We left Jonathan Dickinson State Park the morning of 1December saying our good-byes/see you laters to Richard & Judith Palma, Jeff & Donna Bon, Erin & Jules, Cassie and Ranger Laura. We made a provision run before we headed to Vitambi. We are both very excited about returning to the place we called 'Home' and our bubble for safety during the COVID outbreak from March to 1June2020.
We will be in site 4 for the first month of our stay, before we will move to Site 8, Bamboo. We are excited about going back to Vitambi Springs to see everyone and meet up with Chuck & Jay.
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| Site 4, home for the next few weeks |
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| What a peaceful site to see and be here in our own Shangri-La |
By the time we set up and leveled the rig, Chuck & Jay arrived a little later while we chatted with Lair and Jim. They will be at Site 1 across from the lake.
Walked around some with the guys, it was cold here last night. We chatted outdoors by the fire then headed inside for a bit.
We received an unexpected gift from Gram for the RV, a welcome mat. We love it and for were very surprised.
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| Welcome mat from Gram |
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| Keith, Jay and Chuck at site 1 |
We spent a lot of time with Jay and Chuck, took the dogs to Petco for baths, did some food and general shopping in Pompeno Beach, hanging out at the pool every day, having dinners together or attending some of the weekend events in the corner table at the Lodge and daily walks to the highway. We all spent time with Bill Voss and Sam, too.
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| Bobcat on the road within the park |
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| Water levels across the road had risen more with the rain we had in October/November |
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| Christmas Senna in bloom |
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| Deer just hang out and show up around the park |
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| Keith, Jay and Chuck hanging out and doing some work |
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| Great Blue Heron in the front of the park |
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| Our favorite view in Vitambi |
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| Feels good to be back in Vitambi Springs with new friends and our bubble |
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| We spent many hours at the pool |
We tried to take the bikes to Stormwater Treatment Area 5/6 some 8 miles to the west of Vitambi Springs. We started riding the bikes but it was too dangerous since most drivers were driving well in excess of 60 mph and no bike lane. We turned around and rode back to the campground. We got in about 6 miles.A couple of days later we drove to Stormwater Treatment Area to hike the trails and go some birding. The weather was perfect for a hike. The birds and wildlife were super active with cooler temperatures.
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| American purple gallinule |
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| Eastern Meadowlark |
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| Crested Caracara, only two places in North America. Clewiston, FL and Padre Island, TX |
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| Keith and Jay found an empty Florida Peninsula Cooter shell |
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| White Lily in bloom |
We are up early on 19Dec and decide we are going to take a drive around Lake Okeechobee. We stopped at Ockeechobee Battlefield, between the Seminole Indians and US forces that took place on Christmas Day 1837.
Sunrise was full of pastel light over the lake in the park. We came back to Vitambi for another weekend night at The Lodge having dinner and playing cards in the far corner with Chuck, Jay, Sam, Keith and me. Afterwards, once dinner services were completed George joined us. |
| Sunrise |
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Lake Okeechobee
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| Black Vulture, we found approximately 25 of them along the lake |
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| Located on a portion of the Okeechobee Battlefield, the site of the largest and bloodiest battle of the Second Seminole War (1835 - 1842). The Second Seminole War, the second in a series of three wars fought between white settlers and Native American tribes, was the longest and costliest of the wars in terms of both monetary expense and human casualties. The Battle of Okeechobee occurred on Christmas Day, 1837, when approximately 800 troops of the Infantry Regiments, under the command of Colonel Zachary Taylor, attacked between 380 and 480 Seminole and Miccosukee Native Americans who were camped on the northeast shore of Lake Okeechobee. |
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| White Pelicans feeding at Canal Point in the lock on Lake Okeechobee |
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| Canal Point Lock |
We have been thoroughly enjoying getting to know Chuck and Jay on this trip. We met at the RVillage Rally in Live Oak in February. We've maintained contact with them. We have had so much fun during the month of December growing our friendship. We had our first holiday at Vitambi Springs, on Christmas Eve we got the snowman out of storage and ready for Christmas weekend. They were all lit up in front of our camp while everyone had lights set around their camps for a festive weekend.
We did try to photograph the Christmas Star (Jupiter and Saturn) on 21Dec. Jay and Wayne rode bikes to the highway while Keith grabbed a ride with Sam in the Jeep. They were the smart ones, Jay and I were getting eaten alive by the mosquitoes. The sunset was nice but then we saw the star over the RV sites.
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| Christmas Star over Sam's rig |
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| Campsites all a glow (David & Lair and Chuck & Jay) |
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| Christmas Eve sunrise |
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| Christmas Eve, set up the snowmen |
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| Christmas Eve COVID style, social distancing and small groups |
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| Sitting in the Patio around the fire pit Vince, Roger along the outside wall, Keith, Jay, Chuck, Bill and Sam |
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| Christmas morning, cold here in Florida that last few days dipping into the 40's at night. We called family and friends from the Lodge wishing everyone a Merry Christmas |
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| Hiked the back of the property with Keith and Jay |
We had a wonderful Christmas morning, had breakfast with Chuck and Jay at the Lodge then played cards for a couple of hours, while the fire roared in the fireplace. Once the temperature rose, Jay, Keith and I hiked the back part of the property. Saw a large white owl, Keith and Jay saw a buck with 4-6 points.
We celebrated our Christmas Dinner with Jay & Chuck, Sam, Bill and us. George served a delicious orange glazed ham with rice and vegetables.
