St Joesph Pennisula

Saturday March 15, We weren't in a hurry  to leave St George to go over to St Joe cause it's only about an hour away. Didn't want to get there early to wait for our site. As we were loading up we had a couple snags. First Jeff was gonna put a little water in the tank and saw that it was completely filled...surprise,surprise. A few days before he had to prime the pump and apparently something after that went wrong. The city water back fed through the check valve and filled the tank. That took some extra time to drain the water out. Don't want to be driving with all that extra weight. After getting that taken care of we hooked up and went to bring up the big foot jacks and our battery just didn't have the power to do it. With the battery so low it locked up the Bigfoot system. So had to come up with a plan for that. Definitely gonna get a new battery, that's tops on the list. Well after all that aggravation it was nice to have a nice easy trip over. The weather was so pretty, the roads quiet, not busy but kinda a slow easy pace. We rolled into the park and right to our spot. It was a easy set up, for a change, it was really windy though  I hurried to get everything put away inside. I wanted to get to the beach. Jeff was in a hurry to get the internet set up and the TV programmed. This site has 30 amp service and water hookup. The TV seems to be pretty good. The internet here requires us to use our booster to avoid roaming. My phone service is not that good unless I use the booster as well. I went to the beach and it's beautiful, the water is blue /aqua and the sand is sooooo white and fine. I didn't stay too long cause the wind was a bit much for me. I went back to the site and it was really nice to sit outside here. After Jeff got his work done we took a walk around the campground. We are in site #1 and away from all the other campers. As we walked I saw a camper/truck with Iowa plates and Linn county on them. Out walked the people and I asked where they are from...Cedar Rapids. We got talking to them and found out they've been coming south for 5 years for the winter. It never ceases to amaze me how small this world is.

Sunday March 16, Well according to the weatherman we have some serious weather heading our way. Our top priority today was to get a battery. We are in the forgotten coast so we had to drive a ways to find a Walmart. We did, and made the trip worthwhile getting supplies we needed. On our way stopped at the doughnut shop about 4 miles away from the park. They have the best doughnuts, well glazed croissants. We had them last year and I was excited to return. I had to get warm ones and they didn't disappoint. Well we made it to Walmart and back before the weather came. I guess now they say it's suppose to arrive around 5:00 PM. About 4 o'clock it started raining, raining, raining. Once it started it wouldn't stop. We had thunder, lightning, and rain rain rain. It was crazy how much. Jeff went to take out the dogs around 10 cause the rain wasn't letting up and the dogs couldn't wait much longer. That step off the camper steps was really wet. We probably had 8 inches of water. Our rugs were literally floating. It was a good thing we had staked them down. Jeff saw that most of our campsite was under water. He had to get our electric stuff up before the water got there. The next thing was to watch the wheels. Didn't want to get stuck here. Jeff told me to get things picked up in case we need to make an emergency exit. We stayed up for awhile and about midnight it finally slowed down. That was kinda scary, we were ready to pull out if we needed. Needless to say we didn't have a very restful night.

Monday March 17, Happy St Patricks Day! Well it didn't look much better out there this morning. Our campsite is under water. We have to wade through water to get in or out of the rig. It was still very cloudy and sprinkling on and off. The water is going down but it's going very slow. We did get the dogs out and walked. It was gonna be an inside day. We decided to make it a movie day. Our grandson surprised us with a FaceTime call. He usually doesn't talk to much. At the end of the day we still had plenty of water outside.

Tuesday March 18, It's suppose to be nice out today....but when I got up it was still very cloudy. The wind died down some but the temperature was still chilly so Jeff made us a campfire. Since the clouds were taking there time clearing out we decided to hang around here and clean up the mess. The sun did finally come out but didn't get as warm as they said. Jeff went for a long walk and said there are lots if sites still under water. We are pretty much good now. We got our bikes down and took a ride around the park. Just as nice as we remember. It was really nice to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Hoping this weather continues.

Wednesday March 19, It's gonna be a pretty day. I started my day with a walk. I saw some deer, they aren't even afraid of you. When I got back Jeff & I loaded up the kayaks and rolled them up to bay. The suns out, the wind died down and temperatures are rising. We got in the boats and made our way out. Soffee was my passenger. We did some fishing, didn't have much luck but the day was a success. We did find some pretty red starfish, I just took pictures and put them back. We spent about 4 hours in the bay. On our way back the water had dropped, we had to walk the boats back a little. We came back hosed everything off and made us some supper. We worked up quite a appetite. So nice to be out on the water even if we didn't catch fish.

