Blame it on El Niño, but the dry season in Florida turned out to be otherwise.  A great rainstorm hit us on Friday afternoon just as the first GO campers arrived at Vitambi to stake out our tentsites on wet ground.  Ironically, it was those of us who had chosen to stay at the rustic cabins who were the first to cry uncle, as the staff at Vitambi graciously opened up the Vitambi Barracks for the "not yet" wet refugees.  Bravely, most participants opted to stay out on their tents, as the next day Saturday was slated to be a nicer sunny day.  However, if we thought Friday was bad, the Vitambi staff informed us that the weather Saturday evening was predicted to be even worst, with heavy wind driven rain, and possible tornadoes.  We cannot thank the staff at Vitambi enough, as they once again made available other accommodations.  With one courageous exception, the rest of the campers went indoors.  Unfortunately, this made for a somewhat scattered camping experience, but safety was primary, and in spite of it all, we made the best of it.

And the best was spectacular.  The visit to the STA-5 was, as always, quite a treat.  Aside from the muddy roads, the weather and the birds cooperated, offering us a wide variety of species.  The highlight, at least to me, was watching a Great Egret eating a snake.  It was quite a production, as the snake refused to cooperate, and three times slide out of the birds gullet, only to be grabbed again, and finally swallowed whole.  The egret seemed satisfied.  Not so the snake.

After dinner, Ron led a group of hikers on a night excursion on the grounds of Vitambi.  Ron encouraged us to turn off out headlamps, and as we all grew accustomed to the darkness, it proved quite a treat to wander in the subtropical forest.  Later, a great campfire was started out on the field, and a night "bug count" was carried out with the help of an entomologist from Florida Gulf Coast University.

After the rains stopped Sunday morning, a few of us ventured to the Florida Panther Refuge, which actually turned out to be an unscheduled swamp walk, in ankle deep water.  No one turned back, and while we all got our feet wet, we checked out the predominantly Mexican farming town of Immokalee, where we had a great, what else, Mexican lunch.

In lieu of an outdoor campfire, that evening we were warmed by an indoor fire at the great fireplace of the Bolo Cafe.  Much thanks need to be extended to the wonderful staff at Vitambi, who so heartfully rescued us all from a soggy weekend, and made our Second Florida GO Gathering an experience to remember.

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