Enjoying Lake Kissimmee State Park

Thu. Feb. 24-Sun. Feb. 27: The reasons we decided to come to Lake Kissimmee were two. We had hoped to go to the Everglades on this trip but we found that there were no nearby State Parks at which we could camp and the one nearby KOA we found cost over $80 a night! We just couldn’t justify that. The other reason was that, through Facebook, we had heard from Jackie Himelright and Ed Smith that they were staying at a condo on the Atlantic just south of Cocoa Beach. They wondered if we wanted to come spend Thursday with them to watch the Space Shuttle Discovery blast-off for the last time. That sounded like a different and historic thing to do. We decided to leave the Everglades and perhaps the Keys to another year when we would make reservations months ahead of time, and find a State Park closer to Cocoa Beach. Lake Kissimmee seemed like a good choice, because it is about 55 miles west of Cocoa Beach as the crow flies. We soon figured out, however, that “you can’t get there from here” and would have to go north and then southeast or southeast and then north to get there. Either way it looked like at least a two hour drive. But we designated Thursday to do just that. We left about 9:30 and opted to go south first because it appeared to have few little towns to go through and it was a good choice. We had no delays and arrived at the condo just as Ed was walking in from getting some groceries. We made turkey sandwiches and caught up on what we all had been doing since East Lansing. They encouraged us to go for a walk on the beach while they returned to their nearby fresh fish market to get some grouper to go with the scallops (Marv is allergic to shell fish). We walked north for a while and then stopped to watch some surfers enjoying the waves. When we walked back we got out beach chairs and Ed and Jackie joined us on the sand. It had been mostly clear and all the media had been remarking on what perfect weather there would be for the launch. But half an hour before the 4:40 lift-off time, clouds began rolling in and the view north up the beach was looking foggier and foggier. Just minutes before the launch a man came out of the next door Taco City and said that the launch had been scrubbed because of a computer glitch. We were SO disappointed as we thought of all the driving and the change of plans we had done just to see the launch. As we were bemoaning our luck, the man got at phone call from someone telling him the launch was back on. We found out later that they came within seconds of canceling and then worked out the problem. We talked for a few more minutes and then, whoooooosh! In the distance, farther to the left than expected, we saw the flaming streak of Discovery taking off. We could see if for ten seconds or so before it disappeared into the clouds. We continued studying the sky and saw it again through a break in the clouds for a second or two and then it was gone. We could hear a rumble of noise from the space craft and after it disappeared we could hear the distant rumble of the take-off as we watched the plume of smoke grow and very slowly dissipate. The whole experience took only a few minutes but, after thinking we wouldn’t see anything at all, we all felt it was well worth the effort. Jackie made a delicious dinner of asparagus, sautéed squash, tomatoes, and spinach, and backed scallops and grouper, all with LOTS of onion and garlic. We finished with Key Lime Pie. It had been a really good day with old friends in a very different setting and we were well satisfied as we made the two hour trip back to Lake Kissimmee. The only glitch in the day was that Marv realized that at some point he had lost his gold chain with the precious gold cross Shari made for him for doing their Blessing Ceremony. Despite contacting both State Parks and searching the camper and the truck, it is apparently lost forever. Very sad… Friday we got up and had eggs for breakfast. In the days before I had seemed to be getting sicker and sicker again with a loose bronchial cough and runny eyes and nose. A park volunteer had mentioned that the Live Oak pollen is the worse this year that they had seen. So we bought a Claritan knock off and OTC cough medicine. I was thrilled that they seemed to make a big difference for me. We had to go 15 miles into town to have enough connection to use our phones and ended up at McDonald’s so we could use the internet to extend our mail hold and for Marv to call the last park about his necklace. By the time we got back we wanted to get a chance to use our kayak and this seemed like a good opportunity. We packed a lunch and drove over to the boat launch on the Zipprer Canal that connects Lake Kissimmee and Lake Rosalie. A person at the front gate had told us that, if they had treated the canal for vegetation, it would be possible to take the canal to Lake Rosalie and paddle around in it, where there are no motors allowed. Once we had our inflatable Sea Eagle ready to go and launched we headed that way only to find that, not only is the canal not treated, there is a dam down making it impossible to access! Instead we took the canal the other way out to Tiger Cove at the edge of Lake