Memories of Florida

Posted on April 29, 2013 by fran

It feels good to be on the road again after four months of sitting still. I was rarely still mind you, but “The Beast” was… sitting in the shade of a big oak tree that dropped things on her constantly, (acorns, tufts of spanish moss, twigs and even limbs at times, not to mention the dust and pollen) and was home to a lot of birds who dropped things on her too! And although I walked Jazzy and Sadie several times a day, they spent a fair bit of time waiting patiently for me to return from a water excursion that did not include them. They clearly share my joy to be on the road again, not to mention the new trails and scents to be found along the way. As the miles disappear beneath me though, my melancholy mind draws me back to my memories of Florida.

Of all the states I’ve been through on my journey, Florida has seen the most of me. One month last spring, and four months this winter and early spring add up to a little more than a quarter of my time out here. I’ve already written about Florida nine times. (see My Favorite Places Revisited for quick links to all of them) You would think I’d run out of things to share, but the experiences just kept coming.

My new friends Glen and Gwen, and their “Gulf to Lake Paddlers” group, got me out on Rainbow River a second time. It was interesting to see how springtime had changed the landscape in the two weeks since we had been there. Many of the birds even acted differently. I’d never tire of the unique and diverse variety of birds in Florida, especially along the waterways.

Great Egret takes flight over Rainbow River

Great Blue Heron in breeding plumage fishes the shores of Rainbow River

Juvenile Little Blue Heron, just starting to show his true colors!

White Ibis in flight over Rainbow River.

Male Anhinga, sporting his breeding colors (note green around eyes), rests above Rainbow River.

Spring colors at Rainbow River

I was fortunate to get my daughter, Elissa, out to visit me twice while camped in Florida. We enjoyed some day trips, including Tarpon Springs and Cedar Key. And although she was a little reluctant at first, I got her out kayaking along Halls and Homosassa Rivers, and ultimately out on the Weeki Wachee. There’s no doubt she enjoyed both adventures immensely!

Kayaking Halls River with Elissa and our new friend Reuben.

School of dolphin making a meal of mullet along Homosassa River

Momma Wood Duck cruises with her babies on Homosassa River

Little Blue Heron, Weeki Wachee Springs

Weeki Wachee Springs

We were also treated to a private stroll along the Three Sisters Springs boardwalk with my friend Kathy. This was shortly before the warmer weather took most of the manatee back out into the Gulf.

Manatee at Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River

Great Horned Owl, Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park

Curious turtle at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park

One thing about staying camped in one place for awhile, it’s easier to build friendships with the people I meet. That was the case with Trish and RD Daniels, and their friend Jim. Trish and RD (neighbors in the campground) invited me to join them for a day trip to the Clearwater Beach area to visit their friend Jim. We had a marvelous time taking a ferry out to Caladesi Island where we strolled the beach for quite some time, talking and plucking seashells from the sand, followed by a sunset dinner on Clearwater Beach.

A walk on Caladesi Island with new friends Trish, RD and Jim.

Willet’s standing on the shores of Caladesi Island

Seashell seashore of Caladesi Island

Gopher Tortoise grabbing a meal on Caladesi Island

Enjoyed dinner at sunset on Clearwater Beach with Trish, RD and Jim.

Another outing, this time to Crystal River and Three Sisters Springs, with my “Gulf to Lake Paddlers” friends. I’m really going to miss this gang!

Gulf to Lake Paddlers, Three Sisters Springs.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Crystal River

And days before I rolled out of Homosassa/Crystal River area my wonderful friends Gwen and Glen took me out for a fishing excursion on the Gulf. I managed to catch a two Spotted Sea Trout and two Mackerel. I gave the Mackerel to friends, but made a couple of yummy meals out of the Trout. We spotted a few bald eagle on the way back up Crystal River. Such magnificent birds!

Catch of the day! Mackerel on the left and Spotted Sea Trout on the right.

Bald eagle perched atop a palm on Crystal River

Bald eagle in flight over Crystal River

Four months after my arrival in Homosassa, it was finally time to go. I found myself having to go through a mental checklist before hitting the road. The important things that had become so routine felt oddly new to me again, for a few minutes anyway… secure everything that can slide or fall while mobile, awning in, patio chairs and grill stowed, slides in, jacks up, unhook utilities, clean and stow same, program GPS, dogs in, steps up, break off, take a good look in every direction and take a big WIDE turn out of campsite, find a spacious place to pull over and park, run back for the car, hook up, run through all the gears and let it idle in neutral for 3 minutes, put her in AUX mode, hop behind the wheel of The Beast, buckle up and hit the road with plenty of water, good tunes and a smile!!!

At the recommendation of my friend Jim at Nature’s I made one last stop before leaving the state… Ochlockonee River State Park. This is a small but beautiful park just south of Sopchoppy Florida, home of the Worm Gruntin’ Festival. I got such a kick out of this (and the fact that I’d missed it by a couple days) that I had to stop and ask a local to clue me in. Worm grunting is a technique used for bringing earthworms (bait) to the surface. The “grunters” pound a wooden rod into the ground and rub a metal flatiron back and forth across the top of it. The vibration either gets them excited or drives the worms crazy, but it brings them to the surface.

My campsite right along the river in Ochlockonee River State Park

Pines and Palmettos, Ocklockonee River State Park

This park is well known for their unusual White Squirrels which weren’t running around in abundance like the others, but I did manage to find a few.

White Squirrel, Ochlockonee River State Park

Small pond surrounded by Pine trees in Ochlockonee River State Park

While camped here I dropped my kayak in the water for a 7.5 mile solo adventure on a loop up the Ochlockonee River, down the twists and turns of Bear Creek, and back up the river to the campground. It was a hot, muggy afternoon, but the exercise felt good and I enjoyed the peacefulness and critters along the way.

This Osprey, carrying a rather sizable branch, reminded me of the endless walks I took with the dogs while camped in Homosassa. I was amazed to watch Osprey flying above the treetops and snapping off brittle branches to use in their nests.

Osprey busy building a nest. Ochlockonee River

Curious Alligator on Bear Creek

At the recommendation of the park ranger I took a side trip to Wakulla Springs State Park and did their boat ride. It’s the only way to see most of this beautiful bit of waterway since they don’t allow any other boats on the water within the park, and there are no trails along the water. Because of this there’s an abundance of wildlife. Lots of alligator, turtles and of course all the birds I’ve grown to love. I also visited St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, a vast haven for Florida’s critters.

Nesting Osprey, Wakulla Springs

Bald cypress, Wakulla Springs

Great Egret in breeding plumage, Wakulla Springs

Bald Cypress, Wakulla Springs

Nesting Osprey, Wakulla Springs

Tri-colored Heron, St. Marks Wildlife Refuge

Florida was a special place for me in many ways. The waterways, especially those that can’t be accessed by motorboat, were absolutely stunning. And as I’ve mentioned, I’m a big fan of the birds found throughout the state. What I’ll remember most about Florida though is the wonderful new friends I met there. There are far too many of you to name here, but I know you know who you are. I want YOU to know that you will all be a part of my treasured memories as I travel down the road.

***Note, for those of you who are unaware, I’ve finally created a Journey In Focus Facebook page where you will find more frequent tidbits as I travel. Feel free to go there, and if you’d like, you can “like” it. https://www.facebook.com/JourneyInFocus Remember also that you can sign up for email notifications when I post here by clicking on the mail icon at the top of my home page. And feel free to leave your comments here! I always enjoy hearing from y’all!

