January 23, 2009 (Fri) Alexander Springs CG (5) 30°@6 - A check of our propane supply level, long overdue in this high use time, showed it to be virtually empty. The gauge at the tank showed the pointer below the "E"! We'd planned on getting it on our way out of the forest but this required a change of plans. We'd gotten propane at the Ace Hardware store in Umatilla, 10 miles down the road, before so off we went. As long as we were there, we went on into the outskirts of Eustis, another 4 miles, to a Publix supermarket. We'd passed a gas station in tiny Altoona, FL that showed $1.89/gal. We thought at the time that we could do better than that. And we did - $1.87/gal in a station across from the Publix. On the way back, maybe an hour later, the Altoona station was showing a price of $1.84/gal. Oh well.
It turned into a beautiful day with temperatures in the low 70s and plenty of sunshine. You can bet that we took every advantage of it. Our campfire this evening was much more enjoyable without our backs being so cold.
Q047446 (35/1463 miles) To Eustis and back
January 24, 2009 (Sat) Alexander Springs CG (6) 36°@7 - When we came into the campground on Monday there was a sign at the entrance announcing "Campground Full" - an indication of how busy it had been here over the Martin Luther King weekend. By evening we had the park practically to ourselves. Over the week there have been, maybe, six other units scattered around. Late yesterday afternoon and evening began to fill up again. After dark we could see flashlights flickering here and there in the woods and the sounds of children and large groups communicating. This morning we expected to see many more sites filled than we found. But there are still a lot of room.
Today was the kind of day, weather wise, that we came to Florida for - warm. It was shorts and T-shirt most of the day. We walked down to the springs this afternoon and there were even people in swimming. This seems to be a popular place for scuba divers - there were several in the water. Except for the point where the small lake (pond) is fed by the spring (20 to 30 feet deep) the water is quite shallow so most were "diving" just below the surface.
Pat fixed a wonderful lasagna for dinner. Five handed dominoes finished out the evening.
January 25, 2009 (Sun) Alexander Springs CG (7) 53°@6 - Breakfast this morning was compliments of Kaye - terrific bran pancakes with real maple syrup and bacon. Actually it was brunch after we'd all gathered for a short worship service in Bob and Pat's motor home. This has been a lazy day as it should be and warm enough to really enjoy being lazy. But the fighter jets from a nearby air force base came out in the late afternoon - just as Mark took out his guitar - and proceeded to drown out every bit of music, conversation and tranquility with their noise. It was far worse than the jet noise of a commercial airliner so often maligned. At least they weren't doing their practice bombing like they did last weekend.
January 26, 2009 (Mon) Alexander Springs CG (8) 53°@6 - Another relatively warm night. Kay took off about 9:00 this morning and headed Southeast to visit relatives in Vero Beach. She is planning to join us again in Monument Lake CG next week. We have enjoyed her company these last 7 days. After morning chores - not all that many while camping - we headed out to do laundry (Umatilla) - Bob and Mark were able to get some internet duties taken care of - and shopping (Eustis). For lunch we hit the Umatilla Pizza Hut lunch buffet. We sampled each of the selections, ate too much (of course) and, topped it off with Mark's favorite - Blueberry. Mid 70s and mostly sunny made for a restful relaxing afternoon.
Q047411 Alexander Springs CG, Ocala National Forest #38 B+ (x8)
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January 27, 2009 (Tue) Alexander Springs CG to Lakeland, FL (86/1549 miles) - We didn't have far to go so we took our time getting ready. Our last bit of packing was to stow the rest of the wood we'd worked so hard to carry, split and saw into Bob and Pat's RV basement. Then at 9:47 we were off (53° Sunny). It was a relatively uneventful trip - except for watching Pat drive through a red light at one rather confusing intersection and almost get hit. We were able to stave off boredom by chasing down and evicting some of the many little brown lady bugs - thus enriching the gene pools of the central Florida population (of lady bugs) - that had taken up residence over the last week. Looking back we can honestly say that the week left us with many happy memories.
It's always a kind of culture shock to come out of the wilderness into the city traffic and this return to civilization was no different. But we managed and got to Lakeland, FL at about 11:30 where we stopped at the Walmart to do some shopping. We pulled into Ed and Kathy's yard at about 12:30. Our evening meal (actually late afternoon) was pizza buffet - yes, sinfully again - at CiCI's Pizza. Eating so much so late is not what old folks should do!
