Cows, Sand Cranes, Horseshoes and Alligators: Florida Camping

Life in Florida during the winter months is pretty amazing. While the rest of the country is suffering from below zero temperatures, those of us in Florida are complaining that it is too cold to swim in the pool when it is 60 degrees. What can I say; I've gotten a little spoiled down here. My days usually begin later than when I worked full-time, say around 9am with a cup of coffee and my morning prayers. The view through my front windshield (let's call it the living room) is of the neighbor's cows. Their gentle mooing creates a comforting background to my morning routine. Since I've been trying to eat more healthy foods, I cook my breakfasts (eggs, veggies, and meat in some form).

After breakfast, I work on some Young Living essential oil tasks, do some housekeeping chores or maintenance jobs on the RV. My afternoon companions are a couple of sand cranes who live in the pond to the right of my RV. They like to stop by each day and yell at me. My neighbors tell me that the former occupants of my site used to feed them. Oh well, this year they have to learn to eat natural foods, just like me. Now, I have to confess, I don't work every day. Being so close to Disney World means that at least 3x a week, I head up to the parks to play. As a Florida resident, I was able to buy an annual pass. I will share more Disney stories in another blog post.

As the day winds down, I make a good healthy dinner and listen to the sound of horseshoes hitting the posts and the men cheering each other on to victory as I eat. The horseshoe field and the shuffleboard courts are to the left of my RV and down the hill. It is fun to listen to others playing the games they love and enjoying each others' company. After dinner, I join some of the other residents for dominoes, card games, Pokeno or cribbage depending on the night. Having grown up in a family that loves to play games, I adore this. As a single woman, over the years I missed being able to play cards and other games with family and friends.

So, now I bet you are wondering about the alligators. Yes, with several ponds (lakes) in the RV park (campground) we do have a few alligators who like to wander back and forth between the different lakes. As a matter of fact, the park has set up chairs so that the residents can sit by the water, at a safe distance, and watch them. It was reassuring to hear, that this past summer, the three largest alligators were relocated when they got a little too curious about some of the local pets.  Well, that's it for now. It's time for me to head out to win big money - yup I think tonight's jackpot might be $4.50.