Wanderings

Good news!! February has been the first month since last May that we have not had to return to the Tampa Bay area for doctors appointments!! The other missionaries serving with us usually take day trips on their P-Day to see the Florida sights. (In case you aren't familiar with missionary jargon, "P" stand for "preparation" and is intended to give missionaries a day off to shop, clean, wash, etc. The young missionaries need this more than we do, but we get a P-Day anyway. We are off most Saturdays as well, which they are not.) So the Kennedys decided to follow their example because we have not seen many of the places they talk about!

Our first adventure was on January 26th to St. Augustine. We had a leisurely breakfast in Melbourne and a beautiful drive up the coast on Hwy 1. It was a beautiful day and, because it was a Thursday, traffic wasn't bad. We arrived in St. Augustine in the early afternoon, had lunch in a French bakery (Denoel French Pastry Shop), and spent several hours exploring Castillo De San Marcos National Monument. By late afternoon, we were getting weary, so we hopped on I-95 South and headed home. We know there's much more to see there, but it's a start! Our 44th wedding anniversary was on the 27th so this was a trip to celebrate that as well.



It was windy!!




Castillo De San Marcos



On February 2nd we hit the road again to go to Archer (near Gainesville) to see Sue's brother Roger's place there. We have been there before, when it was a work in progress, but we wanted to see the results of his and wife Jan's hard work. At Ocala we left I-75 for SR 27 winding through the countryside and past many horse farms. Beautiful drive! We met them for lunch in Newberry and then spent several hours at their place.

The property is on an air strip so, of course, a hangar for Rog's airplane was built early on. Eventually he put a 28x60 manufactured home there also. There was a barn on the property when  they bought it, but it needed LOTS of work. We always love the time we spend with Rog and Jan so it was another great trip!



The hangar with Roger & his latest plane.




The house.




The barn where they work on their many projects!




Pretty property!



This week we went to Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, which is near I-4 between Orlando and Daytona. This is where the Manatees "winter" when the St. Johns River gets too cold for them. Again we had an ideal day: not too hot, not too cold. (We have had a very mild Winter so far this year.) We strolled along "a 1/3 mile boardwalk that follows the flowing Blue Spring run through a shady hardwood hammock" watching the Manatees, alligators, and other wildlife, toured the historical Thursby House built in 1872, and took a nature cruise on the St. Johns River. The St. Johns River is a 300 mile river that flows North and eventually flows into the Atlantic North of Jacksonville. This river flows past the East side of Deseret Ranch.



Thursby House




3 dark spots in center are Mantees




Our nature cruise boat.




Saw lots of gators!




And lots of birds! This is a Limpkin.



Friday the 17th was Rodeo Day in Osceola County. This is a ranch holiday. Whoopee! The Osceola County Fair was held in conjunction with the rodeo. We went to the fair for a couple of hours,but did not stay for the rodeo. It was a rainy day and by evening we were dragging.  Maybe next year we'll go to the rodeo because we later found out it was in an indoor arena. We did see some steers that boys on the ranch raised for 4H.



4H steers raised by Isaac & Jennings Genho.




Steers raised by Jason & Tanner Campbell.

 Conference Quote:

"In my life I have learned that sometimes I do not receive an answer to a prayer because the Lord knows I am not ready. When He does answer, it is often 'here a littleand there a little' because that is all that I can bear or all I am willing to do."  

Elder Robert D. Hales, "Waiting Upon The Lord: Thy Will Be Done", Ensign, November, 2011, p.73.