{"id":2137,"date":"2015-11-07T16:38:37","date_gmt":"2015-11-07T16:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=2137"},"modified":"2022-07-30T01:45:44","modified_gmt":"2022-07-30T01:45:44","slug":"operation-pogo-into-the-okefenokee-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=2137","title":{"rendered":"Operation Pogo – “Into the Okefenokee”"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

A contemporary view of the Okefenokee Swamp<\/a>, made famous – or in<\/strong>famous- by a 1941 film…\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

November 7, 2015 – I saw the movie Swamp Water<\/a> back in the early 1960s. \u00a0 (When I \u00a0was around 10 or 12<\/em>.) \u00a0The part I remember best was watching Walter Brennan getting bitten in the face by a snake. In the scene, he kneels over and parts the bullrushes to get a drink. (Of \u00a0“swamp water,” while hiding from\u00a0John Law<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0Okefenokee<\/a>.)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

As Walter does all that, the viewer can see a grinning cottonmouth<\/a> off to his right. (The viewer’s left.)<\/em> The grinning cottonmouth then proceeds to bite him “right on the cheek.”<\/p>\n

I’ve been fascinated ever since…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Which is another way of saying that back on October 23, 2015, I fulfilled a life-long dream.<\/p>\n

I took my little 8-foot kayak and paddled deep into the Okefenokee Swamp<\/a>\u00a0myself.\u00a0 There I camped overnight, on the Cedar Hammock<\/a> shelter.\u00a0On the other hand, I didn’t see any snakes either… There’s more on the overnight camp-out later.\u00a0 But first<\/em> a word about that life-long dream<\/em><\/strong>. I’ve been fascinated by the Okefenokee as long as I remember.\u00a0 (In much the same way as I am by New York City.\u00a0 To me they’re both fascinating and scary…)<\/em><\/p>\n

Part of it was the movie Swamp Water<\/em>, but another part was the old\u00a0Pogo<\/a>\u00a0comic strip. \u00a0It starred Pogo Possum, and was set in the Okefenokee Swamp<\/a>. \u00a0It also featured “social and political satire <\/a>through the adventures of its anthropomorphic<\/a> funny animal<\/a> characters:”<\/p>\n

Pogo<\/i><\/strong> is set in the Georgia<\/a> section of the Okefenokee Swamp;\u00a0 Fort Mudge<\/a> and Waycross<\/a> are occasionally mentioned. \u00a0The characters live, for the most part, in hollow trees amidst lushly rendered backdrops of North American wetlands, bayous, lagoons and backwoods.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And characters in the strip included Albert Alligator<\/em>. Which brings up a note:\u00a0 I saw tons<\/em><\/strong> of Albert’s cousins – and other distant relatives as well. \u00a0I usually saw them basking on the “shore,” or slithering through the waters ahead of me. But one time I saw a big bull gator – who eventually submerged – in a very<\/em> narrow canal. This was on the canoe trail to Monkey Lake<\/a>. As I paddled over over the water where the gator had<\/em> been, I could swear he came up and nudged the bottom of my kayak.\u00a0 I figured it was an accident.\u00a0 (But the second time?)<\/em><\/p>\n

That<\/em><\/strong> added some spice to the trip.<\/p>\n

And speaking of “shore.”\u00a0 One thing I learned is that – in the Okefenokee – there are precious few places to stop and take a break from your canoe or kayak. The shelters – for day use or overnight – are few and far between.\u00a0 As a result, the ol’ keister<\/a><\/em>\u00a0got extremely sore by the end of the second day.\u00a0 (Not to mention blisters on my palms…<\/em>)<\/p>\n

\"065\"Which leads to the fact that the “shore where the gators bask” – noted above and as shown at left – was not really a\u00a0shore<\/a>.\u00a0 (As that term is generally understood.)<\/em> In the Okefenokee Swamp, such a shore<\/em> is usually\u00a0a line of reeds that an alligator can mash down. \u00a0(And where a human steps off at his own peril…<\/em>)<\/p>\n

