Wednesday, February 29, 2012

A Resort? Prescriptions and Wandering Around Boerne

Boerne, TX.

65 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy in the morning, then partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 75F. Winds less than 5 mph.
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It ended up being quite foggy early yesterday morning, but at least, it wasn't raining. A little before 9:00 Jim took the garbage out and set it at the front of my site so that it would be picked up. Then since he was out, he decided to hook up the rest of my utilities.

You know, the water and sewer hoses.

Since he was out and about and the weather was co-operating, he grabbed his camera and took a few shots of my site and the park area that I'm in.

In the photo below, you can see that this park is nothing fancy, and I have trouble calling it a "Resort" as there is definitely not a resort like setting.


A view looking down the street from my site


In this photo, you can see how narrow the sites are. .

You know, I have never been able to figure out what the definition of an RV Resort is. When I think of a "Resort", I think of an upscale park with lush green grass, spacious sites, maybe a tree or palm in the area to sit under, picnic tables at every site, and possibly some vegetation between sites for some privacy. Then of course, there has to be a swimming pool, lots of activities, and of course a big banquet hall or rec hall for entertainment or gatherings.

This park has lots of amenities and even a banquet hall, but I just can't make myself think of it as a "Resort".

I don't know, maybe it's just me.

About 11:00 yesterday morning, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed into town to find the Walgreen's Drug Store so that Linda could get her prescriptions refilled. They easily found it and she got all here prescriptions refilled without any problems.

In fact they were in and out of Walgreen's in about 45 minutes.: ) 

From there, they stopped at a bakery and picked up a few goodies, went to the Post Office to mail a card, and then drove around town a little to see what was there and to scope out some stores they may go to while we're in the area.

When they got back, Linda did a load of laundry and Jim took a nap. ; )

Today, I think they're going to take a drive to check out some of the neighboring communities and see the sights. Jim says he's heard that there are some very scenic drives in this area that they call "Texas Hill Country", and he wants to see if he can find some of them.

I hope he remembers to take his camera along.  ; )

Did you know that the King Ranch in Texas is bigger than the state of Rhode Island?

Also,
Did you know that In the British Isles, it is a tradition that women may propose marriage only on leap years?

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Some Travel, Some Rain, Some Fire

Boerne, TX.

59 deg. fog, SE wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast = Overcast in the morning, then mostly cloudy. Fog early. High of 77F. Winds from the ESE at 5-15 mph shifting to the NE in the afternoon.


We pulled out of the Happy Oaks RV Park in Alleyton about 9:25 yesterday morning and immediately got back on West bound I-10. Again the roads were smooth and the traffic was moderate, so we moved right along. Just before we got to San Antonio, we turned off of I-10 and headed North on TX 1604 / C.W. Anderson Loop. The first part of this road is 2 lane, then turns to 4 lane and finally an Interstate type 4 lane with limited access.

The 2 lane part of this road was kind of bumpy with quite a bit of truck traffic, the next portion was smoother, but there were stop lights and lots of traffic, and finally the last part was fairly smooth but there was a lot of traffic merging onto the road, so the traffic didn't move very smoothly.

The whole loop road cut off quite a few miles though, and I would imagine that the traffic through the main part of San Antonio on I-10 would have been pretty heavy too.

Once back on I-10, on the NW side of the city, it was only a few miles to our destination just Southeast of Boerne.

One of the main things that slowed down traffic is that just before we came to the 1604 loop it started raining lightly and continued all the way around the city and up here to the Alamo Fiesta RV Resort.

It was 11:50 when we pulled up to the office, so we traveled exactly 150 miles in 2 hours and 25 minutes.

Not too shabby!! ; )

It was still raining when when Jim pulled me into my site, so Jim went out and just hooked up my electric cord. Then, he came inside, leveled me and put out my slides.

 Oh, and he did hook up the cable TV while he was out there so that he could watch some of the Daytona 500 race that had been postponed from Sunday.

Speaking of the race, it was delayed again, so yesterday evening, Jim and Linda got to watch the whole thing. I'll have to admit that it was pretty exciting, and at one point, I thought they were going to burn down the track!!!

We'll be staying here at the Alamo Fiesta RV Resort for 5 nights. My first impressions of this park are mixed. Jim said that the man who registered me in the office was very nice and helpful, there are lots of amenities, but the area where my site is, is just a gravel lot with cement parking pads. I do have full hook-ups with 50 amp electric, the cement parking pad is very level, but the site is narrow and Jim had to park CLT along side of me because the site's not long enough to park him in front or behind me.

I am in one of the lowest priced sites though, so I'm thinking that maybe the more expensive sites are larger. I'll be fine here for 5 nights while Jim and Linda explore the area. This area of the park seems pretty quiet and maybe I'll get to know a few of the RVs that are parked near me while they're out and about.   : )

Did you know that  Boerne, TX was named in honor of Ludwig, Borne, a Jewish German author and publicist? The city was founded in 1849 as Tusculum, the name was changed to Boerne when the town was platted in 1852

Monday, February 27, 2012

Good Roads, Good Travel Day but A Not So Good RV Park

Alleyton, TX.

60 deg. overcast, E. wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Fog early. High of 70F. Winds from the East at 5-10 mph. Chance of rain 20%.


Ahhhhh!!!!! Smooth roads at last!!!!! 

We left the Gulf Coast RV Park in Beaumont about 10:10 yesterday morning and headed back to I-10. As I had mentioned yesterday, once we got into Texas, the roads really improved and that continued to be the case as we continued wandering west.

Now I don't know if all Texas highways are in good condition but I-10 was, (even as we zipped through "Beautiful downtown Houston"), all the way here to the Happy Oaks RV Park in Alleyton. In fact, the whole trip went well yesterday. The traffic wasn't too heavy and it moved along nicely without any delays. : )

Jim and Linda were at this RV Park about 3 years ago, and both of them agree that it has really gone down hill. : (  Almost all of the sites are full of RVs that appear to be owned by construction workers, the park is not well maintained and the person that Jim talked to when we arrived seemed like he didn't want to be bothered with us.

So, even though it's a Passport America park with low rates, we probably wouldn't stay here again.

Today, we'll continue heading West, ending up West of San Antonio in Boerne, TX. There's lots to see and do in that area and so the plan is to stay there for a few days.

 Did you know that Sam Houston, arguably the most famous Texan, was actually born in Virginia? Houston served as governor of Tennessee before coming to Texas.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Louisiana To Texas and More Rough Roads

Beaumont, TX.

40 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy in the morning, then mostly cloudy. High of 63F. Winds from the East at 5-15 mph.


