Cypress Trees

My second objective was to see some swamps.  In the south a swamp is defined as treed wetlands, in contrast to a marsh which is grassed wetlands.  My dictionary doesn’t make this distinction.  January/February is the time to go if the objective is to avoid the bugs and the heat.  The guide in Congaree National Park said there are periods during the year when the park is closed because of the bugs. 

As I imagined swamps from our home here in Thornhill, the image of tall, wide cypress trees, draped in moss came to mind. Where reality matched this image was less clear.  I knew there were cypress trees in Louisiana, but the exact location was elusive.  

When we arrived, we visited several places, but it was only on Lake Martin near Lafayette that I saw the match.  We had a hint that this might be the place as we drove around the lake, but it is only by boat that the swamp is fully displayed.

The second element in the image in my imagination was trees draped Spanish Moss.