Tuesday November 10th 2020

The weather was back closer to normal today. It was a rainy morning and cloudy afternoon. The only real oddity in today’s weather was the way the arrival of each rain squall was announced. A few minutes before each new rain shower the sun would come out. While the sun was still out the rain would start. Soon the sun was gone and it was pouring. I got caught outside in the rain by this quirk twice this morning.

This falls rain is a real nuisance. Rainy days have out numbered the rain free days since the beginning of September. Everything inside my RV home feels a little damp. Little flea size and a little larger bugs have found some of the surfaces ideal scrounging areas. My can of bug spray has been getting a workout. I’ve even found a couple of geckos in the basement area of the RV.

I managed to settle into my stay and put running from the storm aside for a few days. This morning I took the bicycle off the car preparing for local travel. My first errand of the day was a grocery shopping trip. It has been over two weeks since my last restocking. I wasn’t well focused during my trip around the store and came home without several of the things I wanted. It isn’t a big deal, since I’ll be near grocery stores at my next few stops.

Replacing my cell phone is finally reaching the top of my priority list. I’ve been nursing my current old phone for over a year. Its battery is really not holding a charge anymore. It seems to work plugged into the charger, but that isn’t very mobile. This afternoon it was really resisting the idea of staying powered on. I think the phone is close to six years old, so it is time. For a while over the last year I was waiting for the new phone models to be released. When the pandemic hit, I was waiting for the carriers phone stores to reopen after the shutdown. It is really messy to attempt to get it shipped. The stores seem to be taking customers, so tomorrow may be the day.

Monday November 9th 2020

Tropical Storm Eta passed over the Florida Keys and out into the Gulf of Mexico southwest of the Florida peninsular over the last twenty four hours. I was in a safe place to ride out the storm.

The storm passed through the keys about thirty miles east of where I was last week. I haven’t heard any specific reports, but I imagine the campground at the state park was flooded and took a heavy beating from the wind. The state park’s web site indicates the park is currently closed. The area around my Saturday night’s stay where I had intended to be right now got several inches of rain and was subject to tropical storm winds.

Here, just north of Titusville, there was some rain and wind but nothing severe. It rained off and on over night. Sometimes the rain was accompanied by wind and sometimes it wasn’t. The pattern continued through most of the day. At times it was nice outside weather under a cloudy sky and during other periods you needed to be inside away from the rain. Overall, I was in the right place during the storm.

Currently, the storm is going to stall in the gulf until Friday. This morning the post Friday track had the storm heading across the Florida peninsular from north of Tampa to Jacksonville. By the end of the day, the projected track was further west into the Florida panhandle toward Tallahassee. That means this area should be safe. Unfortunately, this campground is full over the weekend. I need to find a place to stay from Friday to Monday. My reservation starting on Monday is about twenty miles from here. There are several options.

I spent the day still in a run from the storm mindset. I wasn’t ready to relax and settle in for the next four nights. I still haven’t taken the bicycle off the car. The weather forecasts on the evening news helped me ease my mind a little. My satellite dish is blocked by a big tree, so I haven’t been able to watch the Weather Channel. There are plenty of over the air TV channels to watch. For the last four weeks I have been out of range of all the TV stations. Which is nice since the fall TV shows are starting to air.

Sunday November 8th 2020

The rain caught up with me overnight. The wind wasn’t as bad as it was in the Keys, but it also picked up in strength overnight. My decision to continue north today was validated.

This morning I connected the car up to the back of the motorhome and continued my journey away from the storm. I pulled out of the campground a couple of minutes after 9AM. There was a light rain most of the morning. Driving east toward Interstate 95 I was driving into a strong head wind. About half way through my day’s journey, when I turned north on the Interstate the wind often hit the RV as a full cross wind. Some of the gusts were very strong. Staying in my lane and maintaining control of the RV was a challenge at times. The rain got more sporadic as I got further north.

One of the interesting observations during today’s travels was all the power line repair trucks heading south on Interstate 95. Big line trucks and tree trimming trucks were in convoys of four to ten vehicles all with their yellow caution lights flashing. I probably passed a dozen groups all from different locations.

When I checked into the Titusville KOA in Mims Florida around 1:30PM, I was out of the area of rain and most of the wind. I was able to get a reservation through Friday thinking it was going to be out of the main impact of the storm. This afternoon the National Weather Service added this area to the Tropical Storm warning and a couple of the possible storm tracks for the end of the week bring whatever is left of the storm through this area. As I’m writing this blog entry around 10PM, the wind has picked up and a light rain is falling. Listening to the local TV, I think I’ll be fine for the initial pass of the storm across the keys and out by the southwest corner of Florida during the next twenty four hours. If it looks like the storm is coming back this way later in the week after regrouping in the gulf, I’ll move on again.

