Saturday, December 31, 2011

Prescription and Back To Gram's Kitchen

DeBary, FL.

57 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = High temp. 76 deg. sunny, SW wind @ 5 mph.


Linda did a load of laundry yesterday morning while Jim fooled around with the computer. He's still refining our trip plan out to Oregon. He keeps finding new routes or places along the way that look interesting so he keeps changing it. ; )

Then, in the afternoon, Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck) and headed to Walgreen's to pick up Linda's prescriptions. They had received a phone call telling them that they were ready for pick-up and sure enough, they were.

No problems this time. Everything went smoothly. : )

Jim's been fighting allergies lately. He's been doing some research and it looks like it may be the "Live Oak" trees that are causing much of his distress, and this park is full of them. : (  He's got some medication that helps, but it makes him drowsy and so he tries not to take it unless he has to.

Well, yesterday was one of those days, so he took his medication and then ended up sleeping for about 2 hours in the late afternoon.

By the time he woke up, it was time for dinner, so he and Linda headed over to the DeBary Diner, which is just a short distance from here. When they got there, the place was packed though, so they headed to Gram's Kitchen in Orange City and had a nice meal there.

Jim had their homemade Chicken Pot Pie (which is very good), and Linda had the Chicken Fried Steak, (which is also very good). Jim was able to finish his meal but Linda brought about 1/2 of hers back here and put it in my refrigerator.

The evening was spent watching TV and fooling around on the computers.

Today, I think Jim and Linda are going to go to the grocery store to pick up a few items. I know they need milk, bread and a few other essentials. It'll probably be pretty busy today, but they don't need much so it shouldn't be too bad.

Oh, before I forget!!! Please be careful if you're traveling today or tomorrow. There will be some people out there driving that have celebrated too much, so watch out for them.

Did you know that on New Years Eve, it is believed that kissing at midnight ensures that affections and ties will continue throughout the New Year? On similar lines, it is said, to not do this would be to set the stage for a year of coldness.

Friday, December 30, 2011

A Trip To Walgreen's But Nothing Else Happening

DeBary, FL.

43 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Southeast winds around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Linda and Jim did go to Walgreen's yesterday to get Linda's prescriptions refilled. Well, actually they just went in to order them and will be going back in the next few days to pick them up. Other than that, not much happened around here.
Laura worked at the hospital in Daytona Beach yesterday and will be working again today, Ashley is back to work at Home Depot and Anna has gone back to South Carolina so she can go back to work at the bank and at Lowe's, so none of them were able to stop by. Not too many people were out and about here at the park because of the cool weather, so there wasn't anything going on here.
A real slow day, leaving me with almost nothing to write about! : (
Jim's been reading blogs on the Internet, but many of the RVers who write those blogs are at a park for the winter and not traveling either, so many of them don't have much to write about. I would imagine that most of January will be the same with many folks staying in one place for the winter.
Well, I'd better quit my jabbering for now. If anything happens around here, I'll be sure to let you know. ; )
Did you know that inspired by an old Scottish tune, the song Auld Lang Syne (meaning 'the good old days') has become the National Anthem of New Year's eve celebration? The song is traditionally sung at the midnight on the New Year's Eve in almost all English speaking countries of the world. The lyrics to the song Auld Lang Syne were written by the poet Robert Burns and published after his death in 1796.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Company, The Weather and Other Stuff

DeBary, FL.

43 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Highs in the mid 60s. West winds around 5 mph.


Tuesday, Laura, Ashley and Anna stopped by for a few hours. No special reason, they just wanted to spend some time with Jim and Linda and see me again. ; )

Then, yesterday, Laura and Lindsey stopped by for a little while. They were heading to the grocery store and just decided to make a slight detour here to the park.

Other than that, there hasn't been much going on here. Jim dumped my tanks, went up to the office and picked up the mail, Linda did some laundry, put away some wrapping paper, cleaned off the desk and read some of her newest book that she received for Christmas.

Tuesday evening they went to Wendy's for dinner and last night they just grabbed some stuff out of the fridge.

Jim and Linda talked to Mike, (who lives up in North Carolina) and Jeff, (who lives out in Oregon). They both seem to be doing well and had very nice Christmases.

The weather has been a big story around here. A cold front came through and now instead of lows in the 60's they're getting down into the low 40's. The highs have been almost 20 degrees cooler than they were also.

But, for New Years Day, they're forecasting highs back up into the upper 70's again. : )

Jim and Linda are getting low on a few items, so they'll probably be heading to the grocery store either today or tomorrow. Jim has a few "hardware" items that he needs to buy, so he may do that, but who knows. Linda also needs to get her prescriptions refilled soon, so I imagine some of the above stuff will get done today.

Did you know that The tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year was started by ancient Greeks around 600 B.C? They would carry a baby around in a basket to honor Dionysus, the God of Fertility and symbolize his annual rebirth

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

A Do-Nothing Day

DeBary, FL.

66 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Considerable cloudiness with a chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning...then showers likely and a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Breezy. Highs in the upper 70s. South winds 15 to 20 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Yesterday was a do-nothing day. I am thinking that it was because all the excitement of Christmas was over and it was finally OK to relax and not do anything.

Now, don't get me wrong, I really like Christmas, but I think you'll have to admit that Christmas creates a lot of pressure to buy gifts, wrap them, get food ready, work out scheduling conflicts, and in some cases, deal with the weather while trying to get everything accomplished!

So, when it's over, many people just kick back and do nothing for a day.

In fact about the only things that happened here were Jim and Linda cleaning the inside of me a little, putting away some wrapping paper that Linda wants to save, taking naps, watching TV and heating up some left-overs for dinner.

Yep! Basically a Do-Nothing Day.

Did you know that it is estimated that 400,000 people become sick each year from eating tainted Christmas leftovers?

 

Monday, December 26, 2011

A Great Christmas Day With Family

DeBary, FL.

62 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Considerable cloudiness with a slight chance of showers. Highs in the lower 70s. North winds 5 to 10 mph becoming northeast 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 %.

I hope all of you had a great day yesterday. : ) 

Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over to Laura and Lindsey's yesterday morning. Before they went though, they had a bunch of stuff to pack into the back of CLT. There was a bag of gifts and a box and a bag of food. That seemed like a lot of food to me, but Linda said that she wanted to make sure that there was enough for everyone.

Once they got there, all the food was placed on the kitchen counter, (and anywhere else there was space), and everyone helped themselves. As you can see by the photo below, there was plenty for everyone. ; )

Jim took a few photos of Laura, Lindsey, Ashley and Anna opening presents, but I can't show them here because being that some of the family had just gotten up, Jim was assured bodily harm if he allowed me to post them on this blog! ; )

Anyway, everyone got lots of presents and had a good time being together.

About mid-afternoon, Jim and Linda came back here. There was quite a bit of food left over, so that had to be put away, but once that was accomplished, both Jim and Linda took little naps. .

