Ordinary Times and Travels: Florida Off Road

March 5, 2017March 5, 2017 Shirleyjdietz1 Comment

I am blessed with an eclectic family, people that are willing to share their lives and experiences with each other. As a result, I have had an entertaining afternoon at River Ranch, Florida. It’s not really a town. It’s a community of people bonded by their attraction to off road vehicles and the camping lifestyle. Think classy redneck, lots of flags, dust, dirt, mud, throw in a few guns and lots of food, trailers and serious off road vehicles. That’s River Ranch.

In my family are men who do work with machines – clearing land, building structures, hauling stuff – and that is how they came upon River Ranch. Having done a lot of work there for others, my nephew now has his own campsite and comes up from the city to relax and have fun with his family. Early in the development of River Ranch people picked their campsites and claimed them much like the old-fashioned land rushes. My cousin had his site fenced off and outfitted with a well, outdoor showers and an upscale outhouse. The camp section is crisscrossed with sandy lanes and trails and covers a lot of territory. There are a few permanent residents but many are weekend regulars in RV’s and trailers that they park under shelters they have built.

For this outing our families had a sandwich making assembly line, packed a cooler of drinks and loaded up our vehicles. A few weeks ago a wildfire went through much of the camp area and destroyed a lot of property. We started our trek through this burn area. All the roads and paths are dirt and sand, and since there has not been much rain it is very dusty. That is why many of us had dust masks and head coverings. Our next stop was the “play pen” where our twelve year old guide showed us how to get down and dirty. We toured my nephew’s campsite and then headed out into 8 square miles of Florida wilderness. We had our picnic in an area called “the oaks” for a very obvious reason. We traveled on to the water hole and then back to our starting point. Come with me on a picture rendition of our 5 hour journey!

These were the multi-person vehicles that we used, along with several single person ATV’s. The small blue one was built by my nephew’s son – it didn’t go with us.

Our caravan starts out through the pine burn area.

Trey, our very own “Evil Kneival”, led the way all afternoon. They call this “sugar sand”. It is possible to get stuck in it, yes.

Sadly, fire travels swiftly through dry palmetto and underbrush. Many buildings and vehicles were destroyed but since it was during the week, few people were present.

We enter the “play pen” with Trey demonstrating how to play. Mud reigns. Some of these puddles are deeper than others.

He’s often on two wheels. His dad says he has never gone over, amazing. Funny thing, none of the rest of us did this.

The stunt man parks his four wheeler on a tree at “the oaks”. Picnic time.

A tasty lunch, a little tree climbing and swinging from ropes while we rested up for the rest of the trip. There were lots of families with kids out here and they all looked to be having fun. A little dirt doesn’t hurt anyone.

Trey, not quite sure of what to do with this bump in the road???

Actually, now we’re sure. We are going around this part of the trail.

Our guide opens the gate at the campsite. Shower stalls and the outhouse are prime features, along with a nice fire pit.

Many thanks to our host and hostess for an interesting afternoon “off the road” in Florida!

Atlantic Beach Sunset

ImageJuly 1, 2016July 1, 2016 Shirleyjdietz4 Comments

How To Make The Perfect Cup of Coffee

June 28, 2016 Shirleyjdietz1 Comment

I come from a long line of coffee lovers, but our numbers are diminishing. It seems like aging reduces one’s ability to tolerate the beverage. But for those of us who still enjoy it, this post will be entertaining and probably helpful in some way as we think about future cups of coffee we will savor…

At the barn…

June 13, 2016June 21, 2016 Shirleyjdietz2 Comments

The sky is getting dark. I expect an afternoon storm. The heat has been overwhelming and we could use some cooling down. Earlier I walked through the field looking for a fly mask one of the horses had lost. I found it but also found so many interesting plants that I could not stop photographing them.

I suppose they are actually weeds, because we would prefer to have grass growing there. But I had to appreciate them for what they are, beautifully and intricately designed. The field is a wild garden that is every bit as fascinating as the ones I’ve admired in people’s yards.

Be glad you can look at it vicariously, in pictures because, like I said, it was really hot out there. I’m glad for the breeze, the clouds, and the thunder. Just sayin’…

Walking in Unfamiliar Places

June 2, 2016June 2, 2016 Shirleyjdietz3 Comments

I’m house sitting in a new neighborhood which begs me to explore. I found some surprisingly remote, woodsy trails. However, the most magic was found looking up to the sky.

Changing every second, it was like watching a movie directed by God, starring his creation. Feeling full of the sight and connected to something someone powerful.

Saying Yes to Change

May 29, 2016 Shirleyjdietz10 Comments

If you’ve been asking God to direct you in changing some of your life circumstances, and then change is suddenly presented to you, you’d best not say “no”. I’m just being practical here.

I’m on an early morning drive with three hours to think. It’s a holiday weekend with a wedding to attend. I’m by myself, which was not the plan.

Change started a couple weeks ago when the husband did some work which hurt his back. It’s gotten worse to the point where he is staying home, using a walker, and asking me for help putting on socks and shoes and other bending over activities. He moves at snail pace, not a young vigorous snail either. Although he had planned to travel to this wedding, this morning it was deemed impossible to get in and out of the car without further harm. He stayed home. I wonder if this is the beginning of change for us and I want to say”no!”

