In May 2000, I spent a week exploring the Florida scrub ecosystem on the Lake Wales Ridge at Archbold Biological Station. I was the only outside visitor during that time so I had the trails to myself at all times of the day.
The combination of 200' deep sugar white silica sand, rolling hills, and unique plants and animals made for a magical time. The endemic Florida Scrub Jays are common here and have been the subject of numerous behavioral studies over the years. Most of them are banded for ease of identification and are very acclimated to humans. Several times when I was on the ground photographing wildflower, a scrub jay landed on my camera bag to investigate its contents. Unnervingly, birds also landed on my ballcap-covered head and stayed there as I stood up and moved around slowly.
On a whim, I drove into the nearby city of Lake Placid and was delighted to discover it was indeed the City of Murals. Beginning in 1992, the city's Mural Society commissioned murals depicting all aspects of the natural, cultural, and economic environments of Central Florida. There are currently over 44 murals in the city making for a couple of hours of
self-touring.
