12 Oakdale

After 22 boat-less months here on the canal and previously 40 years in Fort Lauderdale on New River, we now have 2 watercraft. The first is a Montgomery Ward Sea King 12’, probably built between 1965 and 1970, lovingly refurbished by our friend Lee, then given to us since it no longer fit his plans at his lakefront house. All we needed was an electric outboard, oars, and life jackets. Such a deal. Then, because the manufacturer is replacing his motor without requiring he return the one he bought less than 6 months ago, he’s giving it to us, after he sands and paints the corrosion he complained about. Plus he’s throwing in a couple of life jackets. We down to just needing a couple of batteries. And oars, although the lakes are so shallow, we could just walk home if the motor conked out. Our second vessel is a Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 12’ fishing kayak I bought from a RSMAS graduate who realized he wasn’t going to be solo fishing soon, since his wife recently had their second child. I hav...

February 18th. We were on the road bikes again, for the first time, 8 months after his accident. Grant has decided no more riding on roads for him, so I suggested we go to Orlando Wetland Park. He had never been there. From my one birding trip there, I remembered the roads being hard packed sand and shell. That must have been somewhere else, because we toughed out the four mile sandy loop around Lake Stacey and vowed never again. Besides, I can’t bike and bird at the same time. This is a place to walk or take the trams since they are running again. Ospreys, coots, blue winged teals, herons and egrets, roseate spoonbills, one Royal tern. I heard 2 barred owls calling, and Grant was strafed by a red shouldered hawk. Yellow-rumped warblers and catbirds near the entrance, a red bellied woodpecker heard but not seen. We will be back.  February 25th. Our second ride, from Green Springs to Gemini Springs was just a little over 9 miles round trip, but my legs and butt were sore the next da...

Cabin camping with our friends at Cabbage Key. The weather is cold, windy and rainy, but our cabin, the Cabbage Patch, is warm and too big to really be called cozy. Two bedrooms, two baths, wraparound porch, large living room/dining room/kitchen with picture windows. Lovely. The captain of the Island Girl gets fewer points for not dropping us off at our dock, but management was able to round up a golf cart to bring our stuff from the main dock, about a quarter mile away. Way too far to schlep our packs, chairs, and food by foot along the wet, sandy paths. Plus our cabin mate has a sprained ankle held stiffly in a huge boot. The small island is all mangrove grown over a huge shell mound made by the Calusa on an ancient sand dune, not a barrier island, as I erroneous assumed. This meant no beach. The first day was still too rainy for more than reading in the cabin, but the second was just cold, so we walked the short nature trail. The ospreys call continuously. One pair had just lost the...

A short trip to the west coast which I delayed a day so we could take an “eco-buggy” tour through the Lake Apopka water management area area that we non-water district personnel can only visit by bike or walking, which Grant and I are unlikely to do. This was a thank you from the district and Orange Audubon Society for being ambassadors on the wildlife drive. Five snail kites at one time were topped by a female vermillion flycatcher who kindly posed for all the pictures the photographers could want. Eagles, young and old, flew around. The day was wet and cold, but our tram kept us warm and dry. For once the airport was fairly empty so we flew through TSA. I thought about lying when the agent asked if we were both over 75, but I’d worn my sandals so I might as well take off my shoes.  Grant had made tuna fish sandwiches for our dinner since there isn’t any food service unless one flies first class. I certainly have become a cranky old fart, reminiscing about the good old days of fly...