Nothing Today

Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.

--Lao Tzu

Today was a day of no adventures, a day of doing nothing.  I’m staying in a town called Titusville (yes, that’s the real name) which is near Port Canaveral, Florida.  I found a spot in an enchanting little park with the comical name of Manatee Hammock Campground.   At first I pictured an actual manatee swinging peacefully in a hammock, but then I found out that “hammock” simply means a grove of trees.   Manatee Hammock, Rattlesnake Hammock, and amusingly Banana Hammock (that really exists in Fort Pierce, Florida).

No manatees in hammocks, but a lot of shady trees here

There are actually several hammocks that I’ve come across in Florida:

But enough of the childish humor in funny names; I’m making my way up the eastern coast of Florida and found this beautiful park to stop in.  Originally I chose this spot because I was considering going to the Kennedy Space Center which is just across the water from Manatee Hammock, but when I arrived here I decided a day of nothing would be an excellent adventure of it’s own for a change.  It’s a very peaceful environment here:  a tall canopy of trees shades the campground and it’s right on the shores of the Indian River.  The trees are apparently full of cicadas or other singing insects, and they fill the air with a constant, almost electric-sounding buzz.  I know that sounds like it might be an annoying noise, especially since it continues non-stop all day long, but it really isn’t.  They create almost a hypnotic background hum that is loud enough that it drowns out any noise from the road or other people in the campground, but it’s quiet enough that it’s not overbearing and is actually a bit soothing.  If I could bottle up the essence of this place it would make an excellent product to sell to people that live in the hustle and bustle of big cities, or even or someone who just wanted to slow their life down a bit. 

That's not his tongue!

I set my folding chair up outside my van and was able to finish Travels with Charley in between a couple of small naps. There were an amazing amount of critters that kept me company while I was reading and napping.  Little lizards kept scampering through the leaves on the ground and jumping up onto the picnic table.  They’d run for several inches, then stop and puff their necks into brilliant red and yellow balloons, and then run again.  Squirrels chased each other through the branches in the treetops above me, while a few hawks swooped down into the campground.  I think the squirrels took note and they’d race into thick patches of leaves or into holes in the ground when the hawk would fly through.  Out on the water, giant blue herons hunted for fish. They’d stand like statues in the shallow edges of the river with the water halfway up their long legs.  Their heads would turn slowly, and then suddenly lunge forward into the water, sometimes returning with a fish in their beak.   There also were some funny, stout white birds with long, curved orange bills that wandered the campground. They looked similar to the sand pipers I see at Pismo Beach, but they were a bit larger and fatter.  None of the animals seemed to take particular notice of me—I think they were pretty used to people being about. 

I like the way the sun caught this cloud in the evening

It ended up being a nice relaxing and sleepy day.  Without any adventures I thought it would pass slowly, but somehow it slipped away and before I knew it, it was evening again.   Tomorrow I’m heading a bit farther north to Fernandina Beach.  From there I was planning to start making my way back west, taking a southerly route through Missouri, Louisiana, and Texas but all the storms and flooding in that area have got me rethinking my route.  I suppose I still have a few days to figure it out, but perhaps I’ll head up the east coast a little bit more and see what happens to the weather in the south in the meantime.  Until then, I have a few more hours left to do nothing.

A bunch of kids were playing with sidewalk chalk. There were lots of rainbows
and clouds and other pictures drawn on the street.
And apparently even the kids know that life goes too fast sometimes!
(It says "Slow it down you butt hole")