Saturday November 7th 2020

It rained hard overnight accompanied by strong winds. The noise caused by the flapping slide toppers and the rain on the roof woke me up several times. I did not get a good nights sleep, and was up early to prepare to leave Curry Hammock State Park. Fortuitously, the rain let up while I finished up the outside tasks. I was on the road a few minutes before nine.

The drive off the Keys was into the wind. The coach was buffeted heavily on the causeways and bridges. The rain was cooperative. There were only a few brief showers. With each mile more traffic joined the parade. The county hadn’t issued an evacuation order at that time, but the forecast predicted many of the islands would be covered in water by Sunday night. The traffic never bogged down and I was back on the Florida peninsula in a little less than two hours. The normal traffic in the Miami suburbs was much slower overall.

I made one stop along the way for gas. The price was twenty cents a gallon higher than the price on the islands. I expected just the opposite. With a nearly full tank of gas, I continued north along the east side of the Everglades before cutting northwest toward Lake Okeechobee. Around 1:30 I arrived at the Ortona South Army Corp of Engineers campground. The water level in the fields and drainage ditches is already high. The six to ten inches of rain expected over the next two or three days will only make it worse. I won’t be staying more than overnight despite currently being ahead of the storm and having a reservation here until November Sixteenth. I like this campground, but not enough to risk the impacts of the tropical storm.

Tomorrow I’ll continue north on the east side of Florida. I’ve made a new reservation in Titusville until Friday and I’ll work on finding a place for next weekend once I get there. Hopefully, the storm doesn’t decide to cut back across the middle of the Florida peninsula before it finishes its run. The current forecasts don’t really know what the storm will do after it gets into the gulf west of Tampa.

Friday November 6th 2020

I have decided to get out of the Keys before tropical system Eta gets close. Tomorrow morning I’ll hook up the car and head back to the mainland, so this is my last full day in the Florida Keys. Other people are making similar decisions. Only about two thirds of the campground is full tonight.

Today’s weather might be considered the lull before the storm, but it was far from calm. It was an overcast day with lighter winds than the previous couple of days. An occasional brief shower interrupted the otherwise dry day. The high temperature was around eighty degrees. The park day use area was at capacity today. People were taking advantage of the nice conditions to kayak, kite board and picnic.

The first half of my day was filled with research on travel alternatives. I’m still not sure what the best escape from the storm will be. For now, I’ve made a reservation for Saturday night at Ortona South Recreation Area near Lake Okeechobee. This is the same location as my next intended stay starting Sunday. If the storm cooperates I’ll change sites on Sunday and continue my stay. The alternative is to head further north and probably east on Sunday. Currently it sounds like the wind will be manageable with multiple inches of rain. Decisions, decisions, decisions, …

The weather over the last two and a half months has been a real challenge. Last November when I booked a campsite in the keys for the end of October into November I thought the worst of the hurricane season would be over. I knew hurricane season ran to the end of November and hurricanes have occurred even later in the year, but I didn’t think they targeted southern Florida late in the year. I was wrong. Concern about the weather has detracted from my enjoyment of the Keys.

I would like to come back to the Keys, but at a better time of year. My guess is that is during the prime time of January through April. That won’t happen soon. Reservations for this winter are full and reservations for 2022 can’t be made yet. I hate having to plan things out so far in advance.

Thursday November 5th 2020

I usually include a summary of the days weather at the start of each blog entry. It probably bores some readers and others feel like I’m rubbing in good weather to those in colder climates. The reality is that the weather is very much a part of my day. I rarely spend all day inside my RV home. I’m outside in the weather for at least a part of the day and it influences what I can and can’t do.

Today the weather took on a bigger role in my day. The wind that has been blowing all week continued today. It is now coming from a direction that gets under the slide room awnings and makes a racket with every gust. The wind won’t be ignored. On top of the wind an occasional rain shower passed through the area to keep things interesting. This weather system isn’t even the real elephant in the room. I’ve been monitoring the forecast on the Weather Channel for Hurricane ETA.

The tropical system is currently only a tropical depression moving east off the coast of Central America. It is currently expected to re-intensify as it moves toward Cuba then on toward Florida on Sunday. Unless I hear a convincing argument that the storm is going to miss Florida completely, I’m leaving the Florida Keys one day early on Saturday. The question is where am I going. The current possible tracks are all over the place. My basic decision is which coast of Florida do I pick and how far north do I “run”. Going to my next stop in the middle of the state near Lake Okeechobee is my preference, but I’m not sure it is the “safe” destination. I spent a lot of time today looking at possibilities. Tomorrow is decision day. Hopefully, the weather service has a better clue in the morning.

Wednesday November 4th 2020

The AccuWeather app on my phone called today’s weather “dreary”. They were right. The sun never made an appearance and the wind howled all day. The high temperature was right around eighty.

I drove into the wind back toward the upper keys today stopping at a few of the roadside pull offs along the way. Many people were fishing from the piers along the road. I didn’t see anything caught, but I saw one hat lost to the wind. The hat in the water became the target for the fishermen hoping to hook the hat before it went away in the current. The current won.