My Favorite Places Revisited

Posted on April 21, 2013 by fran

Hello friends! I know some of you have been wondering where I’ve been. Amazingly, until a couple days ago I hadn’t moved in nearly four months. My last few blog posts were about my time in a special part of Florida… Homosassa/Crystal River… and in particular, the wonderful experiences I had and the special friends I met there. My time was so full that I decided to take a little hiatus from blogging… give myself permission to let it go for awhile, breath and enjoy the days. Letting go of life’s pressures WAS after all, one of the purposes of this journey.

So I kayaked, and did road trips, and spent time with friends, and walked the dogs a LOT! And I worked on other projects, including a “slideshow” from my first fifteen months on the road. THAT was one hellava big task! But it was inspiring, even to me.

After more than 23,000 miles on the road, not to mention hundreds on foot and nearly that many by kayak, I was overwhelmed. More importantly… I was grateful. I was grateful for the gift bestowed on all of us of this great land. I was grateful for the spirit it took to put myself out here. And I was grateful for the vision to see and capture the stunning vistas, and incredible animals, and memorable moments… to share.

I’ve been asked numerous questions while on my journey, the most amusing of which is, “You drive that big thing… YOURSELF?” Honestly, it never occurred to me that I couldn’t. The number one question though, is “Of all the places you’ve been, where were your favorites?”

While working on my slideshow I was inspired to consider this question, pick my favorites, and share my answers with you. Picking my favorites was harder than it might seem, for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s limited to places I’ve been on my journey. The choices may also be skewed by other factors… weather, season, how much time I had in any given place, and what I was able to do with that time. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ve yet to see some of my favorite places, and that some of the places I’ve seen might have been favorites if only I’d had good weather, or more time.

Five favorites seemed like a fair number, but I constantly found myself wanting to add more. And of course… there were an overwhelming number of images from these places to share in one post. My remedy to that is to share a few select images, and the links (in blue) to my writings about these places. By following the links to the pages you will not only see more of the beauty, but read about the experiences as well. I also decided not to limit myself to one “stopover” point, one town, or one park, but rather “areas” that I feel comfortable grouping together as “a place”.

Keep in mind also, that I grew up in Washington State and lived in California for more than fifteen years. Both are amazingly beautiful and diverse states, but neither is on my list simply because they were not in the least bit new to me. They are both well deserving of top honors though, and if you read my posts about them you’ll understand why. (Just type Washington or California in the search bar at the top of my home page.)

So… here we go… in random order;

Upstate New York- I traveled into New York State through the southern tip of Canada (Niagara Falls area), and almost hate to admit how astonished I was as I made my way across the state. From Letchworth State Park, through the Finger Lakes region, and into the Adirondack Mountains. The landscape was lush… the lakes and waterfalls gorgeous!

Middle Falls in Letchworth State Park

Watkins Glen Gorge, Watkins Glen New York

Enfield Creek, Robert H. Treman State Park

Seventh Lake, New York

Ausable River near Lake Placid

Read my tales from Upstate New York at these links.

Crossing Into New York

Come Along on a Walk with Me!

Where Fairy Tales are Born

Trips and Trails and Puppy Dog Tales

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Oregon Coast- Having grown up in Washington the Oregon coastline was not entirely new to me, but I had not seen it since I was young and never in it’s entirety. I did a multi-day side trip to see the northern part of this coastline while I was home in Washington visiting family. Cannon Beach was the first place Jazzy and Sadie ever set foot on a beach, and they LOVED it. They ran and romped and played gleefully in the soft sand and cool breeze.

I traveled the southern part of this coastline when I continued on my journey after more than a month in Washington. My camp spots were almost always within the sound of the surf. The peaceful sound of the waves rolling rhythmically into shore is something I’ll never grow tired of. And of course the dogs loved our crisp morning walks in the sand. I did ride out one of the most brutal storms I’ve endured on this journey while camped along the shore in Gold Beach, but by morning the skies were beautiful, and everything even fresher than the day before!

Cannon Beach

Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach

Oregon Sand Dunes near Coos Bay

After the storm, Oregon coast

Oregon Coast

Read and see more here!

The Oregon Coast

When I Think it Can’t Possibly Get Any Better…

Stormy Weather

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Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks- Where do I begin! Between the stunning vistas, the many hiking trails, and the amazing variety and abundance of wildlife I was in paradise between these two parks. Not only once, but twice I traveled here on my journey. It was so hard to drive away from here that I pushed back my departure three days in a row. To put it simply… mountains, lakes, rivers, bison, antelope, and moose. Lots of ‘em!

Autumn color before the Grand Tetons.

Bull Bison and Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park

Osprey bringing fish to the nest, near West Yellowstone

On a day ride from West Yellowstone up to the Continental Divide and the border of Idaho.

Old barn and the Grand Tetons from Mormon Row.

Jackson Lake and the Grand Tetons.

Lots of goodies to see and read about here!

Sunrise on The Tetons

Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

The Road to Yellowstone

Tetons… Way Beyond Grand

Full Circle Through Eden

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Upper Peninsula of Michigan- I’d always heard how beautiful the “U.P.” is, and I swore one day I’d get there. When the time finally came I wasn’t disappointed. I’m glad I allowed myself ample time to experience this place from west to east. My only regret was leaving before the turning of the autumn leaves. All the more reason to come back one day. One thing that will always stand out to me was having to keep telling myself, while watching the waves crash ashore on Lake Superior, “This is not an ocean!”

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

MichiganPictured Rocks along Lake Superior, Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

A hike in the woods, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Lower Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Crisp Point Lighthouse, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Yakin’ with Jazzy and Sadie in Tahquamenon Falls State Park

Beautiful images and some good stories here…

Pure Michigan- The Upper Peninsula (part one)

Pure Michigan- The Upper Peninsula (part two)

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The Waterways of Florida- I’m writing this post a day after departing Florida for the second time on my journey. Last spring I spent a month traveling throughout the state, mostly under a storm cloud. I made camp in numerous places between the western gulf shores, the Keys, and all the way up the east coast. This time around I spent more than four months hovering south of “old man winter”. Most of that time was spent camped in one place… Nature’s Resort in Homosassa. Before my arrival in Homosassa the longest I camped in one place was a week. (My average stay was 3-4 days!) It was not my intention to stay in one place, but the price was right and there was no shortage of beautiful places to see!

Ichetucknee Springs

Great Egret flying over Santa Fe River

Sunset from my campsite on Grassy Key

My first Manatee encounter, Homosassa River

Great Blue Heron flies over Halls River

Kayaking with friends at Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River

Read all about this marvelous state! (These posts are from spring of 1012 and winter of 2013)

Rolling Into Spring

New Sights and New Routines

Bird is the Word

Between Spring Showers

Final Days in Florida (2012)

Florida Take Two

The Warmth of Homosassa

More Beauty Around Homosassa

Friends Along Florida Waterways

Memories of Florida

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There were several other places vying for the top five spots here, and well worth mentioning. As stated, Washington State… in particular the North Cascades, the Olympic Peninsula, and the San Juan Islands in the Puget Sound. California… the northern coastline, Redwood Forest, Yosemite and Sonoma Valley. Glacier National Park… WOW! Colorado… the entire western two-thirds! Sedona… one of the most unimaginably stunning places I’ve ever seen. Utah… from Arches National Park all the way down through Canyonlands National Park and beyond was breathtaking!! (My posts about all of these places can be accessed through the search bar at the top of my home page.)

