Homosassa Springs State Park (Feb 10)

 The full name of the park is Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.  A mouthful, I know.  The park is less than 1.5 miles from our RV site, and we liked it a lot.  On one side there’s a paved birding trail that’s 1.4 miles out and back.  I did the walk a couple days prior.  On the other side is a great assembly of wildlife including several species of birds, manatees, and a bear, bobcat and panther.  Many of the animals were rescued and cannot be returned to the wild.  They did such a nice job of providing habitats for the animals.

We watched as park volunteers fed pelicans fish and tossed heads of romaine lettuce to the herbivore manatees.

There’s also a pond that is well-populated with several species of fish.  There’s an underwater fish observatory.  I think the fish were as curious about us as we were about them because many of them stuck close to the glass.  We mostly saw Common Snooks and Gray Snappers.  The Homosassa Spring feeds in to the pond, which becomes the headwater for the Homosassa River.  The spring’s temperature, 74F, is comfortable for the manatees.  68F and below can be deadly for them. Fun fact: a group of manatees is an “aggregation”.

In the afternoon we went back to the Withlacoochee Trail for another bike ride.  On the way back we bought more oranges and grapefruits, which we are really enjoying.

Way Down Upon The Suwannee River (Feb 9)

 I always thought the “Swanee River” as it’s spelled in the song lyrics was different than the Suwannee River as it’s spelled in geography.  And I never associated it with Florida, just Georgia.  The river does start in Georgia but flows through Florida in to the Gulf.  I guess that’s why “The Old Folks at Home” is Florida’s state song.  I’m glad I’m still learning.

On Monday, Feb 9, we went to the Suwannee River by visiting Manatee Springs State Park.  And it’s a very nice state park: quiet, clean, really nice forest, and the water is extremely clear.  And they have a nice boardwalk that takes you along a creek to the Suwannee.  But the day was warm so the manatee that otherwise hang out in the creek went out to the warmer river.

And cypress knees - they grow out of the roots of cypress trees.  I don’t recall ever seeing these before.  They lend a certain eeriness to the forest.

In the afternoon we drove to Cedar Key and checked it out.  It’s a small island right on the Gulf with 750 year-round residents. What a nice little town!  Some beaches, nice houses on stilts, several restaurants on the strip along the water.  Jenny and I agreed that we’d like to come back.

Alliterations Abound (Feb 7 & 8)

 Ah, the wonderful Withlacoochee.  The wacky Weeki Wachee.  Those Muscogee and Seminoles knew how to name places.  Weally gwate.  Er, I mean really great.

The other thing that I’m really appreciating about our trip is all the state parks, nature preserves, state and national forests, and other protected areas.

On Saturday the 7th we indeed went to Weeki Wachi State Park.  The main attraction here is the mermaid show.  The show actually started in the 40’s as a roadside attraction and Florida brought it and the surrounding land in to the state park system when the show started, um, going under.  The park is more for families and kids, but we enjoyed it anyway.

On the 8th we went to the World Equestrian Center in Ocala.  There are a couple of large indoor arenas, several equestrian shops, and a couple of very nice hotels.  The main arena, though, is outside in front of the main hotel.  We saw horse jumping.

A New Hometown

 Thursday, the 5th, was our last day in Camp Margaritaville.  I’ll miss it.  My only regret is that the weather wasn’t conducive to taking advantage of all their amenities since virtually all the activities were outside.  But onward and upward: we drove two hours north to Homosassa Springs and the Sun Retreats RV Resort.  After arriving, we set up camp, had lunch out, and picked up a few groceries.

On Friday, we drove to Inverness and rode 15 miles by bike on the Withlacoochee Trail.  It’s flat, wide, and smooth. A nice ride with nice scenery. After the ride we walked around Inverness’s downtown area, which is really just several blocks of (mostly) small independent restaurants and shops.  It’s very nice.

Before heading back to the RV we explored Homosassa with a self-guided driving tour. The below pic is from a boat ramp. 

