Retirement Ramblings: Lake Louisa, Day Two

After a leisurely morning and enjoying a nice cup of coffee and some cinnamon raison toast we set off on the first of two nice hikes. We circled around Hammond Lake and started around Dixie Lake. We were watching for wildlife, but there was not much in evidence other than a few vultures circling us. I know I am old, but I am not that old.

Dixie Lake

Hammond Lake

We did see a whole lot of what should be the official State Critter here in Florida. FIRE ANTS!!! God, they were everywhere. Saw some pretty big spiders, too. Sorry the pictures of them are poor. They were about the size of my little finger! Sure made me happy to NOT be camping in a tent.

The shorter legged among us started to balk. Barbara and Nia (who has the shortest legs but four of them) continued on around Dixie while Jocelyn and I returned to get the car and meet Barbara at the canoe launching area.

While Barbara and Nia got at least three miles in, Jocelyn and I got a little over two miles. Poor Nia was so pooped she needed help up the steps into the motorhome.

Yep, there is an App for that.

While the girls rested I decided to try the honey wagon. I got it out of the storage compartment, hooked it up, and then carefully opened the grey water discharge valve. No leaks! I got most of the water out of the tank without filling the tote completely, and then stowed the hose. Still no leaks and no mess! It was a couple hundred-yard pull to the dump station and I felt like a little kid pulling my wagon. Only in this case the wagon weighed in at about 150 pounds. This model of tote can be pulled slowly with the car, but it would require adding the hitch and ball to the car and I did not want to bother. If it were a longer haul I would have considered it.

Once at the dump station I extended the discharge hose and gravity did the rest. It worked pretty well, but I could see that a 90-degree fitting would be handy for the end of the hose to allow it to mate better with the sewer opening. As it was there was a little leaking as I held the hose end near, but not in, the opening.

After lunch we headed over to the beach at Lake Louisa to hike the nature trail. It was another nice walk, but there was not much nature to observe. We did come across a fitness trail, though. At one station the idea was to hop over some elevated boards. Jocelyn was hopping onto the boards, so Barbara stepped in to show her how it is done.