FIGURING IT OUT
Now that the "stay at home" recommendations/requirements are in effect through the end of April, we are staying place in Homosassa FL until then; if those preventative measures are extended, so will our stay here.  Thank you, again, Eleanor, for putting us up.  We are figuring out how to "camp" in Eleanor's side yard.  We found out that most of our rig works while being plugged into her 110 house electrical outlet.  Our batteries are keeping charged, and we're able to use all our appliances, except we cannot keep both air conditioners on at the same time, and we have to turn off the air conditioner if we want to use the microwave.  We are running our refrigerator on propane, and our hot water heater is working via our 12 volt battery, rather than shore electric power.  We ordered a portable waste tank, (a "blue boy") on line and had it delivered to El's house; this has allowed us to empty both our black and grey tanks.  One of El's neighbors gave us permission to empty the blue boy into their septic system, which worked just like a dump station. Yeah! 

Regarding medical care, this past Monday I had a telemedicine appointment with the rheumatologist I was scheduled to see in St. Petersburg. Rather than driving to St. Pete's and seeing the doctor in his office, Baycare instructed me to download their app, Baycare anywhere, on my phone, and my doctor's visit was conducted over my iPhone.  That worked out perfectly.  It saved me from possibly being exposed to coronavirus on the medical center's campus, and it also saved a 3+ hour drive time.  I discussed my rheumatoid arthritis management with the doctor, who addressed all my concerns and answered any questions I had, with expertise and compassion.  His office will be arranging for me to get my IV infusion when it is due in mid-April.  He reassured me that the global rheumatological database has shown that the outcomes of rheumatology patients who contact coronavirus are similar to outcomes of the general population.  Because I am in the "high risk" category for severe complications if I contact the coronavirus, he instructed me stay home, but if I need to go out, then I must wear a mask and gloves, and wash my hands frequently or use hand sanitizer.  

If the "stay at home" recommendation continues into June, I will again be able to receive my IV infusion through Baycare.  The doctor also asked me if I had any other physician here in Florida.  When I said "no", he told me to call his office for any medical needs I may have.  I feel so much better knowing that I now have a caring, competent medical professional available to me if I need something during these uncertain times.  

So as you can see, we are figuring things out, as all of you are doing, adjusting to this "new normal".  One positive in this situation is that we are all truly re-connecting with one another as we stay home.

HUNKERING DOWN IN HOMOSASSA
Due to the recommendations to restrict travel to help contain the coronavirus, and based on my rheumatologist's advice to isolate myself as I am at high risk for complications if I would get the coronavirus, we have decided to halt our travels and hunker down in Homosassa, FL.  Thank goodness we have a safe place to stay, by George's sister's house.  Thank you, Eleanor, for your gracious hospitality, opening your home to us, and letting us keep our rig in your side yard.  We have a beautiful spot under spectacular shade trees, along the Homosassa River.  Quite a nice place to ride out this storm.  We'll be here until at least mid-April.  Stay safe out there and stay healthy!

FLORIDA STATE PARKS CLOSING
Due to the corona virus, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has decided to close all the state parks in Florida for camping for two months.  Since most of our camping reservations were in those parks, we will be developing a different plan.  We will keep you posted.

SOCIAL ISOLATING IN PARADISE
With the Coronavirus precautions going on. some of the places we were planning on visiting are now closed.  There was an intriguing local market we wanted to go to yesterday, but it was canceled.  The Naval Museum is now closed.  The Blue Angels have postponed their practices and shows.  So we are "isolating" ourselves in the campground and on the beach.  It gives us the opportunity to slow down, pause, and appreciate the beauty all around us. 

Flowers are blooming

Herons are fishing

Osprey are singing

 The sunsets are breathtaking

A pretty nice place to be in these crazy times...

NEWS FROM FLORIDA
Our house closing was today, and everything went smoothly.  So now we truly are official full-time RVers, as we no longer own a stick and bricks house.  We are free!  We celebrated by taking a long walk on the beach, under the warmth of the sun and the waves flapping at our feet.  It was a gorgeous day today, in the 70's and crystal clear blue skies. 

