No internet – 2 cameras, 1 cell phone and counting

Thursday February 7 2013
Site T15, Flamingo Campground
Everglades National Park

 

FIRST,
The Most Important Thing

and the Main Reason we have drive 40 miles one way in order to have phone and internet service.

 

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

CARRIE

YOUR BIRTHDAY IS TODAY!!!! 

YEA!!

 

We have finally accepted the fact that we don’t get to celebrate each and every birthday with Carrie but not talking to her on her birthday or sending her an email……Sorry, can’t happen.   The present and cards were in the mail last week and she’s been waiting to open it. 

So we’ve come to the North end of the park so we can talk to her  and then we intend to celebrate her birthday by doing a Slough Slog this afternoon.  It’s described as ‘wade through the river of grass into the shadows of a ‘gator hole’ or a cypress dome’.    Wish you were here sweetheart to get mucky and dirty with us!!    More about that next post.   But for now……

 

Nope, no internet, nada. 

We also drive the 40 miles one way today in order to let everyone know what happened to us and to post all the blogs I have written in the past 5 days including 3 from Big Cypress (that will teach me to get so far behind) and this two  from our first 4 days in Flamingo.

One of the Big Cypress blogs is about our Thursday January 31st bike ride in shark valley, another about visiting other places nearby including Fakahatchee Strand State Park, Collier Seminole State Park and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge on Friday February 1st and the 3rd about kayaking a gorgeous river on Saturday February 2nd.

The post previous to this one is about our first 3 days in Flamingo.

I posted them all today in the order they were written.  If you would like to read them and I hope you will and hope even more that you’ll leave a comment just click the bold green links included above for each of them.  Sure hope they all work.

 

We will be back in the land of internet on Sunday February 16 but I will not be able to comment on blogs or post any more until then unless we find some other reason for another 80 mile round trip.  Not likely.  But the Slough Slog will hopefully be worth waiting for.

 

Wednesday February 6

I’m up at 6am and walk over in the dimness of first light to see the sun rise.   The nearly new moon is up and the palm trees and tents in the walk in camping area are silhouetted.

 

 

 

I love to watch the colors in the sky as they turn and the day begins.
It takes about an hour for the entire show.

 

The colors are richest just as it turns light and then somehow mute as the sun gets closer and closer to the horizon.

 

And there it is.

 

At this point, it seems to zoom up into the sky burning hot white and the day is underway.

 

I do some “birding” on my way back.

 

On the walk home I pass these fellows all gathered out in a ghost tree.  Pretty eerie isn’t it??

 

 

And only a little further on these two fellows fly into the try right in front of me and begin yacking it up.  Much more cheerful for sure.

 

 

 

I’m home by 7:30, put on my running clothes and am off for about 4.5 miles.  

 

This afternoon we are kayaking 9 Mile Pond.

We have oatmeal pecan pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast and they are delicious.  Then we pack up and head out to kayak what is known as the 9 Mile Pond.  It’s only a 5 mile kayak but it’s a good one.

 

We launch from this shore.

 

 

 

 

 

We read the caution sign and do what we can to keep Ruby out of harm’s way.  We figure we will be gone about 3 hours or so.

 

 

 

 

We wonder if this guy has been brought up on charges before and is wearing an electronic surveillance radio so they will know his where abouts.  He definitely looks suspicious doesn’t he?

 

 

We see most of the wildlife crossing the first pond.

 

 

 

Now for even more fun.

 

 

The trail leads back and forth from tunnels to wide open ponds and later water glades filled with sun and grass.

 

This is a red mangrove paddle and they are striking out new territory every where you look.   These two will one day create an island of their own.

 

 

 

 

The trail is marked by numbered posts and without them you’d be completely lost.

 

 

 

 

It’s winter, the dry season, the water is low.  The mangrove roots tell the story.

 

 

We’re in a sea of breadsticks.

Imagine being out here with no posts.

 

Actually it is a beige colored algae mat, periphyton which creates a rich supply of food for apple snails, small fish and tadpoles.  It can be really rough paddling if the water is seriously low.  We are on the edge of that today.

 

Above the water and floating

 

Under the water and growing.

 

Whoever is in charge of eating this stuff is seriously neglecting their duty.   We do get turned around in these open spaces at one point and miss our marker.  But you don’t go far if you don’t see another and soon we were back on track.

 

 

Some of the posts are short and easily missed.

 

 

We catch a break from the breadsticks

 

but you’d better be able to make a 90 degree turn in close quarters

 

 

We decide this is a great lunch spot so we just pull into a close in spot and break out the sandwiches.

 

 

 

Toward the end of the trail we are riding for a while on an old airboat route.  Because of their impact on animals, plants and solitude, airboats are not used within the park anymore except for limited research and emergency situations.

 

 

OK so where’s the marker?   Do you see it?

 

 

 

At the end of the trail we pass though two smaller ponds. 

From here

 

through here

 

to here

 

It’s been a great day we think as we pull the kayaks up on shore.  But then….

We put the boats on the car and are driving back to Winnona for dinner when David starts fiddling.   He’s looking for his cell phone. 

What?   He brought his cell phone on a paddle in an area every one has told him has Zero, Zip, Nada NO SERVICE.   Fellow campers,  work campers, volunteers and Rangers are all in agreement – if you have No AT&T, you have no service.   But ever unrealistic optimistic,  David has brought his phone just to check. 

And yes he has lost it.   We drive back to the put in, we look all over, we take the kayak back off the car and turn it upside down.   And then we find the phone, in the water.   Those of you who have been with us for a while will know that getting out of the kayak is the place he lost two cameras previously and now a cell phone.  Why he can’t master this maneuver I have no idea. It’s not like he’s a klutz.  But it’s clear he really should have nothing with him in the kayak that he wouldn’t mind getting a soak.

Why did he take the cell phone in the kayak?   No doubt to make those calls for which he has no service while paddling through tight spaces and a sea of breadsticks.   :-)

 

Any suggestions?  Please!!

If you have any suggestions for how to resurrect a phone that has been dropped in water and hung out there for 30-45 minutes, PLEASE let us know.  Carrie will read the comments, hopefully posting them and getting the information to us via our One Suite 800 phone calls to her.

Not a great way to end a really fine kayaking day.   I do think this is a paddle that could be done by the narrower of the sea eagle kayaks.  It’s not too shallow, not toooo narrow and there is nothing sharp on the bottom.  So come on down and do it.   Just don’t bring your cell phone.  :-)