{"id":467,"date":"2012-06-12T03:21:19","date_gmt":"2012-06-12T03:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/?p=467"},"modified":"2012-07-04T14:16:44","modified_gmt":"2012-07-04T14:16:44","slug":"critter-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/2012\/06\/critter-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"Critter Watch!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After the urban jungle that is N&#8217;Awlins, we wanted to check out the famous Louisiana bayou &#8211; a piece of wetland that is as deeply ingrained a part of the Southern myth as paddleboats, Mark Twain and slavery and yet faces extinction within the next 50 years as our ability to control our environment ever grows. That part of the landscape that has formed the backbone of protection for Louisiana against hurricane damage for the last millenium before falling (no really) to the onslaught of the state and federal flood protection programmes. Roll up folks, see it before it&#8217;s too late.<\/p>\n<p>We felt a fortifying lunch was in order &#8211; three courses of fried food with fantastic swamp views coming up. Our feeling on the importance of this preparatory measure was confirmed when the resident (wild) gator popped up half way through lunch to say hello &#8211; unfortunately no photos, but take my word for it, he was a handsome, if weed bedecked, beastie.<\/p>\n<p>Thus set up for our ordeal, we set off for swamp heartland over the treacherous [wheelchair accessible] raised wooden boardwalks. Photos are below (courtesy of James).<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-467 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/01.-We-saw-gators-at-lunch.-I-remind-James-what-they-look-like......jpg'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/01.-We-saw-gators-at-lunch.-I-remind-James-what-they-look-like.....-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"We saw gators at lunch. I remind James what they look like.....\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-468\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-468'>\n\t\t\t\tWe saw gators at lunch.  I remind James what they look like&#8230;..\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/02.-And-why-to-treat-them-with-a-healthy-dose-of-respect.jpg'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/02.-And-why-to-treat-them-with-a-healthy-dose-of-respect-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"And why to treat them with a healthy dose of respect\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-469\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-469'>\n\t\t\t\tAnd why to treat them with a healthy dose of respect\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/03.-Louisiana-swamp-including-cypress-knees-answers-on-a-postcard-if-you-know-what-these-are.jpg'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/03.-Louisiana-swamp-including-cypress-knees-answers-on-a-postcard-if-you-know-what-these-are-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Louisiana swamp, including cypress knees (answers on a postcard if you know what these are)\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-470\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-470'>\n\t\t\t\tLouisiana swamp, including cypress knees (answers on a postcard if you know what these are)\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/04.-Dragonfly-and-LOTS-of-camera-love.jpg'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/04.-Dragonfly-and-LOTS-of-camera-love-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dragonfly and LOTS of camera love\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-471\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-471'>\n\t\t\t\tDragonfly and LOTS of camera love\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/05.-Chameleon-doing-its-dance.-Not-sure-if-it-was-a-lover-or-a-fighter.....jpg'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/05.-Chameleon-doing-its-dance.-Not-sure-if-it-was-a-lover-or-a-fighter....-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Chameleon doing its dance. Not sure if it was a lover or a fighter....\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-472\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-472'>\n\t\t\t\tChameleon doing its dance.  Not sure if it was a lover or a fighter&#8230;.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/06.-Another-chameleon-pre-colour-change-to-match-its-green-leaf.jpg'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/06.-Another-chameleon-pre-colour-change-to-match-its-green-leaf-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Another chameleon, pre colour change to match its green leaf\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-473\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-473'>\n\t\t\t\tAnother chameleon, pre colour change to match its green leaf\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/07.-Pretty-butterfly.-More-camera-love.jpg'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/07.-Pretty-butterfly.-More-camera-love-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Pretty butterfly. More camera love\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-474\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-474'>\n\t\t\t\tPretty butterfly.  More camera love\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/08.-Uckkk-Beastie.jpg'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/08.-Uckkk-Beastie-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Uckkk! Beastie!\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-475\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-475'>\n\t\t\t\tUckkk!  Beastie!\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/09.-Some-kind-of-lizard-we-decided-it-was-a-salamander..jpg'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/09.-Some-kind-of-lizard-we-decided-it-was-a-salamander.-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Some kind of lizard; we decided it was a salamander.\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-476\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-476'>\n\t\t\t\tSome kind of lizard;  we decided it was a salamander.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After the urban jungle that is N&#8217;Awlins, we wanted to check out the famous Louisiana bayou &#8211; a piece of wetland that is as deeply ingrained a part of the Southern myth as paddleboats, Mark Twain and slavery and yet &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/2012\/06\/critter-watch\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=467"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":748,"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467\/revisions\/748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.viggers.com\/roundtheworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}