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Chin Family Reunion: Lake Apopka - Day 1 and 2 (click once on any
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Rental House Pier
The backyard of our rental
house was absolutely gorgeous at sunrise and we always
took advantage of the photo opportunity before heading out for the day. This
morning we were lucky to have a seldom seen belted kingfisher perched right on
our railing (that’s him in the last photo, not the fake owl in the panorama)!
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
Today’s main photo op was at
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, a short drive from our rental house to the
northeastern side of Lake Apopka. This area was once drained in 1941 to use as
farmland, but then subsequently flooded in 1998 to restore the area to it’s natural state. It takes an
hour or more to drive the narrow dirt roads that offer great wildlife viewing
opportunities right from the car, but there was also the occasional parking lot
that made it feasible for those like us who wish to linger a bit longer. We
watched as the heron below tried over and over again
(without success) to position his catfish catch correctly so that he could
swallow it headfirst without the barbs damaging his throat (he was still
playing with it when we left). It was also fun watching this grackle eat out
the innards of this small turtle and then leave the empty shell behind.
Still More Good Eats
It was Korean barbecue for
lunch at Shin Jung followed by a dinner celebration for Li’s and Lauren’s
upcoming birthdays (8/7 and 8/8 respectively) at Bella Italia. Lauren was
turning 16 and Li a young looking 59 as he approaches
the 60 milestone!
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