March 2, 2015   On the road again,  11:00 a.m. NICE!  How bad can the traffic be in the late morning?  Between St Pete and Tampa I’m going to rate it no stars. Three times we were almost side swiped by drivers trying to cut in,  to the passenger side of the RV.  If we were driving a Mini Cooper maybe I could understand it, but we are BIG.  While dodging butt head drivers,  we were hit by a swarm of Whaahm Bats.  These are bugs native to hot humid areas.  Full grown they are the size of a nickel and when they hit and splatter they look like yellow phlegm.  We now have 42 full grown Whaahm Bat bodies splattered all over our windshield.  There are toooo many that have not reached maturity  splatters,  for me to count without going cross eyed.  God only knows what the grill looks like.   Aaahhhh! The Joys of Driving in the south!
We are on the way to Silver Springs State Park in Ocala.  The movies African Queen and Creature from the Black Lagoon were supposed to have been filmed here on the Ocklawaha River.   David and I are looking forward to doing a lot of kayaking there.   I’ve got my fingers crossed for no Creature sightings.  I do plan on doing some Katharine Hepburn impersonations though 🙂   David loves it when I stop paddling and let him do all the work.
Super Walmarts are an RVers best friend.   One stop shopping and BIG parking lots. Today is a Walmart day.  One of the things on our grocery list is always gallons of spring water.   I drink a lot of water and am very particular about the source.  So we have a grocery cart full of “stuff” including 6 gallons of water.
Two things I get on my high horse about,  a lot,  are “rule breakers” and “petty larceny”. Anybody that has been reading my blog knows that my twenty year old bicycle,  with no seat on it,  was stolen in Homestead, on our way to the Keys.  Apparently, there is a market for anything down here.
So, David and I are pushing our loaded down cart through the Walmart parking lot.   All of a sudden the cart breaks.   David starts cussing up a storm about shopping carts.  He’s stepping on the back lifting the front wheels,  trying to get it to move.   I’m trying to pick up the front while he pushes. We are wrestling with our shopping cart in the parking lot.   It had to have been a sight to see.   Then a siren goes off.   No, we are not apprehended as Walmart cart thieves.   It’s just coincidence that at this moment the siren goes off and I look down and see a warning on the cart.   It will not function beyond a certain point in the parking lot.   David and I have to carry all of our bags and six gallons of water half way across the lot to our RV.   All this because people steal carts???   David is cussing up a storm and amidst his cussing trying to figure out how the heck they get the carriage to stop like that and how much does it cost them to do it.   I’m cussing up a storm that we have to carry all this “stuff” in the beating hot sun.   I can’t breath because the air is so thick and I’m sweating like a pig.   All this  because people steal shopping carts!!
David and I are about to take off from Walmart when someone starts banging on the door.   What now?   A gentleman and his wife want to talk to us about being interviewed for an Article for Tiffin magazine. Our RV is made by Tiffin out of Red Bay, Alabama.  They publish a monthly magazine.   We are towing the 64 Volvo and Bob Tiffin is a car enthusiast. So tomorrow morning we are being interviewed for the magazine.   Is that too funny.   Good thing I got my hair and nails done in Homestead while we were waiting for the RV to be repaired 🙂
We arrive safe and all in one piece at Silver Springs. Another beautiful park and we have a great campsite.   My husband, who I love dearly is setting up OUR grill on top of the grill provided by the park.   He is wire tying it down.   The Ranger has told us there are Black Bear here and because of the warm weather, they are very active.  Now I have to add Black Bear,  Whaahm Bats and Butt Heads,  to my list of alligators, crocodiles, anaconda, tarantulas and rattle snakes to watch out for.   Another day in paradise 🙂