Marv and Inez had invited Jim and Linda, Laura and her family and Lindsey's brother, Danny, for tacos, so a little after 4:00 they headed to their house in Deland. Inez makes very good tacos, so everyone enjoyed a very good meal and great conversation.

Thanks Marv and Inez!!!! : )

It was about 7:30 by the time CLT brought Jim and Linda back here to the park. It had been a great day with great people, but by this time, both of them were tired, so they watched TV for awhile and then went to bed.

Another great day!!!! : )

Did you know that child singer Jimmy Boyd was 12 years and 11 months old when he sang the Christmas favorite, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus?" The song hit the top of the pop charts.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas To All

DeBary, FL.

64 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers. Highs in the upper 70s. Northeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Jim, Linda, CLT, Blaine and I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!!! : ) Please have a safe Holiday and remember the true meaning of the day. 

Did you know that Silent Night was written in 1818, by an Austrian priest Joseph Mohr? He was told the day before Christmas that the church organ was broken and would not be prepared in time for Christmas Eve. He was saddened by this and could not think of Christmas without music, so he wanted to write a carol that could be sung by choir to guitar music. He sat down and wrote three stanzas. Later that night the people in the little Austrian Church sang "Stille Nacht" for the first time.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Holiday Traditions

DeBary, FL.

62 deg. overcast, light NW breeze.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 70s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

What are your traditions at Christmas? Do you wait until Christmas morning to exchange presents, or do you open all or some of them on Christmas Eve?

Do you go to someones house for Christmas or do they come to your home?

When you open presents, do they all get passed out first and then everyone opens them at once, or are the presents passed out one at a time and everyone waits until that present is opened before another present is opened? Or does everyone just gather around the tree and everyone opens them as they are found?

How about the traditional Christmas Dinner? Do you have a dinner with family, friends, or by yourselves? Or, do you even have a dinner?

For full-timers, living in an RV it's not always possible to be with family. Jim and Linda usually are able to be with Laura because she lives here in the South where it's warm, but there have been times when they've been traveling or in a different part of the country for the Holidays. Those holidays can be tough, but many RV parks have some kind of dinner or party and everyone is welcome.  And, with cell phones you can usually make contact with family and friends.

This will be my first Christmas with Jim and Linda and I'm curious to find out what their traditions are.

Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the Winn Dixie Grocery store yesterday. Then, they headed to a gas station and bought CLT a drink of 87 octane before heading back here to the park.

CLT said that the traffic was terrible and everyone was rushing around to try to get everything done before Christmas. He's hoping he doesn't have to go back out on the road until Christmas day.

Today, Linda will be putting together some food to take over to Laura's on Sunday. She bought some lunch meat, cheese, and summer sausage and is planning on baking some banana bread today too.

Did you know that the Christmas season begins at sundown on 24th December and lasts through sundown on 5th January? For that reason, this season is also known as the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Oh, I found this on the Internet. I hope you enjoy it. It's one of my favorite traditions for Christmas Eve. Twas The Night Before Christmas

Merry Christmas!!!!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Kinda Slow Here

DeBary, FL.

62 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs around 80. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.


Been kinda slow here the last few days. Lina's been baking some cookies and decorating them, making more TV mix / "doctoring" up what she made the other day and doing laundry. Jim's been dumping my tanks, finishing up that LED light wiring for CLT, (yes, he finally found the wire he needed), talking to the neighbors, taking trash to the dumpster and riding his bike.

Oh, and they've both been taking naps. ; )

Sunday, (Christmas Day), Jim and Linda will be going over to Laura and Lindsey's house to exchange presents around 10:00 or 11:00. Then, later in the day, they've been invited to come over to Marv and Inez's house in Deland for dinner.  Normally they would have stayed at Laura's, but since she has to work 12 hour shifts at the hospital today, tomorrow and Monday, she won't have time to prepare a meal.

She'll probably be pretty tired the way it is.

Today, Jim wants to fill up CLT's gas tank and Linda needs some lunch meat and a few other items from the grocery store, (to take to Laura's Christmas Day), so they'll be doing that. Then because it's been awhile and there has been a lot of baking and cooking in my kitchen, I need a good cleaning inside of me.

Oh, Jim went to the park office yesterday and paid another months rent for my site. Can you believe we've been here a whole month already?

Did you know that In 1947, Toys for Tots started making the holidays a little happier for children by organizing its first Christmas toy drive for needy youngsters?

Thursday, December 22, 2011

It's All About The Weather

DeBary, FL.

59 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny early in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Patchy morning fog. Highs around 80. South winds 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.


It's amazing how people think of the weather in different parts of the country. Down here in Florida, many people think the 50 deg. is cold. Up in Illinois, it doesn't get cold until the temperature drops below freezing and not really cold until it gets down to around zero.

You can usually tell which people live down here all year and which ones are "snowbirds" and come down for the coldest months. A little while back when the temperatures were only in the 50's for a high, the snowbirds were wearing long sleeved shirts and maybe a light jacket, while the Florida folks were all bundled up with heavy jackets and even gloves in some cases.

Then, of course, there's the humidity. Down here they don't even think it's humid until it gets up around 80 or 90%. Up North, it's much lower than that when it seems humid.

I guess it's just what you're used to. I think Jim and Linda are somewhere in the middle now. They're not used to the really cold weather up in Illinois anymore, but still have trouble tolerating the high temperatures and humidity down here during the summer months. Everyone says that if they stayed down here all year long, they'd get more comfortable with the summer conditions though.

Another thing about the weather down here is the fact that it's usually warm for the Christmas holidays. For folks from up North, it just doesn't seem right when the temperatures are so warm. This year, the forecast for Christmas Day is for temperatures to be in the upper 70's during the day and only getting down into the lower 60's or upper 50's at night.

For people that live up North, it's hard to imagine that you could actually be comfortable sitting outside while eating your Christmas dinner.

So, why am I telling you about the weather? Well, really no reason except to give the people who don't get to travel some idea of what the differences are. If you've never been in Florida or one of the other Southern States during the winter it's hard to imagine it being so warm most of the winter or so hot, and in some cases, so humid during the summer.

On the other hand, if you're from Florida or another Southern state and have never been up North in the winter, you just can't imagine it getting down to 0 deg. 

In any case, wherever you are, I hope you remember this. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence, but sometimes there's burs in it.  ; )  More than likely, no matter where you are, there will be things about the local weather that you don't like.

Did you kow that electric Christmas tree lights were first used in 1895? The idea for using electric Christmas lights came from an American, Ralph E. Morris. The new lights proved safer than the traditional candles.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Not Much New, More TV Mix and The LED Light For CLT

DeBary, FL.

62 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = High temp. 80 deg. partly sunny, S. wind @ 10 to 15 mph with 25 mph gusts.


There's really nothing new going on here. Linda made some more TV mix yesterday, but she's not happy with the taste, so she said that she's going to try to "doctor" it up a little today. She also did a load of laundry while the TV mix was cooking.

Jim spent some time outside yesterday. The mosquitoes weren't too bad because there was a pretty good breeze blowing.