Q047532 Ed and Kathy's yard
QC91-06 Warmth Finally
QC91-05 Alexander Springs in Winter
January 18, 2009 (Sun) Juniper Springs CG (6) - 39°@6. Busy day today. We took off with Bob and Pat in their toad to take care of some internet things and do some laundry and shopping along the way. Bob and Mark dropped Joy and Pat off at the laundromat and went looking for a WiFi or AT&T phone signal. They found a WiFi hotspot at the Forest Library - but it wasn't open yet! So they set up their computers on the night return box outside the front door and went to work. We had thought that we'd like to have Chinese Buffet for lunch but the restaurant near the Winn Dixie where we'd shopped had no buffet, so we struck out west to find one. We found a great Mexican restaurant in the Six Gun Mall in Silver Springs instead. When we got back Mark played his guitar for a while and later Bob came over with his banjo. Later still we shared a campfire in our yard.
Q047389 Juniper Springs CG, Ocala National Forest #14 dry $8.50 A+ (x6)
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January 19, 2009 (Mon) Juniper Springs CG to Alexander Springs CG, Ocala NF (22/1428 miles) 52° - up over 70° during the day. Today was moving day but we took our time getting ready to go. We got off at about 9:30, dumped and navigated our way the few miles down the road to the Alexander Springs campground. About 3:00 Kaye, a friend of Bob and Pat's from Mars Hill, backed her motor home into a campsite next door and our week here began.
Previous campers in this site left quit a stash of firewood, albeit in log form (unsplit), scattered in the woods. We collected it and Bob pulled out the splitter he'd brought. Soon we had a nice big pile of fire wood that should last several nights. Our nightly domino game took on a whole new dynamic with a new player. Mark still won though.
January 20, 2009 (Tue) Alexander Springs CG (2) 47°@6 - Today was a day of celebration - for us, for the nation and, apparently, for the world. We spent most of the day in front of the television watching the festivities surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States. We took breaks now and then to take care of the business of living and camping and to enjoy a wonderful lamb roast dinner compliments of Bob and Pat. It was too cold and windy for a fire, as it probably will be the next couple of days and meaningful exercise took a low priority.
January 21, 2009 (Wed) Alexander Springs CG (3) 31°@6 - It was way too cold for showers in the unheated public showers so Q came to the rescue - after appropriate time for the furnace to warm things up inside. The cold kept the outdoor activities pretty much to the necessary. Joy, Pat and Kaye took a road trip to town. Kaye needed to replace her inverter (so her TV will work) and grocery supplies can always be boosted. But mostly to get away for a while. Bob and Mark made music for a while in the afternoon - in the sun - and we all braved the cold for a campfire in the late afternoon. Kaye supplied dinner in the form of a wonderful beef, noodle, and cheese casserole - comfort food!
January 22, 2009 (Thu) Alexander Springs CG (4) 26°@6 (32° inside) - Someone asked if we were afraid the tanks would freeze in this weather. No - as long as it gets above freezing during the day. The smaller plumbing pipes might be a problem but they are all inside where the temperature seldom gets below freezing for long. We wouldn't let it!
Bob and Pat have found more three foot logs on their morning walks and Bob, one each day, has been splitting them. We spend a couple of hours, this morning, sawing them in half and stacking them. It's a good way to stay warm on a cold day. It didn't warm up much during the day but the sun was warm. So warm, in fact, that a T-shirt was plenty for Mark when he was playing his guitar this afternoon. Joy, Pat and Kaye knitted as they enjoyed the warmth of the sun.
Alexander Springs CG, Ocala National Forest #38
QC91-04 Juniper Springs in Winter
January 14, 2009 (Wed) Juniper springs CG, Ocala National Forest (2) - 42° over night wasn't as cold as we'd expected but cold enough to wonder what it's going to be like when the temperature goes down to 20° later on in the week. We've been camping in colder weather but usually we have access to shore power to run a small electric heater. It's going to be a adventure. Showers were definitely an adventure, the restroom/shower house isn't heated. The water is hot though. But haste in transition (clothed to shower and back) was called for.
