Camping “super chair” gets a new home!

Have you ever had one of those outdoor fabric chairs that you absolutely love sitting in? Well, if you have then you’ll probably relate to this story.

My wife Karen and I do a lot of camping and fishing.  Although most of our fishing is from our Sea Eagle inflatable boat, there are times when I like to fish from shore, and I don’t like sitting on the ground.

Although I’ve owned a few fabric chairs over the years, I’ve NEVER found one that actually holds up for more than a year or two, until we bought my current chair, made by Coleman, which I think is going on its third or fourth year.

So, what’s the point of this story?  Well, I’ll tell you.  My Coleman chair is in top condition and more comfortable than any I’ve ever had.  It not only has two cup holders, it even has a small cooler pocket to keep things cool. The problem is, the carrying case literally disintegrated, which made it totally unusable. Carrying this chair without a home is a task since it just wants to open and be sat in!

Since my “super chair” needed a new home, I was a little confused as to how I could just buy a carrying case, without the chair inside.  After much thought, I finally decided I’d sew a new case.  That’s right, I said “sew” a new case!

Since I’d been sewing stuff for many years already, I had very little fear about recreating a carrying case that would work well.

You might be thinking, is this guy a little strange or what?  Taking on the task of sewing a new carrying case for my favorite collapsible chair instead of just buying a new one.  It’s just what I do!  I’ve made everything from worm pouches to a robe, so sewing a new carrying case didn’t faze me one bit.

It all started with a simple drawing, based on all the measurements I’d taken to give the new case a custom look and one that would make the chair fit comfortably inside.

With plan in hand, we went to Wal-Mart’s fabric section and chose a heavy duty fabric that I thought would work.  Naturally I made sure the fabric color matched the chair.  Since the fabric bolt was 60” wide, I only bought one yard, because I knew if I laid my plan sideways, it would fit just fine.

I laid the fabric on the floor and after double checking all my measurements, I started marking out and cutting my pattern.

I was glad that I had the original carrying case as my guide, or I probably wouldn’t have undertaken this challenge.

Luckily I reused the drawstring and the shoulder strap.  Wasn’t sure our sewing machine would easily sew the strap since it was so thick, but it worked just fine.

For the bottom, I cut two round pieces of plastic tarp and glued them to the fabric with Gorilla glue to strengthen it.  Now I have a camping “super chair” that has a new home for years.

A Burrowing Owl keeps lookout for predators!

Being blessed enough to live in such a beautiful state has been a great reward for us.  Mostly due to the fact that Karen and I both love the outdoors and all that lives there,

including alligators, as well as the many other varieties of birds, mammals & fish.

We’re extremely fortunate to have a family of burrowing owls living less than 100 yards from us where the babies have just left the nest to find a home of their own.  There is also another nest a few blocks away that has four small babies that are just turning color.  At first they were little white fluffy balls of fur, but now the spotted brown color prevails.

Since we are more into nature, finding a new kind of animal is of great interest to us, so we’re always on the lookout for those creatures that cross our path.  We even buy books on the species we like including any type shells.  We even carry plastic cards in our cars to identify anything we can’t.

One such animal is the Florida Burrowing Owl.  I just can’t help myself when I see them because they are such gorgeous creatures, especially when they are babies.  Even when they are full-grown, they only reach 9” and are considered the smallest species of owls.

With most owl species the female is larger, but in this owl’s world the female is smaller.

These beautiful birds actually live underground and they dig their own homes instead of using an abandoned hole in the ground.  They literally make the dirt fly when they are busy digging in.  But it’s not uncommon for them to live in an abandoned gopher or squirrel hole when they get the opportunity.

Unlike many other nocturnal owls that like the cover of night, Burrowing Owls are diurnal.  In other words, they like the daylight!  I guess they just like sleeping in until the sun comes up before looking for breakfast!

Burrowing owls eat anything from bugs to lizards and rodents, and they even like small frogs when they can get them.  They can eat up to one half their body weight daily.

The Burrowing Owl can easily be found in the fields of Central and South Florida, but it also can be found in South America and even as far North as Canada.  Today this cute little creature is considered on the endangered species list.  They were here long before the housing boom started and fortunately they are totally protected so you can’t even move their nest if you want to build that dream home you’ve always wanted.