 If you remember, I told you that Jim bought a LED light when he went to the Truck center on Monday. Well, that light is to replace the light on the dash that comes on when CLT's brakes are applied by the SMI Air Force One braking system when I'm towing him and applying my brakes and his. It needs to be able to be seen by Jim to make sure CLT's brakes aren't being applied when we're just traveling down the road. The light that came with the Air Force One system wasn't bright enough so that he could see it on my rear view camera, so he's hoping this one will be brighter.

Well anyway, Jim found a place on CLT's dash that should work, made a few minor modifications to the LED light and figured out a way to attach it with Velcro. He still needs to get some wire to hook it up to the wires that were installed for the other light. He says that he's got some somewhere, he just has to find it. ; )

For dinner, Jim cooked a steak out on the grill, (that he and Linda shared), while Linda cooked some cauliflower inside on my stove and made some garlic bread out of some slices of regular bread.

Between the TV mix and the garlic bread, I smelled really good inside for most of the day!!! : )

Did you know that Christmas trees are known to have been popular in Germany as far back as the sixteenth century? In England, they became popular after Queen Victoria's husband Albert, who came from Germany, made a tree part of the celebrations at Windsor Castle. In the United States, the earliest known mention of a Christmas tree is in the diary of a German who settled in Pennsylvania.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Two Movies, Parts and Dinner For Two.

DeBary, FL.

57 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.


Linda called Laura yesterday morning and plans were made to go see that Sherlock Holmes movie that just came out. Then, about 12:30 Laura came by, picked her up and they headed to Sanford to see it.

Linda said that she enjoyed the movie and both she and Laura had a good time. : )

While they were at the movie, Jim took CLT and went to the Deland Truck Center up in Deland, Fl. Jim found them a few years ago when he was looking for some filters for Myrddin and has been going back ever since. They have a fairly large parts department and if they don't have what you need, they'll gladly order it for you if they can. Also their prices are reasonable, compared to other places.

So, why did Jim go there? Well, he wanted to get a price on an air filter for my engine, a 12 volt LED light and some replacement chrome lug nut covers for my wheels.

He found the LED light that he wanted, the lug nut covers for me and got a price for the air filter. However, he didn't buy the air filter. You see, my engine air filter does not have a replacement filter element. You have to buy the whole filter assembly which includes the whole metal canister with the filter inside of it. The canister has large fittings on it for the very large hoses that go to my air intake and to my engine.

When we were at Creative Coach this fall, this filter had to be removed to work on my alternator and it was determined that it was getting close to the time when it needed to be replaced. Jim inquired about the cost and Lester gave him a price of $185.00.

Yep, you read that right. $185.00!!!!!

Well, since Jim and Linda had just spent a bunch of money on me, Jim told Lester that he would put off changing it for awhile.

OK, now I'll bet you're wondering how much they want for the filter at the Deland Truck Center? Well, They didn't have it in stock but Dennis told Jim that he could order it, have it in within a week and the price would be $135.00!!

Wow!! That's a saving of $50.00!!!! And it shouldn't be that hard to replace!!! Jim says that for $50.00 he'll gladly do it himself!! : )  He's going to order it after the first of the year.

After he returned, Jim replaced the missing and cracked lug nut covers on my wheels, (only 3 of them), and then took a nap.

By the time he woke up, Linda was home from the movie. Since there had been no plans for dinner, it was decided that they'd head over to Steak 'n Shake for a nice little dinner for two. ; )

After they got back, they watched the movie, "A Christmas Carol", on TV before going to bed.

Did you know that in 1843, "A Christmas Carol" was written by Charles Dickens in just six weeks?

Monday, December 19, 2011

Not Much Happening

DeBary, FL.

54 deg. clear, SE wind @ 7 mph.

Forecast = Sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.
 
 
Not much been happening the last few days. Laura, Ashley and Anna stopped by for awhile Saturday and then yesterday, They stopped by to pick up Linda and take her to Marv and Inez's house in DeLand where they made gingerbread houses.
 
Jim hasn't been doing a whole lot. The mosquitoes have been really bad and have made it difficult to be outside unless you want to cover yourself with bug spray. He has however, taken bicycle rides and has managed to visit with the neighbors some.
 
Oh, he has been fooling around with trip plans for our proposed trip out West. The way it looks now, We'll leave Florida the first part of February, but as you know, it's all written in pencil and he's got that big eraser, so there's a good chance it will change again. ; )
 
Today or tomorrow, Laura wants to go and see the new Sherlock Holmes movie and has asked Linda and Jim to go along. I'm sure Linda will go, but I doubt if Jim will.
 
He's not a big fan of movie theaters.
 
Like I said, not much happening around here.
 
Did you know that before settling on the name of Tiny Tim for his character in "A Christmas Carol," three other alliterative names were considered by Charles Dickens? They were Little Larry, Puny Pete, and Small Sam.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Linda's "Famous TV Mix" and Anna And Laura Come To Visit

DeBary, FL.

58 deg. some fog, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Areas of fog through mid morning. Increasing cloudiness by late afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.


Jim spent quite a bit of time on this computer yesterday morning and then went outside for awhile. While outside, he took the garbage down to the dumpster, rode his bike all around the park, and talked to the neighbors.

By 11:00 or so, he came inside and gave Linda a hand getting stuff out so that she could make her "Famous TV Mix".  Now, last year, Myrddin mentioned the TV mix on this blog and some of his followers wanted the recipe.

Well, I went back and copied it from his post, and I'm including it here for you to try if you'd like.

Linda's Famous TV Mix

4 sticks butter or margarine.
¼ cup Worcestershire
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. onion salt
2 tbsp. garlic salt
½ box Crispix
½ box Cheerios
½ box Kix
½ box Chex (any kind)
1 bag pretzels (any shape)
½ can cashews
Walnuts, pecans, etc.

1. Melt butter, sauces, and salts in microwave together. Stir.
2. Mix all other ingredients in a large roaster.
3. Pour about ¼ of butter mixture over top of cereal mixture.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 250 for 20 minutes.
5. Stir thoroughly but gently. Pour next ¼ of butter over cereal.
6. Bake another 20 minutes.
7. Repeat twice more. Taste. If it needs more pizzazz, add more onion salt and Worcestershire directly from bottles and cook another 20 minutes. Stir and taste again. Then look for another volunteer to taste it.
8. When it tastes right, turn off oven and leave Mix in oven as it cools.

Now, from what I understand the family calls it her famous TV mix because when someone else makes it, it never tastes like it does when she makes it and they all think hers tastes the best.

Most people seem to think that it's step #7 that makes the difference because she seems to know just how much extra ingredients is needed.

I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and I'll tell you one more thing, it sure makes your RV/home smell good while it's cooking! ; )

Just as the TV Mix was finished, Laura and Anna came over for a visit.

You remember Anna. She's Laura's daughter and we stopped at an RV park in Yemassee, SC on our way down here from Virginia back in November, so that Jim and Linda could go to Beaufort SC to have dinner with her.