Thursday March 20, It's another perfect day, so gonna spend it outside. First I walked to the other camp loop. It's got lots more pine trees but seems more compact. I only spotted a couple big rigs there. I think it could be a tight fit for us. We had the boats still loaded on the wheels so just added some snacks and drinks. We went back to the Bay Area. This time we went the other way, as we went over the deep section I got a fish. This time it was a Spanish mackerel, to small to keep. We continued looking, fishing but not much luck. We saw a sandbar so we floated up and got out to stretch our legs. We decided to head back and I was way behind Jeff. All the sudden I spotted dolphins, well I'm off and going to try and get close. They cooperated with me, not that I caught them, they let me. It was crazy, I bet there were 6 at one time. I watched them feed. There were 3 that swam together and a baby with her mama. I took a bunch of pictures. I tried to yell at Jeff before I took off but he didn't hear me. He did end up coming out and got to see them before they headed out. How exciting was that.....VERY!!! I love dolphins. Then we headed back to shore. This time we had enough water to paddle in instead of walking. We loaded the boats back up on the wheels and Jeff had a bit of a problem with his wheel. We made it back and cleaned everything off. I wanted to go over to the beach for awhile. It was beautiful over there as well. The wind had picked up but not bad. The water was very calming. Jeff decided to stay back, enough sun for him. After a yummy supper I went over to watch the sunset. The temperature seemed to have dropped, I had to put in a sweatshirt. It's gonna be perfect sleeping weather.

Friday March 21, Another good day to be outside. Decided a bike ride would be the way to enjoy it. I loaded up Soffee in my basket and we headed towards town. Jeff wanted to make it to the lighthouse, it's about 8 miles. I thought that was doable as long as we stopped at the doughnut shop. We made it to the doughnut shop and got us croissants, the are fried and glazed. So good. Jeff also got a cake doughnut. He said it was better than the croissants. I needed to get off that bicycle seat if you know what I mean. I went into the market that's right there. Jeff asked about the lighthouse and found out it's not open to the public right now. I'm glad we found out before going there. It was about a 10 mile round trip. It was a nice adventure. It was such a nice day that I wanted to go to the beach. I headed over and Jeff joined me a little later. Jeff doesn't do the beach too much unless he has a fishing pole. He just happened to bring it with him. We did get to do some dolphin watching. The fishing has been really slow. That's what everybody is saying. I guess it's been a little cool for the fish. We had a couple stop to chat when all a sudden Jeff got a bite.... Fish on!!!! He brought it in.... It's a shark! Probably about 3 feet, a black tip. I help him get it back to the campground. He bleeds it and cleaned it. Looks like we will be bringing shark home to share. What a great day, lots of good memories....bike ride, beach, exciting catch....loving this forgotten coast. One week down one week to go. Can't believe our time in Florida is about over.

St George Island/part 2

Monday March 10, I went to the beach and watched the sun come up. It was very pretty. The ocean water was so flat it was hard to believe it was the ocean. I was looking for sand dollars and it was successful, I think I found 14. While I was hunting I heard a noise and looked up...dolphins. They were really close to shore. Easy to see them and where they were going cause you could see the water move. It was like they were pushing it.The water was that flat. I followed them down the beach awhile but I couldn't keep up. I decided to head back and I spotted a big stingray in the water. Boy what a wonderful morning at the beach. When I got back we talked and decided to ride our bikes into town on the bike path. As we were getting ready to go Jeff talked to our neighbor, he said fish were being caught in the water off the boat ramp. We parked the bikes and got stuff together for kayaking. We got the boats in the water and as soon as I got out into the water I spotted dolphins. Jeff said that's good they're hunting for fish. We both were excited to get fishing. I caught a trout, well kinda as I was trying to get my fish grippers on the fish and he leaped off the hook... Bummer. Jeff caught a trout too but he got his in the boat to measure, just short. He did get a really nice Spanish mackerel, that one was a keeper. We watched the dolphins exit the bay and I think the fish went with them. It was a nice day on the water.

Tuesday March 11, Jeff wanted to make a phone call to check on our power management box. Looks like it's fixed and on its way back to us. Went back to the beach to walk, such a peaceful way to start your day. It was pretty cloudy today then the sun would shine. We thought we'd do something, then it would cloud up again. Decided to fix that fish for supper that Jeff caught yesterday. We went to town to get a few groceries. We had a yummy fish supper, fish and shrimp. Everything was yummy.