We walked to the visitor's center this afternoon with the intention of using the data connection in the public phone there to send out the chronicle. After some time to relearn the procedure (required every time we come here although it doesn't change) Mark was able to connected to the internet. But the mail would not go out. Nor could any be retrieved. At 10¢ a minute he didn't take the time to figure out why. There are other ways albeit later. On the way back we bought a bundle of wood for a fire tonight. The walk back to the campsite was a whole lot longer than the walk there. That wood was heavy!!
The generator died. We seldom use it but decided we could get triple duty - heat (from the heat pump), battery charging and exercise for the generator. Our first thought was, Oh no, now what? It turned out that it was doing what it is supposed to do - shutting down when the gas level gets low. This is so that the generator doesn't run the tank dry stranding us.
January 15, 2009 (Thu) Juniper springs CG (3) - 37° The weather reports said that it got down to 27° in Lake City (Ocean Pond). We're glad we're not there! Although it may get that cold here (or lower) in the next couple of days.
Bob and Mark took off this morning to find internet access. Bob's wireless modem can't find a strong enough signal here and the usefulness of the phone at the visitor's center is doubtful. They found a WiFi hotspot in the Aster, FL library. Meanwhile Pat and Joy hung out at home enjoying some time alone.
This campground is usually quite full but there seem to be a lot more empty sites this year. The long Martin Luther King weekend is coming up. It will be interesting to see if it fills up. We think that because of the economy and cold weather, it won't. Our campsite this year is a lot more secluded than the ones we've had in the past. There are other sites and campers nearby but our outside living area is completely surrounded with tropical vegetation. The sun (as when it was out yesterday) warms a nice big area yet there is shade if that were called for. We might try for this one next time.
January 16, 2009 (Fri) Juniper springs CG (4) - 45° over night and only up to 54° during the day. We've heard that running the motor home engine will charge the batteries faster than the generator so we've been doing that - even before the generator died. It also helps a lot with the heating. Although we don't know if this uses more gas that running the generator (or less) it does use gas. We decided not to chance running out and took off to find a gas station. We found one in Forest, FL (not on the map) 8 miles west on US40.
We also did a little shopping at the Winn-Dixie supermarket across the road. Finding a laundromat (a secondary and not really necessary "we're going out anyway so we might as well go on and do it" mission) took us 15 miles further west to Silver Springs. Mark was able to use Bob's wireless modem to "do" email while we were there. Lunch at Arby's was big enough for two meals so we have lunch for tomorrow night. Joy fixed pizza for dinner tonight with Bob and Pat (we used the oven in their motor home) and we finished the evening with dominoes (the game not the pizza).
Q047389 (53/1406 miles) To Silver Springs and back
January 17, 2009 (Sat) Juniper Springs CG (5) - 35° at 6:00 this morning - 41° inside (without the furnace) - but we were very comfortable under our down comforter. It was cold getting up though. The sun warmed it a little when it got high enough but sweatshirts and down vests were appropriate dress. The sun on the solar panel helped replenish some of the power we've been using, so that was good.
We took a walk down by the springs in the early afternoon and hiked a loop on the Florida National Scenic Trail, about 3 1/2 miles. One of the attractions in this park is the spring fed swimming "pool". Built like a spa in times past, there is a wall surrounding it with steps down into the water every so often. There was one youngster (maybe 15 years old) toweling off at the head of one of the steps. Too cold for swimming? He said it wasn't bad when you get used to it. Ah youth!!
Alexander Springs campground is our next stop. We'll go there tomorrow.
QC91-03 Ocean Pond and Transition
January 10, 2009 (Sat) Ocean Pond CG, Osceola National Forest (5) - We turned the furnace on and opened the bathroom door before we got up this morning. 47° isn't all that cold for sleeping but it needs to be warmer than that for showers. Mark turned on the water in a nice warm bathroom found no hot water. We'd forgotten to turn on the water heater! Oh well , breakfast first. It turned into a pretty nice day - temperatures in the low 70s and more or less clear skies. There was a bit of a breeze at times but not bad. We spend the day doing a lot of nothing. A walk in the late morning took us out a nearby forest road (dirt) to the "main" road to the park. Other that that it was reading, knitting and napping by the fire.
