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