The Eve of a New Year and a New Life

It's like being on the brink, isn't it?  Like standing at the edge of the diving board or looking out over the road you're about to travel.  Something new's about to happen.  That's where Al and I are.

We've decided not to rush down to Lady Lake (we're both really worn out from traveling - especially Al, who's been doing all the driving, plus working!!) so we plan to drive to Lake City today, which should mark the end of our journey along Route I-10.

I sit here this morning in the RV Park outside the city of Tallahassee, listening to wild birds call to each other while I look at a very misty morning in the middle of the woods.  Yes, this park on the outskirts of a major city is in the middle of the woods.  We heard gunshots after dark last night (I sort of think/hope it was someone hunting) and police sirens this morning.  The dichotomy of the peace of the woods counterpointed by the violence  implied by the gunshots and sirens strikes me as interesting, as does the reflection of ancient violence (remembering how the native American tribe was kicked off this land) still lingering in the area through these same implicitly violent sounds.  Clearly this philosophical turn of mind indicates that I haven't had breakfast yet.  Go eat something, Dru.

Okay, breakfast, philosophy, and traveling now done.  For some reason (probably fatigue) my photographic timing has been off all day, and out of 28 photos taken, I've got 10 that are even somewhat publishable, though I must admit I took a number of decent photos of other cars on the highway and two or three passable pictures of our rear-view mirror.  I think I won't share those...

Anyway, the route from Tallahassee to Lake City was pretty much the same as it was yesterday -  fields with crops or animals or marshland.

Same ol' pretty places

Same ol' pretty fields

Same ol' nice farms

The road was much the same also.  It made us glad we were only going 100 miles today.  We sang nonsense songs to each other to keep ourselves amused and awake, and Dorian tried to sing along even though he didn't get the gist of the songs.  Polgara chimed in too, in her own key and with her own "lyrics" but we like it when she actually sings, since she usually just sort of screeches.

Finally it happened - after 2000-plus miles along route I-10, we came upon the magic, long-awaited signs:

The road south to Tampa, Ocala, Orlando, and Lady Lake!

  With no particular fanfare we bid goodbye to the 4-player game of competitive tailgating we had been watching and to I-10, which had actually become pretty soporific if you must know the truth, and headed southward, abruptly feeling the crosswind that had been a tailwind for all those eastward-facing miles.

Our destination for the day was only a few miles south on Route 75 but we immediately saw different signs of civilization in cow farms, horse farms, and what will certainly become ubiquitious golf courses.

Those tiny things in the distance are horses

Cows.  Large, black cows. Plentiful.

Here are a few examples of the farms we passed by.  I declined to photograph the golf courses, since if my visit to The Villages last year is any indication, we will quickly have our fill of golf courses.

Since it's Saturday and Al didn't have to work, we left the last place early (the gunshots the night before may have had something to do with our eagerness to depart) and arrived at our next RV Park at about 2 in the afternoon.  Having had our fill of pizza during this trip we were delighted to discover that the local restaurant that delivers to the RV Park is Chinese - and they have just delivered our food!  Back at you in a while!

Well, we've had our lunch/dinner and shared with the birds, of course.  Eating is social and when WE eat they had BETTER eat or we'll hear no end of it.  Makes for a happy home and LOTS of housework afterward.  Birds throw food.  SUCH fun.

Anyway, we're now playing with the air conditioning for the first time, because the mild breeze from outside is only cooling the RV down to 80 degrees; a temperature at which Al is guaranteed to melt.  We've really arrived in Florida now, and have bid the threat of winter farewell.  Yeah, yeah, I've heard all about Florida getting freezing nights once in a while but in comparison to snow and sub-zero degrees that make our getting-old-already knees hurt, this is just fine, thank you.

In the meantime, we tried to find a bottle of Martinelli's with which to celebrate the New Year but were unable.  I guess we'll have to toast January first with Diet Pepsi; a very discriminating beverage, I assure you. Besides which, if all our other travel nights are any indication, we're likely to be fast asleep well before midnight arrives.

To you all we wish the safest, most enjoyable, healthy, and happy New Year, and all the best in 2012.