Long Key State Park – SPFB!! The days were sunny and WARM! We donned our water shoes, grabbed the snorkel bucket (the white bucket with the glass bottom!) and have gone out exploring the ocean bottom for “treasures”! I have some new ones to bring home! This year I found a Sea Urchin. It looks like a Sand Dollar on steroids! Last year we saw a Batfish and we’ve seen one twice this year along with Manta Rays, Puffer fish and Boxfish! It was so easy to get the orange bubbles into the calm sea since last year the canoe never left the top of the Jeep the entire time we were here. Our new underwater discovery was the Flower Pot Sponges that looked just like the big black plastic pots that bushes and trees come in from the tree nursery and Barrel Sponges that look just like a big squatty barrels! Showing Nancy the world of under water sea treasures (via the snorkel bucket!) was fun! Most of the seashells we picked up had to be returned to the exiting tide area because they had hermit crabs in residence! One evening I gave a big yell and N came to my rescue to help corral and then take pictures of a big Blue Land Crab that was side stepping across our patio rug trying to get to the protective cover of the Mangrove jungle on the other side of our “condo” before being discovered! And the sunsets behind our “condo” were phenomenal, especially when the peach and coral colors reflected off of Ron’s trailer!
Our next moving day was stressful - - - 3 miles up Highway 1 to Fiesta Key Resort. Last year we parked along the canal but this year they gave us the “cheap seats” closer to the road and up against the mangroves. We were scheduled to park right next to R&N, however – the sites were SO narrow and there was a palm tree planted too close to where the trailer was to sit so we moved over one spot – leaving an empty site between us and R&N making the neighborhood more spacious! Thankfully the park did not fill up and no one was crammed in between us! No cell service and no wifi still but the swimming pool was great and the little store had a good supply of ice cream cones! H was happy in spite of it all!
Up the road and out of the Keys, past the fields of strawberries and sweet corn where the irrigation sprinklers were spewing long lines of wet spray over the young tender plants. Over and down to the end of the southern most road in the Everglades – Flamingo, so we could park for a few more days before we started our eventual slow trip north. The objective for these few days was to rent a boat and venture out into the dark waters of the glades. Now, a 16ft skiff with a 40 horsepower motor should have moved us along with no problem. Should have! As long as we were traveling in a “no wake” length of the long narrow channel, we did ok. We passed the pontoon tour boat when they stopped to see a Crocodile. They passed us when we stopped to get shots of the next motionless croc! They passed us several times after that because once we were out in the larger lake area, and the boys threw the throttle wide open, the water logged vessel sludged up to a whopping 6 mph. We plowed across the choppy waters to the next channel and regretfully turned around to head back to the marina because we were running out of rental time. “Exploring the Glades” was not to be. The young man who assigned us this abused tub told us to just call the marina IF we had problems and he would come right out and get us. Yeah, right. Both attempts to reach him ended up in a never-ending circle of recorded nonsense messages. But – we made it back and our attempts to explain the woeful quality of the vessel fell on deaf ears.
Time to move on again came too quickly but we still had time to stop at one of the turnouts on the road back out of the glade and watched several Roseate Spoonbills swish their long spoon shaped bills back and forth in the water looking for a fishy tidbit for lunch. The dark water of the pond, surrounded by pines, palms and mangroves was so peaceful and calm but H was ready to be on our way. There was plenty of time before we were to park one more at the casino for the night, so we headed to Biscayne Bay National Park for a picnic lunch. Nancy got another stamp for her National Park Passport Book! The afternoon was way nicer than the night we spent parked in the expressway lane of the parking lot at the casino. It was the weekend! The casino was packed with people and smoke from all the cigarettes they puffed on. The parking lot was also crowded and got more so as the night progressed. Some dummies even parked within 3 feet of the front bumper of the truck. Two “good old boys” with their big trucks and trailers carrying airboats! H was tempted to just unhook their unlocked trailers and roll them back so we could pull forward. Good thing it was Ron who was parked behind us so when he pulled out – we could back up and get out.
