The dunes on Bald Point
Monarchs on their annual migration. This bush was loaded with them.
Mike walking up from the beachOchlockonee River SP, Sopchopee, FL: A beautiful, sunny morning this morning. Drove into Sopchopee to pick up a few things and then drove down to Lighthouse Point on the Gulf. No lighthouse but a pretty drive with lots of beach homes. Stopped at a seafood restaurant right on the Gulf for lunch, but it didn't open until 4:30, so we ended up at a barbecue restaurant a little further down the road. They had Brunswick stew on the menu, so we both got a bowl of that. I grew very fond of Brunswick stew when I lived in Atlanta. It's hard to find on the menu outside of Georgia. Back to our pretty site tucked into a grove of live oaks and then walked the Ochlockonee River trail which meandered through pines, palmetto, live oaks, and bald cypress along the river. And we actually saw one of the white squirrels that live in this park--a rare color variant of the Eastern gray squirrel. Wish I'd had my camera with me. He was white with a black diamond marking on his head and a luxuriant tail. Very different. We also saw about 9 deer along the trail. This park is in the middle of the St. Mark's wildlife refuge and is indeed in the middle of nowhere which makes it really peaceful and quiet. This part of the Gulf is also home to the Gulf Sturgeon which can grow to 9 feet and weigh 300 lbs. They are protected, so if you catch one you have to release it.
