Wednesday 3-14-18 To Sunday 3-18-18

First, I want to thank the friendly folks in the Bunnell Extension of the Flagler County Library for allowing us to use their Public Wi-Fi to upload our blog to the net. 

This morning was a trip into town for groceries and a stop at the Post Office.  Then to the Library to catch up on the blog.

On the way home we stopped at Dollar General (they’re like dandelions…they pop up everywhere). 

Then we went two doors down to A and S Hardware.  A family run mom and son operation.  You name it, they probably have it.  Linda wanted a thermometer for in the camper. 

Then she spotted the alligator.  She had to get it to put under the front of the camper.

 

A and S has a guard cat.  There is a warning on the door to warn dog owners. 

Between the Dollar General and A and S there is a Drive-Thru Convenience Store.  What a novel idea.  You don’t get out of the car.  The young lady puts together your order and you are on your way.  Look out 7-Eleven…You may be on your way out!

In the afternoon we got back out on the lake.  Today was my turn to catch the fish.  I had two keeper size Blue Gills. 

I’m not sure whom was keeping an eye on whom but there were several gators in the area of the lake we were fishing.  Small guys about three to four feet. 

Later a young Bald Eagle landed in a nearby tree.  There were also two Ospreys doing aerial combat with another Osprey trying to take its fish away.

When we got back to camp I filleted the fish and, voila…Surf-N-Turf. Usually that means Mrs. Paul’s and Oscar Mayer but, this was the real thing!

Thursday 3-15-18

Today there was frost on all the vehicles.  We only ran the small heater last night and woke up to 60 ˚ inside.  A bit nippy.

We have been at Bull Creek for a week now.  The longer we’re here the more we like it.  If it only had Internet, this place would be perfect. 

Today, for the first time, we went around the bend and part way up Crescent Lake. 

Dead Lake is about a mile and a half long by a half mile wide. Then there is a narrows about a half mile long which becomes the southern end of Crescent Lake.  When Linda saw how big Crescent Lake was she was really surprised.

Crescent Lake is twelve miles long and nearly three miles across at places.  At the south end where both lakes come together there is a tributary called Taylor Creek.(Correction...Haw Creek not Taylor Creek)  Today we explored the first mile or so and it was beautiful.  Although somewhat narrow and windy it has depths of eight to twenty four feet. 

The fish finder was showing lots of fish but only one was interested in what we had to offer.  The spawn is over and the fish are not as active. (Probably resting up from all the hanky-panky of the last two months)

The catch of the day is this dandy Crappy caught on a Sipe’s Spinner, Silver-Silver-None. 

We saw several gators today on Haw Creek.  One or two in the water and this guy basking in the sun.

At one place when we anchored to fish we saw one on the bank that had to be between five and six feet.  Just as Linda grabbed the camera he made a mad dash for the water (they are fierce… but camera shy) followed by another gator just as big.  It happened so fast she couldn’t get a pic.  I heard two ‘WHOA’s as Linda and I looked at each other. 

Traveling the creek is a little tricky. 

Many wind-falls from recent hurricanes

Air Plants growing on old tree limbs

Tree roots from wind-fall

Friday 3-16-18

At 10:00 AM the frost on the windshields is starting to melt. 

We left the camp around 12:30 and drove to St. Augustine.  St. Augustine is a beautiful city.  There were about five different events/festivals, plus bikers, there and the place was packed.  I finally gave up and parked in the visitor center parking garage. 

We stopped for lunch at Al’s Pizza where we ate back in 2013.  Still good eats but very noisy.

We walked around the shops in old town on St. George Street.  The little wine shop moved a couple of doors down but the same lady waited on us today as did on our last visit.

Then we took a detour/breather and watched the boats on the Matanzas River and the opening of the Bridge of Lions.  It took us back to the Voyage Twogether days when we went under the bridge down and back. 

In the evening we met up with Harry and Kathy.  We met them at the storage lot where we keep the trailer when we are home.  They live outside Baltimore and the storage prices are so ridiculous they store up with us.  They are a lot of fun and we seem to have much in common so we enjoyed getting better acquainted over plates-full of seafood at the South Beach Grill in Butler Beach.  Good Friends and Good Food…Don’t git no better’n ‘at!

Kathy and Harry

View from our table

Can you find the turtle hole?

 While we were waiting for Harry and Kathy to arrive we saw a turtle throwing sand out of its burrow.

Kite suffer

  

Saturday: 3-17-18 (St. Patty’s Day)

Today is a good day for looking where we may want to stay for next year’s adventure.  We decided to look on the upper Gulf coast. 

Our trip took us through The Villages.  An up-scale collection of separate villages under one banner.  It’s kind of a land locked Cape Coral.  The preferred mode of transportation is the golf cart.  Thousands of them.  They are everywhere.  They even have separate roadways and bridges for the little boogers. There are streets where the only parking is for carts.  It’s a swinging town for seniors.  They seem to be having the time of their lives.

"57 T Bird on it way to the Thunderbird Show in the Villages

First stop was Natures Resort near Homosassa.  A nice campground with sites that have a bulkhead behind to tie up the boat.  We almost convinced ourselves to reserve the last remaining spot.  But it would be tight getting into and no place for our screen room.

Next stop was Crystal Isle RV Resort outside of Crystal River.   A bit up scale for us country bumpkins but the site was very large, on the canal leading to Crystal River, and a floating boat dock to boot.  The facility is great with a pool, tennis, horseshoes, basketball and plenty of roads to ride our bikes.  We reserved the site for next year while it was still available. 

However, there is one downside…The ice cream wagon.  Cones, Splits, Sundaes, Flurries, Shakes, etc.  Supper that night was a flurry.  We will need to take the bikes along next year to work off the pounds.

On the way back to camp Linda was so excited that we will have a “5 Star” camp site next year (According to TOPBRASS: The Official Pooh Bear Rating, Assessment & Selection System). 

Sunday: 3-18-18

Meet Ida.  Remember my premonition about the campsite being taken when we arrived?

Well, she is not the big burley biker dude I imagined.  Today we took Ida along on a ride up Haw Creek.  There were birds, turtles and of course gators.  She works as a city planner helping to shape the area’s future but, she seemed to really enjoy what “old Florida” is like.  We quietly idled up the creek through terrain that looked straight out of the movie “The Yearling” which was shot not far from here.  

In the afternoon I was a bit restless so I got into the boat, leaving it tied up, and cast out.   After a bit I had a bite!  A nice 10½ inch Crappy. 

The evening was spent playing Minus Five.  And the winner is?????   By a score of 57 to 113…ME!