Kissimmee. The canal is a bit low so one can’t see much from it but it is a no wake zone and only about 10 yards across with no current, so it is easy to paddle. At Tiger Cove it opens up to a marshy area with a cleared channel that was all we could see but we know opens to the rest of the lake. The bay was teaming with water birds, particularly what we took to be the same Moorhens that we had seen in Louisiana marshes. We lodged ourselves in the weeds and enjoyed our picnic floating in the water surrounded by nature. Afterwards we paddled back to the launch because the stiff breeze we were fighting seemed like it was going to be a challenge. We deflated the kayak, returned to the campsite for it to dry and read for a while in the unseasonably hot sunshine. About 4:30 we decided to take one of the hiking/biking trails called the Buster Island loop. It would probably be designated a Beginner biking trail by Dennis and Ken because it has no hills, Moderate by Marv, and too Advanced for the sorry likes of me! There were too many roots, some loose sand through which we had to walk, and, at just over 8 miles, was about a mile or two longer than I would have preferred. But it’s also one of those trails that I was proud to have managed to finish without having to call in the Mounties to rescue me. It varied between Live Oak groves, pine flat wood hammock, and scrub prairies. We saw several armadillos and much evidence of feral pigs, such as large areas with deep rooting, what we took to be “pig pies”, and, at one point, a big ruckus in the scrub right next to the trail of something big scurrying away. With about a mile left in our journey and the sun beginning to set, we stopped to rest for a few minutes. As we caught our breath a small herd of cracker or scrub cattle trotted into the clearing about 30 yards away. There were 3 or 4 cows and 4 or 5 calves, which stopped and looked at us with curiosity. We took no time for photos or anything else as we left them to enjoy the grove alone! Just before the end of the trail two white tailed deer leaped across in front of us and we saw more armadillos. As we crossed the bridge over the canal back to the main road we stopped to watch a Great Blue Heron and four deer feeding in the twilight. Back at camp I was totally exhausted but Marv was still going strong. A deer wandered slowly through the campsite as twilight fell. We made a delicious chicken-grapes-cashews salad to have on lettuce and watched Oprah interview Diana Ross while we played dominoes. I was asleep as my head hit the pillow that night! Saturday the park was hosting a big Volunteer Recognition Bar-B-Q for several parks in the area. That meant there were a lot of people around to enjoy the park. We rode our bikes to the Cow Camp that is part of the State Park and where one is invited to step back in time to 1875. The “Cow Hunter” present had no knowledge of 20^th or 21^st century happenings; he was a Yankee hater living and working in 1875. He showed us around the camp and talked about what his life was like and how they wrangled the feral Cracker cattle left four hundred years earlier by the Spanish. It was a pretty convincing presentation. We went back and made a picnic and rode over with it to the picnic area to see if there would be music for the volunteers on the stage that had been set up, but that turned out not to be the case. So after we ate we went back to the canal bank to read and watch a pack of Cub Scouts learning how to fish. We thought we might bike the Gobbler Rise trail that takes off from the picnic area, but they had tall swamp buggies on giant tires giving the volunteers rides on the trail that had chewed up the sand to the point that it would have been too difficult to bike. So instead we came back to camp once again, having ridden 5 miles already that day. When it was about 4:00 we decided to hike the “blue blaze” connector trail from the campground to the Gobbler Rise trail. The trail runs out to and then along Lake Kissimmee so we had our best look at the lake from it. The “Rise” is about three feet and appears to be the old shoreline. We were surprised to see no development along the shore, partly, we suppose, because the entire shoreline is very marshy and bog-like. There were several fishing boats and some of them were the very noisy airboats, but for the most part it was very peaceful. We saw the ubiquitous armadillo and lots of birds, including what seemed to be an eagle soaring over and then diving down to the water. The whole hike we saw only three people who had come from the Youth Camping area. It was probably a three mile hike and I was happy I had remembered to take my sotol walking stick to help. In the distance we could see where a big wild fire was burning, and the smoke rising from it looked like a giant tornado which began to obscure the sun. Back at our campsite as we sat and rested a bit there was fine ash falling on everything. The rest of the evening we smelled smoke. This evening’s visitor was a browsing armadillo who paid us no attention whatsoever as she passed within 5 yards of us. Tonight we had ground beef stroganoff and did several meals’ dishes as we prepared to leave tomorrow.

