NEWS ALERT

Steve's Diner in the old Pizza Hut on Portsmouth Avenue is set to open for breakfast on Monday December 17.

A Three Hour Tour

Here are some of our neighbors at the Silver Glen Springs and the approach up the channel. The water was only a foot or two deep at most places, but I'm sure the gators could still hide there to bite my toes off....

Last Thursday morning, we fueled up the SS Ibis, our house boat, and headed toward the Silver Glen Springs and Run. The marina told us it was a four hour trip. It was more like five, but well worth the trip. Though it was a bit scary while crossing Lake George to learn that we had to stay in a very specific area because of the military bombing range on the side of the lake. So you've got alligators on one side and bombs on the other--great! It was about at that point when I decided a cocktail might be in order in case we were lost at sea. I know, I know, it's a lake, but it was huge and seemed like we were on the ocean.

After making it all the way across the lake, we entered the narrow channel to the springs. We saw a woman with a bow and arrow poised on the water while steering her boat with her foot. Apparently the modern day spearing of fish. Kind of scary. I was hoping we didn't encounter her at night...

The water was crystal clear and that perfect shade of green/blue. We saw all sorts of fish, turtles, birds, but no gators. At the end, a half dozen boats were anchored up and there was a roped off swimming area. I was still not sold on swimming in an area where alligators hang out, but at least it was clear so you could see them coming. We saw no alligators that first day, but dozens of jumping fish. Apparently in some cases, these fish can be more dangerous, like this case last year. Think you might lose your limbs to a gator? Beware the jumping fish.

No More Vincent's....

Why is it that every time we get some place in town that actually offers live music on a regular basis they leave?? I was sadden to see the big "For Lease" sign in Vincent's window downtown when I returned from vacation this week. I really liked the place and loved the fact that you could hear some form of live music every weekened. Plus, I loved the fact that Al Lampert, of Al's Automotive, became partners with Vincent after the blond chickie to the right returned to her roots in Rochester.

Vincent always knew it was me when he got an order in the kitchen for shrimp scampi, XXX garlic. What can I say? I'm fending off the vampires.

Why Vincent closed up so quickly or where he went are mysteries to me. I guess I'm going to have to get a tub of garlic at the grocery store to drown my sorrows...

In Search of the Elusive Manatees

See those gray things in the water? They are the elusive manatees heading up the natural springs for winter.

And here is the not-so-nice sign that greeted us at the Blue Springs State Park

Day Two on the House Boat:

We are heading up the St. John's River on our house boat with eyes glued to the water. "Come out manatees, show yourselves," Kate calls out. "Come out gators." I know, I know. I wouldn't call them out either, but she's from Detroit and not afraid of gangs and driveby shootings. So why would a little old gator worry her?

Alas, all we have seen so far are herons, egrets and turtles. But they are everywhere. As we sit in the lap of house boat luxury, we are in the middle of nature.

"Are you sure they didn't warn you about water moccasins," I asked Kenny.

"NO," he says for the 1000th time as he attempts to make sense of the map the marina gave us to navigate. Our destination is the Blue Springs State Park, which is the winter haven for the endangered manatee. It's supposedly close by. We make it in just over one hour. Now comes the question of how we get off this beast. I'm still convinced there are water moccasins in the water. But instead, I find this sign about alligators.

The manatees migrate to the springs during the winter (yeah because under 80 degrees is winter down to these southerners) because the water is always 72 degrees. We saw 6 manatees rolling lazily as they made their way up the clear waters of the spring.

We're Back.....

This is what was lurking behind our boat the first night on board. Some idiot next to us, who was fishing, kept throwing bait at him. Good plan.... NOT.

And here is the bird that hid out behind our boat the first morning. Most likely to hide from the gator that was being well-fed by the not so bright fisherman.

I had grand plans of posting to the blog every day on the house boat. But as usual, technology got the better of me. So stay tuned for some fun travelogue style blog entries this week. One local man's wife asked him why they couldn't take fun vacations like the house boat. You can. There are marinas all over the place on the St. John's River with weekend and week long rentals.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

This is our first trip with Willie and we might as well have rented a tractor trailer to carry the pile of essential baby items that we're carting along with us--play pen, play yard, portable high chair, back pack, life jacket and the list goes on.

Good thing we rented a mini van in Florida to carry all of this plus all of Kate and Sean's essential baby gear. Also good there's a roof rack on the house boat to store the loot.

Oh yes, sorry to see the snow coming. Looks like we're escaping just in time!

We Might Be Crazy

So, you might ask yourself, what were we thinking? We head out Sunday morning for the Holly Bluff Marina along the intercoastal waterway in Florida for a week on a house boat. With our little monkey climber and our dear friends Kate and Sean with their little female monkey climber. Two toddlers. One houseboat. One week. Willie's trying out his life jacket today.

Some warnings on the marina's web site include one about not swimming in the St. John's River because of alligators. I am also a bit disturbed that the theme song on the marina web site is the Gilligan's Island song.....a three hour tour.