It’s the Day After Crash, Tornadoes and We Move On

Saturday and Sunday                                                                                       Most Recent Pasts:
January 9 and 10, 2015                                                                                    He’s King for a Day! What does he do?
Koreshan State Historic Site to Hillsborough River State Park                          Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Estero to Thonotosassa, Florida

 

SATURDAY

Saturday is a lost day for David.  Probably in payment for his over eaters Friday.  He naps all day long.  At about 1:00 I figure out this is going to go on all day long so I leave him to it and head out to the beach at Lover’s Key State Park.

 

 

It’s $4 to enter the park for one person and $8 for two or more.  Lover’s Key State Park Recreation Area is made up of Lover’s Key, Inner Key, Long Key and Black Island.  It is 712 acres and features 2.5 miles of beach on the Gulf of Mexico, canals and tidal lagoons fringed with mangroves

It’s a Saturday, not a day I usually go to the beach, and thus by 1:00 all the near by parking spots are taken.  So I drive further away and cart my chair etc 1/2 mile to the Gulf Shore.  There is also a tram for those who do not want to walk or can not.  Luckily I still can, so I do.

I walk over a couple of boardwalks, the mangroves line the banks of the channels.  I can see the ocean ahead.

 

 

I pick my spot, set up my chair and head out to the water.  It turns out to be chillier than I was anticipating so I settle for a walk on the shore with my feet in the waves.

 

 

There are a couple of bathing beauties along the shore.  Not sure what that’s all about in terms of posture.  I look around for the camera they are posing for.  I guess I’m it.

 

 

They were set up a ways down the beach from each other but don’t they look like they’ve had the same lessons on how to pose?

 

 

Lover’s Key has shells all over the beach.  They are so thick at some points that it is difficult to walk through them in bare feet.

 

 

 

Those who follow my blog regularly know that I love beaches and shells.   I don’t collect them but I do take pictures of my favorites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the way the late afternoon light sparkles on the water.  Since my photographer is at home sleeping it off, I try to get a selfie without getting my camera full of sand.  Not terribly successful but at least I’ll know I was there.

 

 

 

The clouds really begin to mass.

 

About 4:00 the clouds when the sun is gone it becomes much cooler and although I had intended to stay for the sunset, the chill changes my mind.   A group of birds sends me off as I pack up my things and walk the mile back to the car.

 

 

When I get back, David is up and making a big salad for dinner.  We’re listening to the second book in the Outlander Series when my phone gives me the weather alert noice.   We turn on the weather radio and find that there is a tornado warning for Lee County which is where we are.  A hurricane in January in Florida?

Since we are near enough to Fort Myers to get a TV signal we turn on the local news.  They have stopped normal programming and are giving minute to minute reports about where the tornadoes, 2 of them, are currently in the upper atmosphere.  It’s amazing that they know this stuff.  They are waiting to see whether they will touch down.  All the red is the most critical areas.   It’s interesting to us that our former weatherman from Charlottesville Virginia is now the weatherman for the station here.  We recognize him.   Here’s what we watch over time.   Our park is just south of Estero in the bottom of the screen.

At this point the problem area is north enough of us that we aren’t worried.

But by now the rain is getting close.  As long as that red stuff stays to the north we think we are OK. 

 

The yellow circles are exactly where the tornadoes are.   But they are still in the upper atmosphere swirling around.  Should we head for the bath house?  Usually the camp hosts come around and warn everyone but it’s after hours so we don’t know what to think.

 

While we’re deciding whether to grab up our records box and head out the rain changes from light to torrents and comes pounding down.  We are now in the red zone.  I open the door to see about wind but there isn’t much.   Enough that I know we aren’t in they eye of anything so we just hang out and within 15 minutes it has all moved on.  Ultimately it rains all night long.  Pours actually but no one around gets a tornado on the ground as far as we know.

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY

 

 

The rain stops just after I wake at about 5:30am.  I go out at dawn to walk over to the Art Building for a morning yoga class which starts at sun up.  Walking through the hammock in the very dim light is a wonderful experience.  When I get to the historic area the color is just beginning.

The yoga class is wonderful in the beautiful art building with the giant windows.  So relaxing.  I can feel my body sighing with happiness. No rain the entire hour.  I walk all the way back to the coach again along the river.  David was asleep when I snuck out at dawn.  When I return he has gone out to the Farmer’s Market held each Sunday morning.  I must have the chasrmed life today because I have just come inside when the rain starts and it pours.  He comes back in about 10 minutes and is soaked.

Unfortunately for us we have to move today.  We did pack everything up but we still have to take off the water and electric and dump in the rain.  Oh well, that’s part of the full time life.  The rains do come and this winter so far has been full of them.

 

It’s an easy 175 mile drive up I 75 from Koreshan to Hillsborough River State Park EXCEPT that we get caught in an accident and are stopped mostly and crawling along at less than 5 miles an hour some of the time for an hour which means that added to our late start it is nearly 3:30 before we pull into our wonderfully large site.  Nothing in the way, no limbs hanging down.  Plenty of room for Winnona, Ruby, the awning, the dolly and probably 20 friends.

 

 

Nancy and Bill are parked in an equally large site right next to us.  Nancy has graciously offered an invitation to dinner for her delicious potato soup.  We are tired and on the irritable side because of all the rain and the traffic so we happily accept.  Luckily the rain stopped along the way and Hillsborough River is dry.  Still we do a minimal set up and head over to the Mills’ rig for dinner and fun.  It’s so much fun that I don’t even get my camera out.  So no pictures of them until tomorrow and none of that disappearing soup, salad and bread.   Thank you Nancy and Bill for such a wonderful welcome.   Now what mischief can we get in to?

 

 

I neglected to get a picture of the delicious soup, salad and bread Nancy served and the wonderful pumpkin brownie with cashew cream for dessert. I think their place is my favorite restaurant.