Happy Valentines Day

Hi All,

It is fun to find just the right Valentine card and later discover that we both picked out the same card.

Happy Valentines Day to all our family and friends.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Great Day with the Greenbaums

Hi All,

We spent a wonderful day with Tara, Scott, Wyatt and Garrett on Saturday. We had a delicious lunch at a Ponte Vedra restaurant along the intercostal waterway then walked a mile along the ocean beach. The boys didn't find any interesting shells but Wyatt was thrilled by the find of a package of fishing lures. 

Back at their house we played games before dinner and our drive back to the forest. 

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Photo Shoot on the Beach

Watching the Space Station

Hi,

Carl had occasionally read about how the International Space Station was visible in the early morning or evening sky. This happens when it is dark on the earth's surface but the very large space station is still in sunlight about 240 miles up in orbit. 

With the help of the web site "Heavens Above", Carl found the time and direction of the next bright pass. Sure enough, at 7:43 PM last night, the bright sight of the space station arced across the evening sky, racing past the background stars. Really neat.

If anyone is interested in watching the International Space Station or any of several other large satellites, check out www.heavens-above.com. You can enter your observing location and display a table of times and directions for the passes in the next few days. If you want to pick a bright pass, remember that the magnitude scale is reversed; negative numbers are the brightest

Enjoy,

Love
Sandy & Carl

Great Day and a Great Dinner

Hi All,

We spent another wonderful day with the Campbell's. They then joined us for  grilled steelhead trout dinner at Shanty Pond.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Another Glorious Day

Hi All,

We had a wonderful day today in spite of the Super Bowl outcome. Jim and Evalyn are down from Jacksonville and we drove around the forest with them and hiked the Lake Eaton Sinkhole Trail. The late afternoon sky was very dramatic and at 5 PM it was still over 80 degrees.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Down in the Sinkhole

More red lichen, a sign of clean air

Backlit Clouds

Emeralda Conservation Area

Hi All,

Emeralda Conservation Area is about 40 miles south of Salt Springs. The birding was excellent as we hiked 4 miles along the top of the dike. Lots of raptors including bald eagles, red tailed and red shouldered hawks and osprey. We also heard a barred owl calling. One of the highlights was a flock of cedar waxwings. On the way into the area we passed an alligator sunning himself down in the Ditch. 

On the way back out of the area, we found that the alligator had climbed up on to the road. 

Since the only alternate route would be about 6 miles and we could stay on the other side of the road about 8 feet from the gator, we decided to calmly walk past. He watched us but did not move.

Love 
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Davenport Landing

Hi All,

We got a late start today, not surprising given that we got home at 1:30 AM.

Once we got moving, we drove up to Davenport Landing, a hiking trail and small campground (3 primitive sites) along the Ocklawaha River. There is also an Indian burial mound and interpretive signs describe Indian settlement 12,000 years ago when they hunted the long since extinct, 
Mastodon. 

A delightful exploration that will give us more information to share with visitors.

Love
Sandy & Carl

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Along the Ocklawaha River

Old Retaining Wall