In Islamorada I stopped at the Bass Pro shops store. They are usually half museum and half store. This one was small and put most of its focus on merchandise. There was one aquarium and an old fishing boat in the store. I wasn’t entertained and they didn’t sell me anything, so I guess it was an even deal.

The weather forecast for the remainder of my stay in the keys isn’t great. Each day is forecast to have rain and thunderstorms. I’m scheduled to leave here on Sunday, but this area is currently in the cone of uncertainty for hurricane ETA. My destination near Lake Okeechobee is also in the cone. The forecast over the next thirty six hours will dictate what I do. The most extreme action would be an early departure for a destination well north of Lake Okeechobee.

Tuesday November 3rd 2020

It was a mostly cloudy day with just a little bit less wind than Monday. The temperature peaked around eighty and the humidity was down. If I’m reading the forecast correctly, each day this week gets a little bit nastier.

I took an unplanned trip to Key West today. After filling up the gas tank in Marathon turning across traffic wasn’t in the cards, so I found my self heading to the west and south. My intent was to reverse direction, but a good opportunity didn’t present until I was across the Seven Mile Bridge. At that point, I decided to continue to the end of the road. About fifty miles and an hour later, I arrived at the end of US Route 1, mile marker zero.

The drive down was interesting, but a little tense with the wind. There are many more bridges and the road is closer to the water in the lower keys. It took two hands on the steering wheel and extra attention on the road to safely drive along. I found the area more touristy, but closer to a laid back island lifestyle than the upper and middle keys.

The unplanned nature of the trip came into play once I reached Key West. I hadn’t researched parking places or pandemic safe things to see. Once I reached the end of route 1, I started looking for a place to park. The first place I found was small and full. The second place I found was a private lot that looked a little sketchy and wanted $20 to park. My cheap streak came into play. I wasn’t about to spend that much for a couple of hours.

I spent my time in Key West driving around looking at the architecture while dodging bicycles, scooters and tourist trolleys. Most, but not all, of the people on the trolleys and trams appeared to be wearing masks. Previrus I’d consider using the tour to get a quick overview of the city. For now, I’ll settle for driving around. Armed with a little more research, I may return to Key West on Thursday or Friday.

The trip back to my RV home in the middle Keys was even more challenging that the trip out. The wind was hitting head on and traffic was heavier. Some drivers were crossing the causeways and bridges at close to the posted minimum speed. It took closer to an hour and a half for the return trip. While there was some sun in the sky in the Key West area, it was still overcast and slightly gloomy at Curry Hammock State Park.

Monday November 2nd 2020

The operative word for the day was WIND. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning that called for sustained winds in excess of 30mph with gusts at 40mph and above. I think they got it right. The wind was blowing strong when I got up this morning and has only increased since. My RV home has been shacking, rattling and rocking all day. On a positive note, the wind helped keep the temperature and humidity under control.

I spent most of the day at the campground. The weekday attendance at the day use area next to the campground is more manageable. It is easy to find a picnic table under cover or in the shade to sit at and watch the activity in the area. Today it was fun watching all of the birds use the wind to help their travels. I’m sure they are using more energy, but they are also flying faster. No one was brave enough to try Kite Boarding today. Not only was the wind very strong, but it was blowing out to sea. Last week when there was a lot of kite board activity the wind was mostly parallel to the shore.

Sunday November 1st 2020

It’s hard to believe that November has arrived. Growing up in the northeast, I’m conditioned to associate cooler temperatures and foliage with fall. For all of October I’ve been moving south in Florida. The daily high temperature has never been below eighty. Most days have been very humid and the nights usually required AC to sleep. The closest I’ve come to fall was during September in northern Florida. It was often in the seventies during the day and sixties at night.

If the calendar didn’t remind me it was the middle of fall, the return to standard time sure did. Knowing which clock to believe this morning was a real challenge. Some “smart” clocks jump back an hour and others don’t. Getting the clocks to agree with reality was a continuous activity today. I think the timer for the lamp on table is the only hold out. Finding the right combination of magic buttons to push on the timers digital interface is long trial and error process.

The only real disruption in my routine the time change presented was getting into position to take a picture of today’s sunset. It has been after supper for a long time. Tonight it was during supper. I missed the good color by a few minutes. Tomorrow I’ll try to re-calibrate my day.

Last year at this time I had been settled into my winter stay in Las Vegas for over a week. There were still warm desert days, but the nights were in the sixties and lower. During my trip south from Oregon to Las Vegas, I experienced several below freezing nights. The forests in the mountains even provided some degree of foliage even if it was mostly yellow.

This year I don’t plan to stay in one place for a long period. I’ll be moving around Florida every week or two staying mostly at state parks and other public campgrounds. It is a higher risk approach in this era of the pandemic, but many of the reservations were made before the pandemic arrived. If the surging virus infections drive the government to another stay at home order, I’ll have to adjust and find a long term campground.