Springs and Shells

Sunday June 10 - Tuesday June 12, 2012
Oscar Scherer State Park Site 89
Osprey, Florida

 

SUNDAY

Today is moving day.  We’ve been at Lithia Springs for 14 days so we have to move out. We aren’t really much in the mood for it especially after the weather has cleared up and we’d like to get out on the river.  So we didn’t get things ready last night.  And we do decide to replace the broken spring and its mate before we leave.   So here’s a quick primer in jack spring replacement.   These are the sorts of things David loves to do.  The ones he can do himself and they aren’t too difficult.

 

 

David gets the tools and a plan for getting under the coach given its GREAT parallel parking job right next to the fence so we can have the best view of the river.  He really can put this rig anywhere he wants it. 

But you would know that the spring which breaks wouldn’t be on the EASY to get to side.

 

I raise the jacks and he uses a crowbar to get this one all the way up.

 
one old one off, one old one still on

 

He gets them both off using a very large old wooden screwdriver.

 

The spring has been dipped in epoxy, can you see it?

That’s great for sealing it from rust but the coils have to be separated.

Ok so now let’s get this new one on.
Sorry for the bald head glare.  J

 

Very big wooden handled screwdriver makes this easier.  One on, one to go

 

Two new springs!  And we have another “spare” set Just in case.

 

Even with the “repair”, we are still out of the site by the noon deadline though we have yet to visit the dump station or the parking lot to put the dolly on the RV and the car on the dolly.   At the dump station I decide to try a new tank cleaning process in hopes that I might be able to clean our sensors.  It really is nice to know whether your tanks are half full or more especially with boondocking.  Our black tank always says full and the gray always says 2/3rds full.

So we empty both tanks, put 10 gallons of water back in each one along with 4 Caps of Calgon and 2 Calgon Caps of Dawn dishwashing liquid.   I’ve read various versions of this technique on several forums and thought we might as well give it a try. According to the instructions, you then drive 350 miles but I’d have to be Paul Dahl to do that.  This is only a 70 mile drive but it is what it is.  And it’s nearly 1:00 by the time we are actually going over the last speed bump on our way out of the park.  If you have tanks sensors that don’t work and have been able to fix that some way, please let me know

 

We are going to Oscar Scherer again for our last trip to the beach before the transplant. 

When we pull in, there are very few people in the park.  Gee I wonder why?  Temperature at 92 degrees maybe??   But we are able to get site 89 again with its river front view.  Can you see the river here??

 

 

 

 

I set up my laptop in the passenger’s seat so I can work on the blog and look out the window.  Very cool!  I can read the comments and look out the window at the river.

 

 

 

 

MONDAY

I’m up this morning running and it is HOT and humid and I can hardly wait to get back and have some breakfast and leave for the beach.  But lots of “business” gets in the way and we don’t get there until about 3 and only stay for a couple of hours but tomorrow is a different plan.

 

 

 

FINALLY, a beautiful blue sky puffy white cloud day!  HOT but no rain in sight.

 

 

And warm warm warm gulf waters to swim in.  With just the right size waves.  Sure am glad we could come for this one last week.

 

TUESDAY

Today David has to drive back to Brandon for a medical appointment.  We had intended to move this one but because he is at the end of the induction phase of treatment and has to have an infusion of zometa it became too hard to do.  So rather than cancel the week at the beach, we decide that 65 miles isn’t too far to drive for the morning’s appointment with his Hematologist Dr. David Wright and for this bone strengthening drug.   Most myeloma patients have terrible problems with bone lesions and pain.  David has had none of this so far and we want to keep it that way.  I volunteer to drive him but he says he is feeling well enough to go alone.

 

When we are near a beach I usually get up early and go straight to the shore for the morning and come back for lunch.  This is on the days I don’t have to run first thing to avoid the heat.  So David drops me off at Nokomis Beach at 8am and goes on to Brandon.

Here’s what I find when I get here.   SIGH………just beautiful!

 

I set up my spot.  I don't put the umbrella up YET and start off to walk the detritus line and enjoy the shells.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rather than swim to the buoy this morning I try running parallel to the shore in the water.  I run south maybe half a mile and back.  Later in the morning I run north a little further and back.  It sure beats running on pavement.  My knees love it and the view is WAY better.  I like this form of exercise.

I run, read, check blog comments on my phone (yes I’m addicted to your comments) and repeat.

About noon David calls and says he is on his way back.  He comes down and we have our lunch on the shore and stay another couple of hours.   He gets in the water with his kayak hat on.  He’s a real fashionista for sure.  But the hat actually doesn’t look too bad on him.  He kind of blends in with the fishermen and for a man as sick as he is, he’s looking pretty good.  Hope the zometa doesn’t ZAP his energy for tomorrow.  We’ll see.