Kissimmee Basin - The Northern Everglades: Reedy Creek

Clyde & Elam

This year Elam & Clyde are putting together

a PBS program on the Kissimmee River Basin -

The Northern Everglades.

To keep track of their progress check out:

http://www.northerneverglades.com/

The restoration of this area is one of the great

river restoration success stories in the world,

and yet few Americans have any idea of the

accomplishments that have been made here.

Most folks also don't know that the headwaters

of the Everglades begin in Reedy Creek, which

is located in Disney World. As the creek flows

south it contributes to the lakes and other rivers

that make up the Kissimmee River. The Kissimmee

River flows into Lake Okeechobee and that lake

flows into the Everglades.

If the water north, beginning with Reedy Creek

is dirty, then the Everglades will suffer.

The restoration of the Kissimmee River

Basin is the one of the major steps in helping

to save the Everglades.

OUR TRIP TO REEDY CREEK

Clyde, Maggie, Tyke,

Richard, Buzz and the Howells

Last year we had such a wonderful time

at Lake Kissimmee that when we arrived

this year we decided to touch base with

some of the folks who made our trip

last year such a memorable experience.

It was good to see everyone again!

Elam, Clyde & Buzz Busby

Last summer Buzz took us all over Lake

Hitchineha and into Dead Creek and

London Creek in search of photography.

He did a great job and we always enjoyed

his company, It was wonderful to see

him again this year and I 'm glad he was

so spontaneous to our request to take

us out again. THANKS BUZZ, it was a

great trip!

Along the edge of Lake Hatchineha

Into Dead Creek

We decided to take the short cut through Dead

Creek and into Reedy Creek

Coming out of Dead Creek

Reedy Creek to the left, where it goes north

and to the right were it eventually ends up

in Lake Cypress on its way to the Everglades.

Into Reedy Creek

The creek gets narrower...

As the creek gets narrower and narrower...

Clyde photographing

(he wasn't pleased with this shot, so the b&w isn't here)

Elam

Buzz, Clyde & Elam

Clyde & Elam

Buzz pulling the air boat down Reedy Creek.

When we came into the narrows of the creek

the air boat kept hitting either logs or

the bank, which caused the air boat to

tip precariously. When we decided to leave

Reedy Creek, Buzz felt better about

walking the boat through that

narrow area...after all there was a LOT

of expensive camera gear on the boat

and he didn't want anything to happen to it.

Buzz working at getting the

air boat around a very narrow

area of the creek.

Elam giving a hand

Sitting there watching Buzz and Elam

get the air boat through the narrows

of Reedy Creek, I felt like the Queen

of Egypt riding down the Nile while

looking down at my slaves!

After all that hard work of pushing

and shoving the boat, Buzz was ready

for a dip in some nice cool water!

Elam filming Clyde

Clyde photographing the scene. This image

seemed to take forever...either it was too windy,

causing the Spanish moss to sway and blur for

the exposure, or a cloud covered up the sun,

casting a shadow on the tree, which would make

the image flat and the tree would loose the shapes

of its texture.

Back and forth all afternoon the sun would shine

but it would be windy. Or it would be still and

the sun wouldn't shine. I think we spent about three

hours waiting for Clyde to capture that moment

when the light and stillness would come together.

Ahhhhh...but what a wonderful place to sit and wait!

As we sat around waiting for nature

to cooperate, there were many

interesting discussions.

As the storm approached it started to sprinkle,

so Clyde covered the camera. We were sure we

were going to get drenched. We could hear thunder

and lightening all around us, along with good puffs

of strong wind. BUT, it missed us! Amazing...

Beautiful weed...well, I'm sure a biologist

would give it the correct name and I'm

SURE it isn't "weed"!

As we sat and waited for the wind to stop,

and the light to be right I hiked around and

explored the creek.

Along the bank of the river were

wild Red Hibiscus...beautiful...

Elam filming Clyde

Reedy Creek exit 1

Clyde calls this 'exit' because this is

where the creek ends and finds it's

home in Cypress Lake

Elam filming some of the biggest cypress

knees I've ever seen!

Elam setting up a time exposure

It was a VERY hot day, so Clyde

is taking advantage of the cool

waters of Reedy Creek.

More of my explorations...

While Clyde, Elam and Buzz continued to

wait for the right light, I decided to take

a hike along the edge of the creek. It was

a joy to be all alone in the silence of

nature. I found a quiet comfortable place

to sit and wait until the air boat showed

up to get me. You can see Buzz's

airboat through the Spanish moss.

Elam filming as we leave Reedy Creek

Elam continues filming along the edge

of Lake Hatchineha

Crossing the lake as the day comes to an end...

At the end of the day we ended up back at

Camp Mack where we said a fond farewell

to Buzz and thanked him again, for another

wonderful trip out into the environment

he loves so much.