Wednesday March 12, Another weird weather day, there was sun,clouds,windy makes it kinda hard to plan things. I got to the beach early to see the sun rise. Well thanks to the low clouds I made it for the sunrise. It was worth the trip. With the wind the ocean was wild. We were considering taking the boats out but with all the clouds decided against that. After lunch we took the bikes for a ride to East Point. The wind was picking up, we got to our destination and the wind was so bad that the sand was blasting us. We didn't stay long and headed back. Well the trip here wasn't bad but going back, into the wind even with our electric assist bikes was tough. We made it back and had worked up an appetite for supper.

Thursday March 13, Today was kinda a lazy day. I went to the beach but no luck with shells or sand dollars. Jeff took his walk, he likes to take the trails and this time he took Belle with him. He walked the trail the to the primitive campground and I think he was surprised how far it was, about six miles round trip I worked on the blog, but we couldn't post cause of the internet here. It was nice outside so I sat out and read a book. I decided to give Belle a haircut, I'm no groomer but I'm getting better. I thought after that long walk she'd  be tired and willing to sit still. We had leftovers for supper. Not to exciting but still a good day, in a beautiful spot.

 Friday March 14,Today it was colder yet, still better than the weather back home. It's suppose to warm up. I went back to the beach bundled up except I wore flip flops when I got back my feet were froze. I warmed up and it did outside too. Jeff said he was going back to the boat ramp to fish. I got ready and went with. It had warmed up quite a bit but the wind was cool. I'm glad I brought a sweatshirt, and Jeff was happy he had a fleece. We got in and started fishing. I was having a good day catching fish, the first 5 I caught were just short. Finally I caught one that was a keeper. The good news it gave me a chance to figure out how to use my fish grippers. I even got them off the hook. Jeff on the other hand wasn't having such a good day. We were out there quite awhile. I was cold and came in. Jeff wasn't far behind me. Got home in time to start supper. Finished our evening with a walk around the campground, and watching the sun set over the bay. It was a beautiful sunset but the bugs were horrible. It was a wonderful way to end our stay... The sunset not the bugs.

St. George Island,FL

Monday March 3, It was a pretty day, a great day to travel. We had hoped to be on the road by 9a.m. but it was closer to 10a.m. when we hit the road. We started off the trip by turning too soon. It was ok though I pulled out the truckers map and saw that it wasn't a big deal. No need to turn around just change our route a bit. It was a nice trip, the traffic was light and everything else was good too. We had about 225 miles to go and with the roads we took there was no rest areas. Found a nice truckers gas station that was easy to get into and easy to get back on the road.After about a 5 hour drive we checked in then drove to Sugar Hills Campground. Our site is #34, we checked out the area before backing in. It was a bit tricky, seems there was a tree in our line of backing. We took our time and it was a success. This time before unhooking we checked the power....again our power management system is showing low voltage. Jeff checked the voltage in the pedestal and it's good. It's very aggravating to keep having the same problems over and over. So we called the company and again we have to mail it in. We continued getting everything set up. The park is very nice, we love it, but our internet is roaming and very intermittent. The TV is horrible too, don't plan on watching anything unless you have a dish.  It was kinda a long day, thank goodness for leftovers.

Tuesday March 4, It's cool & cloudy today so we decided to head over to Apalachicola to mail back our power management box. We had to unload our kayaks and bikes first. As we were doing that who pulls in but Katie & Lee. We knew they were coming but boy are they early. We made plans to get together for supper. Then Jeff & I left to go to town. First to the post office then we looked around the town a bit. Lots of neat and unique  shops. After we returned  Katie & Lee came over to our place with all the food! A big pan of stir fry that was delicious and ice cream for desert. We ended the evening by visiting the night away. Good company good food, a great night. It's amazing how you run into a lot of the same people.

Wednesday March. 5, Rainy, cloudy and cool again. I started cleaning out the pantry which lead to the kitchen drawers, etc. Jeff wanted to get out for awhile so we drove into town. Thought we could find something  for our grandson. We stopped at the Island Outfitters store, and talk about helpful people, they know about the fishing and what to use and where to go. Just all around nice folk. Then like last year Jeff saw the guy selling seafood out of the white trailer so he stopped to get some shrimp. Went back home and we walked the dogs around the campground. We are ready for some nicer weather. Both of us want to get outside and enjoy this beautiful area.

