Oxbow Eco-Center Hike

So we were looking for a place to hike where we could take Sophie (because, really, who would want to take her for a walk after we just got back from a hike?) and we didn't want to go too far . . . so we ended up at the Oxbow Eco-Center, a place McKenzie has gone to on field trips. We checked online and they let you bring your dog and there were about 3 miles or so of groomed trails on the 224-acre preserve. Perfect!

So we started off, except Mike and I really didn't know how to get there. I had a vague idea and he had an even vaguer idea, so we doubled back to go print directions at home. While Mike was mapquesting, I looked for my sunglasses and realized that Mike had left our bag of water bottles on the kitchen floor. Oops. Can you tell we haven't done this whole hiking thing in a while?? No sunglasses, no directions, no WATER!!

We arrived at the Oxbow Center about 25 minutes later and I used their facilities before we started on our trek (that part I haven't forgotten. . . I'm just not a pee-in-the-woods kind of gal). We had a little trail map and decided to make a big loop, about 3 miles in all. The day wasn't hot and the terrain is flat (we have to drive 300 miles to find a hill. Seriously.) so we thought 3 miles would be just about right. Sophie was all set to go!! She was having a total smell-fest! We hadn't gone down the trail too far when we ran into Officer Byrnes, the School Resource Officer at SLWK8 and his wife, Lily! Small world! Our county has 300,000 people, and we were 20 miles from home, so it was kind of funny to run into someone from our school.

We continued on and heard something in the bushes. Hey it's an armadillo! In the wild. . . not dead, in the middle of the road. Cool!

Sophie was convinced that her job was to protect us from the evil armadillo, so she lunged at it but being Sophie, didn't bark, so I had time to take a picture before going on our way.

After a while we came to this bridge where we took I took a photo op. Hiking for me is really all about taking pictures, don't you know?

So this bridge was over a small trickle of a creek. I'm not trying to insult it. . . it's probably a big roaring creek during big rainstorms. . . but today it was just a little bitty creek. To the north (I'm just making that up, I have no idea if it was north or not, but let's just say north) it looked like this: clear, crystal water, green vines hanging down, and a sandy creek bottom. . .

And to the south (again, no idea, do you think I carry a compass around??) it looked like this: crystal clear water, but no green vines and no white sand in evidence at all. Hmmm. . . Kenzie and I thought it was odd. Well, it was Kenzie who pointed it out. I don't have time to ponder these kinds of things. I'm too busy taking pictures.

These spiky palm fronds (I'm sure Kenzie could tell you the name and the genus) lined the path. They make a cool sound when you brush past them. And they were spiky enough to keep Sophie (and Mike) on the trail.

Hey, take a look at this weird vegetation. . . it is weird, don't you think? Mike thinks I walk slow. Nope. Just lookin' at stuff, weird stuff like this.. After all, this is a nature hike, right?

See? Here's a tree attacking another tree, or hugging it I guess. Depends on your perspective and your state of mind. The things a tree will do to get more light and water. Really selfish if you think about it. Which I don't, usually.

Ah. . . The mighty North Fork of the St Lucie River. Rivers in Florida really don't look like rivers in the northwest. I can't imagine whitewater rafting down this. Kayaking maybe. . . the whole alligator thing though keeps my feet on dry land. We were, however, looking for manatee. We've never seen one in the wild but that doesn't keep us from looking.

Here's McKenzie pondering the great questions of life. Or thinking, Mom, when are you going to put the damn camera away and leave me alone? Nah. . . she's had a camera in her face since she was born. She's used to it. She's probably one of the more photographed kids ever. Cute, no? But I think her eyes are closed. Ugh.

So we continued around a bend in the river, also known as an Oxbow (I remember that from Oxbow Bend in the Grand Tetons and hence the name Oxbow Center), and the terrain was actually hilly. Not like, really hilly, but Florida hilly. So like 6-8 feet hills, but outside of the county garbage dump, that's as hilly as I've ever seen it around here.

The ubiquitous palm tree. I had to take this gratuitous shot. It is Florida, after all. I think it's a rule.

See the hill? I am at the top and Mike, Becca and Sophie, the super hunter, are at the bottom.

The trail turned away from the river at this point and we headed inland. Becca was holding Sophie on the leash through this part. Well, more accurately, Sophie was pulling Becca down the trail, but why get picky? Until Sophie got wind of another critter and then Becca was on the ground, but she didn't let go of the leash! I've got to give her credit for that. She has her wimpy moments (I'll get to that in a moment), but she can be tenacious when she chooses to be. It turned out that we had run across another armadillo. He's kind of cute, in a homely sort of way.

By this time we were about a half mile from trail's end and we were all thirsty because we had left the water bottles in the car (I know, we're rusty at this hiking thing), so we were moving along pretty quickly. Mike had been holding Sophie's leash since the whole armadillo incident, but figured Becca could hold it during the home stretch. So Mike calls up to Becca to call for Sophie and Becca wouldn't answer him. It turned out she had been crying the whole time! Not because she got hurt falling to her knees, but because Mike had laughed! Oh Becca, Becca, Becca. . . what are we going to do with you and your fragile little feelings? I explained that Daddy is a big stupid man and that the silent treatment never works, because he would never notice. Well, maybe by next Wednesday or Thursday he would figure it out, maybe. Maybe not. If she was mad, she needed to say she was mad and why. Sweetie, men are really very clueless. You have to just say it. So hopefully it is a lesson she takes to heart because it is one all women must learn eventually.

Think my dog had a good time? She had a continuous grin on her face the whole time, except when she put on her fierce "scare-the-armadillo-must-protect-family" look.

And here is one last shot of our beautiful, 72 degree weather in January, hike. (I just put that last part in so all my northwest friends would be jealous and come down and visit me).