Camping etc...

Jim and his best bud Michael have been camping at Juniper Springs in the Ocala National Forest for at least eight years. They enjoy a "Two Guys" weekend and some of the stories they come up with about their adventures are worthy of a book. I would like for them to write a book but so far it hasn't happened. So with the turn of seasons (although it is hard to tell that in Florida) and a little bit of cool in the air a camping trip was planned. See the guys only camp in the cooler months because Florida heat is so oppressive. The difference? Last week I got to go for the first time. No, I didn't horn in on the guy time, Jim and I went up a day early, set up camp and enjoyed the balance of that day and night and part of the next day then I left and later Michael came to camp. I spent the balance of the day shopping my way home. Then Michael stayed two nights and days and I came back to camp. Then Jim and I spent the night and came home the next day. Sounds complicated but it really wasn't. Juniper is absolutely beautiful. I had not been to Juniper since I was a kid and then I only remember going to swim for the day. Swimming is still allowed at the springs and there is also canoe rental available. There is a nice board walk for a short hike and springs, springs, springs. The water bubbling up leaves the bottom sand perfectly white and then the water contrast is perfectly blue. Hard to describe I just recommend you all take the time to visit. I took several pictures of the tree's reflections in the water. The time of day, weather and water conditions were perfect for reflection pictures.  I saw a fern just beginning to unfurl it's leaves and had never seen that early stage before, a cobweb glowing in the sunlight, and the sunlight filtering through the trees in the early morning was just spectacular.  I did get off the path (even though instructions said not to do that) and I have paid the price with red bug bites. Jim had a few because he picked up pine cones and straw for fire starter but I got the worst. We had a fabulous fire each night and I caught some good photos of the fire, however I will not post them because they are hard to see. Jim talks about the fire flames licking up as words and the sparks as after thoughts. There was lots of talking going on in that fire ring.

Now you all know the Ocala National Forest is home to lots of wildlife. There are signs all around not to feed the racoons and to be aware of bears. The rangers hand out flyers about keeping food locked away, out of your camp, how to dispose of garbage, and other ways to keep bears out of camp. So you can only imagine I was on hyper alert. The first night we were very peacefully sitting around the fire when I heard the big central camp garbage can being rattled. I assumed it was a human putting garbage in the bin but it just kept on rattling and rattling until I had spooked myself into thinking it was a bear and said so to Jim. He assured me it was not a bear because the garbage bins are secured with chains and slide doors and are virtually bear proof. Apparently, the human was having difficulty as well because he sure made a lot of noise but as it turned out Jim was right, it was only a human. We had just settled back into the peacefulness of the fire when the bushes to my left started to rustle pretty violently. I screamed and very loudly said, bear, go away bear (as though that were any protection). Jim calmed me down and said it was only racoons, although how he knew that without seeing them is beyond me, and said the bears would not come around our fire and since we had no food out they had no reason to approach. OK, whatever...I still was on bear alert. In the past Jim and Michael have seen and photographed bear and bear cubs out in the forest. Fortunately or unfortunately (the nature lover in me would love to see one, just not in my camp), on this trip we made it the whole time without seeing any bear. The racoons came back to visit a couple of times but never showed themselves.

We really did have a great time and I look forward to our next trip to Juniper. Click for additional photos