We are watching the national weather as we bask in the warm
sunshine of Florida and are feeling a mixture of relief and guilt. My aunt
emailed me from Denver to let me know that yes, it was as bad as it looked on
TV. We have friends who are wintering
and traveling out west who are enduring some terrible weather this winter. I’m
thankful that we serendipitously, landed in Florida this winter, for so many
reasons, not the least of which has been the weather. My credit union job
wrapped up earlier this week and we’ve stayed busy enjoying just being together
all day. I enjoyed the job, but I think deep down we really missed spending our
days together. Neither one of us really talked about it but the elephant was
very much in the room. It has been a
weird dynamic, almost like I stepped into a time warp and went back to the days
when we still lived in our home in Williams and I went to work every weekday
after he retired. If nothing else, it has been a validation to me that we are
doing exactly what we are meant to do as a couple. Which is to travel,
volunteer and live this wonderfully simple life. We know for sure now that Plan
A is definitely preferred over Plan B. We have roughly 5 weeks to play before we make
our way back north.
Live Oaks along the trail 
Bison cooling themselves
When I was commuting to Gainesville for training in
December, I drove past Payne’s Prairie everyday and have wanted to visit all
winter. Today was the day. We awoke to sun, no wind and 65 degrees. A picture-perfect
birding morning. We set out on the hour drive a little after 7am and spent an
incredible morning walking trails and exploring the huge wildlife
preserve. I was really longing to have a
more experienced birder with me this morning.
The forest was filled with calls, some familiar to me and many that were
not. The challenge was finding the birds through the dense foliage and moss
hanging in the trees. At one point I let go of my frustration and just closed
my eyes and let myself get lost in the beautiful sounds of all the birds going
about their morning routines. A very Zen moment for me. The highlight of the
morning was watching an American Bald Eagle’s nest with eaglets being fed by
parents flying back and forth bringing food to them. A Red headed woodpecker
sighting was a treat as well. They were common in the woods where I grew up,
but I rarely see one anymore. As we walked the trails lined with palms instead
of woodland wild flowers and deciduous tree saplings, I couldn’t help but
admire the huge Live Oak trees and imagined them some 150 years ago, around the
time my great-grandparents were born, as small acorn saplings just sprouting up
from the forest floor. They have endured so much and yet there they are,
stunning in their sprawling majesty. I
can’t get over the beauty of Florida State Parks. The beaches are great, but
the real treasure lies inland. We really hope to come back and volunteer at one
or more of the parks in future years.
The rest of the week has been punctuated with departures of
people we have met and become friends with this winter. The couple next to us
left Sunday. Another will leave tomorrow and yet another next Monday. This week
has been a lot of lasts. Last happy hours, dinners out, evening visits on the
patio, you get it. We are starting to exchange cards with contact info, an
inevitable event in the life of full-time RV people. In a few days our little
group will be down to us and a couple from Maine who we have gotten to know and
become very fond of. Eventually, everyone will have gone their separate ways,
not knowing for sure if we will be able to execute plans to meet again someday.
It is that knowledge that makes us savor the last moments so deeply. Sometimes
it happens, sometimes not. But weather or not we see each other again in no way
diminishes the time we have to get to know people along the way. As I say all
the time, “It’s all about the people we meet”. They become a part of you.
As quickly as the season is wrapping up, we still have a
long list of places to see and things to do. Champ is really looking forward to
going to the Barrett Jackson Auction in April at West Palm Beach. He has
watched in on television for years and we have talked several times about how
cool it would be to go watch it live and experience the whole event. Our season
will end with that bucket list item crossed off. In the meantime, I watch the
weather up north and conjure up positive thoughts for a turn in the terrible
winter weather and an uneventful spring for our family and friends who have
endured ‘one for the books’ as they say.
Until next time…
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