St Johns River 12.25.15

Jim was up before daylight ...again...and had coffee made. It was very foggy but we felt we could follow our back track across Lake George, so we had our coffee on the rear deck and then hooked up the running lights and headed out.

It was not as easy as we though...but we made it. By the time we got to the "gates" at the S end of the lake the fog was rising and we could see both sides of the river.  

We decided to go down Blue Creek...it is narrow and much easier to judge where you are in the creek.

Back out on the river and the sun came out....along with the gators and turtles.

 This one is a pretty good sized gator....notice the turtle sunning behind him..

 Here is another view....there are 3 more...two on the same log and one small on in the lower L corner on a branch.

 These turtles were sharing the same log....this seems to be normal for them.

 I really like this guy or gal....very large one. See how thick the tail is at the base...and you cant even see the whole tail.

 Here is another big one...see how wide the head and back are.

 This one is a bit smaller.

 Here is another view....he is also sharing with a couple turtles...he might be 5'.... long tail but no width to the legs.

 This one is also about 6 or 7 feet.

 Another big one...

 and another good sized one.....wont tell you were we saw them on the river ...would hate to see them hunted.

 A nice one but not as big as the one before or after.   Kind of a unique way of sunning.

 I was surprised at how many big gators we saw...but Jim figures it's because they had not had any sun for 3 days.

 Almost missed this little guy...he's pretty well hidden.

 another good one.

 and another.

 Love the view here....the river has so many neat places. We try to see all the backwaters we can and all side creeks.

 Now this is the way to travel in a kayak....he even had the wind at his back.

We came home a few days early but at least I got to spend Christmas Eve on the water....Jim has some work to do on the boat and then we'll try for a trip in March....lots of other stuff going on until then.
I do love being on the water and never tire of seeing gators...today was one of the best days. I don't remember seeing so many big gators.

St Johns River 2.24.15

Jim was up before daylight and had coffee going. I got up ...fixed the bed back into a couch...we had coffee on the rear deck. When it got light enough to see we hauled in the anchor an headed out.

The sun was coming up as we crossed the lake.

 Looks like the sailboat is still here....

This is the entrance to Silver Glen Springs.

There were a lot of ducks hanging out here.  The water from the springs is crystal clear and runs into Lake George.

 This Blue Heron is enjoying the first warm rays of the sun.

 This is a Cormorant...also called a Snake Bird because they swim with their bodies submerged with just their neck and head above water.

 I had Jim hand me the camera so I could take some pictures....without the dingy we don't get many.

You can see how clear the water is....we come in here every now and then so we can check the bottom of the boat...

Jim got his feet wet but wasn't sure if he wanted to get in....the water is 72* year around...during the summer it feels cold...I got in once when it was 28* outside air and it was like a warm bath.

Love the way these turtles take advantage of everything to warm themselves.

 This Blue Heron is almost hidden.

 This little guy is only about 2' long....might be the same one that was here last year.

 He even turned around so we could see both sides.

We usually see several little gators in the lower part of the springs but without the dingy we only had this one . We moved down to this part of the springs when a couple of big houseboats came in....lots of people out here for Christmas.

St Johns River 12.23.15

Overcast today… bit windy…but good weather for launching. While Jim parks the truck and trailer I get the bimini open…curtains out of the way…flag out and solar lights on top

Jim is setting the generator in place and straightening up the back.

Usually if you see 3 Sandhill Cranes it is a family.

Trip through the canal….always looks a little different.

A Great Blue Heron…this one stands at least 5’ tall.

Since it was cool and windy…no sun…we did not expect to see any gators….pleasantly surprised.

and another..

This one is a bit bigger than the first two.

Another small one….might be 6’ or 7’. From a distance the tail looked like a big snake out sunning.

There is one in there….looks like it’s in a big nest.

We cruised till around 7pm….got to see all the Christmas lights in Astor. Some of the houses really went all out with decorations. Only saw 2 other boats on the water after dark…we anchored just past G 23…south of Lake George. The lake is usually easy to cross early in the morning if not windy.
We had our supper while underway so once anchored Jim fixed us a glass of wine and we sat on the rear deck. We had put the screens up underway also…glad we did…lots of mosquitos.

Temperature is perfect….windows open and just a sheet for covers..my kind of boating.

We went “Scampin” at a Tin Can Tourist meet. Dec 3-6 2015

It was a nice informal meeting.  We did have a pot luck dinner Friday nite,  but the rest of the time was your own…

Our friends Larry and Angie were  busy decorating their GMC motorhome when we got there. Jim was given a big box of lights and we thought we would be decorating the pavilion but that was not the case…next thing I know…Jim is decorating our camper and used every light.

Most of the lights were white but he had a couple boxes of red and green so I replaced a few.

He had so many lights he even circled the ‘57 Chevy.

I think he out did the neighbors…they had more stuff but we were brighter. LOL

Here are some of the other campers…..

I like the tip out windows…you can leave them open in the rain unless it’s blowing sideways.

I didn’t get a good picture of the trailer in the middle. It has a beautiful “fandango dancer” on the side .

This lady always has her little camper dressed up….inside and out.

This was a nice setup….very little camper under a canopy..she had a single bed in it with other necessities but cooking etc. is done outside. It even has AC.  Not big enough to stand up in but sitting and sleeping is ok…you are outside most of the time when camping anyways.

We were not the only antique tow vehicles there …3 pickups …one here.

There were two of these pop ups…..it’s amazing how much more room they have than the Scamp.

You do not have to have a vintage camper to belong to the Tin Can Tourists.

There were 3 Bolers here. The Scamp looks just like them…I heard that Scamp bought Boler and started their own camper.

None of them have a bathroom…the big window is where they put a bunk bed or bench seat.

These people have a screened enclosure…that makes for a great outdoor living space.

The other truck with a neat little Airstream.

Even had a Volkswagen with a matching tent. There were several here….some of them even joined the TCT.

The leaders  (boss can openers) of the TCT own this….beautiful inside.

We stopped at this gentleman’s place in NY last year…they had just had a flood and he took us around and showed us all the damage. He had a little Bambi Airstream but someone smashed into it…so he came in this…even had an electric bike…Jim rode it and fell in love …wants one…but here in flat land you don’t really need one. This is the 3rd pickup….suicide doors.

Another beautiful old car.

One of the best parts of the weekend was the Soggy Bottom club…Blue Grass music.   They meet here every month and just sit around in groups and “jam”. They make a big circle and then each player gets to pick and play a song they like…everyone else backs them up and sings along. Lots of fun.

We’d spend time sitting around the fire…then when they got playing I’d head down there.

My favorite song….5 pounds of possum…..    this is not the group..I found it on youtube and it is a “jam session” like they were doing at the ranch.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncv5eJzxnDk  you can get an idea of how much fun it is to go to one.

My sister, Joanne, gave me a Dulcimer a few years ago…I found the words and music for “5 Pounds of Possum” for a Dulcimer…so now I have to figure out how to play it….