Still Gravity

Sunset in the DuPuis Wildlife Management Area (Florida) - License our images  here .       The first tale screams: beautiful sunset. The second one is less glamourous: We were trapped inside the gazebo surrounded by a swarm of aggressive mosquitoes.  This was our daily wait for the show of the bats. The hungry night flyers will come from the dark forest and, in a minute, the mosquitoes will morph from predators to prey. Sweet revenge.  

Connecting the laptop to the internet through the phone. Need to connect to the web? Use your smartphone if there is reception. This is the process for Windows.  In the laptop - Turn off WI-FI.  In the phone - Enable Mobile Hotspot Connect phone to laptop with a USB cable - ethernet icon appears when connected ( Settings > Networks & Internet on laptop also shows the connection status). In the phone -  Enable USB tethering - open  Settings  and tap  Network & internet > Hotspot & Tethering > USB tethering .  Mind your phone data plan or it may cost $$$. 

Oriental false hawksbeard ( Youngia japonica ) is a weed. But look closely and you'll discover a pretty plant.  Little beauties - License our images  here . It's said that this plant is edible - the young leaves can be eaten raw. And it's also used in traditional medicine. Studies talk of antiviral properties. Good things coming from an undesired plant. Original from China and Japan, it now lives all around the world. Globalization at its best.  

After 12 years on the camper door.  There is always a before and after, and our time lives in the in-between. The camper door doesn't look perfect now, but it shows the marks of the experiences. If you know where to look, you will find beauty in the wrinkles. Embrace the scars of time.

Talladega National Forest, Alabama - License our images  here . Camping and park fees are going crazy around the country. National, state, and local parks and forests are raising the cost of entrance, use fees, and camping. Also, the reservation system is making a fortune in fees. Nobody wants to be left out from the easy money.  Some say that the culprit is the inflation but... is it?  Sounds like a good excuse. But what about most workers' salaries? Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour since 2009. They make less if we factor inflation and parks and campgrounds cost more. How can the common folk afford $30, $40, and $50 to visit a natural park and sleep in a campsite? What a disconnect!    Are we breaking with the original ideas behind the "public lands"? Are we betraying the two Roosevelts and making just another business from these natural resources?  The fundamental idea behind the parks...is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making fo

Simple, cheap, and effective.          We crossed path with this DIY truck camper in Route 66 by Santa Rosa, New Mexico. The driver was an old lady with the truck dashboard packed with paper maps - do you remember the times before Google Maps? I do. If you want to live your dreams, just do it before is too late. Don't wait to have the latest toy. Go with what you have and avoid future regrets. Experiences make a difference.  (We were camping nearby in Santa Rosa Lake State Park .)

I took this photo of the downtown of Sarasota from a park of Siesta Key - License our images  here .  What's the meaning behind the name of this Floridian city on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico?  The Encyclopedia Brittanica says that the origin of the name is uncertain, pointing to the Spaniards - something about a dancing place. While others - like in this article  - point to the word "Sahara" combined with the Indian word "zota".  The spelling of Sarasota appears in different ways in old maps, so it's hard to reach a definitive answer. What is known is that the first settler arrived in 1856 and planted orange trees here. The oranges are gone. The buildings keep growing. 

The insect exploring a yellow world - License our images  here . Not sure if it's a paper wasp or a cicada killer. Cicada killers are solitary wasps that usually don't attack humans. On the other side, the paper wasps are social insects that may attack in defense of themselves or their territory. The brighter the color, the most venomous they are. This is almost a rule for the poisonous creatures of nature - except in cases of aposematism .     If I be waspish, best beware my sting. William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew

Surfer in Tampa Bay, Florida - License our images  here .  On the other side, is the bustling city. The people, the noise, the never-ending stress. In this side is nature. The camping, the hiking, the swimming, and the surfing. Let's keep it that way. 

A group of snowy plovers on the beach  - License our images  here .           They look like toys. Cute little birds. S nowy plovers run and stop and run again, always pecking the sand for food. With decreasing numbers, these birds are now a threatened species. Lucky to cross path with this group on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. 

Footprints of common wildlife.  Good reference for the trails. Learning about footprints. 

Ghostly campground - License our images  here . This was in the mountains of northern Georgia. A night of heavy fog and misty rain. The wind making weird noises through the tall trees. Perfect set for a horror movie.  And next day... wet and foggy hiking. Waiting for the  Headless Horseman .  The cold fog covering the trail. 

The new folding panels - License our images  here .                  We got new solar panels. They come in a foldable 350 watts portable kit made by Bluetti as the model PV350. In the first use, the monocrystalline panels gave us between 300 and 315 watts in a sunny day.            308 watts input from the new panels.           More than happy with the output. It's enough for our camping needs. Before, we used to survive with two polycrystalline panels and never went dark - well, at least the fridge.  Some specs to help my bad memory: Panels weight: a little over 30 pounds.  Peak power: 350 watts.  Maximum voltage: 37.5 volts.  Open Circuit Voltage: 46.5 volts.  Current at Max Power: 9.2 amperes.  Warranty: 24 months.  Monocrystalline cells.  Clean the panels with a wet cloth.  Something that I

When we think of cactus, we think of the desert. But no, cactus also live in humid Florida.  Devil's Tongue Prickly Pear Cactus in a Florida beach - License our images  here . Prickly pear cactus grows on coastal dunes and sand hills. They have big spines and make good natural fences. Bees loves them. Spiny stuff.  

Woke up to a condensed morning - License our images  here . The shorter days of winter are here. Yesterday, we got a frosty night. Strong winds cutting like icy knives. Now, I'm looking at the coldness with a cup of coffee in my hand. Warm happy morning. It's nice to have a home.   

Pictures from a trailhead. Important information.  Which is which? They look alike, but one is deadly. Both live close to water. Beware of the water moccasin or cottonmouth. This is a semiaquatic pit viper native of the southeast of the United States. When threatened, it coils and gets ready to strike displaying its fangs. Keep distance and leave it alone.