Thursday, December 16, 2010

We have a Post...

We think this is where the alligators den up in the Winter time


Now you know why it takes me all day to do two or three miles .

There are some serious fish in here

No way to take a 4-wheeler through here.




One of those places

While I was in the Swamp looking for subjects to photo (i.e.: wildcats or black bear) it became painfully clear that in the open, in this forest I may never see another Bobcat out and about. I spent a week searching 1400 acres for tracks of bobcat, bear, deer, pig or anything. There were a couple of fair sized hoof prints from a deer. Keep in mind the canopy of trees was so thick, the older GPS had a hard time tracking. Three times, I walked the two miles of shoreline to the swamp along side of the forest. If any of you have tried to traverse an area this size and of indigenous plant on foot, you know the dilemma. A four-wheeler just will not cut it. You almost need a crew to clear the path just to walk. Yea, it was cold, too, the day after Thanksgiving.  One of the locals stated that I would have better luck trying to photo any animal after 10 A.M. Of course, he was speaking for the swamp animals in Central Louisiana . He said the fish was like that too. No wonder I could never catch fish in Black Lake . I was always too early.

Therefore, I chocked this trip up to Murphy. More research or different strategy; something has to give.  Know who Murphy is?

Although the population of humans is not that evident in the swamps that I visit, their presence has evidently made a negative impression and created pressures on the animals to move away. There is a multitude of duck blinds on the lake. However, the ‘duck’ here is the winner. The cover is thick and unforgiving. 

I found a 10 -12 foot in diameter circle of cypress stumps that was partially submerged. I could not tell if someone had pushed them into the lake floor or they had been planted that way and when grown, cut at all the same height.  The size and symmetry of the eight stumps and circle was neat.  I have pictures from earlier visits when the water just covered the tops of the stumps. I am hoping for a Spring visit will allow more time for investigation of the phenomena.
Fall Colors


The other mode of transportation.

John MIchael

Baby

John Michael in flight
  
Murphy
DJ
Natures toliet paper

Fungus all around.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Hang in there

I've been detained and refocused to a different part of the world for a few days. I will post more details about my swamp visit during Thanksgiving at a later date. I will try to make this  happen before the New Year

Saturday, November 27, 2010

The Swamp

I started simply to change the name on one of the less used blogs that I clog your screen with.  I vetoed this idea.  Starting a new story in an old book can be tough.

 I will post as much swamp scenery and wildlife as possible. My first trip to a swamp happened somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty years ago.

Even then, there was the magic and awe that the mere mention of a swamp formulated in a child's imagination (mine anyway). Growing up on radio broadcasts of the 1950s had tuned my imagination to a fine point. My place of birth was in north central Texas, a long way from any swamps. My uncles, Martin and Emmet (‘EM’ as per Aunt Iva) however, were living in propinquity to these places  of  witches brew; alligators, dark waters and other nameless dangers that awaited my step in to this  shadowy world.

There are two places in this ole world that hold pieces of my heart. The first is Midway Island (Thank you Marion Ano for the pictures from your last visit to Midway) and the second is this swamp somewhere along highway 71 in Louisiana 

Climb aboard.....