Our neighbors at the apartment are from Fairmont, Minnesota. He is a retired minister from the Methodist Church. His wife is a fountain of information and came over to greet us. We learned there was choir from Grand Rapids, MI presenting a concert the day we arrived so we went with them. The choir members paid their own airfare and were on tour in Georgia and Florida. It was a great performance.
We attended church the first Sunday and started birding the local area, drove to Harris Neck NWR Tuesday 3/6, attended the concert of the Carson Newman university choir from Jefferson City, TN, Wednesday, drove to the Okefenokee Swamp NWR on Thursday, and Jekyl Island yesterday. We like the area, temperatures have been moderate (60F-78F), the devastating tornadoes have passed North of us, and we are happy to be not shoveling snow. We have family visiting this coming weekend and friends who formerly lived in SD coming the following weekend. Below are some pictures from our various excursions.
Brown Pelican at Village dock
Harris Neck Army Airfield during WW II
Carson Newman University choir from Johnson City, TN preparing to perform at St. Simons United Methodist Church which we attend.
Okefenokee NWR East entrance near Folkston, Georgia
Vic and Donna by tour boat used for tour of Okefenokee Swamp
Canal hand dug by prisoners when Okefenokee was privately owned. If the swamp were drained, more timber could be cut. The effort failed when long section of sand was encountered and could not be drained. Okefenokee became a National Wildlife refuge in 1937 after the government bought the land back.
Another Gator looking for lunch. Our boat was only 6 feet from this one.
American Bittern hunting by the shore.