Week 8: Fort White to Naples, FL

After two weeks with Dad, it was time to head south to visit one of my closest friends and her family in Naples, FL.  The drive was a little over 300 miles and took me 6 hours.

When I was eight, my family moved from Newport News, VA to Hawley, PA and Vanessa was the first friend I met on the school bus.  I think she was the only kid willing to speak to the little girl with a funny accent and gaps between every tooth!  That was 34 years ago and I’m grateful to still have her in my life.  We have seen each other at our worst and our best, cried until we laughed, laughed until we cried, lived on a single can of tuna for days at Penn State, and watched each other grow into the women we are today.  Vanessa has come to my side during some of the most difficult times in my life and I am incredibly blessed to call her my soul sister!

34 years of friendship and counting!

Good food and great company at Food & Thought marketplace

Emma & Nathan
It had been about 3 years since I saw her children, so I was very much looking forward to spending time with them.  I arrived at their place Wednesday, 2/12 and Vanessa and I cried as we embraced and laughed at the realization that I drove over 4,000 miles to get there.  Emma (9) and Nathan (5) took to me as if they see me everyday, so I have to thank Vanessa for keeping “Aunt Jennifer” a part of their lives despite the geographical distance.  To me, both kids look like mini-Vanessa’s but their personalities are quite different.  Emma is very serious, thoughtful, and completely trustworthy to do the right thing.  Nathan is unlike any child I know.  He has a sense of humor and free spirit that should be bottled up; but trustworthy, he is not!  His negotiation tactics are far beyond his years and he does it with humor and slyness making it hard to keep a straight face.

Beautiful Emma and T enjoying the pool

Crazy Nathan being crazy

Everyone enjoying the shade while working on our blogs

Early morning cuddle time

The Garden
Vanessa and her husband Mark have turned much of their backyard into a thriving garden and are dedicated “clean” eaters.  Prior to leaving Seattle, I too was wheat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free (sometimes), anti-processed, anti-artificial, blah, blah, blah; however, when I left Seattle, I decided to replace all of those rules with one rule: to eat whatever I want whenever I want so I can enjoy the local cuisine along my journey.  After partaking in too much deliciousness at my father’s house for two weeks, the “Owens Detox” was welcomed.  The veggies from her garden were fresh and full of flavor!  

Vanessa looking for lunch goodies

The proud gardener!

T trying to find something "dog-worthy"

T finally found a cool place to escape from the sun

Outdoor Time 
Vanessa and I spent a lot of time walking, chatting, and laughing.   It had been two years since she was last in Seattle and I wanted to absorb every minute with her.  We reminisced about some of our fondest moments, including throwing a mattress out a second story window in Philadephia then driving a U-Haul to my new home in Atlanta.  We grew up next to each other so there are countless memories of us running through the woods (and sneaking cigarettes at some point in our early teens), rollerskating up and down “Owego Turnpike” with no helmets and no awareness of oncoming traffic, and cruising the streets of Honesdale in her Dodge Aspen or my Dodge Omni.  I could write a novel on our lives but the words will never do justice to a friendship that has lasted over three decades.

Early morning walk in Freedom Park

Native wildlife!

Love

One of Florida's beautiful birds... the Snowy Egret

A black Anhinga showing off

Vanessa showing off

Flowering cactus

Highlight of our walk

Valentines Day
When the kids got home on Valentines Day, they showed me all of their treats and told me about their friends at school.  I spent a lot of time just sitting and listening to them in hopes of engraining myself in their lives.  They loved the RV and affectionately refer to it as “Auntie Jennifer’s House Bus”.  They also decided that we should be called the “Trooper Clan”.  We went for a lot of walks around the neighborhood where Emma and Nathan negotiated for Trooper's leash and spent several hours at a local organic marketplace called Food & Thought where I met several of Vanessa’s friends. 

Emma & Nathan in the "house bus"

Emma did quite well on Valentines Day!

Nathan confused about the bag of chips for Valentines

Homemade veggie pizza to celebrate Love Day 

The kids bought Trooper a new toy!

Vanessa has created a wonderful life for her family and spending a week with them was a highlight of my two months on the road.  Vanessa, Mark, Emma, and Nathan… THANK YOU!  I miss you already and love you all very much.  See you in a few weeks in the mountains of NC :)

Our goofy shot

"Trooper Clan" in the RV

Our goodbyes :(

Final Thoughts
If there was any doubt in my mind about taking time off and being unemployed, after three weeks in Florida with my father and best friend, there is absolutely no question.  Spending time with them has been soul-enriching.  It is easy to let the days go by and phone calls unmade.  These people are a part of me and have defined who I am; I cherished our time together.  If you’re reading this blog, I encourage you to pick up the phone and call that loved one you’ve been meaning to call for a while…

Thanks for reading and until next time!

Week 7: Gulf of Mexico

After one week of relaxation and getting PattyWaggin back to health, it was time for some fun in the sun!  Dad and I went to Cedar Key and Horseshoe Cove, both located on the Gulf of Mexico.

