Hi All,
In case you thought we were the only Jewish RVers, here's the group shot from the Shalom Roamers Winter 2014 rally.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Shalom Roamers
Love,
Sandy & Carl
A Merry Christmas
Hi All,
We spent a wonderful Xmas day with the kids.
Here are Garrett & Wyatt at their gaming stations wearing their new gaming headsets. Wyatt is playing his new ukulele. He is quite good.
Wyatt has a lot of Air-Soft tactical gear including a new grenade!
Here Scott is adjusting the fit of the helmet and face mask.
Yummy dinner
The Florida Greenbaums wore matching pajamas. Tara promised to get us some for next year.
We also got this very special Hanukkah card.
Winter in Arizona was nice but this is much better.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
A Few Days Away
Hi All,
We took the coach to Sarasota last Thursday to participate in the Shalom Roamers Rally. This is a chapter of Jewish RVers on the East Coast.
We met up with some familiar couples and made some new friends. As is typical of a Jewish gathering there was a lot of eating, drinking and "shmoozing".
We especially enjoyed gathering together to light our Hannukah candles together.
Four days was just about right and we returned to Jacksonville on Monday. That evening we celebrated Wyatt's 13th birthday at a local restaurant. (Shame on Carl for not getting a photo of the new teenager).
Tuesday we enjoyed the full menorah at the conclusion of Hannukah.
We will spend Christmas with Tara, Scott and the boys.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Okefenokee Nostalgia Trip
Hi All,
This afternoon we drove up to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. We had read about a Chesser Homestead Christmas celebration and thought it might be neat to visit the site of our first volunteer gig.
There were very few familiar faces but it was nostalgic to tour the wildlife drive, visit the Homestead where Carl gave tours for three winters and walk the boardwalk to the observation tower.
The old wooden Boardwalk we knew was destroyed in a fire and replaced.
From the top of the tower, the sun cast our shadows on to the Spanish Moss.
Walking back we saw a beautiful sunset.
The path to the homestead was illuminated with candles.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Friday, December 12, 2014
Helping Make a Difference
Hi All,
Our Volunteer Resumes include the objective of "Enhancing the visitor experience at the park where volunteer.
We have been delighted and a bit surprised that the folks here at Fort Caroline are so receptive to the programs and materials we have suggested.
Sandy has created an interactive program for the fourth graders who visit. Here's a sample of the program.
When she did it the first time, the teachers were very complimentary.
Carl has been busy in Photoshop, creating posters and ID guides like this
for the park's natural history programs. The Rangers have been very complimentary. It is very rewarding to contribute to the park programs.
Love,
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
A Wonderful Day
Hi All,
This morning we drove to Kingsley Plantation to hike four miles around Fort George Island with Nell & Lois, two volunteers at the Plantation. It was a delightful hike with two delightful new friends.
We all then drove to Singletons, a Mayport, FL seafood landmark where we met our dear friend Evalyn Campbell. The five of us had a great lunch.
After lunch we joined Evalyn on a tour of the Jacksonville Zoo. Evalyn, who has been here dozens of times, led us through the zoo highlights.
Here's a Giraffe being fed wax myrtle
The new Tiger Exhibit was fantastic.
with lots of opportunities to see the five Tigers.
The jaguar exhibit is built to look like a Mayan Ruin
with pools for the thirsty cats.
For you reptile fans, here's a Bushmaster.
This critter looks intimidating but it is a Giant Anteater.
The winner of the showy fur contest is this Colobus Monkey.
We are so lucky to have so many friends and so many wonderful things to see.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Friday, December 5, 2014
Kingsley Plantation
Hi All,
Another section of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve is the Kingsley Plantation across the St Johns River on Fort George Island.
The main house was built by Revolutionary War veteran John McQueen in 1793. The plantation saw numerous owners through 1923. It is remembered as the Kingsley Plantation because Zephaniah and Anna Kingsley were by far the most interesting residents.
The main house
faces the Fort George River
and includes an ornate staircase built by the final occupant, John Rollins.
The kitchen was in a separate building behind the main house.
The stable and workshop were nearby.
Slave quarters were about 200 yards further from the river. These 25 structures are the largest collection of surviving slave quarters in America.
They are arranged in an arc, similar to the West African villages, where many of the slaves came from.
Oyster shell are the main component in "Tabby" construction.
Anna Kingsley was one of Zephaniah's slaves. When she turned 18, he freed her and married her. For many years she managed the plantation while Zephaniah traveled to manage others of his plantations.
After Spain ceded Florida to the U.S. In 1821, restrictive US laws regarding free blacks caused the Kingsley's to ultimately sell the plantation and move to Haiti.
A fascinating story and a fascinating place.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Theodore Roosevelt Area
Hi All,
Another part of the Timucuan Preserve is the 600 acre Theodore Roosevelt Area, adjacent to Fort Caroline. Willie Brown lived here all his life and refused multi million dollar offers from developers. He wanted the area preserved and when he died the land was donated to the Nature Conservency and thereafter passed to the Park Service.
The area is criss-crossed with about five miles of hiking trails.
Here's the Round Marsh observation tower
with a great view of the marsh and many birds.
Willie, his brother and parents are buried here
not far from the site of Willie's cabin. Only the supports remain.
The Spearing family owned the property before the Browns and this Civil War veteran rests here as well.
So, what does Theodore Roosevelt have to do with this place? Willie Brown greatly admired TR for his conservation efforts an it was Willie's wish that the area be named to honor TR.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Visitor Center
Hi All,
We had our last training day, tomorrow we start for real. We thought you might enjoy a brief tour of our Visitor Center.
The Timucuan Preserve is about 46,000 acres, almost all wetlands.
One section of the VC illustrates the rich diversity of plants and animals in this estuary.
The Timucuan Indians lived here for thousands of years before the French arrived. This mural depicts a Timucuan village along the river.
This "Owl Totem" dates to around 1350 CE. It is the oldest surviving totem in North America.
In 1562, French captain Jean Ribault explored the coast from Canaveral to So. Carolina. He stopped at the mouth of the St Johns River and erected a monument.
French colonists arrived two years later as depicted in these engravings by Jacques Le Moyne.
The local Timucuan greeted the returning Frenchmen at the monument.
A triangular fort was built along the river.
Back in Spain, King Phillip II didn't like the French in his "New Spain" so he sent Captain Pedro Menendez pictured below, to get rid of them.
In 1565 Menendez wiped out the French colony and renamed the fort San Mateo.
Next week there will be a test ;-).
Next week there will be a test ;-).
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Fort Caroline
Hi All,
We have spent the past few days learning about Ft Caroline and the brief French settlement in Florida.
In 1964 the park service built a 1/4 scale replica of what the fort was believed to look like. Here is the entrance gate.
The ramparts overlooked the mouth of the St Johns River.
This canon guarded the entrance gate.
Today we got to witness a wonderful National Park outreach initiative. Using a "Skype" like application on an iPad, Ranger Katrina gave a classroom of students miles away a virtual tour of our Visitor Center
and then Ranger Craig(also our boss) demonstrated loading
and firing a matchlock musket.
Lest you think this place is all cultural history, this gopher tortoise crawled up in front of the VC.
To paraphrase Little Orphan Annie, "We think we're gonna like it here!"
Love.
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
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