April in Tallahassee is pretty, pretty nice. The mornings are cool and damp and the real heat hasn’t quite settled in yet. A great month for a wedding—Hillary’s and Bruno’s that is. Dave and I arrived early in the week, to spend some time with our only daughter and future son-in-law. Time to chill a bit before the big day—and help put the couple at ease (or at least try to!).

Our first couple of days were well spent. We explored FSU, attended one of Hillary’s Abnormal Psych lectures (eye-opening), drank Lucky Goat Coffee (so GOOD) and visited Proof Brewing Co. 

However, by third day, Dave and I decided it might be helpful if we disappeared for a bit. So we made the short 16-mile drive to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge for a visit.

This refuge was established in 1931 and is one of the oldest in the National Refuge system. It’s initial purpose was to provide a winter home for migratory birds. It encompasses over 70,000 acres, and 43 miles of gulf shoreline. Our plan was to visit the lighthouse, followed by a five mile walk along some of the salt marshes and bayous in search of wildlife. 

On the way to St. Marks Lighthouse, Dave saw a rather large gator lounging in the middle of a sandy road. We parked and crept towards him (not too close) to take a photo. He wasn't interested in us, it was the warmth of the early morning sun he was after. It still freaked me out. Later, Hillary told us the way to get away from an alligator is to run in a zig-zagging motion. It seems that an alligator can only move forward, not diagonally. Good to know.

Within minutes we spotted a bald eagle sitting stoically in the pines. Would have been a good time to have a zoom lens—which we did not have.

The lighthouse and path along the shoreline was rugged and full of life. Hundreds of tiny crabs scattered in all directions with every footstep. The beach was narrow and overlooked a large bay. To the south, nothing but ocean, its immensity giving us both an overwhelming feeling of insignificance. 

We headed back to the Stoney Bayou pools in search of alligators and a lone pink flamingo, which had relocated in the marsh, following Hurricane Michael. The pathway ran along dikes built between man-made pools, once used for sea salt production during the Civil War. Eagles, osprey, and waterfowl were abundant.

We did end up seeing the lone pink flamingo (definitely a Where’s Waldo moment), along with at least seven alligators. Not bad for a day in the swamp.

Good news! The bug spray we purchased at the visitor’s center was very effective. Unfortunately, it‘s oiliness combined with abundant sunshine turned us both a lovely shade of red. Undaunted, we capped the day with another visit to Proof for some EightFive-O and talked about the crazy, joyous days to come.

It was the perfect way to unwind prior to the big wind-up.