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Cedar Keys Blues [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2024-10-03  

Cedar Key in Levy County, Florida was sideswiped by Hurricane Helene. The town was badly damaged and it will probably take years to recover (See: www.wuft.org/...)

Roseate Spoonbill and Snowy Egret, near Cedar Key, 2022.

Levy County, Florida, has a checkered history at best. It was the site of the Rosewood Massacre (See: en.wikipedia.org/...) and they voted for DeSantis by 78% (www.politico.com/...). They tend to be a far right part of Florida, but they are also home to some very interesting wildlife and to the legendary Gulf Hammock. In the following Will McLean song they unfortunately use a warthog photo instead of the wild pig the song is about, but the music is great.

Along the highway from Gainesville to Cedar Key I used to find blooming Grass Pink Orchids and Lady’s Tresses. The state of Florida regularly mowed them down, despite state laws protecting native orchids!

Near Cedar Key I collected multitudes of a jumping spider that I was studying from the Black Mangroves (I was never sure why there were so many there, but there must have been a good supply of their insect prey), my wife and I honeymooned at Cedar Key and visited nearby Seahorse Key with the help of the caretaker, earlier I had taken her with me to a seafood banquet at Seahorse hosted by Endogenous Rhythm, the Zoology Grad Student club, and the rookery at Seahorse Key was fascinating, as was the population of Cottonmouth Moccasins known from the 100 acre island. The Moccasins have fallen on hard times recently as the rookery had been partly abandoned and they have lost their main source of food (See: news.clas.ufl.edu/...) Nearby Snake Key may be more fortunate. I saw a huge group of Magnificent Frigatebirds over Seahorse in 1975.

Lighthouse at Seahorse Key. (See: www.lighthousefriends.com/...)

Grave on Seahorse Key, Florida.

I will always love the backcountry of the Cedar Keys and nearby Levy County hammocks and swamps. I may disagree with the political sentiments of the people there, but the biota is unique and well worth the time I spent there.

I wish the people of Cedar Key the best in rebuilding, but I hope that their favorite candidates go down to defeat!

As usual, the photos are by me.

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