LTI Page Six

In keeping with out ‘bucket list’ of things to do, after church we stopped in town at a little café called “Jack and Diane’s” in the historic district for a late breakfast. It was a neat little place and we had nice meals. After our usual grocery shopping we headed to Pumpkin Hill Creek SP, about 25 miles from LTI. It is one of seven parks/park locations serviced out of Little Talbot Island. It is considered an “upland park” that protects the headwaters of the St Johns River, a source of Jacksonville’s drinking water. It is 4000 acres of scrub, pines and palmetto that has a number of “trails” and pathways for hikers and horses. Many of the pathways are just ‘plow lines’ to separate burn zones to control fires. The soil is mainly pure white sand.

Early Monday morning met with Kathleen about our next task. The small shed will not be ready until probably the middle or end of next week, so that is off our “to do list.” But, she had another more involved project for us and we spent the morning checking it out and gathering our equipment and paint supplies. It’s a building that they are remodeling for us as a bait shop. The contract for a concessionaire is out for bids and they are working at getting it all prepared. It is at the north end of an old bridge that is now used solely as a “fishing” bridge with no vehicle traffic. We will get started on it Tuesday – if it does not rain. We had thought about riding our bikes, but it is nearly 6 miles along highway A1A, which is busy.

This is the bait shop we are working on now. We have painted the front side where the ladder is leaning.

There are lots of people out fishing on this old bridge which was built in 1948. On the weekends it is nearly full. Several places in this area they have left the old bridges standing for use by fishermen.

Monday afternoon excitement! A couple walking the nature trail next to our camper came up to tell us that there was a diamond back rattler on the trail. By the time we got to the spot in the trail, the snake had moved about 5 yards off the trail (out of the bright sun shine) in amongst some live oak saplings. Here he/she is…really hard to spot in the dead oak leaves and sun beams.