Repair and Myaka River

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Repair and Myaka River

I left Fun and Sun on Sunday night and drove to Lakeland to be close to the dealer for my 8:30 appt on Monday. I brought the car so I could explore the area and get some things accomplished at the same time. I had breakfast at McDonalds outside with Watson and the weather was delightful so we sat there and watched the world go by.

We went to PetSmart for a new harness but Watson ended up getting a pedicure. The hair on the bottom of his feet was getting out of control and so were his nails, so he was in and out in no time.

By the time we got back the camper was done and we were off to Myaka River State Park, I made a reservation there for one night.

We arrived early and were able to check in and settle into our site. I walked Watson then was on my way to explore the hot spots for birds and crocks. It was a little late in the day for the birds but the crocks were sunning themselves at their usual spot near the bridge so I snapped a few pictures then went to the lake to see about a boat ride. The tickets go on sale at 9 am tomorrow morning so I had best get moving in the morning.

I went back to the camper and showered and dressed to meet the girls in Venice for dinner. There were 5 of us and we had a delightful meal in a small Italian Restaurant then walked down the sidewalk and looked into the shop windows. There sure are some beautiful things in this town. We all said good-bye and headed our separate ways.

Tuesday morning I didn't get going very early. I got to the ticket booth at 9:20 and the 10 am ride was sold out already. Oh well, I went to the lake and photographed some birds til the airboat came out of the channel then I photographed it.

I went back to the gater bridge and the granddaddy was there. He was huge and just enjoying the sun and warm temps. His little brother was with him and together they were causing quite a stir, there was a gater jam with cars and bikes. There was a great blue heron that had just caught a fish and having a really hard time choking it down. He played with it for about 10 min and of course I was snapping away the whole time.

I was staying here only one night so I had to get back and pack up and head for Oscar Scherer State Park about 45 min away near Naples. I got there early and checked in and after finding my site wondered how I would ever level the camper. The site was a pull through but down hill so I found the most level spot I could and put blocks under the front tires, 4 on one side, 3 on the other. I had to build a pyramid ladder and I ran out of blocks. It took about 5 attempts to get it right but finally I got the wheels squarely on the blocks and almost level. It's important to level the camper so the refrigerator works well. If the camper is on a bad tilt it could ruin the refrigerator.

The site is perfect except for the incline. There is thick vegetation on both sides and it is so long I can't see another camper. It's peaceful and quite, just what I needed. I set up Watson's fence and my chair, put the awning out and I was in the shade with a nice breeze, heavenly. I had 2 glasses of water, a bottle of ice tea and I felt human again. It was 85 degrees, almost a record for this date.

After I recovered we went exploring a little and found the campfire circle and 2 trails. Then I drove to the lake to see what that was like. There is a beautiful swimming beach but there are also signs warning about alligators. There was a man swimming and someone else saw a large gater on the other side of the lake, how crazy is that. It's a very small lake as you'll see in the pictures.

Near the lake there is a boat launch that goes into South Creek where you can paddle a kayak or canoe all the way into the bay. I'm going to have to do that tomorrow.

I settled in under the awning and caught up on a blog or two then had dinner and went to bed early.

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Comments

[Nell]

Great pictures
Glad you're settled- will be in touch