Travels with Snowbirds Sunday February 24 and Monday February 25, 2013, Clermont to Blue Spring State Park, Orange City, FL

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The One About the Manatees

Breaking camp on Sunday was bittersweet for me. I really had a good time at TT Orlando, Kathy and I did a lot of fun stuff the second week without Ginnie, but I missed her and those boys a lot, too. I do enjoy talking to people, and met some great ones who gave me good stories to write about and good memories. I will return in 2014.

It is easy to unhook everything from Moya, much easier than Spirit. The hardest parts are packing up the bike and putting it in the ‘basement’ storage, and folding my rug. I used my bike a lot this segment. I rode it twice every day, one ride with me and Winston, and one ride just for me. This campground is reasonably flat and I can cruise along in the highest gear and feel like I am soaring. I have to lower the seat a little when I run Winston; I want to be able to put both feet on the ground when I stop with him. Riding like that is hard on the knees; that’s why I do 2 short ones. I can easily fold the bicycle and get it in the super slick bag, but I have trouble getting it up to waist level to get in the storage compartment. It’s not impossible, just difficult to raise that left shoulder without pain. But, I love my bicycle, and I can’t wait to use it at home in Wilmington. I am going to be ‘cool.’ The rug is another story. Why did I buy a 9x12 rug? When I am done with my camping run I pull the rug out to the nearest paved area. It’s not heavy, just big and clumsy. I sweep it on both sides; if someone passes I ask them to help me shake it. I cleans very nicely with a broom sweep. It folds easily in thirds on its seams. Then I have to fold it again to fit in its super slick case. That’s the tough part, requiring 4 hands. But, what else do I have to do, I am retired. It can take all day for all I care. I do a good job, I don’t get sloppy with it, and I want to keep it nice, so I take my time. The very last thing I do is wash the inside of my windshield, and front and side windows. Winston makes nose marks all over them, and they are distracting when driving. But, I bought good Viva paper towels and they leave lint. I should have stuck to the cheap store brand.

I bid my site on Easy Street goodbye and was on the road at 10. I had about 10 miles to drive to get on I4, traveling east on US 192. This is NOT my favorite road in the world, too much traffic, too many stop signs, too many stores, I get overloaded. Sunday morning - there shouldn’t be any traffic! This many people could not be going to church!! Once I passed the Epcot turnoff it got better, but then I came to a screeching halt on I4. All these people going to Daytona Speedway? Nah, it’s too late in the morning for that. It took me way over an hour to travel 15 miles. But, I am retired, what else do I have to do? I used my super slick neon green wire to connect my ipod to Moya’s radio and listened to Jodi Picoult’s, “The Pact.” That is another one of her long books; it is not sucking me in as much as some of her others have done. I must confess, I googled for a synopsis, so I know what happens, and maybe that makes the difference. I have done that a lot with books over the years, read the ending somewhere about the middle of the book. That way I can slow down and enjoy it and not be so anxious to get done with it.

I stopped several times along the route, a cute pocket park for lunch, (tried out the generator and A/C – work fine) and Michael’s to get Velcro to hang the shade. I also bought a magnetic dry marker board to replace Moya’s art work that I don’t really like. I discovered that Michael’s can scan your coupon from your email!!! So, the $20 magnetic dry marker board with 50%!o(MISSING)ff regular priced item cost me $10. I never would have paid $20 for it!!! Very overpriced. I attached some of the newly bought self stick Velcro to it and hung it over the hole left from removing the ugly art work. Only then did I discover it is not really as magnetic as I would have liked. Yes, magnets stick, but when you put something under the magnet, it doesn’t hold. I am hoping to get my artist granddaughter Lilly to create something on it for me when I get home, and I’ll scotch tape anything I really want to stick on it.

Kathy had stops to make along her trip to Blue Spring as well, and she arrived before me. Good thing, too, because I needed her help backing in to my new site. #31. This is the same site I was in last trip, and it was easy to back in with old Spirit, but I was nervous with Moya. I did it almost easily; it required a little backing up, going forward, to get my awning out from under the tree, to make sure there was enough room for my slide. Horror of horrors, the leveling jacks didn’t level. I tried twice, one time was worse than the other. So, I am unlevel, pitched forward about 2%!m(MISSING)y gauge says. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I can feel the slant when I walk from back to front, and I can see liquids in glasses is crooked. But, it’s not enough to make me roll off the bottom of the bed, so I will leave it alone and unlevel. I was going to try it again on Monday, but then I got sick.

