November 14, 2020

Monument Lake

Monument Lake Campground Big Cypress National Forest Florida

I took my morning walk around the lake.  On my first lap around, I saw this little gator peeking at me.  As I approached, it slid backward into the water.

On my send lap, he was perched on higher ground.  As I approached, he did not move.  I gave him wider berth and quickened my pace.  I was not sure if he was accustomed to being fed and I was quite sure that he could scramble out of the water and toward me faster than I could run!  I didn’t make a third pass…I walked in the campground. 

I noticed the sheriff’s county car in the park next door and headed over.  It was the same officer to whom I had surrendered the debit card yesterday.  She got out of her car and told me that she was able to track down the very grateful owner and meet her at a gas station to deliver the card.  She said “Not many people would have done that nowadays and I am very grateful to you.”  My response was that we all need to practice small acts of kindness in order to make a difference…I believe that!

We were headed to Monument Lake before 9.  Every year, for many years, while Tim’s brother, Jeff, was alive; we came to southern Florida for a couple of weeks every winter.  We had been once right after he passed away but not then for a couple of years.  Monument Lake was always the first place that we truly relaxed and enjoyed the sunshine, warmth, and the aspects of nature that don’t exist anywhere else in the states.  We should have anticipated that the hurricane last week would have left behind a lot of standing water.  Between 10-18 inches of rain fell in this area.  The canals are filled, as is Monument lake.  Fortunately, we are camped in a dryer section.

We set up, had lunch, and rested for a short while.  This afternoon, we took the gravel Loop Scenic Trail to see what we could find.

Cypress swamp.

Bromalid.

Flora….Florida Holly or Peppertree.

Baby Gators.

Great white herons.

Bigger gator…

Normally we see tons of alligators on this trail.  We are thinking that because everything is so flooded and the water is moving so rapidly through the culverts here…they might prefer to be resting elsewhere!

When we reached the paved portion of the trail, there was about 6 inches of standing water to plow through.

Sunset from our front yard.