Over A Land Bridge; Lichen These? Stealth Hiker; PDA!

On Friday My Lovely Bride suggested that we go for a hike on the Florida National Scenic Trail. We wanted to see a new area, so we selected a section of the Cross Florida Greenway west of the Santos mountain biking area that we are very familiar with. We parked at the Land Bridge Trailhead and started hiking west. We hiked through beautiful pine and oak groves, with only one short section along a fenceline bordering a horse farm. Otherwise, we were "in the woods"!

Within a mile or so we arrived at Land Bridge itself. You have probably passed beneath this neat overpass, which allows hikers, cyclists and equestrians to cross I-75 safely. It is a very well thought out structure, with guard rails and fencing to prevent any accidental falls into traffic. The path is dirt and rock, the walls have limestone facing, and there are small trees, shrubs and brush to make it seem like a woodsy trail. But in the middle, you look down onto the semis passing just a few feet below. 

We came upon this awesome oak tree, which had nine trunks growing from a central hub; they are big trunks, and dwarfed Suzanne in this photo.  

We also passed some interesting lichens (I think) and a few cacti, which looked like they had been relocated from Arizona. Can anyone ID these?  

I am what My Sweet Wife calls a stealth hiker, someone who treads as silently as possible through the woods, with hardly a word spoken for miles on end. I told her that it was a skill set I learned in my many years of Scouting (Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Explorer Scout); my mentors taught me to hike quietly so that you can better observe wildlife. (It also gives any potential enemies less notice that you’re in the area, allowing you an opportunity to surprise them instead of being ambushed... not that being ambushed is an issue here in Florida, but what if we were in New Guinea with hostile cannibals around!) Suzanne, on the other hand, would like a comment every now and then just to know that I am still alive, and not sleep-hiking. (Yeah, as if...) It’s one of those vive la difference things.  

In the last half mile of our hike, we were still moving stealthily, and I caught a glimpse of two people about 50 yards up the trail. I gave Suzanne the signal for two people ahead with my right hand, and as we got closer, we saw that it was a uniformed officer with his wife on the trail. But they were unaware of our silent approach, and were embracing and kissing (at least, I hope it was his wife!). At a distance of 15 feet, My Lovely Bride coughed and said cheerfully, “Good afternoon, Officer. You know, in the Navy, we call that PDA.” The woman smiled, but the officer blushed as red as I’ve ever seen anyone blush. Suzanne then laughed and said, “Oh, you know what PDA is, huh?” He replied quietly, “Yes, ma’am, I do...” (PDA stands for Public Display of Affection, and can be a big deal, especially at the Naval Academy (Annapolis) and Military Academy (West Point). (As for the Air Force Academy, well, the less said, the better...) I told Suzanne that I was glad that the young woman had the foresight to bring an armed guard with her when she hiked in the woods... after all, she had me, with my trusty Boy Scout pocketknife, just in case we were charged by New Guinean cannibals or a rabid raccoon...

500th Reading; An Impromptu Concert; A Naughty Video???

Suzanne reached a milestone on Tuesday, giving her 500^th mediumistic reading. And yes, it was a good one! She continues to work through her long waiting list, and has reopened it after whittling it down to under 100. (I’m sure it will get much longer again, but that’s to be expected.)

Our good friend Michelle Uss called My Lovely Bride the other day with a brilliant idea: “Suzanne, what do you think about getting together at Colony Cottage Rec. Center and playing some special music for your Mom? You bring your flute and I’ll play the piano.”  Well, last night there was a special concert for Ruthie, John Uss and myself... which turned into an open concert for anyone passing by. They played for almost two hours, and several of the songs were Ruthie’s favorites that brought back many fond memories from her 61 years of marriage to her husband Bill, Suzanne’s Dad.

I guess the music was especially appreciated by the Colony Clay Arts Club, whose workshop was being held about 30 feet away. Their door was open, and at one point several potters came out to listen up close and to thank the girls for their music.

Michelle and Suzanne were a fabulous duet. It was hard to believe that they had never played together. I think we may be hearing more of their beautiful music in the future. We were very happy to learn that John and Michelle will be moving to The Villages permanently after they sell their house in Connecticut; Hoo-Ray!!!