While working on the slideshow I was reminded not only of the beautiful places I have been, but also the unforgettable experiences I’ve had along the way. Seeing old friends and meeting new ones will always be at the top of that list. But the list goes on… kayaking amongst groups of dolphin, swimming with Manatee, getting up close with the mountain goats in Glacier National Park, an amazing wolf encounter that left me breathless, witnessing the birth of a baby Llama, rescuing and holding a hawk in Florida, and not only sharing more than 23,000 miles on the road, but hiking hundreds of miles of trails and shores with the two best dogs I know… Jazzy and Sadie.

And of course… spending time with my daughter, Elissa, at numerous beautiful spots across the country is one of those special blessings I could not have done without.

Kayaking with my girl!

Friends along Florida Waterways

Posted on March 5, 2013 by fran

Sorry once again for the delay in sharing my stories with you. I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy some great experiences with many new friends here in Florida, especially on the waterways. Lots of outdoor experiences means much time spent on my computer, loading and culling through the images I gather along the way, not to mention the tagging and writing.

The first stop I made during this venture into Florida was the Orlando area. It was there that I met a delightful new friend and fellow travel blogger, Erika Wiggins. I’ve been back to visit her twice while camped here in Homosassa. Through Erika I met yet another friend and fellow blogger, Rachelle Lucas. The three of us met up for some peaceful kayaking at Wekiva Springs. With so much in common conversation came easily as we enjoyed the serenity of the river.

Wekiva River

Alligator, Wekiva River

Rachel Lucas and Erika Wiggins on Wekiva River

Rachelle Lucas and Erika Wiggins on Wekiva River

I met three more “women of the water” right here in my campground. Donna Egbert, Sally Love and Kathy Edwards took me for a journey up Halls River to remote rookery filled with nesting birds.

Kayaking with Donna, Kathy and Sally on Halls River

Anhinga sunning on Halls River

Great Blue Heron nest , Halls River

I’ve mentioned in my last two blog posts that I’ve met a lot of new friends right here at Nature’s Resort. The “Cast of Characters” as I refer to them. From time to time I hop on a pontoon boat with one gang or another for a relaxing cruise down the river. Here’s some of my favorite characters… John, Gail, John (lots of John’s here!), JB (who’s also a John) and KC.

A few friends from Nature’s Resort

Osprey Nest on Homosassa River

Spider Monkey on Spider Island, Homosassa River

Spider Monkey on Monkey Island, Homosassa River

Alligator on Homosassa River

Pelicans scrambling for lunch on Homosassa River

When an article about my journey was featured on the front page of the Citrus County Chronicle I was almost overwhelmed by the outreach of many locals with suggestions of places I should see, and offers of kayaking adventures. It was that article that brought Glen and Gwen Cook into my life. It took a few weeks before we were able to coordinate our schedules for an outing on Crystal River, first on our kayaks to Three Sisters Springs, and then in their motorboat down the river to the gulf.

Gwen and Glen Cook

Pelican landing on Crystal River

Crystal River, Florida

Cormorant on Crystal River

Yellow-crowned Night Heron Crystal River

Days after our first outing I was invited to join up with a group of their friends for a 9-10 mile journey to Ozello Point and back. This was one of my more intense kayak workouts, in howling winds and waves.

I had a marvelous experience right after we launched our kayaks and headed down the channel toward to river. A hawk had gotten himself completely entangled in some fishing line and was struggling to fly, landing in the water amongst some of our group. He managed to flap himself to the shoreline nearby, but I doubted he’d survive as tangled up as he was. (I saw a dead Anhinga, caught up in fishing line and hanging from a tree limb, while out with the pontoon group above.)

Luckily one of the kids on the dock had a pocket knife, which was passed to me as I approached the hawk. I have to admit the sharp talons and beak of this panic stricken hawk were a little intimidating, but I took a slow and gentle approach. He must have sensed I was there to help because he held quite still as cut the line and untangled the rest from his body and wings. And then I got to hold him for a moment which was very cool indeed! (I believe it’s a Coopers Hawk. Any hawk experts out there??)

Interestingly I had a similar experience with a pelican who got snagged by a young boy fishing off the dock at Nature’s Resort a few weeks ago. I’m now being called “The Bird Whisperer”

Photo by Glen Cook

Long paddle with new friends, Crystal River

Great Blue Heron, Crystal River

With my new friends on Crystal River, L-R… Me, Richard, Carol, Glen, Rick, Layne, Kim, Gwen and Chuck

A day or two later I joined up with Glen, Gwen, Kim and Chuck for an outing at Rainbow Springs! This was one of my favorite spots yet!!

Rainbow Springs, Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida

Waterfall at Rainbow Springs, Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida

Trees at Rainbow Springs

Glen and Gwen Cook on Rainbow River

Tri-colored Heron landing at Rainbow Springs

Tri-colored Heron at Rainbow Springs

Anhinga at Rainbow River

Great Egret, Rainbow River

Rainbow River

Turtle sunning on Rainbow River

Sandhill Crane, Rainbow River

Anhinga and turtle on Rainbow River

Cormorant nests on Rainbow River

Little Blue Heron on Rainbow River

Rainbow River

Great Blue Heron and nest atop a tree on Rainbow Springs

Red Cardinal at Rainbow Springs

I’ve mentioned numerous times how fortunate I have been to meet so many wonderful new friends as I’ve traveled across this country. And none more friendly and engaging than those I’ve met and shared time with in the Crystal River/Homosassa area. Thank you one and all for adding to the blessings and memories on my journey.

More Beauty around Homosassa Florida

Posted on January 31, 2013 by fran

In my last blog post I shared the story of my first few weeks in Homosassa Florida; tales from Natures Resort, many images of the birds I never grow tired of watching… Heron, Egret, Pelican, Osprey, and an adorable video clip of my first Manatee encounter! Six weeks later I’m still parked here, still enjoying the people and the Homosassa experience…. from sunrise to sundown and beyond.

Sunrise on Halls River, Homosassa Florida

Daybreak on Halls River

Halls River

Trees along Halls River

Scene on Halls River

Evening on Halls River

About a week after I arrived, Eryn Worthington of the Citrus County Chronicle came out to interview me for an article she titled Letting Life Happen. That article (see blue link) inspired a flood of communications from many very friendly folks with offers of kayak meet-ups to boating on the river, as well as numerous suggestions on places I MUST see before I leave. I’ve only had an opportunity to meet up with a few, but I’d like to thank all those who’ve reached out.

One of those was Kathy Lemmer, who took me out kayaking at Chassahowitzka Springs (I’m told it’s pronounced “Case of Whisky”, which is much easier to remember.) We had a marvelous afternoon paddling our way up beautiful streams so thick with foliage you have to duck to get under some, and so narrow and shallow in some places you have to get out and walk your kayak. It was nothing short of breathtaking! Thanks Kathy!! Hope we can meet up again soon!!

