Christmas in Tampa

We went back out on the OHV Trails on Thursday with Kathy and JC before we departed for Tampa on Friday.  As always, a good time was had by all while we were riding!  We babysat for Jackson on Friday night while Marianne and Kevin went out to dinner to celebrate Marianne's passing her PE test!  Yippee! Christmas Eve was last minute shopping and the usual impulse buying, but it didn't grow out of hand.  Kevin's family stopped in for a visit Christmas afternoon, and we all enjoyed snacks, chili, but most of all watching Jackson enjoy his gifts.  He loved his tricycle and was blown away by the little Mercedes that Alan and Kelly wrapped for him!

We drove back to the Forest on Wednesday with Jackson and Marianne and Kevin came in later.  We had a relaxing few days sitting around the campfire.  The "kids" went out ATV riding on the trails with Billy on Thursday while Jackson and I held down the fort at the campground and took hikes around the area.  A good time was had by all.

Jackson opens his new Mercedes!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day

Patsy, Kathy, Jimmy, JC, & Billy Working and Playing on the OHV Trails

Jackson on his new tricycle.

Riding the Trails and Hiking the Forest

Yesterday Billy and left here before daylight to drive the motor home 90 miles to see about some repairs. YES, the mushrooms are still growing through the wall.  Oh my!  We are having a difficult time with the manufacturer for a problem that surfaced long before the warranty was up on the motor home.  The company who worked on the problem while we were still under warranty has gone out of business, and naturally they did not correct the leak.  Certainly more to follow as we continue to encourage the manufacturer to "do the right thing!"

We went to the Wandering Wiregrass ATV Trails with JC and Kathy on Monday. (http://www.ehow.com/list_5981225_atv-trails-ocala-forest.html).  It was about 14 miles of hills and curves winding through a beautiful long leaf pine forest.  No bears seen this outing; however, we are going out again tomorrow.  Billy and I have been enjoying the Monday-Thursday night "Beat The Clock" Specials at the only restaurant in Salt Springs - Bass Champions (http://saltspringsfl.com/bass-champions).  You can order shrimp (cooked any way), oysters, flounder, country fried steak, chicken fingers, and about five other items and pay the special Beat The Clock prices.  If you arrive at 4:00, you pay $4.00 for your dinner, 5:00, $5.00......until 6:00.  What a hoot!  Salt Springs has a population of 7,950 and the line to get in the restaurant at 3:50 pm yesterday was out the door.  The food is expertly prepared and tastes great, especially at these prices!

While Billy was setting the motor home up after our return yesterday we had a gentleman stop by and ask for directions to the "path that leads to The Great Florida Birding Trail" from our campground. http://floridabirdingtrail.com/index.php/about/access_the_trail/  The Great Florida Birding Trail is a 2,000 mile trail through the state of Florida that Billy and I have been wanting to visit.  This gentleman is a volunteer for the trail and performs trail maintenance.  He is not the first person who has come through looking for the path.  I donned bear whistle, hiking boots/socks, orange vest, and bear spray and off I went to see if we could find the "path" to the Trail.  As you can tell, I am very proud of myself because I found the "path;" however, I didn't go all the way to the Great Florida Birding Trail.  Billy and I will hike our way back to it after Christmas and after I purchase a new water bottle for Maggie!  Did see LOTS of bear tracks out there.  So many that it looked like the "teddy bears had a picnic" out there last night.  Can't wait to return.

So, Life Is Good Today here in the forest.  We plan to crawl out from underneath our collard leaf and drive to Tampa on Friday to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Marianne and her family.  Thanks for stopping in.

Maggie warming up on the hot sand!

A break from our ATV ride!

An Awesome and Relaxing Saturday in the Forest

Billy and I rode out on the ATV in the morning to see ALL of our campers and then I lounged around the patio outside after I swept a few fallen leaves away, and following an early morning trip to Square Meal for a yummy breakfast.  We made a short jaunt around the Flea Market there at the strip mall "shopping center,"  and I came away with jar of homemade chow chow but not the recipe.  I am "working" on her, and hope I can talk her into turning loose of that recipe before we leave here.  Just an absolutely beautiful day to relax.  Jane and Bill Berry (OHV Center Volunteers) stopped by for a visit, and my did we swap a few stories and laugh a lot.  That was fun.  Jane took the Chain Saw Class with Bill and Billy (I know this Jane, Bill, Jane & Billy gets confusing when we are together.), and she can tell them how to do it!  LOL!

Billy built a beautiful campfire and Kyle stopped in with his dog Bailey for hamburgers on the grill.  Great friends living here in the Forest so "Life Is Good Today."

