Author: tophatpat

EG Simmons Regional Park, Ruskin FL

It has been a pretty quiet week; we are close to our ultimate Florida destination and are doing lots of nothing much. The weather has been beautiful and we are sure enjoying it. We are doing bike rides, some together and some on our own. In the evening we ride to Sunset Point, where we can watch the sun set over St. Petersburg across the south end of Tampa Bay. I have ridden to weekday Mass once and drove the truck another time. Other than that, we are enjoying being settled for two weeks. The solitude of our natural surroundings is a sanctuary allowing us to transcend “the world of 10,000 things” and focus on the genuine.

The motto of Florida’s state parks is The Real Florida; we scoffed at it when we first saw it last year. That was before we saw the unabated development of much of the coastline here. The reality of those developments is a sea change from what is being preserved by our national, state and regional parks. We must do all we can to preserve what is left of “pristine” America. Frankly, there is little that is pristine; vast amounts are “wilderness”, where vehicles are prohibited limiting human corruption.

This afternoon, Penny and I drove Punta Gorda, Florida, where her brother, Joel, and his wife. Lindy, live year round. Another brother, Dan, winters there and her parents, John and Shirley, normally do as well. Joel plays in a popular old time rock n’ roll band, the Gotta Luv It band. They had a gig at a waterfront venue, Hurricane Charley’s, so we took this opportunity to see them play. It was about an hour 45 minute drive; the place was packed and we had to wait almost an hour to get a table. But, we enjoyed the show, had dinner, listened to two sets, and then joined Dan to watch Bill Maher on HBO before crashing at Joel and Lindy’s for the night.

EG Simmons, Ruskin, Fl

Just enjoying the warm weather and living amongst the variety of creatures here.

 

EG Simmons Regional Park, Ruskin FL

EG Simmons Regional Park, Ruskin FL

Our morning was nervous, but hopeful. I went outside early for some meditation, but I was quickly distracted by a menagerie of birds. A steady stream came walking through, or near, our site; suddenly, I was doing a different type of meditation! A mourning dove came the closest to me, two ibis strolled by with their remarkably long legs and bills; they captured my attention for a long time until a black vulture came strolling out from the dumpsters across the road. I had hoped to catch one of the many osprey here soaring, but had seen none. Looking about 200 yards to the north at one of their nests, I saw one bird in the nest high up on a pole. Just then I heard the chirping sound they make as another bird was approaching the nest, and captured the landing osprey with wings spread!

Jan, the ranger, drove by about 11:45, “Y’all need to get down the office right now!”, said she. We did and received a list of 7 vacancies to inspect and report back with our choice right away. “Yes, ma’am!” Site #18 was very large, had a break in the mangrove trees behind us allowing access and view of the water, and would provide a north facing orientation. It had two plans and three oak trees. Score! The move and setup took less than an hour and we booked 14 more days for $18/day for water and electric.

The wind was really blowing hard from the south, but we did get out for a bike ride to reacquaint ourselves with the sprawling park. It is a maze of land and water canals edged with mangroves. Hopefully the strong winds will diminish on Tuesday as forecast.

Supper was a team effort. Penny made mashed sweet taters and broccoli. I made pork chops on the grill after soaking them in marinade of molasses, vinegar and mustard for four hours. We actually opened a bottle of Malbec wine (we found on closeout for $4.99) with which to celebrate our good fortune. We rarely drink wine, but for this auspicious occasion, spare no expense!

EG Simmons Regional Park, Ruskin FL., 173 mile jump

Manatee Springs was in our rear view mirror by 7:45AM. Tampa was not too busy except for the I-4 exit which was stop and go for a couple of miles; once we got south of that interchange it was smooth sailing again. We arrived at the campground about 11:20 and added our name to the list; we were third. The only choice available was a small site that would have put the painted side of the camper facing south; we need north to wax the paint job. We declined and took a nice site in overflow having water, but not electric. Tomorrow is a Sunday, many will checkout giving us better options.

