Disturbing the Peace and Other Tales From Ortona Locks

Dianne here -- We are down to our last day here at Ortona Locks.  Tomorrow we pack up and move this gypsy caravan to Collier-Seminole State Park for a short, three-day stay.  There is a chance we may not have internet access while at Collier-Seminole, depending upon the tree situation at our designated camp site.  So far, since the installation of our Datastorm Motosat in January, we've had clear views of the southern sky.  Here at Ortona there is a tree which comes really close to blocking us, but it doesn't.  If we are blocked at Collier-Seminole, you won't hear from us until after we get set up at the Groves in Fort Myers on Saturday.

Roger and I walked the dogs across the dam and locks to the other side of the river.   We had to carry the dogs across the catwalk because it was metal grate and their feet might have fallen through.  I'm including several shots of our camp site (#32) here at Ortona Locks taken from across the river.  It gives a better feel for how we are situated with the river, the foot bridge, and the fishing pier.  This is a very popular campground in the winter, and we made our reservations the minute they became available 180 days prior, last August.  It's lovely now, but would be even prettier if it weren't so dry.  Two things that surprise me about Florida weather in the winter:  1) how DRY it is, with low humidity, and   2) how WINDY it can be.  We've hardly been able to use our awning at all. 

  But I sure am not complaining about the sunshine, the temperature, and the beautiful skies!!  

  Charlie the cat and I have a new morning routine, now that it's nice and warm early in the morning.   He joins me outside for a little bird watching from our patio.  He has gotten used to his little harness to the point that now he stands still and purrs when I put it on him, because he knows it means he's about to go outside.   People sometimes ask me how our dogs get along with Charlie the cat.  

Just to prove that they get along just fine, here's a photo I snapped today while vacuuming the motor home.  Jasper and Charlie retreated to Charlie's favorite vantage point so that they could guard the motor home while I got my chores done!   Chaplin preferred to lay outside in the grass, his favorite pastime.

Roger will add his literary talents now to go along with the photos he took:

Roger here...  Now for the disturbing the peace part....  This may be the calmest and most peaceful place where I have ever spent an extended period of time.  Since it was my birthday, I wanted to take full advantage of the short remaining time that we had here.  In other words, I wanted to read and vegetate in the warm Florida sun while looking at the palm trees and the river.  It was not to be so until later in the evening due to three disturbances.

Dianne and I were reading and comfortably ensconced in our outdoor lounge chairs when there was a yelp (Ewwwww!) from Dianne followed by a lunge for the binoculars and a run around the motor home. 

 After I rubbed out the kink in my neck caused by my startled reaction, I inquired from Dianne, "What is going on?"  She claims that she responded, but from past experiences, I know that she did not.  I eventually followed her around the motor home to find her glued to her binoculars while exclaiming, "That was the orangest bird I have ever seen!" After calming down a bit and consulting her bird book she determined that it was a vermillion flycatcher.  (Our friend, Brad, would be so proud!)

After a few minutes of relative calm,

 Dianne retreated to the motor home while I returned to my chair.  Dianne has already told you about our cat, Charlie, and how he likes to be outside in his harness even though he cannot get to the birds that he wants to catch/eat.  The second disturbance took place when a toddler raced across the bridge squealing, "KITTY!"  Little Danny promptly picked up Charlie and squeezed the poop out of him before his mom came to the rescue.  When Danny put Charlie down, he burrowed under the patio mat for protection (see photo). 

 He now does that any time anyone walks by, unless it is a bird.  He doesn't like the outside quite so much, now.

The third disturbance was by far the most alarming - at least at the beginning.  Dianne and I had returned to our outdoor reading while the dogs rested on their mats.  The dogs are tethered when they are outside on fairly long cords that are attached to the picnic table.  Normally, they are extremely calm (almost looking dead) even when people and most dogs walk by.  BUT, at this moment, Jasper

 barked and lunged toward the motor home - practically breaking his neck by the time he ran out of cord.  In the process, the cord knocked down a chair and tipped over Dianne's precious Meyer Lemon Tree

 that we drag along with us.  (Dianne says that she knew it when it was a seed - just like the pets, the tree goes with us wherever we go.)  Back to the story...  Jasper had spotted an armadillo

 under the motor home.  Dianne was able to get a picture before it hopped away.  Jasper stayed on high alert for quite some time after the departure.  

The peace of Ortona eventually did return at dusk.  We were able to get several sunset (what else) shots at the end of the day, and one of a nearly full moon over a palmetto tree. 

