I don't like spiders or snakes....remember that song?

Early Sunday afternoon, our Indiana friends, also here in Zephyrhills, called and asked if we wanted to go out and about. We went to the John B. Sargent Nature Preserve down the road and got an idea what nature in Florida was all about. The Hillsbourgh River is 54 miles long, and curves this way and that making bogs and lagoons for wildlife. Grasses in the water make good hunting grounds for the Ibis, and Great white egrets snapping up bugs, minnows and little green snakes. Blue heron swooped, both the large and small variety. Turkey buzzards, close to a hundred, if not more in our viewing area anyway, hunched up in the high cypress trees which were draped in spanish moss. (We felt as if Alfred Hitchcock should be directing this entire scene, it was just so eerie!) They kept swooping and dive bombing each other, making us feel as if we were being checked out as a possible entree'). Turtles were sunning on logs, ranging in size from plate to a foot and a half in diameter. We kept looking for 'gators who like sunny days, but "think" we only saw logs. Folks in canoes, and jon-boats braved the waters where all those scary things live. Kids were fishing, using chunks of ruby red grapefruit as bait. A snakebird had his wings spread out, drying wet wings. Snakes fall out of trees people said, and spiders too. No boats for me! The park system had made a boardwalk that went all through this boggy area, and pictures to identify the birds. We saw a wood stork later in the day.
On to Parksdale Fruit Market in Plant City then, for fresh produce and their famous strawberry treats! The line for shortcake was so long it went to the busy road, and along it. We bought 2 quarts of ripe strawberries, 2 avocados, 2 huge tomatoes, green beans, and new red potatoes all for $9.
On the way home we drove down a farmer's lane, close to the RV park, and saw his "Zorse"....what is a zorse you ask... It is a zebra/horse. It had the narrow blackish face, slender black stockinged legs and stripes of a zebra, but was brown like a horse with donkey like ears. The stripes went every which way, and the markings on the face looked almost tribal, like it was rubberstamped and inked on. Just a very odd little animal!
Today we went to Dade City to get fresh OJ from Citrus Country who now leases Orange Blossom in Clearwater. We like the set-up in Clearwater much better, but the OJ we got was fresh squeezed this morning. A real Florida perk!