Kayaking with my new friend Kathy on Chasawiska Springs

Chasawiska Springs, near Homosassa Florida

Chasawiska Springs

The springs on Chasawiska Springs

Kayaking the Chasawiska Springs, near Homosassa Florida

Another special place I strolled through on my own is the Ellie Shiller Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. This beautiful 210 acre park surrounds the headwaters of the Homosassa River. It is home to hundreds of creatures, from a huge variety of birds to black bear, and of course manatee. Many manatee are injured by boaters each year, and in this area they are brought here for treatment. Once they are healthy they are released back into the springs. The other residents of the park are unable to survive in the wild on their own. I don’t typically enjoy viewing caged animals, but this park is very well done giving the animals very natural and spacious environments, and they are obviously well cared for. Photographing wildlife in a place like this is akin to shooting fish in a barrel in my opinion, but I brought my camera and made it my challenge to capture what I could with natural backgrounds and good lighting.

Burrowing Owl

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Florida

Wood Stork

American White Pelican

White Pelican with breeding season horny plate on upper mandible

Red-shouldered Hawk

Bald Eagle

Whooping Crane

Greater Flamingo

Barred Owl

Barn Owls

Crested Caracara

Young Roseate Spoonbill

Green Heron

Brown Pelican coming in for a land at Homosassa Springs

White Ibis

Burrowing Owl

Domesticated Turkey

Fox

Since these adventures I’ve made my way by car to Atlanta for the Imaging USA convention, where I was fortunate to see and spend lots of time with a tremendous number of good friends from my chosen profession. Most know me as a portrait photographer, many knew of my journey, and some of those I’ve managed to see across the country. It was heartwarming to see these folks, and even meet some new friends, after a few years off the circuit… and nearly off the grid!

I’m back for more time in Florida, and still calling Homosassa home. Here’s one last evening image taken from my kayak on Halls River.

Evening Scene on Halls River

The Warmth of Homosassa (Florida)

Posted on January 16, 2013 by fran

That’s a bit of a play on words I guess. I’m sitting in one of the warmest places in the country right now. I’m also surrounded by the warmth of many newfound friends. And I’m adjusting… to a much slower pace after more than fifteen months and 23,000 miles on the road. I gave myself until the end of the year to meander rather spontaneously around this country, absorbing and sharing the beauty and experiences as I went. Now, in addition to saving money on gas, it’s time to sit still long enough to get some work done.

Getting things done is proving to be far more difficult than I had hoped because most everything I have to do involves the internet, and the available WiFi is hit and miss. The speed (and existence) seems to come and go with the breeze. This is one big detail I have to iron out. In the mean time, it’s put me behind once again.

It has been my habit to write about a place after I’ve moved on down the road, but I can’t put this off. I already have far more images than I could possibly share in one post, and many more experiences ahead of me, so this is only a first installment about my time in the Homosassa/Crystal River area.

It was the manatee that brought me here. Swimming with these gentle creatures is an experience I could not pass up, and I was on the phone lining it up within minutes of settling into my campsite. After a quick online search I chose to schedule my “manatee experience” with a group simply called Snorkle with Manatee. The following morning I was on a pontoon boat with two gentlemen from England and the boat captain, Laura. She did a wonderful job of educating us on the Manatee, as well as proper (and lawful) etiquette before we slipped into the water wearing mask and snorkel.

You’re not supposed to swim after them, but if you’re still and calm their curious nature will bring them to you. In this adorable video clip one of the young manatee comes to me and bends for me to rub him when I reach out with my hand. With a video camera in my other I had little forward momentum so I kept slipping away from him, and he reaches out to me with his flipper to pull me back in!!

The friendly guy in the second shot below is literally holding onto me. He held me for a long time, turned me around and held me some more. I found out later they refer to him as Chester the Molester.

The campground I chose couldn’t be better. Nature’s Resort sits right on Halls River, making it easy to get out on my kayak frequently. In addition to the manatee there is a huge variety of birds to enjoy along the river… heron, egret, pelican, osprey, eagles and more!

Then there’s the people! I met several nice folks who came and went, but many of the people here live here full time or keep an RV of some sort as a weekend get-away. In time I got to know and treasure many of the regulars here. They are a fun and funny group! The stories… the pranks… the howling laughter. They remind me so much of author Carl Hiaasen’s characters I think I should write a book! There are too many to list by name, but I call them my “Cast of Characters”.

I have to share a funny story before getting to my image gallery… After a frustrating afternoon of trying to load my Manatee video to YouTube on slow WiFi only to have it fail, I slammed my laptop shut and grabbed my kayak. I needed fresh air and exercise… badly!! Ten minutes up the river I noticed a couple guys who looked like they were trying to paddle a Nature’s Resort pontoon boat with an oar. I know from years of boating that stuck on the water is not a fun place to be so I went to check it out. Engine wouldn’t start. They were stranded and there were no other boats in sight. Not one to shy away from a challenge, I offered to try to tow them back with my kayak. Took awhile, but I got ‘em there!! Now I have two more friends in my Cast of Characters!

There are many more stories soon to come, and many more beautiful images too! Enjoy the gallery below!!!

Great Blue Heron taking flight over Halls River

Great Blue Heron in flight, Halls River

Great Blue Heron, Halls River

Great Egret, Halls River

Anhinga watching over Halls River in Homosassa

Cormorant swimming Halls River

Great Egret taking flight over Halls River

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron takes flight over Halls River

Little Blue Heron

Osprey, Halls River, Homosassa Florida

Brown Pelican taking flight on Halls River

Brown Pelican, Halls River

Brown Pelican staring me down on Halls River

Little Blue Heron, Halls River

Great Blue Heron, Halls River

Great Egret taking flight, Halls River

White Ibis, Halls River

Juvenile Little Blue Heron taking flight, Halls River

Wood Ducks, Halls River

Great Blue Heron, Halls River

Great Egret, Halls River

Spider Monkey of Monkey Island, Homosassa Florida

Spider Monkey of Monkey Island, Homosasa Florida

Cat hoping for some fish at The Freezer in Homosassa

Cute pup watches the boat traffic go by on Halls River

Florida Take Two!

Posted on January 2, 2013 by fran

I spent more than a month under a rain cloud in Florida last spring, from Navarre Beach near Destin, down into the Keys, and all the way up to Flagler Beach on the northeast corner of the state with several stops in between. I had a few warm sunny days, but mostly it rained… more accurately, it stormed! I saw some amazing places though, which you can read about from here and another 4 or 5 posts beyond… Rolling Into Spring. I also spent lots of time with some great friends, old and new.

When I left Florida in late May I promised myself I’d return… to revisit some of these places and friends, and discover more of this beautiful and diverse state. Now I’m back, for an indefinite period of time. After more than 15 months and 23,000 miles on the road it’s time to slow the pace a bit so I can focus on several projects. That doesn’t mean I won’t be having fun and seeking out new adventures while I’m here, I assure you!

