Saturday, March 31, 2018

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Tonight's picture was taken on Easter of 2006. Mattie was four years old and we took him out for lunch at his favorite restaurant. Honestly Peter and I did not know that an Easter Bunny would be coming out to visit with Mattie. When Mattie saw this bunny coming his way, he got frightened. But I explained to Mattie that the bunny was there to wish him a happy Easter. I encouraged them to take a photo together, and I am so glad Mattie complied. It is one of my favorite Easter memories. Mainly because it just happened. We did not plan it. 



Quote of the day: We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment. ~ Hilaire Belloc



The Ten Thousand Islands are a chain of islands and mangrove islets off the coast of southwest Florida, between Marco Island and the Florida Keys. Some of the islands are high spots on a submergent coastline. Others were produced by mangroves growing on oyster bars. Despite the name, the islands n the chain only number in the hundreds.

The Ten Thousand Islands were used and occupied by Native Americans for thousands of years. Evidence of former living sites can be found under as much as four feet of water. A number of shell rings and other shell complexes have been identified in or adjacent to the Ten Thousand Islands. The material culture of the Indians living in the Ten Thousand Islands was distinctive enough to be classified as, at least, a sub-area of the Glades culture area.[

Almost all of the Ten Thousand Islands are currently uninhabited. The largest, Chokoloskee Island, which is connected to Everglades City by a causeway, has about 400 permanent residents. Other islands have been sporadically inhabited in the 19th and 20th centuries by individuals or families.

After dinner last night, on our drive back to the hotel we saw a HUGE Mattie Moon. 

Mattie Moon was following us last night. 

Peter and I got up at 6:00am this morning, so that we could leave the hotel by 7:30am to drive to Everglades City. It is about an hour drive. Naples is connected by a causeway to Everglades City. We had a 9am Everglades Area Tours, specifically a Boat Assisted Kayak Eco-Tour.

On our way to Everglades City, we were hit with intense SMOKE! 

In order to keep vegetation under control and also thriving in the Everglades, they do periodic scheduled burns! They literally lit the trees on fire. I have heard of this before, but have never driven through it! 

Get a feeling for the smoke? It is like intense fog, but with a horrible smell. 














Our tour guide was Captain Dan. He lives in Chokoloskee, the only island in the 10,000 island system. It is hard to describe Chokoloskee. It is like nothing I have ever seen. It is like the land that time forgot. Nothing around it on this .23 miles of land. Whatever these people need they commute up to Naples. Clearly a tight knit community, but a community which hasn't changed since the 1950's. Not my words, the words of Dan! 


So here is how this eco-tour worked. We got on a golf cart that took us to a pier. Then Peter, myself, and a family visiting from Germany boarded an open air boat (on the boat you can see the yellow kayaks we later used). The boat took us deeper into the 10,000 Islands. Something we couldn't possibly get to by simply kayaking. 

The Ten Thousand Islands are a chain of islands and mangrove islets off the coast of southwest Florida, between Marco Island and the Florida Keys. Some of the islands are high spots on a submergent coastline. Others were produced by mangroves growing on oyster bars. Despite the name, the islands n the chain only number in the hundreds.

The islands are comprised of mangroves. A very tight network of salt resistant trees. Their root system is above water, and looks like a tangled mess. However, the trees release something like a seed, that eventually produces another tree. So the parent tree is connected to all its babies in this complex root system. 

The boat took us through the Islands. However, you have to know what you are doing on this water, because it is VERY shallow. In some places it is less than two feet deep. So you need an experienced captain who understands tides and the sandbars. He joked with us about tourists who think they can navigate these waters and land up stuck and struggling for hours. 

The boat took us to Rabbit Island. The boat anchored in the water, and then one by one we stepped from the boat into a kayak. Which could be a balancing act, but we all did it! Peter and I were in one kayak. Typically I don't like paddling alone, but this water was so CALM that I think even I could have managed it alone if I had to. 

Fortunately it was a cloudy day! It wasn't the best way to see these islands. But it spared us from getting burned to a crisp! 

We kayaked a bit, and Dan gave us some information about the shells in the water and the islands. We then got out of the kayaks at Rabbit Island and walked around. It was fascinating to visit an uninhabited beach. This whole experience was new to me. There was NO ONE for as far as the eye could see. It was totally peaceful and the people of Chokoloskee like it this way. The only thing all around us was birds. In fact the birds are not used to humans, so much so that they do not flinch when they see you approach. 

 A selfie on Rabbit Island!

This is a Mattie joke. When Mattie was in the hospital, he created a person made out of boxes and other art materials. He named the box person, Dr. Crazy Hair. Dr. Crazy Hair carried an oyster shell in his pocket. Mattie said that the oyster was really a big toe nail. 

Can you see the two people in the water? One was Captain Dan and the other was Peter. Literally the water is knee deep all around the island. They were looking at shells and so forth. 

While they were in the water, I was checking out these wonderful piping plovers on the shore line. Ironically, on any public beach, if you approach plovers they start to run. Not these guys!!!

This is what I could see from the shore line. Naturally today was an overcast day, so it impacted the color of the sky and water. But in a way, with the Gulf it is hard to determine where the sky and water line begins and ends. 

Can you see Mama Osprey on the nest. She was rearing three babies. Captain Dan was not a naturalist, but I really think the environment has rubbed off on him. The osprey and dolphins are his buddies, as he passes them daily by boat. 

Dolphin were all around us and like the birds, they are not at all afraid of people.

Peter and the horseshoe crab! He crab was NOT alive. 

These are the shells we took back from Rabbit Island. These are all big and intact shells. Shells you can't find by the ocean or on a public beach. The only time I have seen such perfect shells is in a shell store. 

I have to say that today's experience was very unique and unusual. I have never been to such a remote place before. It was very beautiful to see such unspoiled waters and a beach. It was very evident today that we were the visitors. In fact, Captain Dan considers himself a tourist on the islands too. Which I think is accurate.