A few weeks ago there were massive wildfires in Georgia and Florida. While there wasn’t anything of that magnitude in South Florida, we had our own blazes. For a few days, there was citywide smoke, which allowed these slightly surreal pictures of the sun. Wearing sunglasses, you could actually look at the sun painlessly for most of the morning.
But a couple weekends ago, the actual problems of wildfires hit home. Coming home from Naples, I took Alligator Alley, a fast tollway with multiple lanes. Before exit 80, they started forcing everyone off because of smoke. That means being diverted to the slower, single-lane US 41. However, it did give me an excuse to visit bustling Everglades City (population: 500). This sign gave me hope that the trip would be somewhat interesting:
It was not to be.
It was the kind of trip where you’re sputtering along at 10mph and you see a “Reduced Speed Ahead” sign ahead. It was the kind of trip where the driver gets jealous of the passengers, because at least they get to sleep. It was the kind of trip where you’re so bored, you start taking pictures of flies that landed inside the car because there’s nothing better to do. I tried to pretend I was on a safari, except they forgot all the animals. That wasn’t much help.
I really wish I’d gotten a picture of the “post office” on 41, which was slightly larger than an outhouse.
Sorry for the boring post. But it’s going up, just because it’s finished.