Winding Up Florida

Paul's house

Our whirlwind tour of Florida is coming to an end. This past week we're parked at Travelers Campground in the little town of Alachua, a few miles north of Gainesville. The purpose of this stop was a family visit, so we didn't do too much else while we were here. We spent most of our time at Paul's house. The highlights were conversing and eating -- both very satisfying activities in a family visit.

The weather has been kind to us. Our week here in Gainesville has been dry (for Florida) and the humidity has been low enough to keep the warm temps comfortable. If it weren't for the biting gnats, we would have slept with the windows open, as the night time temps got down to the upper 50s. And, if it weren't for the fact that our motorhome heats up like a car in the sun, we probably wouldn't have needed the air conditioner at all.

I was introduced this week to the call of the mockingbird. This particular one found it necessary to carry on its raucous birdsong throughout the entire night...more or less right outside my window. Two nights in a row! It gave understanding to the phrase, "to KILL a mockingbird," as I would have attempted to do so, given the opportunity.

Here is a sample. (Please don't turn me in...I didn't get permission to share it! :-/ )

Last night was the first quite night, and my first thought was he may have finally found his mate, or another roosting spot.

It turns out, he probably DID find his mate, because this afternoon we discovered this little gem in the bicycles!

Beginnings of a bird nest

This is what happens when you stay in one spot for a week...in the spring. And I felt quite sad when the poor little bird, coming in for a landing this afternoon with a twig in its mouth, found its nest all in a shambles on the ground. He will have to start all over from scratch.

Such are the trials of life.

Hopefully he will conclude that a tree is a much better place for a nest.

Tomorrow we pull up anchor and head north to Valdosta for a week with the Hoffmans.