If you care to see them, here are some pictures of our "Winter" in Florida from about Thanksgiving 2011 to the present in February 2012.
Here is a lovely Live Oak tree that is in Bushnell just outside one of our favorite restaurants, Sonny's Real Pit Barbecue.
In my previous posts I often included interesting or humorous signs we encountered along our way, here is the latest addition, a street sign for Haywood Worm Farm Rd near Okahumpka FL.
We spent the Holidays at the Escapees Park near Bushnell Fl and more or less lazed around for most of the time. Since we have been there several times we did not do any sight seeing. We did meet High School friends of Larry's, John and Sarah Maher for a long lunch and we also met a couple, Gus and Barb Feenstra whom we had met our very first year on the road. It was nice to see them all again.
There are some pictures of some local birds we spotted in and around the campground, some of Dixie doing her doggie things and others of interest to us. Cathy had been riding her Tricycle daily with Dixie in the lead. They were frequently teased about Dixie pulling Cathy around or that it was a one dogpower trike. Alas one afternoon they came back pushing the trike as it would not respond to pedal power. This was just 3 days before we were planning to move to the Orlando area. It turned out to be a broken rear axle that had failed at a machined recess intended to take the set screw holding the "freewheel" or rear sprocket. I hustled it to a nearby bike repair shop in hopes they had a replacement axle, but they did not.
We left Bushnell in mid-January, carrying the dead-lined trike, for a stay of 2-weeks at the Thousand Trails Resort near Orlando where we again enjoyed quiet times reading and enjoying the mild weather. I contacted the Kent company in NJ about a replacement axle, but after several days, they determined they had none and did not expect any as the model had been re-designed with a different rear axle not compatible with ours! Finally after I expressed my deep frustration and disgust with the situation I was offered a new version of the trike for the cost of shipping to FL from NJ. FedEx delivered it on time and we spent an afternoon assembling it. Now she is back in the saddle again with Dixie leading the way once more. And the locals still offer their comments about such a little dog doing such a big job.
While at TT Orlando our site seemed to be on a regular path traveled by a 14-inch tortoise, I think it is called a Gopher Tortoise. Dixie would see it from her window perch and set up a fuss. We saw diggings elsewhere in the park that looked like nesting sites.
After our stay at Orlando we headed 70 miles farther south to another Thousand Trails property situated on the Peace River near the town of Wauchula FL. This is "Old Florida" at its finest with its raw jungles and the free flowing river acting as a magnet for wildlife of all sorts, even alligators. There are signs in the park warning of the presence of 'gators and reminding that it is unwise to feed them.
The Peace River is noted for its trove of pre-historic artifacts including bones and teeth of many species of land and sea creatures, most notably the teeth of the Megalodon, a huge shark which fossile remains indicate were 50 feet in length. Jaws lookout!
Dixie and I walk to the river on our morning exercises and toileting duties.
Haven't seen any of the local denizens, but we took a day trip to the Everglades National Park Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City. We saw many gators in the canal paralleling the Tamiami Trail highway. We took a walk on the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk and saw another large specimen safely resting across the way from the walk. After I offered to take pictures for a group of four women, one of them reciprocated to take ours in front of the entrance sign.
Look right in the center of the picture and find the alligator's head just sticking out of the water.
This beautiful Green Heron was resting on a branch just as we entered the boardwalk. It remained still as countless people photographed it making me wonder if it was a taxidermy specimen!
Below is a Bald Cypress, or Swamp Cypress tree of considerable height and girth. It has a parasitic vine growing upwards along its trunk. The "Bald" part of the name comes from the fact they are deciduous and appear bald when the leaves are dropped.
Cypress Knees are woody projections sent above the ground or water that are part of the root system. Their function seems to be one of support for the large trees in unstable, swampy soils. Some trees develop buttresses to aid in support as well. This protuberance may be the beginning of a buttress.
A Bald Eagle nest was seen just off the boardwalk, but there was no apparent occupant when we were there.
And finally, as we returned to the parking area we saw the 'gator that previously was submerged had moved onto the bank to take some afternoon sun while napping. It's a big one.
That's all for this time. We will return to Orlando in a week and stay two weeks before returning to Bushnell on March 12. After Cathy sees her oncologist on the 21st, we will begin our trip North for the summer.
