It was great weather the other day so we decided to go with friends and take a pontoon up the Suwanee. Robin and Brutus commandeered the wheel for much of the afternoon as the rest of us were satisfied to put our feet up and just molt into the sunshine. There were no plans other than to run the river to Fanning Springs, but I did decide to take a pole and dip a worm into the crystal clear waters. It wasn’t much longer than the third cast that I felt that little hit on the line, and then the tug. Excitedly I told the group I think I have a bite. Robin respoinded with the fact that it was probably a snag on a lily pad. Much to their disbelief, I pulled in a whopper of a smallmouth. The fight was brutal and after landing this one, I decided I’d had enough for the day, putting my feet up and just chatting with friends. 
Catchin’ Whoppers
Smoke on the Water
It looks like smoke but it’s actually the morning fog lifting off the Suwanee River. Apparently Florida isn’t exempt from the wintry weather that has been wreaking havoc on other parts of the country. The last few nights the mercury has been declining into the 30’s, however the days are still sunny and we’re eeking into the upper 69’s during the day. The last two days have been uneventful to the readers’ eye but of awesome substance to this writer. Daily walks, afternoon bike rides, interspersed with watching the Suwanee flow to the Gulf. Frantically, we’ve been tracking packages and shipping destinations of our Christmas purchases. Everyone this year is receiving something that has been purchased on-line. That is, except for Robin and I have my eye on a gem just down the road in an iconic have-it-all store known as the Point of View. Throw in jaunts to Walgreens and Walmart for good measure and you have the makings of days of awesome serenity. Tomorrow is another trip on the river as friends invited us along. We had planned on a morning run and then meeting Judy and Stoney for a Blues festival in Gainsville but the trip had to be changed until the afternoon due to the overbooking of the boats. We’ll have another get together with them prior to heading north for the holidays. We ended the day by making our favorite beef soup, while Robin scooped out some homemade noodles. A fire and then some SEC football made for another glorious day.
Out of Our Past
Almost two years ago, while enroute to North Dakota, we met Stoney and Judy Neal. They pulled in next to us at the Tom Sawyer Mississippi RV Park, along the banks of the Mississippi in West Memphis, Arkansas. We quickly became friends, dining together at the Neely’s, sharing stories and having Judy entertain us with her accordion. Over those last two years we have shared an occasional email. Reading this blog, they realized we were only an hour away from their home in Williston. On Sunday, they found us, taking an afternoon cruise and surprising us with a knock on the door. It was great to see them again. Last night we returned the trip to their home. The four of us packed into the car and they led us to the Ivy House Restaurant. The Ivy House has earned a reputation of excellence. Housed in a turn of The Century Southern Home, built byDr. Willis, whose father founded Williston, the old homestead was formerly a doctors office. The original trappings of the house remain intact and it’s easy to see the that history exudes from the house. I knew we were in cuisine heaven when I spied a photo of the owner, along with Bobby Flay, of The Food Network fame. Judy and Robin played it safe with baked chicken and Stoney opted for steak. Being in Florida I chose the seafood sampler and my palate couldn’t have been more titillated. My taste buds screamed ecstacy. And it seemed as if everyone else had the same experience. This place houses the quintessential ‘southern cooking’. The ambiance is wonderful, the service is great, but the cuisine may not be better. If you are ever within an hour of Williston, Florida, do yourself a favor and partake of the fare at The Ivy House just off Main St., north on Route 45 a mere 100 yards. After dinner I followed Robin upstairs where bling-bling is sold, while she shopped for Christmas gifts for Carolyn. The hostess snapped a photo of the four of us before leaving. Back at the house, Stoney storied us on the house and adjacent lands and how it had been in the family for centuries. This history was interesting to this buff. Judy proved guide showing us memorabila and photos from their lives. It was then I understood Judy’s penchant to take up the accordion. I saw photos of her father with Myron Floren, the polka afficionado that once squeezed the bellows, starring on the Lawrence Welk Show every Saturday night during my “Leave It To Beaver” years. It was then time to show our appreciation by devouring dessert as Judy had made us a pecan pie in celebration of our get-together. We spent some time chatting over the pie and laughing into the evening prior to heading back to Yellow Jacket RV. Judy even vamped for us in her attire from a recent trip to “Nawlins”. Today I was reminded of the greatest aspect of this free living, free-wheeling lifestyle. And that’s the relationships you build. Here are two folks that we met two years ago, out of sight for the next score of months. Then they took the time to look us up and travel to see us again. What a tribute to friendship.
GypsyLarry