Well, anyway, she drove down here for the week-end so that she could be here for a pre-Christmas dinner today with Lindsey's parents, Marv and Inez. She got here late Thursday and had some time to come and visit me yesterday. : )

It was really good to see her again as I hadn't seen her since she, Ashley and Laura came up to Wisconsin in July for the family reunion.

Anyway, they stayed for about an hour to talk and enjoy some of that "hot out of the oven TV mix". : )

I guess I'd better quit for now, this post is getting pretty long. I don't think anything is planned for today except maybe to clean me up a little inside. : )

Did you know that according to the National Christmas Tree Association, Americans buy 37.1 million real Christmas trees each year?

Friday, December 16, 2011

A Correction and Dinner With Family

DeBary, FL.

58 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

I have a correction to make. Yesterday, I posted a photo of some birds in the little grassy "island" here at the park and I heard someone tell Jim that they were blue herons. Well, Jim and Linda's friend, (and one of my faithful followers), Judy works at wildlife refuges and she sent me a comment on yesterday's blog informing me that they are not blue herons, but sandhill cranes!! 

So, I stand corrected. Sorry for any confusion that my error may have caused.

Jim and Lind headed to the Winn Dixie Grocery store yesterday and bought a whole bunch of groceries. A lot of what they bought is for the holiday season, so it won't be filling my cabinets and refrigerator for very long.

After they got back, Jim took a nap and then just as Linda was getting ready to put something together for dinner, Laura called and wanted to know if Jim and Linda would like to meet her, Lindsey and Ashley someplace for dinner.

Well, it didn't take them long to say "yes", and in just a few minutes they were in CLT and heading for the Bob Evans Restaurant where they had a very nice meal and some great conversation!  ; )

After they returned, they watched TV and played with the computers until bedtime.

Did you know that "White Christmas" (1954), starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, was the first movie to be made in Vista Vision, a deep-focus process?

Thanks Judy!!! : )

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Packages Sent and Visitors To The Park

DeBary, FL.

57 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.


About 9:30 Jim took those packages to the Post Office to mail them. He said that he was really lucky because when he got there, there was a parking spot right in front of the Post Office and when he went inside, there were only about 5 or 6 people waiting in line.

But, by the time he left the Post office, (about 15 minutes later), the parking lot was completely full, there were about 30 people waiting and they were lined up all the way out of the door!!!

Linda spent much of the day yesterday writing out Christmas cards and getting them addressed. She and Jim also worked on a grocery list of stuff they needed that Jim didn't pick up the other day when he went to Winn Dixie for some necessities that they were out of.

About 4:00, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed first to the Post Office to mail those Christmas cards that Linda had finished, then to Walgreen's to pick up a prescription and finally to Arby's for sandwiches for dinner.

So, all the presents and cards are mailed and both Linda and Jim were talking about how good it felt to get that done. Now, the pressure is off and except for doing some baking, all they have to do is wait for Christmas to come. : )

Oh, we had some visitors to the park yesterday. As you can see by the photo below, there were 4 blue herons looking for bugs/ insects/ or whatever it is that they eat in that grassy "island" area where the park has all the decorations set up.
I didn't mind them being there, but they sure were noisy at times.

Today, I think Jim and Linda are going to go to a grocery store. Linda wants to buy some stuff for baking cookies and some other goodies for Christmas. She also needs to get all the "makings" for the TV mix that I understand she makes every year.

I'll bet it's going to be smelling really good inside of me when she's doing all that baking! ; )

Did you know that on this date in 1854 - In Philadelphia, the first street cleaning machine was put into use?

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Lunch With Laura, Groceries and Still Not Mailed

DeBary, FL.

61 deg. clear, light SW breeze

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 70s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
Laura stopped by for awhile yesterday morning on her way to do some Christmas shopping. The presents didn't get mailed yesterday because Linda decided that there was something that needed to be added to a couple of the boxes, (can't tell you what it is because certain people may read this), ; ) and then Laura called and wanted to know if Linda wanted to go to lunch with her. 
Well, needless to say, Linda jumped at the chance so Laura came back here, picked Linda up, and they went to the Swamp House Grill here in the park.
Linda said that they had a great table and they had a great view of the river while they talked and ate. ; )
While they were at lunch, Jim took CLT and headed to the Winn Dixie Grocery store to pick up some much needed groceries. There were quite a few items that they normally buy on sale, so he picked up more items than he had on his list, but all of those items will be used in the very near future.
By the time he returned, Linda was back and helped put all the groceries away. Since it was getting late by this time, Jim fired up the grill and cooked a couple burgers for dinner.
So, anyway, the presents didn't get mailed, but now they are all packed into the boxes, the boxes are sealed and addressed and the plan is to get them mailed this morning.
 Did you know that on this date in 1999 - Charles M. Schulz announced he was retiring the "Peanuts" comic strip? The last original "Peanuts" comic strip was published on February 13, 2000.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

A Trip To The Post Office

DeBary, FL.

62 deg. overcast, light NW breeze

Forecast = Considerable cloudiness in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 70s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

Jim headed over to the Post Office yesterday morning to get some of those priority boxes. CLT, (Cute Little Truck), said that someone just pulled out of a parking space as he was pulling in so he got a pretty good parking spot, but once Jim got inside, it was another story.

There were so many people inside that he had trouble just getting to where they had the boxes. People were pushing and shoving and no one wanted to let Jim pass through the lines to get to where they had the boxes on display. He said that he thinks that some of the people were afraid that he was trying to cut in line and get ahead of them. : (

He did get the boxes though and soon he was back here putting them together and filling them with presents. : )

While he was doing that, Linda was busy working on the computer and doing laundry.

We had quite a bit of rain again in the afternoon, so Jim and Linda didn't go out to get the packages  mailed, but hope to get them sent out today. 

For diner, CLT took Jim and Linda back to Gram's Kitchen, and again, they had a very good meal.

Then, after they came back here, it was TV again until bedtime.

Did you know that in Florida a special law prohibits unmarried women from parachuting on Sunday or she shall risk arrest, fine, and/or jailing?

Monday, December 12, 2011

Sorting, Weather and "If It Fits It Ships"?

DeBary, FL.

66 deg. light rain, no wind.

Forecast =
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs in the upper 70s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
 
Still nothing exciting to write about. Most of yesterday was spent watching TV and sorting out presents into bags so that each one would go to the correct family.
 
It sprinkled a little in the afternoon and then in the evening, it rained hard for awhile. Since then there have been showers off and on throughout the night.
 
Today, Jim and Linda need to decide how they are going to ship the presents. There aren't any large items this year, so they may try those priority boxes that the Post Office has been advertising on TV.
 
Did you know that on this date in 1925 - The "Motel Inn," the first motel in the world, opened in San Luis Obispo, CA?
 
 
 
 

Sunday, December 11, 2011

No Idea

DeBary, FL.

63 deg. scattered clouds, NW wind @ 2 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of showers through late morning...then showers likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. North winds 10 to 15 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Chance of rain 60 percent.