Chain Saw Class in the Forest

We haven't touched based with the blog in quite a while.  Billy has been busy every day this week from 9:00-5:00 taking a chain saw class.  This crawling out of bed early routine is becoming an aggravation for him.  He is totally amazed each day at how much there is to learn about chain saws.  I really wish that I had taken the class now; however, don't know if I would be able to hold the chain saw upright for any length of time with my sternum healing.  Speaking of sternum.  I have FINALLY quit whining about it.  I still scream bloody murder if I cough or sneeze, but the improvement is promising.  Thank goodness that is over.

We had planned to take the ATV out for a spin on the trails on Monday with Kathy and JC but the rain came pouring down.  Instead we drove over to the OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) Center and picked up a US Forest Service truck for us to keep.  We can use the government vehicle for official duties, training, or meetings.  Yippee!  This forest is VERY big and it is a long drive from one side to the other.

Then we took a spin through a small section of the forest in our truck on four wheel drive.  There are countless roads through the forest here, and I doubt that we will ever explore all of them.  We drove over to Rodman Reservoir to discover that the Corps of Engineers is drawing the water down, and fishermen are enjoying a "heyday" of catching large bass.  The fishermen regret that current regulations require them to fish and release as the pond is being drawn down.  My brother recalls that he and and his best friend Dean used to enjoy fishing Rodman Reservoir (http://www.jimporter.org/lakes/ocala/) when they were stationed in Jacksonville, FL.  I think Billy is itching to return to our sticks and bricks house to pick up our fishing boat.

Billy came down with a nasty cold last week so Maggie and I went out for walks in the forest alone.  Wow!  Won't do that again.  I saw an old abandoned road off of the path that I was following so I decided to step off my path and explore where the road traveled.  After walking about 30 minutes I realized that I was out in the forest without a hunter's orange vest so I quickly turned around to return my familiar path.  Unlike when we were kids playing in the woods I could not find the path anywhere.  Maggie and I walked until I could find a cell phone signal and called Billy to "trace this call and tell me where I am." Obviously that idea was hopeless so we walked on until we heard traffic and followed the sound of the traffic to the paved road.  My, that was a long walk.  After Billy recovered we walked together out into the surrounding forest, and he carried the GPS along so that we would not become hopelessly lost.  There is endless beauty out there and many bear and deer tracks.

Today is my sister's birthday.  "Sisters are different. They heard the sobbing in the darkness. They lived through all your triumphs, all your favorites, all your loves and losses. They have no delusions. They lived with you too long. And so, when you achieve some victory, friends are delighted - but sisters hold your hands in silence and shine with happiness. For they know the cost." –Pam Brown  I love you Beth.  Happy Birthday.

Christmas from long ago!

Life is indeed Good Today.  Maggie and I are off to the laundry mat.

Driving through the Forest!

Holidays At Shanty Pond

Not much has been going on in our lives since Thanksgiving in Tampa.  I have been frantically sewing to get Kinley and Lincoln's Christmas outfits complete and in the mail before this weekend!  Done!  We now have a neighbor in Shanty Pond.  Sandy and Carl moved in while we were away.  They are Volunteer's at the Ocala Forest Visitors Center, and they are going to be fun to have as neighbors if we could all slow down a bit to sit around a campfire.

Yesterday went out on the 45 mile Centennial Trail (http://www.offroadnorthamerica.com/park.asp?pid=600) with  fellow volunteers Kathy and JC.   They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by buying one another this great four wheeler.  Aren't they just the best?  We didn't see a bear yesterday, but there is no telling how many we scared away as they heard us coming.  That is the first time that we have been OUT in the MIDDLE of what is called the Big Scrub!  It was very interesting to me because I am currently reading The Yearling which was written while the author was living in the Big Scrub area (http://floridanature.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/the-yearling-trail-a-visit-with-jody-another-time/).  We enjoyed a yummy picnic of Billy's homemade chicken salad sandwiches!  Yep!  Life Is Good Today.

Today Billy and I had appointments to complete our yearly physicals.  We drove the 40 minutes into town and went in to take a seat in the waiting room.  We were sitting there all prim and proper with self-righteous grins on our faces until the receptionist yelled out for all to hear.  "Mr. and Mrs. Hornsby your appointment is not until tomorrow."  Now, I used to snicker when OLD FOLKS did that back in the day.  I wanted to say "And I put on make-up for this," but we kindly tucked our tails and went out the door.  Guess we will go back tomorrow, but I may not wear make-up again.  LOL

Billy, JC and Kathy stopping to pick a limb up off the trail.

The four of us ready to roll at the Trail Head.

Kathy and JC - Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary