Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Swim accessory for floaters??

Thursday May 24, 2012 and Friday May 25, 2012
Oscar Scherer State Park Site 89, Osprey, Florida

 

Friday Nokomis Beach (160)A

 

Gee what will we do today??

As it turns out, this visit to Oscar may be nothing but beach.  The park is a lot different in the summer than in the winter.  A lot less going on than in the winter when they have pancake breakfasts and other sorts of activities.  But now, it’s too hot to do the hiking and even the kayaking that is here. 

 

Thursday

I go running early but it’s so humid I am slogging around. 

By the time I finish the stretching and weights and shower, I decide I’ve missed the best part of the day which for me is early morning.  The sun here is just too strong even in late May to be out from 11 to 2 even though I have both #60 sunscreen and an umbrella and I wear a hat, a t-shirt and keep a towel over my legs.  With all that protection, still yesterday my cheeks and nose looked red.  

 

So I decide to do the laundry first

Then I’ll  go to the beach about 3:30 and stay for a few hours when the sun is waning. 

With 104 campsites, there are multiple bathrooms at Oscar Scherer. Every other one has one washer and one dryer outside.  There is only cold water for the washer supposedly so that the folks in the showers have plenty of hot water.  You have to have your cold water detergent with you, which I do, since we’d been here before.  But I have to say that if you only want to wash clothing that simply needs to be “freshened”, cold water works fine, but for stains, not so much.

The price is right though.  You get a 32 minute wash for $1.25 or a 48 minute wash for $1.50.  Dryer is 55 minutes for $1.25.   AND one of the bathrooms with washer is just across at an angle from site 89.

 

Now where did I put that??

Anyway, one thing leads to another and when I go to start the laundry I can’t find the laundry quarters in their paper sleeve, in a jar above the dining table.  I spend too much time looking for them.  How can you lose things in such a small space?  They have to be here somewhere.  I am sure there were some left from last laundry.  But I admit probably not enough for this one.  This all adds up to a trip to get quarters BEFORE I can even start the laundry.   Long story short, it is 5:00 before the laundry is finished.  Now I can’t go to the beach or I’ll miss dinner.  Then it’s 6:30 before dinner is finished and at that point I just give it up.  Hard to believe I’m within 5 miles of the beach and there was a day I didn’t go.  But it’s true.   Happily there is tomorrow.  :-))

 

Tonight we get the big thunderstorm that was promised by the lightning in the clouds last night.  We turn the seats facing the windshield and sit in the dark and watch it flash across the sky and light up South Creek and the cypress.  It is beautiful.  I am too busy ooohhing and ahhhhing to think about getting my camera out.  But I learned last night that lightning is very hard to catch unless you have some sort of rapid fire repeater camera.

 

Friday

So now it is tomorrow and I’m out early to hit the beach.  David sleeps in.  I hop in the car, I’m there by 7:30 and AGAIN I get the primo parking space.

 

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I’ve developed a bit of a routine for these ‘great way to start the day’ mornings.  I bring down my chair. umbrella, water, books…boy I have a lot of gear.  I pick out a spot near the water and set off beachcombing for half an hour or so. 

 

I walk in the water looking at the high tide line to see if there are any interesting shells. 

I don’t find anything fabulous but they are lovely just in their natural setting.  So I leave them all and just take their pictures.

 

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Anyone from Michigan? 
Does the shell to the left look like a Petoskey stone??

 

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 What am I seeing here?

This one catches my eye.  I stop and look.  I see sad.

 

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As I walk, I notice areas marked off.

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I go up to take a closer look.

There are perhaps a dozen of them already and it is only the end of May

 

 

 

 

This really makes me smile.  I wish I could be here in the dark to see the mother come to lay her eggs.  I wish I could be here when the babies find their way back to the sea.

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Friday Nokomis Beach (51)

 

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I wish I could be one of the volunteers patrolling the beach to protect them.  I am so glad it is both a state and federal offense to disturb these nests.  I am proud of the governments for this.

 

 

I come back, swim out to the buoy and back, rinse the salt off in the showers provided near the parking lot and sit down with my journal. 

 

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I’m being watched.

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I have breakfast at 9 or 9:30.  I bring toast with peanut butter, a banana, and an orange or a pear.  After that I read, watch the folks coming out for their time on the beach.  About 10 or 10:30  I go for another swim.  It really is a wonderful way to start the day.

 

There goes the silence.

As I come back in from my swim a swarm of kids and their drill sergeant drop their tons of gear right next to me. 

