Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tampa Bay Area
Lithia Springs County Park SE of Brandon and now EG Simmons County Park in Ruskin on Tampa Bay. 25-degree weather and now 70-degree weather. Just like Michigan – give it time- it all changes.
While parked in Lithia Springs, a “must do” was to enjoy our annual strawberry shortcake lunch from the Brandon Farms Roadside Market. Surprisingly the cost has not gone up, in spite of the cold weather devastation they have endured in the last 2 weeks. The portions were still good and the taste was still DELICIOUS. For almost 2 weeks, the temperatures have dropped below 30 degrees each night and to save the acres and acres of half ripened berries and the blossoms for the coming promise of berries, the farmers turned on the sprinklers and literally covered the entire field with frozen water. Then - the aftermath of all that constant, county wide irrigation – the water levels fell, both in neighboring household wells and in the ground “levels” causing monstrous sinkholes in front yards, driveways and even in the middle of I 4, the cross state highway. The radio reports said that one sinkhole took 400 cubic yards – 80 truckloads - of cement to fill in just that one void.
Tampa Bay and EG Simmon’s wildlife has suffered from the cold also. As we walked the beach, the fishing areas, the sandy peninsulas and the boat areas, the other day, the shorelines were mottled with all sorts of dead fish from 2-inch fingerlings to large catfish that were over a foot long, porcupine fish and several cownosed rays. The resident raccoons have dined in style each night after a fresh batch of seafood is washed ashore when the tide comes in.
Not all the wildlife is lifeless tho! In Lithia Springs we were visited one chilly afternoon by this Red-shouldered Hawk that perched right above our campsite. The other day we checked in on the power plant that is 5 miles north of here in Apollo Beach. The canal and lagoon are fed with the heated water from the plant and were “mammal to mammal” full of various sizes of manatees and even some rays that were leaping out of the water. Today, Saturday, January 17th we visited the Mote Aquarium and Marine Laboratory out on Longboat Key, just west of Sarasota. Rays, different kinds and sizes of sharks, and several kinds of large sea fish occupied the outside tanks and inside were many more unique displays of interesting sea creatures including a preserved 37 ft long squid. Across the way in a second large structure of more large tanks were the bottlenose dolphins, the green sea turtles and another large sea turtle that came right up to face H thru the thick window. We stood for a long time, watching Hugh and Buffet the resident manatees. Several times they would swim right across their very large, temperature controlled, water filled enclosure and face H on the other side of the 3-inch thick clear acrylic window. Here’s lookin’ at you!
We’ve driven down to Ellenton and met Bud and Carol and their friends at the Ellenton Outlet Mall. The guys spent a boring afternoon waiting for their female shoppers, but were rewarded with a wonderful seafood dinner at another area favorite – Anna Marie’s Oyster Bar. Monday, B and C are coming up to visit us here in the campground and then we plan on taking them out to the beaches and another yummy seafood lunch!
While parked in Lithia Springs, a “must do” was to enjoy our annual strawberry shortcake lunch from the Brandon Farms Roadside Market. Surprisingly the cost has not gone up, in spite of the cold weather devastation they have endured in the last 2 weeks. The portions were still good and the taste was still DELICIOUS. For almost 2 weeks, the temperatures have dropped below 30 degrees each night and to save the acres and acres of half ripened berries and the blossoms for the coming promise of berries, the farmers turned on the sprinklers and literally covered the entire field with frozen water. Then - the aftermath of all that constant, county wide irrigation – the water levels fell, both in neighboring household wells and in the ground “levels” causing monstrous sinkholes in front yards, driveways and even in the middle of I 4, the cross state highway. The radio reports said that one sinkhole took 400 cubic yards – 80 truckloads - of cement to fill in just that one void.