The campground hasn't filled up as we'd expected it to for the weekend. We are still the only units the semi-hookup area other than the host. There are a couple of tents in the primitive area but that's it for this end of the park. We haven't been in the high rent area (water and electric hookup) recently so we don't know what's happening there. Maybe tomorrow.
January 11, 2009 (Sun) Ocean Pond CG (6) - Warmer last night (60°) and kind of overcast this morning. We heard some light rain on the roof before we got up but scant indication of it when it got light. The actual rain held off until after lunch and then it didn't rain all that hard - it was enough to bring Mark and his guitar in under the awning though. The heavier rain came in the evening while we were playing dominoes. The daytime temperature only made it to 68°. (When life is slow there's not much to talk about other than the weather.)
We had been debating whether we would need to dump the holding tanks before moving to Juniper Springs on Tuesday. The debate ended when we saw the flood in the bathroom. The gray water (sink and shower waste water) was more than full. That was no problem, other than a soggy rug, because the bathroom is basically a shower stall with a sink and toilet. There is a drain in the floor. We did have to go over and dump though.
January 12, 2009 (Mon) Ocean Pond CG (7) - In the past and even last year we've been able to go several days without needing to worry too much about the charge on the batteries. This year we've had to either start the engine or the generator at least once a day to keep a good charge. This may be because there is hardly ever any sun on the solar panel or because the batteries are losing their vitality even though they are only a year old. Or it may have something to do with CD player problem. Then again it may be the need run the furnace so much more. Or all of the above. It's a mystery to keep our minds busy on these long cool afternoons.
It was 47° over night and it got up to a blistering 52° this afternoon. It's not very nice weather for lounging around outside but not bad for hiking.
Q047217 Ocean Pond CG, Osceola National Forest #44 water $6.00g B (x7)
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January 13, 2009 (Tue) Ocean Pond CG to Juniper springs CG, Ocala National Forest (119/1353miles) - What a day to stay in bed under warm blankets listening to the rain on the roof. But the road beckons. This was moving day. It was good that we'd done most of our breaking camp duties yesterday. All that was left for us to do this morning was to stow the bicycles, disconnect the water and bring in the flags. Even so it was soggy work.
We got under way at about 9.25 (47°) - with some objection from Q. The truck battery was nearly dead (CD player problem again?) and the house batteries were so low that they barely managed the job of getting the engine started. Oh well, traveling should take care of that. It didn't! The problem was as bad or worse after stopping for groceries in Starke, FL. Time to check out the truck battery. It clearly wasn't holding a charge the way it should. A new battery from Walmart (replacing the one we got in Alaska in 2005) is making a big difference.
The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful. We got to Juniper Springs Campground at about 2:00 and settled into site #14 without bothering to set up. That can wait until tomorrow when it stops raining. We did deploy the awning a bit, though, to keep the rain out should we want to open the window - fat chance! It's going to get cold again tonight.
Q0473336 Juniper springs CG, Ocala National Forest #14 dry $8.50g B+
QC91-02 South to Ocean Pond
January 5, 2009 (Mon) Mars Hill, NC to Savannah, GA (359/1045miles) - It was raining slightly when we woke up and continued off and on as we got ready to leave Mars Hill. The heaviest downpour came just as Mark was about to dump the holding tanks - of course. We synchronized walkie-talkies with Bob and Pat and got on the road at about 9:30 (41°). Pat had taken the car to do a couple of errands and we met her on one of the I-26 exit ramps north of Asheville. When we tried to start Q after they'd hooked up, it wouldn't. Not even a click from the starter solenoid! Same problem we had on our trip to Syracuse, NY this Summer. With a boost from house batteries we were able to be on our way again. Over the course of the day we found that if we put a CD into the player (which didn't work) and left it in the slot, half in half out, when it ejected there was no problem. Obviously not a very good solution but workable for now.
We crossed the border into South Carolina at 11:15 (61°), ate lunch in the parking lot of an abandoned boarded up antique store - wonderful ambiance, sighted our first palm tree in Greenwood, SC at 12:56 (64°)and crossed into Georgia at 2:06 (65°). Gas in Louisville, GA was $1.65/g - actually there was some for less but that's what we paid. We pulled into the Savannah, GA Walmart parking lot at 6:15 and got ready to spend the night.
