Country life nice😊

I love the countryside. Country areas anywhere in the world. 

Maybe its my love of animals which causes me to find these parts so attractive. Problem is, this love only exists in the daytime, as being in the country at night is quite scary.  

When you live there, I mean, not when visiting with lots of friends around.

Phoebe Snow

It never used to be this way with me before I had a traumatic break-in and had no neighbors with lights to illuminate the darkness outside.

 Not a little light anywhere. 

So now if I can’t see a neighbor’s light outside, such places are not for me to live in.

Even driving in the country areas alone at night is quite discombobulating. For I always think that if I get a puncture or some other problem, some serial killer is going to come along and make my live miserable.

That’s what happens when you are addicted to shows like Criminal Minds, CSI, Forensic Files, Dateline etc.  

These programs I enjoy but they can be hazardous to your peace of mind.😊

Sandy

Why am I rambling so much, you may very well ask?😏

I just had another few wonderful days with friends in the country- side, that’s why.

This was in Sebring, Northern Florida, where a friend and I drove to for three hours, to surprise another friend on her birthday. (22/10/). 

When I go to places like that in the USA, I always hope to see a black bear or two, but never have such luck. On this trip, my disapointment was made even worse, when another friend showed me that her security camera had picked one up a few days before, right across the street.

There's a black bear behind the SUV!

Well, I saw no bears, but I met two very nice horses. 

The white one is Phoebe Snow and the darker one Sandy.

They are so friendly that when my host Cardiff called them and just held out his hand with some grass, they came trotting rapidly towards him. 

They even allow his grandson to ride them, I hear.

 Lovely horses. Pity I can’t ride, as the last time I mounted a horse, the saddle was slack, I slid off and he nearly stepped in my head.

Now I play with them but resist the temptation to mount!

It was good to see that Sebring escaped the devastation of hurricane Ian. It did pass through but only tore down some branches and added some water to the creeks and lakes.

Where I stayed with friends, I had previously avoided going down to the creek on the property because it is a hangout for wild boars, rattle snakes and other unfriendly types. 

Since my host recently acquired an ATV though, we got a proper tour of the back of his large, forested property, and all was well.

There were fallen trees and others were missing branches, but nothing serious and the creek actually had a good amount of water in it this time.

Yup, those few days in the countryside with friends around were really refreshing.

Occasions like this always make me want to move from the city.

Then night falls. 😊

A PICTORIAL TOUR

 

A happy ending!

I love cats. Big cats, little cats, all cats.

So, it was  pleasant when I arrived at Black Creek Park and Trails and saw quite a few beautiful cats, especially the one I christened “Cleo” (after Cleopatra as she was so exotic and welcoming).

As you probably know, even highly domesticated cats can be anti-social and hostile to strangers. But, as we arrived at the Park, Cleo came to rub against us and the rest hung around. 

Black Creek Park is beside Camp Chowenwah in Clay County, Florida where we had gone to enjoy nature. The campsite is on the creek which is fed by the St. John’s River. There is a long bridge over the river, which takes you into Jacksonville.

Cleo

When we heard there was a bike lane on the bridge which joined our property to the park next door, we decided to walk over. However, the bike lane faded just over the bridge and we were left exposed as an unendeing number of cars were whisking rapidly on the road beside us. That left some of us very edgy and uncomfortable. 

We were an exuberant, multinational group of hikers/campers from; Jamaica, Dom Rep, Guatemala and the USA. 

Thankfully, we made it safely across the busy bridge.

Then as we entered the park, a welcoming party of cats met us.

Cats seem to have a special status in that Park, for there is even a trail named ‘9 Lives.’ 

That is however to honor one special cat. 

That celebrity  cat had reportedly sighted some raw chicken down by the creek and although a large gator was eating it, she decided she wanted some.

Stephanie the camper

That happened 11 years ago, and would you believe that neither did the gator not eat her but also, he actually crawled away, leaving her to finish the chicken!

That’s the reason for the title of this blog, for that was one crazy but lucky cat! So there was indeed a happy ending.😊

When I saw the You tube video of that encounter, I still held my breath although I had been told beforehand that the cat was not eaten! (phew). 

Watch the heart-stopping video on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/DiyWXQyAJ44.