 

I assume this is a school class field trip of some sort.   The teacher in lime green makes sure those kids pretty much never even get their feet in the water even though it is shallow for at least 30 feet out from shore and there are no waves other than lapping.  It is funny to hear her commanding  “Line up.  Ladies and Gentlemen get your buckets”.

 

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Four mothers seem to stand around and talk on their cell phones and eventually use them to take pictures.

 

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“Line up”. 
The commander divides the kids into “teams” and sets each one up to make what she calls sand sculptures.  I hear the kids talking about mermaids, dolphins, sea turtles.   She goes around to each group and asks “Do you have a plan?  You have to have a plan”. Yes they were that close, I could hear every word clearly.

 

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A few minutes later the commander comes by and dumps little plastic sand molds in the middle of each group and says “Mermaid? No no you can’t do that.  Build a castle”.   I think - What????  

 

They no more get started on one event when 5 minutes later she calls 

“Line Up” 

and they rush off to do something else. They never did get to finish their “castles”.   I wonder if her tactics are because all the kids are ADD or our children’s attention spans are becoming short because the teacher is ADD. 

 

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“Line up”. 

They disappear for nearly an hour.  Lunch??


I go out for another swim in the warm lovely CALM water.  Here they come  back at the sand castle task and then the teacher is pouring water on the kids.

 

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“Line Up.” 

Rather than let them just get a bucket of water each for their “team castles”, they line up and she steps 2 steps back and fills the buckets with water.   I’m almost hysterical watching this.   I know teaching is a difficult job.  I did it in a former life, but I want to walk over. put my arm around her and say gently “just lighten up, there are 5 adults here, you don’t have to control every moment, let them play, let them create on their own, they are children”.

 

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But I do find some children making up their own games.

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The gentleman buries the ladies in the sand.

Later the Ladies go out into the water.  They try to coax him but the gentleman refuses.  Instead he stands on the shore watching them and  dancing to his ipod.  Or is he performing for them??  Whatever.  He’s groovin’, they are cheering him on.

 

 

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Friday Nokomis Beach (141)

 

 

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Today is an exceptionally beautiful day – just a light breeze and warm gulf waters. 

No shock, even at first, getting in the water.  If this were the Atlantic in Virginia I’d have to be looking for jellyfish the water was so warm.  But here, I can just go out and float the day away if it weren’t for the sun.  I’m always worried about staying out too long. I’ve done some damage to my skin in previous excessive sun days.   Maybe I should go out in a long sleeve shirt, long pants and some sort of summer type ski mask to cover my face.   That would make a great picture for someone.  

 

What do YOU think?

The ski/swim mask will be the hardest to come up with.  Don’t think I’ve ever seen such a swim mask.  Can’t be made out of anything warm.  Have I stumbled on a niche item that could make me rich?   A full face swim mask made out of speedo bathing suit material 50 SPF fabric of course, to minimize the risk of skin cancer for those who want to stay in the water a LONG time.  What do you think??  Can I pay the medical bills with this idea??

 

I stay playing and watching others play until the winds pick up and  I get hungry for lunch. There is no end of fun at this beach.

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8 days a week

Sunday May 20, 2012 through Wednesday May 23, 2012
Oscar Scherer State Park Site 89

 

I’m excited to be heading out for an 8 day “vacation” week at Oscar Scherer State Park and Nokomis beach. 

 

 

Site 89 005

 

Sunday:

We decide to drive separately to Oscar Scherer which is only 70 miles away.  The plan is that I will stop at the Sarasota Whole Foods on the way in Ruby and stock up for our week.   David will go to Oscar Scherer and get a “non reserveable” site so we can stay through the Memorial Day week-end.  

 

Luck is with us. 

Site 89 001

 

All goes as planned and we end up in our favorite “non reserveable” site 89.  That’s 8 days of no doctors and near the beach.  Whoo Hoo!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 89 006A

But we are mighty tired by the time evening comes.  David has gotten the coach into the site after repositioning 4 times without scouting help since I’m still at the grocery.  He leveled it, put out the slides, hooked up the power and the water.  All before I got back.  So he deserves a nap.  While he naps, I start getting things set up.  Patio mat, chairs, tables, flag, boats off the car.   David wakes up and takes the bikes off the car.   We put up the awning.  

 

We’re all set. 

 

Site 89 Oscar Scherer

 

 

This may well be one of the nicest sites in the park and it’s a walk in.  Amazing!

