It was an interesting stop. More logistical mishaps (dead car battery), riding my bike through these haunting lowlands to get to the center of the park for a wifi signal from which to take my work calls (and making sure alligators did not appear in the Zoom calls), making dear friends with our neighbors who inspired us, comforted us, and brought our family so much joy. All while surrounded by another host of wild animals.

I’m struck by how much can happen in a day, both emotionally and logistically. At the end of the day (or even just a call I miraculously pulled off), I have way more satisfaction, or even euphoria knowing what it took to pull off even the smallest of feats in the day (making coffee, doing laundry, teaching phonics). And then, amidst the hustle, I will have a 15 minute bike ride during the cool of the morning, passing boars and deer and wood stork, pinching myself to confirm this is my reality.

The deer across the riverbed meadow,
The anhingas, perched in their ritual of fanning and drying their wings in the sun,
The alligator’s smug posture of lazing, floating, relaxing or stalking,
The roseate spoonbill’s swaying beak, bait fishing, having more luck than us,
The vultures, oh the abundance of the vultures and their foreboding presence,
The wild boars and their greedy indignance,
And as always, the teeniest of creatures that only kids’ eyes can see - bugs, spiders, and lizards “with mohawks.”