The highlight of the trip was a visit to the Corkscrew Wildlife Refuge. It was a two and a half hour drive from Ruskin, but well worth the effort. The nearly three mile long boardwalk traversed five different ecosystems, including the last stand of old growth cypress forest (with trees over 500 years old), savanna, and wetlands. Although this was the dry season there were still water fowl and alligators around. That's a snowy egret at the bottom. In the early 20th century they were slaughtered by the millions so that fashionable ladies could wear feathers in their hats. The cypress forests were mowed down for their wood, the swamps drained as vermin-infested wasteland. One could weep at the stupidity and greed of human beings.
