Iron Horses: Working, Playing and Picnicking in Ocala National Forest

Monday, November 21, 2011

Working, Playing and Picnicking in Ocala National Forest

Billy Bringing out our picnic with Bill and Jane

(You can double click on a photo for a better view)

After a weekend of answering bear questions to our campers we got up early and hit the OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) Trails. We took the Pipeline Trail, otherwise known as the Brown Trail, today and had a blast. We ran into some of our fellow Campground Hosts who were performing maintenance on the trails. At about the time we were looking for a place to picnic we ran into Jane and Bill who were also performing trail maintenance. We all piled out and enjoyed a wonderful picnic. Shortly after returning to the trail Billy and I ran into this huge "road block!" He stopped and sat still for us to photograph and then promptly ran away when we restarted our engine. He was magnificent and a very good bear! (Good bear because he ran away from us when we made noise.) We would have been in big trouble had we been WALKING around the curve when we met up with this fellow. Certainly would have been justified in using the pepper spray on him if he had charged us. Maggie was fascinated with his scent, but wanted to chase him when he ran away. No worry, we had her in our arms and on a tight leash.

I have made much progress on the Christmas outfits. There just are not enough hours in the day to enjoy the forest, perform our duties as Campground Hosts, keep up with our laundry, sew for the babies, and then grab a few minutes to lounge around outside by the campfire with a good book. Last night we walked Caroline through the process of setting up her computer for Skype. It was great fun to be able to talk to the boys and see them at the same time. Skype is a great thing for these traveling Grandparents. Life Is Indeed Good Today!