Last night the sky opened up and dumped at least an inch a rain, and this morning the clouds were foreboding and tempestuous as we drove back into Everglades National Park. The sky remained threatening and the wind was a gale off Florida Bay at Flamingo Visitor Center — over 30 miles from the park entrance — so we waited in the car for either the weather or our patience to subside.

Eventually it began to clear and we headed to Christian Point Trail. We didn’t manage to get more than halfway down this one as it was wade-only after a bit.

The trail began through mangroves and through muck which a short boardwalk bridged. (Photo by zanna.)

The water at the start of the trail was this odd umber color. (Photo by quoderat.)

We found this orchid growing on one of the trees. (Photo by quoderat.)

Glasswort was one of the most common plants as the trail passed into wet prairie. (Photo by quoderat.)

This crayfish was crossing the trail ahead of us and raised its claws defensively as we passed. Or perhaps it was just applauding our footwear. (Photo by quoderat.)

We also visited Pahayokee Overlook and its short boardwalk. This really allowed one to see why the Everglades is sometimes called the “Sea of Grass.” (Photo by zanna.)

In the Everglades, elevation changes everything. Only a few inches of difference can create a completely altered ecosystem. The dwarf cypress trees in the photo above are almost certainly the same species as in the photo below, and the much smaller ones are likely to be older than their consanguine counterparts that grow taller and much faster in better conditions. (Photo by zanna.)

Today was the day of boardwalks. As we drove through the Everglades, we decided to stop at the Kirby Storter boardwalk in the Big Cypress National Preserve to have a look around. Though relatively short, it had a wealth of wildlife.

There isn’t terrain quite like this anywhere else in the US. (Photo by zanna.)

Another interesting swampy area, only a few dozen meters from the wet grassland in the previous image. (Photo by quoderat.)

As it is the dry season here, these fish have congregated in one the remaining deeper pools at the end of the boardwalk, waiting for the summer rains to return. There were probably hundreds of fish in a very small area. (Photo by quoderat.)

A wood stork was perched over the small pond with all the fish, watching and cleaning its feathers. (Photo by zanna.)

The admission fee was a bit high ($12 per person), but Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary south of Fort Myers really paid off in the number and variety of birds we spotted.

We saw probably more than a dozen species of birds, some of which we’ve never seen before. We’ve spotted a red-shouldered hawk quite a few times before, but thought this was a pretty good photo (by quoderat).

We also saw this small black and white warbler flitting and hopping around like mad, though zanna managed to capture this photo of it eating some bug.

And this little blue heron was also hunting for its meal. (Photo by quoderat).

And this grebe was showing a little excitement. (Photo by zanna.)

The entire boardwalk itself was around 2.25 miles and passed through a variety of biomes. We thought this was the most interesting. (Photo by zanna.)

As in all of Florida, anywhere there is a few inches of water there are fish. We’re not sure what species these are. (Photo by quoderat.)

This Dolomedes fishing spider was waiting for some unlucky insect or ichthyoid to pass by. (Photo by quoderat.)

We found carnivorous plants! Specifically, sundews. Probably pink sundew, though we aren’t really sure. (Photo by quoderat.)

Aren’t they cool? This was at Prairie Pines Preserve today, near Fort Myers. We went there thinking it’d be less crowded on a Sunday as it’s not a real destination for most people — not a state park, no beaches, no swimming holes, and thus no crowds. Perfect for us!

We only ran into a few people on the trail whom we chatted with a bit. The social climate in Fort Myers seems in general more friendly for some reason than we are used to.

Here’s what the preserve looked like for the most part. (Photo by zanna.)

The preserve would be nearly impossible to visit in summer as it’d be very hot. As it was, it got into the low 80s and even at that temperature we were overheating near the end as the sun got brighter.

One of the people we passed said the preserve was devoid of wildlife. However we saw hundreds of birds — including at least two bluebirds and a dozen woodpeckers — and all sorts of plants and butterflies. I will sound like Yoda a bit perhaps, but many people look but do not see. (Photo by zanna.)

This is one of the many skippers we spotted. Species unknown. They are very hard to identify. (Photo by quoderat.)

Tomorrow we will probably head out to look at some birds of prey being rehabilitated and a few other adventures.

It’s down to the wire now.

We’re in the last phases of packing, storing, selling and throwing away. This is the hardest part of the entire trip: pausing an entire life so that it can be picked up again when the journey is over.

We sold my GTO today. Sad to see it go as it’s my second-favorite car I’ve ever driven (the other being my old orange GTO), but I didn’t want to store it and it was getting a bit old.

Right now, my arms are aching and my brain is fried from figuring out where to put things, what to throw away, and from dealing with Craigslist buyers who say they will show up and never do. Great, now what are we supposed to do with a TV stand that weighs 137 pounds?

But we’re getting there.

Now, back to packing.