Winter Trip: Homeward Bound

Tuesday (Happy Birthday, Jordan!) it was nice to be at a site with sewer hook-up because we could do everything needed to winterize right where we were. In fact, we were packed, cleaned, closed-up, and on the road well before 10:00.  It was another sunny day in the seventies and we made good time and good mileage with a tail wind. We stopped at a Rest Area and had lunch out of the leftovers in the cooler, and then stopped at a Cracker Barrel around Nashville, TN for dinner, and made it to Elizabethtown, KY to a Comfort Inn for the night, both remarking how different the drive north in the sun was from the drive south in the snow had been. We had a call from The Desk at 10:30 saying that there had been complaints about someone smoking weed in our hallway, where only 4 rooms were occupied, and they were going to involve the police if it continued. Tee-hee! Lucky it wasn’t us. J We had a good breakfast Wednesday morning and got to Indianapolis in time to buy Jordan a Mind Craft set to give him for his birthday, along with the promise to choose something online to go with it. Sarah and Analyn hadn’t returned from Preschool yet, so we took our stuff in the house and made our lunch from the cooler contents again. Despite some light drizzle we played outside when the boys got home from school. When Craig got home we gave Jordan his present and then we took everyone out for dinner downtown to celebrate. 

Jordan is such a dramatic guy!

What a joy to see that both boys are very good readers!

Big brother, Eli, "helps out".

Analyn, Jordan and Elijah check out the new Mine Craft set

Dessert was at an ice cream place across the street, where Elijah’s basketball team was having a season’s end party. The coach had taken Sports Illustrated covers of famous basketball players and superimposed the boys’ pictures on them and laminated them, which the kids found uproarious. As he handed them out he talked about each individual and what made him an asset to the team. It was a really nice gesture. 

Eli gets his picture and accolades

We left Thursday by 9:00 and met Ken, Jen, and Josh at the Bob Evans in Auburn for an early lunch. Marv pulled up to Mirabella’s Salon right at 2:30 to drop me off for my hair appointment and went home to begin unpacking and putting away. In East Lansing the temperatures were in the fifties and the crocuses and hellebores were in bloom. A warmer than usual Spring was predicted which will make our Coming Home easier.  It had been another nice Winter Trip and we were so grateful to be home safely. We drove 4112 miles and averaged 17.5 mpg. I biked 90.4 miles and Marv had done 8-10 more. Our experiment with staying in the same place for extended periods of time had worked well and we found it to be a quieter, less eventful trip than some we have had. 

A riot of crocuses

Hellebore poking through the leaves

Our next trip is two weeks in China in April. Come back to read all about it! 

Winter Trip 2016-Eufaula, AL 2

Sunday, March 6 Carol, Marv, and I (Macel passed on this) got up at 6:15 and climbed in our truck to drive to Plains, Georgia, home of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. We had to leave early because Georgia is Eastern Time Zone and Alabama is Central Time Zone but we wanted to attend the 10:00 Bible Study that President Carter leads most Sundays when he is home. The drive is a pretty hour or so through rolling hills of pines and not much else. There are a couple of small, old, decaying towns along the way. Plains is untouched by modernity and as modest as it was when Jimmy was born there over 90 years ago. Time has truly stood still and there are no McDonald’s or Wendy’s or Walmarts or anything else. There is a one side of one block “downtown” and the old depot that was his campaign headquarters has been restored across the street from the old hotel and a general store. We found Maranatha Baptist Church, where the parking lot was overflowing and a Secret Service man walked a sniffer dog around the truck before we could park. The church members are allowed in the main door to the sanctuary while the visitors go in a different door and are again checked by Secret Service. The sanctuary was full by then and we had to sit separately in the overflow seating in the social hall with a TV monitor of the sanctuary (some people were turned away when it was full). Women were giving instructions of how the morning would go. The Church Service would follow the Bible Study and one could have ones picture taken with the Carters after the Church Service. But we had already decided we wouldn’t stay for that. Jimmy came into our area first to greet us, ask where people came from, and answer some questions. He is smaller with age but still sharp as a tack with a gentle sense of humor. 

