Report from the Flotilla

[pogo]

Sheila and I chickened out one day early (partly to avoid being in the campground for the night of the Swamp Ape Music Festival, and partly to skip another night of forecast torential downpour), so I thought I'd post a few choice shots of the flotilla from the cozy environs of a motel room.

[pogo]

A couple more...

[pogo]

Oops!! In all of the previous I meant to say "Skunk Ape", not "Swamp Ape". Blush. You'd think after a week of intensive cultural immersion I could have gotten that right.

[cliffy]

Great shots Pogo... looks like -another- good time I missed.
What was the total turnout.. any count.... looks like at least a dozen in the "singalong" photo..... not a bad start for a location change... do yall think this will be the new permenant locale for the duration of Flamigo's closing period......?? how about waterways.. etc..
love to hear more....

[annd]

What a lovely flotilla this was! You missed a great one, Cliffy!

I'm still here in Skunk Ape City, camped all by my lonesome in the group area, waiting for the next cold front to blast through so I can head out for a G2 cruise.

Well, almost by my lonesome. Apparently the Florida panther who considers Trail Lakes Campground part of his range was what they call "active" all last night. Several of the fowl from the zoo are dead or missing, and prints were found leading from the campground to a buried turkey carcass. I'm told that that is typical panther behavior -- cache your kill for later. I slept through all the action, dagnabbit! Dave, owner and chief marketer, is on the phone to the news services right now, expecting a camera crew any moment, so tune in to the 6 o'clock news!

What was the total turnout..

Maybe half the typical Flamingo flotilla count: 17 people on our most populous day; 19 in all, what with late drop-ins and early departures.

do yall think this will be the new permenant locale for the duration of Flamigo's closing period......??

Dunno -- once folks get home, I'll send out a poll and see what the feeling is. Lots of plusses to both places.

Although -- Flamingo is open again! While we were here, the Flamingo campground re-opened, and most of the back-country campsites were put back into service. Both launch ramps are open in Flamingo, although the one leading to Florida Bay has not been dredged. I hear the fishermen raised such a ruckus, noting rightly that their shallow-draft boats could get in and out just fine, that the NPS opened the mucked-in Florida Bay ramp, but declared it use-at-your-own-risk. The fate of the Lodge will be decided this month. Things aren't looking good. No funds.

[cliffy]

Well.. good on the Flamingo re-opening... it's too good of a place to just let go... hope the wildlife survived well enough.. they are smarter thay they are given credit for....During "Hugo" here.. way back when.. the worst of the wildlife sufferers was the squirrels... 2n'd raccoons.. Birds and local gators did well.. fished moved out.. and later came back.. nature will more or less take care of it's self....
17 attendees 19 total.. not bad actually.. it was a late change.. with so many circumstances.... I think the event will recover nicely.....

[annd]

Here's the proverbial rest of the story -- about the panther that had taken to snacking on the Trail Lakes Campground chickens. The authorities captured and relocated him yesterday. It was quite exciting!

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/feb ... local_news

[Sailboy]

One of the estimated 30 to 50 Florida Panthers in south Florida.