The original idea for this blog was not only to keep you up to date on where we are now and where we are going next, but to share some of the highlights and special places we have visited over the past few years. One of these very special places was Okefenokee NWR in SE Georgia (12 miles from Florida). Some of this will be “old news” to you who have been receiving our e-newsletters .
We re
ally enjoyed our time in “The Swamp”, working hard for 3 days then resting up for the next 4 days, such is the life of a volunteer. Kay did the Visitor’s Center and Bill did the “guide/interpreter thing” at Chesser Island Homestead as well as any necessary cleanup out there. He got to wear his “overalls” that he got at Malheur NWR last year, so he was happy! He also worked in maintenance which meant he got to go out into the swamp and clear canoe trails or do maintenance on the canoe camping platforms. Needless to say he was in “hog-heaven” out on the water!!!!!
The refuge covers over 400,000 square miles and most of it is accessible by bo
at only. The Visitor’s Center is on the Suwanee Canal and boat tours are available out into the swamp, or you can paddle your own canoe along one of the many “canoe trails”. A drive out Swamp Drive will take you to Chesser Island Homestead last occupied in 1958 and is a perfect example how folks lived in the swamp. A little further out Swamp Drive is a boardwalk that goes ¾ of a mile out into the swamp and at the end is a 45’ tower to climb for a fantastic view of the “wet prairies” in Okefenokee.
Alligators became a very common sight, and it didn’t take long for us to stop acting like crazy tourists whenever we sa
w one! There were lots of turtles (BIG turtles), frogs and of course, SNAKES!!!! A Great Blue Heron hung around the Visitor’s Center daily and fished in the canal. We named him Hank and he loved to pose for pictures. There were many other critters in the woods too, deer, bear, raccoons and armadillos to name but a few! We had a gopher tortoise that lived in the woods near our motor home and come over to visit often.
We did have one experience that gave us a bit of a scare. Late afternoon thunder showers with ligh
tning strikes are very common. One of those storms was accompanied by a high wind which knocked a branch down on the power lines, and that started a forest fire……200 yards behind our motor home!!!!! Everyone gathered their important papers, etc., and put them in the car and hoped it would not get any closer to us before Georgia Forestry got it put out. Luckily they were very efficient and all was saved except for the palmettos and scorching on a couple of trees.
While we were in the land of Georgia long leaf pines, I gathered a lot of long leaf pine needles to make baskets, but so far all I have are the needles and a book of instructions! Someday!!!!
Two volunteer rigs left at the end of April, so we and another couple,Bruce and Katie, were the only RV folks here in Volunteer Village for May and June. Interns arrived in June and made things a little more lively in the Volunteer Village. Summer is a little slower here; in July and August nobody wants to be here due to the extreme heat and humidity!!!! By June our A/C was running almost constantly and we were looking forward to going to the Great Smokey Mountains to find some cooler weather…………………….but soon found that was not the case!!!!
Our stay at Okefenokee was memorable to say the least. Not only did we get to see birds and critters that live only in the south, but most importantly we met the most fabulous people, Gracie, Sallie, George, Blaine, Edith, Mr. Maury, and best of all, Katie and Bruce!!! If you ever are in the area be sure to go to the refuge to see all the great sights and tell everyone hello from Bill and Kay!!!!
We re
ally enjoyed our time in “The Swamp”, working hard for 3 days then resting up for the next 4 days, such is the life of a volunteer. Kay did the Visitor’s Center and Bill did the “guide/interpreter thing” at Chesser Island Homestead as well as any necessary cleanup out there. He got to wear his “overalls” that he got at Malheur NWR last year, so he was happy! He also worked in maintenance which meant he got to go out into the swamp and clear canoe trails or do maintenance on the canoe camping platforms. Needless to say he was in “hog-heaven” out on the water!!!!!The refuge covers over 400,000 square miles and most of it is accessible by bo
at only. The Visitor’s Center is on the Suwanee Canal and boat tours are available out into the swamp, or you can paddle your own canoe along one of the many “canoe trails”. A drive out Swamp Drive will take you to Chesser Island Homestead last occupied in 1958 and is a perfect example how folks lived in the swamp. A little further out Swamp Drive is a boardwalk that goes ¾ of a mile out into the swamp and at the end is a 45’ tower to climb for a fantastic view of the “wet prairies” in Okefenokee.
Alligators became a very common sight, and it didn’t take long for us to stop acting like crazy tourists whenever we sa
w one! There were lots of turtles (BIG turtles), frogs and of course, SNAKES!!!! A Great Blue Heron hung around the Visitor’s Center daily and fished in the canal. We named him Hank and he loved to pose for pictures. There were many other critters in the woods too, deer, bear, raccoons and armadillos to name but a few! We had a gopher tortoise that lived in the woods near our motor home and come over to visit often.We did have one experience that gave us a bit of a scare. Late afternoon thunder showers with ligh
tning strikes are very common. One of those storms was accompanied by a high wind which knocked a branch down on the power lines, and that started a forest fire……200 yards behind our motor home!!!!! Everyone gathered their important papers, etc., and put them in the car and hoped it would not get any closer to us before Georgia Forestry got it put out. Luckily they were very efficient and all was saved except for the palmettos and scorching on a couple of trees.While we were in the land of Georgia long leaf pines, I gathered a lot of long leaf pine needles to make baskets, but so far all I have are the needles and a book of instructions! Someday!!!!
Two volunteer rigs left at the end of April, so we and another couple,Bruce and Katie, were the only RV folks here in Volunteer Village for May and June. Interns arrived in June and made things a little more lively in the Volunteer Village. Summer is a little slower here; in July and August nobody wants to be here due to the extreme heat and humidity!!!! By June our A/C was running almost constantly and we were looking forward to going to the Great Smokey Mountains to find some cooler weather…………………….but soon found that was not the case!!!!
Our stay at Okefenokee was memorable to say the least. Not only did we get to see birds and critters that live only in the south, but most importantly we met the most fabulous people, Gracie, Sallie, George, Blaine, Edith, Mr. Maury, and best of all, Katie and Bruce!!! If you ever are in the area be sure to go to the refuge to see all the great sights and tell everyone hello from Bill and Kay!!!!
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