Highland Hammock State Park

Mon. Feb. 21-Wed. Feb. 23: The campground began to clear out as soon as people arose. The campground would change over through the day from being loaded with families and kids, to being almost entirely retired travelers like ourselves. Marv made scrambled eggs for us and then we took our bikes out for a ride. There is a 3.1 mile road called “Hammock Loop Trail” that circles through the developed part of the park and has 5 or 6 trails off from it. It’s paved and has hardly any grade to it and is very easy to peddle. We went to the far point of the loop to the Cyprus Swamp trail to take a ranger-led hike. Ranger Lewis explained that the boardwalk through the swamp was originally laid down by the CCC boys to haul out some of the Cyprus lumber. The land was bought by a woman in 1931 to preserve the Hammock, which is a hardwood forest surrounded by pines and/or swamps. The CCC had a camp there for 7 years during which they built what became the State Park in 1935. It is the first and oldest state park in Florida. We saw an ibis and heard other birds and saw a yellow rat snake, but no alligators. Some of the boardwalk is very narrow with just a low handrail on one side. After that walk we rode on around the circle and took the next hike on the Ancient Hammock trail by ourselves. We completed the loop drive on our bikes and went to visit the small CCC museum right off the drive, where we learned a little bit more of the history of the CCC in Florida. As we left the museum we came across a small crowd of people who turned out to be looking at a mama alligator with her 6 babies enjoying the 80 degree sunshine. After taking pictures we returned to our campsite to have a bite of lunch and then enjoy the sunshine ourselves. We read until about 2:00 then went in to nearby Sebring to get groceries and check email at a McDonald’s. We also made a three night reservation at Lake Kissimmee State Park for the end of the week. For dinner Marv grilled pork chops and I made a fruit salad and a vegetable salad with tomatoes, pepper and avocado. With pork and beans it made for a real feast! The fog was so heavy on Tuesday morning that it condensed on the Live Oak tree above the camper and dripped in loud plops onto the roof that woke us up. We had a leisurely morning as we waited for the fog to burn off, strolled the Allen Altiver trail adjacent to the campground with our coffee, and then left to bike again around 10:00. We took the Hammock Loop Drive again and stopped at nearly every trail available. The Live Oak trail, Hickory trail and Fern Garden trail lead into each other so that we could do all three while leaving the bikes in one spot. The Live Oak trail led to a 1000 year old oak that is 36 feet circumference at the bottom. It seemed to be barely alive but had several other plants growing out of its crown. The Hickory trail had several wild orange trees and we tried one of the larger oranges that had fallen from one. It was pretty sour but extremely juicy. From the wooden boardwalk along the Fern Garden trail we saw an alligator sunning itself beside the water. Back on the bikes, we rode on to the Young Hammock trail where it was easy to see how different the pine forest looked as it was being taken over by the hard wood hammock. We rode on around the loop and as we approached to about 100 yards from the spot where we had seen the mama alligator yesterday, we again saw babies (7 this time!) and then found the mama nearby. Two babies began swimming towards her and then she swam a little ways. Either she or the babies began grunting and then more of them swam towards her as one crawled up on her back for a ride. Marv again got some nice pictures. We had ridden about 4 miles again and had salads for lunch today. After resting for a while we rode 4 miles of their 8.1 mile bike trail that goes past the rustic campground and then through open pine areas. We made wraps for supper and took them to the campfire area where a Minnesotan man presented a two hour “concert” of songs with his guitar and harmonica. The most interesting thing of his very enjoyable presentation was his accompanying synthesizer harmony “machine” that apparently analyzed the guitar chords and then used his voice to make a harmony line. It was really nice when he did “Down to the River to Pray” and added 3 or 4 harmonies. About 60 people had gathered for the concert and a nice big campfire was kept going. It was a really pleasant evening. Check-out time on Wednesday wasn’t until 1:00 so we could have a leisurely morning. But Marv was up at 7:30 to hop on his bike and ride to the registration gate house to buy Tram tickets for 1:00. We had tried to take the tram on Tuesday but were told that all three rides were sold out for the day and that one needed to be there before 8:00 because they sell out immediately. Marv felt like he was going a bit too early until he pulled up and found a line of about 10 people waiting. Most were “Town Folk”, not campers. He came back with our tickets and we began packing up camp. Unfortunately, about 11:00 I had an “aura” that foretold an impending migraine headache. I took an Imitrex and a Tylenol with codeine and sat in the shade for about 15 minutes and was relieved when the aura subsided with no headache. We were a bit rushed at the end but managed to hitch up and drive over for the Tram right at 1:00. I was feeling the effects of the medication and feared I would throw-up at any minute, which was a shame because the Tram ride was really enjoyable. The affable ranger/guide/driver promised more than the hour long ride we were sold and came through with flying colors. Half the trip was on dirt roads that are closed to any other traffic. We saw lots of alligators, turtles, and interesting birds like ibises, hawks and herons. He entertained us as he taught us about the area and we stayed out for an hour and 35 minutes. I just wish I had felt better. It was time to leave on our return and we headed right back to the Lake Wales area to go to nearby Lake Kissimmee State Park. This is a newer park of 60 sites that is deep in orange orchard/cattle ranch country, where we had no phone service but several TV stations. Our reserved site had been double booked so they gave us a different one, on the outside of one of the two “wagon wheel” loops. Marv cranked the trailer around so that our door side opened into the site which has nothing behind it but trees, palms and scrub brush. We liked it so much that we immediately added a night so we could stay through Saturday night and not leave until Sunday.

Back together again and on to Highland Hammock

Sat. Feb. 19—Sun. Feb. 20: As usual, Eli and Jordan were up by about 7:30, regardless of the fact that their alarm lights were set to be green at 8:30! They really have got to get some room darkening shades for those boys’ rooms if they want them to start sleeping in as spring and summer roll around! I told Craig to go back to bed and I got up with them, got Jordan dressed (Eli is totally independent in the morning), and fed them breakfast. They played while I did a major clean-up in the kitchen and we got out the Moon Dough to play with. Craig came down and played with us and drank coffee and, when it was almost time for me to go to the airport, Sarah came down. She decided that she and Analyn would come along for the ride and then they would all go to see Craig’s new office. They dropped me off and I breezed through and took my flight with absolutely no problems. Marv timed my pick-up perfectly and we were on our way back to Saddlebag Resort, about an hour and a half away. The trailer we had rented and Marv had stayed in was pretty spartan and had short twin beds on each side of an aisle. I’m just as glad we didn’t stay in it together for 6 nights! After dropping off to say hi to the elders we headed straight to the pool and hot tub for a bit before dinner. Marv’s mom took us all out to the Jay Dee’s Diner and then we returned to Aunt Donna and Uncle Max’s place to play Dominoes and then watch the Spartans eke out a basketball victory over Illinois. With the blessing of the elders we skipped church the next morning to pack up our things and spend a couple of hours in the sun at the pool. There is a good internet connection on the veranda there so I caught up on the blog and did some email. At noon we all went to a Chinese buffet for dinner. Aunt Donna and Uncle Max returned to the resort while Marv’s mom and the two of us went to nearby Bok Tower Gardens. It was developed by the editor of Ladies Home Journal to preserve and share the area near where he wintered in Florida. At 298 feet above sea level, Iron Mountain is the highest point in central Florida. There is where the 302 foot tower with carillon was placed. Extensive gardens surround the tower and hill. We happened to get there minutes before a guided walk began, wending through the gardens, and ending up at the tower just in time for a 3:00 concert. Thelma took the shuttle up and we met her there and then made our way back down on the main “road”. We returned to Saddlebag Resort, hitched up the trailer, and said our good-byes before driving about an hour to Highlands Hammock State Park, where we have a three night reservation. We were a bit disappointed to find the campground was made up of small, tightly packed campsites and it appeared to be a real madhouse. There were many groups that seemed to be camped together and had large amounts of people of all ages gathered around fires and picnic tables. We realized that we were there on Presidents’ Day weekend and that’s why the campground was so busy and so noisy. Luckily, it began to settle down as the sun set and by 11:00 all was quiet. The temperature dropped to about 60 and we got a very good night’s sleep.

