I am pleased to provide this update from the Woods Clan Southern outpost in southwest Florida.  Today Anne and Chuck are at the Davidson Condo with Mom and Dad Woods.  Three Woods brothers, Rob, Mark, and Joe are at the Estero Island Beach Club time-share.  Of course it is never that simple.  At this moment Dad is at the beach with Mark while Rob and Joe are off to a “spring training” Red Socks game.  Mom went with Anne to a small recorder gig.  I (Chuck) am at the condo to do some chores in peace.

Yesterday Anne and Chuck took Mark to the Big Cypress/Fahkahatchee secton of the Tamiami Trail to enjoy the scenery there.  Mark had asked about native royal palms, and Chuck told him the place to the see the biggest ones was in the Fahkahatchee strand.  Mark thought he might like to see that and we made a loop through the western Everglades stopping at Big Cypress Bend (which we had visited with the Gallops a week ago), the new Kirby Storter boardwalk trail in the Big Cypress, and a "tramway" within the Fahkahatchee strand itself where the old royal palms pierce the sky.

A large section of sawgrass prairie south of the Tamiami Trail was burned in the last month and now an enormous lovely lime green lawn covers the flats between the hammocks and strands there.  In places this refreshed prairie extends to the horizon.

Spring is arriving fast now, and whereas last week only a few of the cypress were leafing out, now the forest too is a gracious shade of green.  Last week we could not find a snake, only lizards, for James, but yesterday we enjoyed close looks of an Everglades rat snake and a Florida brown water snake.  Numerous gators too were lumbering about the marshland. 

The birds were becoming more active as well, and we were able to show Mark some ten kinds of wood warblers. 

Anne has agreed to work at the Cherokee Hospital in April and May, so we have to get home to mobilize the motorhome and to prepare for more time away from home.  That brings to the forefront outstanding chores here.  Mom and Dad want to socialize with “the boys,” so this week’s activities focus on them.  Still, we are already starting to gather our gear and complete small projects at the condo.  Chuck still has to finish taxes.  Hopefully the outstanding 1099’s will come in this week’s mail.  Once the Woods brothers leave we will finish up chores here.  We should leave by the middle of next week and return to the still wintery northlands.