The weather was not too bad for the most part. A little
breezy, cooler temperatures, some rain, and then sun! Yay we liked that part,
Izzy too. Although Izzy wasn’t too keen on all the little critters that decided
to attach to her head, ears, and belly. If you are into ticks this is the place
for them. Apparently it has been a tick haven this year much more than normal. I
think the part Izzy liked most was the extra attention she received from us
checking her coat. She loves those massages!
We headed to Pine Island which was pretty crowded as it was
Sunday and the sun was actually out. This brought both locals as well as
travelers. From there we headed to another bay where Steve wanted to check out the fishing activity.
Are There Any Fish Down There?
We toured the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife
State Park one afternoon. As you wander around you get to enjoy manatees,
various wildlife, river otters, alligators, and other animals. They have done a
nice job with the animal areas and they have a great rehabilitation program. We
saw a few birds that we called Pogo. You can probably guess why.
A Little Smooch
Hanging Out
Content
Do You Have a Nut?
Nap Time
Please Talk To Me
The Manatee
Kettle at the Sugar Mill
Chimney and Grinding Machinery
Kettle among the ruins
Boiler
I had heard quite a bit about The Wolf of Wall Street and knew
they had a difficult time rating it. Well now we know why. The acting was
superb but it is not for the shy and naïve. We observed the rest of the movie
goers sitting in the theatre which was quite crowded when we found a couple of
seats. Let’s just say we were probably the youngest ones in there. Now if I had
taken my Mom to this I am pretty sure she would have asked to leave, but I only
observed three people that decided to leave before it was over.
Besides visiting with my Uncle Al, we spent time with our
fellow RVers at the park. Chief Aripeka RV Park is a small private park and
most of the folks there have been coming there for years. They have spur of the
moment dinners, camp fires, and activities in the area. We enjoyed getting to
know some of the folks and will keep in touch with them.
They had a pre-valentine gathering on the 13th
complete with a Barber Shop Quartet. Before they got there Rod entertained us
with some great music. He and his wife Kris come down for the warmer climate
from Michigan. We enjoyed meeting them and talking with them. Also Izzy liked
them too as their dog, Lady, was play buddy during our stay.
Barber Shop Quartet
Enjoying the Music
Fred
Rod Providing some Great Music
Kris who gets to enjoy Rod's music all the time
Rodger our neighbor
Nelda who admits to being married to Rodger for over 50 years
The Spread
Fred and Sandy recommended this place to us when we were
camped next to them in Lake Ponchartrain. We’re glad they did as it gave us a
good place to stay for a couple of weeks and explore that part of the gulf
coast. Sandy wasn’t there right now due to some commitments in Georgia she
needed to take care of but we are hoping to connect with them at some point
while we are still in Florida.
Fred became our tour guide on the 14th and showed
us a few places they enjoy going for both the scenery and food. We had a great
time that day and ate some wonderful seafood. Too bad we didn’t catch it
ourselves. Oh well, I am sure there are more places to fish in our future!
Fred and Tory
Happy Valentine's Day
Spider Monkey Island
What a View
One of the activities they said was a must do was to kayak
on the Weeki Wachee river. We picked one
afternoon and did a little paddling. Izzy stayed at the truck since the next
stop was for her to get a bath.
Having Fun
We encountered a few other kayakers but also a group of five
manatees hanging out together. The pictures don’t really show what we saw but
it was pretty cool to see them.
Getting a Breath
On the way back to the starting point I spotted a little turtle
sunbathing. I had enough time to get a few pictures but I didn’t get a chance
to ask if he needed any sunblock! It also looks like he just got his nails done
too.
Our time in this area was ending but the last night we were
there they had a campfire so the RV park’s great grandson could roast a hot
dog. I think a few of the others enjoyed the chance to roast a dog or two as
well.
Our next spot is in the Fort Myers area so more to come from
the gulf coast.
