The Jumping Bridge–Screw Worm and the Key Deer

 

Cudjoe Key, Florida (high 82, low 72)   and very windy

 

We haven’t had much rain since we’ve been in the Keys and with a “new to us” RV, you never know what a good rainstorm will bring.  We finally got some good rain, off and on most of the night and morning yesterday.  We were happy to find no leaks, at least none that we’ve found.

Al is still working a little at a time on sealing the roof openings with the Eternabond.  It’s hard on his bad knee, so he tries to do a little at a time.  We will feel better when he finishes that project.

A new project has sprung up though.  Our old deck box is showing signs of wear. He tried to patch it, but it looks like it will be needing a complete new top.  Since hurricane season will be upon us soon, we need to get that in better shape.

 

The winds are still blowing 15-22 mph,and bringing some very choppy seas, so boating is out. 

We met up with some friends from south Georgia yesterday.  We had lunch then did a little exploring, and finally made it to the “Jumping Bridge” on Sugarloaf Key.  It is a place the locals go to swim, and play. It is down a deserted road that leads to who knows where.   There is a canal cut thru the Keys lime rock with a nice concrete bridge over it.

We saw a friend on the way sunning himself in the middle of the road.  Al and Chris thought it was a harmless corn snake.

 

 

This is the view from the bridge.  The rock you see below is lime rock, which is basically what they Florida Keys are made of.  (Try digging a hole)  

 

The current was ripping, so you just float with it and swim to the edge, which is very rocky and per Chris was full of broken glass. 

This guy was prepared with water shoes.

 

Chris went barefooted since he hadn’t prepared to jump off a bridge when he left that day.  

 

 

 

 

Chris was the only brave one.  Kathy, Al and I just watched. 

 

 

Water shoes would have been nice.

 

 

On the path to the jumping bridge, we saw some sort of traps and then people who were checking on the traps.

It turns out they are trap the flies to determine the extent of the screw worm infestation, and also release of millions of sterile flies to eliminate the screwworm population. 

Screwworms are fly larvae or maggots that can infest livestock and other animals. They mostly infect an animal through an open wound and feed on the animal’s living flesh.

Screw worms were devastating to the tiny Florida Key Deer and many died because of them.

Preventive measures are continuing at the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key, and teams of experts are treating as many Key deer as possible with an antiparasitic medicine. Trained Refuge staff are also treating Key deer reported to be infected.

For several months, there was a checkpoint at Mile Marker 106 and if you brought an animal into the Keys, it had to be checked.

A few days ago, we were driving down Key Deer road and saw where it was blocked off waiting for a helicopter.

 

We were curious about what was being loaded but decided not to be nosy. We speculated it was something to do with mosquito control, since they’ve been very bad this year.

 

Two years ago the first full moon in April, we happened to be coming home from Key West and saw a beautiful sight where it was huge and sitting right over the water alongside a bridge.  We vowed to try and see it again this year, but we missed it.  It was never in the right spot any other month, so this is all we got.