The National Park we are staying at, Fort Pickens, is a pristine place of sand, surf, and interesting wildlife.  As we walk the trails around the campground, we are seeing a lot of ospreys. They are nesting now.  Both parents raise their young.  Yesterday our walk took us exceptionally close to an osprey nest.  We could see some movement in the nest--a hint of babies there!  Both parents were guarding them.  One of them was perched on the nest itself, the other was watching us carefully from a nearby tree.  I thought this one was going to dive-bomb us, but he/she just followed us intently with their eyes.  They are such protective parents!

We took a tour of the actual fort of Fort Pickens.  It was built in the 1820's on the barrier island of Santa Rosa to defend Pensacola Bay and the Pensacola Naval Base against foreign attack.  During the Civil War, Florida seceded from the Union, and the Confederates fought the Union soldiers that occupied Fort Pickens.  The most horrific battle took place in the middle of the night and it involved the Confederates' surprise attack of the Union soldiers camped out in tents on the land just outside the fort.  The Confederates lit the tents on fire which results in many casualties.  The site of this battle is now the campground where we are currently camping.  Sacred ground!  There were several more battles that took place here, some were won by the Confederates, and some were won by the Union troops.  Eventually the Confederate troops were called back to defend territories more north of this area, and the Union gained back possession of Pensacola.  Here are some pictures of the fort:

No, George is not in jail.  The bars were added to the fort to enhance security.  

Another interesting fact about Fort Pickens is that Geronimo and about 400 Apache tribesmen and women were imprisoned here for approximately 18 months.  Their time here was spent taking care of the land around the fort to grow gardens.

After we toured the fort, another park volunteer presented a program on medicine during the Civil War.  Of course, being a nurse, I was interested in this program, so George and I attended it.  These were some facts we learned: Prior to the Civil War, there were about 500 doctors, some with formal training and some without.  During the Civil War, the surgeon general instituted standards for medical education, and 10, 000 people passed the certification test to officially be certified as doctors.  Prior to the Civil War, there were also no standards on how to care for the wounded on battlefields.  The mortality rate for wounded soldiers was about 35%,  During the Civil War, Dr. Jonathon Letterman developed standards for triaging the wounded and setting up medical units to provide care for the wounded.  Due to his efforts, the mortality rate for wounded soldiers dropped to approximately 10%.  Dr. Letterman's standards formed the foundation of battlefield medical care and they are still followed today; he is thus considered the father of battlefield medicine.  These are some surgical instruments that were used during the Civil War:

The knives and saws on the left side of the photo were amputation instruments.  The knives were used for smaller extremity amputations, like fingers and toes.  The large saws were used to amputate larger extremities, such as arms and legs.  The instruments in the middle were used to extract bullets.  The instruments on the right of the photo are scalpels and forceps.  All these instruments fit into a wooden box that medical personnel carried with them to the battlefield.  

TRAVELING ON TO FLORIDA
Yesterday was our last day at Davis Bayou Campground in Ocean Springs, MS.  We so enjoyed our time there, taking nature walks (we walked 35 miles last week!!!), and chatting with our camping neighbors.  Brian and Susan camped next to us; they have been full-time RVing for a few years and they willingly shared helpful hints about the lifestyle.  They were also avid bicyclists, and Brian showed George their foldable bikes that folded so compactly that they fit easily into the storage area of an RV.  Well, you know how George likes his toys, so we looked for a local bike shop.  Wouldn't you know it, as soon as we walked in the door, there was a used foldable bike just like Brian's!  It was in excellent condition and a really good price, so we bought it.

George demonstrating his new foldable bike

I'm not much of a biker, so I'm not sure I'll test this one out.  I may look for a foldable 3-wheeler.  We'll see.

This morning we left for Fort Pickens Campground, near Pensacola, FL.  We traveled through Alabama, and arrived safely in Florida about 2 PM.  It was a pleasant and brief (2 1/2 hours) ride.

The campground is actually located on a barrier island in between Pensacola and the Gulf of Mexico.  Our site was super easy to back in to (easy for me to say, as I just tell George when to stop backing up and he does all the maneuvering); it was a straight shot back from the main road for our loop.  We are surrounded by interestingly-shaped shade trees, and our "back yard" is a walking trail that leads to the actual fort of Fort Pickens.  We have a good size area in the back for Licorice and Taffy.  

Here's our site, A029. 