When asked, he announced that his cancer has responded so well to the experimental treatment he received that his doctors have said there is no sign of cancer and that he doesn’t need more treatment. Then he went to the sanctuary, where we watched on the TV as he again asked where people had come from and then began his Bible Study with a lesson on The Last Supper and what it means to humbly offer oneself to God. He is so thoughtful and so humble himself that it was wonderful to listen to him and feel his inspiration. In the midst of this crazy, crazy Presidential race he makes me wish the candidates would emulate his moral humility. Just down the road is the high school building that Rosalynn and Jimmy both attended and is now a National Park museum about their life up to and beyond the White House. The three of us spent a long time there, perusing the exhibits and learning about the campaigns and their Foundation and the wonderful service they have given, not only to Habitat for Humanity, but even more so to world health efforts. 

Renovated classroom in the High School Museum

More than 70 countries have been impacted by the Carter Center Foundation

The Plains High School National Historic Site Museum

Finally, we drove out to the National Park Historic Site that has been established to preserve and maintain the farm where Jimmy grew up, restored to its 1930s appearance. In about 5 or 6 places throughout the house and barns there are recordings of Jimmy reminiscing about what it was like to grow up and farm during that time. We had to return to the campground so we didn’t stay as long as we might have wished but it was a very nice, quiet spot and the sun was shining brightly with temperatures in the low 70s. 

Carol and Peggy listening to one of Jimmy Carter's reminiscences of his boyhood home

Looking back at the house and the Farm General Store  

Inside the Carter Farm store

Carriage/Wagon house

Carriage House and barn. Note the cane syrup pan in the foreground

As we drove out of town we realized we passed right by the very understated compound that surrounds the Carters’ modest brick home, which they built in 1960, is the only house they have owned, and remains their home today, surrounded by furniture that Jimmy made in his workshop in the garage. On the way back to the campground we would have liked a bite to eat but there is NO Fast Food or deli or anything in any of the tiny villages, so we settled for some cheese crackers from a convenience store with not much else. When we got back I helped Carol make a fruit salad and all four of us piled into their truck to drive far outside of town and deep into the woods on a rough two track that leads up a hill to the Pine Ridge Hunting Lodge. Mike (the friend of a friend of the Ezells from the “Michigan Circle” at the State Park) is a banker of some sort in Birmingham. To relax, he raises bird dogs and hunts, and built, almost entirely from wood from his hundreds of acres, a three bedroom lodge with a large loft that sleeps several more, where he hosts hunting parties. The walls of the Great Room are hung with heads of his trophies from all over the world and the ribbons his champion dogs have won. Now, he helicopters from Birmingham to Eufaula, but he and his wife are retiring in a couple of years when their two daughters have both graduated, so he is building a home on the hill on the other side of the dog kennels. He invited the 20 or so members of the Michigan Circle (which includes some Canadians and Wisconsinites) to have a Fish Fry and Potluck at the lodge. Unfortunately, as we arrived we were told that one of the dogs had gotten out and caught in a coyote trap in the woods so Mike was in Auburn at the Veterinary School getting the dog taken care of, and wouldn’t be there for the party. One couple had caught and cleaned all the catfish and were using a turkey fryer outdoors to cook it as we arrived. People gathered around in chairs on the lawn or around the log fire burning in the giant cane syrup iron pot that serves as a fire circle, chatting and enjoying the magnificent views in every direction. When five dishes/platters were heaped with fish chunks, the rest of the food was put out on tables on the wrap-around porch and we sat at picnic tables on the porch and had a FEAST!!! Everyone was friendly and welcoming, the food and fish were delicious, and the day couldn’t have been nicer. Having gotten lost in the wilderness the only other time they had been to the Lodge, Ezells wanted to be sure to leave in the day light, along with the rest of the crowd. As we drove out the main gate at the paved road, Mike was just turning into the drive. We said hello and thanks through the windows as he told us the dog would be fine. We got back to the campsites in time to watch the MSU Women lose the Tourney Final to Maryland.

