Sunday, February 9, 2014

St. Lucie canal

This next leg of our winter journey took us cross-county past cattle pastures to Stuart.   Florida St Rt 714 had a tunnel of trees that reminded both of us of the tunnel of trees in Cross Village Michigan.  The live oaks and cypress trees crossed their Spanish moss draped fingers over us for several miles.

Luckily H got us a spot in the St Lucie Lock campground, but it was only for one night.   Do I need to say “SPFB”?   Out of the 9 campsites there, folks from Michigan occupied 4 of them.   It was a friendly group that spent “Happy Hour“ together that day and we even kept in touch after we moved around the corner to the Phipps County Park for the rest of the week.  In Phipps Park our site backed right up to the St Lucie Canal and as always the view of all the passing vessels was neat to see.   If they had to wait for the lock to open, they would hover right in front of us!   With all the rain that Florida has had in the last few months, there is concern about Lake Okeechobee getting to high – after all, it is 13 feet above sea level  - and rising.  15 feet and the authorities really get panicky we were told!  For several days the TV news was full of the controversy over releasing too much of the water from the lake into the canal and causing another green algae bloom and killing the fish, like what happened last year.  There were protesters at the lock at 7am one morning and 2 TV crews were out broadcasting each day.  We could see them from our campsite on the down side of the lock and dam!  On the our side of the lock and dam is salt water and the folks on this side are saying that the algae is caused from the pollution from the ”fresh” water that drains south into the lake from the orange groves, cattle ranches and dairy farms further north in Florida.  Of course the sugar cane farmers on the south end of the river don’t want more water released in their direction and neither do the folks on the Ft Myers end of the lake!   What a dilemma!

High humidity and heat were the buzzwords for the week – a big difference from the cold damp rain from weeks gone by!  H is always saying that I’m in a fog and this week it was true!  The extreme humidity was giving my old eyes a fit!   Besides that, it was too hot to even think of putting the boat together.   By noon the windows got closed and the air came on and we were out exploring!   Restaurants with good fish on their menus were on the agenda for a few days!
  On one venture we ended up in Ft Pierce and back out on the long fishing jetty that protrudes into the Atlantic.   Fishermen dotted the length of the jetty and the pelicans were at their post, guarding the fish cleaning station.   We watched several boats venture out to the end of the protective jetty and then slowly turn back, not willing to fight with the rough choppy waves beyond.  To the east, the sky was as blue as can be and the expanse of salt water below was a beautiful aqua.   The sun was shining brightly.   To the west was another matter!   Heavy clouds were beginning to intrude on the peaceful scene and you could see the dark vertical ribbons, which meant rain was successfully escaping the overloaded clouds.  We made it off the jetty and out of the park but did not make it off the island and back to the security of the “condo” before the deluge began.   


  On another day, downtown Stuart was explored again and Hutchinson Island was revisited also!  Last year the tide was way out and folks were sitting in the sand in the alcoves created by the huge jagged boulders.  Not so this year!  The large white crashing waves were exploding over the very tops of those craggy rough rocks!   Just south of the Refuge and rocks, Bathtub Bay was now open but mammoth dunes of white sand now edged the soggy cramped parking lot.   The beach that had been damaged by previous storms was cleared but the sand under the two neighboring 2 story houses was missing.    Supports under the houses were exposed; doors were missing and windows were broken.  “No Trespassing” signs were posted.  We wondered how long they would be allowed to stay that way.  We’ll have to check, next year!


Our winter trip is half over and we must head north – but not too far and not too fast!   Melbourne and one of H’s favorite, Wickham Park was to be next but they said they were booked for the coming week.  Moss Park, near Orlando, is now next and THEN Wickham!    I’ve been saving a hug for R&N and they are already there!