Lake Proctor Wilderness Area

Last night, I joined the Florida Trail Association for another of their great "night hikes."

This time, we traipsed thru the Lake Proctor Wilderness Area. For you socks who live in Central Florida, it's just a hop, skip, and a jump from Oviedo in Seminole County. And, it's definitely worth all the hopping, skipping, and jumping to get there--especially if you've never experienced the "real Florida."

The LPWA is a 475-acre preserve on the shores of Lake Proctor. It has about 6 miles of hiking trails. And, no, yours truly did not follow them all last night. Just a good portion of them. But, give me a break, it was DARK out there!!

We were accompanied by Dr. Patti Smith, an ecology professor at Valencia Community College, who was able to point out all the different ecosystems as we made our way thru the wilderness: piney woods, sand hills, bayhead swamps, oak hammock, etc. She did NOT have to point out all the goldenrod blossoms. They were everywhere, it seemed.

Dr. Smith did teach me how to spot the two different types of bay trees that grow in these parts. Their sweet aroma made our hike all the more enjoyable. She also taught us how to distinguish three different types of pine trees. I mean, I knew there were different species, but now I know why they're different!

Anyway, it was a fun get-back-to-nature evening, and I'm looking forward to more as the temperatures around here abate a little.

But, for now, I've got some serious college football watching to do.

Go Gators!