29th State, 2nd paddle: Florida (Dec. 19, 2010)

Cedar Key, West Coast of Florida.  From their website: As you leave the Florida mainland, rich Gulf waters reflecting blue skies beckon you as birds float like petals over the marsh vista. Welcome to our island, a place where time stands still and allows you to enjoy the unique qualities of our coastal environment. Cedar Key is a quiet island community nestled among many tiny keys on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Long admired for its natural beauty and abundant supply of seafood, it is a tranquil village, rich with the almost forgotten history of old Florida.

Gary stopped by on his way from Washington state to see his mother in Florida and we kayaked together, again.  We have paddled together a few times in Washington state, and darned if he didn’t go and get himself a girlfriend.

Our twin vans… his on the left, mine on the right.

He built the kayak himself… it’s a pontoon. He paddles sitting like this, or kneeling, or standing up.

Gary paddling standing on his pontoon kayak.  We paddled across to that white beach and took a break to stretch our legs (although I guess Gary really didn’t need to).

Photo by Gary

So what was your first clue that it was cold in Florida? Photos by Gary.

We parked our twin vans with side doors facing each other and it made a perfect shelter from the wind and cold.  Gary sets up his cooking right on top of his kayak… and has all his gear in a rubbermaid tub.  Real neat.

Another great paddle with Gary.

Florida-First Paddle      Florida-Third Paddle

December 13, 2010 to April 2011

I spent the winter in Florida with my sister and her family. Very nice to be with family. This is the longest period of time we have been together since we were teenagers.  We joked about both of us having to go on tranquilizers in order to have this visit.  No joke, really.

Judy and I went through our mom's receipt box... making her holiday cookies, and hanging family heirloom ornaments on the tree. I scanned all the receipts.  Fun fun fun.

Now May 25, 2011… and I never finished that post.  I had trouble concentrating at my sisters.  Sometimes being with others seems to sap the life out of me… and I become so involved in their lives, I loose myself.  Parts of our visit were very very good.  Other parts, no so much.   I was able to review all the family photos, make some very good scans, sort them, obtain some original duplicates for myself, do the receipt scan above, do some genealogy on my sister’s family (half sisters) for her….  I tried to help her any any way I could… but generally that didn’t work out too well.

 

I was able to save some money and get my trailer repaired and upgraded.  My sister gave me a garage to unload stuff in and I was able to sort and downsize a lot more.  I gave her some family heirlooms instead of dragging them all over the country.  Got to spend time with her and two of her kids over the holidays.  Got to see another one of her boys (Freeland and Associates) who drove down from Indiana to work on her rental trailer, installing cabinets.  While in camp Judith…. I experimented with my t.v. antenna to so if I could get a better signal.  Worked pretty good, but need a better system.

And, best of all, got to have two kayaking paddles with Gary from Washington state.   We kayaked around the Cedar Key area, and also at http://floridastateparks.org/ichetuckneesprings/default.cfm  Ichetucknee Springs.

But, in the end, I think the visit to Florida and time spent with my family, was time well-spent, in spite of the health risks to me.  I left some heirlooms behind with my sister.  The photo is one of me… our mother’s favorite photo… and one that our grandmother, as a professional photo retoucher, worked on.  I had it framed for my granddaughter’s birthday the year she wanted to be a cowgirl for Halloween.   The angel was made by our grandmother… a cloth Mache’ … doll on a ceramic cone.  I bought a very nice glass case for my sister to keep this in… to keep it dust free.  It should be considered an heirloom… and I hope one day it passes to someone who will appreciate it as much as I have.   The lid in the frame was a winter scene painted on a ceramic lid… by our grandmother.  The Hummel figurines were also painted by our grandmother and I passed them on to my niece.   Our grandmother was one extremely talented lady and was appreciated and loved by everyone who knew her.

WE love you and miss you Grandma!

I can’t believe how far behind I am in my blog entries.

Hypoallergenic Vandwellers–subgroup forming.

(my pets must be able to breath underwater)

I’ve decided to post this to my blog… because it is very important to me.  After suffering for years and years with repeated bouts of bronchitis I have learned there are limits to what I can be exposed to if I wish to remain healthy.  Any airborne particles can cause me breathing issues.  I am under the care of a doctor and on meds that seem to keep things at a more even balance, finally, and since becoming a full-time Vandweller, I have avoided getting bronchitis again.  I have this fear/feeling that if I get it again, I will die.

   

SO, to those of you NOT camping with animals, my thoughts originally were to find people I could enjoy camping near without troubling myself or others with my health/lung issues. I thought if I could find a few, and we decided to gather... we could do so some walking distance away from the "animal" camp... and therefore be able to walk there and visit outside for a short time, or others could leave their animals home and come join us for a quick campfire or a meal.

I realized after camping with a couple of people/pet pairs... last year... that that was a doable situation and for weeks at a time with them, I never got sick. The pets pretty much stayed in their camps and even when we were all together, there was plenty of fresh air and I had no breathing issue. And I might add they were both short haired dogs which could have made a difference. I love animals so much and I can't be around them with out interacting and petting them, but I am always careful to go wash my hands afterwards and I try to keep them off my clothing. They didn't seem to have any problem learning their boundaries... that they could play with me, be petted by me, but could not jump up on me on my clothing. It was a very comfortable camp situation and one I will cherish for a long time.

  

My education continued with camping in other locations with larger groups of people and more pets. I did not faire as well in the more populous setting for a number of reasons and know I will avoid those situations in the future. When weather is bad and folks take to visiting inside... I shouldn't go in but have in the past. I won't in the future... and so found myself being/feeling left out, or at risk health wise. I took the risk last year due to my very strong desire to socialize and be with my "chosen" family. I really really HATE being left out of the fun. It's really unfair... but no one's fault and something I will have to learn to accept.

So, for me it will be easier to stay far away from large groups so I don't even know when people are gathering, laughing, having fun, etc. That way I won't know when I'm missing out on something. Last year when I tried that from a short distance, each time I heard laughter, I was drawn to it... only to realize awaiting me there would be furry critters... sometimes inside other's van homes. There really was never a happy solution to this dilemma.  Maybe I have to accept it as just something I cannot do in the future.

I know I am not the only vandweller out here with COPD/Asthma/allergy issues... so I'm still trying to identify you guys... so maybe we can gather in a satellite camp not far from the furry camp... and at least remain part of the tribe at arms length.

Again, this is no personal attack about anyone else... it's just explaining my history and planning for my future. I don't want to be totally alone all the time... that's not fair... but if I must, then I shall.

If any non-animal campers wish to write me, I welcome your email swankie.wheels@gmail.com.  Anyone in Florida this winter who might like to have a small gathering, let me know.   I will be meeting one Vandweller in January for kayaking.  Happy to also meet up with the “animal” folk as well as long as they understand, my health comes first with me.

unFurry Swankie