Sinks Road

This weekend was another adventure. Most everyone was camping down at Goose Pasture, and my boys (Ben, Diesel, & Daniel) were all in Arkansas on their annual Duck Hunt. I was busy Saturday, but Ashley and I made it down Saturday night for a little reunion fun.

Then Sunday it was off to the Races! (And Dead Man's Sink)

This is a sink hole right off of Sinks Road, I don't know if it has a name- but the parts that aren't strewn with trash sure are pretty!

There were 4 vehicles in our convoy- Dale & Janice in their cart, Duck & Ruby in their truck, Paul & Kim in their Jeep, and Mark, Debra, Sarah & Me in their Jeep. We looked like parade coming thorough the woods.

Our first stop, there is a little spring here, that's where the sitting water is from. Dark line on the trees?! Pretty sure that's where the water reached when everything was so flooded after Faye. The lines get lower on the trees the further you go up the hill...lending to our theory.

Here at the bottom of the picture is the spring. You can see it bubbling up, not strong but at continuously- enough to keep all that water on the ground.

The country version of Macy's day parade...

Once at the races, I wanted pictures of everything. This rock ledge has water sitting underneath it. There are little minnows in there, it's pretty cool.

Debra trying to get Pay to stay still long enough that she could get her pictures taken.

The races! This is where the Wacissa river (on the right) pours into the Aucilla river. When the Wacissa is lower I'm told it makes a mini waterfall. I wanted to swim in it SO bad...we may have to make another trip down this summer.

See that pretty round log there in the middle of the picture laid across the water?!

I thought I did, then I zoomed a bit and realized it wasn't a water-logged log, it's a really rounded rock! I bet that sucker is slippery as all get out.

This place is just gorgeous- and the sound of the water rushing is mesmerizing. All I could think (besides how pretty it was) is that it would be a great place for a nap!

Just flowers.

I love cypress trees...

They love each other, lol.

Sarah and her stick that she found...it was important at the time.

Haha- GOT HER!

Mark led us through this stuff...for nothing. There was nothing to see at the end...but we love him anyway...

X marks the spot!

Hunting for arrow heads in the field...

Taking pictures at Dead Man's Sink.

I love that silly palm tree.

Debra, chasing Pay, who was chasing Scratch...haha

Gorgeous

Still in the sink

Everyone on the "beach"

I crossed over to the other side, haha, but just for a bit.

Look at that huge root growing through the rock, that is commitment right there.

Something about this tree- I love that it is growing in two completely different ways- but when it comes down to it- it's all the same. haha.

L.W.C....who knows...but it's been there awhile!

Family portrait time! haha

"There is no key!!!"

This was SO much fun, never a dull moment off with this crew- and there is no where I'd rather be! Love ya'll!

My (big) Little Sister

I felt bad that everyone knew about Stanton (he is in the dove pictures from...November) but not about Amanda- so here she is.

This is Amanda, we were in the truck, about to go into Stetson's. She is 3 years and 1 day younger than me. She turned 18 to my 21 this year- so naturally I'm happy to be her going out buddy. (Even though she spilled my last drink all over me Friday night, haha)

She graduates from Flordia High this year, has an amazing boyfriend (that's his hand there in the picture), plays the violin like nobody's business, AND she is taller than me.
Yes, to my dismay she is like the rest of the "freaks of nature" as Paul calls them, and isn't average size like he and I are (haha)- so I have to point out when we are being introduced that although she is taller- I am older.
That's my Amanda.

East of the River, East of the Creek

The 17th we rode down through the East side of the river, this time we were going to walk in to see the other side of our new-found spring and see whatever we could see. We were happy to have some new company this time- Joe, Tammy, Kim, Uncle Todd, Cody & his girlfriend.

Tammy & Joe (and her shiny bag) headed out to the woods.

Thought this was crime scene tape at the time (everyone looks like a search party out in the woods), turned out it said something like "Gas line below". haha.


It wasn't long before we hit water. But we weren't at our creek yet.

Tammy, Sarah, & Debra- Adventure women

Mark's new ensemble included boots, he didn't want wet feet this time.

Debra and I were ready incase he fell in.

The camera bug got ahold of Kim, and she did us all one better! She brought 2 cameras...just in case.

Daddy, Mommy, & Sarah. It was cute watchin them cross this creek!

Found it! Here we are, back at the spring we discovered the week before.

Tammy decided to take a break and enjoy the view.

Someone made it here before us...even if it was long ago. He left his tree stand.

I couldn't resist another angle. There is always another way you can see things, even if it's just 4 or 5 boards up in a tree.

The bag ladies, these are our beer bags. Tammy- silver & sparkly, Janice- Christmas present bag "Let it Snow", Debra- blue drawstring, and Kim- with the very practical backpack.

Ruby had her a big ole bag too, but she had snuck off back to the truck with Duck by now.

Sarah had her treasure shovel too. She said she was going to dig for gold!

"I ain't sayin she's a gold digger..."

I was still sneaking pictures of her

She caught me!!! Aaahh!

But she didn't hit me, Janice saw her first, lol.

Still treking around in the woods...

Mark says it looks like this may have been an old hog pen, but if you look at the picture (the big version) you can see that this tree was used as one of the "posts" in a corner of the pen years and years ago. Since then, the tree has grown, and the wire didn't move, leaving scars that almost look like lashes from a whip. In some places the tree has grown completely around the wire, absorbing it to the point that you can't even see it!
Interesting!

Tammy sitting again, Sarah digging again...

"What's that in your jacket Janice?!"

It was beer, in her pockets. Too funny!

We adventurers made it back to the trucks, and almost everyone had to sit down.

Bear grass...according to Uncle Todd it grows very close to hidden things...

Do you think we tested the theory?!