Thursday March 6, Again with this rainy weather...enough already. Didn't want to stay inside all day so back to Apalachicola this time Jeff was gonna look around at the shops. Our plan was to have lunch here. Wanted to try a different place, so we did and wish we would have gone back to Up The Creek Raw Bar. We ate there last year and it was very good. Jeff & I both were very disappointed with our sandwiches at Tamara's Cafe. We have talked with people and everyone said its good, we didn't agree. Went home and I worked on my quilt. It was a long day. We watched movies cause the tv wasn't working at all. We need sunshine! They said tomorrow the sun will come out....

Friday March 7, Well the weather man was wrong again....it's still really cool and windy. Jeff and I both got a walk in. I had on my gloves,sweats,and a hoodie with the hood up. I wanted to get to the beach. It was empty but pretty. Can't wait for the sun to shine on the water....makes everything so much prettier. It was colder today than the others so most of the day was spent inside. Watch out when I get bored... Out comes the clippers and I cut my hair. It turned out good. I haven't had to shave it all off yet. Then spent some extra time on supper. Since we found fresh asparagus at the store tried a new recipe with that. It was yummy. We needed a pick me up so we face timed with our grand daughter. The phone worked kinda so at least we got to see her for a little bit. That was a good way to end a long day. Technology is really great sometimes.....:)

Saturday March 8, Yipeeee...we got sunshine!!! Still a little cool but the sunshine is wonderful. I made cinnamon rolls to take to the campers coffee. The ranger talked about St George Island, giving us some history and also telling about the animals that live here. It was very informing. We got back to the camper and decided to take the bikes for a ride. Jeff wanted to take the trail. I wasn't to excited about that cause I know there's sand on those trails. I put Soffee in my basket and off we went. It was a nice trail but I think I would have preferred to walk it. We ended up walking the bikes a lot anyway. We came out of the trail and took the road home. When we got back to the campground it was a different place. It came to life. When the weather was bad it was like a ghost town but after the sun came out people were walking around, riding bikes, visiting, a complete turn around. We decided to grab our chairs and head over to the beach. It was still a bit cool but the sun and the surf was beautiful. So happy the sun came out and it warmed up.

Sunday March 9, It was another nice day. I went to the beach first thing and found 14 sand dollars, I love them! Came back home and Pops gave us a fishing report. We loaded up the kayaks on the carriers and rolled them to the Bay Area. I have never seen the water so flat. It was very quiet and serene. I think we saw one other kayaker but in the distance. It was a perfect day to fish but someone should have told the fish. We didn't have one bite. Think it been a little cold for those fish. Soffee came out with me and I think she had fun too. Just as we were coming in it started to cloud up a bit. It felt really good to be outside and to be on the water. Who needs TV when the weathers good. Been here a week and just now getting to see and enjoy all it's beauty.

Rainbow Springs Part 2

Monday February 24, It's cloudy again this morning but I braved the weather and took my walk. When I got back Jeff and I said good bye to our neighbors. Jeff decided since we have yucky weather that maybe we could get our fingerprinting done. We have taken a camp hosting position and they sent us some paperwork to get filled out and send back. He called the law enforcement office to see when and where and how much. Jeff said they fingerprint between 11-2, and it's $20.00 each. We went to the office and they printed us, electronically. It was really kinda interesting. I thought it was funny all the jobs Jeff and I have had and never been fingerprinted. Now I'm volunteering and I have to be printed, kinda funny. After we finished we went to the post office to mail them off. Then we thought we would go to a restaurant for lunch. When we pulled in we saw it was closed on Mondays....drats...The good news we stopped at a Sweetbay grocery store and I found my mix for Creme Brûlée.... So yummy.

Tuesday February 25, This weather is something, hard to plan things. We thought we would get back out on the water. Jeff loaded up his bike in the truck. Gonna drive down to The Blue Run Park, leave the truck and ride his bike back to the campground. Then we would get in our boats and float down the river. Our truck would be waiting for us and the boats to bring us back to the campground.  Well as Jeff was driving toward the park he noticed these big black clouds rolling in. He decided to come back. We waited til after lunch, then the weather looked better. Decided to put in here at the park, float down some then paddle up to the head springs and float back to the park. It turned out to be a beautiful day. We saw lots of different critters, we even spotted a alligator swimming along the grass. It was a nice day and the river was not busy at all.