Today is one of those days when I am starting to write this post and I have no idea what I'm going to write about. : o

I guess I could tell you more about this park, or about the great weather we've been having again, or maybe about how Jim got out some rubbing compound yesterday and removed some minor scratches on the rear of me. Or, , , , , maybe I could tell you that Linda has all the presents wrapped and now it's just a matter of getting them sent on their way.

I suppose I could tell you that Jim took a couple short bike rides yesterday, (one included a trip to the dumpster with the garbage), or that he spent some more time rearranging some stuff in one of my basement compartments.

I could also talk about Jim taking a nap in the afternoon or about the TV Dinners they had for dinner.

But, , , , all of those things are pretty boring, so I guess I'll pass on telling you about them.

Maybe I'll have something to write about tomorrow.

A Point to Ponder : Do birds pee?

Saturday, December 10, 2011

That One Last Present

DeBary FL.

61 deg. scattered clouds, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Highs in the lower 70s. North winds 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 30 percent.
 
 
Not much going on the last few days. Linda's been busy wrapping presents, Jim's been working on trip plans, surfing the Internet, talking to the neighbors and rearranging some of the stuff in my basement. (I've got a feeling that he'll be working on that basement stuff for a long time yet) ; )
 
Laura and Ashley stopped by for a couple hours Thursday and Laura stopped by again yesterday for a few minutes on her way to the grocery store.
 
Yesterday evening, on their way to go out to eat, Jim and Linda stopped by K-Mart to get that one last present that always seems to have been forgotten. : (   (Linda says that she doesn't understand how she could have forgotten to by a present for this person, but she did.)
 
Anyway, their plan was to stop by K-Mart and then go to the Perkins restaurant for dinner. Well, when they got to Perkins, the place was packed, so they went to Bob Evans instead, and had a very nice meal there. 
 
No big plans for the next few days. Linda almost has all the presents wrapped so getting boxes and getting the presents shipped will be the next big project.
 
Did you know that on this date in 1845 British civil engineer Robert Thompson patented the first pneumatic tires? 
 
 
 

Thursday, December 8, 2011

I'm Happy and The Cold Front Comes Through

DeBary, FL.

42 deg. mostly cloudy, light W. wind.

Forecast = Sunny in the morning...then becoming partly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. North winds 10 to 15 mph becoming northeast 10 mph.


Jim was able to spend some time outside yesterday without getting bit up by mosquitoes. There was a little more wind, so I guess that's what kept them away.

It was while he was outside, that he started talking to Mike, (the man who lives in the permanent RV on my left), and found out that he was looking for a TV for his grand kids to watch. Well, I've been hauling around a 13" color TV that Myrddin had in his basement ever since Jim and Linda bought me, so Jim told Mike that he could have it.

Mike was real happy, his grand kids will be real happy, and I'm real happy that I don't have to lug that thing around anymore!! ; )

After Jim gave Mike the TV he rearranged a few things in the basement compartment where the TV had been. There's actually a little room in there now. : )

The cold front that has been sweeping across the country finally arrived here yesterday afternoon. It came through while Jim was cooking some burgers on the grill for dinner. In fact, when Jim went out to light the grill at about 4:30, it was cloudy and 81 degrees. As he was cooking the burgers wind picked up and the temperature started to drop. By the time the burgers were done, (just a little over 1/2 hour later), the temperature had dropped to 67 degrees, the wind had picked up, and there was light drizzle.

This morning, the temperature is down to 42 degrees. That's almost 20 degrees colder than it was at this time yesterday. : (

Don't know what's going to happen today. Linda has some stuff on the computer that she needs to print off, so Jim may help her with that. He probably won't be outside a real lot because the weather isn't supposed to be too nice.

A Point to Ponder : On a telephone, why does ABC start on  the number 2 and not number 1?

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Another Beautiful Day, A Rough Time For Marshall and A Present For Linda

DeBary, FL.

60 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny in the morning...then mostly cloudy with isolated afternoon showers. Highs around 80. Southwest winds 15 mph becoming northwest late in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.


It was another beautiful day here in DeBary yesterday, but Jim didn't spend much time outside because for the last couple days, the mosquitoes have been just really bad. Even though there has been a little breeze, they've still been out and biting anyone who is outside. : (

Jim did spend about an hour and a half talking to Marshall, (the man who lives in the park model behind me). Just one year ago today, he lost his wife due to sickness, and he was needing someone to talk to. Today and this whole Holiday season is probably going to be very rough for him.

Jim says that he remembers when it happened and it was a very sad time in this park.

On a brighter note, Jim gave Linda a present yesterday.

You see, when Jim and Linda got married back in 1985, neither one of them had any money. In fact, Jim likes to tell everyone that he married Linda for her money.

She had $12.95 in the bank. ; ) 

Anyway, there was no money for an engagement ring and all these years, Lind has worn just a wedding band. Well, they talked about getting her a ring but Linda said that she didn't want Jim to spend the money for a ring, so yesterday, Jim gave Linda his mother's diamond ring that he had since she passed.

Wow!!! Talk about happy!!!! Linda cried and cried and I thought Jim was going to have to get out a mop!!  ; ) 

Later on, when Laura stopped by for a few minutes to bring Jim and Linda's mail, Linda couldn't wait to show her the ring.  : )

Yep!! I think Linda really likes her present!!!  : )

Did you remember that it was on this date in 1941 that Pearl Harbor, located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu was attacked by nearly 200 Japanese warplanes? The attack resulted in the U.S. entering into World War II.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Photos Finally Loaded, Shopping and Dinner At Gram's Kitchen

DeBary, FL

62 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph


I finally got some of those photos that Jim took Sunday to load. This first one is of Laura putting the angel on the top of the tree. The tree was actually a little too high, so some slight modifications had to be made. ; )

This next one is of Ashley taking a break and checking if there were some places on the tree that still needed decorations.

Ta-Daa!!!! The decorations inside are completed and Laura and Ashley have already headed for home.

While Laura, Ashley and Linda were decorating the inside of me, Jim was busy on the outside.

Don't I look festive?  ; )
After Laura and Ashley left, Jim put all the empty boxes and bags back under my bed and then took a little nap.

Yesterday, Jim took CLT and headed to Office Depot to buy a few things. Two of the main things he and needed were printer paper and a battery for his camera. He found both of them and in about an hour was back here again.

For dinner, CLT took Jim and Linda to Gram's Kitchen in Orange City. Jim and Linda found this restaurant last year when they were here and they said that it's just as good this year as it was last year. Linda had an open faced beef sandwich and Jim had a chicken pot pie.

They said both were excellent! : )

The rest of the evening was spent watching TV, while Linda finished up some embroidery projects that she's using for presents.

A Point to Ponder : Why isn't sour cream really sour?

Monday, December 5, 2011

Aaaarrrrgggg!!!!!

DeBary, FL.

60 deg. scattered clouds, no wind.

Forecast =  Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.

