10/31/06 (Tuesday): Today we're going to leave the Tiger Creek Preserve for a little hike with Wiley's Mom and dad, our niece, Katelyn, and good friends Les and Troy. We went over near Oviedo to the Little Big Econ State Foresst. This is a lovely area on the Econlockhatchee River (now you can see why we shorten the name to "Econ"!).

It was a very hot day. We started with breakfast at our favorite local restaurant, whose name has escaped me at the moment (Mag--help me out here!). It was a long wait to fit all of us in, but we had fun catching up on everyone's news and watching the ducks (a local landmark--they just roam the town at will).

The main purpose of our hike was to visit a new bridge that was just dedicated. Unfortunately, due to the heat and the sugar sand on the trail (very difficult to hike in loose sand), we never reached the bridge. We saw lots of animal tracks in that loose sand, though, which was fun. Mag and Wiley headed back by a shortcut while the rest of us pushed on. They were smart--we never did find the bridge, and it was just not a pleasant hike. We all got so hot that we turned back early. Some of us were not feeling too well, and we didn't want to push too hard.

Wiley and I spent a few more days with his parents. They're so generous in feeding us, letting us use their washer and dryer and putting up with us. They actually had us convinced they were happy to have us invade their home! Thanks, Mag and Wiley!

David and Katelyn (our nephew and niece) have grown up so much (is that facial hair already?!) and we enjoyed their company, too. Uncle Wiley took them metal detecting one afternoon. David liked it so much he's thinking of buying one for himself. We're hoping the whole family will come here for a visit.


Shortly after we got home from our visit with Wiley's folks, our friends, Julie and John, came for a visit. They only had one afternoon to spend with us, but we had a great time! We sat in the shade near the pond and got caught up, and then took a ride on the ATV through part of the preserve, ending up at the bridge over Patrick Creek. What a blast!

Well, that's about it for this time. Next time I'll tell you a little more about our jobs here and our visit to the Treasure Coast. Stay tuned!

10/29/06 (Sunday): We're finally on the internet again! Our new digs are so far back of beyond that you can't even get cable TV (there's no cable)! We finally figured out how to hook up to the Nature Conservancy's broadband.

So, with no further ado, here we go with Phase II of Joyce and Wiley's Great Adventure! I'll start with some pics of our new abode and surrounds.

As soon as you get off the main road (state road 27) you're in orange grove and cattle ranching country. There are lots of dirt roads, lakes and a surprising amount of wildlife.



Our RV is set up on top of a little sandy hill next to a barn looking out over a small lake.




This is our lake at sunrise our first morning here. We got up early and took a walk. We're on 5000 acres of sand scrub on the Lake Wales Ridge, which is some of the most endangered land in FL. The Nature Conservancy describes it this way:




"The Lake Wales Ridge is a landscape of contrasts. It includes desert-like habitats, but absorbs 50 inches of rain most years. It is the highest point in peninsular Florida, but stands only 295 feet above sea level. It is an enormous sand dune, but the ocean has long since receded. Its scrub habitat is a forest, but of miniature scale. It shelters one of the largest collections of rare organisms in the world, but its well-drained sand is attractive to both citrus farming and housing developments.

The future of the Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem depends upon our commitment to create economic incentives for private landowners to manage their land for native species, to support public land acquisition and to ensure these lands are effectively managed.








Wiley and I will work to help Nature Conservancy by maintaining the section of Florida Trail that runs through the property, eradicating invasive non-native species, cleaning the office and helping out in the office. There are four paid employees at this site, 3 volunteers and 1 intern. Our boss, Adam, is in charge of the controlled burning program to help restore and maintain the ecosystem which would be here if man hadn't stopped the natural fires resulting from lightning.

That's about it for now. In future blogs I'll have pictures of our first week here as we explored the area, including a hike with Wiley and Marguerite, a visit with Julie and John, our first ride on an ATV, a visit to Vero Beach in search of treasure, and a hike at Arbuckle Forest (including a very rare sight). Stay tuned (I love my life!).

10/27/06 (Friday): Well, I had a little problem accessing the internet here in the back of beyond, so I haven't been able to post yet (I'm at my in-laws' now). I think I have it all figured out now, so I hope to do a posting this weekend. The new job is great--love the people and the scenery. I've seen eagles every day and a pond turtle laying eggs! Wiley caught some bass in the pond right by the camper. I saw the orthopaedist yesterday and the wrist and thumb are coming along fine. I'll get the cast off in 2-1/2 weeks and then get some physical therapy. Julie and John are visiting with us this weekend and Cathy and the rest of the Dykes clan will come soon. I hope Troy and some of the FTA gang will come hang out with us a little, too. We might put you to work on the trail! Hang in there with me--I'll get it together soon!

10/24/06 (Tuesday): No, I'm not giving up on the blog! We've been a little busy setting up in our new home and taking care of some appointments. Also, the laptop had to go into the shop for a while. Starting tomorrow, I'll be doing a blog of Phase II of Joyce and Wiley's Great Adventure (Florida edition). Please stay tuned!

