Gators and spiders and snakes, OH MY!

Good morning!

We rolled into South Carolina on Thursday afternoon, a day earlier than planned. Remember I was telling you there was snow coming? We later heard that our campground actually got close to 6 inches of snow. Thank goodness we got out when we did, we would have been stuck there for a week! Well, it was a monsoon at our campground when we arrived in South Carolina. Almost every site was flooded to some degree. There were rivers running down the narrow roads between sites. We awoke on Friday to full sun, but it was very chilly. By the time we left on Sunday morning, there were still puddles around, and lots of mud.

Friday morning we met a very nice couple from western South Carolina named Johnie & Ginger. They invited us to a campfire at their site that evening, and we were as excited as two kids promised a trip to Disney Land would be. This was our first chance to get to talk to some locals, and Johnie seemed like he was going to be a lot of fun. And boy, he did not disappoint!

By now, you may have noticed I am keeping track of things I am learning. I jot them down in my little notebook, and when I sit down to write to you, I pull it out. SO... Here are some important things I learned while we enjoyed a rousing campfire on Friday night...

1. Petrified Pines... Johnie, a real hands-on southerner, was prepping his fire during the day and called Mike over. He explained to Mike that there are petrified pine trees fallen all around us here in the south. He showed mike the telltale signs of a good piece, showed him how to pull off the rotted wood on the outside, and let him soak in scent of a good piece. Apparently, you can shave off pieces to make kindling, or just throw a piece right into the fire. It catches fire quickly, and burns very hot (I witnessed this first hand when it was fire time). Mike will be looking for some petrified wood for our own fire, as soon as we are somewhere where we can have one.

2. Don't mess with the furry fern! We were warned that as we went exploring the National Forrest in Florida where we were headed next that we were going to see some wild things. Most important were the ferns. Johnie explained they looked like our ferns up north, but they look furry, little hairs on the stems and leaves. Those plants are sumac, not ferns. Don't touch them or burn them, just like the poison ivy at home. We arrived in Florida yesterday afternoon... so far, no furry ferns.

3. Gators and spiders and snakes, OH MY! Johnie told us it was like the Wizard of Oz, but instead of "Lions and Tigers and Bears (oh my)", the woods in Florida are filled with Alligators (which by the way can run up to 25 miles per hour), snakes (pythons, boa constrictors, and rattlesnakes), and spiders (as big as a Burger King Whopper). We were warned: don't go wading through the water when you're hot, the gators 'll getcha. Look under your camper before you stick your hand under there for anything, the snakes like to take in the camper's heat if it's cold out, or the shade if it's hot out. And the last warning came from Ginger, who was very quiet most of the night... Watch out for the spitting and hissing spiders (!!!! what!??? !!!!). Yes, she said they hiss. They generally aren't poisonous, but they are scary.

4. Squirrels are better grilled if you par boil them first... Yeah, i know, YUCK! This Johnie was quite the character. They don't purchase any meat at home, he hunts it all. He shoots the deer that cross through his land. He "sticks" the wild boar when he finds one. He explained how a gator tail is delicious, if you know how to cook it right, and a squirrel needs to be par boiled before you grill it. As nice as they were, I don't think we'll be going to their house for dinner any time soon!!!

We are now in Florida. We scooted here a day early to take advantage of today's weather forecast - 77 and sunny! Tomorrow it it predicted to still be warm, but mostly cloudy and rain. Wednesday, New England will have caught up with us again and most of Florida will be in the mid-50s for the rest of the week. I have several more things to tell you about, but I will break them into another post or two, hopefully later today or tomorrow. I need to get outside and soak up that SUN!!

Oh, and I don't want to leave you hanging, don't be concerned (yet).. we have seen no furry ferns, no alligators, snakes, or spiders of any kind since we arrived in Florida. We are all safe, and Mike has his machete out and ready, just in case.

Stay tuned friends! Until next time....