Parks & Recreation – Page 2 – Nancy Tart: Writing for Life

Matanzas Inlet

May 19, 2018

Matanzas Inlet

I thought I had visited all of the beaches in the Saint Augustine area. Vilano Beach Pier, Vilano at the Crossover, Saint Augustine Beach, Anastasia State Park Beach, Crescent Beach, and Butler Beach. (At least, I think I’m not leaving any names out.) But then we went to Matanzas Inlet.

Oh my goodness! This place is so beautiful! We were able to walk the inlet onto several sand bars with our rolled up pants. Okay, so the adults and wanna-be-adults rolled up their pants and waded carefully, but the children just jumped into the water and got every strand of hair on their body soaking wet.

In the inlet we observed turtles in the sand, crabs and fish in the water, birds overhead and in the dense bushes on the other side of the inlet, and humans floating on boats and a giant duck float in the inlet.

Lucas is running from the water to Daddy, who is building a sand castle in the middle of a sand bar. Beautiful place, isn’t it?

Blue water is slightly deeper than the muddy-looking water. Louis is on the far sand bar, that big yellow blob is the duck float, and the figures headed to Daddy are Jillian, Jaquline, Kimberly, and Lucas.

This picture reminded me of me and one of my little brothers, Charley, as kids! It’s Kimberly helping Lucas get to Daddy.

Our wanna-be-adults carefully wading like Louis and I were. (Christina and Rebeccah, the lovely young ladies who suddenly appeared in our house – where did the toddlers go?)

Another sand bar, another picture of my completely wet fun-loving crew and Daddy guarding the far side (actually, he’s either taking a picture or dispatching to Papi).

Matanzas Inlet has become a favorite place for lazy-day water fun. It’s not the ocean with fun waves for the thrill of surfing, but for lazy, wander-through-the-water days or days when the ocean is still a little too cold for Daddy’s liking, this will be our go-to!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

Daytona Beach Boardwalk

May 17, 2018

Daytona Beach Pier & Boardwalk

We’ve been to Daytona Beach’s park a few times. We like to park at the top of the parking garage (level 6, but today, that one was closed so we had to settle for level 5) and go down the echoing steps to the huge colorful crossover walkway to the shops and restaurants! This walkway is a covered bridge over the six lanes of traffic. It always has a strong ocean breeze whistling through the glass panels. Lucas loves the pretty pictures of fish, turtles, dolphins, and other sea life on the floor. He likes seeing the cars go under him!

Lucas and Jaquline rode all the dolphins!

But Lucas wouldn’t do the turtle – just the girls in age order.

Our Mother’s Day picture was taken at the stone fountain on the far end of the Daytona plaza. Louis took a burst shot of us (new camera function, I think) and we managed one nice picture!

We like to wander up and down the plaza where Lucas stopped three times, mesmerized by the drones. A golf cart came down the beach collecting beach umbrellas and Lucas squealed, “a tiny truck in the sand!” This made one of the teenage boys driving it turn his face red. Jillian calls out, “why is your face all burnt now?”

A helicopter completed the aerial show. Kimberly spotted it and showed Lucas and Jillian. “Can it land, Mommy?” Lucas asks. Since the Family Fun Fest and the landing of the Police helicopter, Lucas thinks all helicopters are going to land next to him!

We went back over the walkway and down the elevator to the ground floor. (These elevators are amazing, they have a window!) After playing on the stone critters, taking some pictures, walking around the city for about three miles, climbing the stairs again, going over the walkway again, and down then up in the elevator, we made it to our van.

The sun was setting on a beautiful day of family adventure!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Fort Matanzas

May 15, 2018

Fort Matanzas

If you’ve read anything else I’ve written on this blog, you probably know by now that my family is an outdoor loving brood. This adventure is one of our latest: a trip to Fort Matanzas.

Fort Matanzas is a nice place to wander around and walk the half mile covered boardwalk. It feels like you are in the old Florida jungle – except the snakes and gators are going under the boardwalk and you are on top.

Fort Matanzas has the most amazing trees! They are windswept toward the intercoastal from all of the fierce ocean winds they’ve endured. You can picnic right under them (exactly what we did!) and walk through them. You are even allowed to climb them as long as you don’t mess with the hurt limbs or the really small ones.

Lucas loved climbing them – with a little help.

We tried for a good picture… (I love digital cameras, because I can delete the hundreds that look like this and keep the one or two that might have almost everyone looking!)

The ferry was closed but they said it will reopen soon.

Lucas found some beautiful flowers at the base of the building. He said, “Mommy, take my picture with the pretty flowers for you!” If you look closely, there are two orange lilies to his right!

