Last Day Visit

Saturday March 24, 2012
Manatee Springs State Park Site 84

 

This was our last vacation day at Manatee Springs and day number 5 since treatment stopped so David was feeling pretty good. 

Our friends Tricia and Dan have been staying at Cedar Key RV Resort for the month of March so they drove up to spend the day with us.  We’d hoped to go swimming in the spring and kayaking in the Suwannee River but Mother Nature had other plans.

We spent a while sitting outside just chatting and getting caught up.  As we went off for a dip in the springs we heard the thunder in the distance.  Looked like it was going to rain our parade but not before we got some time in the water.

 

On our short walk from the campsite to the springs we watched this guy just barely above our heads but oblivious all the picture takers as he hammered away.  We had several Piliated Woodpeckers at the farm for years but they were much more skittish than this fellow was. He must have some shock absorbers not to have one heck of a headache with all that rapid fire neck and head pounding.

 

 

 

As we passed by the Catfish Hotel we noticed there was some sort of  scuba instruction going on at the duck weed covered hole.  You might think it’s nothing but a slime pond but beneath it is a 90-foot-deep pool of clear, bluish cool, pure waters springing up from far underground.  It’s a popular place for divers and you can always tell when they are there.  The pool is covered with light green duckweed but if you see large holes and bubbles, divers are down there.

 

 

 

After investigating that situation we went on over to the main spring.

You can tell Tricia’s not so sure at the beginning of her Manatee Springs swim.  It definitely feels chilly when you first step in.  But once you just go on and get in, it’s great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David was the first one in.  He’s learned better than to ease his way in.  You’ll just agonize longer.  It’s 72 degrees, that’s actually a fine temperature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dan was next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then Tricia. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It really is great!  See how she changed her mind.  No more pictures, it’s my turn to get in.

 

 

 

Finally the rain started and sent us back to the coach for a little lunch and some more talk.  It became clear that we weren’t going to get to take that kayak trip down the spring run and into the Suwannee.  Too bad but they’ll be spending a week here next winter so perhaps they can do it then.  I strongly recommend a full moon paddle if you can arrange to be here at that time.

 

With hugs all around, they left to run some errands in nearby Chiefland and the rains came on in earnest.   We had been hoping that if we could do the kayak trip, we’d all come back to the coach and make a couple of  home made vegan pizzas.  But with the change in plans we were stuck with pizza by ourselves.   So we made the crust for two pizzas and put one of them in the freezer and baked up the other one.

 

 

 

Our crust is easy to make.  Just a bread dough sans the salt and oil.  I used to make 7 loaves of bread a week for years at the farm.  I actually miss kneading the dough.  It’s a great zen sort of thing.

 

 

 

 

Here’s the finished product

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

being happily consumed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a great week here at Manatee Springs.  Reluctantly we leave tomorrow to go back for treatment round number 3.