Friday was a do-nothing day. Neither Jim nor Linda felt like doing anything, so they didn't!! ; )

Oh, I almost forgot, they did go into Kinder and bought CLT a drink of 87 octane and themselves some bread, and milk.

Yesterday morning, we left the Coushatta Casino RV park at 10:30 and retraced my route back down to Kinder. At Kinder, we got back on US 190 and took it west until it turned North. There, we continued West on LA 12 which eventually turned int TX 12. Following 12 brought us right to I-10 just East of Beaumont. After getting onto I-10 we followed it through Beaumont and to the Gulf Coast RV Resort which is on the West edge of Beaumont.

It was 12:35 when we pulled up in front of the office, so we traveled just 95 miles in 2 hours and 5 minutes.

Again, I don't know if it was wise to take US 190 or not. Parts of it were very smooth but other sections were like a washboard. : (  Once we crossed the state line into Texas, the road was much better.

It did save some miles and I understand that there is bridge construction on I-10 by Lake Charles, so I guess it all depends on which way you think would be the best.

I don't think either way is very good. : (

The Gulf Coast RV Resort is a nice park with full hook-ups, 50 amp electric, paved streets and sites. Each site has a patio with a picnic table, but there is no shade and the sites are quite close together.

But again, at a Passport America rate of $17.50, you really can't complain. ; )

Jim and Linda decided to go out to eat last night, so they hopped into CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed to a Cracker Barrel that is a couple of miles from here. They said the food was good but Jim said that he thought his food could have been hotter.

This is a one night stop for me. Today, we'll go through Houston, (I'm hoping the traffic will be lighter, being that it's Sunday), and go about 1/2 way to San Antonio, where we'll stay at yet another Passport America park.

Did you know that Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it? They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Not A Real Great Travel Day

Kinder, LA

67 deg. overcast, N. wind @ 15 mph.

Forecast = Overcast in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 61F. Winds from the North at 15-20 mph.


We left the Lakeside RV Park in Livingston about 10:20 and we only traveled for 3 hours, (covering 137 miles), but it seemed like we were on the road for a much longer time.

You see, when we got back on I-12 which joined back up with I-10. There was lots of traffic all the way to and through Baton Rouge, and none of the drivers were being too patient. Once we crossed the Mississippi River, we turned North on Rt 1 and took it up to US 190.

Now, being that we didn't have a long way to travel, Jim thought US 190 would be a good alternative to I-10, which is notoriously rough through Louisiana. And since we were headed for Kinder, it was actually shorter to go this way.

But. . . . . . And you knew that had to be a "but" didn't you?  Some sections of the road were very rough, there was lots of traffic  in places, you go through some small towns, (some of which have very narrow streets), and on top of that, the winds were gusting out of the SSW at between 35 and 40 mph!!!!

So, if you're planning on traveling though southern LA, and you're thinking about taking US 190 as an alternative to I-10, you may want to reconsider. Even without the wind, 190 is not a fun road to drive on and unless you find out that I-10 is extremely rough, I'd stick to it.

Oh, along the way, (I think it was in Eunice), we pulled into a truck stop and Jim bought me a nice big drink of #2 diesel fuel. It had been a long time since I'd had a drink, so I was pretty thirsty.

I know that some of you who are traveling or thinking about traveling, are probably wondering about the price of the fuel. Well, when we left Alabama, the price that I saw there was $3.98 per gallon. The price that Jim paid yesterday was $3.84.

It pays to check on the prices in the states you'll be traveling through. Jim uses DieselBoss to get an idea of the prices.

OK back to yesterday's wanderings.

Once we got to Kinder, we turned Northeast on US 165 and followed it for about 5 miles until we came to the Coushatta Casino and the Red Shoes RV Park. This is a nice park, very well maintained, paved streets,  long pull-through full hook-up sites with cement pads and patios and bright green grass between the sites. Again, it doesn't have the "it" factor, but the sites are fairly wide and you don't feel cramped.

The reason we're staying here? Well neither Linda or Jim gamble, so they won't be playing any of the games at the Casino and depending on the weather and other factors, they may not even go there, but, at $18 a night, (with the Good Sam Discount), was hard to pass up. Besides that, Jim has heard people talk about this place for years, and just wanted to see what it was like!! ; ) 

Being that the weather is suppose to be kind of "iffy" today, Jim and Linda have decided to stay here for 2 days.

Did you know that the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana was officially recognized by the Federal government in 1973, established its present home north of Elton in 1975, and marked a major turning point in tribal history in 1985 with the election by popular vote of the first Coushatta tribal government?

Thursday, February 23, 2012

On The Road, Alabama To Louisiana

Livingston, LA.

68 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 79F. Winds from the WNW at 15-20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Chance of rain 20%.

I was just about ready to pull out of my site when Jim took CLT and headed over to the office at the Plantation. You see, when you stay at an SKP park, you don't pay for your site until you're leaving. That way, if you extend for another week, (like we did), it really doesn't make any difference, you just pay for the days that you've stayed plus any electricity that you've used.

Anyway, Jim paid for my site and the electricity that I used and then came back to my site, pulled me out onto the street and hooked CLT to the back of me. Again it was right at 10:00 by the time we pulled out of the park.

From the Plantation, we headed back up to I-10 where we turned West, and followed it through Mississippi and into Louisiana. We did stop once at the Louisiana welcome center for a pit stop and to check my and CLT's tires and the tow bar.

Everything was fine so we continued on I-10 until it headed South towards New Orleans. From there, we followed I-12 here to Livingston and the Lakeside RV Park.

We had a few areas of construction, but the traffic moved smoothly through them and we didn't have any significant delays. In fact, it was only 1:30 when we pulled up to the office, so it only took us 3 1/2 hours to travel exactly 200 miles and that included the pit stop. : )

This is a nice park. All roads are paved, the sites have cement pads to park on and cement patios with a picnic table, all sites are full hook-up with 50 amp electric, they lead you to your site and help you get into the site and the folks running the park seem really nice.

The park, however does not have the "it" factor. Oh, there's a large fishing lake which is nice, there's a pool and a playground, but very few trees and the sites are quite close together with no vegetation and any kind of barrier in between them.





This is a Passport America Park though, and for only $16.65 per night, you can't really complain.

Today, we'll continue heading West. Jim's trying to decide on our next stop. It'll probably be someplace over at the western edge of the state.

Did you know that Louisiana was named in honor of King Louis XIV?

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Fat Tuesday and Getting Ready

Summerdale, AL.

51 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 70F. Winds from the SSW at 5-15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.