Keeping to the outskirts of Miami and Fort Lauderdale we edged our way up Rt 27 and then Rt 441 thru all the traffic congestion and traffic lights. It seemed like an all day task but we finally made it to John Prince Park Campground in Lake Worth. We have electricity, and cell phone service, and wifi!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
To The Keys
Route 27 is a long, long road that leads from Highlands Hammocks State Park in Sebring, down thru Lake Placid, around the bottom corner of Lake Okeechobee and then down towards Miami. We started out driving thru grove after grove, row after row of square topped dark green trees, laden with bright orange fruit! By the time we rounded the corner of the lake we were driving thru extensive fields of various stages of sugar cane - from its earliest young grassy shoots to the fields of tall thick and shaggy cane ready for harvest. Not missing – again – was the accompanying clouds of dark gray smoke that burns off the residue from the fields. From Rt 27 and south on Rt 997 the fields went from cane to truck farms of tomatoes, strawberries and sweet corn. Then the tropical plants and flowers came next.
Near the corner of Rt 997 and Rt 41 we stopped at a gun club for the “boys” to blow off some steam and shoot some rounds of skeet. Both said they had fun but didn’t shoot their best. Oh, well. Nancy and I took a break from sitting on the hard cold picnic bench, where we had perched to knit and to watch the guys point, yell “PULL” and then shoot at those innocent orange clay “pigeons”, by investigating the collection of multi colored empty plastic shell casings in the nearby trash barrel. The bright colors are now on N’s cell phone as her screen saver!
The Miccosukee Bingo and Gaming Casino offers free overnight parking for RVer’s and there were several besides us that were taking advantage of it. We were also told about a pretty good meal of steak and lobster tail for less than $10 that we also took advantage of! When H and I park at a casino overnight, we usually make our “donation” of $1 to one of their machines and then leave. This time it was the poker machines that we all 4 ended up sitting in front of. H made his usual donation. My donation kept working it’s way from $1.12 up to $2.80 and back down several times before bottoming out. Nancy’s disappeared also. Ron on the other hand took home $10 to replace his “donation”. AND we had each signed up for a “Players Card” which gave each player a coupon for a Buy One, Get One Free Meal”! Breakfast was going to be from their buffet line in the morning! Back out in the blacktop parking lot we settled in for the night with the lights on the casino acting as a glowing green and blue nightlight, along with all the sparkling stars above. The following morning the grackles woke us up with their raucous chatter and line dancing on the roof of the condo! A custom made omelet and fresh fruit breakfast from the buffet really got our day started and soon we were headed for the KEYS!
Route ONE can be as long as I 75 and the mile markers that run the length of this chain of islands, which are joined by causeways and 42 bridges, start out at 112 and end at “0” in Key West! The island of Marathon is at MM 50 and we parked at MM 58 in the Jolly Roger Travel Park. The park is old and the rigs are parked as close to each other as cereal boxes on a grocery shelf – especially in the two rows closest to the highway which are the “Passport America” sites! The folks parked in our row have been very nice - to our left they are from BC and the folks on the right were from Oregon The new folks behind us are from BG, OHIO! Interspersed throughout the park are gnarly, smooth red barked “Gumbo Limbo” trees. The locals call them “Tourist Trees” because they turn red and then peel!
Flagler’s Overseas Railway Centennial Celebration was held on Saturday, January 14th. Free boat rides, free entertainment and educational demonstrations were held out on Pigeon Key, a small island just off of the Seven Mile Bridge! The boat/ferry rides were poorly organized but it was still a nice ride out on the sparkling turquoise colored water! And we did get a feel for how life was back in 1908 when the Flagler’s railroad was begun and in January of 1912 when it was finally completed and he took his first train ride from the mainland of Florida, over the narrow bridges, all the way to Key West. We had all hoped to ride on the big catamaran ferry but when we saw how low in the water the 2 powerful outboard engines sat once the vessel was loaded and underway, we had second thoughts. The clincher was when we watched it get stuck on a sand bar and the passengers had to move to the far end of the boat to remove themselves from the shallow area! The young, CUTE, First Mate on the boat we did ride on, is from Michigan and we all had fun teasing him.