Manatee Springs State Park, Chiefland, Fl., 188 mile jump

About 10AM, we left St. George Island sad to leave, but carrying memories of fun and adventure. We will book two weeks next year; to do so, will need to book 11 months before we want to stay. Spaces are that hard to get! The drive followed the coastline for most of the first hour, passing though Carrabelle, a fishing/tourist town, and Panacea, an artist community, as we moved inland. Then we passed through the Apalachicola National Forest and heavily treed areas outside the NF, to Perry. There the landscape turned to horse and cattle ranches.

Arriving at MSSP about 3PM, we decided not to disconnect the trailer, so we might get out of here early. The campground we want to use next is a first come-first serve basis, no reservations. So, we need to get in line as early as possible tomorrow. It is on the south end of Tampa Bay, about 2 hours away. We have to go through the city of Tampa in order to get there. Being a Saturday will mean no rush hour, hopefully.

We stayed here at Manatee Springs last year; tonight we walked along the huge spring and its discharge stream about 1/4 mile to the Suwannee River where the manatee congregate when cold weather cools the waters they normally swim. The spring pumps out massive quantities of 72F water all day, every day. There were no manatee around indicating their waters were warm enough.

But, there were hundreds of mostly black and some turkey (brown) vultures, in the trees across the discharge stream. On a small island in the river near the vultures were maybe 100 egrets perching. A closer look through binoculars showed quite a few cormorants nesting with the vultures and a few egrets. It’s interesting they don’t segregate!

On the way back upstream, we came upon a pileated woodpecker hunting for bugs. He was loudly screeching at times and quietly working at others. A big powerful bird about 19” long having a red crest and mustache. A colorful and beautiful specimen was he!

St. George Island SP, Eastpoint, Fl.

 

Today was our last full day here in the Apalachicola Bay. We had a quiet day, but wanted to get another bite of the culture in Apalach. Driving into town in the mid afternoon, our first stop was the Art Museum we visitedon Tuesday. The new show they spoke of was disappointing. It was a lot of computer generated compositions of too much color and too many subjects.

We then stopped in at Oyster City Brewing Company for a couple of pints, after which we planned to go home. The place was busy as ever, but a couple left the bar just as we walked in. We got the two seats on one end. There were two really large men seated on the corner to our right. They were dressed in uniforms as if some sort of servicemen or mechanics with embroidered name tags and a company logo that appeared to say “Sticky Too”. They were drinking a lot of beer.

They left about 5:30 and a number of folks wished them luck and some said they’d stop in. Well, it turns out they were musical group playing at 6PM, just two blocks from the brewery. Our curiosity got the best of us, so we wandered down there.

The venue was Bowery Station, a very funky bar. It was minimalist; the signs were cut out pieces of cardboard written haphazardly with a felt marker. The fence for the outdoor patio was shipping crates set on end and lashed together with a swimming area rope. And, strategically placed mannequins made to appear as waitresses caused difficulty ordering a beer. The did have nice art, better than the Art Museum!

Anyway, we enjoyed Sticky Too for awhile and even danced a bit. That duo really enjoyed entertaining, played masterfully and sang pretty well, too. The place filled up with snowbirds and locals and everyone got on just fine. Penny and I were glad we found something new in Apalach; we expanded our horizons a bit!

At home, Penny made Mahi pate out of our leftovers from Tuesday night and we stuffed our bellies. I started packing bikes and other outdoor equipment for the jump to Manatee Springs SP tomorrow. And we went to bed early.

St. George Island SP, Eastpoint, Fl.        Ash Wednesday

Today is a day to reflect on the transitoriness of life and to examine the choices we make. Are our choices making us happy or miserable? People of all ages have these thoughts, but those of us baby boomers in retirement or about to retire know that our days are numbered. The importance of mindful living in the present moment is magnified realizing the speed at which the days fly by.

I am not preaching about being good so you go to heaven. I am advocating that we savor each day as a precious gift. In doing so, we become aware of many fleeting moments of the day which are gratifying in a special way: a phone call from the kids, meeting an old friend while shopping, the rays of the sun reflecting off of a pond in a park.

