Here we are, already the last day of September.Summer might be officially over, but to me there are really only two seasons: hurricane season and not hurricane season. So we still have two months to go.We normally don’t hike as much when it’s so hot, but we decided to see what it’s like right now on our favorite trails in the Hillsborough River State Park. Yep, swampy and buggy. Some trails were completely underwater. I had mud head to toe. The highlight was a barred owl, but I wasn’t able to get a photo before it flew away. The wet weather meant tons of mushrooms. I can’t get iNaturalist to identify many mushrooms for me. I’d love to do a mycologist hike out there one day.Another of those up close:This one is crowded parchment.Native green fly orchid.The best shoestring ferns.Some mullet and a stingray cruising under the dock.The best thing in my backyard right now:An itty bitty baby box turtle.Mangrove skipper.

A Gulf fritillary caterpillar on the passion vine.

Some stories I found this month:

I’ve always dreamed of seeing the ivory-billed woodpecker, now officially extinct. Devastating. I can only be thankful it’s pileated relative still visits my yard. 

In happier news, another rare Florida butterfly makes a comeback.

Florida Man captures alligator in his recycle bin. Now you can mark that off on your Florida bingo card. 

I loved this story about families reusing containers. Does anyone expect to find cookies in a Royal Dansk cookie tin at grandma’s house?

I’m reading the brilliant Florida writer Lauren Groff’s latest, Matrix. I normally wouldn’t pick up a novel set in a 12th century convent, but I can’t put it down. 

Thanks for stopping by!

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