Collier-Seminole State Park

Hi all - Dianne here.  We spent three short days at Collier-Seminole State Park outside Naples, Florida.   As we suspected, there were too many trees for us to have satellite coverage, so we "roughed it" without satellite OR TV for the time we were there.   The only local channel we were able to get was a fuzzy FOX station; that was good enough for us to get our weekly fix of American Idol.  We did miss having internet access, but there is a lot to do there at Collier-Seminole, so we were certainly not bored.

The park rangers there are very proactive, putting on lots of programs. They were all very, very helpful and friendly.  I give the staff there an A+!   

We took the dogs hiking on a trail, then took ourselves in the SS Minnow on a canoe trail through the mangroves.  I'll let Roger elaborate on that a bit.  In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we did it two days in a row.

Roger here...  On the first full day we did a one-mile hike with the dogs.

  Dianne took some interesting pictures of the red-barked Gumbo

 Limbo tree, as well as the red fungus (maybe lichen) that lives on many of the trees.

  Later in the day we took our first excursion on the

 Blackwater River that flows through the park.  Before the paddle trip we registered with the park rangers so they could send out a search party if we did not return.  The river, which is affected by the tides, is truly "black" due to the tannins in the water - lots of  jumping fish and other creatures in the water that we could not see.  (Note from Dianne - at the very shallow points where we could see the bottom, it was obvious that the water was surprisingly clean and clear, despite the dark color.  The bottom just looked like sand with a scattering of leaves which had dropped from the trees.  

Also, the SS Minnow was actually cleaner after our trip than when we had it in the Caloosahatchee River.  It hardly had to even be wiped down.)  

At the launch area, the river was pretty wide.  However, after about a quarter mile it 

narrowed into a winding, deep, somewhat narrow stream through the mangroves. We soon found ourselves totally alone as we criss-crossed up the stream.  In one section the sky disappeared under a complete cover of mangroves - much like paddling in a cave.  Deep in that section, we saw a small set of eyes protruding out of the water.  We thought it might be a snake, but upon closer inspection we confirmed it to be a baby alligator.  We knew it was newly hatched because it still had its yellow stripe.    We made it about a mile and a half the first day

 before turning back shortly after seeing the baby gator.  It kind of creeped me out.  Dianne, however, was very brave.  The paddle trail is 13.5 miles long and eventually dumps into the Gulf.  Obviously, due to the ridiculously small gator, we barely put a dent in the trail.

When we checked back in with the rangers at the end of the trip, they assured me that if we encountered a gator, that it would leave us alone unless we harassed it.  (Right, like I'm going to harass an alligator in an inflatable kayak!).  They encouraged us to go again the next day and to go further, which we did.  On the second day we  paddled for about four miles and had a great time - a very different experience than Sugar Creek in Indiana.  We intend to go kayaking a couple more times before we leave South Florida.

Dianne already mentioned how nice Collier-Seminole State Park is.  While wandering through the park, we took a couple shots with the dogs as we clowned around at the Barron Collier monument.  

We also took some shots of the "Walking Dredge" display 

that was used to build the Tamiami Trail Highway (US 41) through the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp, linking Tampa and Miami and opening southwest Florida to travelers. 

  

We had some time to lounge around the campsite.  There was actually wildlife viewing at the site with dozens of gray squirrels (kept Jasper on his toes, Chaplin just slept), lizards, and about thirty kids in tents with their fathers on a weekend outing.  (Dianne here - there wasn't a mom in the bunch.   It wasn't the boy scouts, because there were both boys and girls, of all ages.  They had a great time, and I dubbed the group the "Good Dads Club.")   We did not get a shot of the tent city across from us, but I am really pleased with the picture of the small lizard

 that I got on a tree at the exact moment that he extended his very red neck in a mating ritual.  

The park had an ice cream social on the last evening we were there. 

 Dianne made sure that Jasper and Chaplin were able to partake - vanilla ice cream, their favorite.

Dianne again - Our site at Collier-Seminole was not spacious by any means, but the activities there made up for it.   Another interesting aspect of the area here is that it is one of the few sites where royal palm trees are indigenous to the area.   They are interesting to view up close; the trunks on the mature trees look like concrete.   The younger palms have stripes and green areas. 

  I am including a photo of a tree from one of our hikes, but I'm not sure you can get the true effect. 

  Charlie the cat wasn't very happy at Collier-Seminole; because of the dirty sand everywhere on our site, I KNEW the first thing he would do if we let him out on his harness was roll around in it and then his fur would be a mess.  At least whippets don't normally roll in the dirt, and even if they did, their fur is so short we could just wipe them down.   With Charlie it would have been a major issue.  

Check back in a few days and we'll get caught up and describe our fun days here at the Groves in Fort Myers with our camping buddies, Chuck and Cindy, and their brand new puppy.   See you then!

Disturbing the Peace and Other Tales From Ortona Locks

Dianne here -- We are down to our last day here at Ortona Locks.  Tomorrow we pack up and move this gypsy caravan to Collier-Seminole State Park for a short, three-day stay.  There is a chance we may not have internet access while at Collier-Seminole, depending upon the tree situation at our designated camp site.  So far, since the installation of our Datastorm Motosat in January, we've had clear views of the southern sky.  Here at Ortona there is a tree which comes really close to blocking us, but it doesn't.  If we are blocked at Collier-Seminole, you won't hear from us until after we get set up at the Groves in Fort Myers on Saturday.

Roger and I walked the dogs across the dam and locks to the other side of the river.   We had to carry the dogs across the catwalk because it was metal grate and their feet might have fallen through.  I'm including several shots of our camp site (#32) here at Ortona Locks taken from across the river.  It gives a better feel for how we are situated with the river, the foot bridge, and the fishing pier.  This is a very popular campground in the winter, and we made our reservations the minute they became available 180 days prior, last August.  It's lovely now, but would be even prettier if it weren't so dry.  Two things that surprise me about Florida weather in the winter:  1) how DRY it is, with low humidity, and   2) how WINDY it can be.  We've hardly been able to use our awning at all. 

  But I sure am not complaining about the sunshine, the temperature, and the beautiful skies!!  

  Charlie the cat and I have a new morning routine, now that it's nice and warm early in the morning.   He joins me outside for a little bird watching from our patio.  He has gotten used to his little harness to the point that now he stands still and purrs when I put it on him, because he knows it means he's about to go outside.   People sometimes ask me how our dogs get along with Charlie the cat.  

Just to prove that they get along just fine, here's a photo I snapped today while vacuuming the motor home.  Jasper and Charlie retreated to Charlie's favorite vantage point so that they could guard the motor home while I got my chores done!   Chaplin preferred to lay outside in the grass, his favorite pastime.

Roger will add his literary talents now to go along with the photos he took:

Roger here...  Now for the disturbing the peace part....  This may be the calmest and most peaceful place where I have ever spent an extended period of time.  Since it was my birthday, I wanted to take full advantage of the short remaining time that we had here.  In other words, I wanted to read and vegetate in the warm Florida sun while looking at the palm trees and the river.  It was not to be so until later in the evening due to three disturbances.

Dianne and I were reading and comfortably ensconced in our outdoor lounge chairs when there was a yelp (Ewwwww!) from Dianne followed by a lunge for the binoculars and a run around the motor home. 

 After I rubbed out the kink in my neck caused by my startled reaction, I inquired from Dianne, "What is going on?"  She claims that she responded, but from past experiences, I know that she did not.  I eventually followed her around the motor home to find her glued to her binoculars while exclaiming, "That was the orangest bird I have ever seen!" After calming down a bit and consulting her bird book she determined that it was a vermillion flycatcher.  (Our friend, Brad, would be so proud!)

After a few minutes of relative calm,

 Dianne retreated to the motor home while I returned to my chair.  Dianne has already told you about our cat, Charlie, and how he likes to be outside in his harness even though he cannot get to the birds that he wants to catch/eat.  The second disturbance took place when a toddler raced across the bridge squealing, "KITTY!"  Little Danny promptly picked up Charlie and squeezed the poop out of him before his mom came to the rescue.  When Danny put Charlie down, he burrowed under the patio mat for protection (see photo). 

 He now does that any time anyone walks by, unless it is a bird.  He doesn't like the outside quite so much, now.

The third disturbance was by far the most alarming - at least at the beginning.  Dianne and I had returned to our outdoor reading while the dogs rested on their mats.  The dogs are tethered when they are outside on fairly long cords that are attached to the picnic table.  Normally, they are extremely calm (almost looking dead) even when people and most dogs walk by.  BUT, at this moment, Jasper

 barked and lunged toward the motor home - practically breaking his neck by the time he ran out of cord.  In the process, the cord knocked down a chair and tipped over Dianne's precious Meyer Lemon Tree

 that we drag along with us.  (Dianne says that she knew it when it was a seed - just like the pets, the tree goes with us wherever we go.)  Back to the story...  Jasper had spotted an armadillo

 under the motor home.  Dianne was able to get a picture before it hopped away.  Jasper stayed on high alert for quite some time after the departure.  

