So Yesterday I decided to go into the woods and do some nature photography. Last week I managed to snag a bobcat, some gators, a red shouldered hawk, some interesting spiders, butterflies, and a whole host of interesting insects.
I put on a couple drops of A314 on my neck and beard and two shots of MX288, a nice gift from my last order. (For the record, I ate the chocolate as soon as I opened my package. THANKS ANDROTICS!)
Being a week day and an extremely hot one at that, there was no one in the park. This particular park is rather primal. The trails are narrow, sometimes with the occasional tree that has fallen into the pathway, and some pretty scary animals all around you.
I hiked one of the smaller trails and got a few shots of songbirds and noticed the mosquitoes were getting pretty thick. I decided to make a tactical retreat and head to the ranger station where they sell DEET. I normally carry it in my pack but just simply neglected to pack it.
On my way out of the swampy area, I ran into a bunch of pasty tourists, who were most certainly all out of their element. I think they said they were from Sussox and visiting FL on holiday. The group was comprised of 3 women, in their 50’s and two men about the same age range.
They were fascinated by the camera, and were a little surprised to see me emerge from the swampy woods. I kind of go off the path in pursuit of nature and animals and swamp flowers.
The hits were strange. They could have been fascinated by this wacko with a camera going into the woods Steve Irwin style, but I think the pheromones were having an effect. I mean, I looked VERY ragged, sweat was pouring out of me, and I was dressed like a deep woods hermit. But they still treated me with that new alpha male vibe I am getting used to. The body language was one of deference, all boobs pointed at me, and “high language,” such as sir, and such. I was being treated like a gentleman. It could be these people were just impeccably polite.
Anyway, so I head to the ranger station, which was about two miles worth of a hike and being eaten by mosquitoes who think I am very tasty, apparently. I got to the station, which is also a gift shop that carried anything a camper would need or want, and some quite excellent corndogs.
I went into the station and the attendant there was probably a former retiree female. I would guess 60’s. While I was shopping for DEET and a guidebook on Florida birds, a few people came in. One was a woman with a baby. She was looking for the restroom. The attendant was a little rude with her, and told her about the public restroom that was about a three minute walk north, nevermind the fact that there was one right in the gift shop.
The woman with the baby looked at me a few times, and looked very confused and puzzled, but smiled a weird smile, almost as if she wasn’t sure why she was doing so. She came close to me and browsed some of the guidebooks I was looking at for a moment or two, and then hurried out without buying anything.
Then a rather heavy and large woman with a very pretty smile came in, she was a ranger. The attendant was rude to her as well, not about anything specific, but the demeanor was just rude. The park ranger lady had a similar reaction to the lady with the baby. She had a water bottle with her, and came over in my general area and smiled and tried to strike up a conversation with me, but I was tired and hot.
I went to the counter, bought my DEET, my book, and orderd a corndog, and a bottle of gatorade. I had brought about a gallon of water in my pack but I needed to replace electrolytes.
The lady had a sour look on her face, and was somewhat cold at first, but then she looked at my tripod and asked if I was there to take pictures. I pulled the camera out of the case and showed her some of the pics on the display.
Next thing I know, I have company while eating my corndog. She is talking on and on about how rude some people can be, and smiling at me alot, sharing old jokes, and treating me like I was a long lost family member. Plenty of grandmotherly warnings about the heat, and sunstroke, etc. I mean, her demeanor was not one I would have expected to shift to be so friendly towards me, considering I looked like a swamp hobo.
I would have thought that I would have sweated off the pheromones by then, but the body language she aimed at me still gave me the sense she thought I was a cool alpha male, a rugged man in the woods doing manly things.
I headed out, sprayed on my DEET, and went deep into the woods without the mosquitos being able to land. They were still think and noisy, but at least I wasn’t getting bitten.
Anyway, that’s just some observations. They may not be related to the pheromones, but it was an interesting experience.