One really cool thing about these little beauties is that they can actually rotate their head around 180 degrees.  Can you imagine if you could rotate your head like that?  The real beauty about this is they can see anything that is trying to sneak up on them from behind.

Their breeding time is in early spring when the female will lay several eggs, which take about a month to hatch.  Normally the chicks will leave the nest around 42-45 days to go live on their own and start their own families.  Ironically this is the same time they learn to fly. Unfortunately burrowing owls only live about 9 years in the wild.

When an adult male is at its burrow and wants to attract a female owl, it will make a loud sound that sounds like “who-who.”  Then when the female arrives, they make a totally different sound to each other.  I wonder how you say I love you in owl sounds? 

There is something that threatens the burrowing owls existence and that is the agricultural use of a pesticide called carbofuran, which has already been banned in Canada.  Another threat is the plowing of fields where they live.  Developers don’t exactly build around a nest when there’s so much money at stake in making homes for us humans. 

So, if you’re near a burrowing owl’s nest, please take as many photos as you like, but whatever you do, don’t harass them or upset their daily life cycle.  After all, they were here way before we were so they have a right to the land and would speak up if they could. Please give them the space they deserve.

I suggest you get this book called: Buffy The Burrowing Owl as it will give you a much better understanding of these beautiful creatures.

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

I’m sure you already know how the market is filled with a lot of action cameras like the GoPro, and they all have their unique characteristics to give one a lot of variety to how they want to use them, not to mention all the accessories that allow the owner to do everything action related.

If you’re a skier, there’s a helmet mount for those thrilling downhill shots, or even those crash-into-something shots.  Or, you can attach them to a bicycle handle bar and record just about every trick you can do.

           They even go underwater for those beautiful fish or corals shots, or even you on a surfboard.

Our JVC camcorder was a good one and served its purpose, I decided that getting an action camera that would be waterproof would be a great idea.

           Since we do lots of camping and fishing, I wanted to shoot and post videos to YouTube, and I did with the JVC, however, it wasn’t waterproof and we knew if it got even a little water on it, then that would end its life as a recording camera.

 My research started with checking out a GoPro Hero and ended up with me ordering one. When it arrived, I charged it, installed the micro SD card and starting recording a few things in our house

Immediately, I noticed that the wide angle was a lot more than what I was looking for.  I could stand three feet from any object and see everything out to my left and right side.  Not exactly what I was looking for so I turned around and sold it on eBay!  That’s what I call perfect recycling!

During one of our weekly shopping trips, we walked into the camera department and I saw a few action cameras so I started taking notice what they did and what type of lens they had, etc.

When we arrived home, I started doing my regular research and was a bit overwhelmed with the information available.

I was more interested in the Vivitar DVR786HD, I gathered as much information I needed to start my search for one I wanted.  I found a few that I liked, but didn’t want to wait for them to be shipped.

So, during our next camping trip we wanted to do some fishing a little later, we drove up to the nearest store and bought a Vivitar DVR786HD action camera.

We drove back to our RV where I charged it and installed a micro SD card, and then I did the overall setup, which was easy. I had a great time recording little things, taking photos and just giving it a good test. 

            We did go fishing and ended up recording a large bluegill catch, which I posted to YouTube the next day.

            What I liked the most was the fact that the lens angle or field of view was more concentrated around my subject, which was the fish.  You can set 3 different quality levels so I tried them all.

            The quality is good on all the levels.  But the only thing I found I didn’t like was that the use of the zoom made the subject a little fuzzy. 

Just to sum this up, the Vivitar DVR786HD has a 12.1 megapixel with full HD 1080P @ 30fps. Waterproof up to about 10’, a 2” preview screen, 4X digital zoom and a wireless remote control, and all under $60!

            If you’re thinking of buying an action camera, put this one on your list of ones to fully check out.

            I’ve attached this recent video so you can also see the quality: https://youtu.be/jADvtjD3isA  

Eager Bass hooks self!

Catching Bass is a new sport for us and we will try almost anything to catch some legal ones to eat.  Since I’m so new at it, I normally miss a lot of strikes, but now and then we land one or sometimes even two!