Aaaarrrrgggg!!!!!

Wouldn't you know it? I've got things to post this morning and now this Internet connection is so slow that I can't get anything to work!!!!

I've got some pictures of Laura and Ashley decorating me and some nice pictures of the end product, but I can't get any of them to load this morning!!! : (

Laura and Ashley came about 11:00 yesterday and in about an hour and a half, all the decorations were up, Laura and Ashley had already left and I was looking good. : )

The afternoon was spent doing normal things and then for dinner Jim cooked brats and hot dogs out on the grill.

Well, I'd better quit for now, I've already been knocked off of the Internet twice.

Did you know that on this date in 1908 - At the University of Pittsburgh, numerals were first used on football uniforms worn by college football players?

Sunday, December 4, 2011

They're Coming Today and Breakfast

DeBary, FL.

60 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 70s. East winds 10 to 15 mph.


Laura and Ashley were busy yesterday, so they're coming this morning to help decorate me. The park is finished with all the decorations on the "island" now and it's looking pretty neat.

They had a sausage / biscuit / scrambled egg breakfast over at the clubhouse yesterday morning so Jim and Linda headed over there a little before 9:00. When they came back they were talking about how good the food was, and how nice all the people were.

Jim got an e-mail from Jenny and it sounds like Don is doing better but is still in the hospital for observation. Keep those thoughts and prayers coming and maybe he'll be able to come home soon.

Did you know that the human heart beats about 100.000 times each day?

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Slow Days, Decorating and Jenny and Don

DeBary, FL.

56 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 70s. North winds 5 to 10 mph becoming northeast 10 to 15 mph.

It's been a slow couple of days here in DeBary. Laura stopped by for awhile Thursday, Linda has been doing more laundry, Jim has been working on trip plans, talking to the neighbors and doing a little maintenance on me.

They have decorated the grass "island" area in the middle of the main park road. It looks pretty nice and I'm hoping that Jim will go out and take some daytime and nighttime photos so I can post some of them here. There's also a lot of people decorating their RVs and park models, so maybe he can get some photos of some of them too.

I think that today, Laura and Ashley are going to come  and help Jim and Linda put up Christmas decorations. There's really not a whole lot to do, but from what I understand, it's become kind of a "Christmas tradition", that started quite a few years ago, and it gives them another excuse to get together. ; )

It may take them a little longer than usual because this will be the first year that they'll be decorating me and will have to figure out where everything looks the best.

It should be fun getting decorated!!! : )

Those of you that followed Myrddin's blog will remember that at Easter time this year, Jim and Linda visited RVing friends, Jenny and Don, when they were in Tennessee. They had a great time while there and were even invited to a big family dinner.

Well, Don, Jenny's husband has been in the hospital lately with some heart problems and is now back in the hospital again. Jim and Linda would like you to send your thoughts and prayers their way and wish Don a speedy recovery.

Did you know that on this date in 1931 - Alka Seltzer was sold for the first time?

Get well soon, Don!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

A Little Planning and A Little Shopping

DeBary, FL.

44 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.


Not a whole lot happened here yesterday, especially in the morning and early afternoon. Linda did a load of laundry, worked on her embroidery and did some straightening up inside of me.

Jim fooled around with the computer all morning. He's starting to think about our up-coming trip out west, so he's been researching the different routes that we could take across the SW along with sights and places they might want to stop at and see.

He also dug out their little Christmas tree to try to find a place where they could set it up for the holiday season. I think he and Linda finally settled on a spot on my dash, but since my dash is not level, the base has to be shimmed up so that the tree is not leaning one way or the other. 

I think they've got it figured out though. ; )

After checking Christmas presents, Linda decided that they still needed to do a little more shopping, so about 3:00 she and Jim left in CLT. They also needed to fax some papers to their financial advisor, so on the way to Kohl's to pick up a few more items, they stopped by a place they knew of to take care of that.

Then, before coming back here, they stopped at a Steak 'n Shake for a sandwich.

The evening was spent watching TV until bedtime.

Did you know that on this date in 1835 - Hans Christian Andersen published his first book of fairy tales?

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

There's Been A Change In The Weather, More Pictures, A Movie and Shopping

DeBary, FL.

53 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast =
Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.


There's definitely been a change in the weather around here. After a cold front with rain came through the other night the temperature has dropped to almost 20 degrees colder than it had been. That's OK though, I just checked the weather up in Rantoul, IL., and it's only 28 deg up there this morning!!!

Brrrrrrr!!!!

Jim took a few more photos of the park so I thought I'd post them this morning.

This first one is of the boat ramp / marina that you see as you come up to the entrance of the park. There's always a lot of activity here as it's one of the nicest ramps in the area.

This next photo is of the swimming pool area. It's all fenced in, the pool has a roof over it and is screened in to help swimmers avoid the bugs during certain times of the year.

This is the fishing lake and they ask that only children fish here, and of course it's catch and release, but the kids seem to have a good time.

This last photo is of a little "island" in the middle of the main road. Jim and Linda say that they put up all kinds of Christmas decorations on this little patch of ground so it should be real pretty. Also, do you see that road running off to the right of the right side of this island? Well, just about 20' down that road is where I'm parked, so I should be able to see all the decorations right from my site. ; )

Linda went to see a movie with Laura and Ashley yesterday afternoon. She said that they had a good time and really enjoyed the movie. (Sorry I don't remember what the name of the movie was) : (

While they were at the movie, Jim took CLT and headed to a new Auto Zone store that is just down the street from here. He did more looking than anything else, but did buy some molding tape to use to attach a piece of gutter, (that he got from Dan at Creative Coach),  over my entrance door.

From there he went to an Ace Hardware store and bought me a new smoke detector. The one that was in me was old and started going off for no reason a few days ago.

When he came back here, he installed the smoke detector and cleaned up the piece of gutter so it would be ready to install when the weather gets warmer.

I have no idea what's happening today. It's supposed to be cool today so Jim probably won' be able to install that gutter. (the directions on the mounting tape say it should be at least 65 degrees). Laura is working so she won't be stopping by, and there's nothing planned here in the park.

Hmmm!! Maybe it's just a "kick back" day!!  ; )

Did you know that the first truly affordable home smoke detector was invented by Duane D. Pearsall in 1965, featuring an individual battery powered unit that could be easily installed and replaced?

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Shopping, Eating and The Park

DeBary, FL

55 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. West winds 15 mph.


Jim and Linda decided to some Christmas Shopping yesterday, so about 11:00 they headed out. CLT said that their first stop was at Walgreen's to pick up a few items, (not Christmas presents), then on to a gas station to get him a drink of good old 87 octane. (Also not a Christmas present). ; )

From the gas station they went to Kohl's store where they evidently had a lot of success finding what they wanted to purchase because when they came back here, they were carrying shopping bags filled with gifts.  : )

On the way back here to the park, they stopped at a little restaurant called the "DeBary Dinner", for lunch, I understand that they've been wanting to try it out for quite awhile but haven't had the chance in the past.

