The Babcock Ranch

The Babcock Ranch is an extensive area. The Babcock family made its money in lumber in Pennsylvania, and have been in this area of Florida for over 100 years. They raise calves for sale to cattle ranchers in other parts of the country. They have a very large sod farm. The sod is sold mainly to golf courses.




The tour of the ranch took us past grazing cattle and these wild hogs. When they hear the bus coming, they know they will get a treat. Today it is corn and some green beans.






There are many different kinds of birds. Here is a Great Blue Heron. I can't remember what the small black bird in the center is.







Another of the friendly residents of Babcock Ranch is Betsy. She is also used to a treat when the tour bus comes by. Betsy stuck he head into the bus and with her very large horns began to knock a few things around.





This is a Florida panther. Within the enclosure is a male and a female, this is the male. With a serious loss of habitat, the panther is considered to be endangered.

Live Oak RV Resort, Nov, Dec, 2007

This is our campsite at Live Oak RV Resort. We are only a few minutes walk to the swimming pool and the small executive golf course. Live Oak is located about nine miles northeast of Punta Gorda. Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte were very severely hit by Hurricane Charlie. Much of the damage is still visible.





Jim and I drove south to the Ft. Meyers vicinity to Bonita Beach. It is a white sand beach with many layers of small white sea shells.








This is Venice Beach, about an hour or so north of Live Oak. The sand here is more coarse and much darker. The level of fossil material in the sand accounts for its characteristics.






This is sunset at Bonita Beach. It is a very typical sunset which this time of year happens about 5:30 pm. After all, it is December!






This is a view of the nine hole golf course located at Live Oak Resort. Jim can play the nine holes in about an hour and a half.

Hunting Island State Park - November,2007

We received a recommendation for Hunting Island State Park from our DENTIST! We decided to check it out and found that we liked it very much. The park is mostly level, and covered with pine trees and palmetto trees. The ground is covered with pine needles, giving the ground a cushioned effect.




Just beyond the trees is a white sand beach and the Atlantic Ocean. The beach is great.







The Hunting Island Light House.











We took a walk on the marsh boardwalk. It zigzagged through the marsh ending at a channel that flowed through the marsh. There was a couple there from New Jersey who was crabbing.






Take a look at a bucket of blue crabs. I hear they are great eating!








One afternoon, we had a visitor at our campsite. It took only a rattling of the bag, apparently a familiar sound, to bring the little critter. I tossed him a chip which he quickly grabbed and ate in very short order.

A Corvette Weekend in Ocean City MD-July,2007

On the road trip to Ocean City, we passed through Sidling Hill on I-68. We have passed this way several times and always wanted a picture of it. The strata have a very unusual and interesting arc, it's hard to imagine how it was formed.




Four Corvettes made the trip to Ocean City for the Thunder on the Boards weekend.










About 600+ Corvettes are lined up for the parade on the boardwalk. Can you find us? We are in the middle of the photo.










Here is the group that went for the weekend.

A Day Trip to Cape May, NJ

In August, 2007, Jim and I went to Philadelphia to spend the weekend and to visit the King Tut exhibit. We took a side trip to Cape May with Tim, Lisa and Emily.








It was a little chilly at Cape May, but we had a really nice day.











Tim, Lisa and Emily on the beach at Cape May, New Jersey.










After we toured the fabulous King Tut exhibit, we stopped at the museum's gift shop to see what other treasures awaited us. You know, the stuff you just can't live without - like this headdress we found.






It is just too difficult to decide: Who is more regal, Tim or Jim?