Heading North

Well, it didn't work out to go down to the Keys to see Doreen's sister Nina and Jim who are staying there in their time share unit. A couple of weeks ago they told us that we could park our RV there, but the unit they stay in doesn't allow you to sleep in it. But they said they had an extra bed, so we were welcome to stay with them rather than in the motorhome like we usually do. But just a couple of days ago, they realized we had our dog Tanner with us, and the unit has a strict policy of no dogs allowed! So, we thought about putting Tanner in a kennel for a couple of days, but looking into it, the kennels all insist that besides rabies and distemper shots, he would have to have had another shot, Bordatella, which Tanner as far as I know hasn't had. So that was out. We also thought about staying in a State Campground down in the Keys, but they were almost completely booked up, and we would have to leave Tanner in the motorhome all the time we visited with Nina and Jim. Doreen was by this time wanting to just forget about it and get going home. So, we decided to just meet up with Nina & Jim at a State Park in Fort Lauderdale, just north of Miami, because they had to drop off some of their family at the airport near there this morning.

 

This was all disappointing, but, it gave me the opportunity, as we were exhorted in our Pastor's recent series in Phillippians, and as Paul did, to learn in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

 

We got up real early, in order to make it to the meeting place at 9 am, but on the way we had a slow down with another downpour where you could hardly see in front of your nose. But this time, instead of being on a two lane road with almost no traffic, we were on a four or five lane turnpike full of cars and trucks. This is not the situation I like, because sooner or later in these sorts of situations someone miscalculates and you have a catastrophe. And that's not my idea of a good time. But we made it intact, perhaps 10 or 15 minutes late.

 

The park where we were had quite a long sandy beach, which I don't have a picture of because I forgot to take my camera down there (where have you heard that one before?) We walked all around, and finally settled down by a body of water which is part of the intercoastal waterway. There were lots of nice boats going by, and across the water some nice homes of a lot of nice rich people. Jim has traveled down this intercoastal waterway past this very point four times on trips in his boat from up in Delaware, down to the Keys, taking about 9 days to do the trip.

 

We spent a good part of the day, just talking and walking and watching boats, then about 2 pm, we parted ways, and Doreen & I headed north on Interstate 95 (pretty much the only way to go), to a county park called Savannas Recreation Area (N27 23 26.5, W80 18 41.7), in the city of Fort Pierce about 100 miles north. It is quite a nice place right on a little stream, and has full hookups, showers and laundry, which pleased Doreen because we have had perhaps less than ideal conditions the last two or three nights.

 

The fellow in the campsite next door came over and talked with us for a long time. He was quite personable, and we discussed all sorts of things from politics to gun control to health care to the church's versus the government's role in providing welfare. But he had come over to warn us not to let Tanner out at night because the alligators come up out of the water at night and lie around on the bank just behind our motorhome!