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Greetings Everyone:
Those who live within the "Castle Walls" wanted me to take a break so while Ashley was away in Europe I found the perfect opportunity to escape (and you think she's rough on strangers?!).

CRITTERS
I called my good friend Phil and last Sunday we left for parts unknown. (Actually we went to S. Florida and the Keys.) The reason for our trip; to find some exotic lizards that have been introduced to the state of Florida from other countries. Some of the species embellished the S. Florida landscape through natural means, a few others through introduction by mankind. We spent three days in S. Florida and found several of the target species (I may have some pictures to post after they are developed) including two that have eluded me for over fifteen years.

If this seems like a column for "La Floridiana" I apologize. I don't think Will would mind as we have been friends for many years.

Anyway, our first stop was in Sebring to take a look at the diminutive Florida Sand Skink (Neoseps reynoldsi). These small 3" lizards are "sand-swimmers" that are only found along Florida's central ridge. After searching for over an hour we had only spotted a couple tracks which look like a series of "s" curves in the sand. We decided to move on and headed back towards the car. I flipped over one last board and there was our quarry. The small sandy-grey lizard quickly disappeared under the sand, swimming through it as effortlessly as a "Graboid" does. In no time it was gone. Feeling triumphant, we moved on to the next destination; the lower side of Lake Okeechobee.

An hour later we were making our way through Moore Haven, just a few miles from our destination. I noticed that somehow things seemed very different. Gone were the hyacinth choked roadside ditches. The ditches were still there but the hyacinths were gone. I also noticed there were no signs along U. S. 27 advertising the "Old South Pit Barbeque." We had planned on eating lunch there like we have for the last twenty years, every time we made the trip south.

The Old South Pit Barbeque was gone. Silently, we rolled through Clewiston on our way to our destination, a scant 4 miles down the road, John Stretch Park. We pulled into the park and I immediately knew something was not right. Looking over the top of the berm that borders the massive lake I couldn't see the tops of the Australian Pine trees that were in abundance seven years prior.

With a sinking feeling building in my stomache I climbed the thirty foot wall half knowing what to expect. When I reached the top to peer down into one of my favorite hunting spots along the lake I was devastated to find that the landscape was sterile and void of any evidence that trees ever existed there. We're talking trees almost fifty feet in height. I wondered if I had somehow bridged the gap to an alternate universe where everything was in the same location but different looking. I didn't remember feeling any lapses in time or space or experiencing any bright flashes of light. No, this nightmare was real. My beloved collecting sites for newts (the hyacinths), lunch (OSPB), and arboreal snakes and lizards were all gone. I walked down the other side of the dike just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't. It was all gone without a trace of anything ever having been there. I felt like I was being written into an Elseworlds story.

On the upside (if there was one) the grassy area created an incredible home for numerous species of Dragonflies, those remarkable survivors of the Devonian Era. I just sat and watched them for several minutes, managing to get several pictures of the fascinating Odonatids. I then climbed the berm once again without looking back. As I stood on top of the thirty foot embankment I looked towards Miami, wondering what new horrors awaited us there. (Next week: Part 2).

COMICS
Anyway, I did manage to check out a new story this week. I read parts 1 & 2 of "Graduation Day," The DC crossover featuring the Titans and Young Justice. Both series have been canceled, the teams merged for this multi-part story by Judd Winnick, Ale' Garza, and Trevor Scott. In this story a cyborg from the future is transported here (Terminator Style) to initiate a repair assist from another cybernetic unit.

Meanwhile Optitron, a corporate giant wants to sponsor the Titans. Nightwing is suspicious and walks out on the meeting only to find the offer is extended to the members of Young Justice as well.

While they are walking out this thing from the future keys in on Cyborg (Titan member) transports in right on top of him. A fight ensues and Cyborg is badly injured. Young Justice barges in to save the day and when it is all over the cybernetic being transports away, leaving several members of both teams badly injured.

I wondered where all this was leading and in part two we find out. Long hidden from the eyes of man a Superman Robot is once again activated. I won't fill in the details (you'll have to read it for yourself) but I will say that what started out as a very average story has now grabbed my interest.

TV
Last Saturday I was watching television and came across "Tell It To The Marines" a silent film from 1926 starring the great Lon Chaney Sr. I became engrossed right away and enjoyed the movie. It was neat watching the father of horror acting in this role as a Marine drill seargent. He even showed the softer side of his talent in scenes where he interacted with one of the base nurses. The movie took the viewer from basic training to a first mission in China as they thwarted a Warlord's plan for terrorizing the countryside. The Warlord was played by none other than Warner Oland who went on to play that famous oriental sleuth Charlie Chan until his death. It was a joy to see a more ruthless side to Oland's acting talent. The battle scenes were also cool to watch with bi-planes used for air support.

The comedy routines of the boot camp scenes were very reminiscent of several of the sequences used in Abbott and Costello's 1941 classic, "Buck Privates." Overall I give the movie a solid two screams on the Creature scale.

Anyway, that's all for this week. Have a Great Week, all. C-Ya!!!