Wild weather & camping

My long-planned dream of camping on St. George Island in the Florida panhandle almost didn’t happen. Like a bird dog, I’m focused on the weather before I leave town on a camping trip. Certainly less so now that I’m no longer tent camping, but still. This period of focus is a sweet spot, delicious with anticipation to leave the comforts of a house and immerse myself in the outdoors. On the days just before hitching up my little camper, I enjoy the illusion that I have complete control. I can cancel the trip. I can change the itinerary, cancel, and reserve at different parks for better weather.

Ten, nine, and finally eight days out, I’m watching a Northeastern snowstorm, the biggest in years, causing havoc. Wind, rain, and colder temps from the vast system are forecast to reach as far south as the panhandle of Florida. All five days of my scheduled December dream trip looked to be mostly rain and wind. Camping at the beautiful barrier island might not be fun. Thanks to my beautiful Hershey’s kiss-shaped Aliner camper, to whom I affectionately refer to as “Tiny Tim,” I’ve got protection for such conditions. But given the choice, do I want to spend five cold rainy days inside my little camper?

Change of plans

The weather can be beautiful in Florida in December, and it was perfect the days before my planned departure to St. George. The thought occurred: what if I just leave in a few days before the storm hits? I had the flexibility this month thanks to my seasonal work as a docent at Cracker Country. St. George, as usual, is fully booked. I searched for open campsites in the southern Florida State Parks without luck. However, I did discover openings at Ochlockonee River State Park that looked intriguing. Located in Wakulla County, Florida, south of the town of Sopchoppy in the Florida Panhandle. Check out my blog post about our visit to Ochlockonee in the days before camping at St. George Island State Park.

I packed Tiny Tim and Cleo within a few days and drove 6 hours to begin our Ochlockonee River State Park river park adventure. I’d reserved our river campsite through Monday, December 25. Cleo and I would drive an hour and check in to St. George as initially planned if the weather improved. AND IT DID! We had to navigate one stormy day, but the remaining days would be clear enough to walk the trails and visit the beach. After four days at Ochlockonee, we drove to St. George and set up camp!

Who is Dr. Julian B. Bruce?

A fellow camper friend and I speculated on the story behind the park’s name. We guessed that Dr. Bruce was probably very wealthy. We wondered if maybe he donated the land for the park. In fact, none of these guesses were accurate. Dr. Bruce lived a life of public service and was honored by having this park named for that service. How very refreshing.

After some digging I discovered this from the Florida DEP: The legislature honored Dr. Julian G. Bruce with this designation because Dr. Bruce served (1) the city of Apalachicola as an outstanding dentist for nearly half a century, (2) the Apalachicola Chamber of Commerce as its president, (3) the masonic Lodge of Apalachicola for fifty years, (4) Franklin County as a commissioner for twenty-two years, seven years of which he served as commission chairman, (5) the armed forces of the United States as a Second Lieutenant during World War I, and (6) as a charter member of the W.R. Marks post of the American legion and its post commander for two years. “

Full moon magic

The evening of our first day at St. George was nothing short of magical. We rushed out to the trail to enjoy a gorgeous sunset before returning to our semi-dark campsite to make a fire. The full moon shone in a perfectly clear sky. The night’s music sitting by the campfire was of the wind whipping the ocean surf and the waves crashing onshore.

Sacred space

There were many beautiful moments on this camping trip, more than my dear readers have time for and certainly more than I’m willing to write about. There were evenings spent by the fire with fellow campers, long walks on the nature trails, and a visit to the historic town of Apalachicola. But I will finish with a special event that occurred last morning.

In this past year, I’ve begun a morning prayer ritual. It isn’t anything fancy and specifically DOES NOT appeal to the patriarchal god images of my youth. I do take time to pray for anyone in my life who is experiencing difficulties. But mostly, waking each morning, I take time to be aware of my state of mind in the transition between the dream world of sleep and daytime life. It’s that liminal time, preparing to get out of bed, when I’m most aware of the sacred, the miracle that I am alive and able to engage with life in all its mystical pleasures.

On the last morning, as I was in this mystical place between waking and dreaming, I noticed a bright star on the ceiling of my camper. The electric heater I was using made the camper so warm I’d opened the fan on the ceiling during the night to adjust the temp. As the sun rose, the rays burst through the fan, making a star on the ceiling. As I turned to look through the window over my bed, I could see the moon descending through the pine trees. The moment filled me with wonder, a gift from the nether world, a benevolent cosmos reminding me how lucky I am to be alive.