In spite of some modest rain of late, the first of November seemed like a good day to get out for a hike or bike ride in ome of my favorite local natural areas (Mocassin Island tract in the River Lakes Conservation area).  My most recent visit to the area had been a couple of weeks prior and the property seemed to have been drying out a little at that time.

Oh well…best laid plans of mice and men and all.   It seems the Saint John’s River which is in part fed by this area has yet to see any significant drop (in fact, it is somwhat higher than earlier).  In the years that I have come to this property, I can’t recall seeing the canal as high or the fields as flooded as on this trip.  The North and South access roads are both flooded enough that a bike ride is probably not a good idea.  Hiking these roads would be OK, but plan to get wet if not wearing waterproof boots.

A short stroll down the canal to check out the wildlife is still in order.  Your travel will be limited to less than a half mile since the dry stretch ends before reaching the hunt area.  A word to the wise… since there is not a lot of dry land to be had, you will be sharing this with a few more critters than normal.  Some of these include aligators, pygmy rattlesnakes and the dreaded fire ant (lots of impressive mounds packed into a small space).

Still … all in all … early November is still a good time to get away from the rat race and enjoy a stroll.