A Visit from the MoHo and Drumming Down the Sun

Tuesday 1/18 & Wednesday 1/19/2014
Oscar Scherer State Park
Osprey, Florida

 

TUESDAY

 

How nice it is to meet up with frequent commenters.

 

Happy Sue inside her MoHo

I feel like I know many of my frequent commenters even though we’ve never met so it is really nice to get to see them in person. Yesterday I got an email from Sue Malone of The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales.  She and Mo were leaving the Clearwater area and headed in our direction on their way to the Everglades.  She asked if they could stop by.  You bet!   We made plans to meet up in the afternoon.  Then things started to go awry.  First their dog Abby was having some problems so they had to make an unplanned stop at a vet in Bradenton.   OK so we’ll just move the visit back.   They were going to stop in at the Walmart just north of us before meeting us at Nokomis Beach.   Good plan we all thought.

 

 

We head down to Nokomis Beach and notice an amazing amount of traffic heading north; thankfully we are going south.

 

When we arrive at the beach, we find that there are NO parking places.  I have NEVER seen it like this.  Cars everywhere.  The two parking lots are full as are the two over flow lots; cars on the grass and under trees.  I’ve never seen it this packed even on the Saturday drumming nights when it’s the worst I experience during a week.   I don’t know whether there is something special going on or if the winter Florida traffic has just gotten seriously worse in one year.  I wonder if the state is just going to sink into the ocean under the weight of all the cars. 

 

Greeting Sue and the MoHo

I am shocked and call Sue right away to say don’t bring the MoHo here.   Instead we meet them at the park in the picnic area where there is plenty of room for the rig.  

We take a nice walk on the South Creek Trail, through part of the campground, up to the Nature Center and “Lake” Osprey.  I guess OSSP didn’t like the name Pond Osprey which is more accurate.

 

 

 

 

Soon they have to be on their way down Highway 41.  Sure hope most of the traffic is still going North.

 

Mo, Sue and Abby on the South Creek Trail

It is great meeting both Sue and Mo in person and seeing that Abby, despite an apparent kidney infection, seems to be fine.  We also meet Jeremy their 17 year old kitty who had to get out of the MoHo and check things out.  He’s thin but is very spry for his age.  I am sorry when I look through my pictures that I don’t have a better one of the two of them or a closer shot of either Mo or Abby.  Sue was doing a much better job of taking pictures than I was. 

 

Jeremy in the MoHo doorway

 

They are on their way to the FamCamp in Key West with a stop in the Everglades.  We wish them safe travels.

 

 

WEDNESDAY

 

We piddle away the morning in the way we have become so good at doing.

 

Today we have again been having electrical problems in a Florida State Park.  Low voltage again. I'm wondering if anyone else has has this experience as it seems to be recurring for us and is rather disheartening since we enjoy the parks so much.  I sure am glad we have our Progressive Industries monitor on guard for us.  Our neighbors came over this morning and asked if we had lost power, at that point we had not.  I wonder what damage is being done to all the coaches without an EMS.  I have actually cut one of my very favorite parks out of any future plans because the low voltage is nearly constant.  Since we are a 30 amp coach, we have found that if we use an adapter and plug into the 50 amp, that will often help.  IF there is a 50 amp of course

In the morning David treats my swamp walking boots and his new hikers to some much needed waterproofing and installs the new taillight for Ruby needed after I cracked the lens trying to get my bike off of the stupid trunk rack.  

I play the next winter in Florida State Park lottery with no success, wipe the piles of pollen and raccoon tracks off of Ruby and do a load of laundry in the “uses only cold water” machines here in the park.  $1.50 for a 30 minutes wash.  $1.50 for a 50 minute dry.   There are only 2 washer/dryers in the park,  one outside each of two of the three restrooms.  With over 100 campsites that seems hardly enough but any is better than none and on this lucky day I don’t have to wait for the washer.   That’s probably because it is a gorgeous day and everyone else is out playing. 

 

 

In the afternoon we head back to Nokomis to see if the hoards from yesterday have gone somewhere else. 

 

 

 

There are a few spots in the parking lot but the place is still more covered with cars than I remember it and when I get out to the beach I just can not believe my eyes.  Is it spring break week?  Nah, that’s in March and the kids usually go over to the Atlantic side of Florida.  The beach is covered with umbrellas and people.  But there is a nice vacant spot near the water and we plop our stuff down.

 

 

 

The water is brisk and after walking in up to my hips, I decide not to take the plunge.   I do love this beach more than most I’ve been to on the gulf and always enjoy the shells.  The sand is more coarse and for many reasons I like it better than the sugar sand on other Gulf Coast beaches.   The shells are pretty picked over this afternoon.  I must come out early one morning before the “collectors” and see what’s here.  Although that will have to wait until my toe recovers.  It is the main reason I don’t do much but sit today

 

We relax in our chairs on the shore and have our lunch.  David watches the show interrupting me frequently to point out something he finds interesting. This is a dex day, he is wired.  I read my book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun sets at about 6:25 this evening and we think most folks will leave about 4 as usual and we’ll stay for the sunset drumming.  

 

This doesn’t happen.  The drumming does but the folks don’t leave.  In talking later with one woman from Venice, who like me is amazed at the crowd, I learn that it is “winter break up North”.  Her grandchildren are visiting.  Perhaps that’s what this is all about.  Folks get a week off during President’s week.  Sorry we won’t be here next week to see if the crowds die down.   Note to self:  Consider President’s day week in the same way you do Spring Break week in determining where you want to be.

 

The first sound of the drums is at 5:00 and people start gathering in a circle David says.  I’m too busy reading to pay much attention but I do notice that the drumming is different.  It’s not the heart beat drum that usually begins the festivities.

David goes over to the gathering circle and reports back that none of the regular folks who set up the circle with an alter in the middle and none of the regular drummers are here.   That’s also a first for us.

 

 

 

It turns out to be a huge gathering. Biggest I’ve ever seen here.  More like Saturday night in Siesta Key than Wednesdays at Nokomis.  Word has clearly gotten out.  Chairs are 10 to 15 deep.  I decide I’ll just stay put on the shore and watch the sun go down.  I wouldn’t be able to see anything from the back row sitting down anyway and I can walk over and take a look if I want to.  David takes pictures and provides reports. 

 

 

 

 

 The drummers pick one combination and play it for the entire hour and a half. 

 

This is also unusual but without a lead drum perhaps no one knows what to do.  Folks are clearly having a good time and the “no alcohol on the beach” rule is being ignored.  Grandparents and pre schoolers abound.   Eventually the belly dancers and hoola hoopers join those in the circle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the sun gets closer to the horizon, the lights begin to come out.  The drums do not do the slow to frantic build up that usually accompanies the sun slipping beneath the horizon.  But the cheers and clapping are there just the same.  People do enjoy a sunset.

 

 

 

 

It’s not a spectacular sunset and there is really not much after glow color but every sunset is beautiful and I love watching it set over the water more than any other place.

 

 

 

 

As the skies darken, people leave and the lights become more vivid. 

Once the sun has set I walk up and stand behind the smaller circle enjoying some fine dancing and hooping by 3 or 4 women.

 

 

 

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day.  GREAT costume!
Tinkerbell comes to the beach???
I wonder if she always wanted to be Tinkerbell?

 

 

 

THE END