On Sunday afternoon, N and I attended a free craft class and made the cutest little wire and stone trees that look like weathered trees with exposed roots clinging to huge boulders. My petite 8-inch tree is anchored on a sparkly white and blue rock. The wire roots, trunk and branches are silver. The leaves are blue tiger-eyes! N’s rock is brownish gold sparkly with pieces of garnet and mica imbedded in it. Her wires are both copper and gold! Her leaves are brown/gold tiger-eyes! Each is unique!
On Wednesday evening, N and I were treated to a seafood dinner at “The Fisheries Seafood Restaurant and Market” an open air glorified wooden shack right on the Gulf. Long sturdy picnic tables and paper towels for napkins were lined against the outside retaining walls! Our orders were announced ‘ready” with song titles instead of our names! My choice for my entrée was “ LOBSTER REUBIN”. Sounds rather strange but the sandwich was layered with a good supply of lobster, mellow kraut and Swiss cheese. I spiced it up with cocktail sauce, which gave it just the right twang! Yummy fries even came with that huge grilled sandwich! H chose scallops because he was not able to get his mind wrapped around lobster AND Reuben in the same phrase!
As we pulled back into our little parking spot, I spoke to our new neighbors and welcomed them to the “neighborhood”. Pleasantries exchanged, I asked where he was from. Would you believe – Toledo and he has family still there! Rick and Traci were brand new “full timers” so H and R were sharing their vast wealth of camping/traveling knowledge. In the morning, as we were preparing to pull out, I went to say my goodbyes and H had offered our back yard if he came to Toledo to visit his family. Rick mentioned his favorite aunt so I asked her name. When he gave her last name, I immediately thought of a dear friend from my State Farm days! It is Lou Ann!!!!! I must email her as soon as I can but now we need to be on the road. It’s a long way to our next “home” for a few days - probably all of 10 miles - Long Key State Park!
Near the corner of Rt 997 and Rt 41 we stopped at a gun club for the “boys” to blow off some steam and shoot some rounds of skeet. Both said they had fun but didn’t shoot their best. Oh, well. Nancy and I took a break from sitting on the hard cold picnic bench, where we had perched to knit and to watch the guys point, yell “PULL” and then shoot at those innocent orange clay “pigeons”, by investigating the collection of multi colored empty plastic shell casings in the nearby trash barrel. The bright colors are now on N’s cell phone as her screen saver!
The Miccosukee Bingo and Gaming Casino offers free overnight parking for RVer’s and there were several besides us that were taking advantage of it. We were also told about a pretty good meal of steak and lobster tail for less than $10 that we also took advantage of! When H and I park at a casino overnight, we usually make our “donation” of $1 to one of their machines and then leave. This time it was the poker machines that we all 4 ended up sitting in front of. H made his usual donation. My donation kept working it’s way from $1.12 up to $2.80 and back down several times before bottoming out. Nancy’s disappeared also. Ron on the other hand took home $10 to replace his “donation”. AND we had each signed up for a “Players Card” which gave each player a coupon for a Buy One, Get One Free Meal”! Breakfast was going to be from their buffet line in the morning! Back out in the blacktop parking lot we settled in for the night with the lights on the casino acting as a glowing green and blue nightlight, along with all the sparkling stars above. The following morning the grackles woke us up with their raucous chatter and line dancing on the roof of the condo! A custom made omelet and fresh fruit breakfast from the buffet really got our day started and soon we were headed for the KEYS!