Q047026 Camp Walmart, Savannah, GA
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January 6, 2009 (Tue) Savannah, GA to Ocean Pond CG, Osceola National Forest (189/1234 miles) - It was not a good night. It was quiet and the light from outside was not too intrusive but we didn't sleep much. It may have been because we ate supper so much later than we are used to or the stress from yesterday's traveling, we don't know. We gave up at just before 6:00 and turned on the TV. Good signal, so therefore a good picture, from Savannah. We can't say too much for the content though. After some shopping in the Walmart store we got under way at about 8:25 (65° up from 62° over night) and proceeded south on US17.
In Darien, GA a sign: "Appliance Orphanage". (Used appliances?)
In Woodbine, GA a sign: "Dead People's Things For Sale" (Antique Shop?)
We got gas in Woodbine for $1.59 and crossed the border into Florida at 11:00 (67°) where prices tended to be 20¢ to 30¢ higher. We backed into site #44 in Ocean Pond Campground (our home for the next 7 days) at about 1:00 and spent the afternoon making it more livable - but mostly relaxing and enjoying the relative warmth.
January 7, 2009 (Wed) Ocean Pond CG (2) - We were surprised to find so few campsites occupied when we pulled in last night. About half of the sites with electricity were taken and only a couple of the sites with water only were taken. Unlike last time, we had plenty of choice. As I sit here looking out our dining room window I can see Spanish Moss draped pine forest to the east and the sun glittering off the lake through the trees to the south. Our living room window gives us a panoramic view of the campground road (paved) winding through more pine and palmetto forest. Bob and Pat's rig is snuggled up against the trees in the next campsite 100 feet or so to the west.
We took our time getting up and converting Q's bed back into a couch, showering and eating breakfast. Although the weather forecast called for rain later on during the day the clouds looked as if it would be sooner. And it was. Suddenly the sky opened up as if a bucket had been dumped. It was so sudden that Q's automatic roof vent couldn't close fast enough to keep the rug from getting wet. Several minutes into this downpour we saw Bob, Pat and Sheila (their dog) heading for their motor home walking very fast and soaking wet. They'd been out for a walk in the woods.
After the rain the day was pleasant, even sunny at times, warm enough for short sleeves on our walk - shorts would have been good if we'd thought to change into them. The 2 mile walk and a 3 mile bike ride was a start but a long way from what is needed to make up for the last several days of inactivity and eating.
January 8, 2009 (Thur) Ocean Pond CG (3) - The wind of the last two days was a cold front coming through - so say the weather people. It was colder again last night (43°) but not uncomfortably so but the sun and clear sky (and the weather forecast) held promise for another warm day. Joy and Pat took off early, about 9:00, to check out a yarn shop that we'd passed on the way in. In the afternoon we walked part of the Florida National Scenic Trail. The wind came up again later just as Mark got out his guitar - it's hard to read the music when it's flapping in the wind! Joy took shelter in Q reading and knitting. She is working on a pair of socks with yarn she bought in Alaska in 2005. Another rousing game of dominoes occupied our evening.
January 9, 2009 (Fri) Ocean Pond CG (4) - Another cold night for Florida (42°) and, again, the sun and clear skies this morning promised better things to come. It only made it to 59° but the wind has calmed down. This campground has laundry facilities so Joy took advantage this morning and this afternoon we all took off on foot to see if we could find our way to the docks that we can see part way around the lake. We started out East along a grass covered service road and around a chained gate at the campground boundary. A dirt road a little further on lead us past 4 or 5 small cottages scattered along a mile or so of what we assumed was the lake shore. But there was no lake access. The road was a dead end.
Ed and Kathy pulled onto our pad with their friends mid afternoon and joined us at the campfire for a while. They are camping in a park 20 or so miles from here. After they left we lingered at the campfire reading and visiting until just before sundown when it started to get very chilly. It's supposed to be cold again tonight. It's getting a good start.
QC91-01 South to North Carolina
December 30, 2008 (Tue) Home to Winchester, VA (296/296) - We backed out of our driveway at 9:45 (40°) - very slowly! Q's new bicycle rack is lower than the old one. Although not as low as the bicycles hung before, as it turned out. There was plenty of clearance in the dip at the end of the driveway. But we bumped the back step getting out of the Welch Farms parking lot after picking up a news paper. We've come out of that lot several times. This is the first time we hit bottom. Signs of the trip to come?