Tonight we’re watching the Olympics opening ceremony. And a little curling. 

Fort Desoto and Saddle Creek Park (Feb 3-4)

 On Tuesday we drove to Fort Desoto Beach in Tierra Verde, on a barrier island about a half hour southwest of St. Petersburg.  But along the way, we stopped at Mazzaro’s Italian Market in St. Pete for lunch.  What a crazy place Mazzaro’s is! It was packed with patrons grocery shopping or getting prepared food.  The sandwiches and coffees we got were excellent, and of course we couldn’t get away without some store-made groceries like babka, fresh pasta and fresh pesto.  Thanks to RW and JW for the recommendation.  

 We got to Fort Desoto Beach about 10 minutes after high tide and there was still a wide expanse of beach.  It was fairly hard-packed and great for walking.  We could have ridden our bikes on the beach as well.  Considering the size of the parking lot at the south beach, this must be a very popular place in season.  There were only a few others on the beach when we were there - just the way we like it - and nobody braved the water.  After the beach we checked out a RV camping area that’s designated for pets.  I like that the sites had lots of trees and each had a picnic table. (Sorry, I can’t figure out how to get rid of the center justification for this paragraph.  It doesn’t work like Word.)

On Wednesday we went out for breakfast, washed sheets, and walked the nature trail at nearby Saddle Creek Park.  We saw two more bird species: blue-grey gnatcatcher and black-bellied whistling duck, and heard but did not see limpkins.  We also saw a couple more armadillos. The walk was just an out and back 2.4 miles total.  The path was wide and flat, and not paved.  The walk would have been more pleasant if the shooting range wasn’t so busy.

A Little Exploring; A Little Taking It Easy (Feb 1-2)

 Sunday we went to the Morse Museum in Winter Park, which is about 10 miles northeast of Orlando. Its main attraction is the largest collection of Tiffany glass, jewelry and paintings in the world.  I appreciated the techniques he created and perfected to make his art, and some works made me stop and gaze.  

Next we went to Disney Springs. This area is part of Disney World, but is like a giant outdoor mall.  It has many of the usual mall stores albeit the more expensive ones, many restaurants, and of course lots of places to buy Disney merchandise.  We had an early dinner at the Boathouse restaurant and it was quite good.  I haven’t played with Legos in over half a century but I had to admire the Lego “sculptures” outside their store.

Monday was a bit of an off day.  Laundry, vacuuming and cleaning the RV and such.  In the afternoon we went to an independent coffee shop. Jenny worked on her art P&L and I started putting together a photo album of this trip.

Back to Winter Park where the Morse Museum is.  OK, I used to work for the water company in D.C.  So sue me.  But I do think it’s nice when they mold something artful in to their meter pit and manhole covers.

Chores and Touring (Jan 30-31)

 Friday started slowly, but eventually we did get out and enjoy the sunny 74-degree high temp with a 25-mile out and back bike ride on the Teco Auburndale Trail, which runs in to the Van Fleet Trail.  The ride was all paved and very flat. The Teco trail crosses the road to Margaritaville about 1/4 mile from the camp entrance.  It was great to be back in the saddle.  I cooked breakfast and dinner outside on our old Coleman stove that I bought probably in the 90s.  Jenny was bartender. She made Bosses, which we learned about while in Massachusetts a couple weeks ago at the Bosse Enoteca restaurant.  1.5 parts repesado tequila, 1.5 parts pineapple juice, 3/4 parts Campari, 1/2 part lime juice, and a short squirt of agave juice.  You can use 1/2 part simple syrup in place of the agave.  I know, I know: we’re really roughing it down here.

Our first destination on Saturday was the propane refill station on site.  Temps are supposed to get to the 20s for the next two nights.  I’m sure we had enough propane to run the RV furnace and hot water heater, but we filled up just in case.  Tonight I’ll disconnect the water supply from the rig and bring the pressure regulator and water filter inside.

Next we went to the Citrus Festival in nearby Winter Haven. This was a small event, dominated by food trucks, craft vendors, and a few things related to citrus fruits.  We bought a bag of grapefruit.

