Epilogue

I returned to Charlotte to a loving brother and sister-in-law who love me unconditionally. 😍 Such a comfort to be myself without any need to self-edit or “dumb down”.  I am so grateful to all my “family”  who have been my teachers in this regard.  You might ask, ‘what does this have to do with the Florida Scenic Trail?’  I’ll let you answer that question for yourselves.  In any case, I achieved great wisdom on this journey that will serve me always.  You can’t plan a journey like this one. It unfolds organically and it’s best to go with the flow, even though it may be uncomfortable at times and contrary to logic.  Our divine spark always has our highest interests in mind and holding that intention never fails me.  That being said, I’m closing out this blog and will resume posting on the ‘Finding the Way ‘ blog. Thanks to all those who have followed me and given me such encouragement and inspiration to follow my heart and lead with my heart.

Back to Miami

Our trip is almost over—we three fly home tomorrow. So the morning was spent packing, consolidating, letting go of unneeded items we picked up along the way.  We retrieved our pack covers from George, our trip angel.  He also suggested we visit the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, very conveniently located.  It was an amazing place and we spent several hours there. They specialize in palms, orchids and have an amazing butterfly garden. The butterflies were busy collecting nectar and chasing each other, so hard to catch them on camera.  They import chrysalis from all over the world and ‘birth’ new ones daily.   Time well spent and wonderful to share with like-minded folks.

Larry & Penny Thompson Campground

Hett we are on the Atlantic side and at this Dade county campground. It’s still hot but there’s a nice breeze to take off the heat and far less buggy than before.  It’s a pretty busy place and because of the weekend lots of younger people.   They’re all having loads of fun.

We took a trip to the Biscayne National  Park.  Most of the park is on the water, including several  islands(keys) and a coral reef.  This is one of those gems of a park that you chance upon that will be ingrained forever.  Lots to learn about the different ecosystems and how critical they are to human survival. Thanks to a number of activists, this place is preserved from development for future generations to enjoy.  I’ve admired many of the men and especially women on my trip who have gotten involved in the environmental or historical preservation movement to protect these places from development.

Crossing the Tamiami Trail

We headed back to the Atlantic side to be nearer to Miami and hopefully better weather.   We made a few stops along the Tamiami Trail, Hwy 41 which traverses Florida with Big Cypress to the north and the Everglades  to the south. The Big Cypress Oasis visitor center felt a bit nostalgic as this was to have been the southern terminus of our backpacking trip along the Florida Scenic Trail.  Nevertheless we had a chance to learn about the fight to eradicate the  Burmese python and the Brazilian berry, two invasive species that are threatening the very ecology of that region.   The B. Python has eradicated most of the small mammal population and now targeting alligators and deer  as it’s food source.   It had no predator in this area and the female gives birth to about 80 babies each year, most surviving to adulthood.  According to the ranger, biologists are attempting genetic engineering to produce a population of only females without a means to reproduce.

Canoeing on Black Water River

it was nice to get out on the water this morning. I joined a group for a guided canoe trip to the Black Wayer River. It was several miles down and back. Guides talked about the importance of the mangroves, the wildlife inhabiting  the area, history of the indigenous people in the area and the building of the Tamiami highway.   I reconsidered a hike when Alan and Sherry returned from Prsiroe Hammock—not enough shade and very buggy.  

Collier-Seminole State Park

As we head south towards Miami, the temperature’s get hotter, especially at night.  The advantage of staying in a state park is the shower facilities, access to trails and other amenities. The disadvsntage is the increased noise from RV’s. running generators, AC’s, etc.   I find the background white  noise soothing at night and don’t mind it.   At this point I’m choosing comfort and convenience over atmosphere.  You can learn to appreciate whatever situation arises and mske the best of it.  Our journey in Florida is nearly over and there is much wisdom to be gleaned from each moment.  So what happened a moment ago is irrelevant to what’s happening right now.  Some wise person said, “the past is history, the future is a mystery, the gift is now, that’s why it’s called the present”.

The state park is named after Barton Collier who gained fame by financing the Tamiami Trail across the Everglades  His only stipulation was that they name the county after him. He also donated 800,000 acres to create the park.  The picture is the mrmorial erected in his honor.

Myakka River II

Our last day here was hot and sunny.  We got an early start and got the canopy walk, which consisted of two towers connected by a walkway. The one tower was 75’ tall and got your attention at the top. Mostly palm and some hardwood  There was more to see on the way up and down in terms of epiphytes-fern, bromeliads, Spanish moss and assorted critters.  We got a nice hike along the Myakka River and another under the power lines in the hot sun. Lots of water brought out the alligators. The picture is the largest one I’ve  seen in Florida so far.