Pine Ridge Hunting Lodge from the parking area

Panoramic from the lodge porch

Frying dough balls after the fish were cooked

Cane syrup pan fire circle

Monday Marv and I spent some time, after it warmed up, biking around the other three loops of the campground. The first is only used for storage for trailers that get left there all summer, the second has water and electricity but no sewer and had only four campers, the third isn’t open until summer when the park gets more use, and the fourth, called Deer Court, is the one where we are staying and was about hall full over the weekend, but less during the week. In general, the park is underused and not well kept up.  The Alabama legislature voted to stop all support for State Parks but the governor vetoed it. In the meantime, they closed the golf course that was a big draw for Snow Birds, including the Ezells. The huge park also includes a big Marina on the lake with a store and snack grill, a large Lodge with two restaurants, an outdoor pool (closed in the winter) and three clusters of one, two, and three bedroom cabins. This spring the Ezells are selling their trailer and next year will be using one of the cabins. The cabins are available from Nov. 1 to Feb. 28 for long term rental but the rest of the year the park can make nearly as much money for each weekend rental as they do the monthly rentals in the winter! After lunch Macel, Marv and I went to the Country Club Macel has had to settle for since the park closed its course to play golf with a friend of Carol’s named Marsha. The course is challenging and nine holes, even with a cart, was plenty for me, especially because the front nine ended with three of the longest, toughest holes. Marsha turned out to be a better golfer than Macel had said, but everyone was very kind and tolerant of my crummy game. We got back in time for me to make a chicken stir fry and fruit salad for dinner at our camper. After we cleaned up and did the dishes, we went back to Ezells’ and watched “Young@Heart”, a cute documentary about senior citizens who sing rock music to stay young. We had had a wonderful time in Alabama and the Ezells were wonderful hosts who had filled our time there and helped us forget that our trip was drawing to an end.

Marv sizing up his next shot

Our campsite at Lakepoint

Winter Trip 2016-Eufala, AL 1

Carol had a full list of things to do in or near Eufaula and we wanted to do them all. Saturday we rose in a leisurely manner and I washed my hair in the heated(!) shower room. At 11:00 we walked over to Ezells to watch the MSU Men’s Team play the final game of the season. It was Senior Day at home and the guys beat Ohio State soundly, 91-76, for the second time in two weeks. All the Seniors were taken out one-by-one near the end of the game to receive their ovation and to kiss the Spartan helmet at midcourt. We munched on snacks and made sandwiches during the game. Afterwards Carol drove us all around Eufaula to see the sites in this historic town. High above the river on a bluff, the city was the farthest up the Chattahoochee River that big boats out of the Gulf of Mexico could travel so it was a shipping hub for the region. Near the end of the Civil War, when Montgomery fell, the State government moved to Eufaula for a few weeks. Rich plantation owners out in the countryside built large mansions here to use as town homes for their families. Many houses still remain, in various stages of upkeep and use. Many houses still remain, in various stages of upkeep and use. Two are open as Museums and event centers. We walked into Shorter Mansion and just looked around because Carol said it wasn’t worth paying for the tour there, and besides, they were setting up for an elegant anniversary party that evening. 

Marv and Carol beside a Camellia in full boom

Next she took us to Fendall Hall. It was built in 1860 by Edward Young and is recognized as one of Alabama’s most outstanding examples of residential Italianate architecture. It stayed in the same family for five generations and many of the furnishings belonged to the family. In 1973 the great, great granddaughter living in the house sold it to the Alabama Historical Commission, moved to a smaller nearby house, and continued to attend functions held in the hall. Added to the National Register of Historic places in 1973, a multiyear renovation completed in 1999 restored the house to its 1880-1916 appearance. There is usually a wonderful tour director there who “never lets the truth get in the way of a great story” but sadly he wasn’t there. An event planner was just finishing up from a big Wedding Luncheon that was held there. She invited us to look around while she cleaned up and encouraged us to climb all the way up to the cupola and look out over Eufaula. The rooms all had written explanations of the furnishings and history so we had a satisfactory tour, but were sorry to miss the expert. 

