My local animal refuge is my happy place

@TexChik yes I’ve heard! Lu has lived in the park I think his whole life. I would not try to pet him or anything, but I think he’s come to trust at least those who feed him, or at least tolerate them.
Of course, he loves me He comes up when I call him and we make eyes at each other lol

@Littlewing77 They kill and eat animals too

@TexChik fierce!

@Littlewing77 They eat fish eggs and can burrow into the dam to make dens to hibernate . Ultimately that causes seepage . A few are no problem but if you have any you will have many if you don’t control them

@TexChik They do sound pesky! I hope there’s a creek nearby where they can do all the damage they want! I purposely stayed away from living next to water. I didn’t want flooding or alligators in my yard. So glad I found that park 20 minutes away so I have the best of both worlds. I’m too lazy to worry about animal control! 🤣

@TexChik they can snap the noses of calves when they bend down to drink water from a pond and kill them.

@Littlewing77

The wind has died down a little here. The sun is sinking.

I love the desert. I want to move to one when I retire. Mostly to avoid sweating in Eastern humidity, and to have warm feet.

I grew up and went to college near Cleveland. But then I went to UVA for graduate school, got a job in DC, and have been in the DC area ever since. I hate winter! My feet get so cold.

I am not sure where the Nature Coast is. I have vacationed on the Atlantic, from Port St. Lucie to Key West. Yet when I was a kid we went to Clearwater beach, St. Pete, and Sanibel Island. I loved the Clearwater sand!

@JoyfulSilence Clearwater is the only big beach I’ve been to so far and I agree about the sand! And the water temp was in the 80s at the end of October! My friend and I just stayed in and floated! Nature coast is north of Tampa area and below the pan handle. I’m sure there are more finite boundaries but I’m not an exact person lol
Trust me, the desert is HOT. Dry heat or not, 100-115 is not comfortable. Probably because the grass is always greener on the other side, I’m liking the closeness of the humidity. Of course, I nap when it gets too hot lol

@Littlewing77

That water sounds nice!

Yeah, I should find a mild desert.

I was in Phoenix once when it was 102. I was unloading my suitcase at my hotel, and I paused because I forgot what I was doing. So hot! But my hotel had an outdoor pool which I enjoyed after sunset. It was in the 90's. I had it all to myself. After, I sat wet in a chair and it felt so good.

@Vivaci We’ve missed out on so much this year! 😕 fingers crossed things safely open this summer!

Ikr? Fingers crossed, my friend 🤞🏼@Littlewing77