Route ONE can be as long as I 75 and the mile markers that run the length of this chain of islands, which are joined by causeways and 42 bridges, start out at 112 and end at “0” in Key West! The island of Marathon is at MM 50 and we parked at MM 58 in the Jolly Roger Travel Park. The park is old and the rigs are parked as close to each other as cereal boxes on a grocery shelf – especially in the two rows closest to the highway which are the “Passport America” sites! The folks parked in our row have been very nice - to our left they are from BC and the folks on the right were from Oregon The new folks behind us are from BG, OHIO! Interspersed throughout the park are gnarly, smooth red barked “Gumbo Limbo” trees. The locals call them “Tourist Trees” because they turn red and then peel!
Flagler’s Overseas Railway Centennial Celebration was held on Saturday, January 14th. Free boat rides, free entertainment and educational demonstrations were held out on Pigeon Key, a small island just off of the Seven Mile Bridge! The boat/ferry rides were poorly organized but it was still a nice ride out on the sparkling turquoise colored water! And we did get a feel for how life was back in 1908 when the Flagler’s railroad was begun and in January of 1912 when it was finally completed and he took his first train ride from the mainland of Florida, over the narrow bridges, all the way to Key West. We had all hoped to ride on the big catamaran ferry but when we saw how low in the water the 2 powerful outboard engines sat once the vessel was loaded and underway, we had second thoughts. The clincher was when we watched it get stuck on a sand bar and the passengers had to move to the far end of the boat to remove themselves from the shallow area! The young, CUTE, First Mate on the boat we did ride on, is from Michigan and we all had fun teasing him.
On Sunday afternoon, N and I attended a free craft class and made the cutest little wire and stone trees that look like weathered trees with exposed roots clinging to huge boulders. My petite 8-inch tree is anchored on a sparkly white and blue rock. The wire roots, trunk and branches are silver. The leaves are blue tiger-eyes! N’s rock is brownish gold sparkly with pieces of garnet and mica imbedded in it. Her wires are both copper and gold! Her leaves are brown/gold tiger-eyes! Each is unique!
On Wednesday evening, N and I were treated to a seafood dinner at “The Fisheries Seafood Restaurant and Market” an open air glorified wooden shack right on the Gulf. Long sturdy picnic tables and paper towels for napkins were lined against the outside retaining walls! Our orders were announced ‘ready” with song titles instead of our names! My choice for my entrée was “ LOBSTER REUBIN”. Sounds rather strange but the sandwich was layered with a good supply of lobster, mellow kraut and Swiss cheese. I spiced it up with cocktail sauce, which gave it just the right twang! Yummy fries even came with that huge grilled sandwich! H chose scallops because he was not able to get his mind wrapped around lobster AND Reuben in the same phrase!
As we pulled back into our little parking spot, I spoke to our new neighbors and welcomed them to the “neighborhood”. Pleasantries exchanged, I asked where he was from. Would you believe – Toledo and he has family still there! Rick and Traci were brand new “full timers” so H and R were sharing their vast wealth of camping/traveling knowledge. In the morning, as we were preparing to pull out, I went to say my goodbyes and H had offered our back yard if he came to Toledo to visit his family. Rick mentioned his favorite aunt so I asked her name. When he gave her last name, I immediately thought of a dear friend from my State Farm days! It is Lou Ann!!!!! I must email her as soon as I can but now we need to be on the road. It’s a long way to our next “home” for a few days - probably all of 10 miles - Long Key State Park!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Ruskin to Sebring
Bud F. went to school with H and Bud S. Last summer at their 50th class reunion we found out that Bud and Nancy live down here in Apollo Beach. The town proper is about 5 miles north of Ruskin and is home to the power plant AND the manatees that keep warm in the discharged water from the plant. H called Bud and found out they live in a gated community just up the road from where EG Simmons Park is located. Like Rauch Rd in Michigan – the south side of the road is in Bedford and the north side is in Petersburg – the north side of 19th Street is Apollo Beach and the south side is Ruskin! Bud, H and Ron laughed, chatted and enjoyed their “Happy Hour” while we ladies got to know each other. Both Nancy’s are into genealogy and all 3 of us know our way around fabric and yarn. Florida Nancy’s sister was my favorite claims adjuster back when I worked for State Farm! It was fun trying to find out when and where else our paths almost crossed during our pasts.
