Ocala Gathering 2012 Scouting Announcement

Agreed, and well said!

 

I'd like 2 know the shortest under 35 mph road between rainbow & silver springs state parks. Does such an animal exist? This could be a side focus for family. The reason I wish for under 35 is this is generall safest to walk or ride a bike on. & sometimes one can drive tractors on these. That's my dream. To ressurect cross florida barge canal. Tho reducing barges to kayak/canoe/pirogue, size. Been my dream since approx 1995. How many dams/locks r involved? This effort if several miles of portaging r involved would eventually stumble upon family. If not would provide a way in &/or out of that vicinity. A win/win situation. Providin focused ocala energy. I've mapped water route allway from shawnee. & this is in a slow fashion too. So smaller boatmotors could apply. Mid october-mid feburary. Folks would be too tired of paddling to make nonsense.

 

Man, Id be down there in a second if i could get away for a few months. I hate the cold midwest weather,

 

Any updates?

 

The only update , as to date, is that the permit signers are on there way to ocala......

 

Cool Beans. Myself and Wild Bill and Stony plan on attending. See you there. Can't wait for the details to be posted.

 

Yup, Awesome experience and the station is same as the Bus. The other (Different Route North) Amtrak route station is Deland, FL.

Tradin' Bill a.k.a. Fla_Hippy]

 

Hi bill, thx 4 th reply. What I've been wanting to do is carry a boat on the auto train. The longest single vehicle allowed is 32 ft. They didn'tgo 4 th idea of a hand pulled boat cart cuz the wheels r 2 narrow. A trailer w/ several narrow boats on it would be awesome. Just tryin 2 find way around necessity of carrryin a unnecessary land vehicle along.

 

Well, Florida family and those attending this awesome gathering.....It looks highly doubtful that I will be able to attend. Have the cash, but I have to travel to Oklahoma on the 2nd of January to pick up my handicapped son. He is 29 going on 14 and his dad can't handle him anymore due to health concerns. It is too much on him and his wife. It is too much on me but I am his mom and somebody has to do it. I will have to try and find him a permanent placement. For now it looks like I got to step up to the plate. It is gonna take my gathering fund to make the trip to Oklahoma. Unless somehow I get more funding from somewhere. And then I have two to plan for and get funding. Unless somehow things change in the next two weeks. Anything is possible.

 

Good luck Cricket. Hope things turn up for you so you can make the gathering.

Hey k, What about inflatable boats. They've came along way in quality construction. My bud, J. Bell took a inflatable Marlboro canoe from our river here to the Wabash to Ohio RIver to the Mississippi. He went thru the locks just like barges do. Some one did a documentary on him. I've got the DVD. He was one of my best friends growing up. Check it out.nobodythefilm.com/news.php

 

thanks indy, I 4got 2 write that down last time. Last year a semi-acquaintance was planning a float down the wabash, doing drum circles along the way. He had inflatable raft, with seats & oarlocks, whole 9 yards. I've no idea what happened 2 him tho. But it inspired me that shawnee regional being rite there in october. The tenessee r rvr as well goes 2 th gulf. & i'd think would be something of a shortcut too. The only thing is that it would take a huge commitment of time. But there are kids(as in jerry's kids) out there w/nothing to do who could benefit from this by focusing energy on getting to ocala by a slow process instead of quickly going there & hangin round the forest many month, again doing nothing. This is one of the problems ocala has. Kids going early. & there are adoptable boats out there too. Now I've heard from others the locks costsomething & they drug test & one needs a pfd. I tend more toward what u said, indy that locks do let ne1 thru. & i'd think certainly one would need a pfd on a 1000+-float. This was just some1 pointing out things I may not have thought about. & from waht ur saying it's been done many times. I've had many nay sayers on this concept. Too it's been said that family isn't competent enough to do this. That some1 would drown becuz of being too stoned or something. I find that pessimistic. I have confidence family can do this. Or something like it. Many will do the palenque thing. An abbreviated great loop would be actually easier than open ocean to yucatan. & in some ways more practical cuz no passport is needed. & being a loop done over again. There is even time to do both. But it's running out. I'd hoped 2 get enuff ppl 2gether 2 loop once 2 ocala bak up 2 shawnee vicinity in spring, then bak down 2 mebbe appalachian possible natls. Then palenque frm natls. But natls may be northeast, which would be slightly more difficult.

 

So this is y I'm mentioning the auto train as it would facilitate folks just wanting 2 float. On regular amtrak service one one can't carry very much stuff. Imagine family inundating the auto train on foot or small tractors pulling boat carts? & this twice a year going 2 & from ocala? Or just once comin from west from the gulf. Deland is realtively close 2 th forest. I've ridden bicycles all around there. I onceused my overturned bike asa tarp pole 2 sleep under. I was close to the gathering. I dint get any sleep cuz people bugged me all nite seeing if I was ok. I finally gaveup & asked 4 ride 2 the gathering so I could get some sleep.

Another great thing about auto train is that it deposits one near dc. & there's always something goin on there family-wise. A never-ending protest.

It's a kinda funny story in armchair adventuring I came across an old map that showed a connecting waterway between potomac rvr & ohio rvr. & I asked around allover th place. Even here several times. No one knew what I was talking abt. Even people who lived there. Geez ppl lay offf the weeed occasionally. Turns out however the c&o canal has just been restored as a natl park. So far: electric motored boats can be used some places. Free camping is alllowed. It may be shallow, narrow, low in some places.

But most evry time I mention the great loop ppl object it'
S too far.. well c&o canal shortens it a lot. & I'm armchairing portage frombarge canal/rainbow rvr/withlacoochee(?). & I've challenged several yuppie boating groups to races.

& I tried 2 get katrina/oilspill rescue float goin on her(hf's) bak in th day.

 

By the way, hi cricket. I dunno exact details but it seems in springfield mo near me is relatively decent facilities for your son. Just something 2 consider.

 

Our roomate/landlord shits himself all the time. & this isn's a physicqal disability. He's too impatient/childish to wipe his ass either or wash his hands or wear underwear. Often does this in shower. & carries a gun.

 

I came from roadawg lifestyle into this household. & quite honestly sometimes I thinkbeing on the road/streets is easier. Often I'll go bak 2 the road 2 keep frm losin my mind. But I'm mostly here 2 protect other roomate who is rainbow sister.

 

Yippeee! Looks like I may get to come after all. My ex-hubby decided to man up and take care of things himself. The caseworker and he rented my son a place and Harold is going to try living on his own with supervision. And they are looking for a roommate for him. Meanwhile between the family there and social services he will be supervised. If it does not work out then it will be plan B. Until then I am free to come to Florida and camp out and see my daughter and her family. And I may not have to ride the Greyhound bus either. I may have a ride down with a fellow Rainbow. He needs gas money. He is stuck living in his van just 50 miles away. He wants to go to the gathering and hang where it is warmer. Thanks for all your prayers to whomever.

 

Good deal, cricket.