So, how was it? Well, Jim and Linda feel that they need to go back again sometime to give them another chance. First of all, when they got there, it was lunch hour and the place was packed. Then, they were having problems with some of the equipment in the kitchen, so quite a few of the menu items were not available. The waitresses were doing the best they could and were very nice, but it took a long time to get the food and Jim could not get what he really wanted. : (

To their credit, the food that they did get was very good and well prepared. I'm sure Jim and Linda will stop in again and give them another chance because they've heard nothing but good things about the restaurant.

Jim got his camera out and took a few pictures of this park. This first one is of the sign at the entrance.

Right after you come into the park you see the office off to the right. That little white car is parked where RVs are supposed to park when they first come in.

Off to the left is the Swamp House Grill. Their dinning room overlooks the St. John's River and is kind of neat.

After you pass the office and the Swamp House Grill, you go across a little bridge before coming to the Clubhouse on the right. This is where they have all the activities like pot luck dinners, Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners, New Years Eve Parties, card games, bingo and other activities.

About a block past the Clubhouse, is where my site is. I'm just off of the main road and am tucked back in between a permanent RV on my left and another MH on my right. The site isn't real big, (not many of the sites in this park are very big), but it's big enough and really doesn't feel crowded.

There's a nice cement patio for the picnic table with plenty of room for lawn chairs and Jim's bike, the site is nice and level and there's a nice big tree to the rear of me that gives me nice shade during the hottest part of the day.

There's also a pool and a fishing pond in this park and of course access to the St John's River. I'll see if I can get Jim to take some pictures of them in the next few days. : )

Did you know that on this date in 1890 the Navy defeated Army by a score of 24-0 in the first Army-Navy football game? The game was played at West Point.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Groceries and A Leak Next Door

DeBary, FL.

66 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy early in the morning...then a chance of showers late in the morning. Mostly cloudy with numerous showers and isolated afternoon thunderstorms. Windy. Highs in the upper 70s. South winds 15 to 20 mph and gusty becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.

As soon as Linda was up and had finished her breakfast, she and Jim took off and headed to the Winn Dixie Grocery store that is just down the road from here. They were gone for quite awhile so I knew they would be bringing back a bunch of groceries.

Well, I was right and by the time they got all of them put away, my cabinets were bulging! ; )

Oh, I almost forgot!!! Before Linda got up, Jim was sitting outside, drinking a cup of coffee and spotted water dripping out of one of the compartments in the motor home that's parked next door to me!

Now, anyone who has an RV knows that water dripping out of a compartment is never good!! : (  So, he went around to the other side of the MH and told the couple inside, (Alan and Teresa), what he had noticed.

Alan came out right away and after some investigation, it was determined that the leak only occurred when the city water was turned on and not when the pump was turned on and they were running off of water from their fresh water tank.

So, today, Alan will call a repair place that comes here to the park to fix RVs and set up an appointment. In the meantime, they can put water in their fresh water tank and run off of that for a few days.

Nothing much happened the rest of the day, just normal things. I'm beginning to think that there may be days while I'm here at Highbanks that I won't have anything to write about, so if I don't post every day, you'll know what's going on.

Nothing!!! ; )

Did you know that on this date in 1925 - The Grand Ole Opry made its radio debut on station WSM?

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Allergies and Other Stuff

DeBary, Fl.

64 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.


The weather here has been Chamber of Commerce perfect. Highs near 80, lows in the 60's, a nice breeze blowing and abundant sunshine. : )

Ahhhh!!!!

Jim has been having allergy problems though, so he hasn't been feeling the best. Yesterday, he took one of those allergy tablets and that helped him a lot. The only trouble is, that they make him very tired so he slept on and off all day. : ( 

He knows how those tablets affect him, so he's sure not to do anything where the drowsiness can get him into trouble.

In fact, about the only things he did was to straighten up the back of CLT a little, sit outside under my awning and watch some TV.

Linda did more laundry, went through her finished embroidery projects to see exactly what was there, worked on her current project, watched some TV with Jim and made a pasta / meat sauce dish and garlic bread for dinner.

Very soon, Jim and Linda need to go to the grocery store, and before long they have to do some Christmas shopping. Maybe they can get the groceries today, and then work on the Christmas stuff this week.

A Point to Ponder : If someone can't see, they're blind and if someone can't hear, they're deaf, so what do you call people who can't smell?

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Not Much Happening

DeBary, FL.

60 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny. Highs around 80. East winds 10 to 15 mph.


Not much happened around here yesterday. Laura stopped by for a couple hours to visit. The weather was so nice that she, Linda and Jim sat out under my awning the whole time she was here. ; )

Jim dug his bicycle out of the back of CLT, put the front wheel on and pumped up the tires. He and Linda were trying to figure out when he last rode it, and they came to the conclusion that it may have been last winter when they were here at this park!

Then, he took it for a little ride around the park. When he came back, he said that he was really out of shape and needed to gradually get back into riding it and also needed to do some work on the bike's shifter so the gears would work properly.

After that, he got out the plastic rain gutter that he uses to support the sewer hose when parked for an extended time at a park. Using it keeps the hose up off of the ground and also keeps it at a slight slope so that the waste water drains better.

While he was doing that, Linda did a load of laundry and worked some more on her embroidery project.

For dinner, Jim cooked pork chops on the grill and Linda cooked some corn and got out some of the left-over Arctic Salad, that she had taken over to Marv and Inez's the day before.

After that, it was TV again until bedtime.

Did you know that in 1942 - The motion picture "Casablanca" had its world premiere at the Hollywood Theater in New York City?

Friday, November 25, 2011

A Great Feast and Thanks Marv and Inez

DeBary, FL.

56 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. East winds 10 to 15 mph.

It was about 10:45 when CLT took Jim and Linda, (and the "Arctic Salad" that Linda had put together), over to Marv and Inez's house. Marv and Inez are Laura's, husband's parents, and they live about 14 miles North of here in De Land, FL.

Every year, Inez, (pictured below getting dinner ready, (in her "Pilgrim costume"), cooks a huge turkey and all the "fixens'" and has the whole family over for a great feast. Since Jim and Linda have been full-timing and coming down here to Florida in the winter, Marv and Inez have invited them to join them during both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

What great people!! : )

This year, and many years in the past, Lindsey, (Laura's husband), has baked a ham and brought it over to supplement the turkey. Here, Lindsey is carving it in preparation for the meal.

While Lindsey was carving the ham, his brother was carving the turkey. In the picture below, you can see Ashley and Laura patiently waiting for the food to be ready, so they can get the drinks ready for everyone.

When these pictures were taken, some if the people were outside on the deck and others were sitting around one of the tables, so Jim didn't get a shot of everyone.  CLT says that he thinks that there were about 14 or 15 people there and one of Lindsey's brothers and his family couldn't come this year. : (

Anyway, it sounds like everyone had a great time and enjoyed a great meal. : ) 

I know Jim and Linda want to thank Marv and Inez for including them in their family celebration. It's so nice of them and Jim and Linda really appreciate being included.