Cedar Key
Cedar Key is about 1.5 hours southwest of Dad’s house and where his RV stays most of the year.  He had a board meeting for the RV Park on Thursday, 2/6 so we got up early and headed to Cedar Key for the day.  We stopped at the RV park so I could meet some of Dad’s “snowbird friends”, including Harley (a 140lb Bernese Mountain Dog).  After our greetings, we headed to downtown Cedar Key and stopped at Tony’s for lunch.  Tony’s won the Clam Chowder World Championship three years in a row thus retiring the recipe into the Great Chowder Cook-Off Hall of Fame.  With so many accolades, Dad and I went for the “superbowl” size.  The chowder was one of the best I have ever tasted, but I don’t think I would order a superbowl again.  If you’re interested, they now sell it in cans (www.tonyschowder.com)!

Tony's famous superbowl clam chowder

Trooper waiting somewhat patiently outside

Dad & the pups ready to check out Cedar Key

Even though the weather was cool and rainy, I decided to stay in Cedar Key for a few hours while Dad attended the board meeting.  Cedar Key is a tourist area but since it’s winter, and I’m assuming northern Florida isn’t a popular snowbird destination, it was quiet and many stores were closed.  Trooper and I walked around the tourist beach area for a while then headed out on highway 24.  We found a short trail called Railroad Tressel Nature Trail that took us out into the back bayou.  I wanted to let Trooper in the water, but was worried about alligators so I only let him wet his paws.  

Cedar Key Bayou

T in the back bayou

On our walk back towards the beach, I found Kona Joe’s Cafe and since it was starting to drizzle, I stopped for a cup of coffee.  The cafe had a wonderful wraparound covered patio and allowed dogs.  The owner insisted that I try their key lime pie.  I can’t remember the last time I had key lime pie, so I happily ordered a slice with a mocha.  It was yummy!  The graham cracker crust was buttery and crisp and the key lime was the perfect balance of sweet and tart.  As I enjoyed my afternoon snack, the skies opened and rain poured down.  Living in Seattle, downpours are rare and I was thrilled to be on a covered porch enjoying the sound and smell of heavy rain.  

Kona Joe's - a must visit cafe in Cedar Key

Clearly T is distracted

And now we know why!

Delicious key lime pie... and this is "light on the whip"

Bathroom decoration at Kona Joe's... perhaps Starbucks' next mermaid?

T & I waiting out the storm... and yes, the boat is sitting on land in low tide

As soon as the rain let up, T and I headed back to the beach to wait for Dad.  As we waited, the temperature dropped and a thunderstorm rolled in over the water.  Thunder is something that I miss from the East Coast, so I sat under a pavilion and just enjoyed it.

Trooper wishing the sand was snow!

Trooper & I waiting for the thunderstorm

Horseshoe Cove
On Monday, 2/10 Dad, his friend Dennis and I headed to Horseshoe Cove for a day of fishing because they heard “Horshshoe is hot”!  Dad has a little fishing boat and even though I wasn’t allowed to fish, I was looking forward to a day on the water.  I was also very excited to have fresh caught fish for dinner that night!  Our plan was to be on the water two hours before high tide and two hours after.  When we started trolling out to the channel, it dawned on me that this was my Monday morning commute and all I could do was smile.  The days of Monday morning dread seem far behind me and I love it!  It was surprising how shallow the water was; even though we were miles from shore, the depth averaged 4 - 5 feet.  The sky was blue, the winds calm and the air had a nice chill to balance the warmth of the sun.  Unfortunately, the fish were no where to be found.  The entire four hours on the water, neither Dad nor Dennis had even a nibble.  At one point, they “went to the bottom” with live shrimp and got nothing (apparently, this is a sure way to catch bottom dwellers like catfish).  The hubbub about “Horseshoe being hot” was false; or perhaps, that is just how fishing goes.  The highlight for me was the dolphins.  They were all around us coming in with the tide and bait fish.  There is something so peaceful about being on water and the dolphins made it a very special day.

Beautiful start to a Monday morning

Check out the depth finder and the shoreline far far away

Highlight of my day!

Gulf bait still very much intact 

Tanning the feet

Dad chillin' and fishin'

Father / Daughter time

Beautiful pelicans

New meaning to "house boat" 

Pelican closeup

Dad with his serious face on to line up the boat

Misc. Photos

Target practice... who has the better shot?

This is a common sign in FL and I don't need to be told twice!! 

T & I enjoying Oleno State Park

Final Thoughts

Typically this time of year, Trooper and I are spending weekends in Washington’s Cascade Mountains skiing and snowshoeing.  It’s strange to be in warm and sunny weather in winter, and there is a part of me that heavily misses the mountains and snow.  Trooper most definitely misses it, but has validated his name; he is SUCH a trooper at everything we do and everywhere we go.  Even though Florida is not my place of choice, I am finding beauty in it.  There is accessible water everywhere, the birds are distinctly beautiful, and the state parks are very well taken care of.  And of course, my father and Vanessa live here, so the snow will have to wait.  I can’t remember the last time I spent two weeks with my father and I cherish the time we have had.  I have been reminded where I get my determination, common-sense, and sweet tooth!  Dad, thank you and I love you!

Until next time...