Monday, October 19, 2009

High of 70 Degrees

It was another cool morning. I turned on the heater in the truck for the first time this season. I also wore long pants with my uniform instead of my summer shorts for the first time this season. A high of 70 may sound warm enough, but it wasn't that warm until late in the afternoon. That means that the air temperature was cooler than the spring water which always makes a beautiful morning.
After I opened the park and made my morning drive, I went for a walk to soak up the morning and see how the park looked after my weekend away. The park looked great aside from the persistent leaves and pine needles that fall each night lately. I started at the cabin and then headed down by the river while I admired some stunning views as the sun rose.
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Back up the hill and through the picnic area, I headed down the walkway to the spring. The only life that I saw aside from Squirrels and the occasional Cardinal was a very long Millipede who was moning in extreme slow motion. It was easy to get a photo!
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Once I made it to the spring dock, I saw that the view from there was just as awesome and different as it ever was. The sun was just beginning to burn the mist off of the water's surface.
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Next to the dock, in the shallow water at the shore, the Whirligig Beetles were zipping around on the surface faster than usual. I wonder if their activity had something to do with their temperature.
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I headed back to the office and started to work on paperwork. I completed the usual end of the week paperwork and checked all of the week's work. I answered some e-mails and calls and then headed out of the park. On the way out of the service road, near my driveway, I had to stop to let four Deer cross and then immediately afterward, a huge group of Turkey.
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I made my usual stops at the bank and Ichetucknee Springs to drop off my paperwork. At Ichetucknee, I chatted with my manager for a few minutes and said hello to the other rangers. Back at Troy in the afternoon, I greeted a small group of divers and let them know that they could warm up in the visitor center when they got out of the water. They sounded grateful. I did some computer work, got another call about the same dogs from Saturday who were at Adams Tract again, and talked to my evening relief before heading home for the day. Hopefully I will have a resolution for the dog issue tomorrow for everyone's safety and sanity.

3 comments:

Understanding Alice said...

loved the millipede photo!

Ranger Amy said...

Thanks, I liked that one too. After I posted it, I realized that scrolling down while watching its legs almost puts them in motion... like a flip book.

Linda said...

Amy, that was a great way to post it! I s-c-r-o-l-l-e-d on down for miles to get to the end (well, it seemed that way). The whirligigs were fun, too. The kids would sure like the wheel bug - I've never heard of that one. And the river photos - lovely. We took what may be our last boat ride of the season, and enjoyed seeing the reflection of autumn leaves in the St. Joe River. We wished you were here with your camera.