thing runs across my face in the middle of the night, I may not survive.  I got over it and didn’t think of it last night.  As I began to write this I felt something run across my toes.  I didn’t see it, but I sure felt it.  I pulled the rug back and sprayed the floor and wall around it.  Again I didn’t see it, but it let me know it was still here.  Later as I took a break to clean up the dishes, stove and sink, I saw it again in the cupboard at the top.  The Raid was within reach.  I scored a direct hit; it ran and again everything came out of the cupboard, I didn’t find its carcass, but I feel confident the Raid will do its thing.  It sure as H--- better and there better not be anymore!!! On the downslide and lovin' it.  Ask me about a free photo.
 
Bob R  o.c.FotoGuy
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