Long Point Park

The park is situated between the Atlantic and the Indian River. Our site is on the Indian River with just a short walk to the Atlantic beach. One is kind of isolated on this outer bank, you have to drive 10 miles north or south to get off the beach. Other than driving up to Merritt Island we have been very content to be isolated, probably have enough food on board to last a month, however it might be a little dicy during hurricane season. Tomorrow we move 2 miles south for 2 weeks.








Guy from Nova Scotia with his just caught pompano


Catching Sand Fleas for pompano bait


We were sitting on a log at the beach when this little Plover comes up to check us out

Where do old Storks retire???

The Long Point park is full of retirees. There are a couple of dozen storks that seem to have retired here also. They hang around the fish cleaning table along with pelicans, ibis and herons, quite a pretty sight. I don't know how long storks live, maybe a long time, but just in case one of these guys may have delivered me I decided to give them a good meal of shrimp which they seemed to appreciate.


You always have company at the fish cleaning table


Clean up crew


Which one?


Stork at rest, folds his leg forward and rests on middle joint.


The regal Great Blue Heron

Teenagers to Octagenarians

In the 40's my parents had a summer cottage on Lake Lotawana in Missouri. The parents of my best friend, Ethan Bergschneider, had a place across the street. We had tons of fun together fishing, boating, hunting, chasing girls, double dating(drive in movies!!), and doing aerobatics In our parents cars. His folks had a beautiful Packard sedan, Ethan knew of a gravel country road near Buckner that was like a roller coaster, that Packard went airborne a number of times as we flew over the crest of the hills, I'm sure he can tell stories about my driving also. In 1950 we enlisted in the Air Force together, Ethan with his flying experience in the Packard became a jet fighter pilot and retired a Colonel after 26 years. Our paths separated in 1950 and our contact has been infrequent over the years. Saturday Nita and I drove up to Merritt Island to visit with Ethan and his wife Mona and had a great time updating and rehashing old times. Good friends are precious, stay in touch with them.

Sunday travels

Last Sunday we departed Salt Springs and headed for The Villages. The GPS routed us the long way on slow twisting roads, we finally got there after using some choice words for the GPS, sometimes you do better using a map or dead reckoning. It was great seeing our friends Joyce and Kent Burgess, they prepared a delicious brunch with individual egg casseroles, French toast, fresh fruit and home made cinnamon rolls, wow, fit for royalty. We have sure missed these guys after their move to Florida. Kent and I stood the girls in a couple of card games but they were tough, we broke even.

Later in the afternoon we headed for Blue Springs state park for the night. The spring feeds into the St Johns river and it has a constant temperature of 72 degrees. When it gets cold the manatees swim into the spring to warm up, there were over a hundred manatees in the spring at the time as well as many varieties of fish.


Gourmet brunch served by Joyce and Kent


Log posing as a Heron, fish in background


Manatees at Blue Springs state park

Snowbird Migration

We were amongst a flock of snowbirds streaming down I95 seeking warmer climate and recreation. The flock consisted of many varieties of snowbirds from Greyhound sized motorhomes towing Hummers to motorcycles packing tents. Most had bicycles, kayaks, boats, grills and other stuff being towed, on racks, or just tied on any surface. Some of these rigs you wouldn't want to follow for fear of something falling off. Animals are also going, as the vehicles pass you get stared at by cats, dogs, birds, horses and some jackasses. Some will pass like a bat out of h... only to pass again an hour later, guess they had to stop to catch their breath.

Our first nights stop Thursday was Florence, SC. So much for warmer climates, Esso Bee, it got down to 16 degrees that night.

Friday we arrived at a National Forest rv park in Salt Springs, Fl, an outstanding park. Two years ago we met Jack and Martha Bentley camping in a Corps of Engineers park in NE Pennsylvania. They were in a motorhome like ours and we had a good time visiting with them, J & M travel with a cockateel who rules the roost. As we pulled into our site at Salt Springs we noticed another Winnebago View, you guessed it, it was Jack, Martha and Happy. Another good time visiting, lunch and raiding a flea market.

Pics, Nita driving down I95 while I play with iPad, Jack and Martha with Happy









Happy with Happy