Peggy's time in Indianapolis--no pictures at this time

Tue, Feb. 15—Fri. Feb. 18: As is to be expected, there is some adjustment taking place, but having a new sister AND having that sister and mommy gone for 13 days is a lot to handle when you are only four and not quite three years old. But we were able to have a lot of fun while I was with my grandsons. Tuesday was in the mid-forties with hazy sunshine so we spent some time outside. We tried to clear the sidewalk but its 2 inch covering of ice from the big storm was proving immovable. The 5 inches or so of crusty snow/ice on the front yard was good for sledding and the slight incline is just perfect for preschoolers. The weather warmed all week so that Wednesday and Thursday were in the 60s with some sun, which helped us all immensely. We were able to take long bike rides around the neighborhood that became easier and easier as the sidewalks melted off the two inch covering of ice from the big storm. Blowing bubbles was also popular. I had my hair done on Thursday morning at the nearby Aveda Institute and Sarah had her first chance to see how things will go with three kids. Friday Eli went to school for lunch and Jordan and I had some quality time alone for yet another bike ride and Sesame Street watching. When Sarah and Analyn were up, the four of us made a trip to Babies-R-Us and then to Barnes and Noble bookstore as Sarah and I took turns sitting with Ana who dozed peacefully in the warm sunshine in the minivan. We picked up lunch at Wendy’s and had an in-van picnic at the church while waiting for Eli to come out. It was a lovely morning! Friday is pizza/movie night at the Penquites. They let me pick the movie and I wanted to see Toy Story 3. Eli is the Buzz Lightyear nut, but Jordan was the one who gave a delightful play-by-play commentary as each of the characters made his or her entrance. Both boys were transfixed throughout the movie, taking a bite of pizza as requested but without being aware of eating, I think. I cried at the touching ending (of course) and couldn’t have enjoyed the evening more. Ana is sleeping for longer periods of time and staying awake for longer periods, too. It was hard to believe that I was leaving Saturday, but I could do so with a full heart, confident that all will be well for the Penquite family.

Old Friends and Valentine's Day

Sun. Feb. 13-Mon. Feb. 14: The frost was heavy in the shaded areas as we got on our way early Sunday morning. We did well to leave by about 8:15 because we figured we were about 3 hours from John and Brenda Sternberg’s “Beach House” at Redington Beach, north of St. Petersburg. Highway 98 was divided and there was little traffic so we made good time most of the way. As we got closer we got on a limited access toll way with toll booths surprisingly close together. It cost us about $10.00 in tolls to go about an hour but it was smooth sailing. Traffic and driving got more hectic the closer we got, but we found the house without trouble, arriving around 11:30. We chatted with John and Brenda until Ross and Pat arrived around 1:00. John grilled burgers and chicken and we had a nice lunch. Then the six of us walked on the Gulf beach, just three blocks away. After enjoying Brenda’s yummy strawberry/blueberry trifle the four visitors all left around 5:00. Our next state park, Little Manatee River, was only about 45 minutes away, to the east side of Tampa Bay. It’s another really nice park with water and electricity on our site. They’re in the country/farm land but close enough to town to have good TV and phone reception. After a small supper we watched some of the Grammy awards and went to bed. Monday morning (Valentine’s Day!) Marv drove me about 45 minutes away to the Tampa International Airport where I caught my 10:55 AirTran flight to Indianapolis. Diane and Chris drove me to the Penquites’ house, where Angie and Bill were still present and, best of all, Craig, Sarah and Analyn were home from the hospital! I would do my best to keep the boys occupied and help out Sarah while Marv picked up his mom on Tuesday to celebrate her 90^th birthday and take her to Saddlebag Resort in Lake Wales for her to stay with Uncle Max and Aunt Donna, and stay in a rental trailer himself until I return on Saturday. (From Marv) Feb. 14, Valentines Day: Well I spent Valentine’s Day morning sending my Valentine away for a week. Peggy left for Indianapolis this morning at 11:00. She arrived at Sarah and Craig’s and called me by 2:00. Analyn and Sarah are home, YEA, and Bill and Angie were leaving. I came back to the camper, tested out the new solar panel and took a bike ride around the park. Beautiful day and beautiful park; if Peggy were here we would probably have tried the kayak on the river. I did a couple of other little fixes on the bikes and camper and spent much of the afternoon reading in the warm sunny 74 degrees!