10/17/06 (Tuesday): We made it! We arrived yesterday evening and spent the night in Wiley and Mag's house (parked the camper in their driveway). Today we dropped the camper off in its new home near Lake Wales. We met the 4 Nature Conservancy employees. I think we're going to enjoy this a lot! Wrist killing me right now--more later. Seeing orthopaedist tomorrow.

10/14/15 (Saturday): Well, we're in NC now (Smithfield, which I think is not far from Raleigh). We're doing okay--the driving is very stressful because my arm gets tired. We're stopping frequently and ending the day early. It'll probably take us two more days at this rate. We're going directly to the preserve and leaving the RV, then we'll go stay with Wiley's folks for a week while we get physicals, go to the dentist and (for me) see the orthopaedist. We're scheduled to start on the 20th, but they're very flexible.

We had a hair raising experience yesterday. We pulled into Patapsco State Park around 4 PM and followed the sign to the campground, but we were confronted suddenly with a bridge too low for us to go under. We hadn't seen any signs at the entrance, but there we were about 1/4 mile down a curvy road with fairly heavy traffic! Bummer! We called the park office and they sent a ranger out to stop traffic. I had to back up the hill one handed around the curves! When I was almost to the end, a kind guy took it the rest of the way for me. I thought my arm was going to fall off! But I figured if I could do that one handed, I'm doing okay!

Here are some pics from our trip so far--the color was beautiful thru NY and PA, but it was still pretty green in MD. It's actually warm here in SC!

See everyone soon!




Sunrise at campground in PA



Hay wagon in field in PA















MD rest stop













View of our camper from restaurant window (MD)

10/10/06 (Tuesday): This will be short because I'm typing one-handed. I KNOW IT'S NOT POLITE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS, BUT IT'S MUCH EASIER, SO FORGIVE ME!

WE'RE LEAVING THE CAMPGROUND TODAY AND HEADING BACK TO FLORIDA. WE HAD A GREAT TIME WITH JULIE AND JOHN, AND I'M SO THEY WERE ABLE TO STAY FOR A WHILE SO I COULD GET USED TO DOING EVERYTHING WITH MY LEFT HAND. W E TOOK SEVERAL SCENIC DRIVES AND ENJOYED THE FALL FOLIAGE.

WILEY HAS PLOTTED A ROUTE FOR US THAT AVOIDS MOUNTAINS AND MAJOR CITIES. WE'LL ONLY DRIVE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS A DAY SO THAT MY GOOD ARM DOESN'T GET OVER TIRED.

WE'VE HAD A THOROUGHLY GOOD EXPERIENCE THIS SUMMER AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR WINTER IN THE FLORIDA WILDERNESS.

HERE ARE A FEW PHOTOS OF OUR LAST FEW DAYS IN MAINE.

10/7/06 (Saturday): It's been an exciting couple of days! Julie and John arrived Tuesday evening. Wednesday we did our famous trip to Port Clyde to see the lobster boats come in, with all the stops along the way. Unfortunately, we only made it to the Birch Point Beach stop--I fell and broke my wrist and thumb walking on the beach! I have a temporary cast on and still plan to head back starting on the 11th. Typing is tiring, so I'll post more details another time. I'm okay--don't worry!

10/2/06 (Monday): Well, no pictures tonight, but I'll post some random news and thoughts for all you adventure junkies!

We miss Monkey so much. Every time I come into the RV, I expect to hear her little greeting sound. When I'm lying on the couch reading, I miss her warm little body in my lap. Some kind person posted anonymously on the last blog that they made a donation in her name to the local cat shelter--wasn't that a kind thing to do?! I know we made the right decision, and I'm not wracked with guilt or anything, but I really do miss her!

We've been very busy putting the finishing touches on our new tile floor. I'll take a picture of it as soon as we finish. We're putting down shoe molding now. Wiley's a genius at cutting all those angles. I'll pat myself on the back, too, because I did a really nice job putting down the tile. The lines are all straight and it's a nice, tight fit.

The campground is not busy at all now. I take my book (and sometimes my laptop) to the office with me on work days. We've sold off most of our merchandise with our 40% off sale, so the store looks empty, too. Monday, 10/9, is our last day (and I only work 2 hours that day). The owners have invited us to dinner on the 5th, but we declined because Julie and John will be here and we'd rather do something with them. But that was very nice--they've already had a year-end celebration for us.

The weather is very cool here now. The high today was only 56 and it's only going to warm up to the lower 60's later this week. At night it's going down into the lower 40's--definitely sleep under the down comforter weather!

We're looking forward to Julie and John's visit. It'll give us a chance to re-do all the things we enjoyed the most before we leave. We'll probably pull out on 10/10 or 10/11 and head for FL. We're ready for some warm weather and seeing family and friends again!