Tin Can Tourists....

Don't you just love that term for rv'ers? I saw it in the Tampa Tribune today as we read over coffee and cokes in McDonald's, reading newspapers left by others, on a rainy afternoon. We felt guilty sitting there, watching the rain, then had to laugh that many others, with gray hair too, were doing the same thing!

We've been walking the dogs around the fenced outer perimeter of the rv park several times a day for their doo-doo run, and Jim noted the sandy piles pushed up against the fence with big holes that looked like dens. He said they looked like gopher tortoise burrows. Lo' and behold we saw one, about 10 inches in diameter, up close and personal. Jake was totally intrigued and the tortoise made his way to the black hole of his home, and slid on in, leaving us (his personal nightmare) behind. We saw a much smaller one down the row of pushed up sand. I think we counted 8 or 9 burrows today, with 4 or 5 of them being actively used.
Gopher Tortoise are the only native tortoise to the United States. They're found in the southeastern states; in north and central Florida, where there is dry, deep, sandy soil. They dig burrows up to 30 feet long, and 12 feet deep. These burrows become a haven for many other animals too. Raccoons raid the burrows for the ping pong sized eggs of the tortoise. The tortoise can have a diameter up to a foot, and weigh as much as 29 pounds! They eat grass and weeds, and have front legs that are strong, shovel-like, and perfect for digging. It's been fun to see them on our dog walks.
The squirrels chase each other round and round the base of the live oak, and acorns plunk on the rv roof. Bright red cardinals and doves grace us with their beauty. It's nice here in the very back row, and we're so happy we were able to move off the busy road with no shade, or nature near us.

Yesterday, we spent the day at Lazy Days, one of the largest RV dealers in the nation, for necessary rv repair work. The front two hydraulic jacks were leaking, and they replaced the solenoids. Our Hoosier Winnebago pals were there, and we all shared the free lunch that Lazy Days gives daily, five days a week. Jim even attended a free seminar on Cummins engines. The dogs and I sat (me on a lawn chair and they on cushy St. Augustine grass) under a shady live oak tree in the parking lot with a blue sky above, waving to all the rv'ers coming in and out. I would never do this in Indiana!!