Even the golf carts have little golf cart garages.
We checked it out; discovered that the minimum RV length is 32 feet to be in the Class A section. Ours is only 30 feet. It is an interesting place.
Before we went back to the RV, we stopped at a small city park across from the marina where Smokey learned she could swim. Accidentally. Lots of pigeons. Lots of pigeons that are apparently accustomed to being fed. I was startled the first time this happened...
On Saturday, our friends Ange and Ray came to visit. This was a special day, too, as the SpaceX Falcon 9 was schedule to launch to resupply the Space Shuttle. Cape Canaveral is across the Indian River from the campground. The tall build is the Vehicle Assembly Building. Next to it is a tower, then launch pad #39A, the one used to take us to the moon. The Falcon 9 is sitting there, ready for takeoff. It's not a beautiful picture, as there is some distance between us. But you can see the Falcon 9 sitting there.
As the count down to launch got closer, a crowd began to fill the grounds by the water in the park.
We were all there, too. We took our chairs and arrived early, not sure how full the area would be. That square across the water is the Vehicle Assembly Building.
And we waited. A perfect, clear day, a perfect countdown ---- until 13 seconds before lift off. The launch was scrubbed due to a small leak in the upper stage helium system. Sigh.
We gave up and did a drive around the Merritt Island Refuge. We did it by car this time instead of the bus tour. Just a couple of pictures from there. This female anhinga is stretching her long neck, showing her feathered "dots". The male anhinga is all black.
The little green heron is trying to take advantage of the drainage pipe, watching for fish to be swept through it.
We had a wonderful visit with Ange and Ray, but unfortunately they had to head back south the same day. It was great to see them again.
On Sunday, the launch did happen! It just quit raining and there were layers of clouds in the sky. At the exact moment, we saw a red dot rise in into the sky, out of one cloud bank and into another higher one. As promised, 8 minutes later, we watched the red dot of the first stage of the rocket reappear from the higher cloud bank and into the lower one, as it made a perfect landing. A minute later, a deafening sonic boom! It was great!
Later we went to see the movie "Hidden Figures" with neighbors Barb and Dan. We thought it was a really good movie. Afterwards, we did a little beer tasting at a new brewery in town.
Today we drove south of Melbourne to the Viera Wetlands. As with the Orlando Wetlands, this is also a series of natural filtration ponds that are part of the local sanitation system.
This nice tri-colored heron shows off his colors well. That white behind his head is part of his breeding plumage.
Mother Nature gives her creatures the most wonderful camouflage Almost hidden in the same color grasses is a large American Bittern. These birds are seriously declining due to loss of their habitat. I would have never seen him if he hadn't decided to ruffle his feathers a couple of times. These are large birds, up to 28". Look carefully - his beak is hidden, but you can see his plump round body and stripped neck. I had to really enlarge this picture to show him.
I love this Great Blue Heron, standing high on his nest atop a dying palm tree, breeding plumage being blown by the wind. I think he is beautiful. I am sure he does, too!
On the next palm sat an anhinga, her back to us, displaying her beautiful feathers.
Next, a first for us! A large otter was rolling happily in the dirty road, apparently scratching his back. Never mind that he had stopped a car. He was rolling and and cleaning.
He finally ambled down into the soft lush grass beside the water and rolled on his back a bit longer. Then he just laid there, soaking up sun.
Of course, you have to have the gator in the lily pads.
Not far from the gater, another big blue heron showed off his breeding plumage.
Then, the best part of the day - a sandhill crane, sitting on her nest! These magnificent birds can be up to 42". Looking through the binoculars, we saw that her red cap looked like a blanket of soft red moss Just beautiful. She was carefully picking at the sticks and rearranging to suit her fancy when we first spotted her
After getting everything perfect, she sat on the nest, idly watching us.
Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, someone pointed out an immature sandhill crane! The colors are a little browner, but the head cap is as red and the bird is as large.
One last stop for the day was at the small Cruickshank Sanctuary, home to the Florida Scrub-jays. Due to land development, there are only about 10,000 of these birds left. We had been told that this is the best place to see them, as the habitat is perfect. We were also told that they are elusive, but when you DO find them, they can be friendly. Here is where a Florida Scrub-jay likes to live.
We walked about 1/4 of a mile into the sanctuary with no luck other than hearing a couple of them and seeing one in a high tree. But on our way back, we began to spot them. Beautiful blue birds.
They ARE friendly!!!
Our day was rounded out by a gopher tortoise on the trail. These fairly large tortoises (up to 12" carapace length) are considered a keystone species because they dig burrows that provide shelter to at least 360 other animal species. They are threatened by predators and habitat destruction.
I keep saying "habitat destruction" and "development" - boy, did we ever see it. Large expanses of land are being razed so hundreds and hundreds of houses can be built. And shopping centers to support those homes. And the associated medical facilities, gas stations, police stations, grocery stores, everything. Thank goodness for those with enough foresight to create wildlife sanctuaries, wetlands, national forests, and other forms of animal refuges.
