Places We Have Called Home In 2020

Home Is Where We Park It:  Silver Springs State Park Campground, Ocala, Florida

September 24, 2020

Temperature 86 Degrees

Harvey Has Come To Join Us

My Second Hike

Silver River Museum

We honestly thought we had left him in our last rig.  Who you ask?

 

Harvey our friendly and mischievous ghost.  In our last rig he was responsible for all kinds of silly things.  When we moved, though, we honestly thought we had left him behind.  How foolish of us to even think such a thought.  Yes, he’s back.  I guess he really missed us.  What has he been up to?

Well, yesterday I had our patio awning out when I went for my hike.  When I came back from my hike I noticed it was rolled up.  I asked Ms. Barbara if she had brought it in.  Oh no, she said, it did it all on its own.  Yes, it has a wind sensor on it but I know (or at least I thought I did) for a fact that it is broken.  Of course, Harvey brought it in.

Then we come to today.  I was using a small pencil flashlight behind our recliners.  I stopped for a minute to tend to another chore.  When I got back behind the seats – you guessed it – no flashlight!  We searched high and low and no flashlight.  Of course I know who has it.  Oh, I know Harvey will give it back sooner or later.  I just hope he does so sooner rather than later.

So I went on another hike.

This time I decided to do the River Trail.

The trail proved to be more of a road from beginning to end.

This was a walk through a part of the Florida wetlands.  These wetlands provide a number of natural functions essential to Florida’s ecology.

• they serve as a habitat for a variety of native plants and beneficial animals
• they help to filter pollutants from the water supply that eventually finds its way into the natural aquifer
• they help to prevent flooding by storing flood waters
• they help to moderate and balance temperatures year round

In due time I had a decision to make – which way should I go?  Definitely not this way!

Much more promising and the direction I eventually took.

The boardwalk to the canoe/kayak lunch ramp.

I guess I could rent one of these canoes but I don’t know who to see, probably one of the Park Rangers.

This is part of the River Trail that parallels the Silver River.

I bet I know at least two people who would probably enjoy this river trail.  Like I said I was even thinking of perhaps finding out how to rent a canoe until I read the below. . . .

Did you catch that last sentence: Alligators have been known to attack humans.  I believe I’ll stay on dry land!

Then there was this guy alongside the launch ramp.  Look closely and you’ll see two little beady eyes looking back at you.  This was one enormous snapping turtle looking for a bit of food or someone’s finger to munch on.  Not mine.

This school of fish stayed a respectful distance away from him.

Thankfully, I didn’t encounter any of these little terrors.

Some interesting sights along the trail

Reminded me of an egg beater.

I wonder why so many branches grow out in all directions?

If a tree fell in the forest and there was no one there to hear it, would it make a sound?  This one must have made a resounding thump when it fell.

A little bit of color.

Limbo anyone?

Heading back to the trail head.

There is a museum, a research center, a library, classrooms for students and so much more but alas all are closed due to COVID – 19.  I wonder if things will ever open up again.

Then while wandering around I discovered this.

Time to go home.

One more wonderful day on The Road of Retirement.  There may not be a whale of lot to do around here, not that is that is open, but we have found things to do.  Life is good for us.  I would like, before going, to ask for prayers for Ms. Barbara’s brother who is suffering from several serve medical issues at this time.  It is touch and go at this point in time and both he and his wife definitely need our prayers and support.  Thanks.

Hope you enjoyed our hike today.  We always appreciate your company as well as your comments and suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, enjoy the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!

Places We Have Called Home In 2020

Home Is Where We Park It:  Silver Springs State Park Campground, Ocala, Florida

September 23, 2020

Temperature 82 Degrees

Oh No, We Can’t Go There

A Strange Place to Sleep At Night

My First Hike

Monthly Maintenance Finished – For This Month

The end of next week we were supposed to move again to another Florida State Park.

Yet, I had this uncomfortable feeling about this park.  Maybe it was because when I first made this reservation we had a smaller rig and a portable satellite antenna.  Since the park was only an hour and thirty minutes away we decided to take a road trip on Monday.