R&N moved out of Ruskin on Thursday morning and H and I headed to Tampa’s Lawry Park Zoo! SPFB! The price of admission has really gone up but it was still a great place to visit again. The day was sunny with a touch of cool so the animals were pretty active. The baby elephant that we saw on our last visit is now all grown up! This time they had a baby rhino but we were on the wrong side of the train ride so didn’t get a very good picture. But we did of the giraffe! I love the big brown doe eyes! We saw bunches of apes, monkeys, a red wild pig and some really weird birds.
Friday we spent out on the road again – breakfast with B&N, picked up our mail from the local post office, met with dear friends from Toledo who have a winter home in Sun City Center. When our kids were growing up, Danny, Traudy and I attended the same church together. We all go to different churches now and it was fun to hear Traudy’s VERY German accent again! The Big Red Barn Flea Market was our next stop and H even spent some money! $1.25! We made a stop at Morgan’s Strawberry Farm to have our annual Strawberry Shortcake. Five miles on the bikes worked off part of those delicious calories!
Saturday, it was my turn to spend the money at a flea market – I AM a big spender – I spent $1.50. Five more miles on the bikes followed by H having to fix a flat in his tire caused by a sand burr. And an hour and a half in the kayaks followed that! The park has a canoe/kayak launch so instead of using the open spot in the mangrove jungle behind our “condo” – we tried it out. A big fiberglass dock with a shallow “v” slot for the boats to fit into and once in your boat – just slide sort of gracefully into the quiet calm water of the mangrove islands and out along the channels to the open bay that surrounds the west side of the park. Besides the fun of kayaking in Tampa Bay the highlight of the venture was seeing the Manta Rays that scurried under us in the shallow water. At the boat launch dock a big old steel boat from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania was moored overnight. This solid old lady had been trailered to Buffalo and then motored down to Florida. Her journey was not over yet – she was headed farther south to the Intracoastal and then across and back up home. I believe the gentleman that owned her said the hull was from the 1920’s and he built her from there up.
Moving day this time was Sunday and Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring was the next stop on our migration path south. Our condo was finally parked in one of the parks bigger spots and H was restless to go visit his brother at their new parking spot in Buttonwood Bay Resort just north of Lake Placid. On Monday we headed south from Sebring to just the other side of Lake Placid to visit B&C from home who are wintering in Camp Florida RV Resort. We’ve not seen them since we were at home in Michigan – last year! Their swimming pool was heated to 89 degrees and we made the best of it until it was time to get out and the cool air hit our warm wet bodies! Burrrrr! Our choice of meals on the menu that night started out to be Mexican but since that restaurant was closed – Thai was chosen. We’ve all decided that it was not our best choice!
One afternoon at the campground, I heard the soft melody from a flute and it reminded me of the new friends we had met last year at Moss Park. While doing laundry the next morning, I was yelled at by a fella passing by on his bike. This guy was bellowing that he’d recognize that behind (mine?) anywhere!!! It WAS Ron from Moss Park!!! And he and his sweet wife were parked right across the sandy dusty road from us!! Too bad we were leaving soon and heading for the Keys! Alas, so were they, but a day later and they were going further down the long chain of islands! Thursday morning arrived and the condo was packed and headed to meet R&N to caravan to the Keys!
R&N moved out of Ruskin on Thursday morning and H and I headed to Tampa’s Lawry Park Zoo! SPFB! The price of admission has really gone up but it was still a great place to visit again. The day was sunny with a touch of cool so the animals were pretty active. The baby elephant that we saw on our last visit is now all grown up! This time they had a baby rhino but we were on the wrong side of the train ride so didn’t get a very good picture. But we did of the giraffe! I love the big brown doe eyes! We saw bunches of apes, monkeys, a red wild pig and some really weird birds.
