Technically speaking, a habitat is a living space that provides food, water, and shelter for an organism. Protection from predators. Space in which to reproduce and raise young. Places to find and store food. Available water.

It seems it was only a month or so ago that Alan and I were talking with Florida prairie biologists about their efforts to preserve the habitat of the endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. A week ago we found our focus redirected toward human habitat in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Continue reading →

We waved goodbye to Louisiana’s bayou country and our successful, albeit muggy, two-week Habitat for Humanity build. . . Continue reading →

When we made plans back in November to travel to Cajun country for the Habitat for Humanity build, we were determined to fit some Cajun music into the mix. Last night not only did we enjoy some of that music, but we also got to play along with it. Continue reading →

After spending a very long year and a half remodeling our house, we decided to put it on the market and take off for parts unknown in our travel trailer. During that time of renovation, Alan became a regular at Home Depot. By the time we finished he was on first name basis with many of the department managers. In fact, one week he put over 160 miles on the car in trips out to Home Depot and back. I began to kid Alan about his Home Depot dependency. Eventually I wrote a song about his “addiction” called Home Depot Anonymous. Continue reading →

I’m filing this in the “What Were We Thinking” category???

We’re so happy that free WiFi is readily available these days as we travel. On our trip to Canada three years ago we found advertised free WiFi everywhere but not in the U.S. Looks like we’re finally catching up with our northern neighbors, even using a free hot spot to draw in customers–like McDonalds. Yay McDonalds! We LOVE their coffee! Continue reading →

Lately our life seems to be much about energy and power– it’s source for our RV needs and for keeping us connected–12V, 110, 30 amp, 50 amp, computer, iPhone, hot spots, car chargers, radio antennas. You name it;  we’ve pondered it! Continue reading →

As we walk around the campground amidst the smoke of many campfires, I have been jokingly telling people that I’m the only camper I know who religiously checks NOAA weather before choosing a campsite. With my strong aversion to air pollution (chemical sensitivities and asthma-like reactions), we try to choose a site that is going to be upwind of the other campsites. An ill-placed campfire can turn me into a recluse really fast. Continue reading →

Every now and then one of us will give out with a big sigh and say (once again), “I love this trailer!” It’s so good that we’re both feeling at home in our home since it’s the only one we have:) Continue reading →

Our little house on the prairie

I didn’t even realize that Florida had prairies until we were looking for a park where we could spend some time before attending the Scamp Camp trailer rally near Sebring. In my research I came upon the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park (the park rangers like to emphasis the word preserve!) The Florida prairie is a rare and imperiled ecosystem, first established to save the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow from extinction which, in turn, led to a massive effort to rehabilitate a large expanse of prairie–54,000 acres of it.

Snapshot of a section of the endangered Florida Prairie

The park is remote, about halfway between Vero Beach and Sarasota, a few miles north of Lake Okeechobee, and miles from anything populated with people. The local joke is “when you finally get to the park in the middle of nowhere you still have 5 miles to go.”  At first I was a little chagrinned that I only had intermittent connectivity with my new iPhone Hotspot, but I finally decided that a time of respite in the woods was well worth the sacrifice of social interaction.

Enjoying some outdoor sewing on a picture perfect prairie day

Alan with his own brand of relaxation

The campsites are nestled in a natural (not man-created) prairie hammock filled with beautiful oak trees. Campsites are ample and widely spaced with a feeling of private space. We woke each morning to the sun rising over miles of prairie grass and saw palmetto.

On the weekends the park staff offers a buggy ride for $15–well worth it. Ranger Frank takes you out onto the prairie and explains the nature of the preserve and the work he and his fellow rangers do there as they labor to return the prairie to its original state.

A view of the prairie from Ranger Frank’s buggy

There’s also a free stargazing program on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday nights. Without the lights of nearby cities to dim the sky, the heavens are an awesome site. Optimum stargazing occurs when there’s a new moon.

Alan and I had been so insanely busy going and doing–packing up the trailer, trying to figure out where to store things in the trailer, then switching trailers, getting rid of more and more stuff–it was good to be mostly disconnected from the world for a few days. And we thought it was high time we chase a little of the real kind of music again!

Daisy encounters the call of the wild. . .

If I ever had doubts about Daisy-dog taking to the nomad road, those doubts have been dispelled. The call of the wild has whispered in her ear and she’s listening intently. It began on our first daybreak walk at Tamoka State Park. . .

Just a few yards ahead of us on the dirt road where we walked, a white-tailed deer, a yearling, made a surprise appearance. He stopped, turned away from us waving his white-flag tail and was gone as quickly as he had appeared. And so was Daisy.  Ten minutes later she emerged from the scrub woods, her tongue hanging to the ground. Apparently she didn’t find “Flag” that day, but she’s been looking for him ever since. And that one event has forever shaped camp life for Daisy.

According to animal experts, every dog has a job. Daisy, who is half Australian shepherd and half Blue Heeler cattle dog, has the strong herding instinct of her breeds. She’s a Velcro-pooch, never far from my feet: room-by-room, minute-by-minute, footstep-by-footstep she’s. . . THERE! Staring holes in me awaiting herding instructions. She sleeps with one eye open and, although she always lets me know when someone is approaching, watchdogging has never been her profession. Her heart just isn’t in it. Her eyes have always been on me, rather than on the door.

All that has changed since our adventure in the woods with Flag. In her new occupation, in her new life as a full time liveaboard, Daisy has taken up a post, tethered right outside the front door (many feet away from me). . . she’s waiting. . . for Flag or Bambi. . .or Yogi Bear or Alvin. . .any woodsy critter that might happen by. Daisy seems to be morphing into a new breed of dog–a herding watchdog perhaps?

Who says an old dog can’t learn new tricks?