Giant cypress knees and tree bases
Today was one of those days when plans just don’t work out. Ron woke up coughing, sneezing — and grumpy! 🙂
More giant cypress knees
Instead of hitting the museum, we took it easy most of the morning. Read a bit. Walked the dogs. Cleaned the trailer. I discovered some real surprises when I cleaned the refrigerator.
If you have a small camper refrigerator, you know how it is. There’s not enough room to put away the groceries, so stuff gets piled on top of stuff, and the things in the back disappear from memory.
More cypress knees. It occurred to me that if the limestone underneath did cave in, the ground would probably still be supported (for a while) by all the cypress roots.
I discovered an almost liquid yellow squash in the abyss along with a brown-spotted cabbage. And several styrofoam take out containers. When I finished, the refrigerator had been scrubbed and sanitized. Half of the stuff was thrown out, and I can find the things that are left.
This was the last of our perfect outdoor days for a while. It got up to 67 with sunny skies. Sheba and I walked down to the day use area and just meandered around admiring the cypress swamps, the river, the sunshine, and the incredible aura of peace that pervaded the area.
Flood level marker (I accidentally cut off the top mark). A sign said that it generally floods like that about 4 times a decade.
Then I came back and grilled ribs. Ron was recovered enough to enjoy the ribs, so he’ll be fine tomorrow.
It’s going down to 24 tonight, and tomorrow’s high will be in the mid 40’s. So it remains to be seen what we will feel like doing outdoors. It looks to me like it would be a great novel-reading day.
We will eventually get to the museum. Manana! (Which I have been told does not mean “tomorrow,” but “not today.”) 🙂
Classic CCC construction
Limestone outcroppings
Rock remainders of one of the mill dams
Nature doesn’t miss an opportunity to fill a vacuum. Here a new little shrub or tree grows out of a knothole on a fallen tree.
I have often seen old trees down by rivers covered with resurrection ferns. But this was the first time I had seen the ferns just beginning to colonize a tree trunk.
Little Sunny. Almost blind, almost deaf, and with severe arthritis. He walks until he bumps into something then heads the other way undaunted. He still loves sniffing trails, eating, and getting under his chin scratched. 🙂
Tinycamper's Blog 
John
/ January 7, 2015I think that’s brilliant – testing just exactly how poorly Ron feels by fixing ribs. I wish BJ would do that! 😉
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Sharon
/ January 7, 2015It did lower my sympathy level for him a notch! 😀
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judilyn
/ January 7, 2015My sweet black poodle had these same problems, with the extra added attractions of incontinence and complete hair loss, except for just a wisp on the top of her head. She looked like a black aardvark!
Virtual hugs,
Judie
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Sharon
/ January 7, 2015Oh, Judie. How sweet and sad. Thanks for telling me about her. :).
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Marcia GB in MA
/ January 7, 2015God bless Sunny! He’s still enjoying life in his own way. Our Tanya is 16 and is also pretty deaf and blind, and arthritic. She still enjoys her walks but she is dangerous the way she throws herself around sometimes. We came home today after being out a couple of hours and when I opened the RV door, she hurtled out, smashing into me and bruising my foot and ankle. Ouch! I am glad she was able to make it to FL with us this year as it may very well be her last. Sad to think about but realistic, too.
Isn’t it amazing the stuff that lurks in an RV fridge? Never ceases to amaze me. Stay warm tonight and the next few during this cold spell. Here in Venice it will get down to 40 tonight and that is plenty cold enough for these old bones!
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Sharon
/ January 7, 2015Yes, Marcia, he really does love his little doggie life. We can’t take him for walks anymore, but he seems to think that just being able to sniff around our campsite is good enough!
Tanya sounds like she doesn’t recognize her limitations. In a way that’s good. She is probably a young dog in her mind. Hope she doesn’t hurt herself (or you) but I’m glad she still wants to go and do.
Hoping this trip is special for her, as well as for you… building memories. 🙂
We brought in the yoga mat for the dogs to sleep on tonight. It keeps them (and our feet) so much warmer on cold nights.
40 degrees in Florida is a lot colder than 40 degrees anywhere else, it seems. You stay warm, too!
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Wayne Scott
/ January 7, 2015Sunny,,, Good that he has a good home and can just be.
Yikes is sounds like the rest of the country is COLD and we are warming, sorry but I’m sure cold is not finished with us totally yet either. LOL
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Sharon
/ January 7, 2015I used to call Sunny my baby boy. Now I call him Grampaw! 🙂
I am glad your area is warming! Enjoy! Ours will be back soon — at least in the 60’s in a few days.
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Jo
/ January 7, 2015I love the Cyprus knees are something else, would love to see them one day. Sunny seems to be enjoying his sniffing around and is well adjusted to his near blindness. I think animals handle disability better than most humans.
Do you know what the rock building was or is used for?
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Sharon
/ January 7, 2015Jo, the maintenance man in an office building where I once worked made beautiful lamps out of cypress knees. The cool thing about cypress wood is that it doesn’t rot easily.
Yes, Little Sunny seems to have adapted beautifully most of the time. He does have anxiety attacks sometimes. I’ve discovered that Benedryl calms him down and makes him sleepy. Then when he wakes up, he is fine again.
No, I don’t know what the building was for. I did notice that it’s empty now. 🙂
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David
/ January 8, 2015What breed is Sunny? We have a white Bichon and Sunny looks very similar but I can’t get a clear look.
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Sharon
/ January 8, 2015He’s a Maltese, David. I think they are closely related to the Bichons.
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ifgkemp
/ January 8, 2015Sunny’s jacket reminds me of Canoeing on the Suwannee last October. Penny wore a doggy life jacket that is Coast Guard Orange. I know she was hot, but that current is swift and I would just have to go in after her if she jumped overboard. She has a sweater for cold weather, but we are not as intrepid as you so we remain housebound awaiting a warming spell. Hopefully next week we can run over to Fort Pickens and snag a site for a couple of nights.
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Sharon
/ January 8, 2015Good to hear from you. I can picture Penny in her bright orange life jacket in a canoe! 🙂
I also have a sweater I put under Sunny’s jacket when it’s really cold. His fur looks thick, but it’s actally thin and fine.
Last night and tonight we have put a yoga mat on the floor for the dogs. It feels nice and warm on our feet, too.
Ft. Pickens –so beautiful there! Enjoy!
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lynne
/ January 8, 2015Love your knobby knees photo. Hope you survived the cold…hope the weather gets back to normal after this cold spell.
Sunny is precious…glad he is able to still have some enjoyable moments.
Look at how well you are doing with this first winter get away!
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Sharon
/ January 8, 2015Lynne, it’s really crazy. The cold isn’t bothering me, but it’s really working on Ron. Maybe because I have gained even more weight (although I am officially on a diet again today.)
Sunny is a darling. I was sure I was going to lose him a couple of weeks ago, but he bounced back.
And I am LOVING the trip. I truly wish it would never end!
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Jerryc
/ January 9, 2015Love your eye for detail, like the budding plant in the knothole. I don’t know where it’s warm, nowadays. We’ve worn jackets and hats every day since leaving home. Freezing rain and sleet forecast for Big Bend area of Texas, tonight. Guess where we are? Brrrrrrr…….
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Sharon
/ January 9, 2015Hope the weather turns nice soon. This trip has been such a long time coming for you that I wish every day of it could be perfect. 🙂
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