We are so glad we did.  I would never be able to get Elvira in or through this park.  The entrance road was a single lane road with no room for two way traffic.  I don’t know what happens when one rig is entering and another is trying to leave the park.  Then there is the road in the park itself.  It, too, is narrow and twisty.  Moreover, the sites are so small cars are half parked on the road making getting through a real nail biter.  Finally, the site we had picked we would have never been able to back into it.  Oh, maybe with an hour or more of work we might have gotten in.  But why bother.  We came home and cancelled the reservation.  We’ll go directly to Bushnell when we leave here.  After, we are finished . . .

This was our next stop.  We’ll be going here next week to have some front end work done on Elvira.  They had stated on the phone that since we’ll be here overnight they would be able to put us in a spot where we’ll be able to plug into a 50 amp outlet.

Imagine our surprise when we discovered that that spot would be inside one of the bays with the garage door closed!  This will definitely be a first for us.  In the past we’ve parked overnight in a funeral home parking lot, in a field beside a barn, in the middle of a wine field, and some other rather odd places.  This will be one of the strangest places we’ve spent the night.

As for Tuesday.

With no hint of rain in the forecast nor in the sky above I decided to hike one of the many trails in the park.

This was the closest trail to our site so I decided to start here.

Off we go.  This should be a piece of cake.  Just follow the green arrows.

Quiet and peaceful.  It is obvious by the height of the grass that not many pass this way.  As I walked this trail I couldn’t help thinking of those long ago who called this forest their home.  Who hunted and farmed here.  Those that through their efforts made this area the prosperous town it is today.

Yup, just follow the green arrows.  But which one should I follow!

Some of the many animals that are said to call these fields their home.  Unfortunately, I did not see a one of them during my walk.

I was half expecting a troll to be waiting beside this sort of trail block to collect a toll.  Yea, I’ll admit it I have a very active imagination.

A touch of color along the way.

An hour and about two miles later I was back home.  More trails await me in the coming days.

Back home I decided to take care of a few items that needed attention.

Anyone know what this is?  No, it is not just another old sock.  It is a special kind of old sock.

It is a super duper luper slide seal lubricator!  You put some baby powder on the sock which is tapped on the end of a pole and you slide it up and down the slide seal.  Now that you know that I’m sure you can deduce what was one of the things that I did today.  Each and every one of them.

I also went around and lubricated everything else that moved, rolled, slid or whatever.  While I was at it I made sure every screw I could find was tight.  It sure is amazing how many can come loose over the years.

I also finished my monthly maintenance chores today.  All good again for another month.

Now while I was busy doing all this Ms. Barbara was busy as well.  Breakfast time she made me a cheese and chili omelet with fried spam on the side.  Come lunch time she made a huge crockpot full of spare ribs.  Everything was so delicious.  She also kept busy all day doing laundry.

So though we haven’t been doing a lot of sightseeing we’re keeping busy on The Road of Retirement.  The days are becoming more tolerable as well as the nights.  Point of fact we can even keep the AC off at night.  We’d like to do the same during the day but can’t because if we do we’re swarmed inside by Florida love bugs.  They don’t bight or anything like that but they are just a darn nuisance.  And they are small enough to get through every small crack in every window.  They are only active during the day but not at night.  Hence, the windows must be closed during the day.

Thanks for checking in with us today.  We always appreciate your company as well as your comments and suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, enjoy the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!

 

 

 

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2020

Home Is Where We Park It:  Silver Springs State Park Campground, Ocala, Florida

September 21, 2020

Temperature 86 Degrees

Sunday Worship

Around The Park

Good Morning World!  Sitting here waiting for the sun to come up and begin shining in our living room window.  Another wonderful day full of possibilities is before us.

Yesterday being Sunday we began our day with worship at our home church in Colts Neck, New Jersey.  Pastor Scott began worship with our call to worship.

Our opening song.

Pastor Scott’s message was from the Book of Philippians.  He emphasized that amidst the turmoil of our day we need to remember to hold fast to our identify as those who are in Christ.  We need, therefore, to live our lives as those whose sins have been forgiven and who have been offered the grace of God.  Meaning, we can and should live with a strong sense of hope and an inner peace that the world can never take away.  A message I will hold on to during this coming week.

