November 5 , 2001-Monday-7:30am- I'm sitting on a seawall in Nokomis , just drinking a cup of coffee and contemplating our situation . Have no choice , but to keep heading north until we're out of Florida. I try to find some work that I can do with Skil's so I don't have to leave him alone somewhere . Weather is starting to chill down a might , hope it has an adverse effect on the bugs.
3:30pm- Boy!, todays adventure turned into a nightmare . I tried to avoid Sarasota proper and skirt around the edge . I walked down Laurel Rd. for about 5mi. and I delivered myself to a dead-end . This I don't need today and headed back . I came across another road with pretty good traffic heading north . Ah! Says I ! This one looks good . Two miles down that road I find a gated community . Can anything else go south today .Back to square 41. As it stands at this moment , I have walked 9hrs. and am 5mi. from where I started from this morning . No more guessing a route without looking in a phone book at the map.
I had a feeling today would be like no other I have experienced , this morning starting out , after my coffee ,I tried to cross 41 . Skil's is always anxious to get to the other side and this time he bolted and the leash broke . A million cars coming down the road . I dove for him , but missed , landed really hard too. Me hitting the ground so hard was enough for him to come see if I was alright . The cars coming down the road had enough time to see what was happening and braked hard.
5:30pm-We just walked into the woods next to Oscar Schearer State Park , this is it for today. I'm in the town of Osprey . I think Sarasota is next and I sure ain't looking forward to that . I am going to try and get on U.S.301 , if I can find it . Maybe, it will take me around the city part . I am still carrying that unused bar of soap and I am also sitting here with an empty water bottle . So much for planning ahead .
Sure is a lot of traffic trying to get into the park after hours . I saw the ranger lock the gate at 6:00pm . These people park in front of the gate and walk in to get a key , or someone with a key . Only one RV pulled up , but he got in . Be nice to have a tent !