12 Oakdale

Home after 4 nights in cabins (#2, 3, 4) at Silver Springs State Park. The usual crew of Zumsteins, Barkley, Lade/Schwatz, our newer members Giblin-Davis, and first timers, the Gonzalez. I was especially pleased that Tuesday I threw sense away and signed up for the 5.2 mile kayak paddle. Of course, all downstream, but I was able to get in and out of the boat and keep up with the group. Alligators and turtles on the banks, manatees in the river, including 1 swimming directly under me. What a lovely trip. I recorded 16 bird species, including 5 pairs wood ducks who remained calmly paddling at the waters edge as we drifted past. Never have seen that before. Only 1 pair did their usual explosive flight, and that was after we’d gone by. Did help my saying that they were usually very shy. Sally drove down Wednesday for old home’s sake. We walked the board walk from the north entrance and discovered the new bridge across the spring run. Now there is a safe and pleasant way to get from the cam...

For their birthdays, I invited Steph and Clara to join me on a bioluminescence kayak paddle on the Indian River Lagoon. They got a free trip; I got someone to paddle my kayak. Organized by Diane, specifically at a new moon, I figured it was closer than flying to Vieques in Puerto Rico to see eerie lights. I remember how pretty the blues and greens were in the water when Steve and I lived on our boat at Fort Myers Beach. First up was meeting the rest of our party for dinner at Pier 220 in Titusville at the Veterans Memorial Pier, built in 1949, a good year. My platter-sized Caribbean salad with seared tuna was delicious ($18.99!), but way too much for me.  Last week, Clara attended Camp Grammie, where I showed her how to use Steph’s sewing machine. We recycled cloth from little throw pillow covers: more out of my house, no expense, modeling good environmental policy! I had explained the concept of an “ice bag”, a tote with no seams on the bottom, so any melted ice didn’t drip while ...

After a year, I finally feel good. It’s been a year since I bought my Hobbie kayak and hurt myself trying to move it to the porch. Where it remains. Now my shoulders are relatively pain-free, and I no longer worry about my hamstrings every time I walk up a few stairs. I was incredulous when the orth doctor said it could take a year to heal and, of course, added, “At your age…” But it’s done.  Now the work continues to keep as strong as I am (not very) and to grow stronger. I just failed my Dexa bone density scan, with scores of osteopenia in my hips (-1.4 for the left, -2.1 for the right) and osteoporosis for my spine (-2.5) and femur tops (-2.6 left, -3.0 right). I may have Steph paint these numbers on a sign, so I can see them every time I don’t want to do my exercises.  And to remind me I’ve made a commitment to take my calcium and Vitamin D for a year until my next scan. As I understand it, I have no hope of improving my scores, just trying to flatten the curve of my disin...

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...