We're on the Move

We have just left Sanlan RV Ranch our home away from home for the past 2 months and are headed north again, not too quickly though. We have quite a trek planned for the journey home and will be almost a month more before we get there. For anyone interested we planned to set down in Woodridge April 19.

I have not written during our stay in Lakeland as there was nothing very new to report. We spent the time doing the things we have enjoyed for eight winters now and none of it has gotten old.

• The hiking trails. I have mapped out a 5 mile route which doesn't seem so long when the environment seems like a magic garden.

• The Frasier Bike Trail. This year we discovered a fun BBQ restaurant near the far end of the trail aptly named "The Curly Tail"
• The Circle Bar B preserve. One of our excursions was in mid morning and it seemed as if all the wildlife in the preserve were out and about; white pelicans, roseate spoonbills, woodstorks, sandhill cranes, and great blue heron to name just a few of my favorite birds, wild pigs, river otters, and of course the usual assortment of alligators.

A family of sandhill cranes

• The golf course. This year the price went up 40%, from $5 to $7 for nine holes and double that for 18.
The annual St. Patrick's Sanlan Gala.

• Visits with our Woodridge friends both in residence and transient

• Weekly visits to the Auburndale flea market. The array of fresh produce, particularly grapefruit, oranges, and strawberries as well as a few found treasures.

• Excursions to Fort Desoto beach and bike trail

• Our annual visit with Mom and Dad at Florida National Cemetery
• Bike ride on the Withlacoochie Trail and lunch in Inverness.
• Our annual spring training baseball game. Braves beat the Tigers. Does that make you happy Atlanta?

Requiring more that a bullet is the spring break visit from Bob and Gretchen and their boys. They arrived a few days after the twins third birthday so we extended the annual St. Patricks Day Gala to include a birthday celebration. The heart of the day was the two of them singing "Jesus Loves Me" for our Grace.

There is nothing more exciting than watching two three year old boys loose it all at the site of fake dinosaurs, the waves in the ocean, feeding the swans and ducks on Morton Lake, or the biggest play park they have ever seen. Even the cool temperatures could not deter them from swimming in the ocean or the inadequately heated swimming pool and, of course, Grandma had to join them or miss out on the fun. The marvelous thing about being three is that any one of these adventures holds as much excitement and fun as Disney World.

 

 

Thus ends another chapter in our 2013 winter adventure. We have a few more places to see and things to do before we alight for the summer. So stay tuned.