Macrae's Motel Homosassa

Today we were supposed to go to Homosassa Springs Wildlife Center and then the beach to relax after a few days of fast paced activity. The original schedule had us diving with manataees today, however being late in the year the manataee are already moved out of the river to cooler locales, so we got the alternative. Homosassa Springs is a large nature preserve and wildlife rehabilitation center [aka a zoo] that has various creatures ...

Today's activities were more laid back and the temperatures have risen to a reasonable level. It seems strange to not wear four layers of clothing to accommodate the weather! Don booked an appointment to install an electrical system on the coach and I spent time visiting with our neighbors from Tennessee. At one point we were horrified to hear a crunch and everyone rushed to see what had happened. One of the coaches down the way ...

We had a beautiful sunrise and frost everywhere. I wonder how the local crops have fared. We fully intended to attend the coffee and chat this morning but it was warmer to make our own. The weather has reduced our opportunities to mix and mingle but we'll have other opportunities for that. For those of you who wondered what one does at a RV Rally ...

... are a significant number of B's (van chassis) and C's (truck chassis). Don finally made the decision to sign-up for a data plan that will give us internet connectivity on a more reliable basis. We have found our inability to maintain e-mail contact and do internet searches a major frustration. It seems to be working well but sympatico hasn't allowed us to download our e-mail for over a week. I spent a very frustrating couple of hours with the help desk last night ...

Today Don zeroed in on a presentation on Understanding, Monitoring and Protecting the RV Electrical System; Cleaning Tanks, Sensors and Much More Inside and Out and Know Your Tire Pressure RV and Toad (car for the lay person). Although we have had experience with the operation and maintenance of large machinery during our days on the farm, the complexity of these 'beasts' is daunting to say the least. This is proving to be a ...

... and members of their group are volunteers for the event. We are still feeling like observers, slightly overwhelmed by the event. We attended an excellent seminar on firefighting and hands-on demonstration of how to use fire extinguishers to fight the different types of fires common to RVs presented by Mac McCoy. The presenters are very experienced and knowledgeable in their field and are known to and well respected by those attending the lectures.

... of coaches on an unused airport runway but it shouldn't be too bad as they provide a shuttle bus from the parking area to the exhibits and presentation buildings. One person told Don that the number of participants is dramatically down from last year. This is probably due to a combination of economic and weather factors. If this is a regional rally, I can hardly imagine the size of the national rally later in the year.

... lunch and supper. I continued East and South on Highway 19 and just as the sun started to go below the horizon I arrived at Wickee Wachee and spent the night at a Comfort Inn. Even though the sun was out all day, it remained cool and windy so I kept my electric vest on all day. The forecast is for higher temperatures over the next few days. I can only hope. Distance Travelled: 346 Miles ( 554 Km)

... soaking the people at the front of the auditorium. However all the animals do look as if they are having fun and the trainers are obviously passionate about them, so you don't feel like the displays are bad things. They are certainly amazing to see. We went onto the shark encounter where they have the worlds longest acrylic tunnel with a moving walkway that transports you through the tank with vicious looking sharks and eels on all sides of you. Its ...

... the most natural waterways we had ever seen. We saw quaint fishing camps only accessible by boats, fed the birds pretzels, saw a bald eagle in the wild, spotted rare birds, viewed the springs and fish from her glass bottom, and learned the history of the area from her photographs. Collin loved the bald eagles the best and Keegan the panthers (our FL state animal)! GOD MOMENT-As we were hooking our car back up at ...