But we were talking about that life-long dream.<\/p>\n

I’ve lived in the Tampa Bay area most of my life. \u00a0(Before I ended up in “God’s Country.”<\/em>) \u00a0So to go anywhere north, I always had to drive up I-75 or I-95. \u00a0Either way, as I got just past the Florida-Georgia line, there – off to the right or left, respectively – always lurked the Okefenokee. (Begging to be explored, both threatening and<\/strong> fascinating…\u00a0 Much like New York City<\/em>.) So when I finally got my chance, I took it. \u00a0(Albeit, well past my 64th birthday.)<\/em><\/p>\n

To prepare for the trip – about two weeks before the October 23 overnight jaunt –\u00a0I drove down for a short two-hour exploratory kayak. \u00a0(Verb, not noun<\/em>.) \u00a0On that short jaunt I paddled out to Mile Marker 3.\u00a0 Three miles west of the Suwannee Canal\u00a0East Entrance<\/a> to the Swamp. I covered that three miles in 54 minutes, a figure that would came back and haunt me later. Having done that, I took the plunge and made a reservation to camp overnight. That – I thought – would enable me to explore a lot more of this mystic swamp.<\/p>\n

\"1445698042386\"<\/a>But first a word about transport.<\/p>\n

I originally planned to rent a canoe, from the local Okefenokee Adventures<\/a> at the main entrance<\/a>.\u00a0 (11 miles southwest of Folkston<\/a>.)\u00a0\u00a0 The cost would be\u00a0$25 a day for the two days, and in the canoe I could carry all my gear in comfort.\u00a0 (In one vessel<\/em>.) Needless to say, you can’t pack much gear – beyond a cold drink and sandwich – in an eight-foot kayak.\u00a0\u00a0But then I found myself “financially challenged,” for the time being at least…<\/p>\n

The upshot was that – instead of renting a nice big canoe – I opted for a “tagalong combo.”\u00a0 I paddled my small kayak and<\/em> <\/strong>towed a small rubber “dinghy,” as shown at right. And incidentally, this site shown was one of\u00a0the few places that I could<\/em><\/strong> get out and stretch my legs. \u00a0That’s another way of saying I found one<\/em>\u00a0stretch of hammock(s)<\/a> along the Suwanee Canal<\/a>, the ” principal waterway into the swamp.”\u00a0 Aside from the shelters themselves – few and far between – that was pretty much it for getting a break from paddling.<\/p>\n

And finally – for this episode anyway – here’s a word on tent camping. \u00a0(Before\u00a0 we get to the swamp-camping part of the journey into the Okefenokee.)<\/em> In\u00a0Mid-summer Travelog<\/a> (Part I), I wrote about tent camping as a less-expensive alternative to motels, while traveling on the road.\u00a0 That was part of a discussion of Travels with Charley<\/a>, the book on a road trip John Steinbeck took in 1960.\u00a0 I noted some big differences between highway travel in 1960 and highway travel today. Like, in\u00a01960, Steinbeck could camp for a dollar a night, if not free.<\/p>\n

Once, early in his trip, Steinbeck stopped at a farm in New Hampshire for fresh eggs. \u00a0He then asked permission to “camp beside the stream and offered to pay.” \u00a0The farmer said there was no need<\/em> to pay. \u00a0“The land’s not working. \u00a0But I would like to look at that rig you’ve got there.” \u00a0(At this time motor homes were still rare<\/em>.) \u00a0 The two men ended up at the table inside Steinbeck’s “rig,” discussing events of the day over “a good dollop of twenty-one-year-old applejack.”<\/p>\n

