Blog#21-On to Georgia

From Tallahassee to The Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia

Woke up in the night to the cracking of thunder—it was frightening. I have never heard thunder so close. I felt the hairs on my arms stand up. It stormed for a few hours and boy did the rain come down. Before I went to bed, I walked across the parking lot to look—with binocs— for birds in a wooded area on the other side of an arroyo. The arroyo had maybe one puddle in it. This morning, it is full. Eight feet across and probably a foot deep. Flowing fast.

I drove into Georgia and passed peanut farms.  They sell boiled peanuts down here, but my stomach isn’t ready yet.  Soon. 

They also do a lot of logging.  Georgie has more acreage of timber that is logged than any other state.  And they apparently do it right–the forest numbers have remained constant with replanting and management.  But the trees are much smaller than those they logged in Oregon when I was a kid. They are not big diameter. My logging friends back home would call them Pecker Poles.  I don’t what kind of trees they are here in Southern Georgia, but some kind of Pine, I think.  Mostly they go for paper pulp, veneer, etc.  Not a high percentage of actual lumber.

Passed this load ASAP

I drove to the Okefenokee Swamp National Park and am camped at Stephen C. Foster State Park in Georgia. The Okefenokee(Trembling Earth) is actually a wet peat bog, not a true swamp. It is dependent upon rain for it’s source. And it is the headwater of the Suwannee River. This park is named for the man who wrote the song, “Way down upon the Suwannee River”. (I learned all this from the rangers. Sometimes I pay attention)

This is a very remote park—no major city within 150 miles. 17 miles from here is a small town with a gaspump/ convenience store only.

No phone service out here either.  One of Georgia’s Seven Wonders.

When I checked in with the park ranger in “The Trading Post” (camp store), she asked if I was a senior.  Of course, I answered yes.  She refunded me $14 of the $70 for the two nights I had prepaid. Some people would color their hair, but I say milk the milkcolored hair.

On the banks of the Suwannee sill

Okefenokee Swamp

Hoping for a RInged Kingfisher, but he was a Belted

I went with a ranger on a short boat tour in the mangrove swamp and saw many, many alligators. Some birds, but nothing new. Was hoping to see the American Bittern that the previous boat tour had spotted, but no such luck. My boat driver’s name was Alex. He has a routine spiel, I’m sure, when he takes out tours. I was the only one on this particular tour, so he was my private guide. He told me about the history of the swamp and the swampers who lived here at one time. He also pointed out wildlife and various flowers and plants that we passed. Alex has  a speech impediment.  Add that to the noise of the boat motor, and it was difficult to catch everything he said. I was not as thrilled with the gators as he thought I would be; I explained that I had seen many in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama.  I was excited when I saw a kingfisher.  Alex, finding something that caught my interest, immediately slowed the boat, put it in reverse, spun it around and attempted to manuever close to where the kingfisher had landed.  This while I am trying to focus my camera for the proof shot. I told him it was okay, we didn’t need to get close, I have a good camera.  And the kingfisher flew off, just like they do when you approach them.  Three more attempts with three more kingfishers–same process.  I finally got the photo, only because I shot it before Alex knew what I was doing.  He had a heart of gold and no birding sense at all

“Wild Turkeys” in the park. Stokes field guide doesn’t say more than that. The book, in this instance, not worth the money I paid for it.

I did meet a couple from Ontario, Canada who are staying here in a cabin. The man, Casey, was very interested in my PVC pipe arrangement on the roof of my car. “What is it for?” he asked. When I showed him, he admitted he had taken a photo of it already. “I’m always looking for a cheap way to make my camping easier”.  Cheap?  How dare he.  This setup cost me almost $50. He had sent the photo to his son. He and his wife checked out my custom made bed and my new Yeti. He took a photo of the ice chest as well, after I told him of it’s ice retaining capabilities. Like myself, he and his wife had driven a minivan for years while their kids were young. When the kids grew up, they got rid of the van and bought a nice little coupe. Now, like myself, they wish they had a van. They tent camp usually, but when the weather turns, they have to pay more for lodging.

I told Casey that I have the patent on my rooftop system, and I better not see him starting up a company making them. He laughed, but I’ll be watching. He had a French accent.

There are many wild turkeys and deer here, and turtles that threaten to crawl in front of your car as you drive down the roads. I specifically told one such turtle to not even think about crossing the road—I told him he’d get smashed. He completely disregarded my instructions-I saw him in the road a few minutes later. He made it across…this time. I didn’t drive fast enough.

Noncompliant turtle. Alex tells me this is not a Western Painted. It is a Georgia Painted. Same same different

synchronized turkeys

I drove down a side road named Suwannee River Sill road. I realized that what I was looking at on this road is the actual draining of the Okefenokee into this “sill” and as it flows, it becomes the Suwannee. Fascinating to see a river forming right in front of you.

The headwater of the Suwannee

I ate a P&J sandwich for dinner and washed my clothes in a “Comfort Station”. That’s what they call the restroom/shower/laundry in Georgia. There is a sitting area as well, with 2 rocking chairs. All of this is enclosed behind walls and a big screened porch. Down home comfort here.

It is raining on and off here. Again, very humid and warm. The mosquitos are out, but Ha! I have my full can of aerosol DEET. Or so I thought . I pulled the effing can out, pulled off the lid, and there is no push button on the stem. You have got to be joking. But no. So here I am in BFE, mosquitos all around and I have only a whiff left of my bug dope, to go with this $15, 10oz can that is completely useless. I also have a bottle of the botanical stuff—lemon grass and eucalyptus. The mosquitos laughed at that and bit the bottle. And the Bass Pro Shop is 150 miles the way I am NOT going. Oh goody. And now I realize that I am also out of coffee. Shit the bed.

I have lit the citronella candle.  That should do the trick-one candle in 430,000 acres of swamp.

I always check to see if the shower requires coins, tokens, or is free. They are free here. They are also well inhabited by the damned mosquitos.

I will use my packaged wipes tonight. I seriously cannot face another new bite.

Black Vulture. He has a collar of feathers

Little Blue Heron in the Suwannee

80% chance of precipitation here tomorrow. I scoured the campground with a flashlight tonight, at my bug-biting peril, searching for an armadillo. Nothing. I didn’t even see a raccoon. I think I may have to move on from here tomorrow and forfeit the prepaid price.

Red Shouldered Hawk in the campground

I don’t want to spend the day in my car avoiding lightening bolts.

Boardwalk nature trail

This is representative of the Georgia countryside. Very beautiful and slow paced