Meeting Manatees

Fri. Feb. 11- Sat. Feb. 12: The sun was sparkling on the Gulf of Mexico as we left the campground around 10:00 with a clear blue sky and temperatures in the mid-forties. Continuing east on Hwy. 98 we found very little traffic and only a few small towns along the “Forgotten Coast”. We passed in and out of both state and national forests, sometimes hugging the water line, and were surprised to see several Bear Crossing warning signs! At Perry we found a small city park and sat on the bleachers of the baseball field (they were in the sun) to enjoy our picnic lunch with the temperature at 51° and more clouds than sun. At Perry the highway became divided and turned south. About an hour later we arrived at Manatee Springs State Park, where we had a two night reservation. The campground is heavily wooded and our site is right next to a bathroom which hardly shows because of the trees and groundcover. There are only two other sites on our sandy little turn-around. Four deer were grazing at the campsite and they ignored us and only slowly wandered off as we set-up the camper. We did a minimal set-up so we could hike to the spring while the sun was out and the temperature approached the high fifties. There is a path across from our campsite that actually opens right onto the parking for the picnic area at the spring, but, again, it was hidden by the undercover. Manatee Springs is an average high flow limestone sourced spring (50-150 million gallons/day) that has a large pond in which one can see the water bubbling up to the surface. Swimming is allowed in the pond which maintains a constant 72°, but with the heavy algae and visible tree trunks, as well as snake warning signs, it really doesn’t hold any appeal for us. There is a short, fast flowing stream that empties into the Suwannee River. The warm water joining the river attracts manatees, especially this time of year, when the ocean and river are colder. We followed a wooden deck along the spring run and out over the river and joined about 8 other people and one fisherman on the covered deck. Several of the people were from Michigan, including three people from Ludington/Scottsville area, one of whom said she knew Harold and Nancy Hansen and that Nancy is an ex-boyfriend’s sister!! We were happy to see two manatees that slowly came to within about 20 yards of the deck. We could just barely see their dark gray backs in the river water but they occasionally surfaced to breath, just sticking out their snouts before going back under. Even that much was pretty thrilling. It was cooling off so we returned to finish setting up the camper, enjoy the last bit of sun, and then make dinner while listening to NPR’s extensive coverage of the resignation of Egyptian President Mubarak. The evening brought more reading and two games of Cribbage, there being no phone service, no internet and limited TV access here. Saturday morning was sunny and 40° but we had again stayed cozy. We have an electric blanket on the bed and a new Vornado heater with a remote thermostat that does an amazing job of keeping the whole camper at a comfortable temperature without a lot of variation. As long as we have electricity we’re assured of staying cozy. We walked over to the river dock again and were rewarded with seeing two more manatees in about the same spot. The rest of the morning was spent in town getting in touch with people by phone and internet, and buying some groceries. Back in the campground we rode our bikes a short way to walk on the Sinkhole Trail, which passes several large and small sinkholes and has interpretive signs along the .6 mile path. For lunch we ate our first meal of the whole trip outside in the sun as the temperatures rose to the low sixties. We had talked about ways to take our inflatable kayak to the Suwannee River, but it was still cool and breezy enough we weren’t sure how it would go to paddle upriver and then float back down to the truck. Instead we rode our bikes 7 miles on the North Country Trail, all within the State Park lands. The hard packed sand two-track includes 2 miles of a self-guided Nature Trail that informed us of some of the flora and fauna of the area. We saw one large armadillo and otherwise saw signs of resident animals, including deer tracks, tunnels across the trail, and large areas of deep rooting that we assume must be from wild pigs. There also was a large live trap/pen set up near where the rooting was pretty invasive so we think they must be trying to remove the perpetrators. Returning to our campsite we left the bikes to walk over to the river one last time. We (and a small group of others) were thrilled when a manatee slowly made its way up to and then under the dock before turning into the warm water of the spring outlet. Marv got some great pictures of it, as well as a Wood Stork and a large turtle head that poked up as the turtle swam along in the same area that the manatees enjoy. It was cooling off fast as the sun went down. Marv grilled fresh tilapia and I made red beans and rice and a salad, so we enjoyed a really good dinner as we listened to Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion. Since we are leaving bright and early tomorrow to make it to Brenda and John Sternberg’s Beach House by 11:00 brunch we put away as much as we could and got to bed early.

St. George Island, Florida

Wed. Feb. 9—Thu. Feb. 10: We took Hwy. 98 along the coast all the way to Apalachicola on Wednesday. It was more scenic and more direct than going up to I-10 but it probably didn’t save us any time. We drove right past Dick & Lynn Hensens’ winter home in Destin but they weren’t home when we called mid morning so, although we talked later in the day, we weren’t able to see them. About 3:00 at Apalachicola we took a bridge over the inter-coastal waterway and then a longer bridge over the bay to St. George Island. After passing by a few miles of mostly empty rentals on two levels of the beach, we continued east to St. George Island State Park. The campground is 4 miles beyond the gate house where one registers. There is just one small loop of about 50 campsites with a few empty sites but the ranger gave us one right next to the bathroom that turned out to be a Handicap site. After setting up, we chose to take a walk back out to the road and to the Gulf Beach. There was a car stopped on our way out and it turned out they were photographing a bald eagle that they told us comes to the pond next to the road at that time every day. We continued out to the beach and were once again all alone. It was in the low fifties, as it would be for the rest of our time on the island. As we left the area we ran into a woman with a walking stick who asked if we had been out to the end of the island yet. She had hoped to go out there but decided it was a little too late and her husband didn’t really know where she was. Back at the campground we made dinner and spent the evening reading and watching a Northern Exposure because there is no internet, virtually no TV and not even good radio reception out here. It’s nice to feel so remote. Sarah texted us that Analyn was doing better and they were returning to the regular pediatric ward to continue her recovery, which was a great relief to know. Thursday night it rained nearly all night but the morning was just cloudy and 47°. We spent a leisurely morning and then heard from Sarah that the doctor wanted Analyn on one antibiotic for 5 days total and the other for 7 days total, so they were probably going to stay in the hospital until Monday, at least. Marv and I drove back over the bridges to Apalachicola and found their library so I could book a flight to go to Indianapolis. I will fly out on Monday (Valentine’s Day) and return the following Saturday (that being $100 cheaper than returning on Friday). By the time all the arrangements were made and we returned to the island it was nearly 3:00. Harry A’s afforded us a good steak burger (Marv) and an alligator tail basket (Peggy) and good draft beers. It was after 4:00 when we got back to the campground, but not too late for us to take our bikes out to the east end of the island. There is a barrier gate that prohibits vehicles but allows pedestrians and bikes. The (old) GPS suggested it would be about 4 miles out. There was some pavement but mostly hard packed sand and fine gravel over a wire mesh. It made for pretty easy peddling through rolling dunes and beach oats except we were heading into a northeast wind that caused us both to put up our hoods under our helmets. About halfway out I saw a bald eagle gliding with the wind along the coast to our left. Around the 4 mile point on the GPS it mapped us as biking in the water! The road actually went about 4.6 miles before ending in a parking area right near the beach. One other man on his bike arrived there about the same time we did. From the end one can see the mainland and, off to the right, Dog Island, another barrier island. After walking the beach and picking up some shells we found the return trip, with the wind, a bit easier. As we got back to the campground the bald eagle was perched in its usual spot near the pond so we got a picture. The whole trip was nearly 10 miles and it was about dusk. I took a quick shower to wash my hair in the unheated shower house; a bit brisk but doable. We weren’t very hungry after our large lunch so we finished the hot dogs without bread or buns and had a salad. Ken kept us apprised of the Men’s and Women’s basketball games, both of whom beat Penn State, with Draymond Green picking up his first triple double, only the third Spartan to accomplish it (Magic Johnson and Bell were the others). The rest of the evening was pretty much a repeat of the day before.

Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama

Mon. Feb. 7-Tue. Feb. 9: Monday we got up and took down the camper but left it at the site. We drove into nearby Mandeville for breakfast. We never managed to try “Louie and the Red Haired Lady” , which has been featured lately on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” and was only about 2 miles from the park. And we knew it was closed on Mondays. But we had heard about and driven by another place called “Liz’s Where Y’At?” and they are open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch so we went there. It’s an eclectic, “hippy” place painted in vibrant colors with the walls hung with hand painted plaques with funny sayings. Several walls have long essays written on them, including one that tells all about the owner, Liz. She came over and introduced herself and checked to be sure everything was okay with us. We had a great (and BIG) breakfast of Eggs Benedict with creamed spinach and artichoke hearts. It was yummy and we were stuffed when we returned to hitch up the camper and head east. We only drove about 3 hours Monday to get to Gulf State Park. It was 49° and cloudy when we left La. but rose to 60° and became mostly sunny by the time we arrived here. But it’s really windy and the camper is being noisily buffeted. In the morning it was close to freezing as a cold front had gone through. We have a nice site on the edge of “Middle Lake” just about a quarter mile from the Gulf shore. There is no one to our left or across from us on a pull-through site. The state park is more like a resort, with a pool (closed for the season), tennis courts, trails, a Nature Center, and an activity center with things happening throughout the day. It’s all wired for Wi-Fi but they are having trouble getting it across private property or something so it’s not active yet. But we can go to the Activity Center with our computer to update the blog and send emails. We enjoyed a nice sunset because of just a few clouds right at the horizon as it went down. Because it was so clear it got down to about 30° overnight but the wind finally died down. The next morning, no one seemed to be able to connect to the Network so we decided to find a McDonald’s in town when we went out. It was perfectly clear and although the temperature was only in the mid forties, it was warm enough out of the wind by the camper that we decided to sit and read for half an hour or so before leaving for the day. That was when I got a text from Sarah telling us that, unfortunately, Analyn was back in the PICU. She had labored breathing last night and got a bit of a fever so they wanted her where they can monitor her more closely and give her VapoTherm therapy better. Sarah didn’t want to talk but said she would have Craig call when he got back from the boys’ Parent/Teacher Conferences at school, so we headed into town. By the time we got there, Craig called and updated us. She was doing better than earlier in the day but they did think she had a secondary bacterial infection that she picked up there. They didn’t know if the infection was in her lungs (probably) without getting some fluid from the lungs and they can only do that if she is on a ventilator, which they don’t want to do. The doctor came and told them that they needed to give her antibiotics and they didn’t want anything in her stomach while she had the VapoTherm and the drip so she could no longer nurse. We left it at that about noon and went to find a McDonald’s. We wanted to get online to check email, send out an update to family, check our finance information, and start to explore finding a flight for me to return to Indianapolis to help in any way I could. Everything was okay with our finances and I found that I could fly out on Friday from either Orlando or Tampa. For the time being there was nothing else we could do so we drove west on Hwy. 182 to the end of the peninsula on which we are camping. It was 22 miles to Fort Morgan and a ferry that takes one across the mouth of Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island, which was the “capital” of the Louisiana Territory for a while and has another Civil War era fort, Fort Gaines. We had intended to take the ferry and perhaps take our bikes over with us to explore the island a bit. But when we got to the dock the ferry was leaving in about 10 minutes. It was very windy there and it felt really cold. So we decided to explore Fort Morgan first and consider taking a later ferry. We went to Fort Morgan and ate our picnic lunch sitting in the warm sun inside the truck before entering the Visitors Center and learning the history of the fort. Opened in 1831, it was instrumental during the Civil War in defending the strategic Mobile Bay by the Confederates after they peacefully took it over in 1861 from the Federal presence. It was reclaimed by the Union in 1864 after the Battle of Mobile Bay, during which Admiral David Farragut reportedly uttered the immortal words, “Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!” We explored the star-shaped fort, which is being renovated but allows visitors to climb up the walls and ramparts and see where the massive guns were mounted, overlooking the bay and the Gulf. We drove to two large batteries as well but didn’t get out as they are mostly closed off. By the time we left the fort we decided we didn’t want to brave the cold ferry ride to see the other fort. We headed back to town and bought groceries and dropped off some recycling. Returning to the State Park we parked near the shore and took their boardwalk to the beach. It was cool but not unbearable and we enjoyed having the whole thing entirely to ourselves to walk and pick up shells for the boys. This area is a nesting spot for loggerhead sea turtles so they ask that people stay off the dunes and only walk along the shore, which we did, even though the nesting period is from May to October. After a bit we returned to the camper and made hot dogs for dinner and then went to the Activity Center, both to see if the internet was working and to see the evening’s entertainment. There wasn’t an interesting sunset this evening because there were no clouds. It was about 48° and very clear as we walked over to the center. About 50 people gathered to hear the program of about an hour and a half. They opened with a sing-along of REAL oldies, half of which I have never heard before. The main act was the Off the Wall gang, a group made up of one guitar and 13 mountain dulcimers. They all are staying at the park and learn and play together. It was interesting to hear so many dulcimers at one time. They were followed by three other “acts”, very homespun, and not unlike a park talent show. It was fun to take part with them. Happily the internet connection was restored and so we could catch up on email and posting this blog before we went to bed. We will be moving further east and camping in the Florida panhandle tomorrow morning.