The day started out with Jim and Linda getting me ready to travel. Linda did a load of laundry and started to put "stuff" away and Jim did some of the same before going outside to checked my tires and fluid levels. Then, after the laundry was done, he added a little water to my fresh water tank, dumped my black and gray water tanks and put all the hoses away.

About 4:45 they headed over to the clubhouse for the last of the Mardi Gras celebrations. Yesterday was what they call "Fat Tuesday", and its the last day to party and eat before Lent begins.

The festivities started with the arrival of the King and Queen. After they paraded around in the clubhouse, the excellent evening meal was served. It consisted of meat loaf, mashed potatoes w/gravy, green beans, salad and drinks. There were also skits, costume contests, and music from a band to fill out the evening.

Jim and Linda said that it seemed like a good time was had by all. : )

If you ever get a chance to get down in this area in February, try to time it so you'll be here for Mardi Gras. There's something going on almost every day in the area, it's a fun time and you can party and eat as much as you like. Both Jim and Linda are glad that they extended our time here to experience it. : )

Today we'll be leaving the Plantation, but we'll be back. It would have been nice if Jim and Linda would have been able to spend more time with Darrell and Judy, but being that it was such a busy time here at the park, that just didn't happen. : (  Hopefully, we'll meet up with them again soon.

Since we'll be traveling, I have no idea if I'll be able to post on this blog every day or not. If you don't hear from me for a day or so, don't worry, I'll catch you up on my wanderings as soon as possible.

Did you know that the last Tuesday before Lent developed a variety of different traditions depending on what country one was living in?

The one commonality was that all these traditions were indulgent! In English, for example, a feast of pancakes was served. In France, Mardi Gras -- meaning "Fat Tuesday" -- was especially indulgent, reminiscent of ancient Roman times.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Mardi Gras Parade And Lunch

Summerdale, AL.

51 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 68F. Winds from the South at 5-10 mph.


The park Mardi Gras parade kicked off from the clubhouse at 11:00 yesterday morning and circled around through parts of the park before returning to the clubhouse. It wasn't a big parade, but I think most everyone here in the park had a good time and enjoyed watching it and catching the beads and candy that the participants threw out to the spectators. ; )

Below, are a few of the photos that Jim took of the parade.







As you can see, Just about anything that could roll was decorated and entered into the parade. : )

After the parade, everyone started gathering for lunch. On the menu was Pulled pork  sandwich, baked beans, potato wedges, slaw, desert and drinks.

They even had a band that was playing from the stage.

After the meal, there were skits, and then an auction for some chairs that some of the members of the club had refurbished by refinishing and re-caning the seats.

By the time Jim and Linda got back here, it was time for naps. ; )  After his nap, Jim went outside and checked a few things on me. He also closed the grey water valve so that some water would accumulate in the tank so that when he dumps my black water tank today, he'll have some gray water to flush out the sewer hose.

There will be more festivities at the clubhouse today and then, we'll be leaving here tomorrow morning. It's hard to believe we've been here for 2 weeks already.

Did you know that the first Mardi Gras parade was staged in the United States 1837?

It has been reported that there was just one float, which, despite its crudeness, brought great joy to the people of New Orleans. Today, the city begins its cascade of parades the Friday before Ash Wednesday. The parades feature hundreds of different floats from the city's many parishes, each of which is sponsored by a different Krewes, or club.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Friday's Photos and Breakfast With The King And Queen

Summerdale, AL.

57 deg overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 61F. Winds from the WNW at 10-25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.

I finally got some photos of Friday's dinner and the selection and Coronation of the King and Queen to load.

The photo below is of some of the people at the dinner. There were so many that it was impossible to get them all in a shot or two. : )

The announcement of the King and Queen!!!!!!


The King!!!!


And the Queen!!!!

A few of the decorations in the Clubhouse

Yesterday morning, Linda managed to get up at the "crack of dawn" and make it over to the clubhouse for breakfast with Jim and the King and Queen. There were lots of folks there and everyone enjoyed juice, pancakes, bacon or sausage and coffee.  ; )

Jim and Linda said that there weren't quite as many people there as there were for the dinner, but the clubhouse was pretty much filled up.

It wasn't long before Jim and Linda came back here. The skies were threatening and the forecast was for rain and possible severe weather, so they felt it was best to return shortly after finishing their meal and talking to a few friends.

It rained most of the day and then later in the afternoon, it started to get pretty nasty. The rain intensified, there was thunder and lightning and the winds really picked up for awhile.

Oh, and did I mention that there were flood and tornado warnings and watches for the area?  : O

Luckily, it didn't get too nasty here at the park and I don't think that there was any damage.  At least none that I could see.

After the storms passed, Jim and Linda fooled around with the computers and watched TV.

Speaking of TV, did any of you watch the demolition derby at Daytona last night? I really didn't like the 2 by 2 racing that they've been doing in the past, but I don't think a race where 1/2 of the cars are wrecked before it's half over will very interesting either. : (

Maybe the drivers will use their heads and figure things out before the Daytona 500 next weekend.

Did you know that the ever-popular beaded necklaces, so ubiquitously associated with Mardi Gras today, didn't come into play until the 1880s?

That's when one of the Krewes dressed up a member as Santa Claus and had him toss out glass beads. It was such a hit that by 1900, beaded necklaces had become the Mardi Gras throw. Somewhere along the way, those lovely glass beads got replaced by cheap plastic and aluminum beads, which today earn the thrower a flash (of flesh). That particular "trading" tradition most likely dates back to the 1970s.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Mardi Gras - The Fun Begins

Summerdale, AL

58 deg. light drizzle no wind.

Forecast = Overcast with thunderstorms and rain showers. High of 70F. Winds from the NE at 5-15 mph with gusts to 30 mph shifting to the SE in the afternoon. Chance of rain 100% with rainfall amounts near 1.8 in. possible.


Yesterday was the first day of Mardi Gras here at the Plantation. Jim and Linda went grocery shopping in the morning, and then just kind of kicked back in the afternoon. Then, a little after 5:00 they headed over to the clubhouse for the festivities.

As they drove up to the clubhouse, they could see that there were lots of people there because there were cars parked everywhere.  In fact I'm told that there were about 240 people there.  : O

The first thing on the agenda was the baked spaghetti dinner, which included salads, drinks and desert. After dinner, it was time to select the King and Queen. This was done when everyone was served a cupcake for desert. 2 of the cupcakes had a tiny figure of a baby baked into them and the people who got them, became the new King and Queen.