Friday we spent out on the road again – breakfast with B&N, picked up our mail from the local post office, met with dear friends from Toledo who have a winter home in Sun City Center. When our kids were growing up, Danny, Traudy and I attended the same church together. We all go to different churches now and it was fun to hear Traudy’s VERY German accent again! The Big Red Barn Flea Market was our next stop and H even spent some money! $1.25! We made a stop at Morgan’s Strawberry Farm to have our annual Strawberry Shortcake. Five miles on the bikes worked off part of those delicious calories!
Saturday, it was my turn to spend the money at a flea market – I AM a big spender – I spent $1.50. Five more miles on the bikes followed by H having to fix a flat in his tire caused by a sand burr. And an hour and a half in the kayaks followed that! The park has a canoe/kayak launch so instead of using the open spot in the mangrove jungle behind our “condo” – we tried it out. A big fiberglass dock with a shallow “v” slot for the boats to fit into and once in your boat – just slide sort of gracefully into the quiet calm water of the mangrove islands and out along the channels to the open bay that surrounds the west side of the park. Besides the fun of kayaking in Tampa Bay the highlight of the venture was seeing the Manta Rays that scurried under us in the shallow water. At the boat launch dock a big old steel boat from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania was moored overnight. This solid old lady had been trailered to Buffalo and then motored down to Florida. Her journey was not over yet – she was headed farther south to the Intracoastal and then across and back up home. I believe the gentleman that owned her said the hull was from the 1920’s and he built her from there up.
Moving day this time was Sunday and Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring was the next stop on our migration path south. Our condo was finally parked in one of the parks bigger spots and H was restless to go visit his brother at their new parking spot in Buttonwood Bay Resort just north of Lake Placid. On Monday we headed south from Sebring to just the other side of Lake Placid to visit B&C from home who are wintering in Camp Florida RV Resort. We’ve not seen them since we were at home in Michigan – last year! Their swimming pool was heated to 89 degrees and we made the best of it until it was time to get out and the cool air hit our warm wet bodies! Burrrrr! Our choice of meals on the menu that night started out to be Mexican but since that restaurant was closed – Thai was chosen. We’ve all decided that it was not our best choice!
One afternoon at the campground, I heard the soft melody from a flute and it reminded me of the new friends we had met last year at Moss Park. While doing laundry the next morning, I was yelled at by a fella passing by on his bike. This guy was bellowing that he’d recognize that behind (mine?) anywhere!!! It WAS Ron from Moss Park!!! And he and his sweet wife were parked right across the sandy dusty road from us!! Too bad we were leaving soon and heading for the Keys! Alas, so were they, but a day later and they were going further down the long chain of islands! Thursday morning arrived and the condo was packed and headed to meet R&N to caravan to the Keys!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Ocala to Ruskin
They broke! And I am heartbroken with them! What you say has caused such sad emotions? My beautiful, fabulous, but obvious delicate Amaryllis with her TWO buxom, frilly, obviously very top-heavy multilayer blooms! Was that enough adjectives?
Before we left Michigan, I bought 2 Amaryllis bulbs - a bright red one for a gift and a white and coral one for me. Over the years, I had already gathered several bulbs that have multiplied and now live in one big pot that spend the winter in the basement under a dark cool table. When we return home in the spring the pot is brought out and within a month we have a big splash of giant red flowers that grace our enclosed front porch. I planted this new bulb and both H and I watched her sprout a thick round stem that was topped with what promised to be a future dinner plate sized bloom. At Salt Springs she grew from a stub to over 10 inches in less than a week! As the days progressed, we watched her reach for the sky and in the warm sunshine at Ross Prairie she produced not one but 4 buds, 2 of which were branching out and showing color. Each evening we would bring her inside for protection from the cool night air and possible varmints. By New Years day, her 2 ruffled blooms were wide open like a Spanish dancer’s wide flowing brightly colored skirt in full dance mode! She was BEAUTIFUL! Then we moved. Big-busted women do not travel well in the back of a bouncing buckboard – if you know what I mean. These Florida roads are not as bad as our Michigan roads, but even in the back corner of this condo – it’s bouncy. I should have known better. Both blooms were on the floor when we arrived in Ruskin. Each is now resting comfortably in a dish of water on the dinette in front of the big window where the Christmas tree had been sitting. We will still enjoy their beauty while we can. The other 2 buds are just now showing color and when we must move again this weekend – she will get protected better in a less bouncy area of the condo!