My first stop was Orlando, where my good friends Bonnie and Scott were visiting family. Bonnie has four sisters, so I was able to blend in almost undetected amongst them! We spent one day at Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral with Bonnie’s sister and brother-in-law, Sandy and Larry. Very interesting place! We enjoyed doing a shuttle launch simulator, a tour out past the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A, gawking at the HUGE rockets and all sorts of amazing memorabilia… from moon rocks to the earliest of space suits. We also attended a lunch with astronaut Jack Lousma. He spoke for awhile about his experiences, the most famous of which was… during his roll as CAPCOM to Apollo 13… being the one who received the message, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”

I was a small child when John Glenn first orbited the earth, and only nine when Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon, but I remember how everyone was riveted to their televisions and radios… all eyes and ears on NASA… watching the launches on pins and needles. The one thing that struck me the most while touring Kennedy Space Center was the heroics of the astronauts. What brave souls… especially in the early days… to go where no man had gone before strapped into sixty two thousand pounds of metal and twenty eight hundred pounds of fuel!!!

“Rocket Garden”

Saturn V Rocket

Vehicle Assembly Building

Launch Pad 39A

With Larry, Sandy, Scott, Bonnie and astronaut Jack Lousma

While in Orlando I camped in Wekiwa Springs State Park, which I found to be spacious and peaceful. I have to admit to being confused by the name Wekiwa, since the river that is fed by the spring is called Wekiva. While driving through the area I saw street signs and businesses using both spellings. I was so perplexed that I asked several people who live in the area and found that even the locals are confused by the names.

Call me curious, but I had to dig for an answer. I had a hunch, and it probably nagged at me most because of the name of the street I lived on in Texas… Calvery Court. Not only was the name misspelled in the city records, it wasn’t even the right word! In a subdivision named Custer Creek, with streets names like Big Horn Trail and Last Stand, it makes sense the word they meant to use was Cavalry, a division of the army who fought on horseback. Calvery is not a word, but Calvary refers to the hill outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. That un-ammended error irritated me for the 15 years I lived on that street.

What I found when I started digging around online were conflicting answers. One source said that the Indians who once lived in the area used the w spelling for still water and the v spelling for moving water, and another had a slightly different but similar answer, that Wekiwa means “spring of water” while Wekiva means “flowing water.”

An article written by Jim Toner for the Orlando Sentinel told of Arthur E. Francke Jr., a historian and former board member of the Seminole County Historical Commission, who after careful research concluded that the proper spelling is Wekiwa. He wrote: “The confusion arises from the fact that the river, originally spelled as Wekiwa, over the years apparently through inattention and disregard for careful spelling, became known as the Wekiva River.”

The article stated that wekiwa is a Seminole-Creek Indian word for a spring of water. And that there was some debate whether different Indian words were used to describe a spring and a river, but apparently that was put to rest by linguists who said Native American languages do not have the letter “v.”

Although I prefer the idea that they are different words with different meanings, I’m putting my money on the spelling blunder. Whether Wekiwa or Wekiva, I enjoyed an afternoon of kayaking on this beautiful river… home to an abundance of wildlife, including alligator, turtles and a variety of waterfowl.

Wekiva River

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Great Egret in flight

Little Blue Heron on the hunt

Sunning Red-bellied Turtles

Turtles and alligator sharing a log

Moorhen

I noticed several signs in the park prohibiting dogs from the areas near the water, and judging by the number of alligators I spotted on this river it’s pretty clear why. I didn’t feel threatened by them in my kayak, but I have to admit that it did creep me out a little when I paddled close to this turtle and got a shot of him before I noticed the alligator on the bank behind him. And the following image… of what I assume is a momma alligator (note the larger one in the middle) amongst her adolescent brood. Three of the young ones slipped into the water as I paddled near, and I count eight different gators in the picture.

Family of Gators

Curious mind strikes again! When googled, I found out that a female alligator will lay between 20 and 50 eggs in a nest. I also learned that the sex of the hatchlings depends on the temperature of the nest during incubation. 86 degrees and below produces females, while 93 degrees and above produces males. I’m guessing that means temps between 86 and 93 produce male and female offspring. Although a mother alligator will defend her young, they have a mortality rate of up to fifty percent in the first year, and the biggest threat is other adult alligators. No wonder these youngin’s are sticking close to mom!

While in Orlando I also had the pleasure of meeting one of the fellow travel/adventure bloggers I’ve connected with virtually. When I realized that Erika Wiggins lived very hear where I was heading in the Orlando area I sent her a note to see if she’d like to meet in person. What we discovered over lunch was that although we were brought up very differently, we share many similarities in spirit, and just like that a new friendship was forged. You can find out more about my new friend on her blog, The Active Explorer.

When I left Orlando I relocated a couple hours west near Crystal River where I would finally have a chance to swim with some Florida Manatee, a story I’ll be sharing with you soon. In the mean time though, the girls and I made a car trip back to Orlando to spend Christmas Eve with Sandy, Larry and family, and Christmas day with Erika and her family! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… I am blessed to have such amazing friends in my life!

So… stay tuned for more of Florida, it’s beautiful waterways, abundance of waterfowl and my Manatee encounter!

Final Days in Florida

Posted on May 18, 2012 by fran

The first thing I have to say about Florida is… well, I was going to say it rains a lot here, but upon reflection what I really need to say is that I will be back. It did storm a lot during the weeks I spent in Florida, but now that I’m in Georgia (where it’s been storming as well) it’s not the rain I think about when I reflect on my time there. What comes to mind is the diverse beauty of this state, the old friends I was able to spend time with, and the many new friends I met along the way. This journey is about just that… savoring the blessings. It’s about nurturing a sense of peacefulness in my heart and mind that allows me to SEE the blessings for what they are, and to truly appreciate them. To those many friends… old and new… who have been a part of my journey, I thank you. You should all know that you are like precious gems to me, and I am glad to have you to carry along in my memories as I move in silence down the highways. Actually, sometimes I’m “rockin’ out”, but the memories are there regardless!

I entered Florida along the Gulf Coast, and other than my delightful little side trip inland to Ichetucknee Springs, I’ve stayed pretty near the coast all along the way. Fort Myers to the Everglades, down through the Keys and back up the East Coast. (The links lead to my blog posts about these areas) My first destination as I left the Keys was West Palm Beach. I taught a multi day workshop here a few years ago and really enjoyed what little I saw of the area. In addition, I have several friends in the vicinity, a few of whom I haven’t seen in years.

With no real urgency to get up the road, I decided to sit tight for a week. One reason behind that decision was that most, if not all, campgrounds offer a better rate by the week than by the day. I made a conscious decision awhile back to sit still more frequently for a few reasons… 1) better camping rates, 2) I’m not burning gas when I’m not moving, 3) allows me more time to get my work done. And despite what many of you think, I am working out here! Funny that I bring up all these good reasons to sit still more frequently and move at a slower pace, while at this very moment I’m preparing to literally race back across the country to Colorado to work on a book.

Anyway… I found a great county park just south of West Palm… John Prince Park, right on Lake Worth. I could not have asked for a more spacious and peaceful setting.

Our first morning there started just right. No storms! And with a fresh cup of coffee and the girls by my side we stood just outside the RV watching the sunrise and enjoying the stillness. I was JUST contemplating putting my kayak in the water for a sunrise cruise when an Alligator slowly swam by twenty feet off shore from where we stood. It didn’t completely freak me out. I was more interested in grabbing my camera than anything, but I did think better of stepping off the shore when there was not another soul around (or awake anyway).

Later that day, and several other times during the week, I did indeed kayak on the lake. I never saw another Alligator, but as expected, I did see some birds! By now it’s probably obvious that I am very intrigued by Heron and Egret. All birds for that matter, but especially the ones that are unique to me as so many in the southeast are.

