It was New Year’s Eve and sunny outside. Suffering from a mild case of cabin fever, I was joined by a friend for an outing to North Peninsula Park and Betty Steflik Preserve to celebrate the holiday.

We first drove to No. Peninsula via US 1, Old Dixie Road, and High Bridge Road. I observed the water levels at Bulow Woods as we drove past Boardman Pond. I might visit the woods this coming week as the water has receded somewhat. Hopefully some of the trails won’t be as muddy as they were when last I visited the Woods.

North Peninsula State Park is very small, but has a lovely 2.5 mile trail through a portion of coastal hammock and coastal strand — low-growing thick scrub between the park and the ocean.

Although my friend has lived in Florida for decades, she had never visited this particular park. We weren’t alone. There were small families joining the sunny weather and couples or solo hikers walking their dogs. 

The park has a small parking lot, bathroom facilities, a couple of picnic tables, and benches staged periodically along the path.

This nature trail has some signage pointing out the various shrubs, herbs, and trees of the hammock areas. There is also a kiosk midway through the hike with photos of various trees, shrubs, perennials, herbs, and vines you might see during your walk.

One part of the trail follows a narrow opening between the tall scrub, which is higher than my head, creating a green tunnel effect. The white sand creates a contrast with the various tones of green and gray found in the coastal scrub.

Today we didn’t see many (or any) animals, although I heard the call of a hunting osprey.

After our walk at North Peninsula, we drove to Flagler Beach and had lunch at the Turtle Shack on A1A, with an outside table overlooking the ocean. The water was pretty calm and the air crisp and clean, so we could see some of the sea traffic off in the distance, as well as some dive-bombing pelicans seeking their lunch.

After lunch, we drove over to Betty Steflik Preserve and took another walk on the boardwalk. The tide was out, so there were some shoals exposed to the air.

On Friday, I returned to the Graham Swamp Trail, although I couldn’t finish the four miles due to the dampness on the breezeway. It was still slippery and mossy in places in the shade. Practicing caution borne of many previous falls (from my days as a XC skier, backpacker and hiker — on skis, and into creeks) I chose to turn around. I still got in about 3.5 miles total.

As I crossed one of the bridges on the Graham Swamp Trail, I noticed some distinctive ripples in the water that went under the bridge. Looking over the opposite edge, I spied a dark wet head of an swimming animal cruising upstream. It was a river otter, an animal often found in the marshes and rivers of Florida. This was the first otter I had spotted since arriving back in this area. It was too dark to get a photo of the swiftly swimming creature, but a delight to see it.

I am enjoying the cooler, dryer weather we are having now, finally, after a dampish autumn. Hopefully, the blue skies will prevail for the next week. I intend to go out on more explorations of my favorite local haunts.

With all the exercise I am getting, I’ve dropped two jean sizes depending on the style since arriving here. I’m feeling stronger and can easily put in 4 to 5 miles per day. I walk every day and know my local neighborhood quite well. I am very content with having to move and my choice in returning to Flagler County.

Another development — my new friend is at least aware of some of things I post on my blog on a daily basis. Apparently she has friends who are aware of things beyond the scope of many people. It has been enjoyable to share things I have wished to say for years, but never found the proper setting or open minds to at least hear what I was saying. Like I have mentioned before, I’ve been awake, to some degree, for a very long time. While I have gone through various stages, I have also begun to appreciate my natural gifts of discernment, common sense, being practical and grounded, my empathic/healing gifts, and ability to tune-in and know things without any apparent pre-knowledge. All human beings have these gifts; some have developed them to a higher degree. I’ve had some of these gifts since childhood, but they were not acknowledged or appreciated by friends or members of my family. I think some of my readers totally understand… without me needing to say much more.

Soon all of humanity will take leaps and bounds into a new world, higher density, greater self-consciousness, and an expansion of our self-knowledge and greater comfort with being here on Terra as she carries us slowly into the fourth density and onto the fifth.

I wish all my readers a Happy New Year filled with potential.

Eliza

https://sunnysjournal.com

Camera: Nikon Coolpix L830

COMMENTS ON