Birthday Adventure in Ocala

For my 39th birthday I decided to visit my sister Jenny in Ocala.

Jenny’s cat Clara.

Photo by Jennifer Kasper

Setting up my tent in my sister’s yard.

Got it put together just before it started raining.

Sitting in the tent making sure there was no leaks. 

I took this shot of the moon around 6am. 

Jenny made me breakfast in bed in the tent. 

On our way to explore the Silver River. 

Jumping in for a quick swim.

A little frog outside my sister’s door. 

On Sunday some other family members came up to Ocala and we visited Juniper Springs. 

Mom and Dad.

Taking a little walk on some of the trails inside the park.

Lovely little butterfly.

This little grasshopper fell off a tree and landed in the path in front of me.

Taking a walk in the woods behind my sister’s house. 

Mom holding up the jaw bone of a deer.

Monarch in The Grass

Unfolding

The Ocklawaha River

My siblings and I decided to visit our sister Jenny, who lives near the Ocala National Forest. 

Relying on landmarks is almost impossible. It looks like this for miles.

And towards the end the GPS system thinks you are driving off the edge of the known world.

Loading up the boats. Photo by Jenny Kasper.

But we made it to her place and she took us for a ride down the Ocklawaha River. 

Due to the recent heavy rains the water level was considerably higher than normal.

Surprisingly, Ocala is home to a group of Rhesus macaque monkeys. Native to Asia, they were brought to the area for a tourist attraction in the 1930’s and have quickly spread. There are many posted warning signs in the area since they can be agressive and unpredictable. Luckily, this one seemed content to watch us float down the river.

A large osprey pearched on top of a tree.

My brother Jon and sister Liz under a serene canopy.