John Prince Park from the water

Great Blue Heron

White Ibis cruising through the campground

I spotted this guy from quite a distance… wings spread in what looked like some sort of mating ritual, but it seemed late in the season for that, so I did a little research. What I discovered is that Anhinga (also known as Snakebird) often swim with their body submerged, with only head and neck visible above the water, giving it the appearance of a snake. Like Cormorant, Anhinga lack the oil glands that many water foul use to preen. They have to perch for long periods of time like this in order to dry their wings. Interestingly, they stab their prey with their long serrated beak, flip it into the air and gulp it down headfirst.

Anhinga

Anhinga, also known as Snakebird for obvious reasons

Female Anhinga

The Tern family still have me a bit baffled. If this is a Common Tern why does he have an orange beak? If a Forster’s Tern, why the black legs? The other Terns seem to have black caps as opposed to the little patch. If anyone has knowledge of these birds I’m all ears.

While in the West Palm area I was finally able to go out scuba diving for the first time in several years. I had hoped to go while in the Keys, but the storms prevented it. I did find a great dive shop at Jupiter Beach. The boat was a bit crowded, and the visibility was marginal, but it was a treat to reach 75′ for a drift dive along the reef. It’s an amazingly different world down there! If I felt I’d have more opportunity to dive I’d most definitely get set up with a housing and lights so I could feed my fix underwater as well.

I was grateful for the pockets of sunshine throughout the week, and especially happy to see the skies clearing my last morning on Lake Worth. All the better because my friend Gregg was joining me for one last paddle before packing up and heading north. Since I travel alone my kayak forays are almost exclusively solo, so it’s a nice treat for me to have someone along to enjoy the adventure with me, and in this case I came away with a few pics of ME on the adventure! (Thanks Gregg!)

Sunrise on Lake Worth

My friend and fellow adventurer, Gregg

photo by Gregg Dyess

Male Anhinga

Limpkin

Birds are often hard to identify, especially when they are not fully matured. While on the lake I spotted this Heron, which at first glance I thought was a young Great Blue but with a bit of research discovered it to be a Juvenile Little Blue Heron. They are born white, and on the way to adulthood take on a “piebald” coloring before maturing to a slate blue with maroon neck. Regardless, he was fun to follow.

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

As was this Great Egret…

Tri-colored Heron

After a fun morning on the water I packed up and moved north to a little campground right on Flagler Beach. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… I LOVE the sound of the ocean!

Although they had to be on leash, Jazzy and Sadie were happy to have their toes in the sand again. I took them for a long walk down the beach as soon as we got settled. Not without my camera of course!

White-rumped Sandpiper

I thoroughly enjoyed watching large groups of Brown Pelican gliding up and down the coast… until I got back to my RV an hour later to find it COVERED in Pelican Pooh!!! Actually, I still enjoyed watching them. What I didn’t enjoy was washing their droppings off my RV. Price of admission I guess.

Brown Pelican

I have to share one last story that I posted on Facebook. My last night in Florida I’m having dinner with Gregg at a little place overlooking the ocean at Flagler Beach and my eyes are drawn to this lovely young gal walking in the surf. I didn’t have my camera with me, but Gregg handed me his tiny little point n’ shoot and hollered “Have fun!” as I trotted down the stairs, across the street and down the beach. I wonder how differently it would have come across if I’d been a man saying “Hi. I’m a photographer (standing there with a camera no bigger than my hand mind you) and I’ve been watching you from across the street.”

This is Paige and she was kind enough to indulge me in a few quick spontaneous shots. We are hoping to get together for a REAL photo shoot when I return to Florida in the winter.

Between Spring Showers

Posted on May 13, 2012 by fran

I always have the best intentions of being consistent about posting on my blog, and when I’m not I can usually blame lack of good internet connection for my delays. Most of the parks I stay at offer free WiFi, but it’s usually slow at best and that makes blogging (not to mention the other online chores I have to attend to) tedious, time consuming, and often times extremely frustrating. I can’t blame lack of connection for my latest delay though. Instead I’m blaming my friends! I know several people in the vicinity of West Palm Beach, some I’ve known a long time, and others I’ve meet during my travels. I chose to make quality time with them a higher priority than blogging. So, to the rest of you I offer my apologies for the silence.

Backing up once again… to the Florida Keys. My drive from Fort Meyers to the Keys took me through Everglades National Park. The first thing that struck me as I entered the park were the numerous “Panther Crossing” signs as I traveled down the highway. I guess it never occured to me that Panther existed down here. I don’t recall seeing them on any episodes of Flipper anyway. An Alligator Crossing sign would not have surprised me at all, but there we none posted. I stopped and put my long lens on my camera in hopes of seeing one of these big cats from my safe mobile viewing platform in The Beast, and was a bit disappointed when I got all the way through the park without one sighting! I resisted the urge to go on an Airboat/Alligator tour. I’ve just never been big on paying to be crammed in with a bunch of other tourists listening to a tour guide telling us when to look left and when to look right. Instead I took my chances, hoping to see some in the wild as I drove. I was not disappointed. These big boys were hanging out right next to the highway.

My first destination in the Keys (for no other reason than it looked like a nice park on the ocean) was Grassy Key, just north of Marathon. I loved my spot right on the water where I could kayak and snorkel only steps out my door. Most of the time I spent there was under a torrential downpour, but I was able to take advantage of pockets of sunshine from time to time. The rest of the time I was feeling lucky to have my cozy RV to climb into. There were several people tent camping right down the beach from me. Having grown up in the northwest, I’ve spent more than my fair share of time holed up inside a tent in the pouring rain… for days on end.

Double-crested Cormorant

Jazzy and Sadie were happy to see the sunshine as well. We got soaked more than once, when the sky suddenly opened up and started to pour while we were out walking.

Great Egret

Brown Pelican

I have to say that the storms did lend themselves to some amazing sunsets!

With lack of internet access there was little “work” I could do during my down time. It really is amazing how much I’ve come to rely on the internet for business and banking and researching new destinations and almost all forms of communication! I frequently find myself sitting down to my ongoing list of things to do, and scan down the page only to see that almost everything on it involves the internet in some way. While passing the time by scouring and organizing inside my RV I came across a little bucket of skipping rocks I’ve been dragging along since my time along the Columbia River Gorge. Nothing like a bit of boredom to get the creative juices cranking.

And then I came across my little chest of treasures I’ve gathered along the way….

One of the greatest blessings of this journey has been reconnecting with old friends and meeting so many new ones as I travel. Here at Grassy Key I met two delightful couples from Florida, Tracy & Jorge and Sandy & Jim. We shared a few beers, and a sunset the last night we were all there and promised to get together again when I was in their part of the state. I’ve since had dinner with Tracy and Jorge in West Palm Beach. Sandy and Jim will be on my route when I return next winter.

This little crab lived in a hole between Jim and Sandy’s RV and mine.

I had every intention of making my way by car to Key West for an afternoon, but with all the storming it just didn’t seem worth the hours on the road, so I broke camp for my next stop, John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo. I spent time here on a scuba diving trip almost 20 years ago, and hoped to do exactly that while here. Unfortunately it was not to be as the weather continued to be more than partly nasty. I did find a few breaks to put the kayak in the water, and managed to get on a snorkel trip that took us about 5 miles off the coast when the weather finally cleared the last day there. All in all, if not for my fun neighbors- The Daniels Family, my time in Key Largo would have been a pretty much a bust.

