OH BOY WE FOUND SUN SORT-OF

February 1-15, 2014

 

I put this title in all caps. It seems it has been a long search for the sun and warmth. Well, we are closer to both but not quite there. The Spring Hill and Aripeka area will be our home for two weeks during which we hope to explore what it has to offer.

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

 

We stopped at the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park. More than 100 years ago, there stood in this location a thriving sugar plantation built by David Levy Yulee who, was a man of peace but later found himself in the middle of America’s bloodiest war. In the end his home was burned to the ground but not the sugar mill. It however never operated again.

Kettle at the Sugar Mill

Chimney and Grinding Machinery

Kettle among the ruins

Boiler

 

 

Steve tried a little fishing in the cold but didn’t have much luck so the next day we decided to take in a movie. The weather was right for being indoors and the local move theatre had at least one movie we thought we would watch.

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 13^th 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 14^th 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.

Soaking up the rays

Aren't my nails pretty

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.