 

 

 

 

We pull nose in rather than back in.  I prefer this view to the campground road.  Seems most campsites are designed for back ins as if all the architects have 5th wheels with nice picture windows in the back.  :-)

Here’s our view of South Creek.

 

 Site 89 Oscar Scherer (4)

 

 

The Ducky Brothers like their view too.

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You can see I’m on a roll with river front spots.  This would be perfect for launching kayaks although I doubt we’ll do that because of  A) the heat  B) David’s energy level C) the proximity of cooling gulf breezes and waters.

 

 

Site 89 Oscar Scherer (12)

 

 

Back up a few feet from the river front  and here’s the place for napping or just relaxing.

 

 

 

Ok I know, enough.  It’s a nice spot for 8 days this week!!

 

 

Monday:

GREAT! The beach isn’t too crowded.

 

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David has overdone.  His dex didn’t make it quite this far and fatigue has set in.  So on Monday we take his lounger and he dozes and relaxes in it at Nokomis Beach for a few hours.

 

 

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It’s a windy afternoon.  I have to pay close attention to the TIBU.

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday

Back to the Beach

Today I go out running.  We have breakfast, pack a lunch and return to the beach in the afternoon.

 

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David is able to take a walk.

 

 

 

 

 

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He also goes for a short swim.  Resting yesterday has done him some good.

 

 

 

 

It’s a beautiful day,  less Windy.  The water is very warm and wonderful for floating and relaxing.

 

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Wednesday

 

Today I go off early by myself.

 

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I get up and out and to the beach by 7:15 in the morning.  David sleeps in.   I am the first car in the parking lot and get the only shady all day spot in the corner.   My shadow is huge as the sun rises behind me in the east.

 

 

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It is WONDERFUL being at the beach first thing in the morning. 

 

 

 

 

 

No one is around except some fisherman at the far end.

 

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I decide to swim out to the buoy marking the no boating area.  It’s about 40 yards or 50 yards off shore.   Nice swim out and back.   When I get to the buoy a cormorant is drying his wings and preening.  I tread water for some time and he stays right there. I passed my Advanced swimming badge so I have a certificate proving I can tread for at least 30 minutes.  ;-)  I tread for a long time, treading is easy.  I like treading.  I love watching him.  He holds on to the buoy with his feet as it bobs around in the water.  I get a really good look at him. It is amazing to see him up so close.  .

 

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The patterns on his feathers are beautiful.  He has a screaming traffic cone yellow chin which you can’t possibly see in the picture I took zoomed way up from back on shore.   But here’s one from
the internet.  This still doesn’t do justice to his wing and chest feathers.  Up close and personal, they look velvety with gorgeous designs.

 

Cormorant

 

 

Eventually I fear I may scare him off so I swim back to shore, take my camera to see if I can possibly get a picture of him out there.  When I turn around I notice the walkers have begun and one of them is walking up to my chair.

 

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At Nokomis Beach (46)

 

 

 

Is he going to go back and sit down??

 

 

 

 

 

 

The human walkers aren’t quite as good looking.  Dressed in all sorts of attire, they parade by.

 

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As people show up, they are all doing what they enjoy.  I take a picture of  a guy doing yoga on the beach.  I’d love to do that.  Later when I see the picture I find really interesting contrasts. Motor boat zipping along, paddle boarder moving more slowly through the water and a yogi moving most slowly into inner peace.  :-)    Something for everyone at the beach.

 

At Nokomis Beach (38) 

 

At Nokomis Beach (39)

 

 

This man did what I call some serious pretzel poses.  Here’s a pose you won’t be seeing a picture of me doing.

 

 

 

I stay until the sun begins to get too high in the sky and the incomers too many.

 

 

We return for the drumming at 7:00.

If you’ve been reading this blog then you know this is one of our favorite things to do on Wednesday and Saturday evenings when staying at Oscar Scherer.  So here’s a summary of this evening’s gathering.  Wednesday night is the smaller of the two.  :-))

 

There is the circle.

 

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The drummers and dancers

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And more dancers of all shapes and sizes

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Wed drumming (2)

 

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She sells jingle skirts and a lot of them.  Two for $15.

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The audience

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The sunset – reason for it all.

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After the sun goes down, the drumming and dancing continue.  And the lights come out.   This evening the clouds roll in……

 

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They put on a light show of their own.  We stay a long while and
watch lightning displays in the clouds.  No rain just lightning in two sets of large fluffy clouds.  Really gorgeous.  Sunset behind us, lightning in the east….

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and the new moon rising.

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What a night at Nokomis Beach!!

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