Tampa Bay and EG Simmon’s wildlife has suffered from the cold also. As we walked the beach, the fishing areas, the sandy peninsulas and the boat areas, the other day, the shorelines were mottled with all sorts of dead fish from 2-inch fingerlings to large catfish that were over a foot long, porcupine fish and several cownosed rays. The resident raccoons have dined in style each night after a fresh batch of seafood is washed ashore when the tide comes in.
Not all the wildlife is lifeless tho! In Lithia Springs we were visited one chilly afternoon by this Red-shouldered Hawk that perched right above our campsite. The other day we checked in on the power plant that is 5 miles north of here in Apollo Beach. The canal and lagoon are fed with the heated water from the plant and were “mammal to mammal” full of various sizes of manatees and even some rays that were leaping out of the water. Today, Saturday, January 17th we visited the Mote Aquarium and Marine Laboratory out on Longboat Key, just west of Sarasota. Rays, different kinds and sizes of sharks, and several kinds of large sea fish occupied the outside tanks and inside were many more unique displays of interesting sea creatures including a preserved 37 ft long squid. Across the way in a second large structure of more large tanks were the bottlenose dolphins, the green sea turtles and another large sea turtle that came right up to face H thru the thick window. We stood for a long time, watching Hugh and Buffet the resident manatees. Several times they would swim right across their very large, temperature controlled, water filled enclosure and face H on the other side of the 3-inch thick clear acrylic window. Here’s lookin’ at you!
We’ve driven down to Ellenton and met Bud and Carol and their friends at the Ellenton Outlet Mall. The guys spent a boring afternoon waiting for their female shoppers, but were rewarded with a wonderful seafood dinner at another area favorite – Anna Marie’s Oyster Bar. Monday, B and C are coming up to visit us here in the campground and then we plan on taking them out to the beaches and another yummy seafood lunch!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Chasshowitzka
Today is Sunday, January 10th. It’s COLD in Lithia Springs Florida. 28 degrees when I awoke this morning. Both heaters have been called into duty. We moved down from Chassahowitzka Wildlife Refuge Campground just south of Homosassa Springs yesterday and it’s a good thing we have because the temperatures there are in the teens this morning!
While camped in Chassawowitzka we revisited Homosassa Wildlife Park, found the ruins of the 1850 Yulee Sugar Mill, visited with friends whom I went to high school with, got the canoe off the roof of the Jeep and canoed/motored almost out to the Gulf on the warmest day of the week and on Friday, the coldest day of the week, finally got to go see the famous mermaids and see their shows at Weeki Wachee State Park. In Homosassa we ate at Riverview Seafood Café which was right ON the water and overlooked Monkey Island which was the home to 6 monkeys.
While camped in Chassawowitzka we revisited Homosassa Wildlife Park, found the ruins of the 1850 Yulee Sugar Mill, visited with friends whom I went to high school with, got the canoe off the roof of the Jeep and canoed/motored almost out to the Gulf on the warmest day of the week and on Friday, the coldest day of the week, finally got to go see the famous mermaids and see their shows at Weeki Wachee State Park. In Homosassa we ate at Riverview Seafood Café which was right ON the water and overlooked Monkey Island which was the home to 6 monkeys.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Homosassa Springs Fla.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this New Year be better for you than the last one! Our 2009 ended when the 11 o’clock news was over and H turned out the lights. The new year of 2010 looked just like how the last year ended – cold and wet! I thought we were in Florida to get warm and stay out of the cold damp weather! Silly me! The week between Christmas and New Years passed quickly – and other than a royal hassle with State Farm Bank over my “compromised” credit card – our week was pleasant, with me shopping with Sharon, dinners out with them and over to their home while H got to watch Ohio State win the Rose Bowl. We visited several times with Ruth and Jerry, which is always great!
We’ve moved west and south from Ocala to just south of Homosassa Springs Florida. We are in the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Reserve at a county park, which is woodsy and kinda like a fishing camp on the river. It’s still COLD! For the last several nights we’ve unplugged the water hose so it wouldn’t freeze. It never made it up past 45 degrees Sunday and just barely 50 on Monday! Next to us is a couple in a tent who, until Sunday, didn’t even have a heater! They spent most of that night in their truck with the engine running. They finally went to Walmart for an electric heater. They have no air mattress - just 2 sleeping bags and we instructed them to zip them together to better keep the warmth in. H has also helped cover the tent with a tarp.