It was Labor Day weekend 2011 and we were camping a few days at South Bay RV Campground on Lake Okeechobee here in Florida. 

South Bay RV Campground is a very good place to park your RV or tent since it’s managed by Palm Beach County and has all the pluses for good camping, i.e., cement sites, water, sewer, electric, internet and cable TV at only $26 a night!  Naturally, we love the fishing so this is a favorite place for us to camp for a few days.

We have camped at this park on several different occasions since the purchase of our little 14’ “love nest” trailer in 2009.

We never take our little Sea Eagle inflatable boat into the main lake since there’s a rim canal in this area and there’s plenty of fishing for such fish as Bass, Bluegill, Crappie, Channel Catfish and some others. 

The entire launch area has been upgraded with new steel fishing docks and a cement trail for hikers.

Although most people fish for bass, we usually fish for keeper size Bluegill or Channel Catfish, which we normally catch. Most of them are returned due to small size, but we will keep anything over 8” as they make a delicious meal.

What we like doing is catching a very small (2” to 3” bluegill), hooking them up to a large hook and letting them swim around until something bites…….. and it’s usually a bass!

While I was watching my bobber for any signs of a bite, Karen’s pole had a small bluegill hooked through the nostril just waiting for something to bite.

All of a sudden Karen’s line started moving through the water at a rather fast rate.  We picked it up and I made an attempt to set the hook.

It didn’t take much to reel this bass in although it was fighting all the way to our boat; it just wasn’t that big to start with.  We got it next to our boat and Karen netted it.

When I picked up the bass, I could see that it wasn’t hooked with the large hook we had put into the bluegill, instead, the bass had somehow managed to bite open the swivel and it was hooked with the thin wire that normally closes any swivel. 

We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw the large hook literally hanging out of the bass’s mouth with our bluegill bait totally gone.

The bass in this photo is only 14” long, but it still put up a good fight for its size.  This just goes to show anyone who fishes for bass that they are normally hard to hook, unless they just hook themselves

What.....a walking catfish?

Have you ever seen a fish that walks?  I don't mean watching it on some nature channel; I'm talking about actually catching one and watching it walk back to its watery home.

I was fishing a portion of the Myakka River in Myakka River State Park when I hooked into this little catfish.  After reeling it in I noticed it wasn’t a regular looking catfish with smooth, slippery skin like most.  It had little hard looking scales that looked like armor.  Found out later that it was an armored catfish.

Once I had it out of the water, it wiggled a lot and released itself from its hooked position, when it dropped to the ground; it almost immediately started walking back to the river.

I had our camera sitting close by, so I grabbed it and started recording.  This little armored catfish would walk a few inches, then rest, and then walk again, and all the time it was pointed toward the water just inches away.

I called Karen over to see this little walker make it back to the water and she couldn't believe her eyes, and neither could I.

Personally, I find this little fish just another of nature's miracles and it excites me to watch an amazing act of nature such as this.  I couldn't help saying to myself, "what…. a walking fish?". 

Come enjoy Sun-n-Shade RV Resort

     We have camped at Sun-n-Shade many times over the years and can say that it is a hidden gem as far as campsites go.  Although this is an older park, it has all the amenities one would like during a camping adventure.
     Many residents make this park a full time home and they are super friendly and are always willing to help you if you need it.
     Right in the middle of the park, there's a beautiful swimming pool that gets almost daily use because it's kept clean and tidy everyday. The pool is attached to a small building that house restrooms and laundry facilities. You always see people resting around the pool while doing laundry at the same time.  If you drive all the way to the back of the property, you'll even find a small putting area for golf fans.
     Near the front of the property, there's a recreation facility for gatherings to meet new campers or permanent residents, or just having special events to celebrate.
     There are 30 amp and 50 amp sites, electricity, water, sewer, and you can even purchase internet service if you need it, and of course you get excellent television reception from local stations and you don't even need a satellite dish. 
     Because a State Wildlife Preserve surrounds this park, you'll find a mix of palm trees as well as pine trees, which gives a degree of privacy and seclusion.
     You'll even find two adult Sandhill Cranes that roam the property looking for a free food handout. These birds are not only beautiful, but they can also be loud when they choose.  At least you always know when they are around.  Very picture worthy since they are tall and stately looking.
     During the summer months, there is virtually no competition for sites, and there are many, so we choose one of the few sites we prefer.
     The onsite manager is a pleasant person who has been there running things for many years.  She not only runs the daily operations, but pitches in to help out when staff is short.
     One thing we like the most is that there are plenty of nearby lakes to fish that produce Bass, Tilapia, Mayan Cichlids, Bluegills and Catfish.
     You won't want to miss the short drive to Webb Lake, and for a small admission fee, you can drive for miles along the lake, where you can fish or take advantage of one of the primitive campgrounds. There's even a shooting range inside this well protected area.
     One very nice feature about Sun n' Shade is that it's just a few miles from restaurants and shopping if you need any supplies.
     The staff is very friendly and available 7 days a week.  You don't even have to drive to a dumpster, just set your bags out by the road and they will pick it up and dump it for you.
     Since this park is located off of Hwy. 41 just a few miles south of Punta Gorda, you have easy access to the I75 freeway, which takes you north toward Tampa, or South toward Miami and Key West. The park entry is very identifiable with a huge American flag and a lighted sign for evening travelers.
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South Bay RV Campground