As many of you know, Suzanne and I are both retired Navy. As military retirees, we have a very good health plan called TriCare, although when I reached 65, I had to shift to MediCare. One of the frustrations with TriCare is that most doctors do not accept it because they don’t pay the same rate as MediCare or civilian health plans. It was not unusual for her to have to drive 45 minutes to an hour to find a specialist (such as a GYN) that accepted TriCare. She mentioned that she might be getting a new GYN here in Lady Lake, which would be much more convenient, but that she wanted to watch a YouTube video that he had posted before making a decision. I reacted with some degree of shock and amazement, and asked, “You mean your prospective gynecologist has a YouTube video? It probably has about 5 million views from teenage boys across the country! Snort...” She replied frostily, “It’s not that kind of video... it’s him giving a presentation at a medical conference.”  Smack....   (Sheesh... When will I learn???)

Dinner with Torontarians; RVs, Horsies, and Whips! A Political Joke

We enjoyed a visit from Torontarians... this is not a group of Rotarians that got lost, but folks from Toronto, Ontario. Larry and Lucy had attended Suzanne’s S.O.A.R! Workshop when we visited that fair city in Canada last summer. They have a condo in Canada’s southernmost city, Fort Myers, Florida. (You think I am joking, but you would be amazed by the number of Canadians in south Florida, with many banks and businesses supporting the Canadian diaspora there; word has it that a Canadian donut chain, Tim Horton’s, will try to buy out Dunkin Donuts soon... what is the world coming to?) Anyway, Larry and Lucy were great fun; My Lovely Bride gave Lucy a reading while Larry and I swapped stories on the lanai, and then we went out for a nice Italian dinner at Red Sauce. This was their first visit to The Villages, and we hope it will not be their last!  

Our neighbors Bob and Jan Blythe joined us for a trip to Ocala for an RV Show that was touted to be the largest in Central Florida. It was sort of disappointing, because we had hoped for more vendors of electronics such as satellite Internet systems for our upcoming trip to Alaska, when Wi-Fi and cell phone service could be unavailable for days or weeks at a time. The show was 95% new RV’s and trailers, and since we both already have American Eagle motor coaches, we weren’t really interested in RV’s themselves. The day was saved in two ways. First, we had a great lunch at Chick-fil-A, with regular and spicy chicken sandwiches and their Most Excellent Milkshakes, some of the best we have ever enjoyed. We think that they are as good as Newport Creamery’s Awful Awfuls from Bob and Jan’s home area, Rhode Island/Southern Mass. (You can tell Jan is enjoying hers!)

After lunch, Bob and Jan took us to the Florida Horse Park where their daughter-in-law Hillary was competing in carriage driving competitions with several horses from her farm in Massachusetts. Suzanne and I had never even seen a competition carriage before, so it was really fun and interesting. This stallion "Orrin" from Hillary's farm is just heading out to compete. (Coincidentally, my grandfather's first name was Orrin... small world!)

Here are a couple of shots from the “water hazard” part of the competition... the “groom” on the aft end of the carriage leans out over the side and counter- balances the forces trying to overturn the carriage as the driver makes sharp, fast turns.

There were several dogs enjoying the show, but none cuter than this Boston terrier. 

There was also this little Jack Russell, whose owner was either overly optimistic or a bit deranged thinking that he could pull this carriage... 

If you needed fancy hats, tack or other equipment, it was available from vendors right there at the show. You could even buy whips to knock flies off your horses' ears or get them to move faster. (I will not go into potential uses to get husbands off the couch...)

We plan on attending the next International Driving competition at Live Oak Plantation in Ocala 20-24 March. It should be spectacular!

In the header for this blog, I promised never to make political rants, and I have kept that promise. Political jokes, however, are another matter. As many of you know, I do not care for Socialists or Communists. (Perhaps that is why I was a bit uncomfortable in California, Oregon, and Washington state... hmmm...). Socialists are known for not having a sense of humor and being greedy devils with regards to other peoples’ money.  For those of you (few) who may not be aware of what a snowbird is, it is not a avian creature at all, but a human who has the good sense to migrate south during the months that their home states in The Frozen North are covered in snow and ice.

A recent news clip really made me laugh. The Governor of the Peoples’ Republic of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, has proposed a tax on all income from stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and capital gains, of former Minnesota residents who have moved south but spend more than 60 days in their former home state - aimed particularly at Snowbirds who return to Minnesota during the very brief summer thaw to visit grandchildren. The photo at right is of a golf cart owned by a snowbird from Minnesnowta who obviously drove his cart all the way to The Villages, approximately 1,517 miles, to (a) avoid the frigid weather in his former home state, and (b) avoid the governor’s foolish policies. “Good on ya, Mate!” (Sorry, Terri, but blame this post on your gov, Mark.) 

A Birthday Lunch; Sunset; Oh, No....