Our last stop was at Florida Southern College.  Frank Lloyd Wright designed ten buildings and walkways there, so we did a little architecture touring.  We learned of the campus on atlasobscura.com, which lists a lot of less common things to do and see.

Hakuna Matata, Baby! (Jan 29)

Today we set out early and went to two animal kingdoms.  First we dropped Joey off at a kennel for some doggy daycare, and then we continued on to Disney’s Animal Kingdom which, had we gone straight there, is less than a hour’s drive from Camp Margaritaville.  Jenny was there years ago; I’ve never been.  

I can’t speak highly enough about how well run Animal Kingdom is. Almost nothing is left to chance.  The grounds are very clean and it is well-staffed with “cast members” that act professionally.  I was amazed by how many visitors wore Disney merchandise. We both had a great time, and I am left with great memories.

Our first “experience” was the African safari.  You approach the safari entrance by walking through an African village, which was reminiscent of my days in Africa, down to the flaking stucco and jumbled wires atop utility poles.  You then get on a vehicle and are driven on the safari to view the animals.

Next was the Lion King show, which we both loved.  Part musical, part Cirque du Soleil - the actors interacted with the audience and it was fun for all.  We also trekked through an area with Asian animals; saw a show with trained birds; saw a “Finding Nemo”-themed show and had a nice lunch at an Asian restaurant.

I’ll include only a few pictures here.  More to come in the photo album.  But because I'm a cultured and classy guy, I'll leave you with one more picture of me with yard art at the kennel.

Circle B Bar Reserve (Jan 28)

Our first day at Camp Margaritaville was good.  I cleaned and oiled the chain on the mountain bike.  Jenny and I went on a short e-bike ride to check out a nearby bike trail.  We went on an unsuccessful search for a dog ramp for Joey so he can get in the RV by himself.  But the main event was going to the Circle B Bar Reserve.  This a two square mile former ranch.  It is now a nature reserve with nice walking trails, numerous birds, and we saw alligators and an armadillo too.

Birds we saw:

Red-shouldered hawk; double-crested cormorant; anhinga; snowy egret; wood stork; osprey; black-crowned night heron; limpkin; white ibis; tricolored heron; great egret; common gallinule; American coot; blue-gray gnatcatcher; palm warbler; red-wing blackbird; swamp 

What, no Grey Goose or Wild Turkey?!

Here are a few pictures.  There’ll be more in the forthcoming photo album. 

A Change In Plans (Tuesday, January 27)

The winter storm that dumped snow and brought low temperatures to much of the country followed us south.  We never got any snow or ice, but it’s been cold and windy and we want to be outside more comfortably.  Our original plan was to spend time in Fernandina Beach, FL at Fort Clench State Park, and then a few days in Ocala National Forest, but the forecast has not been the greatest.  We canceled our stays  at those two parks, and reserved a spot at Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale, FL, about an hour east of Tampa.

It was an eight-hour drive to Margaritaville, including stops for fuel, lunch, and Buc-ee’s. We arrived safely and set up at a beautiful campsite.

Hilton Head Island, SC (Jan 23-27, 2026)

 Our Hilton Head spot was just inside the bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway.  It’s called a “RV resort” because of its upgraded amenities relative to regular parks.  We especially appreciated the trees and shrubs that blocked direct view of our neighbor.  We had a great site that backed up to a view of the harbor and lots of manicured grass with trees on one side for Joey, our Corgi.

Unfortunately, the winter storm that dumped snow and ice over much of the country followed us south, so we had a lot of windy temperatures in the 40s and 50s, with some good rain as well (no snow or ice), so we were mostly limited to indoor activities.

Notable activities included:

Touring Beaufort: The city is pronounced Byoo-fert.  This is an historic town with strip along the bay with restaurants and boutique shopping.  We toured a museum in the visitors center with exhibits about the town’s history, walked through a neighborhood with historic homes, and had a nice lunch.

