Author: tophatpat

Schindler Commune, Port Charlotte, Fl.

Christmas Eve at the Chinese Buffett is a tradition for the Schindler family. John and Shirley’s treat; there were 17 of us this year.

Schindler Commune, Port Charlotte, Fl.

The house in the suburbs is on a large lot but being encroached upon by vegetation on the east and back property lines. The ornamental trees also need pruning and the flower beds need cultivating. Items on my agenda.

The interior is nicely updated. A bedroom and bath are on each end with a large living room and family room with fireplace in between. The kitchen is a galley style; cabinet space is inadequate for one family let alone two. A screened lanai and a laundry room round out the communal areas.

 

 

 

After getting John and Shirley moved, Penny and I enjoyed our last couple of days on the Caloosahatchie river. She worked on a flag for her son, John. I did some bike riding.

 

John and Shirley spent the night in their new home last night. We slept in their mostly empty fifth wheel then headed back to our place. Dan came to visit this afternoon to go trail riding (my first ever) and to take us out to dinner as a pay back for my help replacing the water heater in his trailer. I got scratched up and a few bruises, but survived the trail ride with no major anomalies. Dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant was fabulous and a good time was had by all!

WP Franklin Campground, Alta, Fl.

Sunday morning sunrise in the mist is quite magical!

WP Franklin Campground, Alta, Fl.

We have been busy helping Penny’s folks move out of their fifth wheel trailer in Punta Gorda RV park where they have wintered for the last 15 or so years. It is in a canal park where they moor the sailboat right next to the trailer. Dan, one of Penny’s brothers, also winters there just a few hundred feet down the road. Joel, Penny’s youngest brother, and his wife, Lindy, rent a large home at the end of the road; they are there year round.

Joel and Lindy and John and Shirley have bought a home together about nine miles north of PGRV. It is about nine miles closer to Joel’s work. And, John and Shirley recognize that at their age they are going to need assistance as time goes on. The home they have purchased has bedrooms with bathrooms at both ends and lots of communal  space in between.

We expect to have mom and dad fully moved by Sunday. He has an outpatient surgery scheduled for Tuesday morning, so we all agreed to complete their move before then. Joel and Lindy have until the first of the year to complete their move and we will help in that endeavor as well. Then, too, Dan will move into John and Shirley’s fifth wheel. Sheez!

WP Franklin Lock & Dam, Alva, Fl., 156 mile jump

Saying good bye to Sebastian Inlet was a bit more difficult than our other departures because of the phenomenal color of the water, trees and the sky. And the birds, they too are alluring and magical. Before we left we walked up over the inlet on the Highway A1A bridge for a few final shots.

We arrived at the new camp a little after four and were treated to a campsite at the very end of the row with a full view of the  Caloosahatchee River. This river was developed by the Army Corps of Engineers to allow boat travel between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. They installed three lock and dam complexes between Lake Okeechobee and the Gulf. Two years ago we stayed at the dam site east of here (Ortona), but this one is only about 30 minutes from Penny’s mom and dad.

Sebastian Inlet SP

The Skimmers are really fun to watch in flight. Their black and white wings make for a flashing display. The lower left photo shows one feeding by skimming organic material off the water. In February 2016, Penny painted one on the front of our trailer as her first mural to grace the ITLDO.

These are a few of the species we have come to recognize:

Sebastian Inlet SP

Sunrise to sunset this day was stunning.   One interesting feature of a north-south barrier island is that viewing the sunrise and sunset can be done within yards of one another This island is only a few hundred feet wide at some points, but at the inlet is about 1/2 mile wide. The state park is on both sides of the inlet.

After breakfast, Penny and I rode our bikes on a bike path along the one north south road and doubled back. She went 11.5 miles and I went 15 miles in an hour. Later, we took a hike on the Hammock Trail that wound through a mangrove forest. The canopy provided shade and we found very pretty colors in there.

Sebastian Inlet SP

Sunrise this morning was spectacular!

The Stork is an ugly, grumpy looking bird. Why they were chosen to deliver babies is beyond me. But this particular stork obliged me with four different poses in bright sunlight. Other than his face and head, its feathers are quite exquisite.

I was fortunate to catch this lone dolphin swimming in the Indian River which runs between the barrier island and the mainland.