Leapin' Lipizzaners!

It's been a hell of a week. While paddling on Monday I got swarmed by a cloud of no-see-ems. I must have 500 angry red whelps on my arms and legs. For some reason they didn't mess with Dorcas, Ken or Barbara. Then Dorcas' cold turned into my cold. My cold turned into conjunctivitis. My conjunctivitis may have now evolved into a sinus infection. Needless to say, I've been laying around recuperating this week, and feeling just a little sorry for myself.

But today we did get out for a little activity. First, we walked across the Peace River bridge to Zolfo Springs and toured Pioneer Park. Pioneer Park is a county park that contains a campground, a museum and a wildlife preserve. The wildlife refuge was great. It consisted of an elevated boardwalk that takes visitors over natural habitats. We saw ostriches, tortoises, alligators, deer, gray and red foxes, a bobcat, a panther, a black bear and a peacock. The river otters were having personal problems and were hiding out. There were a number of black vultures, but they were just visiting. Get to Pioneer park if you are ever in Zolfo Springs.

Then we attended an exhibition of Herrmanns' Royal Lipizzan Stallions. These horses are trained at a ranch near Myakka City, about 30 miles from our camp. During the winter they offer free exhibitions. This breed was created in the 16th century for the exclusive use of the Hapsburg Royal family of Austria. The breed was nearly exterminated by approaching Russian troops during WWII, but General George Patton helped Colonel Ottomar Herrmann smuggle the horses out from behind enemy lines. The Herrmann family still trains and shows the horses at their ranch in Myakka City. It was a wonderful show. Some of the routines didn't come off exactly as planned, but then the horses and the riders are in training, and that added some interest to the show.