1st Annual Florida Hang

[richtorfla]

Good for you Ed! Byron's is a great site. I suggest making the flowering meatloaf once you get your basics down. Start out with a stew like Islander and Mad did to get that thing seasoned. With the way that boil turned out, I suspect the learning process will be minimal!

[JaxHiker]

I'll go halfsies with you on the sherpa. Anyone make one in titanium?

[richtorfla]

Be nice if they did. It would change backpacking the way we know it. Jax, just showed my son the pics and he said they were amazing!

[islander]

Be nice if they did. It would change backpacking the way we know it. Jax, just showed my son the pics and he said they were amazing!

I'll 2nd that! JaxHiker your photos of the weekend really Rock! Thanks for being there, and looking forward to more trips with you sometime soon.

[MAD777]

As requested here is my Gumbo recipe: (as best I can tell)

OH WOW!!! THE GUMBO RECIPE

Thank you, Terri!!!

[JaxHiker]

Thanks again for the kind words on the photos. Glad I could be there both to enjoy it and help record it. Wouldn't you know I found the blasted video camera today!

Islander, I'll get the images to you when I can catch my breath. Just got home from another meeting tonight and I have a dinner with the mayor tomorrow so I won't get back to them until the weekend.

[Flackfizer]

Good for you Ed! Byron's is a great site. I suggest making the flowering meatloaf once you get your basics down. Start out with a stew like Islander and Mad did to get that thing seasoned. With the way that boil turned out, I suspect the learning process will be minimal!

Flowering meatloaf sounds like something Robin would say to Batman!

[L.D. Cakes]

This time last Thursday I left after work to drive across the Mtn on I26 to get to I95 where I had a hotel reserved for the night. It was suppose to be a 5 hour drive. (funny I keep hearing "a 3 hour tour" in my mind). Four hours on the road I needed gas and took an exit. Well folks there was a surprise waiting on me...A manhole size Pot Hole! I hit it at top speed with both tires on my passenger side.

I did a number on my wheel and the other one was loosing air fast. So I called AAA. As I was explaining to the nice lady on the phone the description of my car I told her it was easy to spot because it had a big red Kayak on top. She said "Whats a Kayak? I told her "it's like a canoe". Then she said she couldn't insure my tow and I would have to pay 65 bucks! I argued with her and she said if I could take it off first they would not charge me. I agreed and said sure I'll go in Wendy's here and ask them to keep my kayak for me until I get back...RIGHT! Like I'm gonna really do that!!! But she was satisfied and I figured I'd just ask the wrecker service guy to keep his mouth shut.
The wrecker guy called soon after that and I told him I had a kayak on top of my car and asked if he had a problem with that. He asked "Whats a Kayak? I said "It's like a canoe".
He laughed about AAA being that way towards me and said he had no problem with my little boat on top of my car.
Long story short, I had to get a hotel in that little town for the night. The next morning the wrecker service guy put my spare on and beat the other rim round enough to get it to hold a bead and I limped on a secondary road into Columbia to the Subaru dealership. My Inc. Co. put me in a rental and they promised me at the dealership they could have it all fixed by Tuesday to pick up on my way back through. So by 4PM I was back on the road to Florida!
I rolled into Altoona at Midnight and Islander came out to the main road to fetch me. I was worn out from the long day and he was worried I had no where to string up a hammock and asked if I had anything to go to ground. Nope, nada, zip only my hammock or sleep in the SUV. But wait! I went to the trouble to switch my boat rack from my Subaru to the Rental so I only needed ONE tree! Mad777 and richtorfla along with Islander had waited up on me also and helped me get set up.
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/p...pictureid=6504
I was in a sweet lakefront spot, near the main camp. I couldn't have asked for a better place!

This fellow was there my first morning at daybreak but I've forgotten his name! Anyone?! He had the bed sheet for a hammock and was a local boy from up my way!

I had breakfast and jumped in on a hike on part of the Florida Trail that was linked right from the campground by a blue blazed trail.

Look at this moss.... I think it looks like snow!

Saturday afternoon was a hoot...with Stove-Show-N-Tell and even product demos.


Who were the two people I gave the Supercat stoves to I made? I'd like to send you the page I have on it.
The food began and there are already loads of pics of that. Hey that chocolate cake surprise richtorfla was amazing!
It got pretty cold and by the end of the evening there were only a couple of us left by the fire. The next morning was around 27 degrees and LOOK there was actual FROST on a stuff sack!

I had anticipated a cold morning for Sunday and set up my coffee the night before so all I had to do was roll over and light my stove. I really enjoyed having coffee with Buddy and he's promised to come visit me here in the mountains if I take him for a paddle in my kayak!

Islander and Mad777 invited me along for a river trip down Alexander Springs.
While they ran the shuttle I watched the boats.

Just kidding...But do you remember the Grumman? They had a fleet of 37 of them at the park!

The paddle was just beautiful.

With lots of wildlife...


And even Alligators!

And here's an even bigger one!

Well after our paddle and we got back to camp I had to hit the road and head on down to Vero Beach where I stayed a few more days with friends.
Here I am sitting by the pool surfing Hammock Forums.

I got my car back with no problems on Tuesday which turned into 15 hours of traveling in one day. I finally rested up enough to get this done while I wait on more snow. Thanks for a great hang everyone, I hope to make it again down that way real soon!
Cakes

[Flackfizer]

I'll go halfsies with you on the sherpa. Anyone make one in titanium?

which one do you want in Ti? The DO or the sherpa?

[Gumbo]

Great pics LDCakes! Sorry I missed the Alexander Run. Looks like yall had a great time.