Days like these linger like warm sunshine in my memory and I hope the kids remember them as fondly as I do.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

Danger in Daylight

February 19, 2018

Danger in Daylight

I like to notice things, but sometimes, especially when I’m watching something more important (taking Lucas to the potty) I miss big things.

Today we went to a local park to meet some friends and enjoy the afternoon.

We had been there about an hour or so when the girls finished with their kites and skates and Lucas was purposefully tumbling on his swing-car which led Mom to decide it was time to put some things away. Jillian and I took my computer, the swing-car, the kites, and the skates back to the van and put them away. I answered a text. 3:42pm.

We went back to play on the swings. (Here, Christina, Anastasia, and Lucas all can fit on one swing!)

Less than ten minutes later our friends drove up. This mom would notice a couple parked next to her and think they looked out of place because they were staring. (Most moms are used to people staring at them because of silly things like Child A has no shoes and you make them stop in the van and put them on, Child B brought his temporary pet lizard and you toss a prayer of thanks that it didn’t escape in the van, or Child C is crying because someone else got out of the van first. It’s life.) She didn’t think much of it then.

A Frozen Treat Vendor showed up. He blocked the view to the cars with his open air vehicle. I wondered how he could keep treats frozen with no shades and open windows in front and back; but then upright freezers don’t allow heat to escape too quickly. Lucas needing to potty interrupted my thoughts. Several other families were playing in the playground too. Our kids were running around together. We mothers periodically were having panic attacks as our toddlers would disappear from sight behind a large slide.

When I walked back, there was a small crowd of people behind the Treat Vendor’s jalopy. They weren’t buying ice cream or whatever he was selling. They were on their phones. My friend asks, “have you seen my baby?” (aka toddler super silent slipper-awayer) so we looked for him. I walked around the Treat Vendor. No baby, but three busted vehicle windows. Panic about the baby surged inside – we had to find him! I hear “I found him!” and then find out what’s going on at the cars. It seems a black vehicle with a couple in the front and a younger man in the back stopped behind two vehicles, slipped between them, busted the windows, and grabbed bookbags and purses. They attacked three vehicles and fled. The police showed and filed their report. We started canceling cards and the other things adults do when they lose a wallet.

Christina’s bookbag didn’t have anything they wanted, unless they plan on selling a college history book and biology lab book – new that’s $385 but used less than $100 for both. What it did have were irreplaceable sentimental items: her Bible, her current journal, her “Faith Book” (a Sunday School project that she’s carried around for a few years with written prayers and answers), various Civil Air Patrol memorabilia with special personal meaning. They took her ID, library card, and 2 months of college notes (the whole semester, they had just come from school) too, but we can replace those. She bought that backpack years ago on sale but know the reason they took it was because they watched her walk to the car and put it up (full retail would have been $65 new). They had taken two expensive purses from other cars. It was her camel-back (holds 1 liter of water) backpack for CAP that she spent many hours working to earn money for.

We looked in the garbage bins hoping maybe they threw it away. We looked all along the road. Since they have her ID, I keep praying they will drop the unwanted stuff at our door instead of toss it away. We WANT her Bible, journals, Faith book, and two 10-cent notebooks with two months of class notes! That is what we can’t replace.

I have to look for the good: No one was hurt (doesn’t count our cut fingers and booties cleaning glass and driving home in it), they emptied my bank account at two locations with heavy surveillance which may help catch them, I didn’t have “hidden stash cash” in my wallet like I used to carry, they left the little girls’ schoolbook bag even though it was a second hand computer bag, we enjoyed some fun company, Christina has a second camel-back backpack for CAP, and God has this situation in hand.

That’s my “deep breath” to calm. Writing (typing) calms me. Despite the huge earthly probability that it won’t happen; we’re still praying and believing that Christina can get her Bible, journals, and faith book back. Please believe with us.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Chilly Hill Fun

Our fun outing to see the St Augustine boat parade at Castillo De San Marcos (rolling down the hill is their “best” part!)

December 10, 2017

Chilly Hill Fun

We’re usually busy on the weekends. Because of an unexpected break, we discovered we could go to the bayfront to watch the boats parade by dressed up in Christmas lights.

So, Mom, sisters, cousin, and brother all gathered into the van (we had to go pick one sister up from her event to join us!) and made our way to the free “nights of lights shuttle” parking area. This was my first time using this service, and it was fantastic! We arrived at the bus stop (county health department) about 4:30pm. The girls played “rock, paper, scissors” and softly sang along to the Christmas songs while Lucas announced the passing of every bus, big truck, and string of Christmas lights; usually adding “we on a bus, Mom!” We were at the parking garage drop off & did the short walk to the fort to arrive just before 5pm.