Green Heron

A family of White Ibis right outside my RV

With a break in the weather and no dive or snorkel boats going out, I had no choice but to go to the office.

I’m on my way to Savannah Georgia today, but still have more of Florida to share. Stay tuned!! I promise it won’t be long.

Happy Mothers Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there!!!

New Sights and New Routines

Posted on April 26, 2012 by fran

After Navarre Beach, the next planned destination was quite a ways farther down the gulf coast to visit my friend John Snow in Fort Myers. John (another old friend from the photographic industry) cast the bait when he offered a free place to park my RV and set the hook with, “I’ll take you fishing!” I loved fishing when I was young. Most memorable were the carefree days spent fishing from the dock or a canoe on Spirit Lake, at the base of Mt. Saint Helens. (More on my memories of those days here.) I’ve had little opportunity to do much fishing as an adult, but since Hobie Kayaks are designed with fishing in mind I’m thinking it’s time to buy a rod and reel (and freshen up on my fish cleaning skills!)

The trip from Navarre to Fort Meyers is about 600 miles, which is at least 10 hours in an RV. I’ve learned that anything more than 5 or 6 hours is a LONG drive in The Beast, especially if the conditions are anything but open road and mild weather. Rather than drive all the way down the gulf coast, with an overnighter somewhere along the way as I intended, John suggested Ichetucknee Springs as a place I’d enjoy kayaking. After a little online research of the area I reserved a camp site near the north end of Ichetucknee Springs State Park, and then settled in for one last night at Navarre Beach.

When it started raining lightly just before dark I debated putting my kayak on top of my car. As mentioned in my last post, this is still a bit of a chore for me on my own, and I didn’t relish the idea of doing it in the pouring rain. The idea of getting out to celebrate another sunrise on Santa Rosa Sound got the better of me though, so I left the kayak down and ready to launch. When I woke in the middle of the night to rain so heavy it sounded like gravel hitting the roof of my RV, I wondered if I was going to regret not getting my kayak tied down on top of my car the night before. I know how quickly the weather can change though, so I fell back asleep with hopeful thoughts and visions of a beautiful sunrise.

Unfortunately it was not to be. I woke to the pouring rain and practiced avoidance over a second cup of coffee. While working up the gumption to handle what came next, I opened the door so the dogs could hop out to relieve themselves. They walked to the doorway, looked out, and then in unison looked up at me as if to say, “You’re kidding right?” I was asking myself the same thing. Not only did I have to wrestle my kayak to the roof of my car and get it strapped down tight, I had the “pulling up stakes” routine to handle as well. [For those of you who dream of doing what I'm doing, but have no RV experience, you should know that this is part of the routine EVERY time you set out for a new destination. Rain or shine!] Next step was stowing my grill and lawn chair and tools I had pulled out back into the storage compartments. Then backwash, disconnect and hose down and stow the sewer line. Unhook and roll up the water hose. Unhook the power cord and wrestle that monster back into the belly of The Beast. Bring all three slide-outs in and raise the leveling jacks. Batten down everything that could slip, slide or fall while wobbling down the road. Move the car aside and pull the RV out far enough to get the car aligned perfectly behind it. Hook up to the tow hitch, safety chains and electrical cord. Go through all the gears and leave the car running for 3 minutes before turning the key to auxiliary. And in the case of this morning… peel off the rain slicker and muddy shoes, program the GPS, and we’re good to go!

With the dogs sitting dry and happy on their platform next to me we set out down the road in the downpour. Unfortunately it didn’t take long before the wind kicked it into high gear as well, and for the next few hours I “white knuckled” it through one the most brutal drives I’ve endured to date. It was so tiring that I took advantage of several rest stops along the way just to give my muscles a break. I’ve said it before… this ol’ girl (I’m taking about my motorhome) does some serious shuckin’ and jivin’ in heavy winds, and it is my job to keep her upright and between the lines. It can be exhausting!

We finally arrived safe and sound in Fort White (just a ways northwest of Gainesville) and our quiet little campsite in the woods. When I say quiet I mean I was the only one camped there with the exception of a few full time residents of the park. It was very peaceful listening to nothing but the sound of birds happily singing in the trees. I have to add, the best part of the drive was seeing all the beautiful wild flowers along the roadways in Florida!

Ichetucknee Springs was very quiet as well. I put my kayak in the water at the north end of the park and peddled/paddled my way downstream for about two hours. With little rain this season the water level is much lower than normal, so what is normally a fairly fast moving stream (very popular place to float downstream on inner tubes!) actually took a bit of work to navigate. The low level meant dragging through the thick aquatic grasses and lily pads. With camera in hand (or in lap) I was constantly alternating between peddling where I could and pulling up flippers and rudder to paddle where I had to. All worth it though! I got a great workout AND enjoyed the amazing natural beauty, completely unblemished, all along the way. And not another soul around! I have to admit I cringed at the thought of water snakes lurking in the low hanging trees I had no choice but to go under. I’d heard tales of Water Moccasin dropping from trees into the bottom of passing boats with a sickening thud. Thankfully I did not see a single water snake on my trek. Lots of turtles though! And an amazing variety of birds! When I arrived at the south end of the park I turned around and ventured back up stream to where I started (and my car was parked).

Judging by the condition of his shell, this little guy must have tales to tell!

Cormorant comically fleeing in fear

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Egret

Great Egret in flight

Raccoon fishing up some lunch

Not a favorite shot, but the only one I saw… Male Anhinga

Common Moorhen

Little Blue Heron

American Coot

Juvenile White Ibis

Great Egret and Snowy Egret

Limpkin

I was amazed to see numerous turtles, often huddled close sharing a single log. As I drew near most would drop with a loud “plunk” into the water. Only the bravest stayed above to watch me go by. And some were curious enough to swim over and check me out from below.

Notice the baby turtle balanced on the back of what I assume is his mother.

Great Egret

Great Egret with White Ibis fishing in the background

Black-crowned Night Heron

The next day I reconnected with a new friend I met while in Colorado a few months ago working on my book. Elissa, not only shares my daughter’s name (the only other place I’ve seen that spelling is on the bow of a ship in Galveston Bay), she shares my love of nature and adventure. She brought her sister, Libby, along for some kayaking on the Santa Fe River. They rented a two person kayak at Santa Fe Canoe Outpost in High Springs and Lars, the owner, was kind enough to drag my kayak along for the drop off and the pick up down river. This was a great 3 hour adventure!

I can’t help but wonder what lesson the wise old turtle is sharing with the youngster!