During our stay at Ross Prairie, we were lucky enough to visit and get to know friends from Toledo who had moved to a new, gated community in Ocala, not far from D&S’s, Oak Run. John and Nora welcomed us into their home - once we finally found the right street and the right lovely home! I am looking forward to visiting again - now that we know how to find them! In the campground we made more new friends also! Donna and Wendell, originally “Uppers” are now from down in this area and love to mountain bike the trails in Ross Prairie! Their trailer is new to them also, so the guys chatted and discussed trucks and trailers! New Year’s Eve, D&S joined us one last time for steaks on the grill! It felt good to be able to provide a meal for them after all they have done for us when we’re in their neighborhood!
On New Year’s Day, H and I headed for K.P. Hole Park – the county park where we launched the canoe last year. On Christmas AND New Year’s day the park is officially closed but the launch areas are open and minus the $5 per person charge! The kayaks slipped into the water more gracefully than we did “slipping” into them! Paddling upstream in those bright orange bubbles was a lot easier than H had expected, especially since the currant is quite strong in some areas due to all the springs that flow along the way. We made the mile and a half to the headsprings and when the time came to come back downstream, the going was much easier. We saw a Bald Eagle, along with the neat assortment of wading birds and various ducks. On the list were also turtles and a water snake slithering by H’s bubble. With the kayaks it was fun to pivot quick and then almost catch up to it! When we came to a small shallow cove amongst the jungle trees on the shoreline, the wetsuits were yanked on and the kayaks tied together so we could finish up our adventure viewing it from under the crystal clear water. Bass of all sizes, curious bluegills, mullet, catfish and others swam ahead of us thru the waving sea grasses or darted away as we crossed the top of their water filled canyons! However, even with the wetsuits on – we were way cold by the time we paddled up to the launch area! That big towel that had grown warm in the back of the parked truck sure felt good around my shivering shoulders!
E.G. Simmons in Ruskin is now our home for the week. We pulled in and parked about noon on Monday and R&N arrived about 4 30pm. They FINALLY came and parked next to us when the Michigan State football game reached its final fevered finish! They had been watching the last nail biting minutes at the entry gate to the park but managed to get just barely parked and plugged in before joining us for the exciting overtimes and the joyous outcome of the game!
The brothers are being brothers and Nancy and I are enjoying some female conversations and such! Of course, H and I are blaming them for bringing down the cold air with them! When it’s cold tho, the manatees are up in the channel at the Power Plant in Apollo Beach! Last year it was warm when R&N were here with us and there were no manatees! Manatees got viewed and we hustled back to the truck for warmth and the next stop was for groceries. We did NOT need them because in the afternoon, we headed for Ellenton and H’s FAVORITE seafood eatery – Anna Marie’s Oyster Bar. Shop till you drop – we hit the outlet mall next for good measure!
Tuesday night was supposed to be the coldest night and this day is now sunny and getting warmer with very calm winds! Monday night none of us slept well due to the 50 mph winds that howled and raged thru the palm trees and around the corners of this 3 story tall condo and R’s trailer sitting next door. Sunny and warmer days are promised for our future!