Camping can be a real delightful experience if you’re in the right park at the right time of the year.

We’ve only been RV camping since 2006, but we now have our favorite campgrounds on a list of those we frequent the most here in Southwest Florida, I mean like every few weeks or so without fail.

Summertime in our neck of the woods is a lot of humidity with almost predictable rain showers in the afternoon.

So, with that in mind, we always do our fishing in the morning and are usually finished before noon. 

Since my birthday is in mid summer, I get to choose the one campground we love among our favorites.  For us, South Bay RV Campground is that special place.

      Our drive is a few hours East from our home on the Gulf side of the state, of course we make our usual stop at the Wal-Mart in Clewiston for some last minute goodies for our weeklong stay.
      South Bay RV Campground is actually located about 18 miles East of Clewiston in a small town called South Bay……….go figure!

The entire park is surrounded by a small canal that is filled with fish of all kinds, a couple small alligators, and there’s even a small lake called Shiner Lake, where I’ve even caught and eaten some big Channel Catfish……..YUMMY!

Shiner Lake has a walking path all around it so anyone can get his or her exercise walking or riding a bike.

South Bay RV Campground is under the supervision of Palm Beach County, so all the 100 plus 30 Amp and 50 Amp campsites are all paved with water, sewer and even cable TV, as well as Wi-Fi.  For the kids, there’s even a playground.  If you like to have a group meeting onsite, you can use the Pavilion recreation hall, you can also use one of the two laundry rooms if you need it, where your clothes will be super safe.  There are also 18 handicap spaces available should you require one.

Someone is in the office everyday except Sunday’s and when you check in, they give you a little packet showing where your site is, and the gate code to get in after hours.

One of the major advantages of camping at South Bay is the fact that it is right next to the largest lake in the state of Florida, Lake Okeechobee!  Which just happens to be famous for its bass fishing.

You just drive out the front gate, go up the dyke, and down the other site to the rim canal and boat launch.  You can’t see the main lake from here, but there is plenty of fishing in more calm waters.

The next closest town is Belle Glade and is only a few miles North of South Bay.  They have massive sugar cane fields and a large processing plant nearby. 

Since I like to also choose a good restaurant for my special day, we love to eat at a place in Belle Glade called Wah Lan’s.  You guessed it; some great Chinese food served buffet style.  Don’t know how its possible, but the waitress actually remembers us every year, so she’s very accommodating.

Although Lake Okeechobee is noted for great bass fishing, and it is, there is also some great fishing for channel catfish, which I love eating, some crappie, which I’ve never personally caught, plentiful bluegills, which I catch and release a lot of, except for what I use to catch bass with, Mayan Cichlids, which I also love eating, and a few other types of fish I normally don’t keep.
Yes, there are a few alligators around, but they not only don’t let you get very close, but they just overall leave you alone and watch from a distance, thank goodness.

During the summer months, usually from June through September, you can camp for half price, which makes this a super great deal for anyone who is willing to put up with that summer humidity.

Overall, we highly recommend camping at South Bay RV campground anytime you get the chance.  Happy Camping!
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