When winter gets to be too long and unbearable, head south. This week I got more warmth from our visit with our wonderful friends in Jacksonville, than I did from any of the gorgeous, hot sunshiny days. But the beautiful weather certainly contributed to our wonderful visit and time together.
Saturday 2/19 - I got an early morning call from Jean. These three horses showed up adjacent to our property, and also Polly couldn't get the front gate open so had to walk down the drive. Jean had to chip ice off A&Z's water trough again and the mama dog and puppies were back on our property. Never a dull moment or a lack of things to worry about. When we finally get warmer weather in TN, it will definitely alleviate some of the hassles and make dealing with the other problems more tolerable.
I got this photo from a (video) Daniel shared with us. Ava is getting so close to standing and I know soon walking will follow. She is such a ray of sunshine in our life.
My fur babies are also a bright spot in my life and usually give me warm and fuzzy feelings.
Babe snuggles with Maggie when the house is feeling cold like it was this morning.
Laundry, packing, preparing for pet care while we are gone, and a number of other things were on the day's agenda. So I got a move on.
I was home by lunch time and then suddenly felt the need for a nap after eating. I was drawn to the warm sun and to join these five lying in it.
Maggie, Stevie, (seen here on the box in the window) and I actually got some shut eye. The other three cats were a little more rambunctious.
I finished laundry, started packing, and then headed to the ranch with Maggie and all her 'things' for staying with Jean out there. These pet photos are all I took today. As I have noticed lately, I get busy (or something) and forget to take any photos.
I helped Jean with chores, we checked and added a little more duct tape to Amiga's boot bandage, and I was glad to see that Zorro's manure was back to normal. He'd had a few real loose ones the day before.
Mama Styx still likes to groom Babe, who will then usually start licking her mom. And it sometimes ends in a little wrestling match.
Jean did take this photo of Maggie and I while we were out doing chores.
Joe had gone out early to finish dragging the field and had also brought pizza for us to enjoy for dinner. We tossed some greens in a bowl for a salad, and with libations, enjoyed a tasty meal.
Maggie napping in the sun earlier in the day.
For some reason, Jean and I watched the first episode of season one of 'The Circle.' We were checking to see if we even wanted to try it out. Next thing you know, we got sucked in and watched the whole hour. It was good, fun, mindless entertainment. I left Maggie with Jean and headed home to finish packing.
Sunday 2/20 - It was travel day, not my favorite thing, but I was looking forward to the Florida sunshine.
Jean reported that Maggie did well during the night, went out to do her business first thing this morning, and came back in to play with a toy and then rest.
Joe had to run to the ranch because of a fencing issue, so we were a little late getting on the road to Nashville.
Our drive was uneventful and went quick and easy. Once there, we joined Courtney for lunch.
Then we girls went for a little walk.
While Wash took a nap in his little cat cave, Courtney dropped Joe and I off at the Nashville airport.
Our flight was an hour late but otherwise went very smoothy.
By the time we landed and I turned my phone back on, I got a message from Patty that one of the cats had knocked the terrarium off the table and Pilgrim and some crickets were missing. I guess I should have tried to smuggle the little lizard onto the plane.
Jim and Debbie picked us up at the airport.
Once we got to Jim and Debbie's, we had a lovely ham and potato salad dinner. It was pretty late in the evening so I tried not to eat too much. After a beer I was ready for bed and we didn’t stay up talking for too long.
Monday 2/21 - President's Day. It was a beautiful, sunny morning in Jacksonville; while back at the ranch a storm was brewing.
I love that Jean loves our horses and is taking such good care of them. It enables me to relax and not worry while on vacation. I do not like that she had to deal with such crappy weather (lots of rain and a few thunderstorms), in addition to Amiga's sore hoof.
Debbie had tennis from 8:30 - 10:00, so I shortened my breakfast tea time and went with her to the Y. I worked out in the aerobic and then weight room while Debbie played tennis. I could watch her down on the tennis court while I did the elliptical.
Debbie and I hit Walmart and Lowe’s on our way home from the Y to pick up some parts for lamps she had at their new waterfront house.
Once 'home,' we scrambled to get repacked and loaded up for the hour drive to Satsuma. Jim and Debbie have this cute double wide there, on a canal that goes to Dunn's Creek and then to the St. John's River. This is the ginormous 'Godzilla' plant in their front yard that reminds me of Mom's.
They have their pontoon boat on a lift down at their dock, which you can see from up at the house.
We didn’t take long to get unpacked, settled in, and grab a snack before heading down to the pontoon. It was very quick and slick to lower the boat into the water and head on down the canal to Dunn’s Creek and out into the St. John's River.
We went out on the pontoon, once or twice a day, over the next three days, at various times of the day. Here are some photos of us 'on the pontoon.'
Putting up the awning for protection from the sun.
Zipping along down Dunn's Creek.
Out and about on a cool morning, or late afternoon, I don't remember which.
Going under this bridge over Dunn's Creek, we soon were out on the St. John's River.
The St. John's is a huge body of water, more like a lake, but the current and wind were always stronger out on it. Because of this, we tended to prefer tootling along on Dunn's Creek where it was calmer, more quiet, and we could spot more wildlife.
Coming back down the canal for 'home,' look how calm the water was.
Jim captained the pontoon most of the time, with Debbie's help, while Joe and I relaxed and enjoyed the sunshine. We all were on the lookout for wildlife.
Here are a few of the many photos of birds, turtles, and alligators that were taken.
