[A/S] Wellborn, Florida - Feb. 3, 2001

[hhamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Hi Gang,

 I arrived here Thursday after a short 2 1/2 drive from Unadilla, GA.  I 
turned off I-75 and onto a sand "dirt" road.  About 1/2 mile down is my 
friend's mule ranch. The house is charming.  Tin roof with porches all the 
way around.  There's an airy mule barn and a shed with Greg's toys.... 
tractors, boats etc.  Another barn houses his hobby toys... he rebuilds 
antique outboard engines. He's building his newest race engine now.

Liz, his better half was at work, she's a nurse.  I got a tour of the place 
and hooked up to water, power and a phone line. There are four "molly" mules 
here.  The breeding farm is in Wisconsin, their jack BJ stands there.

Yesterday was a pretty mellow day.  I did go down to White Springs and see 
the Stephen Foster museum and heritage center, on the banks of the Suwanee 
River. The campground there is beautiful, if I wasn't here I would want to be 
there. 

Then I wandered into a cute little antique shop/cafe.  I was given a cup of 
delicious hazelnut coffee and invited back for lunch sometime.  I explained 
that I was here briefly and I live in an Airstream.  The ladies were 
fascinated.

Today Liz and I set out for Fort White.  We spend the day there exploring the 
many antique and junk shops.  It was a nice drive through the Florida 
countryside.  

The Spanish moss, the white board fencing the Palmetto trees.....contrasted 
by the ramshackle "cracker" houses.  This is one of the poorest areas in all 
of Florida. I grabbed a real estate book.  There's a cute cedar house, built 
in 2000... a two stall barn and horse fencing on 2.5 acres... $65,000!!!! 

It's been chilly and damp down here.... in the 50s so I guess I shouldn't 
complain.

Tomorrow I head down to Ocala for a few days.  I want to see friends there 
and get Walt's RV to see the trailer and find out if they can fix the rest of 
the hail damage from the storm last summer. I can't get them to pay me for 
the damage so I'll get it repaired. They will pay for that.  Odd.

Hunter