Places Visited:
Florida: Port St. Joe, Apalachicola, St George Island, St Andrews SP,
Panama City Beach

Saturday, February 23, 2002
Presnell's Marina & RV-Park: Port St. Joe, Florida: Site #4

Pat fixed brunch for us at their place (Pat's a cooking woman) then we
headed to Apalachicola in Louie's Yukon UAV (Urban Assault Vehicle).
It sure rides nice and is big enough to play chicken with an
18-wheeler. I think Pat & Louie must have sold several of their
rental properties recently. (VBG Very Big Grin) In Apalachicola Louie
stopped to let the ladies out to do some serious shopping (read that
damage to the plastic). Our plan is to meet back up with them in 3 to
4 hours. Louie and I take off to some of the local marinas where we
survey the activity and types of vessels in each. Behind one of the
marinas is a gigantic modern day midden (shell pile). Two shell piles
one composed of oyster shells the other of scallop shells cover
several acres to a depth of over 10-feet. Dump trucks, from local
seafood houses, bring loads of shells here. Front-end loaders move
the shells from there to a barge that transports them back to nourish
oyster beds in Apalachicola Bay.

Those of you not familiar with oysters may not realize the
importance
of returning old shells to the water. Oysters are shellfish that live
in shallow estuaries. Adults are immobile. Fertilized oyster eggs
are called spat. Spat drift with the current until they find
something hard where they attach, once attached they are attached for
life. Those little spats that do not find a hard surface to attach to
before currents sweep them out of the estuary never grow up to be
oysters. Therefore, oyster shells are returned to the reef areas
where they become the hard surface where spat can attach. Oyster spat
are not so particular that they will not attach themselves to scallop
shells so the scallop shells are included with the mix of shells being
returned to the reef. Oysters do not grow just anywhere. They must
have the proper mix of fresh and salt water, too much of either and
they die. Oysters are filter feeders so not only does the salt/fresh
water mix have to be within certain limits tidal action must also
deliver nutrient rich currents. Where these conditions are met is
where shells are returned to the water to make "reefs". In this way
oyster production is considerably increased.

After the shopping spree had subsided Louie drove us to St. George
Island where we watched a great horned owl and a family of bald
eagles. Then we returned to Apalachicola where Louie took us to the
Bay City Marina and restaurant where we dined. The food was good and
we enjoyed it but the alligator skin on the wall was totally awesome.
This 14-foot gator is or was the longest in the state at the time he
was killed. This gators end came when he decided to take up residence
at the marina. Can you imagine a 14-foot alligator sitting under the
fish-cleaning table just a few yards from the boat launch? The end
came around midnight when several of the state's nuisance gator
hunters showed up and harpooned him then dispatched him with a shotgun
shell to the brain. Smaller gators would be captured and moved. This
gator was so large the trappers did not want to chance a "Steve Erwin"
experience. Although this gator was 14' long he only weighed around
750 pounds. A shorter gator killed in another part of the state
weighed over 1,000-pounds. So this gator is the longest but not the
heaviest. If you want to see this totally awesome gator it is
displayed in the tackle store at the Bay City Marina. The mount is
like the ones you see of rattle snakes with just the head and hide.

All this fun had to come to an end. We said our good buys and
promised to do this all again in the summer.

Tomorrow we will have fun with Det & Judy.

Sunday, February 24, 2002
Presnell's Marina & RV-Park: Port St. Joe, Florida: Site #4

Det & Judy arrived at our motorhome around 10:00 and we headed
off on
our adventure. We passed by the Raw Bar on SR-30A on our way
to
Apalachicola. Judy wanted to see alligators while Det wanted to see
"the real Florida". I took them to Bay City Marina to see the large
gator mount and the wild Florida surrounding the marina. In
Apalachicola we rode around looking at old Victorian homes build
around the turn of the century. Next we climbed the shell mounds
behind the marina looking for unique shells. After eating lunch at
the famous Gibson Inn we drove to St. George Island and toured the
State Park before heading back to walk on the beach and collect
seashells at Indian Pass. What a wonderful day with wonderful
friends.

Monday, February 25, 2002
St. Andrews State Park: Panama City Beach, Fl. Site # 106

Det & Judy stopped by to see us on their way to Grayton Beach, SP.
Shortly after they departed we were on our way to St. Andrews SP in
Panama City. It was 56-miles from Presnell's in Port St. Joe to St.
Andrews SP in Panama City while Det and Judy traveled about 25- miles
farther to reach Grayton Beach SP. Both State Parks are located on
the Gulf of Mexico and offer fabulous camping facilities with the
world's most beautiful beaches.

At St. Andrews SP we walked down to Gator Lake. It is interesting to
witness the symbiotic relationship that the lake's gators have with
nesting herons on the island in the lake. The small island only has a
limited number of very small trees. The trees are loaded to capacity
with heron and egret nests. Raccoons eat bird eggs but on the island
in this lake the nests are safe from raccoons. Since to get to the
island raccoons have to swim across Gator Lake. The herons & egrets
know that their nests are protected from the predation of raccoons. We
could see 6-foot gators slowly cruising around the island. Any
raccoon attempting to get a meal of heron eggs will himself become
gator bait. If a small heron or egret falls from the nest they become
gator chow also.

Joyce and I experienced another afternoon dancing with the
snowbirds
at Chubby's. Like other times when we have visited Chubby's we
met
another wonderful couple, Dean & Judi Waller from Nashville,
Illinois.
They have been spending the winter in Panama City for the past
8-years. Snowbirds are preparing to return to their northern haunts.
Most want to vacate the beach area before spring breakers arrive.
Michigan college kids are already on the beach with more scheduled in
March.

We spent the evening hours with Mike's parents who live in Panama
City.

Tuesday, February 26, 2002
St. Andrews State Park: Panama City Beach, Fl. Site # 106

We wake to a nasty weather report. National Weather Service is
forecasting a low of 30 tonight with a high on Wednesday of only 46
then a low Wednesday night of 16. What are we doing in this area? We
were wearing shorts yesterday.

A warm moist breeze blew off the Gulf all morning then abruptly the
front went through and howling winds came out of the northwest. The
temperature started a precipitous drop. I filled the TREKS water tank
and put my hose up. I do not want to play with a frozen water hose
when we pack out of here in the morning.

Joyce and I went back to Chubby's this afternoon and sat with Dean &
Judi again. We had a wonderful time with them today as well as
yesterday. We made plans to get together again next year. After
dancing from 3:00 until after 5:00 we headed to Mike's parents house
for dinner and family fun.

Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Home in Pensacola, Florida

When we got up is was COLD very COLD. We drove the 98-miles
to our
home in Pensacola. For those of you who are interested we are
expecting twin baby BOYS in mid-July. They will not be identical
twins but both will be fishermen. VBG.

Total miles on TREK = 1,319. Saturn miles = 1,850 for the 47 days we
were gone.

That is all until we head out again in a few weeks. Now it is time to
jump on that 1040 document for the IRS.

See ya, mike

Mike & Joyce Hendrix