Now, I have to stop in the middle of this because I want to tell you that Jim did take a bunch of photos of all of this, but I can't get any of them to load onto Blogger this morning!!!!! : ( 

I'm really sorry about that, and if I can, I'll post them on a future blog.

Anyway, the King and Queen were selected and then it was time for the Coronation. This was mostly them taking an oath and the crowing with gold crowns.

After the coronation there was a ball, but Jim and Linda decided not to stay for that. Linda's knee has been bothering her latey and she decided that it probably wouldn't do it any good to dance on it.  

There's not much scheduled for today except a breakfast this morning, and it's probably a good thing because all the forecasters on TV are saying that it's very possible that we'll be getting a lot of rain and possibly some severe weather today. In fact, many of the parades that were to take place in the surrounding communities, have already been postponed and rescheduled.

Did you know that purple, green and gold are the traditional colors of Mardi Gras?
Purple represents justice, green is faith and gold symbolizes power.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Today The Festivities Begin

Summerdale, AL.

67 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 73F. Winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Weather wise, the day didn't start out very good yesterday. There was heavy rain for a good part of the morning, but then skies started to clear some and the sun even came out for awhile during the afternoon.

Jim and Linda didn't do much. Linda read some, fooled around with the computer and watched some TV. Jim did basically the same thing except he read a magazine, fooled around with the other computer and watched some TV.

For dinner, since the weather was co-operating, Jim got out the grill and cooked a couple burgers while Linda prepared some carrots on my stove.

Today, the Mardi Gras festivities start here at the park, with a dinner this evening, followed by the selection of a Mardi Gras King and Queen. After that, there'll be the "Rainbow Ball".

Did you know that historians differ about how exactly Mardi Gras was brought to the United States, but all agree it was due to French influence in the territory of Louisiana?

Some think the French explorer Sieur d'Ibervilled introduced Mardi Gras when he landed in what is today Louisiana in 1699. Others say that early French settlers to Louisiana introduced Mardi Gras to the Americas. While others argue that the first Mardi Gras was celebrated by French soldiers back in 1703, in the city of Mobile, Alabama. Either way, by the 1820s, Mardi Gras was firmly entrenched in New Orleans culture.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Surge Suppressor and More On Mardi Gras

Summerdale, AL.

64 deg. cloudy, rain.

Forecast = Overcast with thunderstorms and rain showers. High of 75F. Winds from the SSW at 5-15 mph. Chance of rain 70% with rainfall amounts near 0.4 in. possible.

Linda put a load of laundry in my washer/dryer as soon as she got up yesterday morning. Then, after eating breakfast, she and Jim took CLT and headed for the Camping World store in Robertsdale, (which is the next town North of here on Rt 59).

Now, those of you that have been following this blog are probably saying, "I know why they're going to Camping World. They are going to buy those chairs that Jim has been wanting" 

Not!!!!!   The reason that they went was to look for a new surge suppressor to protect my electrical system when I'm plugged into the campground's power pedestal.

You see, lately, the surge suppressor that Jim bought for Myrddin way back in 2001 or 2002, has been giving him some trouble. Awhile back, when he went to use it, it made a chattering noise when he plugged it into the outlet on the post. The next time he tried it, it worked fine and in fact worked well for about another month. Then, at another CG, it acted like it didn't want to energize, (after it's normal delay), but finally did. When we got here to the Plantation, he plugged it in and after it's delay cycle, it just sat there and hummed and wouldn't energize to let the power flow into my system.

So  . . . . . .he and Linda talked about it, and decided that it was time for a replacement.

Now, these things are not cheap!! The one that Jim bought for me at Camping world was right at $400, so the lawn chair purchase had to wait!!!! : (

Why do I need a surge suppressor? Well, normally a surge suppressor is not needed, but if you don't have one and you get a surge of electricity, (from lightning or a outlet that is mis-wired or goes bad), it can fry anything electric in an RV, especially printed circuit boards.

In fact, I've learned that's exactly what happened to Myrddin shortly after Jim and Linda bought him, when an electrical outlet at a CG shorted out and zapped him with 240 volts!!! He had a lot of damage and it even burned up some of the circuit breakers and wires in his 120 volt electrical box!!

So, now I have a new surge suppressor with high and low voltage protection, and I don't have to worry about being zapped. : )

After they got back and Jim had me plugged in, using the new suppressor, he took a few photos of me in my site here at the Plantation, and one of the suppressor.




Isn't it cute?? It has a digital read-out and everything!!!!

I'm learning more and more about this Mardi Gras thing. Jim and Linda have a brochure from the park and it looks like there is going to be a lot going on from this Friday, all the way to next Tuesday. There are going to be a couple of breakfasts, a lunch, an ice cream social and a couple of dinners during that time. There will also be a selection of a King and Queen, a parade, costume judging, and parties at the clubhouse. 

Sounds like it should be an interesting and fun time!! ; )

Did you know that Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday"?

Some say the term alludes to the over-indulgences of the day. Others explain that the word "fat" refers to a fattened ox that was paraded through town before being sacrificed at a mid-winter, pagan fertility celebration.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Lunch At Big Daddy's Grill and Marti Tickets

Summerdale, AL.

46 deg. clear, no wind.

forecast = Partly cloudy in the morning, then mostly cloudy with thunderstorms and rain showers. High of 72F. Winds from the SSE at 5-15 mph. Chance of rain 20%


A little before 1:00 yesterday, Darrell, Judy, Mike and Peggy pulled up in front of me in Mike and Peggy's car. After Jim talked to them for a minute, he and Linda got into CLT and followed them out of the park.

I didn't know it, but they had all made arrangements to go out to lunch at Big Daddy's Grill in Fairhope, AL. Actually, CLT said that without Mike and Peggy's car to follow, he doubts if he would have been able to find the place because it's out in the middle of nowhere and not anywhere near any other businesses.

Anyway, from what I heard, it's a great place to eat. They have a lot of seafood on their menu plus hamburgers and other kinds of food,. Darrell and Judy said that everything that they have had, has always been really good. : )

After a very good meal, (Linda had a hamburger and Jim had a fish basket special), and lots of good conversation with Darrell, Judy, Mike and Peggy, they headed back here, completely stuffed. ; )

When they returned to the park, Jim and Linda stopped at the office and bought some tickets so they could eat at someplace called Marti's. Now, I don't know what or where Marti's is, but from what I understand, these tickets are for meals that they will be serving from this Friday through next Tuesday.

Also, there's supposed to be a parade connected with this, a costume party, and even a crowning of a King and Queen!!!

Oh wait!!!!!! I just found out about that Marti's thing!!!! It's not "Marti's",  it's "Mardi Gras"!!!!!!