Finally, a nice day!

Sun. Feb. 6: This was a really nice day. It was clear overnight and got down to 30°. But we stayed cozy. It warmed up quickly and by the time we enjoyed scrambled eggs with sausage pieces we were ready to get the bikes out again and finally check out the Tammany Trace Bike Trail. It was voted the best Bike Trail in Louisiana and runs right through the State Park. We rode east into the wind which made the 54° feel a bit cooler. We thought we’d ride for about half an hour and then come back. Part way down, and still within the State Park, we crossed Camp Road 3 and decided to take it and explore a little bit off trail. It led to a really pretty retreat center on a bayou that looked like it would usually have ‘gators in it, but not on a day this cool. There was a group in the center so we didn’t look inside but we went out on the dock on the bayou and enjoyed the sunshine. Back on the trace, we continued our ride until it seemed time to turn around. It was easier returning with the wind to our backs and we were each down to just one shirt and plenty warm in the sunshine. We stopped in the Visitor Center to talk to Grayhawk Perkins again and see if he knew Matt Hubbard. He thinks he met him while working with Willie Nelson, just as we thought might be the case. I also remembered to ask him what makes the loud “clicking” we hear from the swamp when the temperature rises into the fifties. He told us it is the “Bronze Frog”. We ate a quick wrap sandwich back at the camper and then jumped in the truck to drive to Slidell, where they were holding the first Mardi Gras parade of the year. Since Mardi Gras is so late this year (March 8) we were really lucky that the Krewe of Claude was getting a jump on the season! Without really knowing how we would accomplish it, we managed to drive straight in to one of the main corners along the route, parked at a shopping center, and took our place along the curb in our chairs. An hour later, after sitting in the 60° sun enough to feel it on our cheeks, and watching the street party atmosphere all around, the parade reached us. After most of the Slidell police force in cars or on horse or motorcycle came every limousine service, public school, and cheerleading/dance team in town made an appearance. There was a royal court and many representatives from the local Classic Car Club. There were at least 6 floats throwing loads of necklaces, bags of peanuts, Frisbees, stuffed animals, and other trinkets. The majority of the participants were African-American but the Choctaw and Houma Native background of this area was readily apparent in both the faces and the costumes. I got so many necklaces that they were uncomfortably heavy around my neck. All in all, it was a very satisfactory and charmingly small-town parade! On our way back to the campsite we stopped for McDonald’s ice cream and then went to see the eagles’ nest at the State Park. Didn’t see any eagles, but that’s okay. We wanted to stop by and see Ray and Chip at their campsite before the Super Bowl so we ran over there quickly. The camper is the most luxurious one we’ve see, with three big pullouts which make a 10 or 12 foot living area with a large screen TV! It’s the Taj Mahal to our little Trail Manor, I guess. It was nice to meet Chip’s wife, Pat, and Ray’s wife, Leah. After chatting for a few minutes we returned and decided not to go into town to watch the Big Game, and just watched in the camper. It was fun to keep track of people’s comments on Facebook about the game and its commercials as we watched the Packers pull out their 31-25 victory over the Steelers. It was a really good game and it was nice not to care too much who won the game. The night finished with a new Glee, and a few chores to get ready to leave Louisiana tomorrow. The worst thing about today was talking to Sarah throughout the day and finding that Analyn just can't seem to wean from the oxygen that they are giving her and keep her blood levels above 90 on her own. She does alright while awake and nursing, but once she's asleep the levels go down to 88 or so. So although everything else looks pretty good, they remain at the hospital until that improves. Aunt Jen is now in Indianapolis to help out with the boys, thank goodness! When will this long nightmare end for them?