 It was another spectacular sunset. 

 My favorite shot is of the sailboat that was tethered in the river for the night.   This third shot was actually shooting toward the reflection in the water; Dianne thought it was sky, and told me to be sure to note that it was just the sky reflection on the water of the Caloosahatchee River.

As Dianne said, tomorrow we leave this peaceful place and travel to Collier Seminole State Park - back in the everglades.  There should be lots to do there, but I doubt that it can match the serenity here. 

A River Runs Through It!

Hi all -- Roger here...  We are now located at the Ortona Locks Army Corps of Engineers Campground between Labelle, Florida and Lake Okeechobee - still on the Caloosahatchee River.    At our previous campsites we were always pretty close to civilization.  I must say that this place is the perfect place to get away from the world.  The nearest population center is still Ft. Myers, but now we are about forty to fifty miles away.  The campground is a couple of miles from highway 80.  When you turn off the highway, there is nothing to see, other than grassland and cattle.  This is a great place to chill, read, watch the river traffic, watch the wildlife, and even watch Dianne relax (though it is hard for her to do).

I am quickly becoming a fan of Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds.  We have a great view from all of our windows (but not the view we had at Franklin).  The site is huge and has the same amenities as Franklin (concrete pad, LARGE loose rock patio area, permanent picnic table with a roof, grill stand, and fire ring.  (Unfortunately, there will be no campfires here due to a fire ban.  South Florida has received virtually no rainfall for more than two months.  As dry as it is, a single spark could cause a major problem).  The campsite next to us

 was empty for a couple of hours yesterday, so we took a picture from our motor home to give you an idea of the size and privacy.

The views from our site vary, depending on which window you look through. From the front, the view is pastoral - endless acres of grass land, cattle, and (oh, yes) palm trees.  The first morning the fields were covered with fog. 

 From the driver's (dining area) side, we look out onto the excellent landscaping that the Corps of Engineers have constructed (and maintained). 

 From the passenger (door) side, we see the Caloosahatchee River that is actually about thirty feet below us.  Right now I am sitting on a lounge chair in the HUGE "patio" area.  I can see three kildeer hopping around four large palm trees (surrounded with red mulch), in front of a thirty-foot footbridge that spans a rock-covered creek that flows into the river. 

 My dad would have loved the babbling brook sounds that we can hear from the stream.  The Ortona Dam and Locks are in the background. 

A lot of the interesting wildlife live right next to our site - easily viewed from the footbridge.  We included photos of a Louisiana Heron 

and a few of the daily conglomerate of turtles.  The turtles are called sliders,

 because they quickly "slide" into the water whenever you get too close.  

A family of otters also lives under the bridge.  The first day we were here,  I watched one playing in the water, then sunning itself.  By the time I got the camera, the otter was scampering into the den.  The next morning, I went down to the fishing bridge (also next to our site) and watched him swimming and playing in the water.  He actually stopped to look at me.  I ran back to get the camera just in time to see him and his mate jump into the river and leave for the day.  I still do not have a picture of them.  I think I will walk over right now to see if he is there.....  Nope, still not there.  I will try again later.

One day I walked over to the dam and across the lock.  I included a couple of shots of the river and the turbulent water below the dam. 

 The water level in the upper river is 7 and 1/2 feet higher than the lower river here.  Just like at Franklin, we have a full view of all the river traffic going through the locks.

Before we left the Ft. Myers area, we stopped by Camping World to get a ladder that folds up into next to nothing.  I need the ladder to reach the upper part of the windshield that I have not been able to clean well since we left Indiana.  Yesterday, Dianne got up and announced that she intended to use the ladder to clean the outside windows and screens.  I was a little disappointed to not be the first person to use the ladder, but trooper that I am, I got the ladder out and set it up.  I then sat down for a while to read.  Within thirty minutes I gained the reputation of the campground slacker from our neighbors and even the campground staff as they sympathetically talked to Dianne about her ambition and her lazy husband.  I got up to offer to help move the ladder, but Dianne told me that I was pressuring her (sheesh).  I did redeem myself later by doing a thorough job cleaning the windshield (never looked better).  Unfortunately, none of the other campers or staff seemed to be around while I was doing this.  As edification I am including a photo of Dianne reading at the campsite as documentation that I am not the only slacker.

Not a lot to do here, but relax, and catch up on chores (thanks to Dianne).  BUT, what a scenic and interesting place to do so.