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron in flight

Next stop… Fort Myers. In the mean time I have to share another new routine I’ve begun. While focusing on developing a new exercise routine, I’ve also been pondering “diet”. Not that I’m needing to diet per se, but I had put on a few pounds since my journey began in September and lack of regular exercise was not the only culprit. I wasn’t necessarily eating more, but I was eating lazy. After long days on the road, and lots of hours out shooting and hiking, and then facing the hours of editing and blogging and other work I had to keep up with, it was easy to eat what was… EASY! When it came to keeping my weight in check I learned one very basic rule from my Father years ago… in order to maintain your weight you have to burn as many calories as you consume. To lose weight you burn MORE calories than you consume. Pretty simple. What was never factored in was metabolism, and I never understood why mine was always so slow. I consumed relatively little food throughout the day. That was my routine. The “three squares” that we were brought up on would never work for my body unless I were training for a triathlon! What I discovered recently, and I will share in much more depth in future posts, is the importance of eating “clean” and lean AND more frequently. Another huge change for me! I had been ignoring the “hunger pangs” my entire adult life. Now I have to remember to eat every 3 hours! I literally had to set a timer on my cell phone to go off ever three hours as a reminder. The difficulty is fitting food into a very active lifestyle. When kayaking or hiking or beach combing for hours on end I have to remember to bring along not only water, but a snack as well. And not just any snack, but a snack made up of lean protein and complex carbs. I will keep y’all posted on how these new routines are working out for me, but in the mean time here’s a recipe I concocted for some healthy snack bars that are easy to take along on my adventures. When I say concocted I mean I looked at some recipes and then adapted them to fit my new routine. I’ve never been big on exact measurements in the kitchen, and prefer “a dab of this and a dash of that” to suit my taste. In the case of this recipe I use coconut oil rather than butter for example, because I’ve read wonderful things about the benefits of coconut oil, and as much as I love butter, it’s guaranteed to end up as lard on my thighs!

Wholesome Fruit and Nut Bars

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup honey

1/4 cup water

1 cup coconut oil

1 tsp sea salt

6 cups rolled oats

2 cups roasted, sliced almonds

2 cups wheat germ

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 cup dried pineapple, papaya, mango (or mixed… use whatever sounds good!)

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped pitted dates

In large pan heat the sugar, coconut oil, honey, water and salt. Simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in oats, almonds, wheat germ and sesame seeds. Cook while stirring for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add fruits. Pour into jelly roll or baking pans lined with wax paper. Score deeply into bars. Allow to cool for an hour. Cool in freezer for 20 minutes before breaking apart.

I store half in the fridge and half in the freezer for a twice daily, healthy, high energy treat.

Enjoy!!

Rolling Into Spring

Posted on April 21, 2012 by fran

I left Caddo Lake bright and early last Saturday morning with “Hawkeye” (my GPS) set for an RV park New Orleans. First stop was not too far down the road. “Mimi and Papa” (parents of my good friends Steve and Lisa Jane) live in Shreveport. This delightful couple are the kind of folks who make you feel like family very quickly, and I feel all the more so having shared some wonderful holiday meals with them in Steve and Lisa Jane’s home. Regrettably it was a short visit over coffee, but it was great to get caught up with them just the same! Thanks you two, for coming out so early to meet up with me!

Once back on the highway I bucked heavy winds all the way to New Orleans, only to discover that the RV park I chose was located in a pretty rough part of town. I was immediately warned by a local friend AND the proprietor of the place not to go walking outside the park. Luckily he kept his park locked down like Fort Knox, AND I made friends with two “big brothers” right across the drive from me, so I never felt unsafe. I took advantage of the “lock down” to get some work done. The next day my old friend Ricky Sonjy and his wife Staci picked me up on the way to the French Quarter to meet up with another old friend, John-Michael Hannon. (These guys are both photographers and I’ve known them since shortly after moving to Texas 15 years ago.)

I’ve been to New Orleans several times and have always enjoyed the uniqueness of the French Quarter. It’s filled with character, as well as an abundance of “characters” if you know what I mean. I had not been here since Hurricane Katrina wrecked havoc on this city, and I was curious to see if and how the area was effected. What I was NOT expecting was the crowds! I had no idea I’d arrived just in time for the French Quarter Festival! No shortage of characters in the crowd, but I was completely skunked on the photo ops I’d been looking forward to. Instead of feeding my insatiable appetite for capturing life with my camera, I satisfied myself with some yummy New Orleans style food and time with friends I haven’t seen in years. I was glad to see little change in this part of the city.

John-Michael and Ricky clowning around at The French Quarter Festival

I had hoped to take a quick drive back to the French Quarter the following morning, but with rain setting in and a four hour drive ahead (and no idea what kind of mess might be left from the crowds the day before) I hooked Zippy to the Beast and hit the highway. Four hours and four states later I was happy to find myself at the Navarre Beach Campground, a clean and peaceful place right on the Santa Rosa Sound.

Evening shot of the sound from my campsite. Life is good.

Now seems like a good time to rewind to shortly after the first of the year when I mentioned my resolve to find my way back to feeling as fit as I’m used to being. I’ve managed to maintain a pretty good routine for staying fit and healthy over the years, but the key to that was the routine. As a business owner and mother I discovered years ago that trying to attend a regularly scheduled workout class was not in the cards for me. I needed complete flexibility in my routine, and I found that in a gym membership (which changed over the years based on proximity to my daughter’s school… too easy to give myself an excuse not to go!). 30-40 minutes of weight lifting every other day and a two mile run along with some crunches and push-ups on the off days. That and keeping my diet fairly light and lean was enough for me to maintain a body I felt comfortable in. I rarely got on the scale. I knew if my jeans started feeling snug it was time to kick up the workout or cut back on the food. Pretty simple.

Then I hit the road and my routine flew out the window only miles down the highway. It didn’t take long before my jeans, which normally fit so well fresh out of the dryer, were far more comfortable after a few hours of wear. And soon… I was more comfortable in my stretchy yoga pants. I hadn’t actually gained much weight, but my body was changing without my old routine, and I was determined to find a new one… one that I knew I would embrace and implement. (In my opinion this is where all those well intended resolutions fail!)

I’ve always loved being on the water, especially behind a ski boat, but that was a routine I had to leave behind with my divorce. I had to find something I could do on my own from most anywhere along the way. A kayak seemed like a great choice. Something I enjoy… that I could bring along… and do on my own… all over the country… and it’s good exercise! Thus began the research. I could write a whole blog post about what I discovered but I’ll cut to the chase and tell you that the perfect fit for me is the Hobie Revolution II. It is propelled by flippers on the bottom which you peddle like an incumbent bike. You can also paddle it like a traditional kayak. Lower and upper body workout in one… plus it’s very stable so I knew I’d make great use of it photographically, giving me a different perspective and opening up a whole new world I would not see from shore! (Maiden voyage here!) The biggest trick is getting the cumbersome 47 pounds on top of the car on my own. It would be easier to heave a 50 pound bag of dog food up there! But… being the determined gal that I am, I knew I’d find a way to make that work as well. It’s a dance I’m still perfecting, but it gets a bit easier each time I do it.

Needless to say I am loving it! Here’s a little video clip of sunrise on Santa Rosa Sound (mistakingly referred to as Santa Rosa Bay in the video). Click on the blue link here and on the next page as well. IMG_1210

And some pics from my morning ride…

Next door to the campground, a home badly damaged by the last hurricane that passed through.

Navarre Beach Campground from the water… That’s the Beast (and Zippy) sitting right up front!

Later in the day, as I was about to head out for food supplies I noticed a Heron standing on the rail of the pier. I saw few of them where I expected to find them on Caddo Lake, and those I did spot usually took flight long before I was in range to photograph them. After a moment of hesitation (thinking it would be a futile effort) I turned back for my camera. This guy was clearly accustomed to being around people. I had a hard time getting him to fly!