 Randy bought a new Jeep! We love to take friends out for trail rides. There is something special about getting people out to see the real Florida and our diverse wildlife. Gators are commonplace here and now it looks like we will always be guaranteed to see some, at least on this Jeep. Introducing the newest Jeep to our Family.... drum roll please,,,, 2010 Wrangler JKU It is a one owner with a stellar car fax report. All service done at the same dealer on time with service and recalls. Thank you Walter Hall for taking care of her so diligently. She has gone to a good home and going to be loved on. First things first, new tires, 31” Milestar Patagonia Mud terrains. Some grab bars, and LED headlights and fog lights. A new cover seal for the Dana 44 in the back. Randi will pick out a stubby bumper for the front and a winch. Some sliders for the side and eventually a rear bumper. Down the road a slight lift and e lockers, that all depends on where she wants to take it. We are looking to build a mild trail ride vehicle for stock trail rides. Why a JKU? Her main reason was 4 doors and 3 rear seat belts. Another big pulse is the automatic transmission. I may be 6 3 but she is down in the low 5 foot something range. On the 07 she had to move the seat all the way up and still had issues pushing the clutch all the way in. The dash also is so low that you rub your shin while shifting. That also puts the airbag very close. The new Jeep is for her and she loves it so far. Easy to drive and handles smooth. Now to address the elephant in the room... or because we are in Florida, the GATOR in the room. Walter, the original owner, is a BIG gator fan. His new Gladiator is getting a Florida Gator overhaul as I write this. Congrats on the new Jeep Walt. For anyone who knows me, I grew up in Tallahassee. FSU has always been my team a choice as is the same for my Mom who got her PHD from there. Sisters, brothers and friends. My summers in middle school were spent there at what I called snake school. We studied reptiles and birds as well as gathered specimens from the panhandle area. Randi showed me a photo and said “ I want to go see this Jeep” one look and my replay was No, No , No NO! The hood was a work of art, the doors a statement, the tire cover a bold proclamation of domination, and to top it off the seat were covered in blue and orange... like the University of Florida blue and orange. There were little chrome gator logos fastened about. Swamp bound... don’t touch my Jeep she said. No you can’t get a FSU tag for the front, it’s mine. The Jeep is nice, you will love it or hate it, me I just will love with it. That is unless some super gator fan wants to trade hoods. The air brush art is outstanding. Too good to ever cover. So like it or not, here comes the Gator Jeep.
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 Jeeping in North- West Richloam We started the day off by meeting up at a place in Clermont know for having some of the best donuts around, Donut King. After making a tough choice on which 12 to get we headed out and down Hwy 50 to Tarrytown. We took the first trail past the Little Withlacoochee river. A small numbered road that winds along the south side of the river. This brought us to Riverland Rd and eventually the Richloam General Store. This quaint store has been around for almost 100 years and the items you will find are all reminiscent of the late 20s. Old school candy, toys, cooking supplies and hand crafted nick-nacks. A very short distance away you will find the old forestry tower. You can no longer climb up because much of the wood is rotting away. We launched the drone to give you a view of what you could see if you did. If you have ever been to Richloam you know there will be water, lots of water. Well the section north of 50 is probably the dryer section. We choose a route that would take us down Boggy road. More of a trail then a road. There were deep puddles and water pits on every other turn. But there were also room to bypass the potential disaster. After a stop at the General store we headed North West on 50. The first leg was a well maintained crush and run road that even a car could drive down. That would change when we turned onto Boggy Rd. You should stop and check any water holes before hap hazardously plunging in. If you get out to scope out a line, use caution. We encountered 2 cottonmouths this day and a banded water snake. There was a small creek crossing that was nice and pristine. Flowing water the color of ice tea. Not deep and a nice sold bottom. It was a nice ride and we will return to check out another possible crossing of the little Withlacoochee River. That would be an adventure.  We eventually made our way back out to 50 and headed to 471 and made our way to Green swamp. Our destination was a small cabin deep in the woods. This was the location of a grizzly crime scene just over 100 years ago. It was a time of depression and poverty. A couple had taken their savings out of the bank and brought it home for safe keeping. Some how, the grandson of the woman found out about the money. He and a friend came at night and ax murdered them in the very shack that still stands today. The bodies were found a week later when a relative was returning a horse. Near the shack you can find the grave stones and a plaque telling the story. The boys were caught and sentenced to 20 years each. Truly the love of money is the root of all evil. Despite that, there was no feeling of creepiness there, and that makes me wonder if the couple were Christians and secure in their faith. No lingering spirits here... Deep Florida history, found miles off road. Get out in your Jeep and explore some of the incredible views Central Florida has to offer.
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Matt N RandyJeep Enthusiast, Pastor, Photographer, Artist, A husband and wife team that loves going out and seeing God's Creations. Archives
June 2021
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