All these mundane moments are packed with ineffable thoughts and feelings. Though unspoken, we are aware of sensations of belonging and wholesomeness. Being mindful of these sensations and being grateful for them make for a heavenly day.

FAT TUESDAY!

St. George Island SP, Eastpoint, Fl.

After our spiritual exercises, I went on a 12 mile bike ride and returned home to a nice bowl of fruit, cereal and yogurt. We had a quiet mid day as the temperature climbed to 74F. Our late afternoon and evening was our own private Mardi Gras!

It is a beautiful drive to Apalachicola, 8 miles down the island from the camper to SGI bridge, 4 miles over the bridge to Eastpoint (where we will stop at Lynn’s Oyster Bar later), and 7 miles west to the town. Our first stop was the art museum on the waterfront. Last year it was very enjoyable. This year, a new show opens tomorrow; we will have to return! We shopped awhile for a wide brimmed hat for Penny; several stores in close proximity made for a quick search. It was pretty warm, so we stopped for a tiny bowl of gelato each.

Next, we went to the Oyster City Brewing Company, our favorite bar. We don’t go to many, but this one is special. It is al fresco, all the doors and windows are wide open. People bring their kids, others bring their dogs. There are benches out on the sidewalk where one may consume their beverage. Unlike most outdoor seating, there are no fence or gates, people mill about and spill out into the street.

I thought we’d be too late to get in, but there were seats at the bar, lucky us! There are only six stools; the counter is that small! And, even more lucky, there were two musicians playing in a sort of battle of the bands to raise money for a charitable cause having to with high school kids. Soon, the place was hopping with beer drinking customers, music, kids, dogs, and fun! We struck up conversations with many different folks as they came and went with their beverages.

We stretched our two beers out as long as possible, but it was time to eat! A short drive had us parking at Lynn’s, our favorite oyster bar. I think I mentioned this area is the Oyster Capital of the World. Lynn’s is nothing fancy, real down home. The counter had seats available; our luck was holding out! It too was a small bar, seating eight. There is seating in that main room and more out back on the porch.

The staff recognized us from last year and we conversed with the shuckers and with Lynn freely. We ordered 12 oysters on the half shell and a pound of peel and eat steamed shrimp with drawn butter and a small bowl of horseradish. They gave us each a barbecued beef rib, “lest y’all go away hungry”. Too much to eat, but we did! That’s what you do on Fat Tuesday, over indulge. Oh, I forgot the Key Lime pie we shared for dessert!

We got home safely by 8PM.

St. George Island SP, Eastpoint, Fl.

We rode over to the beach at 7AM to see the sunrise, but gray skies made it dubious if we would see any sun whatsoever. However, there was an invisible break in the clouds right at the horizon about the same thickness as the sun. So, we caught a two minute sunrise!

After breakfast, we went on a 4 mile roundtrip hike though the long leaf pines, palmettos and marshes. The pines are spread out so there were areas of mottled sunlight and others of direct sunshine. It was a bit warm; the birds were hiding out in the shade. We did see the usual suspects and got a few pictures. The landscape was very interesting with savannah like forests, large marshes with last year’s grasses falling over in places.

The highlight of the hike was a viewing platform overlooking the East Slough where shorebirds lurked about waiting for a fish or bug to snap up, kayakers paddled by, and the sun illuminated a lovely coastal scene. The platform was shaded by the pines and the breeze was a blessing. There was a Zen like magic to the scene that allowed for quiet reflection and rest. It also marked the end of the trail; as we left the platform a feeling of tranquil peace accompanied us on our return.

Our two and a half hour hike made us hungry; we tagged teamed BLTs and ate heartily. I was going to bike, but I had my fill of sun exposure. The shower house right across the street was refreshing!

This campsite comes with a bonus. The water faucet has a small drip; the birds fly in to wet their whistle (pun intended). The faucet is directly out our kitchen window, so we are taking stunning close ups of beautiful songbirds.

For entertainment after dinner, we went through our prodigious photo library randomly picking events and reminiscing about our adventures in that time and space. It was a blast! We stayed up way too late and even drank an extra beer!