We joined our Legal Beagle friend Gail Grossman for her birthday lunch at Evans Prairie Country Club on Friday. Gail’s swim teammates LuAnn and Lin were also on hand to roast Gail a bit and enjoy the festivities. Lin is from England, and her brother is a competitive hot air balloonist; one of her best stories was when her brother invited her to take a peek in the balloon’s wicker basket before a flight. She got in just to look around, but was shocked when her brother cast off the mooring lines and took her up several thousand feet for a long ride. “Thanks, Bro!” (Okay, that’s probably not exactly what Lin said at that point, but after all, this is a G-rated blog.) 

Sunset is probably my favorite time of day. When we were cruisers (sailing full-time), and only at anchor or at a marina, it was the time to have friends over for “sundowners”, otherwise known as cocktail hour ashore. We would watch the sun set, ooh and ahh, and listen to other cruisers blow horns made of conch shells. Now, we often sit on the lanai with a glass of wine and enjoy the light show. Last night was no exception; Mother Nature graced us with a beautiful display of “light on clouds”... not many artists can match this reality!

One of Our Contributing Editors, Gisela Padgett, sent in a photo of another most ridiculous parking job that instantly earned a spot in our Parking Hall of Shame. This time it wasn’t a car... or a truck... or a golf cart... This bicycle owner must have forgotten what he was driving!

One Tired Puppy; An Awards Dinner; A Navy Blimp; Call the SPCA! Ride ‘Em Cowboy!

Rudy is now 8 years old, 56 years old in people years, and "officially" no longer a puppy. That’s why he can be forgiven for “crashing” at the end of a hard day of traveling without his normal napping. I think at this moment he must have been dreaming of chasing squirrels, because his little legs would twitch every now and then as if he were running... and of course he likes to lie on our clothes because of the smells... 

My Lovely Bride and I had the pleasure of hosting the latest Geo-Quiz Award Winners for dinner Tuesday evening. Peter and Carole Lee, and Bob and Jan Blythe joined us for Dendrobranchiata, Solanum melongena, and Prunun avium. What, you’ve never heard of those names? Well, you have probably eaten them... shrimp (served with New Orleans Remoulade sauce), eggplant (baked with ziti, Kalamata olives and marinara sauce), and Bing cherries (Jubilee). The Lees and Blythes were great fun, but during dinner, I learned from Peter that he had used a reverse photo identification program on the Internet to get his answers.... Hiss-Boo! I tried to hold back his dessert, but Suzanne said that that would be rude.... Peter and Carole are from Wisconsin. That's another place in The Frozen North. We were there once (by accident), but heard that you can tell someone is a Cheesehead if their snowblower gets stuck on the roof in June.

While walking in our local town square, I glanced up and spotted this US Navy blimp flying over Lake Sumter. There are two possible reasons for its flight here. The first is that the US Navy is having trouble recruiting, and is looking for retired US Navy personnel here in The Villages to return to active duty. (Sign me up!) The second possible reason may be related to recent reports of Communist Chinese submarine ballistic missile launches off the California coast; perhaps the blimp was making sure that Lake Sumter was free of those threats. 

I received an email today that shocked me. So-called “friends” of ours (I shouldn't mention their names, but their initials are Sharon and Joyce) altered my photo of Rudy and Gretchen and “morphed” black socks onto their feet. This attempt at “black humor” was intended to poke fun at Your Faithful Correspondent’s somewhat embarrassing “fashion malfunction” on Saturday (see the blog post below). I was not amused. In fact, I lodged an irate complaint with the SPCA, but the lady on the phone didn’t appear to be taking me seriously. Maybe I’ll have to contact People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) instead...   

Finally, Corvette Chick and I got back out onto the Withlacoochee State Trail again on Wednesday for a 30 mile bike ride. There were two highlights. The first came when Suzanne had to beg for mercy due to my blinding speed after 25 miles. (Having lowered her rear tire pressure to 25 psi instead of its normal 105 psi really helped me!) The second highlight was showing off my superb bull-riding technique on Wild Thang, an almost unbroken wild steer.... okay, so it was the Central Florida version of a 1,500 lb. killer bull, kinda-sorta a bull substitute in the kids playground, named Tony the Tortoise. Anyway, I had a blast, I rode for more than the 8 second minimum, and he didn’t throw me... too hard... more than twice...

Alabama Parking Hall of Shame; Not a Dune Buggy? A Very Big Bridge! Looking for Shade? Manatee Medics

My brother-in-law Brent Smeltzer sent me this photo of a parked car in Montgomery, Alabama. When he told me the circumstances, I was somewhat concerned about his regard for his personal safety. While he was taking the photo, a very large gentleman came out and asked, “Why you takin’ that?”  Brent replied, “I have never seen anyone take up FOUR parking spaces with one car before!” The guy answered, “Well, another car was there before.” Brent laughed, and the Big Guy smiled and said, “Have a blessed day.”  (That's sure better than getting smacked!) 

