QC11-03 Juniper Springs

January 7, 2011 (Fri) Juniper Springs CG, Ocala NF (2) 34/64° - Our campsite here in Juniper Springs is one of the better ones we've had. In years past it has been the home of one of the volunteer campground hosts. Last year and this, it being used by paying campers. We wonder if this reflects the poor economy (lack of volunteers) or moving the volunteer staff into a separate area. We think it is a loss. It was comforting to know that there was staff in the area if an emergency (or question) comes up. The site is on the corner where we can watch campers coming and going.

It was cold this morning, 34°, so we saved our showers until this afternoon when it was warmer. The rest of the day we spent resting and adjusting to not traveling and to being on our own again. For most of the day it was too cool to be outside unless we were active in some way. But by mid afternoon we were able to sit and read without shivering - as long as we were sitting in the sun.

January 8, 2011 (Sat) Juniper Springs CG, Ocala NF (3) 49/69° - Here it is a Saturday and the campground should be full to overflowing. It's not. In fact there were very few here until mid to late afternoon. A cruise around the campground about 5:00 showed many sites full but there are still a surprising number empty. It warmed up nicely this afternoon even to the point where we could take our sweatshirts off for a while - if we were in the sun.

January 9, 2011 (Sun) Juniper Springs CG, Ocala NF (4) 30/54° - There is a small travel trailer over near the restrooms with a rather sizable and very noisy generator that seems to be always running. It's in the area of the campground where we usually are and makes us glad we are at the other end of the loop this time! It was running at 7:30 this morning (generator hours are from 8:00am to 8:00pm) when we walked by - and the people weren't even there! How's that for campground etiquette?

We got some good pictures of the spring on our walk over there this afternoon. We shared two of the better ones on Mark's Facebook page. Part of the "Nature Trail" follows the stream that we have canoed in other years. We wondered if the three young, probably college-age people just setting on their adventure would make the whole 7 1/2 miles without turning over. The helmsman seemed to know what he was doing but the others looked very inexperienced. It would be a cold adventure indeed if they went over.

January 10, 2011 (Mon) Juniper Springs CG, Ocala NF (5) 54/70° - We have been having a problem with the performance of our house batteries. They don't seem to be holding their charge and the use of almost any appliance drops the voltage reading considerably more than we think it should. So this morning we took them into Silver Springs to have them tested, when we went in to do some laundry. The lady who tested them said they were fine. There must be something else going on. Mark did make an interesting discovery after putting gas in the CRV, though. When he pulled away from the gas station a dark blue McSedan (Lincoln, Cadillac, Chrysler, ??) almost hit him. The front license plate read "God is my pilot". Does that mean that God is not a very good pilot?

January 11, 2011 (Tue) Juniper Springs CG, Ocala NF (6) 53/68° - The batteries seem to be working more normally now that their positions have been switched. Or, more likely, now that the terminal connections have been tightened.

We're hearing in the news that there is another big storm headed for the northeast. We sure are glad we are here not there. We do worry about our house though.

January 12, 2011 (Wed) Juniper Springs CG, Ocala NF (7) 30/49° - It worked! We are using FMCA mail forwarding service this year. It's the first time we've used them, opting in the past to have our neighbor collect and send it on. We'd heard that it works well but we were nervous until we picked up our first package in Astor, FL this afternoon - 2 days after it was sent. Other than the quick trip into Astor - we had to wait 45 minutes for the PO to reopen from their lunch break. We spent a quiet, albeit cold, day. Mark tried to spend some time outside with his guitar but the frigid air soon drove him back inside where Joy had stayed with her reading and knitting. A group of teenage hikers a couple of campsites down don't seem to mind the cold at all. One of them is even wearing shorts! Ah, youth.

We're off to Alexander Springs Recreation Area tomorrow.

Q072877 Juniper Springs CG, Ocala National Forest. #33 dry $9.50 A (x7)