Finishing up with Habitat

Wed. Feb. 3—Sat. Feb. 5: Marv ended up going back to the building site both Wed. and Thu. He enjoyed working with Ray and Chip, two men we met earlier in the week, and he ate lunch out with them both days. They continued to work mostly outdoors in intermittent showers and mid-thirties Thursday and steady mist-to-rain and 35° on Friday. Somehow everyone agreed that Friday felt much colder and more miserable. Each morning Marv dropped me at the Habitat Re-Store, where Peggy Roberts and Paul Chapman graciously found odd jobs for me to do. Gradually they trained me to answer the phone and use the paging system to get help with loading and unloading and so the second day went faster than the first. I hadn’t taken a lunch on Wednesday so I got by on a chocolate chip cookie and some crackers in the break room. I made sure I had a lunch the next day! Being indoors definitely helped the bronchitis and I seem to finally be on the mend. Good thing, since I finished the Augmenten prescription on Wednesday. The temperature for these three days was amazingly consistent, varying only between about 34° and 37°. There was a lot of freezing rain just to the north of us during this time so we were grateful for the moderating influence of the lake. Although we were tired and cold we went to the nearby movie theater so we could see “The King’s Speech” with Colin Firth, which was terrific! We grabbed a quick, late dinner at Wendy’s and called Sarah, only to find out that Analyn’s oxygen levels weren’t staying high enough for them to send her home. Sarah sounded discouraged but accepted that they didn’t want to take her home and then have to return to the hospital, but we were pretty depressed by the news. It didn’t rain all night. As we drove back to the building site for our last day, the skies began to clear and by noon it was completely sunny with no clouds. But it was still only 32° when we arrived. We worked together to put the last regular piece of siding up on one side of the house and then ran the channel along that side below the fascia so we could put the final run of siding that has to be cut to fit and crimped to snap into the channel. It was challenging and pretty cold (we were working “on the dark side of the moon” as another volunteer put it) but it felt good to get it accomplished. We finished right at lunchtime and went with Chip and Ray to the Abita Springs Café, where we were regaled by the owner on the subject of football and recruiting. We all had their big, yummy hamburger and then returned to the house. It is amazing how much warmer sun and 47° felt by then!! Marv and I put up a piece of plywood in a closet to wall off the furnace and then rehung all the lattice work that goes around the apron of the house. By then everyone was cleaning up the site and we left for the last time about 2:30. Back at the campground we signed up to stay here Sunday night so we can really enjoy tomorrow, when it is supposed to be sunny and low sixties. We relaxed a bit and walked around on some roads we hadn’t explored on our bikes. We warmed up some of the chicken from the other day and cooked a sweet potato and had a relaxing evening.

Groundhog's Day!

Mon. Feb. 1 & Tue. Feb. 2: We were utterly dismayed to find out last night about 10:00 that Craig and Sarah had to take Analyn to the hospital yesterday in the middle of their ice storm (part of a giant winter storm affecting 1/3 of the nation) because she was having trouble breathing. She was admitted with a common respiratory virus called RSV and a touch of pneumonia. RSV isn't usually much worse than a bad cold and is easily shared by small children but it is more serious for infants, particularly if they are high risk to begin with, which luckily Analyn is not. But they gave her antibiotics and fluids through an IV and did breathing treatments through the night and into today. They usually have to put infants on a respirator but they wanted to hold off on that as long as possible. They had brought her in very early and they were reassured that she was in better shape than they often see. She had a relatively good night and by today they no longer were talking about the respirator. In fact, they stopped the breathing treatments and all agreed that she was doing better than expected. Sarah just let us know that they are going to give her a feeding tube so they can put Sarah's milk right into her belly; she is still too congested to nurse but it's better for her than what she was getting through the IV. Craig and Sarah are both staying there with her as his mom, Connie, is at the house taking care of the boys. I think she had planned on leaving tomorrow, but even without this, I'm not sure she could get back to Columbus because of the storm. We have helped with the Habitat build in West St. Tammany Parish for the last two days. We worked yesterday in off-and-on drizzle but 70 degree temps, putting up siding until about 2:00, when the cold front went through with a vengeance. We were concerned about the camper and working under a drip edge with no gutter so the water was coming down on our heads and running down our sleeves and necks. So we left then and learned that they all gave up about 3:00, when it really poured. Last night it got down to 30 degrees and we have unhooked our waterline because it is supposed to be colder tonight. It never got over 36 degrees today and was very cold and blustery. We had a hard time staying warm enough as we finished the siding left undone yesterday on one side of the house. We took a couple of breaks to walk up and down the road to get hands and feet warmed past being numb! We went out for lunch at the Abita Brewhouse with two other workers we have met here and none of us had beer--just coffee or tea! When we got back to the worksite Marv and I worked on putting up soffit trim on the other side of the house and found that it was a little warmer there. Nonetheless we knocked off about 3:00 rather than staying until 4:00 as a handful of others did. With Marv recovering from a bad cold and me on my second antibiotic for bronchitis we have decided it doesn't make sense for us to work outside tomorrow in the predicted sleet and mid-30s temperatures. We'll hope they have something we can do for the next two days inside their Re-store shop and then return to the house on Saturday when it is supposed to be sunny and in the forties. As Marv said, "It doesn't seem right that I had to come to Louisiana to find out how frustrating it is to work with vinyl siding in frigid temps." Turns out the siding cracks and breaks very easily when we try to cut it to fit. Still we have gotten a lot done on the house in the last couple of days and met some very nice people both local and from NC and WI. By the way, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, which means Spring is right around the corner. Yeah, right!!