 

Our closing song.  I’m not sure who picked this one but I believe it’s words are so appropriate for the world we live in today.

Well, I was wrong.  Our daily walk around our loop revealed the truth that the park has only two empty sites as of yesterday.  Despite the rain they came.

Can anyone remember when?  Yes, as a kid growing up this is the way our family used to camp.  We did it in an old Army surplus tent with surplus Army cots.  This family was even cooking their evening meal over an open fire.  But no more, oh no I sure don’t want to go back to those days!

The first thought that came to my mind when I saw this trailer was Someone sold their house but couldn’t part with their treasured belongings.  Honestly, I have no idea what is inside.  Maybe a bunch of motorcycles?

Camp Host site.  We met this couple the other day and they are two of the nicest, most hard working people you’ll ever find.  They live in Florida and move from one state park to the other working as Camp Hosts.  No they’re not young by any means.  They’re just looking to do something meaningful with their retirement years.  My hat is off to them.

This is our front yard.  And I don’t have to mow the grass!  That’s a front yard I can really like.

So begins another new day on The Road of Retirement.  We’re going on a road trip today to visit another Florida State Park we may be staying in.  We’ll also stop and confirm our appointment for upcoming work on Elvira.  Just to get out and about is going to be great.  Who knows along the way we might even find a bagel shop.  One can only hope.

Thanks for checking in with us today.  We always appreciate your company as well as your comments and suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, enjoy the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!

 

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2020

Home Is Where We Park It:  Silver Springs State Park Campground, Ocala, Florida

September 19, 2020

Temperature 82 Degrees

So Where Is Everybody

There Is Always Something to Fix

Good Times With Good Friends

We’re now settled in and just enjoying life. It is so nice to once again see the sun.  Also to have more moderate temperatures both during the day and at night.  However, the humidity is as bad as ever.  But that is par for the course in this area.

So were are all those new RV’ers?  This is a beautiful park, one of the best we’ve been in this year.  Yet, like so many other parks we have called home in so many states it is empty.  OK, I understand it is late in the year.  Even so I would think that this would make an excellent weekend retreat for anyone living in the surrounding area.  So what gives?  I really have no idea.

One thing is certain about owning or living in an RV, there is always something to fix.  In this case I discovered that our marker light and tail light on the one side were out.

A trip to NAPA was in order.  I purchased a can of contact cleaner and enough bulbs to change all of them. I figured if one or two were out, in due time the rest of them would also go out so I might as well change all of them now.  I also knew that since Elvira was an old gal no doubt all the contacts would need a good cleaning.  So now I have a project to work on today.

Yesterday was a fantastic day spent with two of God’s beautiful people and dear friends of ours.  We first met Dennis and Pam when we where in Sumter Oaks our first winter in Florida.  We’ve kept in touch ever since.  Once we knew we would be wintering in Florida this year we were eagerly looking forward to getting together with them.  They were once full timers like us but a couple of years ago they came off the road and settled down in Ocala.

The afternoon flew by as we talked about, well just about everything under the sun.  We got caught up on life in general, shared stories about this and that, and just absolutely enjoyed one another’s company.  They are now considering going back on the road but only in a very limited way.  They’re now talking about purchasing a small TT, in essence what Dennis calls a mobile hotel room.  Nothing definite yet, but they’re doing their research, out looking and taking their time.

We look forward to again getting together with them throughout the time we are here.

A big bonus for me, Pam left me some home made brownies!  Yipee!

So begins another new day on The Road of Retirement.  As of now the sun is out but the forecast is for rain later in the day.  Time will tell.  In the meantime I’ll get busy replacing those pesky light bulbs.  I also have to back flush the washer/dryer as past of my monthly maintenance schedule.  I back washed and regenerated Wesley our water softener the other day.  I’m sure I’ll also find other odds and ends that need attention today.  Our big issue as of now is our electricity keeps going out.  It’s happened twice since we’ve been here.  The question is . . .is the park having an issue or are we?  So far it appears that it is a park wide issue.  I’m not too concerned since we have both an inverter as well as our generator.  Hopefully, though, we’ll have no more issues going forward.

Thanks for stopping by today.  We always appreciate your company as well as your comments and suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, enjoy the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!