Weather, Shopping and Spaghetti

DeBary, FL.

52 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 81F. Breezy. Winds from the South at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20%.


Yesterday was another beautiful day here in DeBary and today looks like it's going to be almost as nice. It's funny how you get used to nice warm days with temperatures in the 70's and 80's and then when the temperatures drop down into the 60's you think it's cold and not good weather anymore.

At the same time, if the folks up north had sunny weather with the temperatures in the 60's, (or even 50's), at this time of the year, they would be talking about how great the weather was.

Why am I writing about this?  Well, tonight there's going to be a cold front coming through this area and the forecast for tomorrow is for high temperatures in the lower 60's with lows getting down into the upper 30's or low 40's!!! The folks down here, (especially the ones who live down here all year), will be complaining  about how cold it is and will be wearing heavy coats, hats and gloves, where as the people up North would be thinking they're having a heat wave and be out and about in short sleeve shirts!!

I find it interesting how folks in different parts of the country look at different weather conditions. I guess it's all what your used to.  ; )

Linda washed a load of laundry yesterday morning and then in the afternoon she and Jim took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and went to the Winn Dixie grocery store to buy groceries that will be needed over the Christmas holiday.

CLT said that the parking lot was almost completely full and he saw lots of people going in and out of the store while he was there.

After getting the groceries put away, both Jim and Linda took little naps and then took CLT again and headed over to Laura and Lindsey's for a great spaghetti  dinner.  Lindsey's parents, (Marv and Inez) were there too so after eating, everyone sat around and talked for awhile.

It was around 8:00 by the time Jim and Linda came back here. The rest of the evening was spent watching TV, reading and surfing the Internet.

I think that today, Linda is planning on doing some more baking. She bought stuff to make cookies and cranberry bread yesterday. I don't know if Jim has any plans except to possibly put away some of the stuff on the patio and roll up my awnings. They're forecasting possible t-storms with possible high gusts of winds for tonight when the cold front comes through.

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.

Veterans Day, Groceries, More Set-UP, Laura And Lindsey

DeBary, FL

 Sunday, 11-11-12

57 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 81F. Breezy. Winds from the NNW at 10 to 20 mph shifting to the South in the afternoon.


Please take a moment today to honor all the veterans, past and present. If it wasn't for them, our lives would be so much different.

Below you'll find a quick summary of what's been happening since I last posted. Jim and Linda are slowly settling down into normal day to day living, and I'm sure after we've been here even longer, there'll be less and less to write about.

I'm also sure some of what I'll be writing about in the next few months will be very boring, but they want me to keep posting as much as possible so that in the future, they can go back and see what happened while we were here.  

Today, we're looking forward to seeing Ashley and Anna. Anna is here in DeBary for a few days, (She works and lives over by Jacksonville), and yesterday, Laura told Linda that they want to stop by for a little while.

I'm really looking forward to their visit! : )
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Thursday, 11/8/12

About the only thing worth mentioning on Thursday was that as soon as Linda got up and had her breakfast, she and Jim took CLT and headed to the Winn Dixie Grocery store which is only about a mile from here. They were gone for quite awhile so I figured that they were buying a lot of groceries, and I was right, they brought back all kinds of groceries!!!!  : O

They did get them all stashed away inside of me though, so I guess it's OK. ; )
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Friday, 11/9/12

Friday, as soon as it warmed up, (it was 41 degrees at 7:00 AM), Jim went outside and got his bike out of the back of CLT. Then, he put out my awnings and tied the main awning down with the straps and bungee cords. When he was finished with that, he removed the tow bar off of the front of CLT and put it underneath me on some small boards, so it doesn't sit right on the ground.

While he was doing that, Linda was doing laundry and working on her Family Tree Program.

You've probably noticed that I haven't mentioned anything about Laura and Lindsey since we've been here. Well, until Monday, they didn't know that we would be arriving a week earlier than planned, and they had already planned a camping trip for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. So, until Friday afternoon, they were on their camping trip, (with their pop-up trailer), at one of Florida's State Parks.