\"OldAnother time – just before he drove into Chicago to meet his wife at the Ambassador East – Steinbeck was relaxing where he’d pulled over to make coffee. \u00a0(Beside a lake of clear, clean water.) \u00a0Then, “A young man in boots, corduroys” and a mackinaw came up; “Don’t you know this land is posted? \u00a0This is private property.” \u00a0Steinbeck ended up camping there, after a “bribe … with a cup of coffee.” \u00a0Coffee, that is, with a “dollop of\u00a0Old Grand-Dad<\/a>.” \u00a0(Which may bespeak an\u00a0object lesson<\/a>\u00a0for traveling…<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Then on pages 95-103 of the Penguin Books edition, he wrote of\u00a0the marvels of the then-new trend in personal housing.\u00a0 (Mobile home<\/span><\/a>s.)\u00a0 More to the point, on page 98 he wrote this: “Since I did not require any facilities, sewer, water, or electricity, the price to me for stopping the night was one dollar.”<\/span><\/p>\n

That seems to be no longer true.\u00a0 Not in any meaningful way anyway.<\/p>\n

In Travelog (Part I)<\/a>, I wrote that for what you pay to camp \u2013 as Steinbeck did \u2013 you can get a nice Motel 6, with air conditioning and no bugs.\u00a0 (And that was for tent<\/em> camping.)\u00a0 But then I had to add this proviso, in a follow-up post,\u00a0Mid-summer Travelog \u2013 Part III<\/a>:<\/p>\n

It is<\/em><\/strong> true that camping at a state park these days \u2013 even with online reservations \u2013 can cost almost as much a night at a Motel 6. \u00a0But after the trip I found a website,\u00a0Freecampsites.net<\/a>. (See also\u00a0FreeCampgrounds.com<\/a>.) \u00a0I haven\u2019t actually tried one of these yet, but it does bode well for the future. \u00a0(And I suppose there\u2019s some kind of\u00a0object lesson<\/a> in all this\u2026<\/em>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Which is another way of saying that on the way down to the Okefenokee, I got a chance to try out one of those campgrounds on\u00a0Freecampsites.net<\/a>. The site I planned to check out was Killebrew Park – Warwick, Georgia<\/a>.\u00a0 Warwick<\/a> is a cute little town of some 430 souls.\u00a0 It’s at the south end of Lake Blackshear<\/a>, and a mere 16 miles southwest of the Cordele ramp to Interstate 75. But Killebrew Park was a different story. \u00a0It was indeed at the south end of Lake Blackshear, and thus a possible site for future kayaking adventures. \u00a0Before even entering the campground I saw a large sign, “No campsites available.” \u00a0(Or Words to that Effect<\/a><\/em>.) Then I drove into the campground itself, just to make sure.<\/p>\n

\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-NEdTsiK6DRA\/Tz3sF8_7X-I\/AAAAAAAACO0\/AjUYec-_ZGo\/s1600\/Bonnie+and+Clyde+1967.JPG\"What I saw reminded me of a scene from Bonnie and Clyde<\/a>. \u00a0(As shown at right<\/em>.) \u00a0That led to me to later Google<\/a>\u00a0the term\u00a0Hoovervilles<\/a>\u00a0 – and possibly discover their\u00a0modern-day equivalent:<\/p>\n

The communal “Hoovervilles,” “Hobo Jungles” and “Shanty Towns” of the Great Depression evoked
\nthe hippie communes that were springing up all over the country in 1967. \u00a0The nomadic, anti-establishment rebel \u00a0lives of Bonnie & Clyde struck a chord with young audiences of the 60s.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But the campground at Killebrew Park had a different feel to it. \u00a0The standard practice at most campsites is for a\u00a014 Day Stay Limit<\/a>. \u00a0So after driving through the place, I’m guessing at what most people do when staying at such places as Killebrew Park. \u00a0I’m guessing they already have their\u00a0Plan B<\/a> mapped out: \u00a0Packing up and moving to the next-closest “free campground.” Whether these free campgrounds<\/em> are the modern equivalent of such “Hoovervilles” is beyond the scope of this post. \u00a0(Now just passing the\u00a0preferred post-length of 1,600 words<\/a>.<\/em>) \u00a0 Or possibly for another, later post. \u00a0The point is that after feeling distinctly uncomfortable at the idea of camping at Killebrew Park – even if there had been a space available – I had my own\u00a0Plan B<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That and the overnight-camp in the Okefenokee will be covered in the next post…<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