At that moment, although it was Florida chilly (low 60s) the wind chill wasn’t too bad. I kept reminding the girls to put on their jackets (which, like most younglings, they had tried to “forget” both at home and in the van).

Four girls and Lucas rolled down the fort hill (Lucas actually rolled in the flat dirt, much to the entertainment of his older sisters), ran about playing some version of “Tag” with any other child who crossed their path, and periodically bounced to the older girls’ perch on the bayfront wall asking, “are the boats coming yet?”

Kimberly, Jaquline, Jillian, and Anastasia spied a Fire Department boat with red lights and a Police boat with blue lights that appeared to be racing! They each cheered for their favorite color – blue won. But the red one stayed right in front of our spot so Lucas yelled “Hi, red fire boat!” almost every time he glanced that way for the next 20 minutes.

Finally, the boats started to line up. It was nearly 6pm and the temperature was reading low 40s with 30s wind chill! The girls were huddled together like ducklings next to mom while Louis turned into an “emperor penguin” wind barrier.

The boats were beautiful! (I have to get a camera that takes good night pictures! Everything after dark was blurry.) The first was a pirate ship! The cannon from the fort fired three shots! The girls claimed the pirate boat fired back… they were too cold to duck and cover. Then came the gingerbread-cookie boats. Anastasia and Jillian decided they tasted good and began to make chomping noises and say “yummy boat” in deep voices. By the time the neon purple one circled to the far side, the girls were frigid and when Anastasia said, “can we please go to the warm bus?” Lucas added, “bye bye boats!” and we started back.

We also had to get Christina back to CAP before 8pm!

After the fastest .7 mile family walk with Louis timing (aided by a sturdy double stroller), we boarded the warm bus and sang songs while Jillian and Anastasia goofed off and Lucas reminded everyone about each boat he had seen.

We got Christina back in time. Before we got home, only Mom and Rebeccah were still awake. So we will leave you as we snuggle with the sleepies on the couch and start watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” to end our perfect day!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Silver Springs

Exploring the Real Florida at Silver Springs

November 10, 2017

The Real Florida

What comes to your mind when you think of Florida? Sunny beaches, theme parks, high priced T-shirts, Publix supermarkets?

How about alligators, turtles, cypress trees with diameters of fifteen feet, shimmering sunlight streaming through dissolved limestone particles in gushing spring water to give a silver blue tint to the crystal clear water?

This is Silver Springs.

As the sign says (it’s the Florida State Parks logo) “the Real Florida!”

History is alive with the mementos of past years when numerous television shows and movies were made in the beautiful surroundings.

Tourists were riding on glass bottom boats in the 1870s – and if you want to feel like you are swimming with the critters without braving the cold springs water, you have to take the glass bottom boat ride! (And you are safe too; the alligators, turtles, and snakes are outside the boat and your windows have bars!)

The Captain will say “this is 81 feet deep,” and you stare down at magical swirling waters pushing fish up in rising natural roller coasters. (You can hear them squealing “weeeeeee” as they spiral up from the bottom with their tails wagging behind them.)

If you want to get even closer to the water wildlife, rent a canoe or kayak! In one of these sleek craft, you can paddle down the beautiful river and feel like you are part of the unscathed beauty of nature.

There is a boardwalk through the swamp where you can get close to the huge trees and look down into the water. Amazing birds are easy to hear but hard to catch on camera when your assistants are pretending the boardwalk is a drum for feet!

On the magnificent nature walks, you will see gigantic ancient trees and could possibly run into the wild monkey troupe!

(Or you may have your own wannabe monkey riding on you.)

Some of these trees have fallen and create amazing obstacle courses for the more adventurous in your group. (You can play “don’t step on the ground” and jump from fallen log to fallen log – just be very careful not to fall off!)

Or you can sit at the top of a leaning stump where no one can reach you. (Unless you are surrounded by wannabe monkeys who race to see who can reach you first!)

The cost to get in is only $2 a person! It is extra to ride the glass bottom boats or rent a canoe. This wild, historic destination is a perfect setting for a wedding among the wild flowers and rustic wooden arbor. Research this gem at www.SilverSprings.com and check out the Real Florida any day of the year!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

Category: Parks & Recreation

Matanzas Inlet

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Daytona Beach Boardwalk

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Fort Matanzas

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Danger in Daylight

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Chilly Hill Fun

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Silver Springs

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