White Egret
Great Blue Heron
The turtles were sunning on logs all along the bank, but were difficult to take photos of because they were the most shy.
The alligators were also quite abundant.
Can you spot two of them in the photo below?
There was an eagle's nest right at the point where the canal ran into Dunn's Creek.
A bald Eagle could be spotted roosted in the top of the tree almost any time of day we motored past.
Back at the ranch in Tennessee, it remained cold and gloomy and rain moved into the area during the day.
Maggie 'helped' Jean with chores.
The dog also enjoyed hanging out with Jean in the living room, while maintaining a 'safe' distance from Parm.
Patty had helped Jean with Amiga's first bandage change. It had held up well for two days and the poultice had pulled a lot more infection out from under Amiga's sole.
But once the rain started, it was much more difficult to keep the bandage and bottom of Amiga's hoof clean and dry.
For the next four days, it rained (and stormed) at the ranch, and Jean changed the bandage twice a day. Soon the abscess did not appear to be draining much more and miraculously, Jean was able to keep the bottom of Amiga's hoof clean and mostly dry.
Look at the rain pelting the windows of the ranch house back home, while we were enjoying the Florida sunshine.
Jean also reported that Maggie was well behaved while she tackled her first day of her online job and couldn't be interrupted and it also needed to be quiet in the background.
It was breezy, so once the sun went down it was a little cool, but the waiter fired up an outdoor heater for us. With it, the libations, and laughter, we were able to keep warm enough.
It was a beautiful park, a fun hike, and there was lots of plant life to see.
Once back at the canal house, we jumped into the pontoon to take it to Corky Bell's for Taco Tuesday. When we got out on the St. John's, we realized the pontoon would take too long to get us there, and then home again. So we aborted the plan, pontooned home, and drove to the restaurant.
Not only was it Taco Tuesday, but it was National margarita day. So we each partook in our flavor of choice. YUM!
We enjoyed another great meal outside, this time under a canopy, out of the hot sunshine.
Once home again, you guessed it, we headed back out on the pontoon for an early evening wildlife spotting excursion, which we saw lots of.
The night ended with a lively game of bridge, playing many hands, and giving each other a hard time, one way or another. It was all in good fun.
Wednesday 2/23 - We woke to a foggy morning, but the Florida sunshine soon burned it off and it was another beautiful day.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it continued to rain. At least the horses were seeking shelter in the loafing shed. It does help with keeping Amiga's foot dry.
I asked Jean to send me a photo of how my drainage project was working. There has been a big puddle forming at the corner post where our solar charger is and our three pastures meet. When it freezes, it is like a big skating rink, not safe for the horses.
You can see where we have been spreading manure and old hay to fill in the low spot in front of the gate. You can also see standing water where it still needs to be filled in to get the water to drain away from this corner. Once everything has settled and it is draining well, I will add a layer of soil and grass seed.
At times it was pretty stormy at the ranch. Jean not only took great care of Amiga, but also of Maggie. This looks like a puppy who is worried about the weather, with her chin resting on Jean's knees. That, or she was begging for an early dinner.
We took an early morning pontoon ride, continuing to see plenty of wildlife. We went past this boat every time we turned right out of the canal onto Dunn's Creek. It is abandoned, and has been for a long time.
If we go left coming out of the canal onto the creek, we go past Lawn Chair Point, where this abandoned lawn chair sits and someone has made a name for the spot. I like it when people are funny and clever.
We had an early lunch and then packed up to head back to
Jacksonville. On the way, we stopped in at St. Augustine and walked the
touristy part of downtown.
There are lizards everywhere in Florida. I liked this one hangin' out on the landscape in front of a building. It made me wonder about Pilgrim and if he escaped or the cats got him when they knocked his terrarium off the end table.
Our next destination was the Atlantic Ocean. We found a place to park and cross A1A for public access to Vilano Beech.
The chain link surrounding the bridge over the road was loaded with locks (some quite old) and love messages. According to the internet, 'For years, visitors have been attaching locks with sentimental messages to the bridge in symbolic acts of affection.'
We enjoyed watching children play in the sand and squeal when the cold waves splashed them. We were also captivated by numerous surfers riding, or trying to catch the waves.
We stopped at a barbecue place on our way back to Jacksonville. We took carryout ribs and pork loin home for dinner and then played lots of Bridge.
Thursday 2/24 - Jean, Maggie, and probably the horses had had a rough night with thunderstorms and torrential rains. And the ranch was a wet, muddy mess.
It was weather only the ducks could enjoy. I am not sure what they were doing up here near the round bale.
It was difficult not to feel guilty about Jean stuck at the ranch in the horrible weather, because we were having yet another beautiful Florida sunshiny day.
Our morning adventure included a drive to Alpine Groves Park in Switzerland FL, near Jacksonville.
We hiked the nature trails through the forested park and looked at the historical home located there near the St. John's River.
We went out on the fishing pier and walked through the butterfly garden. It was all quite lovely.
I took a little nap in the sun when we got home and then we had lunch and played bridge out by Jim and Debbie's pool.
At least Jean had been able to get Maggie out for a walk between showers. We so enjoyed all her updates and knowing all was okay at the ranch, even though it made me feel sorry for her.
It rained most of our drive home and was a torrential downpour for about the last half hour. Exhausted, but still unnerved from the drive, it was well after midnight before I was able to fall asleep.
The Florida sunshine had given us a nice break, but how quickly we were doused with the reality of more winter.