The gas price on the Garden State Parkway (northbound) was $1.55/g - a little higher than some non captive stations but not much - so we went on and filled up rather than wait for higher prices in Pennsylvania. West on I-78 we saw four police cars, lights flashing, with a van pulled over near Clinton, NJ - and one on the way. Poor guy! The temperature slowly increased as we went south on I-80, 47° as we crossed into Maryland and 51° at the Virginia border. It was quite windy until around noon.
We watched a beautiful sunset across the Winchester, VA Walmart parking lot, complete with car, trucks, signs and wires in the foreground, as we settled in for evening. This is our fourth stop here - not the greatest in ambiance, other than the sunset, but the cost is right. There are only two other RVs (small) here.
Q046279 Camp Walmart, Winchester, VA
December 31, 2008 (Wed) Winchester, VA to Mars Hill, NC (390/686 miles) - Yesterday the temperature went steadily up all day, today it went steadily down. Although it got down to 42° overnight it was 47° when we got off at 7:20 but that was as high as it got - And the wind about blew us off the road a couple of times. We learned later that the area had been subject to gusts of up to 60mph! Snow flurries now and then added to the excitement through the relatively higher elevations of the lower Appalachian Mountains.
Rather than turn left across 4 lanes of traffic after getting gas in Middletown, VA ($1.44/g) we decided to turn right and make a U turn down the road a bit. That turned into an adventure. We got into a tight little shopping mall terraced into a slope. The change in road grade from lot to lot and back onto the street was such that we had to risk bumping the bicycles and rear step no less than 3 times. Several times we had to stop and back out or the situation and find another way - while locals patiently waited (and laughed?)
We pulled into Bob and Pat's yard at 3:30 and got set up to stay a while. Our New Year's Eve consisted of dinner with Bob and Pat and a couple of their friends (John and Marty) and a rousing game of dominoes. We were in bed by 11:30 and made the mistake of turning on the TV to watch the ridiculously hyped excitement in New York's Times Square.
January 1, 2009 (Thu) Mars Hill (2) - Happy New Year! (19°) We celebrated the start of the new year by fixing our daughter-in-law's French Toast (The "official" name is Challah French Toast' but to us it will always be Barbara's French Toast).
We just "hung out" the rest of the day until late afternoon when we all went up to Sam (Bob and Pat's daughter) and Mike's house for dominoes and dinner. A great time was had by all but Mike' who watched the Penn State football team go down in defeat.
January 2, 2009 (Fri) Mars Hill (3) - Not as cold last night (31°) but we woke to the sound of rain and sleet on Q's roof. There was no accumulation on the ground but ice had formed on the steps so we had to be careful going in and out. We went into Weaverville to a cafe owned by the sister of a friend back home. The food was excellent and was enough to last us the rest of the day. In the evening Kay, a friend of Bob and Pat's, came by for supper. Tomorrow she will start out on her first RV trip since losing her husband, interrupting their travel in Alaska last summer. It was good to see her in such good spirits. We will be meeting her again in a campground in Florida.
January 3, 2009 (Sat) Mars Hill (4) - It was 35° when I thought to look, so maybe the overnight temperature was a degree or two lower - not bad after the last few. Bob and Pat went off to what is affectionately called "The Old Men's Breakfast" (this time with wives) leaving us to mind the house and its animals. Mark installed a communications driver on the computer (in hopes of better internet access as we travel) while Joy did crossword puzzles and some knitting. Later Joy and Pat went Burnsville to check out a quilt and a yarn shop while Mark continued to get the communications driver to work and Bob did some chores in the Mountain Hopes horse barns. The rest of the day we all hung out and relaxed.
January 4, 2009 (Sun) Mars Hill (5) - Church today was inspiring both from environmental and spiritual points of view. The past year has been unsettling for us in our relationship with our church. It was so good to "come home". This afternoon we stayed out of Bob and Pat's way as they packed their motor home - at least we hope we were able to do that. In the late afternoon and early evening was Bob's birthday party at a friend's house. This overeating has got to stop!
The temperature reached 60° during the day which was a pleasant change.
Q046669 Bob and Pat's yard (x5)
