Today

[Cuda]

With the nasty weather and so much stuff in the river, we decided to take a ride in the Ocala National Forrest today. Debbie saw a guy on the road selling pickled okra, so she had to have some. He also had some hot relish he wanted her to try.

[Cuda]

We were rolling down one of the dirt roads when Debbie spotted a bear. We backed up, and the bear was looking at us. When it turned to go, we saw two cubs with her also.

It's kind of hard to make it out, but the bear is standing behind the logs in the middle of the picture looking straight at us.

[Cuda]

If you look just above the second log on the right side, you can make out one of the cubs walking off.

[Cuda]

There were lots of trees down all over the forrest from Frances. The lakes were all real high too. This is at Wildcat Lake off hwy 40. You can see the water is almost over the swim area bouys.

[gcarter]

You were lucky!
I've been here 17 years and have yet to see a bear.
I have customers who have them in their yards all the time.
These black bears are just big enough to hurt you real bad if you were where you shouldn't be!!!

[ToonaFish]

Man, Cuda, you almost make me miss Florida. Eating hot boiled peanuts while driving with the top down... aw, the good old days!

Bunches,

Celene 'those scenes are more endangered than the Manatee'

[BUIZILLA]

Toona, there's a strong rumor the top NEEDS to be down when driving and eating boiled peanuts... if'n ya knows what I mean :jestera:

JH

[Cuda]

Toona, there's a strong rumor the top NEEDS to be down when driving and eating boiled peanuts... if'n ya knows what I mean :jestera:

JH


Jim, I know exactly what you mean. I used to ride the woods in my TR6 with both tops down. :smile:

[Cuda]

Man, Cuda, you almost make me miss Florida. Eating hot boiled peanuts while driving with the top down... aw, the good old days!

Bunches,

Celene 'those scenes are more endangered than the Manatee'


Toona, a lot of times Deb and I will just go riding in the woods, we've done it every since we met. Getting boiled peanuts for the ride is required. :D

[Cuda]

You were lucky!
I've been here 17 years and have yet to see a bear.
I have customers who have them in their yards all the time.
These black bears are just big enough to hurt you real bad if you were where you shouldn't be!!!

George, I've seen lots of bears in the forrest. A couple years ago, Deb and I were dove hunting there. She said "Look, there's a bear". It was before I had my lasik done and I told her it was a burnt stump she was seeing. About that time, the "stump" stood up and looked at us. :shocking: I appraised our ammo of seven and a half low brass shot and decided we could vacate the premises for the truck. It was the biggest bear I've seen there yet.

[ToonaFish]

Toona, there's a strong rumor the top NEEDS to be down when driving and eating boiled peanuts... if'n ya knows what I mean :jestera:

JH

Jim, you know, that front seat in the Criterion is making more sense all the time. :shocking:

Cuda, we lived in the scrub of Chulota for a year and I've never been so scared of the dark... nearly stumbled over a black bear one night... one of my nine lives gone forever!

[gcarter]

Celene, living in Chuluota was like living in hell , wasn't it?

[ToonaFish]

Celene, living in Chuluota was like living in hell, wasn't it?

No, that would have been Plant City in general, Walden Lake in particular.

Chulota was neat in a back to nature, frontier kind of way... we still had the house in Atlanta, so I could escape the fresh swamp air and ride a couple of oversized mesquitos back to the big city when I felt the need for a pedicure and running water.

Seriously, though, we lived in an equestrian community with lake access and all the amenities for the dogs... the area was very much was like the Florida I grew up in... Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings would have been pleased!

Bunches,

Celene 'remembers sleeping on a mattress made of Spanish moss'

[Cuda]

Jim, you know, that front seat in the Criterion is making more sense all the time. :shocking:

Cuda, we lived in the scrub of Chulota for a year and I've never been so scared of the dark... nearly stumbled over a black bear one night... one of my nine lives gone forever!


Where is Chulota? I thought I had been to every little jump town in the state.

[ToonaFish]

Where is Chulota? I thought I had been to every little jump town in the state.

It's not too far from you, but doesn't make for much of a destination. Northeast of Orlando, directly west of Titusville. It's just past Midway or Christmas or Snow Hill or Bithlo... the Post Office, Feed Store, and Gas Station are the same shack.

Animal control found it amusing that I called them to remove a pine snake from my laundry room... they told me that they release them in Chuluota, not catch them.

And I keep meaning to ask you, does Deb know or is Deb kin to (more likely considering the town) any Rigsbee's from Suwannee?

[BUIZILLA]

Toona, is it on 50 or 520??

[ToonaFish]

It's been a long time, but I know you took 419 north from 50.

You also brought along a cooler when you went grocery shopping, as everything would have melted by the time you got home...

[pmreed]

Toona, you've been away for a while; it's Chuluota. But what's a dropped U among friends? For you Nawtheners its pronounced Chew-lee-o-tah. Trying to pronounce the second u as a u will tie up your tongue. It's about 5 miles east of Oviedo on SR 419, or about 6 miles up 419 north from SR 50

Phil

[ToonaFish]

Toona, you've been away for a while; it's Chuluota. But what's a dropped U among friends? For you Nawtheners its pronounced Chew-lee-o-tah. Trying to pronounce the second u as a u will tie up your tongue. It's about 5 miles east of Oviedo on SR 419, or about 6 miles up 419 north from SR 50

Phil

Actually, Phil, I couldn't spell it when I lived there, either!

[gcarter]

I tried to post this morning but my internet service went Phhhhhht!
Christmas and Bithlo are both famous(remember they're near Chuluota). Christmas for the tacky Christmas tree they used to keep up all year long ( at least they used to), and Bithlo for being the city of junkyards. Back in the '80's, one of the Orlando rock stations produced a song called "Bithlo Woman!".....kind of rhymed with "junk yard dog".

[Cuda]

I tried to post this morning but my internet service went Phhhhhht!


You must be on Brighthouse too. :mad: