Enjoy the Unspoiled Beauty of Cumberland Island, Georgia

"Oh, Homer, oh, Homer, oh how we love you."

The twanging plucks of a banjo cut through the night air and about twenty very happy, somewhat inebriated people join in the chorus. The guitar comes in under the banjo, and the singer launches into another verse.

"Beady little black eyes and a long furry tail...oh, Homer, oh, Homer, oh how we love you..."

The song will go on for some time.

We are singing, of course, about our trip mascot, Homer the Armadillo.
Actually, the island is just full of little Homers, all of whom are busy as can be rooting for insects and grubs, none of whom are the slightest bit afraid of humans. That's sort of par for the course for all the critters on this island. In the space of about four miles, I ran across two deer, seven armadillos, a huge pileated woodpecker, an osprey, and one pretty little jade green grass snake catching a few rays in a small patch of sunlight along a well-canopied forest path.

Cumberland Island, Georgia, is truly one of this country's natural gems. It's a huge island - bigger than Manhattan - but aside from a few private residences, a five star resort inn, a defunct seaside Carnegie mansion, and the ruins of Gen. Nathaniel Green's Dungeness Plantation, there is nothing but maritime wilderness.

And the place just teems with animals.

About fifteen of us were coming off the beach Friday afternoon when someone ahead of us stopped and slowly put a finger to her lips. Then she pointed. At the edge of duneline, where forest meets sand, a huge nose poked out of an opening in the canopy and sniffed the air. Then the head came into view - a shaggy, stately, well-muscled wild stallion. It glanced at us, then over his shoulder. He nickered and trotted into view, followed by a couple of his women and a fairly young foal.