Driving tour of a couple other islands: The very low country drive included Fort Frederick Hertitage Preserve, not being allowed on Fripp Island (it’s a private island), and lunch at Beedos (they feature brekkie and sandos). 

Arcade:  We played air hockey, duck pin bowling, and a couple video games.  I can see how Halo can be addicting.

The Trip Begins

 We left home Thursday morning, January 22 after a day of packing way too much stuff into the Vienna and the Equinox.  We drove the vehicles to the local grocery store parking lot and hook up theEquinox for towing.  First the two arms of the tow bar, then the safety cables, the electronics cable, and finally the thin cable that activates the car brakes if everything else fails and the vehicles separate.

We arrived at Jones River State Park in the late afternoon.  The park is in southeast North Carolina.  Problem #1 occurred when hooking up to site water.  Water coming in to the Vienna goes through a filter inside the coach.  We do what most people do: use an external filter - between the site spigot and the RV - and insert a bypass in the internal filter housing instead of a cartridge.  Somehow the bypass plug cracked since the last time we used the RV and leaked a fair amount of water.  We finally figured that out with the help of a users group on FaceBook, and made the fix the next day by removing the bypass plug and installing a spare filter cartridge.  

We left the park the next day, Friday morning, to complete the first leg of our journey: to Hilton Head Island.

A New Acquisition

In October 2025, after much shopping, Jenny and I finally took the plunge and bought a recreational vehicle.  The RV is a 2023 Renegade Vienna.  It’s a nice motor home.  It’s 25 1/2 feet long, and based on a Mercedes Sprinter van chassis.  We knew right away that we needed another vehicle to more easily explore the area we visit, so again after much research, I sold my old car and we bought a used Chevy Equinox.  The Equinox was the only vehicle we found that met the criteria of: not too old, able to be flat-towed (all four wheels on the ground), light enough to be towed by the Vienna, and able to hold our e-bikes.

In October and November we took the Vienna, sans Equinox, on a few three-day camping trips to make sure we knew how to use everything and that everything works.  And now, we’re two days in to our first extended trip avec Equinox. The itinerary includes several nights each in Hilton Head, SC and four places in Florida.  Then 2-3 nights each at three stops in Alabama before we drive back to Virginia in Three segments. 

Hiking Season Has Begun

Last weekend and today were our first two hikes of the season.  On March 19 Kathleen, Jenny and I did an organized hike with the Appalachian Mountain Club.  The hike was at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland.  The hike was led by one of the researchers.  He gave us a tour of SERC and explained the work there before the hike itself.  Pictures from this hike are at https://picasaweb.google.com/jg2adventures/SmithsonianEnvironmentalReserachCenter?authkey=Gv1sRgCP-fkL_O2uL18AE&feat=directlink .

Today Jenny and I went to Shenandoah River State Park near Front Royal, Virginia.  This is a fairly new park and the trails were very good.  We took Buster the dog (a Corgi), and let him off leash for the first time.  He heeled very well, except for when the deer came close.  Then Buster took off, but he returned eventually.  Pictures are at https://picasaweb.google.com/jg2adventures/ShenandoahRiverStateParkHike?authkey=Gv1sRgCIeZk5yCmcOfJg&feat=directlink .

An Unexpected End

The below entries were all written February 13 and 14.  Excuse the delay: you’ll understand why I had little Internet access over the past several days.

Wed, Feb 09

The Vendors Conference went well.  They understood the presentation messages five-by-five, and we had productive discussion as well.  My back, however, was another matter.  I returned to the hotel in extreme pain. The hotel staff helped me to my room.  I got pain killers and spoke with the U.S. Embassy staff a couple of times during the night.  At about 8:00 am I squeezed in to a Toyota Corolla and was taken to the Abuja Clinic (http://www.abujaclinics.com/) by a hotel driver.  Alerted by the Embassy, the Clinic was waiting for me.

