Journey Begins Fully Vaccinated

 Greetings from Ochlockonee River State Park!  

I am SW of Tallahassee, FL by the St Marks Wildlife Refuge (which is huge!).

 Today I am going to go ride the St Marks Rail Trail, so I hope to make this short.

News

Maria, the woman that was going to be traveling with me had to cancel for health reasons.  She is bummed, I am bummed.

The first part of my trip she was going to be traveling in her RV right along with me.  I definitely miss her presence already.  I planned my route keeping her in mind.  

The good news is I have had my second vaccine shot for COVID19!  Some of the fear has faded.  I am hugging friends that also have had the vaccine.  I have dined inside restaurants with them.   

I didn't have to go to all the way to St. Augustine for the second vaccine.  I was able to get it at  Winn Dixie closer to home.  My symptoms were mild to non-existent.

Traveling Solo

Ok, I traveled alone last year, but I had arranged to meet up with folks all along the way.  This time I didn't do that as much because Maria was going to be with me.  Now I am kind of worried that I will get lonely or not enjoy the experiences as much because they are not shared with anyone... in the moment.

I will still be sharing some of it with you.  But if I shared it all with you I would be spending hours each day on my computer instead of out in nature and exploring.  

Just know that I am a bit afraid of so much alone time.  Isn't that strange?  I live alone but I usually see at least one friend every day.  My life is full of companionship and mutual admiration.  Though COVID has reduced the physical hugs I still get affirmation that I exist and that my existence matters to someone.

 

Send Offs

Several of my friends made a point of getting together with me.  I am so blessed!  They made sure I felt their love.  What a wonderful thing.  Now I will definitely not try to drive into a tree.   Ha ha.

 

Connie invited me to a meal in her home.  She asked if I liked lima beans.  I grew up not liking lima beans, and my tastes have changed, I wasn't about to turn down a dinner invitation, "Yes, I love them," I lied to her (Sorry Connie).  

 

She was inviting my good friends Debra and Glen and Charlotte too. My first post-covid dinner party in someone's home!

 

She made a special vegetarian pot of beans for me!  Man o man were they good.  I took some leftovers home and besides eating them at home I had some for my first meal camping.

 

 

On my last night, one of my yoga buddies had me over for happy hour and surprised me by inviting other neighbor/friends and presented me with a gift!  It is a pretty black fan with purple sparkles!  I want to  mount it on the wall of LILAC (my trailer).  

 

I like the picture she took, I look slim in it.

Debra messaged me on my last day.  It was a Thursday and I wanted to ride.  She offered to meet me at Pudgie's where I could enjoy my last Vegetarian "Slap Your Mama Burger" of the season.  Man, those things are good!  And I got one last hug from Debra and Glen.  A great send off.  I finished my ride home ready to pack pack pack!

I had to wait to clean and put the house to rest for the morning of departure because I was watching my friends 14 year old lab that was shedding.  That turned out to be a good thing because I took the dog home on the morning of departure and then I went to yoga and exercise one last time at the Club House.  

 

I left by 11 a.m. and I had less than 300 miles to travel.  All my travel days are around 300 miles.  I am following the advice of others who travel this way.  They advise, 300 miles or 3:00, and stay three nights to you have a chance to explore the area.

 

Ochlockonee

Yesterday I rode my trike on a trail that is about 10 miles long.  It was a windy day and there was the threat of rain... that never happened.

 

Driving out of the park to the trail I saw a white deer with brown spots!  Maybe that is the piebald deer that someone mentioned to me on Facebook.

 

 

I took a picture by the trail sign and thought this would be my tradition on this trip.  My trike by the different trails I ride.

The trail runs along a very lightly traveled road to the coast.  There I saw wind surfers taking advantage of the blustery day.

At a bridge I saw a cell phone.  It was locked but someone had texted and when I pushed on the text I read, "Will you be home for dinner?" and I was able to click on that and make a call.  The owner answered, he had been fishing on the bridge and was wondering where his phone was.  He told me to leave it there and he would come get it.

I passed a group of homes all painted white and blue.  I took a picture of the sign to remind myself to look it up on Google.  I have yet to do it. 

After packing up my trike I went to a park across the street where some women were working the gardens there.  One of them was thrilled to show me what they had planted.  They were volunteers with the native plant society.  They had a carnivore area, plants that eat insects.  It was lovely AND I got to chat with someone. 

From my picnic table I observed a pretty brown bird.  I looked him up on my phone.  It is a Brown Thrasher from the Mockingbird family.  I played his song to him and learned not to do that as he quickly zoomed toward me in attack mode.

This is the first campground I have stayed at where the dump station is over 1/2 a mile away.  I have to carry my waste in the car!  I hope it doesn't leak.  I took this picture after dumping and rinsing.  I don't set it on edge before that.

Last evening my camping neighbor came over to chat.  They are from Michigan and she rides bike.  I invited them to bring chairs over, but they were about to eat.  "We have a few days yet," they said.

 

Well, it is a beautiful day and I have 42 miles to ride if I do the whole St. Marks trail.  We'll see what the day brings.  

Thanks for checking in on me and being my virtual travel buddies.