Recent content by Erica

Thank you for continuing to take us along on your journey. The butterfly is either a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail or an Eastern Tiger swallowtail or they can interbreed. At one time it was thought they were the same but genetic studies indicated they were two separate species. Their...

I love the orchids. Lady Slippers are such a treat. I haven’t seen them since I moved south. We have other orchids here, over 100 species of native orchids. The butterfly is a Swallowtail of some sort. I don’t know the northern species. I’m enjoying your trip report immensely.

We rarely mention here the health challenges we face. I’m grateful it comes up from time to time. It certainly gives me courage to keep trying. I was ready to quit my solo trips about 10 years ago or so. It was Robin and Gerald who set the example and encouraged me to continue. Thanks to them...

How awful. I hope it can be addressed and taken care of quickly and successfully. I am in the middle of reading a book written by the first woman to complete the NFCT, solo. It sounds rugged. The book is Upwards by Laurie Apgar Chandler. It’s a trip report on steroids.

My friend who was born with only one regular arm. The other arm had a normal upper arm and then an elbow with a stub of the lower arm. So you might want to try paddling with your elbow on the surgical arm. Depending on use and pain of course. He tied a leather loop to the middle of the shaft...

Yep, the song mentions making shoe laces from the skin.

Or Canada? Southwest Texas should one need to stay warm. I’m actually in a minor fallout area. If all my mango trees hadn’t succumbed to the recent spate of 26 degrees, I might even have something to eat stored up.

This is an interesting search. Next time, lowangleAl, if you could please pick it up and get close ups of the mouth, the head, mouth open and closed, and a close up of the pattern from the top and sides. ;) From looking at a lot of photos, I can see why Mason thinks it’s a water snake. Some...

The instructions are in this song: (a very short ad at the beginning)

Neither the pine snake nor the northern water snake have a triangular head. Here's the head of a copperhead, which shows the plate-like scales on top of the head. Copperhead

I’m no snake expert, but that triangular head and thick body to me makes me think venomous snake. My guess would be a copperhead, but that’s a wild guess.

Makes paddling the Everglades somewhat less interesting. Or more interesting, depending on your point of view.

It never occurred to me that a propane lantern would take the chill off inside a tent. What a great idea.

Maybe it is just me, but reheated hamburgers are at about the bottom of my list of food preferences. Only slightly higher than cardboard.

I eat very little meat anymore - can’t afford it. But I broke down and bought a pound. I started a wood fire in the outdoor fireplace and put the burgers on when I got a golden red bed of coals. Just salt and pepper. There’s nothing like burgers over a wood fire. I did not think to take...