We left Moore Haven and continued our maritime safari across the Okeechobee Waterway nearly two weeks ago. The balance of the trip along the Caloosahatchee River and through the remaining locks passed easily and uneventfully. Perhaps the high point here was an overnight spent at the Rialto Harbor Docks, a micro marina (perhaps 12 boats, max) tucked among the water hyacinths and a tiny island alongside the canal. This marina proudly exuded a gracious hospitality set among a rusticated tropical backdrop (see Puffin in the banner picture) that was part carriage horse farm and part waterfront home. It stoked my fantasies of an earlier Florida built for those not limited to a modest waterside bungalow. The tiny docks seemed more an afterthought - a convenience more for visiting neighbors. In the evening the dockmaster brought down a bouquet of flowers in a vase for each visiting boat, and built a cooking fire for us on shore. Only the $2.50/ft dockage fee reminded one that this was in fact a small commercial enterprise.

A highlight at Rialto was our first look at a limpkin (See banner picture above), a crane-like member of the rail family, a little smaller than a cormorant. He announced himself in late afternoon with a series of piercing screeches that allowed me to locate him in the brush despite his handsome camouflage. These calls were repeated at various times throughout the night. He even strutted around the docks in the early morning, perhaps to remind us that we were mere interlopers, even at those aforementioned dockage fees. Rialto was a unique and special place and we look forward to a return visit soon.