As we always do when we move to a new neighborhood where we’ve not been in a while, we go exploring. Saturday when we moved here, we found the grocery store and the closest wifi location. Sunday, after I baked some cookies (to help warm up the trailer?) we found Beale’s Outlet and Walmart and in spite of the cold – we returned to Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park.
Winter coats, sweatshirts and hats helped but after a slow ride on an open pontoon boat we were chilled to the bone. Walking fast and ducking into different buildings helped! The zoo has been updated and remodeled since our last visit and the raised boardwalks guided our paths past the enclosures for the owls, bald eagles, the tiny Key Deer, the 3 red wolves, the BIG black bear and the slinky pacing cougar! The path went out and around the waterfowl displays, complete with beautiful wood ducks, whooping cranes, swans and the ever-squawking sand hill cranes! The Homosassa River actually starts there at the springs which is home to 6 VERY large 3000 lb female manatees and a kazillion swarming shiny fish, swimming round and round the under water observation area. Back at the campground the native birds were also putting on a late afternoon concert and we were treated to a great view of an enormous owl in the tree above us!
Monday’s journey led us south to Weeki Wachee State Park in hopes of seeing if the Mermaids had frozen. When we arrived we found out they have Mondays off. Rather than waste the trip we found Big Lots so H could replace the laptops mouse, lunch and a visit to Joann’s!! I needed my fabric fix! Back at the park, we invited our tenting neighbors, Ricky and Robin over for dinner and a respite from the cold, even if it was just for a few hours
We’ve moved west and south from Ocala to just south of Homosassa Springs Florida. We are in the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Reserve at a county park, which is woodsy and kinda like a fishing camp on the river. It’s still COLD! For the last several nights we’ve unplugged the water hose so it wouldn’t freeze. It never made it up past 45 degrees Sunday and just barely 50 on Monday! Next to us is a couple in a tent who, until Sunday, didn’t even have a heater! They spent most of that night in their truck with the engine running. They finally went to Walmart for an electric heater. They have no air mattress - just 2 sleeping bags and we instructed them to zip them together to better keep the warmth in. H has also helped cover the tent with a tarp.
As we always do when we move to a new neighborhood where we’ve not been in a while, we go exploring. Saturday when we moved here, we found the grocery store and the closest wifi location. Sunday, after I baked some cookies (to help warm up the trailer?) we found Beale’s Outlet and Walmart and in spite of the cold – we returned to Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park.
Winter coats, sweatshirts and hats helped but after a slow ride on an open pontoon boat we were chilled to the bone. Walking fast and ducking into different buildings helped! The zoo has been updated and remodeled since our last visit and the raised boardwalks guided our paths past the enclosures for the owls, bald eagles, the tiny Key Deer, the 3 red wolves, the BIG black bear and the slinky pacing cougar! The path went out and around the waterfowl displays, complete with beautiful wood ducks, whooping cranes, swans and the ever-squawking sand hill cranes! The Homosassa River actually starts there at the springs which is home to 6 VERY large 3000 lb female manatees and a kazillion swarming shiny fish, swimming round and round the under water observation area. Back at the campground the native birds were also putting on a late afternoon concert and we were treated to a great view of an enormous owl in the tree above us!
Monday’s journey led us south to Weeki Wachee State Park in hopes of seeing if the Mermaids had frozen. When we arrived we found out they have Mondays off. Rather than waste the trip we found Big Lots so H could replace the laptops mouse, lunch and a visit to Joann’s!! I needed my fabric fix! Back at the park, we invited our tenting neighbors, Ricky and Robin over for dinner and a respite from the cold, even if it was just for a few hours
Monday, December 28, 2009
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