Friday afternoon, they called and said that they were on their way back home and wanted to know if it would be OK for them to come over around 5:00. They also said that they'd stop by and pick up a pizza for dinner on their way out here to the RV Park.

Well, of course Linda and Jim said that the plan sounded great and told them to come on out here as soon as they could.

So, around 5:00 they pulled up in front of me and then after h and h (hugs and handshakes), they all sat down, enjoyed a very good pizza and talked and talked until around 8:00.

It sure was good to see Laura and Lindsey again. It's been almost a year since we've seen them and a lot of things have happened since then.
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Saturday 11-10-12

After airing his bicycle tires up, Jim took a ride around the park. He hasn't ridden it since we were in Rantoul in September, so he didn't go too far on the first day. He says that he's going to gradually increase the distance to get his legs back in shape again.

In the afternoon, Laura stopped by again. Didn't want anything, just stopped by to chat for awhile. I think she misses her mom.  ; )

For dinner, Jim cooked a couple pork chops on the grill and Linda cooked some cauliflower on my stove. 

A Quick Fact. : Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.

A Quiet Weekend, Linda And Jim and Rain

Rantoul, IL.

71 deg. cloudy, W. wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning...Then mostly sunny in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.


It has been pretty quiet here a Prairie Pines this weekend. A few RVs came in, but they're either gone already or will be leaving today. Linda has been doing laundry and doing more research for her Family Tree Maker program.

Jim has been working on our trip plan from here to the East Coast. He's been making some changes to it and now it sounds like we'll be staying her a few days longer than originally planned.

Oh! Debbie, one of my followers, made a comment on this blog the other day and informed me that there is another full-timing couple named Linda and Jim staying here at this park. Jim talked to Louise and he is pretty sure they're on a site over on the other side of the CG. Jim found their blog in the Internet and it sounds like they are planning on being here for a couple of weeks, so maybe Jim and Linda can get together with Linda and Jim and swap RVing stories. ; ) 

We had pretty heavy rain go through this area yesterday. Jim didn't have his rain gauge out, but I'm guessing  that we had more than an inch of rain. That's OK though, this area is still way short on rainfall for the year. It's real muggy outside this morning, but they're forecasting drier weather for the next few days.

Today, Jim and Linda need to pick up Jim's other prescription at Walgreen's, check on mail at the post office and mail a couple birthday cards. Other than that, I don't think there's any other plans.

A Point to Ponder : If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

Laundry and Just Walked Away

Land O Lakes, WI

deg. 63 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms. Highs 80 to 85. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.



As soon as Linda got up yesterday morning, she started doing laundry. There was quite a bit to do and being that we won't have a sewer hook-up at our next CG, she wanted to get caught up. She also has been getting some food ready to take to the reunion and has cooked some of it and put it in the freezer to be brought back out, probably Monday or Tuesday.

A little after lunch, a fifth wheel pulled up in the site next to me, and as Jim was outside, said "hi" and talked to the couple about their site for a minute.

At that time, he didn't think they were very friendly, but they were busy getting set up.

Later, Jim was outside again, and the man asked Jim if we were from South Dakota? Jim told him that we were full-timing and used SD as our state of residence.

The man looked at Jim and told him that he and his wife were full-timers also and that Texas and South Dakota were, "No d**n good"!!!

Huh???? Where did that come from????

He went on to say that when he registered his trailer and truck in Texas, the price for the plates was so high that he moved back to Wisconsin for his state of residency. 

When Jim asked him about taxes and insurance cost in WI. compared to Texas, the man said that he didn't mind paying taxes, as it helped the state.

Huh??????

Jim sensed that this was going to be a no-win situation, so he just walked away!!

This man did not seem happy at all. He evidently has a problem of some sort, but who knows what the real problem is? I don't know how long this couple have been full-timing, but I can't imagine them being out on the road for too long, as they won't have any friends with an attitude like that!!!

I'm glad we're leaving here this morning. I wouldn't want to spend much time parked next to them.

Later in the afternoon, Jim dumped my tanks and put all the hoses away. Then, he hooked CLT back to to me. They were forecasting possible rain showers for this morning, and he didn't want to have to do a bunch of stuff if it was raining.

I think this next CG that we will be staying at has wi-fi, but I'm not sure. It's also quite a way from any large cities, so I don't know if I'll be able to hook up with the air card either. So, if I don't post for awhile, keep checking, I'll post whenever I can.

Did you know that on this date in 1868 - Alvin J. Fellows patented the tape measure?

Michigan To Wisconsin

This post was written Friday, 7-13-2012 and will be posted to Blogger when I have an Internet connection.

Land O Lakes, WI.

59 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = High temp 87 deg. isolated T-Storms possible in the afternoon.

After some jockeying around in the Campground to get me pointed in the right direction, Jim hooked CLT to the back of me and by 9:45 we were pulling out of the Sunset Bay CG and heading back down US 41 to Haughton, where we picked up Rt.26. We stayed on 26 until we came to US 45. Following 45 South brought us down into Wisconsin and to the Borderline RV Park near the little community of Land O Lakes. (A total of 107 miles.)

This park is only about 2 miles into Wisconsin, and is just off of 45, so it’s easy to get in and out of.

Jim and Linda had been to this park 2 years ago, so they knew the park. Many of the RVs in this park are seasonal folks that come back here every year, but they have some sites for travelers. When we arrived here at 12:00 there were 4 long pull-through sites available and a few  back-in sites. (All full hook-up and I think all have 50 amp electric).

We’re staying here for 2 nights so that Linda can get caught up on some laundry before heading to New Lisbon, where again, I’ll only have 30 amp electric and water hook-ups. : (

This is a fairly nice park. Most of the people here seem to be very friendly, the park is fairly well maintained, there’s lots of trees, (which Jim and Linda like), the sites are quite large and the interior roads in the CG, although gravel, are smooth and well maintained.

I could stay here for awhile. : )

Jim is planning on taking some photos of the park today, and I’ll try to include them as soon as I have an Internet connection.

____________________________

It's afternoon here now and Jim just found out the code for the CG's wi-fi, so I'm posting now. Here are those photos. You can click on them to enlarge them if you'd like.

Did you know that today is "National French Fries Day"?

More About The Dos Reis Park

Lathrop, CA.

54 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 73F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 15 mph.


While Linda was doing some laundry, Jim was out and about taking some photos and talking to some nice RVers who were staying here at the Dos Reis Regional Park. This 1st photo is what you see as you look off to the left as you enter the CG section. The 5th wheel that you see in the photo belongs to a full-timing couple who are heading up to the Escapees Park in Sutherlin, OR.  It's on a site that is probably one of the longest sites in the park.

This next photo was taken from my site looking towards the berm that separates the CG from the San Joaquin River. The berm is not really necessary right now, but during certain times of the year, it stops the CG from flooding.

This one is taken from the top of the berm. You can see the river on the left and the CG on the right.

This is taken from the top of the berm looking down on the CG. You can see a few of the back-in sites.

This is, of course of me in my site as seen from the top of the berm. Jim had to unhook CLT from the back of me because he was sticking out onto the road behind me.

This park gets pretty busy on the weekends, but during the week, there's always been sites available when Jim and Linda have been here.

Like I said, this is a neat little park that is far enough from the Interstate so you don't hear any traffic noise. It has a nice "feel" to it and if we're ever back in this area, I hope Jim and Linda bring me back here again.

Today, we'll leave here and continue heading towards Oregon. We'll continue NNW on I-5 for a ways and then head West, towards the coast. Jim's got another RV Park spotted  on the way out to the coast that looks really interesting.

If it's as nice as it sounds, we'll stay there for 2 or 3 nights.

Did you know that California produces more than 17 million gallons of wine each year?

Wandering Farther North

Lathrop, CA.

47 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 73F. Winds from the West at 5 to 15 mph.

Being that I didn't have a sewer hookup at my site on the river, (none of the sites right along the river have sewer hookup), we had to stop at the dump station on our way out of the park.  So, by the time Jim was done with that, it was about 10:25 before we pulled out.

From the park, we headed back to CA 99 and then headed NW on it for about 35 miles where we turned West on Rt. 152. 152 is a 4 lane road that took us over to I-5, where we turned Northwest again and headed up to Lathrop, which is just South of Stockton, CA.

Now, it would have been shorter to just stay on CA 99, but there are some very congested areas up in the Merced / Turlock / Modesto area and some of 99 up there is not Interstate type road. So , , , , Jim made the decision to take the longer route, rather than deal with all of that.

Anyway, once we got to Lathrop, we turned off on exit 463, followed some narrow local roads for a few miles and arrived here at the Dos Reis Regional Park, which is a San Joaquin County Park.

This is the park I mentioned yesterday. Jim and Linda found this park many years ago and have stopped here every time they've been in the area since then. It's a nice quiet park away from the city, it's well maintained, and the camp hosts have always been friendly and helpful. It is a small park though, and it's really not designed for a MH as large as I am. In fact, there's only 4 or 5 sites that I'd be able to get into, and the turns are really tight for me to get around.

I'm sure Jim will take some photos today, so I'll try to get some posted here tomorrow.

It was 1:35 when we pulled into the park so we had traveled 157 miles in about 3 hours and 10 minutes.

We'll be staying here for 2 nights. Nothing planned in the area, but Linda wants to catch up on some laundry and since I have full hook-ups here, (with 30 amp electric), it's a good place to do it.

Did you know that there are more than 300,000 tons of grapes grown in California annually?

May Have Found The Problem

Bakersfield, CA.

55 deg. clear, NW wind @ 4 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 72F. Winds from the NW at 10 to 15 mph.


About 10:00 yesterday morning, Jim raised my front end with my leveling jacks so that he could get under me to check out my electric steps. Once under me, he started by checking wire connections, and one of the first ones he checked, he found a corroded pin in the connector.

After checking other connections, and cleaning the corroded one with contact cleaner, he put it back together. When he came out from under me, he opened and closed my door a bunch of times, and the steps worked every time.

I think he may have found the problem! ; )

As long as the front of me was raised up, he decided to lube all the pivot points on the steps right away too. It had been quite awhile since that had been done.

After finishing with the steps, he opened my generator compartment and checked the fluid levels on the generator. Then, as long as he was at it, he checked my engine levels too.

The rest of the day was spent just doing "stuff". You know, doing laundry, reading, playing with the computers, taking naps and taking a walk around the park.

Did you know that in Los Angeles it's against the law to lick a toad?

What A Windy Day!!

Tecopa, CA.

44 deg. partly cloudy, SE wind @ 10 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 64F. Winds less than 5 mph.


Whew!!!! What a windy day yesterday!!! Dust everywhere, things being blown around in the park and at the same time, people trying to do things, like get ready to leave the park for the season or just get over to the clubhouse for the hot dog roast the CG owners had yesterday.

It wasn't too bad in the morning and Jim was out and about talking to the neighbors. He's become pretty good friends with Andy and Mary who have the old Midas Motor Home parked on my right side.

They leave the MH here and come back every year for 6 months. Mary does things with stones and rocks and Andy helps her scour the desert to find the stones and gems she wants. When they're not here, they have a house up in the mountains, someplace near Sacramento, CA.

Many, many years ago, Andy used to do a lot of  motocross racing and now he's paying for it with bad hips and knees.

