Horse Farms to Salt Marshes

Horses like this one can be seen all over Ocala.

We got up early this morning and traveled North from horse farm country of Ocala Florida to the Golden Isles of south east Georgia.  Tonight we are at Blythe Island Regional Park in Brunswick, Georgia. 

A hand crank boat motor!

All three days in Silver Springs R&N went to the pool.  The pool wasn’t heated, but the temps were pretty high and the cold water felt good to them.  Yesterday was a little cooler, so they tried out the hot tub.  On Saturday they went to the Flea Market south of town.  There was an oil pull engine show going on—so they got to see some old engines and other interesting things.

Drag racers

Yesterday was another hot day and the humans decided to go site-seeing.  They ended up at Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing.  According to Ron, they saw lots of neat drag cars. (I’m not sure--I think they look scary and loud!)
Today, Monday, we got on the road early and made it to Brunswick in time to drive around a little after the camper was set up.  


9oo year old live oak.  According to legend, Indian braves would meet their maidens under this tree.

Brunswick is one of the shrimp capitols of the world.





Well, Melbourne and the Atlantic Ocean are behind us and we are now in Silver Springs.  We got up early this morning and hooked up our little house.  We had to make a stop on the way out of town to pick up our new couch seat and dinette cushions.  We had already picked up the new mattress a couple weeks ago.  The foam components of our interior started to break down and Ron called the manufacturer and they replaced them.  Problem is, the new mattress is already breaking down again.  I really like the divots in the mattress; they make great places for me to curl up in.  The humans seem less pleased.  The ocean disappeared quickly after leaving Melbourne and we were soon driving through grassy wetlands and then later horse farms and then more populated areas.  We are staying at Wilderness RV Campground.  Nice place with a pool and hot tub.  We have stayed here before---I think it’s my fourth time here.

Ron and Nancy celebrated their 44th anniversary by having their holding tank pumped.  The pumper is called a honey wagon!

Young alligator in wetlands

Our last week at Wickham was really busy.  R&N celebrated their 44^th anniversary last Wednesday with their friends from home.  Nancy’s cousin came to visit for the day on Friday.  They had a great visit and took a ride around the area.  They drove up to the wetlands at Viera and looked at the wildlife.  The rest of the days were spent at the beach.  It was a really hot week and so the beach was really busy.  Tuesday morning there was a breakfast at the pavilion and that night was a dance there too.  It was sorta sad because everyone was saying good-bye.  Most of the long term campers are heading home in the next few weeks.  Thursday was ladies day out.  I’m not sure why they call it that, because the husbands went along this time---over 30 couples.  Again, everyone was saying bye and reminiscing about the winter they spent together.  Nancy even brought me home a scallop….yummy!



Ron likes to read and I like to cuddle, so we worked out an arrangement.

Ron says I'm watching cat TV.  Hey, I need to keep track of all the squirrels.



This scared little fellow got trapped on the beach and didn't know which way to go.  Someone finally carried him back to the dune line and he scurried off.

 

Busy day at Paradise Beach.





Still in Melbourne FL

Game day was fun for the humans.  Everyone was divided up into teams of four and they played various bean bag toss games, jarts, disk golf and other yard games.  They only got to play each game 10 minutes and the team that won the most games got a trophy.  One game involved putting golf balls in a hole using a hockey stick.  I still can’t figure out why anyone, let alone a senior citizen, would bring a hockey stick to Florida!

  Last week was pretty calm.  They went to a gord show. I didn't know there were so many things a person could do with a gord!  I thought they were only good for birdhouses.  On Thursday, Nancy went out to eat with some of the ladies.  R&N spent time at the beach…..nothing too earth shaking.

Yesterday our friends from home, Mike and Kathy, came to spend a few days.  They stay in Sebring in the winter and we spent a week with them earlier this winter.  They came over to see me yesterday, but mostly they have been checking out the area with R&N.    Yesterday they took a ride down Merritt Island and today they went to Sebastian Inlet.



Lunch at Capt. Hirams



Waiting for snook dinner



We are only going to stay here about a week longer and then we have to start heading home…..darn.  We have reservations in Silver Springs for after we leave here and then we may spend a couple days in South Carolina.

Sebastian Inlet



Melbourne Florida

Wickham Park, Melbourne FL.  Gracie sitting in door.



Gopher Turtle



Well, We have been in Melbourne for two weeks now.  The time has flown by and we are pretty settled into our respective routines.   In the mornings I chase things---both real and imaginary.   I spend a lot of time trying to catch the seeds from the live oak that fall on our awning and roof.  The make a lot of noise when the wind blows and I know one day some will blow in somewhere.  In the meantime I’m going to keep an eye on them!   I stand guard in the bathroom (on top of my box, looking out of the door. )  So far I’ve seen 2 turtles, a raccoon, an armadillo and two shelties.  They all looked fun to play with, except the armadillo---he looked just plain scary.  In the afternoon, I sleep on the human’s bed while they go to the beach, and in the evenings I sleep on the cushion at the table while the humans watch TV, work on the computer or have guests.



Squadron of pelicans flying over the beach



R&N have been busy too.  They go out to eat a lot and go to Paradise Beach and enjoy the Atlantic Ocean.  Nancy has been sewing and Ron is catching up on his reading.  This week our neighbor from the lake came to see us.  She is staying in a condo on the beach not too far from here.  So the humans got to swim in the pool there and one night she even came over here for supper.  The next door neighbors gave us some shrimp that they caught on Eau Gallie causeway and we had them for a treat that night.  They were yummy!



Ron and Carolyn at the pool at Oceanique



There have been morning coffee get togethers every Tuesday, a pot-luck dinner put on by the campers on Thursday this week and Friday night there was a dance.  Every other Thursday a lot of the women go out for lunch at a local restaurant.  Saturday I was left alone all day----pretty lonely for me.  Nancy went to a genealogy seminar and Ron went skeet shooting.  Nancy got to hear Dick Eastman speak on a variety of subjects.  He writes a blog about genealogy and technology. (http://blog.eogn.com/) and also one about his RV adventures (http://rv.dickeastman.com/).  Today R&N went to Grant Seafood Festival and feasted on all sorts of yummy things.   Tomorrow is game day.  R&N haven’t done this before, so I’ll have to fill you in on it later.  All we know so far is that they are going to play yard games and there is a pot-luck for supper.

All last week it was in the high 80s and 90s and today the temps were in the 60s!  Go figure………..