We played cards after dinner with our bubble of friends before calling it a night.
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| All set for Illumination, we had to reset the snowmen after we had strong winds the night before |
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| Keith, Wayne, Chuck and Jay Christmas evening |
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| A chilly morning, sitting outside at Jay and Chuck's fire pit. We walked over many a morning |
Boxing Day we ended the Holiday weekend festivities, the last weekend of 2020, having breakfast with Chuck and Jay up at The Lodge. We played cards after and enjoyed another fire in the fireplace, thanks to George.
Here is a look at the card game...having a little fun in picture form:
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| Chuck 'The Thinker' |
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| Jay 'Contemplative' |
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| Keith ' The Stratagiest' |
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| Wayne 'Really' |
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| The Fireplace 'Stoic' |
After breakfast services, George and Paul joined us at the table for 3 person team Hand & Foot. Nice way to spend a grey, cool day. Jay and Wayne went for a hike down back to get some exercise and stretch. That evening we had dinner with Chuck and Jay at their house with traditional Southern Pecan Pie for dinner.
We did eat well during our stay, we either had dinner at Chuck and Jay's or at our house, weekends we at The Lodge with the our bubble (most times Chuck, Jay, Bill, Sam and us). We would bake sourdough bread, have cheesecakes, sloppy joes or whatever we felt like having that was on hand. No matter what, we never went without.
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Keith and I at the fire pit before dinner
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| Boxing Day (Chuck, Jay, Wayne and Keith) |
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| Patio looking in on the Bongo Bar (not one during COVID, has walk up window) |
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| Moonrise on 27Dec |
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| Florida Peninsula Cooter visiting us a chilly morning |
A new year began in Vitambi, closing 2020 with angst, new President and so much still lingering with the Pandemic. We celebrated a new friendship and made plans to do some traveling together in the future. Hurricane Sally may have prevented us earlier in 2020 from getting to Orange Beach, AL but did not impede on our getting to together.
Celebration of life, friendship, comradery and food, made sourdough bread fresh from the oven with butter and cheese the morning of Jay and Chuck's departure.
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| New Years evening dinner with Jay & Chuck in the cabana outside |
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| Perfect way to start the day |
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| Chuck and Jay moved over to Site 5 for their last couple of nights |
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| Pumpkin Cheesecake to celebrate new beginnings |
Chuck and Jay left on 3Jan, we made plans to get together in Orange Beach. We will make some travel plans when we see them for Alaska and other parts unknown.
After the guys left, we fell into a routine. Here is a note from Saturday, 16Jan:
Went for a walk with my honey to the highway, Keith’s back started to seize up on him. He stopped while I went up the highway, seeing Wood Stork, Rosette Spoonbill, Cattle Egret, Snow Egret and Little Blue Heron fishing together.
Went over to the fire pit near the lake, Richard started a fire, Keith helped feed it.
Had lunch then went over to the pool. Sat at a table with Bill while he made chains. Then we moved to our usual seats and got some sun and read books.
We took the bikes out after the pool around the trails. We walked with Sam to the Lodge and had dinner with Bill. Played Hearts with Keith and Sam. George and Paul joined us for Spades.
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| Bitter Melon |
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| Great Pondhawk (dragonfly) |
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| Julia Heliconian |
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| Great Crested Flycatcher |
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| Limpkin |
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| Rosette Spoonbill |
Our friends from last season, Ray and Jeff arrived from St. Petersburg. They have been quarantined since they left us in May. We really enjoy their company, did some hiking with them, rode bikes, visited Stormwater Treatment Area 5/6 and caught up on life away from Vitambi.
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| Night falls on the camp, welcoming lights to our friends |
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| Captured Florida Otter about 25 feet ahead of us |
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| Raccoon thought he was hiding |
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| Palm Warbler |
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| another cold snap hit us, as the rest of the US is freezing |
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| Bird activity has increased with the cooler temperatures |
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| Sunrise |
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| Green Heron |
While Ray and Jeff were at camp we took a road trip to Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest for something new, Florida Bird Trail and hiking. Really nice peaceful place with lots of shaded grassy trails. We took the Tram Loop Trail and walked 3.51 miles, saw some really huge bear tracks in the mud. This place is really remote and a must see for nature and serenity.
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| A 1/8th mile crushed rock trail to a 350 foot long wooden boardwalk overlooking the Okaloacoochee Slough. Oak hammocks, pine flatwoods, willow domes, tropical tree islands and an open slough are found here. |
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| Juvenile White Ibis up in the Slash Pine |
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| One of the flock of immature White Ibis we found |
We met Ben from Camp Buckwood in Morgantown, IN. He is a good friend of Bill's and has quarantined through the pandemic, while closing down and reopening minimally. Our friends, Ray, Kurt and David came down from Hobe Sound and Hamilton from Atlanta.
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| Sam, Bill, Keith and me at our corner table in the Lodge |
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| Full moon at 21:15 |
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| 31Jan our last full day |
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| Great gift from nature to capture this Red Shoulder Hawk |
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| New start for 2021, shaved the full beard |
1Feb we finalize our packing and securing the RV to travel south to Key West. Feels strange but excited to hit the road again. Just the two of us seeing the US on place at a time. We said our good-byes to Bill, Sam, David & Lair and Martin. We will be back to Vitambi Springs.
We are off to the Keys, destination Key West.