Yep, I've heard of that. I'm going to have to do some research on it, but I think it's some kind of Holiday that they have down here in this part of the country every year. From what I've learned so far is that some people believe the Holiday was brought to the U.S. by the French way back around 1700.

Hmmm!!! That's a long time ago!!! ; )

Did you know that Mardi Gras celebrations date back to ancient Roman times?

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day and Shopping

Summerdale, AL.

61 deg. overcast, rain.

Forecast = Cloudy in the morning becoming mostly sunny. Chance of showers in the morning. Highs 70 to 75. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.


Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!


Linda got up a little earlier than normal yesterday morning, so she and Jim decided that they'd go back down to Foley and see if they could find those "kitchen" stores. Jim had printed out a map of the outlet mall and they had found the stores that they wanted to go to on it, so success was pretty much assured. ; )

So, they hopped into CLT and headed down there.

CLT says that they drove right to the area where the stores were, and it was just a short walk for Jim and Linda to get to them.

The first store they went into was the "Le Creuset Factory Store", where they had all kinds of cookware. After looking around, they found what they were calling a "Buffet Casserole", which Linda decided could be used for multiple purposes.

It was on sale, so they decided to buy it.

Then as they were checking out, the lady at the register informed them that they would also receive a free 9" oval baking dish as a gift for shopping in the store!!! : )  Wow!!! What a nice surprise!!!! It's very nice and Linda says that she's sure she'll be able to use it often!!

From the Le Creuset Factory Store, they went next door to a store called the "Kitchen Collection", where they found a cheese cutter like Jim has been wanting for a long time. Jim says that if you can't find the kitchen gadget that your looking for in that store, it's probably not being made any longer.

On the way back from the Mall, CLT says that they stopped at a Winn Dixie Grocery Store where Jim went in and bought a few essentials that they were out of. You know, things like bread, milk, cookies and beer. ; )

After they left the grocery store, CLT was sure that they were coming back here to the park, but no, they weren't done shopping yet!!!

There was one more place that Jim wanted to go to and it was the "Summerdale Western Store" to see if they had any shirts that he liked. You see, it's been ages since he last bought any short sleeve shirts and a few of his are just plain worn out.

Evidently, this is a good time to buy short sleeve shirts because they had some just like Jim wanted, and they were on sale to boot!!! On top of that, Jim jokingly asked the lady at the register if she would give him a senior citizen discount, and guess what,  she gave him an additional 10% off!!! : )

I guess it never hurts to ask.

So. . . . .it was a very successful shopping day and everyone got what they wanted/needed.

After they returned here to the Plantation, Jim and Linda both grabbed something to eat and then took naps. The rest of the day was spent on the computers, watching TV and reading.

Oh, Jim did hook me back up to the city water as they're not forecasting any more freezing temperatures for the foreseeable future. : )

Did you know that 110 million roses, the majority red, will be sold and delivered within a three-day time period for Valentine's Day?

Monday, February 13, 2012

Not As Cold

Summerdale, AL.

34 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 50s. East winds 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.


It didn't get as cold last night as forecasted. I guess that's good, but now they're forecasting a cloudy day with a 70% chance of rain with 20 to 25 mph winds overnight, tonight. : (

I'm not sure that either Jim or Linda went out at all yesterday. They both played around with the computers, (Jim with trip plans and surfing the Internet, and Linda with her Family Tree Maker program), watched some TV, read some and took naps. Everyone that was out and about, were wearing heavy coats and hats and those that weren't, looked like they were freezing. : O

Hopefully the cold weather is about over and the temperatures can get somewhat back to normal.

No real plans for today. I know Linda has a load of laundry to do, Jim wants to get my water hooked back up and they both want to get some shopping done. But . . . . . we'll have to wait to see what the weather is going to do and how everyone is feeling.

Did you know that more than 50 percent of Valentine's cards are sold the week of the holiday, with the largest and most elaborate Valentine cards sold 48 hours before February 14?

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Yep, It's Cold and Trip Plan G?

Summerdale, AL.

27 deg. clear, N. wind @ 2 mph.

Forecast = Sunny. Highs in the upper 40s. north winds 10 to 15 mph.


Yep, it got cold!!! As I write this, it's 27 degrees and I'm sure it'll drop another couple degrees before the sun comes up.

Needless to say, because of the cold and windy weather, hardly anyone was out and about yesterday, but Jim did go out and put some water in my fresh water tank and unhook and store the hoses in anticipation of the freezing temperatures. In fact, about mid-afternoon, a man from the park came around and handed all the RVers in the park a paper suggesting that everyone do exactly that.

Jim has been changing our trip plan again. (I think he's up to plan G now)  You see, he and Linda were talking the other day about how the trip plan felt "rushed".  So yesterday, he made a whole bunch of changes so that now, we can travel at our usual slow pace and spend more time at different places along the way if we want to.

One of the changes affects how long we'll be staying here at the Plantation. Now, instead of leaving here next Wednesday, we'll be staying longer.

Now, I know some of you are wondering how long we'll be staying. Well, that's one of the features that he now has built into the plan. The way it's set up now, we don't have to decide that today, and we can stay as much as a whole week longer if we want to!!! And, when we get out to Texas and we want to stay longer in "Hill Country", we can do that too!!

Of course there are limits on how long we can stay at places along the way, but there's now lots of flexibility built into the trip plan.

I think I'm going to like that!  ; )

Did you know that about 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year?

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Cold Weather On The Way and Shopping

Summerdale, AL.

46 deg. scattered clouds, NW wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast today = Windy. Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 50s. North winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.
 
Forecast tonight = Mostly clear. Lows 22 to 27 inland...26 to 31 along the coast. Inland...north winds 10 to 15 mph. Along the coast... north winds 15 to 20 mph becoming 10 to 15 mph after midnight.


I don't know if you've read the forecast above, but if you do, you'll see that the temperatures here in Southern Alabama are supposed to get down into the 20's tonight!!! If that does happen, it will be the coldest weather that they've had here this winter!!!

Brrrrrrr!!!!!!


Jim and Linda took CLT and headed down to Foley yesterday morning. Their first stop was a Walgreen's Drug Store where Jim got his prescription refilled and Linda picked up a few items she needed. Then, they headed to the outlet mall to find a store where Linda could try to find some pots and pans.

But . . . . . although Jim had looked on the Internet to find the location of some stores, when they drove around in the complex, they were not able to locate the stores they were looking for. Of course if Jim had printed out the map off of the Internet, things probably would have gone better. : (

So, they headed to the Colman Outlet Store a little way down the road. But . . . . . again they struck out!! : (  Jim was looking for a certain type of chair and they didn't have anything like he was looking for!!

