Home Free Global Nomads: South Central Florida Pandemic April to May 2020

We enter the month of April with extremely warm weather and sunny days.  The pool is refreshing and we spend many days there watering gardens and grass area. Keith has been raking under the trees and clearing the grounds from leaves and fallen branches.  We are enjoying the time here with new friends we have made over March.

We start the mornings with a brisk walk either within the campground to the back of the property or towards the main highway that runs parallel to the campground to visit the alligators and look for oranges.

Here we are in just west of Clewiston center.

The pool area, where we spend our days watering the plants and working around the pool

The mornings here are just breathtaking

The mist rises from the lake across the road from us

The World outside the campground/resort is now alien to us, as we have not left since our arrival in March.  We have extended our stay through April to beginning of May, depending on the outcome of the pandemic. How quickly plans change and we are now settled into our current life.  We are lucky to have our health and ability to walk in a natural setting with so much wildlife around us to enjoy.

Red Shoulder Hawk watches over the road

Thistle in bloom at our campsite

After we raked the leaves out and started watering before we moved back to the Bamboo site on 4April

Home Sweet Home

Male, Green Florida Anole

Female Florida Green Anole and Cuban Brown Anole, the green anole has become rare with the introduction of the Cuban (Caribbean species)

Florida's native green anoles (pronounced "uh-noles"), anoils carolinensis, found themselves in competition with the Cuban brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) over a century ago. Native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, Cuban brown anoles are now the most common lizard in many urbanized parts of Florida.
We left The Lodge after game night on 8Apr to the Pink Moon lighting our way back to our site. A magical evening walking with no other light but the moon. No light pollution and the still of the night.

The full moon of April gets its “Pink Moon” nickname from Native Americans who named it after “moss pink,” or wild ground phlox—one of the early spring flowers in US. 

The weather in Florida has been extremely hot with temperatures reaching the low to high 90's for weeks.  Some days the heat is so intense we spend time in the shade and pool.  Walking/hiking has been a great source to spend the mornings, as well as exercise and weight loss.

On 11Apr we joined our new friends from Ohio (Ray and Jeff) post quarantine to go to the Bird Sanctuary Trail. We drove 6 miles from the campground and turned down a dirt road to a large parking area.  The birds in this sanctuary were beautiful and the amount of alligators was beyond belief. The day started off overcast and cloudy with a lot of bird activity then the sun appeared. The temperatures increased and got up to the 80's.

A man-made wetland designed to aid in Everglades restoration, the Stormwater Treatment Area 5/6 (STA-5/6) rests on approximately 17,000 acres in eastern Hendry County. This South Florida Water Management property has become one of the premier bird-watching areas in the state through an enduring partnership with the Hendry-Glades Audubon Society, which offers limited, seasonal escorted driving tours of the area by reservation. More than 200 bird species have been confirmed during these excursions! In addition, a portion of the Florida National Scenic Trail runs along the L-3 levee on the west side of the STA. Shell-rocked parking, an informational kiosk, picnic shelter, restrooms and over 20 miles of trails on unpaved levee roads including a covered shade shelter and a boardwalk are all open to the public throughout the 10-square-mile area. (taken from the Hendry Glade Audubon Brochure found online at hendrygladesaudubon.org) 

Thistle plant was at least 6 feet tall blowing in the wind. The beauty of the flower is just majestic

Red Winged Blackbird in flight

These butterflies were clustered together and did not even flinch when we approached

Baby alligator looks up just as we looked down at him 

One of the three we were looking at from the bank of the canal

You can see for miles, this area is vast and flat

The levies go for miles, this particular one is 13.5 miles long with canals on either side. Keith is walking with Ray and Jeff (from the campground post their quarantine)

Swallow Tailed Kite

Boat-Tailed Grackle

Egrets in flight

Crested Caracara

We continue to explore the campground, taking in new paths and finding new interesting places, flora and fauna.  The hikes are invigorating, for mind and body.  Getting out everyday and walking looking for new bird species, snakes, and flora is so relaxing and peaceful.

American Crow

Black Vultures

Stormwater Treatment Area 5/6

The wildlife refuge is located on approximately 17,000 acres in eastern Hendry County, Stormwater Treatment Area 5/6 (STA-5/6) has become one of the premier bird-watching areas in Florida through a long-standing partnership with the Hendry-Glades Audubon Society. The entrance is off State Highway 835 to Deer Fence Canal Road in rural Clewiston.

Killdeer out for a leisurely walk along the levy

Red-shouldered Hawk get out of the late morning sun

Large male Alligator near the treatment center

Pair of Tricolored Herons take flight from the canal below

Tricolored Heron

Green Heron

During our hike we came along these limes and some guava

Jeff and Ray as we walk back to the car late in the morning, it was in the 90's and very humid

Keith in the lead, Ray and Jeff walking back in the oppressive heat

Eastern Meadowlark on the wire

Halloween Pennant, Dragonfly

Ring Snake

The temperatures have soared here consistently in the mid to high 90's with extreme humidity, the numbers of nats and mosquitos have grown. We are now getting severe thunderstorms rolling through for the next few days according to the forecast until 1May.

After the rainstorms we appreciate the cooler evenings and early morning walks.  The mist rising over the forest and fields are wonderful to watch.  Our little piece of spiritual, magical paradise.  We are very lucky to be here away from the cosmopolitan areas.

Gulf Fritillary or passion butterfly

Regal Darner, species of darner in the family of Dragonfllies known as Aeshidae.  Beautiful green eyes and body.

Abbott's Bagworm Moth case made up of twigs

Raccoon tracks left in the mud

We spent many days hiking throughout the campground amongst natural Florida forests and fields. The days past peacefully but sadly many of the group started to leave to head north.  The campground reopened for customers to come in on the weekends.  We stayed isolated and safe but had to leave the end of May for Fort Myers to get the final install on the solar.

Wild flowers in the paths

juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk sits on one of the RVs in storage

Keith and I light the barn fire for Memorial Day weekend

We volunteered to help food services in expediting food orders and delivering the items to the pool or placing them in the pick up area in the Café.

Fourpetal St. Johnswort

Happy men with great haircuts

Pitted Stripseed

Corn Snake

Gulf Fritillary

White Peacock butterfly

After the rains pass we walk up to SR 835 to see the sunset with Vince and Roger.  Wood Storks are in the channel

Sunset over the cattle fields

With much anxiety we prepare to leave Vitambi Springs on Monday morning for Fort Myers and the outside world.  We have loved our time in the campground for 3 months protected from the chaos of the world we live in.