Cracker Christmas in Kissimmee

Osceola Historical Society had their Cracker Christmas this weekend. Have never been here before but it was rather nice. Weather was not, which negated some of the experience but still worth the trip. Prerequisite of our next home; a water hand pump, the kid loves them, which means he can do all the fetching of water.

OK, so there is a story behind this picture...When we lived in Miami (many moons ago) our apartment complex was loaded with possums and Jon was totally wigged out by them. Imagine my shock when he voluntarily petted one?


Yup, another bonus park..Chisholm Park in St Cloud. Check out that cute little ass. We have been here before, this park hosts the Battle of Narcoossee Mill Civil War re-enactment. Never really took the time to explore and even though overcast and cool the upside was no brutal mosquito attack, which makes a fine day for a hike and stamping in.

The wild side of Blue Springs

It's winter and that means manatees head for warmer waters. On the central east coast of Florida, the destination is Blue Springs in Orange City with it's year round 72 degrees that the manatees find moderate and balmy. To be clear this middle aged wimpy mom requires the most scorching of a hot August day to consider 72 degree water comfortable. What can I say but..."To each his own"!

Joking aside, this was the most amazing afternoon we have ever spent at Blue Springs.
The Park Ranger informed us that the count this morning was 198 manatees and maybe they under counted? There were manatees every where you looked!

Bonus park...Lake Monroe Park in Debary. We stopped by this park, (you guessed it, letterbox), on our way home and what a gem! Would love to go back to this one and camp.

Everglades National Park

Last day of our South Florida vacation and this was our last stop before heading home, Ernest Coe Visitor Center of the Everglades.
In all we spied well over 30 gators. Sure it's the Everglades you say and I would agree with you...but these gators have free run of the place and there are no fences between you and them. That is no rock wall, the right side is about 14 inch high but the left is about 3 inches. That 14 foot gator if so inclined could have come right up and put his head in Masons lap!

Big Pine Key and Key Deer

On our way south Sunday for an afternoon of snorkeling in Looe Key we had to drive through Big Pine Key and while we were hoping to see some Key Deer, we weren't expecting to come across a Key Deer who had been hit by a car.


So we followed the deer cutting through some brush and then into a church parking lot where once I got out of my car this poor little thing started to follow me.
There was a car in the parking lot so I went into the church hoping someone was there and would know who to call. Absolutely thrilled someone was there, in fact the woman was a 911 dispatcher and she quickly put in a call to get this little gal some help.

John Pennecamp & Dagney Johnson

We can't let a lil ole thing like rain stop us, so it was off to John Pennecamp we went. Boohoo the welcome center was closed but the trails were open and we made good use of em. As you can see we won the prize and that made it all worth it.




Key Largo has another hidden gem, Dagney Johnson Hammock Botanical State Park. And yes we scored there too, an endangered FL animal trio carved by MooPoo.

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

Fort Taylor has the best beach in Key West although we didn't dip our toes in it today. There is plenty to do here besides swim...Tour the fort, hike the trails, enjoy the views. You would think the place would be packed but we were maybe 3 of 10 people in the whole place.

10, Ten, One Zero, Diez, Tien, Ti, Dieci, Dix...

December 7, 2010
Mason is 10 today!

The perfect ending to a perfect day, Mallory Square at sunset. Last b-day gift of the day... My Boy Blue invited Jon to join him in his acrobatic juggling fire act.
See slide show titled Mallory Square.

Polydactyl Cats, Southern Most Point & Cemetery

Hemingway's former Key West home is home to approximately fifty descendants of his cats (about half of which are polydactyl),they were everywhere! You are not allowed to pick them up but scritches and scratches are happily accepted.



Maybe an odd tourist destination but the KW cemetery is full of history and is unusual in that because the area is so close to sea level, burials are done above ground.

Looe Key

Quick change of plan...The weather looking not so hot this week and the best (warmest) day being forecast was today. Flexible we are so we headed south to Looe Key from Key Largo to take advantage of balmier December temps.

The good news was the sun was shining but it was a bit choppy, 1-2 ft seas and a bit cool. We snorkeled the first reef location but not the second, we were so exhausted from the first. Frankly the boat ride was the best part but snorkeling/diving is best done in the heat of the summer if you ask me.

Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take you
Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go...

Fort Christmas

Fort Christmas Florida; home to a full size replica of Fort Christmas and seven restored historical "cracker" homes.
The houses are interpreted to show pioneer life from the 1870s through the 1930s. Key theme here is laundry, I wonder if the boy would be so enthusiastic if this was for real?

2ND Seminole War Reenactment. The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in FL between the Seminoles and the United States.

Saving the best one for last...Don't normally snap pics of the privy but check out the bowl to the left of the "bowl". Hallelujah but am I ever blessed to have been born after the invention of the modern loo roll.

Melbourne

We started out the day at the site of our first canoe date; Turkey Creek Sanctuary in Melbourne...Love love love this park and bonus tip, a really cool letterbox is here too. We really wanted to spot a sea cow, but no luck today...That's OK though, there is always the next time and we are coming back soon.

A sandy frolic on Melbourne Beach and a slice from Bizarros finished up Jon's trip down memory lane. Same beach, different memories for me....First time I ever came here (with Heather like 15 years ago), someone stole my favorite cut off jean shorts while we were swimming. The car keys were in the pocket.

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My honey's b-day today and the destination was Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. 140,000 acres so we didn't see it all but we sure gave it a shot.

Phooey, no manatee or gator sightings but we didn't feel gypped, this is just a beautiful place to spend a few hours with your favorite people soaking up the nature.

No day trip is complete without stamping in somewhere...We were in Titusville so we stopped at Veterans Memorial Park (which is directly next to Space View Park) and snagged a rather clever one...Lift Off! Look between the noggins of my 2 favorite guys and you can see the VAB across the water.

My birth certificate says Swindal

Shirley Swindal, Jon Swindal, Chris Swindal, Mason Swindal

Five Scrubs

After 5 scrubs 5 days in a row, Uncle Chris & Cousin Shirley decided to call it quits and return to their respective homes in CT & AL. Before heading back home though, time to squeeze in one more tourist attraction. No, not the mouse house but the Veterans Memorial Center right here in lil ole Merritt Island.

KSC field trip with Uncle Chris

Been a decade (or 2) since Uncle Chris has visited this area so the boy volunteered to be his personal tour guide. It's the Space Coast so only natural that the adventure begin with Kennedy Space Center.


Saturn 5, at the Saturn 5 Center, KSC.

View of Pad 39A in the background from the VIP area of Saturn 5 center.

October and at the beach...

Yes you heard me right all you peoples with your flannel sheets and the heat turned on... October 11 and we were at the beach, not just there but actually in the water.
That wasn't the original plan though. Woke this morning to beautiful, clear and sunny skies so we decided to head east and enjoy some playing in the sand fun.

But then the lure of the surf called on me and into the drink I went. So happy to have listened to that inner child like voice. The water and waves were so grand and before we knew it, 2 hours had passed. Ahhh, I love Florida in the fall!

Working the ropes

Wonderworks in Orlando has a ropes challenge course that is guaranteed to make a grown woman cry. In my defense the thing is 3 stories high, 36 feet off the ground!

And for the record...I did work the ropes for all of about 5 minutes before the fear of hanging myself on those same ropes became too overwhelming.