About 4:00 CLT brought Jim and Linda back here to the park. They had so much to eat earlier that they just snacked a little for their evening meal. On their way back home, Laura and Lindsey stopped by for a few minutes. I had never met Lindsey and so Jim gave him the "tour" of the inside of me. ; )

After they left, it was TV until an early bedtime. ; )

Today, Laura is off work and if she has time, will probably come here for awhile. Jim and Linda have some shopping to do, but I don't think that they'll be doing much of it today. Neither one of them enjoy being out with all the "Black Friday" shoppers.

I hope all of you loyal followers had a great Thanksgiving. Please be careful if you're "out and about" during this busy season. Some of the people out there are thinking about the upcoming Holiday season and aren't thinking about their driving.

Did you know that the Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in the year 1621 and invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians also to the feast?

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Guess What? and Happy Thanksgiving

DeBary, FL.

57 deg., clear, no wind.

Forecast = Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.


Guess what???? The parts for my Aqua Hot furnace came in by UPS about 10:15 and Dan started to reassemble the furnace right away. Everything went together without a hitch and by about 12:30 the furnace was running and Jim was hooking CLT up to the back of me.

Now, Dan would normally have gone to lunch at noon, but because he knew that Jim wanted to get me through Orlando before the traffic became too heavy, he delayed going to lunch until he had me repaired.

Thanks Dan! : )

So, by 1:00 the bill was paid, and we were heading towards a gas station near there to get me a nice drink of #2 diesel fuel. : )  Then it was a short drive back to I-4 where we turned NE and headed for DeBary.

Just before we got to Orlando, there was an accident in the left lane which caused us some delay, but once past that, the traffic moved pretty smoothly all the way through the city. By 2:40 I was pulling up in front of the office here at the Highbanks Marina and Camp Resort.

Actually, even though we stopped for my drink and got delayed for the accident, it only took us 1 hour and 40 minutes to travel the 75 miles up here.

Once here, I sat out in front of the office while Jerry, (the park manager), took Jim around the park to look for a site that was nice and that I could fit into. They finally found a site but a low hanging tree branch had to be trimmed before Jim could back me in. Once that was trimmed, Jim backed me in and now I'm settled into site #198 which is just a short way past the Clubhouse.

So, this is where I'll be for the next 2 months. I think I'm going to like it here. Already, many of the neighbors have come over and welcomed me into the park. ; )

Seems like really nice people here. : )

Oh and by the way. . . . . I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

I hope all of you have a great day. : )

Did you know that the first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days?

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Four "Ifs", A "May" And A "Might", A Great Lunch With Great Friends and A Surprise Visit

Lakeland, FL.

64 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning...then a chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s near the coast and in the lower 80s inland. Southwest winds around 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Dan, took my furnace apart yesterday morning and found out that there were some bearings worn out and the little 12 volt motor was bad.

So, parts were ordered and "if", (and it's a big "if"), the parts come in today, (One day overnight delivery), and "if" all the parts are correct, and "if" Dan gets it put back together and "if" there aren't other unforeseen problems, my repairs "may" be completed today, and I "might" be able to leave here today and go to to DeBary in time for Thanksgiving!!!  : )

Now, many things can go wrong with all of this, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but it's really hard not to. I have to remember that it's a very good possibility that Jim, Linda and I will be spending the holiday right here in this parking lot. : (

A little before noon, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the Bob Evans Restaurant to meet up with their long time RVing friends, Roland and Louise. From what I understand, they had a very nice meal and a very nice visit with them. After eating and catching up on what has been happening since they came to visit Jim, Linda and me up in Rantoul this past summer, they all came back here and visited for awhile longer!!

What a great surprise!!!! I really didn't think I'd get to see them!!!

After talking for awhile, Roland and Louise had to leave as they had another stop they wanted to make before heading back down to Frostproof where their Motor Home, ( Big Herb), is parked for the winter.

So, today, we'll see what happens. Maybe, just maybe, things will go right and tomorrow morning I'll be posting on this blog from DeBary.

Did you know that age is a determining factor in the taste of turkey? Old, large males are preferable to young toms (males) as tom meat is stringy. The opposite is true for females: old hens are tougher birds.


 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

One Problem Repaired and Waiting On The Second

Lakeland, FL.

67 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Patchy fog early in the morning. A slight chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Southeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.


As soon as Lester came in to work yesterday morning, Jim went into the office to talk to him. Lester was busy getting everything ready for the work day, so Jim didn't stay long. He did, however, tell Lester exactly what my problems were and how my furnace and alternator were acting.

Glen, (the shop foreman) came out about 8:00 and backed me into a spot along side of the building and plugged me into electric, but being that Lester had kind of squeezed  me into the schedule, no one was able to start work on me until about 2:30 in the afternoon.

It was then that Dan, (the head mechanic and the one who had done almost all the work on me when we were here before), came out and started checking out my alternator problem. It took him about an hour to find out what was wrong, and then another hour to fix the problem.

What was the problem? Well, lets just say that two mistakes were made, one by the mechanic where Jim and Linda bought me in Illinois, (that started the whole problem), and another one when my alternator was removed and rebuilt about a month and a half ago here at Creative Coach.

The mistake has been rectified and it will not cost Jim and Linda anything for the repairs. : )

After the alternator problem was fixed, Dan took a look at my Aqua Hot furnace. He finally got it to try to light and it appears that the bearings in the fuel pump have gone bad. He didn't have time to take the furnace apart yesterday afternoon, but by the noise it made, that is the assumption.

This morning he'll take it apart and find out exactly what the problem is. Then the parts can be ordered and the repairs made.

Now, that brings up another problem. Today is the day my reservations at the Highbanks Marina and CG begin. Needless to say, I won't be able to make it and won't know until the parts are ordered and the Aqua Hot place tells Lester when they can ship them. Even then, (from past experience), it's hard to figure out just when the parts will get here, and then be installed, so Jim is hoping that the CG will work with him and hold a site until I can get them there.

There's also the little thing about Thanksgiving. Marv and Inez, (Lindsey's parents), will be having a big meal that Jim and Linda are invited to, but unless everything goes really well with my repairs, we won't get there in time. So, Linda will have to call Laura and Lindsey and tell them what's going on and tell them that she don't know if we'll be able to make it or not. : (

So, that's what's going on here. I hope all your Thanksgiving plans are not "up in the air", like they are for Jim and Linda. The "not knowing" is the worst part, and they won't know for sure until the parts actually arrive and the furnace is repaired. : (

Today, Jim and Linda have made plans to meet up with Roland and Louise, (long time, very good RVing friends), for lunch at a Bob Evans Restaurant here in  Lakeland. They always enjoy getting together with them and are looking forward to seeing them again. They're wintering down in Frostproof, FL. and will drive up here for lunch.  : )

Did you know that according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the U.S. at Thanksgiving? That's one sixth of all turkeys sold in the U.S. each year.