The excitement of the moment for launching that wooden dory JR built last July in Maine arrived of all places down in the Florida Everglades. At Flamingo Campground in the Everglades we met Lee and Shelby from New Mexico who were traveling with a dory they had built just like JR’s. It didn’t take long to discover we had much in common with this delightful couple and soon became fast friends.
They offered to help us load our boat off the top of the Jeep, roll it down a path through the woods to a canoe trailhead with their wheel cart, and put it in the water. Along with their dory too, the four of us rowed up a canal lined by mangroves to Coot Lake. They set the sail on their dory as JR powered up a trawling motor he had placed off our stern. Although our dory still isn’t completely finished we know it floats without any leaks. It was great fun buddy boating fun together safely in alligator and crocodile waters.
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| Hooray no leaks as we head up Bear Canal through the mangroves |
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| First row (check out the smile) |
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| Lee and Shelby's dory fully rigged for a good sail |
We all cheered as they pulled out a cold beer for us to christen JR’s dory’s maiden voyage.
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| Mangroves, wooded hammocks, and swamp wetlands make up the Everglades |
Even though it is the dry season the mosquitoes seemed to be out and about in the wet grasslands and especially liked guess who. Most of the week in the Everglades we were out biking and hiking on various trails to catch photos of the great wildlife.
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| Wood storks |
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| Snowy Egret taking flight |
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| Blue heron foraging in a pond |
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| Roseate spoonbills |
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| Baby anhingas on a nest |
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| Anhinga drying its wings |
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| Great Blue Heron catching a fish |
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| Taking a siesta |
The excitement of the moment for launching that wooden dory JR built last July in Maine arrived of all places down in the Florida Everglades. At Flamingo Campground in the Everglades we met Lee and Shelby from New Mexico who were traveling with a dory they had built just like JR’s. It didn’t take long to discover we had much in common with this delightful couple and soon became fast friends.
They offered to help us load our boat off the top of the Jeep, roll it down a path through the woods to a canoe trailhead with their wheel cart, and put it in the water. Along with their dory too, the four of us rowed up a canal lined by mangroves to Coot Lake. They set the sail on their dory as JR powered up a trawling motor he had placed off our stern. Although our dory still isn’t completely finished we know it floats without any leaks. It was great fun buddy boating fun together safely in alligator and crocodile waters.