\"SwampWaterPoster.jpg\"<\/p>\n

“…a cottonmouth<\/a> bites Walter Brennan ‘on the cheek.’\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

The upper image is courtesy of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge\u00a0– Image Results<\/a>. From the article, National Wildlife Refuge System celebrates 114th birthday<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Re: “John Law.” \u00a0See also\u00a0Urban Dictionary: John Law<\/a>, and not to be confused with\u00a0John Law<\/a>, the noted economist (1671-1729), the “Scottish<\/a> economist who believed that money was only a means of exchange<\/a> that did not constitute wealth<\/a> in itself and that national wealth depended on trade.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The “Albert” image is courtesy of www.comicvine.com\/four-color-105-albert-the-alligator-and-pogo<\/a>.\u00a0 Wikipedia described Albert as “Exuberant, dimwitted, irascible and egotistical…\u00a0 The cigar-chomping Albert is as extroverted and garrulous as Pogo is modest and unassuming, and their many sequences together tend to underscore their balanced, contrasting chemistry\u00a0\u2014like a seasoned comedy team<\/a>.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Re: “God’s Country.” \u00a0See\u00a0Introduction to Ashley Wilkes<\/strong><\/a>: \u00a0\u00a0“I live in the\u00a0ATL<\/a><\/b> \u2013 also known as ‘God\u2019s Country’ \u2013 and that\u2019s the birthplace of Gone with the Wind<\/a>.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Quotes from \u201cTravels with Charlie\u201d are generally from the 1980 Penguin Books edition. \u00a0The “applejack” quote is on pages 27-28. \u00a0The “Granddad” quote is from pages 109-13.<\/em><\/p>\n

I took the pictures of the\u00a0gator basking on a rare, semi-solid “shore” in the Okefenokee, and also the\u00a0<\/em> kayak-and-dinghy “tagalong combo,” during the overnight camping trip of October 23-24.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

The “communal ‘Hooverville'” quote – and the accompanying image – are courtesy of <\/em>
\nlecinemadreams.blogspot.com\/2012\/02\/bonnie-clyde-1967.html<\/a>. \u00a0See also\u00a0Hoovervilles and Homelessness – University of Washington<\/a>. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The lower image is courtesy of Swamp Water – Wikipedia<\/a>. \u00a0That article describes the “1941 film directed by Jean Renoir<\/a>, starring Walter Brennan<\/a> and Walter Huston<\/a>, produced at 20th Century Fox<\/a>, and based on the novel by Vereen Bell<\/a>. \u00a0The film was shot on location at Okefenokee Swamp<\/a>, Waycross, Georgia<\/a>, USA. \u00a0This was Renoir’s first American<\/a>\u00a0film. \u00a0The movie was remade in 1952 as Lure of the Wilderness<\/a>, directed by Jean Negulesco<\/a>.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

And finally, as to possible other places to camp free, see RV Parking at Walmart | Walmart Atlas<\/a>. \u00a0 See also\u00a0A Guide to Car-Camping \u2013 in Walmart Parking Lots<\/a><\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0No<\/strong> Overnight Parking\u00a0at Walmart | Walmart Atlas<\/a>. \u00a0<\/em>The upshot seems to be that you should be able to car-camp at some 80% of Walmarts around the country. \u00a0For another example – mobile home parks, as Steinbeck used – see\u00a0Amenities & Rates – Arrowhead Campsites & Mobile Home Park<\/a>. \u00a0That park – located in Ocala, Florida – offers an overnight tent-site rate of $17.00. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A contemporary view of the Okefenokee Swamp, made famous – or infamous- by a 1941 film…\u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * November 7, 2015 – I saw the movie Swamp Water back in the early 1960s. \u00a0 (When I \u00a0was around 10 or 12.) \u00a0The part I remember best was watching Walter Brennan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2137"}],"version-history":[{"count":192,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13334,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137\/revisions\/13334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}