After setting up, George put my hammock together and I relaxed for awhile, watching the clouds float by above the shade trees.

I actually could hear the waves hitting the beach from this vantage point.  Ahhhh!  

With the waves calling us, we just had to take a walk on the beach.  It's a clean, undeveloped beach with soft white sand.  We saw an armadillo (I never saw a live armadillo before in its natural surroundings) and some cute sandpipers scurrying around.

Living the dream!  

PEACEFUL DAYS
We're finding our rhythm adjusting to this new lifestyle.  The last two days we spent mostly at the campground, taking long walks (we walked 6 miles yesterday and almost 5 miles today) and enjoying the landscape of southern Mississippi.  As the hours of daylight lengthen, we are seeing more budding of the trees.  Saw the alligator again today, but in a little different position. 

This was the first time I ever saw an alligator resting on turtles.  If I were one of those turtles, I think I would be a little anxious! 

George made fried chicken tonight over the campfire.  It was really tasty.

After dinner, the aroma from the outdoor cooking attracted some hungry critters.

This little raccoon was not timid at all.  Walked right through our campsite as we sat by the campfire.  There were actually two of them, but I could only get a picture of this one. 

BILOXI
Yesterday we took a drive to Biloxi, MS, where my father used to meet his friends for their annual golf outing.  I wonder which of the many golf courses he used to frequent.  It was a lovely drive along the soft sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.  We toured the home of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States.

This is a portrait of Jefferson Davis

The home's name is "Beauvoir" which means "Beautiful View", which it has.  It is right on the Gulf of Mexico

Here we are sitting on the front porch of this historic home, enjoying the view ourselves

After the Civil War, Jefferson Davis was convicted of treason, lost his citizenship, and was sent to prison for 2 years.  Jimmy Carter re-instated Davis' citizenship during the time of his presidency.  

NEW ORLEANS

Today we took a ride to New Orleans, Louisiana, just to experience this quirky place.  Plus I wanted to add another state to our travel map.

We stopped for lunch; had a cup of gumbo and a po boy shrimp sandwich.  Afterwards we visited the Cafe du Monde and had one of their famous beignets.  Delicious!  I'm sure I exceeded my weight watchers' points for today.

Here's some other historical sights of the city:

Jackson Square

The Cathedral

The Riverwalk

DAVIS BAYOU CAMPGROUND, OCEAN SPRINGS, MS
We moved from Whitten Park Campground, Fulton, MS, to Davis Bayou Campground, Ocean Springs, MS on Saturday, February 29.  The sun was shining brightly all the way and the temperature reached a welcomed 72 degrees.  Ahhhh.  Nothing like the warmth of sunshine!  Here is our campsite:

Once George was able to maneuver into this spot, it was nice.  We did meet some challenges when we arrived at the campground.  First, our CoPilot GPS app took us to a gate for the park that was closed, and George had to back the camper up down a residential street and then make a 3 point turn to get to the correct entrance.  Our backup camera definitely came in handy in that situation.  Once we got into the campground, our site was at a 90 degree angle to the road, with low-hanging trees above, and a post directly across from the site entry.  It took a few attempts to back the rig into the site, and a little help from another camper.  Mike from Iowa kept additional eyes on the obstacles around us so we wouldn't hit any of them!  Thank goodness for friendly campers! 

Yesterday was spent grocery shopping and relaxing.  Note in the picture above that George set up the hammock for me.  It's in a perfect shady place. I can lie there and watch the clouds float by or watch the birds with binoculars. 

Today we took the dogs for a 3+ mile hike, under the canopy of mature trees.  So peaceful!

We even saw a few gators along the bayou.  Can you spot them?

We made sure Licorice and Taffy did not get too close to the water.  The gators were about 3 feet in length.  They were not too active.  They seemed to be enjoying the sunshine, too.

We also drove over to Ocean Springs Beach on the Gulf of Mexico this afternoon.  It's about 4 miles from our campground. The water was cold, so no one was swimming.  The bridge behind me leads to Biloxi, MS. 

This evening, George made fried chicken on a cast iron skillet over a campfire.  Topped it off with diced potatoes that we cooked in tin foil over the fire, and a salad.  Delicious.  All in all, a great day!  We are feeling so blessed!