From the Coleman store, they headed back to Summerdale and picked up their mail at the Post Office before coming back here to the Plantation.

It was kind of a disappointing day, but Jim says he's going to print out a map of the Outlet Mall and they'll go back and hopefully Linda will be able to find what she's looking for. And, there's a Camping World store in Robertsdale, (just a little North of here), and Jim thinks they may have the chairs he's looking for.

Even though they didn't find what they were looking for yesterday, they enjoyed being out and about together  and are looking forward to going out again to resume the search. ; )

Did you know that more than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day?

Friday, February 10, 2012

Darrell And Judy Come Visit and A Meal At The Clubhouse

Summerdale, AL.

48 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Cloudy. Numerous rain showers. Highs in the lower 60s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of showers 60 percent.


Jim didn't feel well yesterday morning. You know, just kind of crummy, but not really too bad. So. . . . he didn't do anything except sit a watch TV and play with the computer a little. Linda, on the other hand, did a load of laundry, worked on her Family Tree Maker program and did some more on her embroidery project.

By noon, Jim was feeling much better and it's  a good thing too, because Darrell and Judy, Wandering America, who are Jim and Linda's friends, stopped by to see me and to visit for awhile.

Again, it was just like talking to someone you had just seen, when in reality, they hadn't seen each other since last year when they happened to meet up in a CG in Bristol, TN. And then, it was a very short visit because Darrell and Judy were just passing through.

Anyway, I think they liked me and after getting the "tour", everyone sat inside and visited for at least an hour. : )

About 4:30, Denny, (one of the Illinois Bunch), called. He just wanted to thank Jim again for helping him with that spring air bag that he replaced on his MH. That was really nice of him since Jim says he really didn't do that much to help.

Thanks for calling Denny.  : )

For dinner, Jim and Linda went over to the clubhouse here at the park. They serve dinners over there a couple times a week and last night it was "Hamburger stroganoff over noodles with vegetables, salad, desert and drinks", all for $6!!!!!

When they came back here after eating, Jim and Linda were still talking about how good the food was and how friendly the people were. ; )

The evening was spent watching TV until bedtime.

Oh, and Linda finished up that embroidery project she's been working on. : )

Today, if the weather holds and it doesn't rain too much, Jim and Linda are planning on doing some shopping. There's one of those outlet malls down in Foley, AL, (just a little South of here), and Linda wants to go to a "kitchen" store to look at some new pots and pans. And, I think Jim wants to stop by the Coleman outlet store to see what they have that he can't live without. ; )

Did you know that on this date in 1863 - The fire extinguisher was patented by Alanson Crane?

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Florida to Alabama and The Rainbow Plantation.

Summerdale, AL.

41 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny in the morning becoming mostly cloudy. Highs around 60. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph becoming 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Randy and Terry came over about 9:00 yesterday morning. They were heading out to do some shopping and wanted to say good-bye. After h and h, (hugs and handshakes), they left and Jim and Linda continued getting me ready to travel.

Jim and Linda both said that they really enjoyed their time with Randy and Terry and are looking forward to seeing them again sometime soon. : )

By 9:45, CLT was hooked to the back of me, we were pulling out of the park and heading back to I-10.

Once on 10 we continued West. There were a couple construction areas along the way, but nothing major and before I knew it, we were crossing into Alabama. We stayed on 10 until we came to Rt.59, where we turned south and followed it down here to Summerdale. Then, we turned west and took county road 28 to the Rainbow Plantation. 

It was 12:30 when we pulled up to the office, so yesterday, we traveled 150 miles in 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Now, I had never been to this park before, but as soon as we pulled in, I could see that it was almost, if not completely, full!!! Besides that, Jim had read someones blog in the morning and they had stated that the Plantation only had 3 sites available on the day before!!!

I just knew that there weren't going to be any sites available!!! : (

Well, we had to wait a little while to find out if there were any sites available as the office was closed for noon, but when they reopened it, Jim went in, and found out that they had 2 sites available and the one I was getting even had 50 amp service!!!!  : )

So, Jim drove me around to Teal Avenue and backed me into site # 16. It's a nice site with shade trees on both sides, it has full hook-ups and is fairly level.

I still don't know exactly how long we'll be staying here, but however long it is, I'll be nice and comfy. ; )

A little before 4:00, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the clubhouse for "social hour". At "social hour", people who have just come into the park, (like Jim and Linda), are introduced and everyone is informed about the activities that will be happening in the park in the near future.

After the meeting was over and Jim and Linda had talked to some people, they came back here, had tacos for dinner and then watch TV and played with the computers until bedtime.

Did you know that it is illegal to sell peanuts in Lee County, Alabama after sundown on Wednesday?

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Beautiful Downtown Bonifay

Bonifay, FL.

48 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs around 69. North winds 10 to 15 mph.


Jim and Linda didn't do a whole lot yesterday. Linda did some paperwork and made some phone calls, (which took a good part of the afternoon), but Jim didn't do much but play with the computer and sit outside.

Randy and Terry were busy so I didn't see much of them during the day, but about 5:30 Jim and Linda walked over to their site and they all got into Randy and Terry's truck and headed to "Beautiful Downtown Bonifay", where they went to Scott's Townhouse Restaurant for dinner.

Jim said that it was a nice restaurant and he, Linda and Randy all had very good meals. Terry, on the other hand, ordered the popcorn shrimp and said that they weren't very good at all. : (

But, , , , , the conversation was great and they stayed and talked for over an hour at the restaurant and then when they returned here to the park, they stood outside and talked for a little while longer. : )

Jim and Linda both said that it's been good seeing Randy and Terry again, and are hoping to see them again in our travels.

This morning, we'll be leaving here and heading to the SKP park near Summerdale, AL. I've never been there before, but both Jim and Linda have, (the last time was in January of 2009). They really like the park and say that there's a whole bunch of very friendly people there.

I hope their RVs are friendly too.

Did you know that salmon and shrimp are the most popular seafoods in American restaurants?

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Old Town to Bonifay and Visiting With Friends

Bonifay, FL.

55 deg. overcast, N. wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs around 70. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
_____________

It was 10:15 by the time we pulled out of the Old Town CG yesterday morning. Once back to US 19, we headed North and followed it up to Perry FL. where Jim pulled me into a Truck stop and bought me a nice big drink of #2 diesel fuel.

From there, we continued North on 19 up to I-10 where we turned West. I-10 took us through Tallahassee and to Exit 112 where we turned North on Rt.79. From there it was only about 2 blocks to the Florida Springs RV Resort and CG.

The sign in the photo above is what you see as you're entering the park.

This photo is of the "swimming pond" that you see as you enter the park.

We pulled up to the CG office at 10 minutes after 2:00 so it took us just 5 minutes under 4 hours to travel 201 miles, stop for my drink of diesel and make a pit stop along I-10.

Not too bad. ; )

Oh, and before I forget, we crossed into the Central Time Zone on our way here, so we arrived here 1:10 central time.

While Jim was in the office registering me, Randy and Terry (Jim and Linda's Friends that we came here to see), came over from their RV to say "Hi" and give Jim and Linda hugs and handshakes.

Randy and Terry are work-camping here at this park and since it's on our way out West, Jim and Linda thought it would be a good idea to stop by to see them.

Anyway, after getting me registered, Randy led me to my site which is just 2 sites from their 5th wheel trailer.

As you can see by the photo above, my site is plenty long, but not real level. In fact most of the sites here are not very level, but there are plans to do some major work on the sites to remedy that problem. There are also some other minor issues with this park, but Alicia and Andy are working on them, and if they keep on working on it, like they have for the last 3 years that they've owned it, it could be really nice.

In the meantime, it's a good place for an overnight stay (at Passport America rates) The sites are full hook-up, there's free cable and wi-fi and you won't find friendlier owners and camp hosts.

After I was set up and Jim had taken a little nap, Randy and Terry came over to see me and to visit for awhile.

When you think about it, it's really kind of strange, but Jim and Linda did not really know Randy and Terry very well. In fact they had only met them once before when they stopped by the SKP park in Alabama a few years ago. But, Jim always reads their blog and they read mine, (and Myrddin's before me), and feel like they really know each other.

So, when they sat down to visit, it was just like they had just seen each other and picked up right where they left off. : )

We'll stay here one more day before continuing our wanderings. If I heard right, there are plans to go out to eat tonight with Randy and Terry.

Did you know that Bonifay, FL. was named after Frank Bonifay who was a prominent citizen of Pensacola who owned a brick making factory?

Monday, February 6, 2012

Thonotosassa To Old Town and The Old Town CG

Old Town, FL.

57 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. A slight chance of showers in the morning...then scattered showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs 76 to 79. Northeast winds around 5 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Denny came over to my site about 9:00, (which is very early for him), to spend some time with Jim and Linda and say good-bye.

He watched as Jim brought in my bedroom slide, (the living room slide was already in), disconnected the rest of my utilities, started my engine and after building up air pressure drive me off of my site and hook up CLT.

Then, because he had walked over to my site from his, he rode with us back to the parking lot next to the office.

It sure would have been nice to be able to spend more time with the "Illinois Bunch" but we couldn't this year. : (

Maybe next year. : )

It was 10:10 when we dropped Denny off at the parking lot and left Southern Aire. From the CG we took US 301 South for about a mile and then took Fowler Ave West for about another mile to I-75. It surprising that the Northbound traffic on 75 was as light as it was, and even though Jim had originally planned to turn off of 75 onto US 98, when we got up there, we were moving along so well that Jim decided to take I-75 all the way up to Ocala instead.

Once up to Ocalla, we turned NW in US 27 and followed it over to Williston and then took Alt.27 from there to Chiefland, where it joined up with US routes 19/98. Then we followed Alt.27/19/98 up here to Old Town and the Old Town Campground 'N' Retreat.

Jim and Linda have been here before and knew that they had large enough sites for me and cable TV, (so that they could watch the Super Bowl). ; )

This is not a fancy park by any stretch of the imagination. In fact if you come to this park, make sure you swing as wide as possible when entering off of CR 349 because the entry road is sand and very narrow.

Once you pull into the CG and you come up to the office, (Pictured below),

you have to stop because there's logs across the right side and a chain across the left side.

Shortly after we stopped in front of the office, Joe came on his golf cart and welcomed us to the park. After signing in and paying 1/2 price, (Passport America), he led moved the chain and led me further into the CG on the road shown below,

and to my very large, level site.

My site has some shade, 30 amp electric and water free wi-fi and cable TV. There's a dump station on the way out of the park, so you can dump if you want to when you leave.

For just over $15 you can't beat it. : )

It was 12:55 when we got here so it took us 2 hours and 45 minutes to travel  149 miles.

After I was set up the rest of the day was spent watching football on TV.

Today, we'll be heading to Bonifay, FL for 2 days to visit some of Jim and Linda's friends that are work-camping at a CG up there. Then, on Wednesday, the plan is to head to the SKP park near Summerdale, AL for awhile and visit with more friends there. ; )

Should be neat!!!

Did you know that February is "Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month"?

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Successful Installation, Visiting With The Illinois Bunch and Time To Head West

Thonotosassa, FL.

62 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog early in the morning. A chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s near the coast and in the lower 80s inland. Southeast winds around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of rain 30 percent.

About 10:30, Jim took some garbage to the dumpster and then headed to Denny and Bev's. Denny was just getting ready to start working on installing the new spring air bag, so Jim stayed and helped. He says he couldn't do much but did get tools and stuff for Denny when he needed them.

The installation went much more smoothly than the removal and by a little after 12:00 they were done. : )

While he was over there, Dee Dee stopped by to visit with Linda. They hadn't had much opportunity to talk while we've been here so Linda was glad to see her. : )

After lunch, Jim dumped my tanks, put away the hoses, loaded his bicycle into the back of CLT, took a nap and then about 3:00 he and Linda went over to Denny and Bev's for a visit.

About 4:00, Jim and Denny went over to Gordy's for "happy hour" while Linda stayed and visited with Bev.

When Jim and Linda came back here they ate dinner, (a pork steak cooked on the grill and some asparagus cooked on my stove), then watched TV and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

It's been a short but good visit with the "Illinois Bunch" here at Southern Aire, but now it's time for us to start heading West. There are already plans to stop by and visit with some friends along the way in the panhandle of Florida and in Alabama. And, it's hoped that we'll cross paths with more of Jim and Linda's friends as we make our way across the South. ; )

A Point to Ponder : Why does mineral water that has "trickled through mountains for centuries" go out of date next year?

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Groceries and Helping Denny

Thonotosassa, FL.

62 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 70s near the coast and in the lower 80s inland. East winds around 10 mph.

Denny stopped by for awhile yesterday morning. His Winnebago Brave MH has a chassis that has air bags inside of the front coil springs and he can't air one of the bags, so he was wanting Jim to stop by later and give him a hand to try to find out what the problem was.

