December 8, Friday, Day 66

WP Franklin Lock & Dam, Alva, Fl., 156 mile jump

Saying good bye to Sebastian Inlet was a bit more difficult than our other departures because of the phenomenal color of the water, trees and the sky. And the birds, they too are alluring and magical. Before we left we walked up over the inlet on the Highway A1A bridge for a few final shots.

We arrived at the new camp a little after four and were treated to a campsite at the very end of the row with a full view of the  Caloosahatchee River. This river was developed by the Army Corps of Engineers to allow boat travel between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. They installed three lock and dam complexes between Lake Okeechobee and the Gulf. Two years ago we stayed at the dam site east of here (Ortona), but this one is only about 30 minutes from Penny’s mom and dad.

December 7, Thursday, Day 65

Sebastian Inlet SP

The Skimmers are really fun to watch in flight. Their black and white wings make for a flashing display. The lower left photo shows one feeding by skimming organic material off the water. In February 2016, Penny painted one on the front of our trailer as her first mural to grace the ITLDO.

These are a few of the species we have come to recognize: