The travel adventures of Pat and Penny
Sunderman Residence, Clermont, Fl.
The Circle B Bar Reserve was about 40 minutes south so we we headed out early and found it a bit foggy upon arrival. And, there was evidence of hurricane damage especially in some of the best viewing areas which were gated off. But, Penny and I were still impressed with the number and diversity of the wildlife.
Sunderman Residence, Clermont, Florida, 28 mile jump
We arrived at Gordy and Sandy’s in the mid afternoon and sat around the tiki bar in the screened lanai talking about events of the last year and making plans for activities in the next few days. He and I graduated from high school 50 years ago and I was in their wedding a couple years later, so there were lots of stories to tell. We moved out of the camper into a spare bedroom which was a welcome luxury. We planned to visit a wildlife refuge tomorrow morning. Needing to arise early, we retired early.
Lake Griffin State Park, Fruitland Park, Fl
It was a memorable birthday with lots of FB greetings and calls from family and friends. We went to Mass at 11 AM to thank the Lord for all the blessings we enjoy. Then it was off to the Texas Roadhouse to watch to Gonzaga vs Texas men’s basketball game at 1PM, a game to determine third place in the PK80 tournament in Portland, Oregon. I had stayed up past 2 Saturday morning listening to the Zags vs Florida game that went into two overtime periods ending 111-105 with GU on the short end. Gators were ranked #7 in the nation, Zags were 17th: an incredible game! Today’s game also went into OT with GU winning 76-71; that was a nice present!
The food at the Roadhouse was phenomenal! Everything is prepared in house; no canned or jarred food. The Killer Ribs here are excellent appetizer, but big enough to call a meal. The meat just fell off the bone; literally, I slipped five bones out without any trouble! Penny’s Grilled Shrimp were also generous and scrumptious. There were lots of TVs around the bar, the beer was ice cold and the service was great! We will be looking for this restaurant chain in our travels; we highly recommend it!
Returning home for a 20 minute power nap we then read outside on our new lawn chairs (courtesy of the Zinks). The whole park emptied out today making it much quieter. I sautéed two fillets of Mahi fish in lemon pepper, butter, lemon zest and cilantro. Penny steamed a cornucopia of carrots, Brussels sprouts, green beans and broccoli. That paired well with a Chateau St. Michelle Pinot Grigio to make for a lovely candle light dinner. And, the moon has waxed just enough to light the roads and pathways allowing us to walk down to the lake and enjoy the solitude.
What a wonderful day!
Lake Griffin SP, Fruitland Park, Fl.
Penny and I took a 3 hour canoe ride and caught glimpses of a number of waterfowl. We also made a wrong turn down a 12′ wide canal; on the way back out we ran over the tip of the tail of an alligator! It must have been as spooked as we were because it made a quick escape! We have canoed here before and seen gators swimming about or basking in the sun, but this was a close encounter of the first order. Thank God we escaped unharmed!
Lake Griffin SP, Fruitland Park, Fl.
Right along side of our site a few of these zebra long winged butterflies were feeding on the passion vine leaves which makes them taste terrible to its predators. This particular specimen looks a little worse for the wear, but the bird that was trying to catch him must have given up. The butterflies live about six months, a relatively long life. Therefore, it also could be that it is at the end of its term.
Lake Griffin State Park, Fruitland Park, Fl., 166 mile jump
The Zinks were off to church at 7:15 AM. We got out the door about 9. It was a beautiful ride including a vast stretch through the Ocala NF on a number of two lane highways winding our way between the many lakes along the way. It was slower and less intense than the interstate and a lot more scenic. We had camped here two years ago. We came back because of the Mammoth Live Oak here and the abundance of wildlife photo ops. We plan to canoe the Dead River out to Lake Griffin; hopefully the alligator will give us a pass again this year.
Zink Residence, St. Mary’s, Ga.
What an interesting week reacquainting with the Zinks individually and as a family unit. It’s barrel of kids and animals; three girls, two beagles, nine chickens and a pig. Hyperactivity reigns from the crowing rooster’s wake up call until youngsters eyes droop at bedtime. School, church, girls scouts, play, homework, animal husbandry, cooking, laundry, dishes overfill the day; it’s a distant memory to me. Youth only lasts so long, soon we forget how we made it through the turbulent stages of family, work, finances and lists packed with important to-dos.
The Catfish Festival Parade in nearby Kingsland, Ga., was the big event today. It was a lot of fun for the kids, parents and grandparents!
Zink Residence, St. Mary’s, Ga
Just a little more than a mile from the Zink residence is Crooked River State Park. Today, Penny and I biked over to enjoy the warm sunshine and the quiet serenity of this park. I had taken three longer, faster solo rides since arriving here, so it was time to go slow and smell the roses with my sweetheart.
Soon we have to leave these little munchkins and their shenanigans, but we will be seeing them at Christmas and again in the Spring. Pig and I finally got acquainted; I think he really likes me!
Zink Residence, St. Mary’s, GA
This night was our seven birthday, seven layer, seven present party. We each submitted menu items which made for an interesting smorgasbord. Penny and Stacia made seven layers of carrot and vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting and pineapple filling using skewers to hold it all together.
Zink Residence, St Mary’s, GA
We took the girls to their church, The Harbor, so they could practice for the upcoming Christmas play while we attended the service. We’ve learned to wear ear protection because the praise music is quite loud! The sermon was passionate about being humble; let God be God.
After lunch, we dropped them off at a Girl Scout playdate at the state park only a mile from their home. We got a chance to nap and watch football during the 3 hour event. There must have been 100 girls attending with archery, frisbee, limbo, crafts, among the activities. They were tuckered out after all that. I saw some more of the tree spirits that intrigue me so on the way out of the park.
Mom and Dad arrived shortly after that and the family was happily reunited.