I joined the Thursday morning hiking group of the Florida Cracker Chapter of the Florida Trail Association for, what turned out to be, a strenuous 6 mile hike through San Felasco State Park. There are many more photos at the Swampy’s Florida site. You can see those by clicking here.

Along the way I got some sketchin’ done, too. Not as much as usual. Below are a couple of the slight scribblings I made along the way.

While hiking it’s always good to be prepared for emergencies by carrying a well stocked Pez container!

We found ourselves in an empty bed of a cypress swamp.

This should be under at least some water. Below is a lonely cypress knee.

Took a side trip and hiked the 2.1 mile Holly Hammock trail at Ross Prairie State Forest an hour ago. Oh, the differences of natural Florida and the sands of the mid-east.

It was park day last Sunday, October 2nd. It was also the 121st birthday of Groucho Marx. A trip to Homeland Heritage Park and Mosaic Peace River Park was in store. Had a great time with Terisa Glover and Sparky as we traversed the area of Homeland, Florida. More photos of the trip will show up at Swampy’s Florida.

It was from the boardwalk at Peace River Park that I drew the sketch above. Below is video of part of the sketch.

Above is a photo of the natural wonder you can take in at Peace River Park.

Here’s a church, which is part of the Homeland Heritage Park.

I later ran over to the week old opened Marshall Hampton Reserve near Lake Hancock in Lakeland. There’s a photo of that soon to appear on the Swampy’s Florida site. My non-Swampy photos didn’t turn out well. Very wild there. Posted as open to foot and equine travelers and apparently to bikers, who nearly ran me down.

I got to experience the one place I hadn’t been to that I had put in the Swampy’s Florida: Lakeland coloring book, Circle B Bar Reserve, because of my good friend Terisa Glover, who lead the way through this glorious expanse of natural Florida. And whatta a place! Seems to me to be one of the best natural areas in Central Florida. Adjectives are not plentiful enough to use. I drew only one sketch, not even complete the whole time I was there and it is above.

There are a plethora of birds. Above is a great blue heron.

Making up a great part of the trails are lined with cypress along Lake Hancock. Besides birds are many, many alligators. There is a gator in this photo. Way out in the lake and hardly visible. That is the extent of the kinds of photos I got of the gators without a high powered zoom lens. But they are there. Plenty of them.

Here’s Terisa on a typical example of a trail through the reserve.It’s dueling cameras as Terisa also takes a shot.

These fellows are there, too.

Nice, isn’t it?

He crossed the path while rodent hunting.

This large soft shell took the path of least resistance seconds after this photo by moving to the left and sliding down the bank and Plop! into the stream along the trail.

This Friday, April, 1st, is the debut of the new Swampy’s Florida: Lakeland coloring book at The General Store as part of Downtown Lakeland’s First Friday event.

The coloring book has lots to color and learn about Lakeland’s history and great places to visit. I was able to price the coloring book at $3. If you’re in the area come by and say HI! and get a free drawing between 6 to 9pm.

All of this happening at a store that I think every town should have, The General Store. You can’t miss the rocking chairs outside! Also, if you haven’t met Downtown Lakeland’s infamous Sparky at The General Store, now’s your chance! By the way, that’s Sparky in the middle on the cover.

Saturday was ‘Take a Hike, Florida’ day! I joined in at the Grand Opening of the Charles Bronson State Forest in east Orange County near Christmas, Florida. There was a great turnout for the hike and the trail is EXCELLENT! It was great to run into a number of Florida Trail Association friends. As I hiked, I sketched. Above is one where I kept walking and sketching.

Here are some photos!:

Idea and concept suggested by Terisa Glover of The General Store in Lakeland. This has to do with a proposal in the Florida Legislature to add golf courses to all state parks. So an alligator let’s the governor feel his 9 iron.

Here’s the recording of me drawing the art:

I introduced friend & fellow cartoonist, George Pieper to Florida great outdoors at the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway Landbridge trail section of the Florida Trail. Above and below are sketches down there.

Come by and visit the first Swampy’s Florida booth at Pine Castle Pioneer Days this Saturday and Sunday in south Orange County! I’ll be drawing Florida scenes, have some Swampy mini-comics & debut Swampy’s first coloring book. There’s lots more than me at the event to see, so come out and experience the Florida Cracker lifestyle with music, friends & fellowship!

Learn more by clicking here!

Saw this bit of entertainment while hiking the Cross Florida Greenway February 5th:

I joined a group to hike part of the Cross Florida Greenway on the 5th and got this sketch out before the hike and the rain that came along for the hike. Had to turn back during the hike to get into town and mail a package before the post office closed. So I rushed back by myself as fast as I could through the rain trying to keep the camera, sketch pad and the portable ‘Swampy’ dry. I had a vest on that help shield the items.

I got to the post office just in time and made a quick round of the area before heading to the trailhead where the group was suppose to end at. I got there and didn’t see anyone and thought if I missed them, I’ll pull the ol’ sketchbook out and do some sketchin’ since the drizzle had slid away.

It was then I realized my sketchbook was gone.

I started going through the car and couldn’t find it. Where could it be? On the rain soaked trail? I jumped in the car and sped the 6 odd miles to the trailhead I had started at. I started rewalking the trail. Along he way I came across the post to sign-in (for users to let the park know it’s being used) and left my phone number and a note that I had lost a sketchpad. I noticed that 5 others had signed in since I had been through. I made my way about a mile or so in to a point that I remembered having the pad with me. I headed back to the car and started thinking of other locations I might have lost it.

Getting to my car I got a phone call from a lady named Jan who had found my pad and saw the phone number written in the sign-in sheet. She had found the pad just sitting in the very wet trail. It was a short wait for the 5 hikers to make it to the parking lot. Jan’s husband had been thoughtful enough to place the pad in his backpack so that it avoided any more moisture. A hearty thanks to them!

Below are some photos I took during the hike:

This post is getting a bit long. In a separate post, I’ll include an interesting encounter I had with this mass of birds as they proceeded in an odd ballet routine in flight.