MORE OF GULF STATE PARK, BOILED PEANUTS

WE HAD PLANNED TO STAY ONLY A WEEK AT GULF STATE PARK, BUT AFTER WE WERE HERE  A COUPLE OF DAYS, WE REALIZED THAT A WEEK WAS NOT GOING TO BE LONG ENOUGH, SO WE SIGNED UP FOR ANOTHER WEEK.

THESE SIGNS WERE THROUGHOUT THE PARK.

ANOTHER ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WEEK WAS A GUIDED NATURE WALK, DARRELL AND I WENT ON THAT ONE TOGETHER. THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER  PERSON, SO WE ALL RODE IN THE RANGER'S VAN AND WOULD MAKE STOPS ALONG THE WAY. OUR FIRST STOP WAS AN EAGLE'S NEST WHERE THE BABY EAGLES WERE STARTING TO PLEDGE.

 WITH BINOCULARS WE SAW  TWO BABIES STILL IN THE NEST. WE SAW A BIG  TURTLE IN THIS LITTLE POND.

WE STOPPED AT THE LAKE WHERE THEY HAD RELEASED THE BABY ALLIGATORS.

 AND SNACKED ON WILD BERRIES!

THEN WE GOT TO MEET LEFTY, THE MAMA ALLIGATOR, WHO STARTED OUT WITH THIRTEEN BABIES AND WE COULD ONLY  FIND  THREE, WHEN SHE GETS HUNGRY SHE EATS HER BABIES!!

 THIS SIGN WAS  RIGHT BY THE ALLIGATORS.

WHILE DRIVING HERE, I NOTICED DEAD ANIMALS BESIDE THE ROAD THAT LOOKED LIKE ARMADILLOS. I ASKED THE RANGER ABOUT THAT, SHE SAYS, YES, THERE ARE  ARMADILLOS HERE. WHEN I LIVED IN FLORIDA, AS A GIRL,  THERE WEREN'T ANY ARMADILLOS. I HAD NEVER SEEN AN ARMADILLO UNTIL LAST SUMMER AT BENTSEN PALM.

WHEN WE ATE AT DOC'S SEAFOOD SHACK, I ASKED OUR WAITRESS WHERE WE  COULD BUY BOILED PEANUTS....SHE TOLD ME ALL THE GAS STATIONS SELL THEM!! SO, I HAVE BEEN EATING BOILED PEANUTS ALMOST EVERY DAY.

THE MAGNOLIA TREES WERE BLOOMING EVERYWHERE....SO BEAUTIFUL AND SO SWEET SMELLING.

I HAD BEEN WALKING IN THE PARK, BUT ONE DAY I  DECIDED TO WALK TO THE BEACH......ONLY FOLKS OUT WERE THE FISHERMEN!

WE WENT TO THE BEACH PRETTY OFTEN, SOMETIMES ONLY FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.

ONE DAY WE WENT, I HAD PLANNED ON GOING IN THE WATER, BUT IT WAS TOO COLD FOR ME.

WE LEFT GULF STATE PARK  MONDAY, MAY 4, WE WERE GOING TO BACKTRACK A LITTLE AND GO TO BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.