Yesterday my daughter called and said that she had a client who was interested in taking my horse. I’ve considered selling him because I have so little opportunity to ride or care for him and I know he is a financial liability for my daughter. It needed to be decided quickly, so I said yes. The only horse I have ever owned has now left the herd. But I know that this makes a much easier situation for my daughter, especially should she ever decide to move.
I have no idea how these two things would work together to answer my recent prayers that we be brought together as a family. Perhaps they won’t. But I am certain that God can be trusted to hear and work out what is best for all of us. With a mixture of excitement, and concern as to what part I am to play, I am waiting for the next thing. I’m saying yes, even before I understand. Maybe that’s what trust is…, just sayin’.

The Fun of #AtoZChallenge

April 7, 2016 Shirleyjdietz7 Comments

My post on figs triggered a memory in one reader – a restaurant under a fig tree in Portugal! They actually have to warn patrons about the falling figs, and I would suppose if one falls on you it would be yours to eat. They look delicious as you can see in the tiny picture, bottom right. I Just have to Say

Thank you Joy! You are a delightful, interactive reader. Just sayin’…

As you may have noticed by now, this alphabet challenge is about a lot more than the alphabet, a lot more than practicing our writing, a lot more than seeing if we can post something consistently for a month. If you will treat it as such, it’s like a month long party with chances to meet and get to know a very eclectic bunch of people. And you can go in your pajamas… How sweet. I hope everyone is enjoying the interaction. I sure am.

#atozchallenge: I’m Going Bananas

April 2, 2016April 2, 2016 Shirleyjdietz21 Comments

These yellow fruits grow in my yard, the oneacrewoods, because we have a subtropical climate. They do not like cold weather though, and sometimes a freeze does them in completely. The plants pop up from rhizomes (called a corm) in the ground. Certain types of shoots will produce fruit and others won’t. They need a good gardener. They also need a lot of regular watering and lots of feeding. They are hungry and fast growing.

They have a big heavy flower stalk on which the fruit forms. If growing conditions are right, the cluster of bananas can be huge. This cluster had so many that we could not eat them all and had to freeze a lot for banana bread later. The cluster can be picked when the fruit is still green and the ripening is gradual – you can kind of see that in the picture below. Freeze your bananas without the peel in a zip lock bag. It’s handy if you put the amount called for in the recipe in one bag. If you click on the link above you’ll find a recipe for one of my favorites. I like the bread to be very moist but also done all the way to the center, so be sure to bake it the full amount of time and test the center with a toothpick.

The ones at the top ripen first. Clusters are attached in circles on the stem. Isn’t this an interesting arrangement?

I love growing bananas because the flavor is markedly better than the average commercial banana. That being said, I like any banana I can get (except the black ones). Bananas are nutrient dense and about 110 calories for an average sized fruit. They are known for being a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamins B6 and C and manganese. They have wonderful texture (great for baby’s first solid food), and they come packaged so conveniently. Don’t let anyone tell you a bad thing about bananas.

#atozchallenge: Avocado

April 1, 2016April 1, 2016 Shirleyjdietz28 Comments

I can remember a time when I thought avocado was a color, but I didn’t know why it was called that (I bought sink mats and a dish drain in avocado green). Times have changed so much that even if a person lives in a cold climate they probably have a grocery store that supplies them with avocados. Otherwise, I assure you, there would not be a Mexican restaurant (guacamole) in Hayward, Wisconsin.

Avocados grow on trees, big ones. You get a clue about this when you find a big, big seed inside your avocado. A common science experiment in grade school is suspending an avocado seed over a glass of water (use toothpicks) and watching it split and start to grow. You will get a tree but it probably won’t have any avocados on it, ever. Most fruiting trees come from grafted plants.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/children/sprouting-avocado-pits-how-to-root-an-avocado-seed.htm

My own avocado trees (ungrafted) grown from pits

If you love to eat Mexican food, you have eaten avocados. They call it guacamole and it’s wonderful. The ingredients are simple and you can mix up a batch in 10 minutes. Click here for a great recipe.

Mexico has the right climate for growing avocados, tropical or subtropical. South Florida is good too. My brother in the Miami area shared a whole grocery bag full of avocados with us this year. Mmm, buttery goodness, and yes, they are high in fat, but it’s the good kind of fat. The mono saturated fat in avocados can help with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. They are cholesterol free, and can actually help reduce cholesterol.

Avocados are nutrient dense, containing nearly 20 different vitamins and antioxidants. They contribute fiber, folate, lutein, vitamins K, C, B6 and E, and magnesium.

Just when I thought I had put enough into this avocado post I came upon a video which I simply could not ignore. I have not tried this recipe yet but it makes sense to me that a high fat fruit like avocado might make a good ingredient for ice cream. (Cream is a fat, you know) This is a non-dairy frozen dessert made of only three ingredients; coconut milk, avocado and agave nectar for sweetener. Avocado ice cream, I can’t wait to test this one!

One reason I love avocados is that they make a simple no cook meal for me. Just cut one in half, add a little salt and pepper and eat. It even comes with its own bowl, the shell. And they are very pretty inside. That’s why avocado green is still a color, just sayin’…