Peggy and Carol on the large, deep porch of Fendall Hall

The view from the Cupola at Fendall Hall

Having driven up Eufaula Street, which is the main street through town, Carol drove us down Randolph Street, which parallels the boulevard but she likes better because it is so much quieter. From it she drove us through the ancient town cemetery, which has separate areas for the Baptists, Methodists, Jews, etc. and a now unmarked section that was for slaves and free blacks, whose wooden markers have all disintegrated. It is a quiet, peaceful area high above the river-turned-lake. When she felt like she had shown us everything there was to see, Carol drove us back to the campsite and we watched the MSU Women win their semi-final game against OSU, beating them by over 30 points. It had NOT been a good day for OSU basketball players against MSU! After the game we drove downtown to Cajun Corner, a funky little place in the corner of a large, dilapidated hotel that takes up much of the block at the main corner. The building is for sale and would be spectacular if someone would renovate it with retail below and apartments above. But despite a few pretty wealthy town people in the really big mansions, Ezells say the town is slowly dying out. It’s too bad to see an historic, thriving and vibrant town fade away like that. Macel had a large bowl of the gumbo, while Carol had a shrimp po’boy with a cup of gumbo, Marv had an andouille sausage po’boy with a cup of red beans and rice, and I had a blackened grouper po’boy with a cup of crawfish etouffee.  Everyone was happy with their choices and we went home to bed full and satisfied. 

Carol and Macel Ezell in front of one of the New Orleans
jazz inspired murals at Cajun Corner

Winter Trip 2016-O'Leno State Park

Wed. Mar. 2-: First thing in the morning on Wednesday we stripped the bed and put the sheets and towels in the coin washer at the bathhouse. They washed and dried while we broke camp. It’s so much easier to make the bed when the camper is still partly closed so we will remake the bed when we open at O’Leno State Park. It was about 2 hours to the park, which is just north of Gainesville.  Since we were last there they had updated the bathhouse, which now had good, deep showers that actually had heat lamps in each stall! Marv had chosen a nice site on the outside of the Magnolia loop. 

We set up and took a bike ride down to the river to reacquaint ourselves with this fascinating place.  There are spots throughout the park where one can dial a phone number and enter the access code and a recorded voice tells you the history of the area. We learned that humans have occupied the site for 10,000 years. The Santa Fe River flows into the park and at “The Sink” drops underground at a rate of 900 million gallons a day. It runs through submerged limestone caverns for three miles and pops back to the surface at “The Rise”, where it has even more water accumulated from sources that feed it underground. In 1539 the first Europeans visited the site when de Soto came through Florida with his Conquistadors. In 1860 a town sprang up called Keno, for the lotto-like gambling game. For ecclesiastical reasons it was changed to Leno.  At its height it boasted four mills, a hotel, and a cotton gin and 600 people. But by the 1890s the longleaf pine had all been removed and the railroad by-passed the town by a few miles and the last people abandoned the site. It became known as “Old Leno”, then shortened to O’Leno. In 1936 first the WPA and then the CCC returned to the site on the river and developed the State Park. Now it is a popular place for fishing and hiking. Back at our campsite we relaxed for a while reading and overlooking the hammock behind our trailer. Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, and a noisy and active Red Headed Woodpecker sang and called from the trees. The signs of spring emerging were more evident to us here than they had been farther south, where they tend to think and talk in two seasons—the wet and the dry. Tiny leaves were coming out, the red maples that were pretty much leafed out in Zephyrhills were just budding, and the red bud was beginning to bloom. There were no sabal palms or palmettos in this hardwood hammock. We had dinner and read inside in the evening as the temperature dropped into the forties. 