Before we left Michigan, I bought 2 Amaryllis bulbs - a bright red one for a gift and a white and coral one for me. Over the years, I had already gathered several bulbs that have multiplied and now live in one big pot that spend the winter in the basement under a dark cool table. When we return home in the spring the pot is brought out and within a month we have a big splash of giant red flowers that grace our enclosed front porch. I planted this new bulb and both H and I watched her sprout a thick round stem that was topped with what promised to be a future dinner plate sized bloom. At Salt Springs she grew from a stub to over 10 inches in less than a week! As the days progressed, we watched her reach for the sky and in the warm sunshine at Ross Prairie she produced not one but 4 buds, 2 of which were branching out and showing color. Each evening we would bring her inside for protection from the cool night air and possible varmints. By New Years day, her 2 ruffled blooms were wide open like a Spanish dancer’s wide flowing brightly colored skirt in full dance mode! She was BEAUTIFUL! Then we moved. Big-busted women do not travel well in the back of a bouncing buckboard – if you know what I mean. These Florida roads are not as bad as our Michigan roads, but even in the back corner of this condo – it’s bouncy. I should have known better. Both blooms were on the floor when we arrived in Ruskin. Each is now resting comfortably in a dish of water on the dinette in front of the big window where the Christmas tree had been sitting. We will still enjoy their beauty while we can. The other 2 buds are just now showing color and when we must move again this weekend – she will get protected better in a less bouncy area of the condo!
During our stay at Ross Prairie, we were lucky enough to visit and get to know friends from Toledo who had moved to a new, gated community in Ocala, not far from D&S’s, Oak Run. John and Nora welcomed us into their home - once we finally found the right street and the right lovely home! I am looking forward to visiting again - now that we know how to find them! In the campground we made more new friends also! Donna and Wendell, originally “Uppers” are now from down in this area and love to mountain bike the trails in Ross Prairie! Their trailer is new to them also, so the guys chatted and discussed trucks and trailers! New Year’s Eve, D&S joined us one last time for steaks on the grill! It felt good to be able to provide a meal for them after all they have done for us when we’re in their neighborhood!
On New Year’s Day, H and I headed for K.P. Hole Park – the county park where we launched the canoe last year. On Christmas AND New Year’s day the park is officially closed but the launch areas are open and minus the $5 per person charge! The kayaks slipped into the water more gracefully than we did “slipping” into them! Paddling upstream in those bright orange bubbles was a lot easier than H had expected, especially since the currant is quite strong in some areas due to all the springs that flow along the way. We made the mile and a half to the headsprings and when the time came to come back downstream, the going was much easier. We saw a Bald Eagle, along with the neat assortment of wading birds and various ducks. On the list were also turtles and a water snake slithering by H’s bubble. With the kayaks it was fun to pivot quick and then almost catch up to it! When we came to a small shallow cove amongst the jungle trees on the shoreline, the wetsuits were yanked on and the kayaks tied together so we could finish up our adventure viewing it from under the crystal clear water. Bass of all sizes, curious bluegills, mullet, catfish and others swam ahead of us thru the waving sea grasses or darted away as we crossed the top of their water filled canyons! However, even with the wetsuits on – we were way cold by the time we paddled up to the launch area! That big towel that had grown warm in the back of the parked truck sure felt good around my shivering shoulders!
E.G. Simmons in Ruskin is now our home for the week. We pulled in and parked about noon on Monday and R&N arrived about 4 30pm. They FINALLY came and parked next to us when the Michigan State football game reached its final fevered finish! They had been watching the last nail biting minutes at the entry gate to the park but managed to get just barely parked and plugged in before joining us for the exciting overtimes and the joyous outcome of the game!
The brothers are being brothers and Nancy and I are enjoying some female conversations and such! Of course, H and I are blaming them for bringing down the cold air with them! When it’s cold tho, the manatees are up in the channel at the Power Plant in Apollo Beach! Last year it was warm when R&N were here with us and there were no manatees! Manatees got viewed and we hustled back to the truck for warmth and the next stop was for groceries. We did NOT need them because in the afternoon, we headed for Ellenton and H’s FAVORITE seafood eatery – Anna Marie’s Oyster Bar. Shop till you drop – we hit the outlet mall next for good measure!
Tuesday night was supposed to be the coldest night and this day is now sunny and getting warmer with very calm winds! Monday night none of us slept well due to the 50 mph winds that howled and raged thru the palm trees and around the corners of this 3 story tall condo and R’s trailer sitting next door. Sunny and warmer days are promised for our future!
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