Thurs, Feb 10

The Abuja Clinic is probably one of the better ones around.  It was recommended by the Medical Officer at the Embassy and is located in the middle of many embassies and very nice diplomatic residences.  I was met by the equivalent of an emergency room physician, examined, admitted, and brought to room 302.  Thankfully they had an elevator, only the second one I saw in Nigeria.

I had a private room.  The air conditioner was on and the window was wide open.  There was a TV that got three channels: British soccer, other soccer, and Independent Television.  ITV showed talk shows and heavily advertised their Valentine’s Day dance (2,000 Naira for couples; 3,000 Naira for VIP couples).  I asked for soap and toilet paper for the bathroom, but they don’t supply towels.  The walls were pretty Spartan, adorned by a calendar and a sign saying that the bed can only support one person so if it breaks due to overcrowding, the patient is responsible.  I was put on four pills.

There are a couple of companies that specialize in dealing with, if not evacuating, people that need medical attention in foreign countries.  The doctor from company I spoke with, as well as the Embassy Medical Officer, recommended that I refuse all diagnostic testing.  This is because these tests would just have to be repeated in the U.S.  So, despite the urging of the clinic doctors, I declined an x-ray and a CT scan.   

Andy brought me some tomato soup, fresh-cut fruit and some outstanding chocolate brownies.  By evening I was starting to improve.

Fri & Sat, Feb 11-12

Friday I had visitors from the SCMS Field Office and the Hilton.  I also got a lot of phone calls on both my personal cell phone and the Nigerian one loaned to me by the Field Office.  Andy brought me a change of clothes from my hotel room.  Eventually, Robert and Bash picked me up from the clinic, took me to the Hilton where Robert packed up my stuff from the room.  We arrived at the airport by 8:30pm.  Airline staff were waiting to help me get on the plane.

I was, and am, so grateful to my visitors and to all those who arranged for my return to the States.  I arrived home safely and, considering the circumstances, uneventfully, on Saturday afternoon.

The Beat Goes On

Yesterday morning and this morning I trained several of the Field Office staff on the terms and conditions in the three major types of contracts SCMS uses.  I translated the legalese to common language, highlighted the differences between the contract terms, and discussed what’s negotiable and what’s not.

Yesterday we also visited two suppliers and three today.  We’re mixing up the assessment teams a bit to give others experience and to accommodate meeting schedules.  Yesterday it was Joseph, I and Friday.  Today, Andy and Kelley joined Joseph and me.  Tomorrow we visit one supplier in the morning, and I present to a Vendors Conference in the afternoon.

All of the suppliers we visited are invited to the conference.  My presentation will review what SCMS is all about and why we are doing this vendor prequalification project.  Next I’ll cover some of our observations during the vendor visits.  I’ll try to end on an inspirational note to encourage the Nigerian supply chain to be a model for other countries.  I expect to talk for 30-45 minutes, and we’ve left plenty of time for discussion (which I expect to be lively).

I’m being boring for dinner tonight.  I’m here at The Fulani Bar by the pool with a 3,200 Naira (about $21) burger and fries.  Pretty tasty, but the hotel hasn’t displaced Ray’s Hellburgers, Fudruckers or Five Guys for the “Best Between the Buns Award”.

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I lingered in bed this morning, finally rising to have some coffee, ibuprofen, and a hot shower.   I think the hot water on my back helped.  I watched some of "Arabs Got Talent" on a TV station from Bahrain.  My poolside lunch was for maximum nutritional and medicinal purposes: two 60cl Star beers and some peanuts they put on the table.  By then I was not only feeling much better, but I was keeping hydrated as well!

I brought my laptop out with me, and worked on a presentation for this coming Wednesday until the battery was dry.  A rather pleasant way to work.  Peter and his wife happened to pass by, and we chatted for a bit.

I was feeling well enough for a walk.  I started with the “Artisan Village” which is on the hotel grounds.  They sell beads and carvings and art, much of which is indistinguishable from what you’d see in other Sub-Saharan countries.  I wandered the rest of the property, ventured in to the city for a bit, and returned as the sun was thinking about setting.