The H.E.A.R.T Experience

While in Florida, we looked up acquaintances that Joe had met while on a mission trip to Haiti way back in 1988. Art and Suetta were a real inspiration then and over the years we've kep in contact mainly at Christmas time. After Haiti they went back to Florida and just recently moved to Lake Wales which was only an hour drive from where we were staying. We made phone contact and were invited to spend a weekend with them. They live on the campus of Warner Southern College where Art is employed. During a tour of the campus we were taken to the site of H.E.A.R.T (Hunger, Education And Resource Training) and this village simulates many of the aspects of life in a third world country where students learn to adapt to an environment without many of the modern conveniences to which they are accustomed. Many others come here as well before they head out to the mission field so they can get a feel for what it's like to live in third world countries. I will say it is very, very basic living here for them...laundry is done on scrub/wash boards and there is a wringer available if you want to turn it by hand, latrines, very rustic solar powered shower facilites, raised housing with nothing but screens for windows, etc. etc. There was a youth group staying there from Boca Raton the same weekend we were there.....we woke up to frost on the grass the next morning so I hope they stayed warm with no heating in the houses.......there is electricity there but it is used only for cooking meals and for running the computers in the classrooms where they have their classes. College students can earn credits by staying here for 3 months at a time.

Also on this campus was a sculpture called, "Love Essence" which showed Jesus washing Peter's feet. Very meaningful.....a wonderful campus.

Florida Spring Training......

I've noticed that the Florida maps show the Spring Training Sites of all the famous baseball teams.... we didn't check any of them out but we chose our own sites/trails for spring training. The maps also show bike trails and we discovered two of them close to where we were staying that we used for our spring training. The 42 mile Suncoast Trail runs parallel to the Suncoast Freeway, not a quiet, peaceful ride but we did do 75 km on it one day - this is where we met all the cyclists who wanted to do some serious cycling without having to deal with traffic. Storm clouds rolled in on our way back and the last 3 km we did in the rain - oh well, I have to get used to that too. I hope we aren't going to have many rain days on the SeatoSea ride.

On another day we did 78 km on the 29 mile VanFleet Trail - this trail runs through swamp, forest and farmland so was a very enjoyable and peaceful ride. Everything in USA is measured in miles and my flight deck reads in kilometres so therefore the confusion between miles and kms. I was so focused on reaching my goal (had to better the 75 km day) that I did not stop to smile at the 5 foot alligator sunning itself right beside the path. Joe spotted it and called me back to see something so I did turn around and took a look....noticed the mileage mark where it was and on the way back made sure I crossed over to the opposite side of the path. It had moved closer to the edge of the swamp so was not as visible but I did see it again.

Folklore has it that when you see an alligator just laying there, it has just had a meal and the sunshine helps it to digest it's food. Comforting to think that it was not looking for another meal....so would not chase us. No camera with us this day so no picture to prove that we actually saw it. The colour camouflaged it to look just like a log......turtles were also in abundance, some even mating or so it seemed to us...lots of squirrels, salamanders and mosquitos but if you kept moving they didn't bother you.

From our trailer in Thonotosassa, we found country roads that we could take to do some serious cycling on as well. This was all rural with fresh strawberries ready for the picking as well as oranges if you could reach them.....the lower branches had all been picked clean. This was so rural there were no coffee shops, cafes, or variety stores so we had to take all refreshments and food with us. The Florida countryside is flat so it was relatively easy to cycle except the wind could be strong at times. The hills will have to be conquered now that we are back home.

On the day we were doing the Suncoast Trail, we all of a sudden had 3 dogs come out of nowhere and they started chasing us. Joe told me to just go faster and eventually they would get tired. My average that day improved greatly....I think more out of fear than anything else. They didn't give up for a long time and once they did, my heart was pounding. Joe remarked that the puppies would be getting sour milk for lunch because it was obvious that one of the dogs was nursing pups. Not sure what I would sooner have chase me - dogs or an alligator. I carefully watched all twigs lying on the paths in case one would slither away - that would have been my biggest fear...and on the last two days, I did notice them...

Team Adrian, Rita and Margaret got together one day to do the VanFleet Trail. Peter and Joe would be our personal trainers but before we knew it, Adrian had joined them and they took off ahead of Rita and myself. They were carrying the lunches and we knew that if we wanted to eat we would have to go to the end of the trail - sure enough that is where we met up with them, so we landed up doing the whole 58 miles that day which worked out to 95 km. The temperature was in the 70's so a perfect day for cycling.

These bike docks showed up along the trail as well- not sure exactly of their purpose ..they were usually beside the swamp that was covered with a layer of green scum - wouldn't want to try to walk on that water.

In the 14 days that I cycled, I have 705 kms under my butt - time on the other 7 days was spent visiting with friends and family, flea markets, beaches, pools, bingo (and not the Dutch, CRC type) euchre, reading, and being lazy - just an excellent holiday.