Surprise Species in the Keys

I am slowly working my way through photos and more photos. Here's a couple of unexpected shots taken by friends or myself.

We paddled with the Collins, and Burnams, and a client, and couple of friends on Saturday the 11th. While some of the party went tromping up on to Sawyers Key, I waited in my boat. Something about the thick foliage, jungle-like. I didn't know the Keys was home to rattle snakes, but I did know that thick bushy undergrowth is home to snakes of all kinds. I sat in my boat watching a barracuda dart and strike at the many little fish under my boat.

When I heard Bill Burnam shout something like "SH**!!" My first thought was "yup, found a snake..." but I didn't expect they found two large rattlers laying near each other. Nice! Needless to say, Bill and his client chose to camp on a different key that night.

One morning I was running past the Moose Lodge and to my surprise I spotted the below swamp donkey mural. It made me laugh. And so I ran back and snapped a shot.

And lastly, I was charmed by the photo Mike snapped of myself and Marilyn. I am still a little surprised that I found myself paddling in the Keys.

Look right in the center of this photo, in the shadows. See that diamond pattern? Credit Frank Collins 2014

Another view, nice rattlesnake, nice calm rattlesnake... Credit Frank Collins 2014

Um, swamp donkey hi-jinx in the Keys?

Me too, another unexpected species. Credit Mike Aronoff 2014