Creek where the gator drama took place

This is the creek where this jaw dropping encounter took place. Fellow hiker and local resident Stephanie brought us up to speed on that heart-warming story.

On the hike, I was a bit curious to see a sign saying mountain biking trail but was assured that it was erected in jest, as there were no mountains there. 

Wishful thinking?😂

The hike through the forest was pleasant and a good introduction to the area. We heard lots of birds but saw no animals as some crazies had approved a housing scene near the camp. 

I guess that made the animals scatter.

A dismantled deer feeder

We did see a deer trap however although it was dismantled by rangers no doubt, as it is illegal. This  is used by evil hunters who put corn inside of it and when the deer come to eat it, they shoot them. 

Kinda like catching fish in a bowl.😡

There were a few trees that had been downed by Hurricane Ian, and one could see how far up into the park the creek had come when the river rose, but there was no serious damage. Just a few fallen trees and the water marks.

Black Creek Park is a well maintained and family-oriented trail park with water fountains, rest areas and restrooms. 

Not much of a challenge for hikers but a pleasant place to hang out.

The cats are the icing on the cake.💓

Selah.

Links; Joan, my views: A hill at last! (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

              Joan, my views: No more cruising! (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

             Joan, my views: Glamping (joan-myviews.blogspot.com

             Joan, my views: Anti immigrant crap (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

                                     MORE MEMORIES

 

       

                 

   

          

           

Glamping

                                      A full moon shines brightly through the trees.                                                                                         

 My initial reason for joining Meet-Up on moving to Florida, is that I love to find out as much as I can about my environment, especially the outdoors, while getting maximum exercise and meeting interesting people.

Jennifer gets the campfire going

Sticking with the Boca Raton Outdoor Adventures group led by the knowledgeable  Floridian Jennifer Weise, has allowed me to do just that.    

Our latest trek was to Camp Chowenwah in Clay County, just outside of Jacksonville, Florida.

On this trip, I dragged a long-time school-mate, Sonia along, only to hear we have now been dubbed Columbus and Vasco de Gama by another. 😅 

Only hope we don’t turn out to be as wicked as those two were!

As usual,  I stray.

It was supposed to be a camping trip, but I am overjoyed that it was instead a glamping affair, with only one person Stephanie, camping in a tent. 

And because she lives in the area, she also  proved to be an invaluable guide.

                       Stephanie, the authentic trooper.                            

Chowenwah was just up my street, as it has comfortable log cabins with private indoor bathrooms, microwave and fridge. Some even have air condition, but those do not have the other private facilities outlined above. The camp even has a swimming pool and tree houses but both areas were closed due to a little damage caused by hurricane Ian.

Our comfortable cabin

In the main section, the creek came up about thirty feet, but caused no damage as it quickly receded.

The camp is a beautiful 150-acre recreation site on Black Creek, located in Green Cove Springs near its confluence with the St. Johns River.

This river is more than 300 miles long and 3 miles at its widest point. It is the longest river in Florida. It also flows in a northerly direction.

My only problem with that location is that a housing scheme was allowed to be constructed right beside the beautiful recreation area, so the animals that one would normally see in areas such as this, were nowhere to be found. 

Isn't this housing scheme just too close? 😡

 I did however run into a small water snake near the tree house area but he disappeared quickly into the pond when I tried to video tape him.

Birds however abound and one night, a din sounding somewhat like a convention of rowdy owls, appeared to be quite close.

A tree-house 

On our first night as we gathered around the campfire as a bright new moon peeped through the trees. There were loud, frequent sounds of hickory nuts falling from great heights, to the point that some of our campers suggested that if we were struck one, it could cause a lot of damage. 

Luckily, that never happened.

Ian brought water about 30 feet up

I had never seen hickory nuts before though and was curious as to why people never ate them,  although squirrels do, so clearly they are not poisonous. That spurred a fellow camper Chrissy to break one of the nuts to try it. It was no easy task and the nut crumbled, so that’s clearly one reason why humans do not bother to eat them. The pieces she gave me to try were tasty though.

With our convenient and comfortable base at Camp Chowenwah, we were able to do quite a few interesting hikes and explorations.

 So stay tuned.

Link; https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2022/10/anti-immigrant-crap.html?m=1

 Memories

Bridge to Jacksonville