Thursday morning after breakfast we biked back to the river side and hiked the 1.66 mile trail that circles “The Sink”. The trail passes through several different biomes including hardwood hammock and long leaf pine flatlands. Along part of the trail there had been a recent prescribed burn and the roots of one large toppled tree were still smoldering and smoking. The burns are necessary to keep out the hardwoods and clear the understory so the pine flatland environment can flourish. 

Left of the trail: no burn
Right of the trail: Burned clear

The trail was wide and well-maintained and easy to follow. The rushing river abruptly opens into a wide round lake completely covered with duck weed. With the amount of water that goes underground one might expect a whirlpool like a flushing toilet or something. But there is a barely discernible rotation at the top of the “lake”, only visible in the large logs floating in the middle that were lined with large turtles sunning themselves and enjoying a sort of Turtle Merry-go-round, turning at an appropriate turtle speed. We watched them for a long time before continuing the hike on around The Sink and meeting back up with the Santa Fe River on the other side. We crossed the river on the old CCC Suspension Bridge and got back on our bikes. We biked out the camp road and then cut off to take part of the Dogwood Trail to the Dogwood campground loop and then back to where we began the Dogwood Trail. From there we hiked the .66 mile Limestone Trail, which leads to an area of limestone outcroppings and a spot where the limestone was quarried long ago. 

Nice view down river towards the Sink

Explanation of the River's Sink and Rise

Turtle Merry-Go-Round at the River Sink

More turtles. Note the covering of duck weed on the water

Panoramic of the Sink from opposite shore, across from where the river enters the Sink

After all the hiking and biking back to our campsite we shared a peanut butter and banana sandwich which Marv surprised me by making. Since we were on a Vegetarian roll for the day he hard boiled some eggs and left them to chill in the refrigerator to make deviled eggs later for supper. Then we drove the truck about 5 miles away to hike the “River Rise” Trail. The park was out of trail maps but the old codger at the gate house said it was obvious where to take the trail. It wasn’t as obvious as he made it sound and it is more of a sandy two track that is used for horseback riding. We walked for half an hour and were getting a little worried that we were in the wrong place when suddenly we saw a sign and a wooden fence that indicated we were at the “Rise”. Again there are no dramatic signs of water bubbling up from underground but there is a small lake or pond with water running out into the river as it continues its flow to the Suwannee River. The water top here is not covered with duck weed or anything else. The spot is very quiet and serene and for the whole hike we didn’t see any other people. Returning to the truck we figured we had hiked somewhere between 2 and 3 miles, at least. Although it only got into the low seventies we both welcomed a shower that evening, after we got all of the outdoor things put away in the truck, to cool down and relax before bed. 

Trail to river's Rise

Panoramic of the Rise and the river going on its way

Intrepid Hikers

During the night the predicted thunderstorm came through with some heavy rains that ended before day break on Friday. We got the camper all closed up and stopped at the dump station before getting on the road by soon after 10:00. The day started out cloudy and in the 50s, where it remained into the afternoon. After a couple of hours on I75 we left Florida and entered Georgia. We got off I75 and took US82 northwest across rolling farmland, stopping for lunch at the “3 Squares Diner” for lunch. By around 3:00 we crossed Lake Eufaula and entered the town of Eufaula, AL, where we entered the Central Time Zone. Just outside of town we found Lakeside Resort State Park and registered for a campsite. The lake is actually a miles long reservoir formed by the damming of the Chattahoochee River. Our friends, Carol and Macel Ezell, who spend their winters there, recommended we ask for #61. “Shari” at the desk said that her records said it was open but someone may have taken it in the meantime. If so, she said to just take a site and let her know what it was. Sure enough, when we drove into the campground, #61 was taken. But we found a drive through-site along the edge and about 3 sites away from Ezells that we thought we’d like at least as well and so we set up there. We have no one next to us on either side and the sites are all nice and wide.  Besides that, we open out to the woods and no one is behind us. Ezells invited us for stew at their fifth wheel and we stayed to watch the MSU Women’s team win their quarterfinal game to advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tourney. The temperature, which had barely risen to the low 60s, dropped quickly when the sun went down. It promised to be a chilly night! And it was, down to the upper 30s or low 40s. But with our electric blanket on 3 and an electric heater on low we stayed cozy. Ah, the wonders of camping with electricity! 