The peace of Ortona eventually did return at dusk.  We were able to get several sunset (what else) shots at the end of the day, and one of a nearly full moon over a palmetto tree. 

 It was another spectacular sunset. 

 My favorite shot is of the sailboat that was tethered in the river for the night.   This third shot was actually shooting toward the reflection in the water; Dianne thought it was sky, and told me to be sure to note that it was just the sky reflection on the water of the Caloosahatchee River.

As Dianne said, tomorrow we leave this peaceful place and travel to Collier Seminole State Park - back in the everglades.  There should be lots to do there, but I doubt that it can match the serenity here. 

How The Other Half Lives - Naples Condo Visit

Hi all -- Dianne here.  We took a brief "vacation" from our vacation, and drove to Naples to visit our dear friends Jay and Nancy,
 who were down for a brief visit to their beautiful  condominium on Vanderbilt Beach in Naples.  The four of us have been friends for about 39 years, and were in each others' weddings back in the summer of 1972.  Some friendships just endure forever, and this is one of them. I asked permission to use my favorite photo of them, taken in front of our first home in Pendleton in the early 1970s.   I told Nancy that for the sake of fairness, I would also include an old photo of Roger and I as well, so we could all show the changes over the years.   The photo of Roger and I was taken in his mother's kitchen when we were dating. 

We always knew Jay would be very successful, back to the days when he was business manager at Sigma Nu fraternity at Purdue University.  Some people are just born with all the traits needed to succeed, and Jay is one of them.  (Roger here...  I have very distinct memories of Jay traveling to the General Telephone offices in Lafayette to dispute the phone charges from the fraternity - every- single - month.) Add in Nancy's common sense and business smarts, and you have an unbeatable combination. 

  Roger and Jay were fraternity brothers at Purdue.  Nancy and I worked together.  Nancy had dated Jay since high school, and they fixed Roger and I up on a blind date (because we were both short!).   Anyway, it's worked out rather well, don't you think?  

Roger here....  Taking everyone back in time ....  The weekend that I met Dianne was after a fraternity brother's wedding in Chicago.  After the wedding two of my "brothers" and I made our way back to Frankfort, Indiana.  Jeff had a girlfriend at the time.  Jay was dating Nancy.  Which left me with nothing to do.  (Thank heaven for Nancy.)   I had never been on  a blind date before.  When I met Dianne in Jay's parents' living room, I thought ALL RIGHT!  I could not believe how beautiful she was.  I soon learned that she was beautiful on the inside, as well.

We spent three relaxing days with beautiful ocean views.   Instead of a campground, our friends get to sit on their private lanai (complete with outdoor grill)

 and watch the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico right from their condo.

   The condo is beautifully decorated, and the elevator opens up right into their foyer!   It is so lovely that I just have to include a few photos of it.

To illustrate what good friends they are, I knew if I asked her, Nancy would let me bring all my dirty laundry with me to use her washer and dryer while we were there!  So, there we came, like a couple of college kids coming home with all our dirty laundry!!   Those of you who wait lurking around to snatch up an empty washing machine at a campground realize what a luxury this was.   I felt very smug this morning as I walked the dogs past the campground washing machine, knowing I wouldn't have to use it.  

We took a side trip to the local Costco to use our $400+ rebate for using our Costco American Express card for most of our purchases throughout the year.  We pay it off every month, and the rebate really adds up at the end of the year.  We stocked up on consumables that we use while camping in the RV:  paper plates, cups, Brita filters, printer ink, coffee, cat litter, etc. etc. etc.   Nancy surprised Roger with a delicious Costco birthday cake so that we could celebrate his upcoming (March 8) birthday together.  Then, when we left on Wednesday, Nancy gave us all their unused grocery items and leftovers (including birthday cake!!), since they would be flying home to Indiana the next day.  Between our Costco purchases, clean laundry, clothes, and freebie food items, we barely had room in our little car

 for the dogs when we picked them up from the boarding facility! 

I bought a book through Amazon "Google Blogger for Dummies."  It has helped me spruce up the blog a bit.  In addition to the photo behind the title, it showed me how to link to the photos of our house for sale.  While at the condo, we received a call that we had another showing for our house!  That makes three so far this winter, when we only had two all last spring and summer.  Hope springs eternal that we might actually sell it and be able to plan our adventures for next fall and winter.  I include the link, because you never know when somebody might know somebody who might know somebody who is looking!!  Check it out at the right sidebar if you're at all interested or know someone who might be.