Since Linda and Jim had decided to go get groceries, Jim said that he'd stop by as soon as they returned, which was fine with Denny. : )

So, after Jim and Linda got back from getting groceries, (plus getting CLT a drink of 87 octane), and had most of the groceries put away, Jim go on his bike and headed over to Denny and Bev's site to help if he could.

By the time he got over there, Denny had already found out that the air bag itself was leaking and was in the process of removing it.

Now, if any of you have tried to do this, you already know that it's not an easy job. I this case, the air bag was stiffer than normal, (probably from age), and would not collapse enough to pull it out through the hole in the lower "A" frame.

So with the help of a couple vise grips, a saws-all and lots of struggling, the bag was finally chopped up enough to get it out. : (

By this time it was after 4:00 and Denny and Jim were missing "happy hour" over at Gordy's. : O  So, after cleaning up a little, they headed over there.

It was close to 5:30 by the time Jim came back here to my site, so Linda started to put dinner together. After dinner, they watched TV, read and worked/played with the computers until bedtime.

Today, I'm sure Jim will end up back at Denny and Bev's to try help Denny install that new air bag. There's not much room under the MH so he probably won't be able to do much.

He also needs to start getting me ready to travel because tomorrow, we'll be leaving here to start heading out West. 

Did you know that today is "Ice Cream For Breakfast Day" ?

Friday, February 3, 2012

Dave and Dee Dee's Fish Fry

Thonotosassa, FL.

61 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 70s near the coast and in the lower 80s inland. East winds around 15 mph.

Yesterday morning, Jim took a bike ride and ended up over at Dave and Dee Dee's site for awhile. Then after lunch, Denny stopped by here to talk. 

After Denny left, Jim took a nap while Linda made a green bean casserole and then, about 3:00 they loaded, chairs, food and drinks into the back of CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over to Dave and Dee Dee's site for a fish fry!!

You see, Dave likes to fish and their house in Illinois is located right on a lake. So, all summer, Dave catches fish and then freezes them they so that they can bring them down here to Florida to have a fish fry for all of their friends here at Southern Aire.

All the people who are invited also bring food, so it ends up kind of like a pot-luck.

Jim took a bunch of photos, so I've picked out a few to show you.

Everyone sets their lawn chairs up in a big circle.

From where Jim and Linda were sitting, a view to the right.

Looking to the left.

This is what everyone is waiting for. ; )

The above photo is of John who volunteers to fry the fish.

All the food that the other people brought.

A special thanks to Dave, (in the center of this photo), for catching all the fish.

and to Dee Dee (in pink), for putting the whole thing together.

By all accounts, the fish and everything else was delicious and if you didn't get enough to eat, it was your own fault! : )

When Jim and Linda came back here, they were still stuffed and were talking about how good everything was.

Thanks, Dave and Dee Dee. : )

Did you know that the average American ate 15.8 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2009?

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Groundhog Day and Gin And Syl Come To Visit

Thonotosassa, FL.

57 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy in the morning then mostly cloudy. Highs around 80 near the coast and in the lower 80s inland. East winds around 5 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.

Happy Groundhog Day!!!!!

Jim and Denny took CLT and headed over to the local Winn-Dixie store yesterday morning. Both, needed to buy a few things that they were out of.

Once back from shopping, Jim helped Linda clean up the inside of me to get ready for Gin and Syl's visit. They called about 1:00 and said that they were on their way. They knew where this park was, so Jim gave them directions of how to find me once they arrived at the park.

I had never met Gin and Syl before but I really liked them and can see why they're Jim and Linda's good friends. They were very interested in my amenities and asked a lot of questions about me while they were talking to Jim and Linda. Of course they talked about other things too, but RVs and Full-timing were the main subjects. ; )

All too soon they had to leave, so after hugs, they headed for Plant City, FL. to get some of that great strawberry shortcake that the town is known for at this time of the year.

I sure hope we meet up again soon, I'd sure like to meet Tawanda, their new motor home.

Jim went over to "happy hour" a 4:00 and then when he came back, cooked a couple burgers on the grill. Linda got chips and stuff out inside of me and then after dinner she worked on her Family Tree Maker program and watched TV with Jim until bedtime. 

Still another great day with great friends. : )

Did you know that the average groundhog is 20 inches long and normally weighs from 12 to 15 pounds? Punxsutawney Phil weighs about 20 pounds and is 22 inches long.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Southern Aire, Gin And Syl's New MH and Pizza With Denny And Bev.

Thonotosassa, FL.

50 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s near the coast and around 80 inland. East winds around 5 mph.

Jim got out and about fairly early yesterday morning and took some photos of this park so I thought I'd show you a few of them.


The above photo is the entrance sign that you see as you come to the park.

The view as you turn into the park.

The office/clubhouse/laundry

A view of me in my site from down the street.

My site as seen from across the street.

While Jim was out riding his bike, he met up with Denny and after riding around for a little while they ended up at my site where they sat out on the patio and talked for awhile.

After lunch, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to Denny and Bev's site. Linda wanted to visit with Bev, and Jim and Denny had decided to go to the Camping World, which is only about 4 1/2 miles South of here. So, Linda stayed at Bev's while they headed to the store.

Jim had a list of things he wanted to buy before we head West and Denny needed a few thing also, so it worked out well.

After they were done shopping, Jim decided to call Gin and Syl, (some very good RVing friends that they had met at an RV Dreams Rally), who are buying a new Winnebago Journey Motor Home from Lazydays, which is right next door to Camping World, to see if they were still there.

Anyway, they were still there, so they came over to Lazydays on their bikes and led CLT back to where their new MH is parked.

I haven't see their MH, but CLT says that it's really nice. Luckily, Jim had his camera along so he was able to take a few photos.

Syl and Gin standing in front of their new MH.

A shot of Gin inside.

The drivers side

And, Denny and Syl looking at the passengers side.

Everyone says that it's a real beauty and I'm sure looking forward to meeting up with Gin and Syl down the road sometime soon. : )

Oh, guess what I just found out?   Gin and Syl are going to come here to Southern Aire today to see me!!!! Wow!! That'll be great!!

When Jim and Denny came back, Bev ordered a Pizza from Howie's. After eating, they talked for awhile before Jim and Linda came back here. 

Well, this is getting pretty long so I'd better quit for today. Besides, I need to get ready for my company!! ; )

Did you know that in 1966 the first motor home rolled off the Winnebago Industries assembly lines? These motor homes were sold at a price approximately half of what was being charged for competitors’ models, which led to its ubiquity and popularity in the RV community.