Winter Trip 2016-Hillsborough River 3

Fri. Feb. 26-: We got a lot of things done in the morning including French toast for breakfast made with the Cuban bread, a load of laundry, washing my hair, grilling sausages for lunch and some for Jambalaya along with a chicken breast some other night, frying pork sausage with Taco Seasoning and using half of that to make chili in the CrockPot for dinner. After all that we rode our bikes to the Trailhead for the 3.2 mile Florida Trail. There are 14 numbered trail markers along the way. The first third of the trail goes along the river on the bank across from the campground and picnic area. It was really nice and we saw a Great Blue Heron and an Ibis along the way, although most birds weren’t around at mid-afternoon. The sun shone brightly but the temperature never got much about 62° all day. As the trail turned north into the Hammock we saw some really large Live Oaks and a pair of pileated woodpeckers. When we got beyond marker #9 the trail became muddy and swampy, eventually deteriorating into practically a running stream. We had to bushwhack our way through the heavy underbrush, trying to find high ground. At one point I went nearly ankle deep into mud. We had gone too far to turn back and just as we feared we would be forced to wade, we came upon slightly higher ground at marker #11 and finished the hike without problems. The sun was setting by the time we rode back to the campsite and the temperature dropped into the fifties, so the chili tasted fantastic! 

The trail followed the River for about a third of the way

Crossing the bridge to the other side of the river

Florida Trail

Palmetto in the sunlight

Ibis fishing right next to the trail

A very large Live Oak

The Florida Trail got swampy at first.....

...and then became a stream for a while.

Overnight it got down to 38°. We rode over to the Poolside Café Saturday morning (it opens earlier on the weekend) and finally shared their big breakfast burrito filled with potatoes, bacon, cheese, eggs and salsa, which as promised, was plenty. We read while we waited for the day to warm up a bit and then set out to ride the 6.7 mile (one way) King Fort Trail, part of which is the old trail that connected the line of supply forts (including Fort Foster) built for the Seminole Indian Wars. The trail begins as part of the Restoration Wetlands we rode earlier in the week. We took the fork and followed the markers for the King Fort Trail, leaving the State Park land and then riding on a wide hard-packed dirt road for a short way before turning to follow the trail into a Hammock. We quickly became bogged down in larger and larger puddles and mud until we had to give up and turn around. Instead we decided to continue on the road to see where it led. Soon it went into Dead River Wilderness Area and continued as an easy surface to bike, with few cars and no dust when they passed. Eventually the road lead to Dead River Park. There was a large parking area and trail signs that showed us that we were at the other end of the trail we had taken on Tuesday from the other direction. We rode on into the park where there was a lovely picnic area on the banks of the Hillsborough River and even a bathhouse with flush toilets and a shower for groups who hike in beyond the picnic area to camp. Marv had packed a picnic lunch which we shared at a picnic table next to the river. Then we biked the hard, dry trail along the river, back out of the Dead River area, and into the State Park. Feeling very good about the day, we took the park road around the long way and back to the campsite, making for a 9.5 mile bike ride. We had invited Bill to come for Taco Salads using the rest of the pork taco meat from yesterday. Then all three of us bundled up as the temperature again dipped low and we walked over to Cedar Landing for a Ranger presentation on “Wildfire”. It had been a really nice day. 

