February 19, 2010-Ellsworth's Visit

Last winter was not the greatest for us, health-wise. About two weeks after after arriving at Sandy Oaks RV Park, in Beverly Hills, FL, about Nov 3rd, we each had some major health issues. Mine was a wrenched back which resulted in extreme sciatic pain down my left leg to prevent me from walking. Shortly after that happened to me and I was on major pain medication, Jim had a detached retina. Soooo.... we asked some good frinds to drive us back to Atlanta to have surgery on Jim's eye the next day. Jim could not drive nor could I, so our friends, the Annis', drove their car with Jim lying across their back seat and drove our Jeep with me in the passenger seat.


Bottom line is all went well. Jim has better than 20/20 in both eyes and I had my back surgery at Emory University on March 3rd and am doing fine.

The best thing about the winter was that we had lots of guests in Florida, when we were there, to go and see manatee in the wild at our Three Sister's Spring in Crystal River. It si wonderfulto swim near the manatee in the wild.



The first group to arrive were the Ellsworths. That includes my daughter, Katy, her husband, Dan, and their boys, Tad, Jared and Reed.

We took our canoe for Jim and I and Reed, while the others rented kayaks. Reed is watching his brothers and Jim load the canoe into the water.

Jared and Tad try out their yellow kayak as we leave the dock.

Katy and Dan are now at Three Sisters. See how clear the water is! They appear to be levitating!

Here they are again--Dan & Katy.

Due to an unusually cold winter, we saw lots of manatee in the spring. The water temperature in the spring is 72 degrees and the gulf is in the 50's.

Here is Jared, the brave one, getting his mask on to go see the manatees under water.

Jared is so brave he is trying to pet a manatee and does accomplish that. It was quite cold while we were there.Here is Jared touching the manatee. Katy took awhile to be brave enough to get in the water with those big creatures but finally did it also.

Here Dan & Katy are heading back out the entrance to the spring. It is a very beautiful place!

Jared & Tad are heading back from the spring. You can tell it is cold by the sweatshirts they are wearing.