A surprise encounter - #41-11

February 5, 2004 (Thu) - Before leaving Juniper Springs Recreational Area this morning we took a walk along the paths down to and along the springs. What an interesting place! At points along the stream water is bubbling up through the ground leaving deposits of sand to mark their existence. Water vapor rises from the larger pools as if they were heated and the water is so clear that it looks only a couple of feet deep where it is really 20. There is an area for swimming (unprotected) and an area to launch canoes. We vowed to come back some day and rent a canoe. The stream, at least what we could see of it, is about 8 feet wide or so and lush with palm and palmetto greenery. It looks barely deep enough for a canoe. A sign at the launch point warns not to feed the alligators. They must hang out close enough to feed!

Just before entering the village of Chiefland on US-27A, Mark spotted a sign for the Levy County Quilt Museum. We turned back and drove a mile down a small road to it. It turned out to be the home of the local quilting club (not guild - club) - the realized dream of it's founder, Winnelle Horne. It was a museum in name only. There were quilts on display, some old for display only but many were new with price tags. There were also many crafty items, again some old, some for sale. Joy's comment, "Nice building". It was.

We were assigned site #70 as we came into Manatee Springs State Park but it was already occupied. On the way back to the ranger station for a new site we passed a small dark car that looked very much like Bob and Pat's Saturn, It was! We had no idea they'd be anywhere near here. And to add coincidence to coincidence they were in site #71, right next to the occupied site we'd been assigned! We ended up in #49. If either of us had been on that road a minute or two earlier or later, we would not have know the other was there. Instead, we shared a hot game of dominoes and Bob's wonderful New England style clam chowder made with fresh clams. An armadillo and a couple of deer came by to watch and to join us for dinner but Thandi, Bob and Pat's poodle, shooed them away.

Q058203 (96 mi) Chiefland, FL - Manatee Springs State Park #49 w/e $17.44 (x2) B

February 6, 2004 (Fri) Manatee Springs State Park - Before Bob and Pat left this morning we all hiked one of the many trails in the park then went down to see the manatees. They are very often seen in the Suwannee River off the end of the boardwalk here. But not today! The water was too rough to see them this morning although one of the workmen said they were around. We did see lots of turtles soaking up the sun and hundreds of Black Vultures (with dark gray heads. Turkey Vultures have red heads). We spent the first part of the afternoon relaxing, reading, knitting, napping, etc. Then we walked back down to check out the manatees. The water was still too rough. In fact the coming storm was really stirring things up. We couldn't see into the water at all.

The rain came about 6:00 and beat a soothing rhythm on Q's roof through the evening and into the night.

February 7, 2004 (Sat) - No manatees this morning either! The water was still too rough to see anything. But the vultures were there. They had taken over the boardwalk. They lined the railing and gave up their spots very reluctantly as we walked up to them. Mark got a real close up picture of one brave fellow.

Winnelle Horne from the Levy County Quilt Museum spoke (with some disdain as she favors inexpensive fabric) about a new quilt shop having just opened in Trenton. It was only a little out of our way so we swung by there. Joy went in while Mark stayed in Q doing some maintenance work in the computer. He also figured out why we haven't been able to send email with the cell phone and fixed it. Joy's comments about the quilt shop "Fabulous old building - former Coca-Cola plant. Shop includes classrooms, stained glass workshop, lunchroom, and room to expand. Wonderful fabrics, a definite place to stop when we are in Florida!"

There was a huge mail box by the side of US-129 in front of a pet grooming establishment. We wondered if it was for packages from customers who mailed their pets in to be groomed.

This is culture shock! We are in private pack-um-in campground. After several days in the beauty of national and state parks this is a bit too residential. We're here for two reasons, to do our laundry and because public campgrounds tend to fill up on weekends. It's only one night. We'll make it. The campground is up the Suwannee River from where we were the last couple of nights. We took a walk down to the river after setting up. It's as peaceful and beautiful here as it was in Manatee Springs. Manatees never make it up this far.

Q059295 (92 mi) White Springs, FL - Suwannee Valley Camp Ground #D12 $10.90p C