The road

Dead River Park picnic area

The trail

The same overlook we had seen Tuesday, early in the morning,
now in the full afternoon sun

We bid farewell to Bill and Hoosier on Sunday morning. Bill’s wife, Lynn, was flying down to drive back with him to Indiana and wanted to leave as soon as she arrived. We drove over to Tampa to have lunch at Brenda and John Sternberg’s with Louise and her driver, Joanne. Louise had had a birthday on Saturday so we had a little celebration for her. John and Brenda had baked a chicken and a rack of ribs, which he finished on the grill. With it there was a fruit salad, cole slaw, and green beans, hearts of palm, and red onion with a light vinaigrette. It was all delicious! After we ate birthday cake, John, Brenda, Marv and I went for a long walk around their charming, old neighborhood with its brick streets and variety of home styles. Some were old small places that had been fixed up and some were totally new construction where the owner had razed the old house to build. Louise was sitting in their sunny courtyard when we got back. She and Joanne were ready to leave to drive the hour or so back to Sarasota and we left at the same time, since our drive was 40 minutes or so. Sadly, we didn’t get any pictures of our time together. With a stop to work on the internet at MacDonald’s we got back to our campsite as the sun set. After the big lunch we only needed a light supper and then we watched the Oscars and got lots of ideas for movies we’d like to see. 

Monday was a beautiful day from the very beginning. We had breakfast and read a bit, then left to drive to Lakeland. The GPS had said it would take us 45 minutes or so but it was less than that when we parked at Joker Marchant stadium. Ross and Pat drove Janice and Lou from their common resort of Cypress Cove near Kississimmi and met us about 10 minutes later. We all bought tickets for the annual pre-pre-season game against the local College of South Florida. This was the fourth one we had attended and it is always such fun to be there and watch the college boys give it their all against pros. First we walked to a Family Restaurant across the street and a few blocks down from the stadium. We all agreed you know it’s a home cooking sort of place when they have liver and onions on the menu. Marv had a Western Omelette and I had a turkey and bacon club. We talked and caught up over lunch and we found out that Janice’s arm problems are actually 5 herniated discs and some sciatica in her spine! She will have 6 weeks of PT in hopes of alleviating the pain and strengthening her muscles. Everyone was full when we walked back to the stadium and the game got underway. We had bought bleacher seats sitting in the 78° sun but slowly each of us made our way to the seats under the roof where the slight breeze and shade felt great. The Tigers started their regular rotation, but as each of the top players batted one time they made way for lesser players and we didn’t see them again. The College team did a credible job and were tied most of the game but the Tigers ended up winning 7-2. What a thrill for those young men to meet and play with the Pros! It was even harder to say “Good-bye” to the Oiens at the end of the game since we have no idea when we’ll see them again. On our way back we stopped at a produce stand in Plant City that had been recommended to us. The Strawberry Festival starts Thursday and so the whole town was in full Festival mode. The prices at the stand were better than we expected and we left with a quart of mini-peppers, a quart of strawberries, 4 pounds of tangerines and two cucumbers, all Florida grown, for around $8. We made Jambalaya for dinner with the chicken and sausages we had grilled the other day and enjoyed it with salads. There will be plenty for dinner another night. The evening was the warmest we had had in a while and we took a walk around the silent camping loop before we went to bed. 

Too bad our photographer (a stranger) cut off most of Lou!

Tuesday Marv made a wonderful omelette packed with veggies and feta cheese while I made a fruit salad. It was already warm enough to eat it outside and then we read most of the morning. 

Who minds cooking with a view like this?

After lunch we ride our bikes around the circle to hike the final two trails, the 1.2 Baynard and 1.2 Rapids trail from the picnic area. We had done just part of the Rapids trail earlier but wanted to do the part that goes all along the river. There is a picturesque suspension walking bridge built by the CCC that crosses the river between the two paths but it’s closed now for preservation and restoration. It was very nice but we didn’t see any alligators and only one turtle, a Zebra butterfly and one egret feeding in the rapids. I washed my hair when we got back and Marv made cornbread which we enjoyed with the leftover chili and salads. Then we began packing the truck because our two weeks were up and we will leave Hillsborough River tomorrow. My bike had 83 miles on it when we put it away, meaning we had ridden over 37 miles in the park. It had been a wonderful stay in a lovely park that offers so much to do.

Peggy in front of a large Live Oak

A very gnarly tree; those would make cool bwls!

Towering Live Oak branches

The CCC Suspension Bridge is closed for renovations

Zebra Butterfly on some flowers

Can you see the little turtle on the log?

The Rapids