Our “Good Friend” Chris Lavender sent me a useful email today. Having read about my misadventure with burying The Bus up to the axles in sandy dirt, she offered this very helpful information: “DUNE BUGGY - A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes, beaches, or desert recreation. It is called a beach buggy in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and many other English-speaking countries. The design is usually a modified vehicle and engine mounted on an open chassis. Modifications usually attempt to increase the power-to-weight ratio by either lightening the vehicle, increasing engine power, or both."  Chris then included the two very helpful photos below with caption.  (Thank you, Chris; you just got dropped from my Christmas card list.)

Dune Buggy; not to be confused with RV

We have driven over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay on eight separate occasions, and it always impresses us. The Skyway was completed in 1987, replacing an older bridge built in the 1950s and partly destroyed when hit by a ship. It is considered one of the Top Ten bridges in the world. One of the most interesting bridge-related incidents occurred in 1997 when a group of amateur daredevils, led by a Fort Lauderdale bartender, performed an unauthorized “mass guerilla pendulum swing bungee jump” after debarking from their stretch limo at the apex of the bridge. Unfortunately, they failed to accurately engineer their bungee cable, and the cable parted when they were still 60 feet above the water. Luckily, there were only severe injuries and no fatalities. (Do you think alcohol may have been involved that night?)

While in Sarasota, we noticed a very helpful sign for people who were overheated by the subtropical sun; in this case, either overhanging trees or perhaps large umbrellas at the next intersection... how thoughtful!   

Speaking of signs, we had just crossed the Manatee River and were driving through Bradenton, Florida, when this sign for Manatee Memorial Hospital grabbed my attention. I had no idea that there were so many injured or sick manatees that a three story hospital was required to nurse them back to health. Since manatees often weigh over 1,000 lbs., I wondered how many heavy duty elevators must be required to move them from the ER to surgery to a semi-private room and then to physical therapy...  and then there are the bedpan issues... Yuck!

To S.O.A.R! in Sarasota; Caught by the Fashion Police; A Walk in the Park; Fishermen Lie! Two Kisses

The second event of our trip to Sarasota was Suzanne’s S.O.A.R! Workshop, held on Saturday. She had 15 enthusiastic attendees, and the Sarasota Center of Light was filled with Love all day.  

I got a 5 miler in that morning... normally I wear regular white gym socks with my sneakers, but I had forgotten to pack them. I had to wear black dress socks, but knew that no one that I knew would see me here in Sarasota. I forgot to take them off as soon as I returned to The Bus, and was caught by My Lovely Bride on camera who came out to see me on the morning break... she had no mercy, even after I begged her not to snap that photo. Sigh... 

Rudy and Gretchen made cameo appearances after lunch, and were a hit. They were on their best behavior since they were in church. There were lots of dog people there, so they received plenty of attention.

The puppies were then ready for a w-a-l-k in t-o-w-n. Here they are with their leads on, looking forward to a chance to chase squirrels in a new town. We couldn’t find any in the neighborhood around SCoL, so we diverted to the ville by car. 

After coffee for Dad at Simon’s Coffee Shop, we stopped at the Edson Keith Estate on Phillippi Creek. The Italian Renaissance style house was a private residence of Edson Keith, part of Sarasota’s “Chicago Colony”, and was built in 1916. The property was bought in 1939 by Chicago doll clothes designer Mae Hansen Prodie, and was operated as a luxury inn by her husband in the 1950s. It was acquired after her death by Sarasota County as a park site. 

While touring the grounds, we stopped and talked to these two kayak fishermen. I asked the older guy if they had caught anything. He said, poker-faced, “Of course, 12 grouper, eight tarpon, and four walleye.” I replied, “Wow, that is great. You are either (a) the world’s best fish filet’er, to have gotten all those fish in that tiny cooler, or (b) the world’s most gracious “catch and release” fisherman, or (c) the world’s worst fishing liar.” His son choked with mirth.

When I had left The Bus for our recon trip to town, I had left a couple of bottles of spring water on the inside step for My Lovely Bride during her workshop's afternoon break, since we would be away for several hours. I was not surprised to find them gone, but I was delighted to find these two Silver Bells, AKA Hershey’s Kisses, on a plate in place of the water. She is so sweet! Thank you, Sweetheart...