not dead yet ....

So I thought about that today, after another long, hot, five hour stint, back out at the Upper Myakka Preserve, cutting trails and clearing shrub with the Conservation Foundation, all working towards an end of a restoration project. And today, feeling happy just being healthy enough.

 

But out east heading home, sadly saw this doe get hit a few cars ahead of me, again thinkin', "not dead yet?" 

 

 

'Tag Along'

I volunteered this past week to "tag along" with one of our Conservation Foundation's several Land Steward's, mapping, clearing and documenting the Upper Myakka Preserve. Total, there were three of us, tasked with also identifying and removing an invasive plant species, a very thorny shrub, the aquatic soda apple.

Esmeralda (Land Steward), Stacey (volunteer) and I started in the uplands, north of the Myakka State Park boundary. We headed both north and south, mapping down to the lower-lying banks of the Myakka River. 

We marked our way through old growth of live-oak and cabbage palms, to the river's edge. There we pushed through the six-foot high, nearly impenetrable, invasive Para grass. All accomplished within a five hour hike through the Preserve’s heavily hog-rutted terrain. 

Glad I was up for it. Though, did feel a little punch-drunk later, after finally laying down.

The Conservation's 'Land Steward', Esmeralda, forcefully pushing her way through the tall Para grass along the river's bank.

 

A neighbor (who as of yet, I have not met)

Below is the construction phase of a newly completed house in our neighborhood. It began a little over a year ago, from a heavily wooded lot, to a completely leveled property. A cookie-cutter design which became a contemporary, supposed enviable new home, now appears alarmingly across the way.  

Our road, Flamingo Ave (below) just before construction. On the right, our property (with a hidden blue mailbox up ahead) - and the soon-to-be transformed wooded lot on the left (just beyond the driveway and white mailbox).

 

 

 Our mailbox with our side-gate entrance.

 

 

 

March 2023. The lot across the road, bulldozed and totally cleared of all life (viewed from our mailbox). 

 

 

April 2023. Start of construction.

 

 

 May 2023

 

 

September 2023

 

 

October 2023

 

 

March 2024. Now a year later, construction finally complete this past week. Today, even without the new homeowners appearance, newly installed lights, interior & exterior, have remained lit throughout the night. New owners? Still haven't seen 'em, or met 'em, at least not yet. But from the not-so-distant past, I do miss the owls, the raccoons and those few wandering snakes.

 

out east today

A light breeze blowing

 

 

 

 

 

My buddies, 'Los Tres Amigos'

Palm transplant; I couldn't move one of those, let alone one on my own. 

From the tidal floods of this past year, I had to replace four hefty pygmy date palms that had withered and died from saltwater intrusion. 

Amazingly, my buddies are a whirlwind team. Holes were dug and within five hours all the new specimens were neatly, nicely transplanted, leaving proud smiles all around.

Erick, the "young buck".  Lion, the "wise-one".  And my old buddy, "bossman", Sr. Jayro Marin

The Greatest Show (In Town)

 A small sampling under their new Big Top

 

 

Ringmaster, Joseph Bauer, Jr  (15th generation, Swiss family circus)

 

 

 

 

The 'Wheel of Destiny', Marcos & Noe from Spain

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bello Sisters (Loren, Celine & Joline), Italian / German acrobatic trio

 

 

 

 

 

Myakka headwaters

Again, out volunteering with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, planting once more, native 'pop ash' along the banks of the upper Myakka River. 

Myakka's headwaters in eastern Manatee County.

 

 

Standing in open prairie, the Foundation's volunteer coordinator & 'land steward', Esmeralda Figueras (L) discusses with a volunteer the day's placement of pop ash saplings.

 

Volunteers planting the saplings along the river's bank.

a volunteer's field packpack

 

 

A little further downriver, with inter-mingling mature pop ash lining the opposite shore, a likely swimming hole waiting for some late afternoon kids.