I woke up Monday morning with a terrible scratchy throat. I checked my Cold-Eze and had 4, not enough to fend off a cold. I figured I would ask Kathy to take me to the drug store for more, so was not concerned. I took Winston for a very long walk which ended up being 2.8 miles. (Ginnie, Judy B, from campsite 31 to the boat dock and back is 2.8 miles!!) It was so humid, and I had a sweatshirt on; maybe the sweat would burn the cold away. At 7:15 there were no other visitors at the spring or river. There were also only 3 Manatees. I did some internet research on where all the manatees are. Since the river temp is holding at 64 degrees, there is no need for them to overnight in the spring. One Manatee has a tag on it, Slip. Here is a link to a website with his story. It is short and interesting.



http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/florida_beaches/2010/02/captive-born-manatee-takes-first-swim-into-the-wild.html



Slip has a really interesting story. It continues here:



http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130206/NEWS/130209823



http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130206/NEWS/130209823?p=2&tc=pg



The other 2 are mother Ann and baby, born 2/13. Here is a link to a wonderful blog written by Wayne Hartley, the retired ranger, now Save the Manatee volunteer who has been studying this group of manatees for over 30 years. Kathy says she wants his job. Sit in a canoe all day and count manatees! Cool, right?



http://www.savethemanatee.org/cam_manatee_reports.html



And, finally, if you want to see some really good video of momma Ann and baby, look at this one:



http://www.livestream.com/savethemanateecam?t=757105



I find these animals fascinating and beautiful. I kind of did go on there a bit, didn’t I?

Back at my rig a man rode up on his bicycle very excited. He and his wife had been doing research and wanted to see a Vista 26H and were very surprised to see mine. They have a large Class B, but not large enough for their newly retired life style. I offered him a tour, and away he went to get his wife. They loved it. I gave them the full tour, every outside compartment, every nook and cranny, and told them the good (big bed) the bad (no counter space) and the ugly (suspected poor gas mileage.) They are off to Lazy Days early next week – they were on their way there anyway. I gave them my salesman’s name and asked them to ask for him; they have a wonderful referral program, and I will get something even if they don’t buy. As they were leaving they noticed I was hacking, and mentioned they were on their way to the drug store, did I need anything!!! Yes! I needed more Cold-Eze and tissues. I gave them $10 and they were back in 30 minutes with my supplies and change. Campers are wonderful people.

When I saw Kathy later in the morning, she brought over her entire collection of comfort tea bags, and offered to help any way she could, get me chicken soup, etc. A good friend there, for sure. I just wanted to nest, so I sat the rest of the day either outside under the awning or inside in the A/C and crocheted up a storm and took a nap. I finished the baby boy blanket, and made a baby boy bib from a new pattern. Between what yarn I have with me I have enough to make another small afghan for a kid, incorporating the yarn that Joanne gave me a while ago. My colors are mostly boy oriented right now….thinking maybe Nate somewhere down the road.

The afternoon brought some wind and heavy rain for 2 minutes. I saw tornado warnings scrolling on the TV for the 2 counties north of us. I pulled in my awning, but probably didn’t really need to.

We went to Applebee’s for dinner, up the road a few miles, and stopped at CVS where I got some Delsym/cough suppressant. The Delsym was on sale for cheaper than the CVS generic of the same was offered at. Go figure. It contains plain old dextromethorphan, cough suppressant, and is horrible orange flavored. 2 teaspoons every 12 hours. Whatever this disease is, it has not gone to my head. I have not blown my nose once. I am just coughing and my chest is tight, and my eyes are running. Allergic bronchitis? My allergies were pretty bad in Orlando last week. Cold-Eze do your magic and make this thing shorter and less problematic.

I was excited for Applebees, they had pretty good fish tacos on the menu. NOT. Gone from the menu. I opted for the under 500 calorie shrimp, rice, creamy parmesean sauce. While very tasty and the shrimp were hot, the rice and sauce were downright cold. They did not have the ribs that Kathy wanted, so she re ordered chicken Quesadilla. Her order never came out, when it did they made the wrong kind of quesadilla, so they made her a double!! You should have seen the size of this thing. It would have fed 5 people! Dessert, of course; molten chocolate brownie, ice cream, chocolate sauce. Rounded out by 2 for 1 mojitos, I was in heaven, except for the cold sauce. Orange City Applebees had an off night in the kitchen for sure.

It started to pour on the way home, but Kathy’s little Fiat maneuvered just fine and Winston was happy to see me, but he would not go out in the rain. When it let up, we went out, pee’d at the end of the campsite and wanted back inside. Go figure. If I remember correctly, Ginnie’s Elliot acted weird here, too. They tell us there are bear in the woods………..

I want to go to the spring again in the morning, but will need to see how I sleep and how my chest feels in the morning. Another 3 mile walk might not be in the cards for me tomorrow, another uphill walk is not going to make my cough any better.

Are they making as big a deal out of the crash at Daytona on the news everywhere? Or, just here in FL. I have seen every bit of phone recorded video that could possibly have been recorded. More interviews with victims and speculators. Ugh. And Casey Anthony. Double Ugh

Kat out<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">

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