Wednesday February 26, Rain,rain,rain. We knew it was coming so we had expected to spend the day inside. I decided to clean out closets and the medicine cabinet. We also watched a movie. Then we decided to go back to the restaurant we tried on Monday, The Front Porch. This time it was open cause the parking lot was full. We didn't have to wait though, we got a table. We have heard lots of good things about this place. It's definitely a mom & pop place. Jeff was told to try the bean soup and Cuban sandwich so he did. He loved the soup and he said the sandwich was OK. I had a hamburger, but it tasted like the ones I used to get at the old Woolworths restaurant when I was younger. The best part of this meal was the dessert, we decided to split a piece of chocolate cream pie. It was so good. The crust was so flaky. . I even got a piece of coconut  to take home. Jeff loves that but I would never make it cause of the coconut. When we left there it was pouring down rain. When we got back, still pouring so we waited a bit then ran for the camper. I decided to make up some chocolate chip cookie dough. Then I sat down to quilt. Before I knew it the rain had stopped and someone was at our door. What a surprise....Lee & Katie were here. We met them at Ortonna. We sat outside and visited for awhile. They had already made it home to Texas and were out again. We invited them for supper, we had sat out some soup from the freezer. It was a great night. The good news they will be back here on Sunday so we are planning to go out for dinner next time.

Thursday February 27, Kinda chilly this morning... In the 40's. Our youngest son texted me and said his truck blew up. Oh no not a good way to start the day. It doesn't matter how old they get I still worry about them. The good news it wasn't his truck that blew up just his water pump. Our oldest son is leaving for Colorado with his family today. Out to Copper Mountain where we have been skiing for years. That's the only way I like my snow now, on the mountain. It did clear up today but the air stayed cool.

Friday February 28, Brrrrrr, it feels like winter this morning for sure. Our thermometer said 35, that's cold. The sky was so blue this morning, those eagles sure look pretty with that blue background. We didn't have anything planned today. We walked , and I took Soffee for a bike ride. I even got to sit outside and quilt....I love that. We don't always do much on the weekends, sometimes it's busier so we stay in. That's one thing about this life style, you get to pick the perfect day for the activity. When you are on vacation you are limited on time. Some of our best times are spent just enjoying the outdoors, the weather and the beauty around us. Sunshine is my best friend, especially when at home they are experiencing a polar vortex. What is that?

Saturday March 1, Another very foggy day. We thought today was suppose to be so perfect. Jeff had got done firewood yesterday so he made a campfire. Good thing cause it was cold outside. Had to get a blanket for my weinie dog. We waited and waited for the fog to lift. I decided to get all the laundry caught up. We have a full hookup here and the next 2 spots we don't. I think it was about 11 o'clock before the fog moved out. We decided to go out for lunch in Ocala. They have an Outback and we both wanted a steak. On our way over we spotted lots of restaurants and shops we didn't know were there. Good to know for our next visit. On our way back I found a quilt store, that's always a bonus. We made our way back to camping world and purchased a new chair. Then we came home to finish the day with a walk. Sometimes simple things are the best. 

Sunday March 2, Foggy, foggy again today. It didn't last as long as yesterday. Almost had a fire but it warmed up so fast. I went outside to start wiping things down before loading them up. Since we didn't really have anything planned thought I should make breakfast. Then I spotted our friends pulling in (Lee&Katie) we knew they were headed back here but didn't know they'd make it so early. They even came with gifts... They brought us some strawberries. We talked with them and decided on dinner at 5 tonight. Then we walked around the campground and saw John & Joan sitting outside so we stopped in to talk to them. We got back to our spot and saw a familiar camper pulling in... I was waving cause I recognized naughty Norty. We had met them last year as well. Lynda & Norty, we 1st met them last year at Lake Louise, then again here at Rainbow Springs. That's another thing that's so great....meeting people from all over the country. You might only meet them for a short time but somehow it's a special friendship. We started putting things away and loading up the bikes and kayaks. Lee & Katie came by at 5 and she brought me a doilie, she makes them, how nice was that. We left to go to The Blue Gator, it was busy but we were lucky to get a table. Good thing we weren't starved cause it took awhile to get our food. It was good but the company was great. We headed back to our home sweet home. Tomorrow we move down the road again. It's just crazy how fast time goes by....on to another crazy adventure.