Traveling Twosome
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"Pearl" in Winter Garden, Florida
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Long shadows in Wyoming

Springtime Sights Along the Bike Path

3/11/2017

5 Comments

 
It's been longer than I realized since my last post.  We've been keeping really busy doing RV projects, and in between, taking time out to enjoy some nice bike rides along the local bike paths.  I do have a couple of project posts in the pipeline, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share some photos from a couple of recent rides.  Spring has sprung in Central Florida, birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and my nose is running!

Yesterday Barry was finishing up a project, so I rode the West Orange Trail solo, stopping several times to take photos of birds -- and this beautiful Monarch Butterfly enjoying the lantana blooming alongside the trail in Ocoee.  Lantana is one of my favorite flowers and one I used to grow in our yard in North Carolina.  It always attracts butterflies!  
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My next stop was a few blocks off the trail, Newton Park in Winter Garden, right on the shores of Lake Apopka.  This is a reliable spot for seeing shorebirds and others, and the view is so pretty.
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The Purple Gallinule pair were in their usual spot just below the dock.  Such exotic birds!
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And a rather large turtle was floating along, enjoying the sunshine.  There's no way to tell scale in this photo, but he was a foot or more long.
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My last stop was the small pond at the west end of the Oakland Park subdivision, where I spied this Wood Stork fishing in the shallows.  Like I was on this day, he (or she) was flying solo.
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The West Orange Trail is visible beyond the pond in this photo.  To me this is one of the prettiest sections of the entire trail, with lots of trees and Spanish Moss gently blowing in the breeze.
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Here are a couple more bird sightings from another recent ride.  This time I pedaled west onto the South Lake/Lake Minneola Trails that traverse rather hilly (yes, in Florida!) Lake County.  

I enjoyed seeing a pair of Sandhill Cranes at a pond right beside the trail in Clermont.  Only one made it into this photo.
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And farther west, on the shore of Lake Minneola, I had so much fun watching this busy "condo" building of nesting Purple Martins.  
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Finally, I'll leave you with one of our recent sunsets over the campground.  
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5 Comments
Cheryl Geeting link
3/13/2017 09:25:10 am

Wow, what gorgeous views along the ride! I also love Lantana .. and Purple Martins. Can't wait for Spring!

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Emily
3/14/2017 09:28:18 am

Spring comes early here, and it has been so pretty!

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World Ventures link
4/5/2017 02:06:17 pm

Such a wonderful place! Nature beauty.

Reply
Barb Nutting
6/3/2017 05:42:56 pm

Hate to be a spoil sport but.........those are Moorhens or their new name is Common Gallinule. Look it up - a Purple Gallinule is colored like your peacocks!! Sorry to correct you, don't mean to be rude!!

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Emily
6/7/2017 07:34:15 pm

That's interesting, Barb, because the park signs that listed the most common birds in the lake specifically listed and pictured Purple Gallinules! In some lighting, they looked very blue/purple. So, the jury is still out!

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    ©2018 by Barry & Emily Smith .All rights reserved.
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    Emily & Barry

    We're a long-married, early-retired couple who are currently traveling as nomads with no fixed home base.  After years of living in North Carolina (Emily's home state), we spent 18 months living oceanfront on Ambergris Caye, Belize, a year road-tripping the US in a Honda CR-V, a year in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and are now roaming North America in our 32' motorhome, Pearl, following warm weather whenever possible.

    Our passions are bicycling, walking and hiking, birding, continuing our midlife struggles to learn Spanish, enjoying healthy food (and the occasional donuts & pie!), traveling (duh!)  We travel with a fleet of bicycles and Paisley, our 10-year old Boston Terrier. 

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    Paisley, May 2016
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    States visited (pre-RV)
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    Pearl, a 2007 Newmar Bay Star
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    States visited in "Pearl"

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  • Traveling Twosome Blog
  • BeBelize - Our life in Belize (2011-2013)
  • Earlier adventures (2003-2010)
    • First Belize Trip 2010
    • Fall Sail Cruise Aboard Logos 2009
    • Conch Key 2007
    • Charleston Sailing School 2007
    • Biscayne Bay Sailing School 2007
    • Key Lime Sailing Club 2006
    • Southwest Parks 2006
    • BEYC/Jost van Dyke, BVI 2005
    • Offshore Sailing School 2004
    • Annapolis Sailboat Show 2004
    • Finger Lakes 2004
    • NY State Bike Tour 2004
    • Biras Creek, BVI 2003