Looking back over the past couple of years, we are making it a habit of going out around the holidays. As you can see by the last post, we were out just 2 weeks earlier. I think that may be the fastest turn around between trips yet!
That said, with the holidays and me working every day from the last trip to the 23rd, aside from the airbag repair, nothing got done on the coach before we left.
I did have time to sneak one of the GMC hotwheels onto my wife's Christmas Village. It's a tad out of scale, but then so are the people.
As it was only about 50 miles away, my daughter suggested we take a support car. This sounded good as the campground we were staying at, has nothing to do really, as this is the 5th or 6th time we have stayed there and there aren't any amenities really. You can walk over to the Locks, but with Covid that turned out to be not an option (back to that later). This gopher tortoise was out and about while I was setting up munching on greens.
There were hundreds of noisy black grackles. The pic doesn't do it justice. They were many and loud.
I left the house around noon and got there around 1:15 and got set up. I backed in and ate my lunch, and realized it would be better to turn the coach around and nose in so the door would be on the shady side and the table and firepit. Whipped it around and pulled out all the chairs.
Set up the hose with a nozzle at the front bumper as the plumbing is still an issue. The girls finally showed up hours later (I thought they were right behind me).
I tried my hand at a time lapse but had it set up wrong and was taking frames far to often (almost real time!). So I deleted it. I built a fire and we cooked steak-ka-bobs with couscous. The mosquitos were pretty bad, so I let the fire die out pretty early and went inside. Played a new card game with Naya called Idiot and she beat me every time....
The next morning we got up and were out of the campground by 10AM going to the Coastal Center of the FL Oceanographic Society as there was a Stingray pet and feeding at 10:30. I drive by the place fairly often when surfing and thought the girls would really dig it so immediately thought of it when the car idea was floated.
Naya petting a Cow Nosed ray. We got to feed them a few minutes later. It was pretty cool.
Next up was the pelagic fish feeding. Nurse sharks, tarpon, snook, and several species of jack didn't disappoint when the food started flying. The tank is direct connected via pipes to the ocean, so they have a steady flow of good water coming in. Two nurse sharks, a tarpon (middle), and a snook (on the right).
This guy, I believe is a small black drum, but not sure. He was swimming like this constantly, so I think he's got buoyancy issues. Many of the animals here are injured and can't be returned to the wild.
We took a walk on the trail through the mangrove tidal swamp. Mostly boardwalk and squishy soil.. Tide was up so half of the loop was closed. I didn't notice the boat wake when I snapped the pic.
Nothing crazy here, but I like the pic of the heron stepping and his reflection.
Back at the nature center Naya checking out the resident Octopus. I didn't get his story why he is in there.
Naya practicing to be a filter feeder. I showed here how tube worms act in the wild and she did a good impression.
Back at the campground, you wouldn't know that we have more chairs than people available! Nice couple from St. Pete had the trailer across the way.
Second try at the time lapse worked out well. About 90 min into 38 seconds. You can see Venus become visible and then start to set.
More fire, Shrimp on the grille, the Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes as a movie on the side of the coach.
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