In fact, Jim and Andy spent some of the day over at the clubhouse watching the NASCAR race on TV. I never did find out how the race turned out after it was stopped for rain.

I guess I'll have to check on the Internet after I get done writing this.

Anyway, it was about noon when the wind started picking up and it just kept getting stronger and stronger as the day went on. (I'm sure we had gusts in the 50 mph range).  It was still blowing at 10:00 pm but died down sometime during the night.

Oh, and I mentioned the hot dog roast over at the clubhouse. Well, Mike and Marie, (the park owners), decided that they were going to roast hot dogs on the grill and invited everyone in the park to come over and have some. Some people brought relish, mustard and catchup, and someone even brought some beans.

Luckily the wind hadn't picked up too much by noon and it sounds like a good time was had by all. : ) 

While Jim and Andy were over at the clubhouse watching the race, Linda was doing laundry and reading. By mid-afternoon, no one was outside except a few RVers who had to walk their dogs.

Today, I don't think Jim and Linda have much planned. I'm pretty sure that tomorrow they're going back to Death Valley again to see more of the sights, and then on Wednesday or Thursday, they're planning on going to get groceries.

A Point to Ponder : Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.

The Dream Catcher RV Park

Deming, NM

35 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear in the morning, then overcast. High of 77F. Winds from the NNW at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the ESE in the afternoon.


Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to a Grocery store yesterday morning. They didn't need much, but were out of a few essentials. After lunch, Linda put a load of laundry in my washer/dryer while Jim fooled around outside and took a few photos of the park and the surrounding area.

Jim and Linda like this Escapees RV Club park. It's nothing special as far as parks go, but there's a friendly bunch of people here and they've always enjoyed being here.

This first photo is of the entrance to the park.

As soon as you turn into the park you come to the Office/Clubhouse. Jim and Linda said that when they first came here, it was much smaller than it is now.

This is a view of the CG as you leave the Office. Most of the sites are pull-through with full hook-ups. As you can see there weren't a real lot of RVs here when Jim took the photo, but it's getting late in the season for people to be staying for long stretches and actually by late afternoon, there's quite a few more here.

This last photo was taken looking kind of SE from the park in the evening. It was kind of hazy when Jim took this, but I liked the way the setting sun was creating shadows on the mountain.

Today will be our last day here. We were originally going to stay a week, but because of my fuel system problem, our time here will have to be cut short. I don't know if there's anything planned for today. I do know that they're having a potluck dinner over at the clubhouse tonight that Jim and Linda are signed up for.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. ; )

Did you know that while St. Patrick's Day has been a religious observance in Ireland for years and it wasn't until 1995 that the Irish Government decided to "cut loose" and really promote the holiday on a global level? In fact, from 1903 until the 1970s, pubs were closed in Ireland on March 17th!

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.
.

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?

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.

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.

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?

Company, Getting Ready and A Cook-Out

Frostproof, FL.

53 deg. clear, SW wind @ 4 mph.

Forecast = Areas of fog early in the morning...then partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.


About 9:30 yesterday morning Roland brought his brother, Russ, over to see me. Russ was very interested in my inside amenities and asked Jim and Roland a lot of questions about me and RVs in general. After spending some time inside of me, Jim took Russ and Roland out and gave them the "tour" of all my outside features, including my basement compartments and engine.

It seemed that Russ liked me and I think that he might like to try RVing some day. ; )

After they left, Linda put in another load of laundry and Jim went outside to check my fluid levels and a few other items to make sure I was ready to go today. Then, after the laundry was done, he drained my black and gray tanks and put the sewer and water hoses away.

While he was doing all of that, Linda was busy inside of me baking a cake and making a cabbage salad to take over to Roland and Louise's for a cookout later in the day.

About 5:00 Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to Roland's. Once there, Roland and Russ cooked burgers, brats and hot dogs on the grill while Louise, Doreen, Vicki and Linda got things ready inside.

After eating, they all sat around and talked for quite awhile.

It was fairly late by the time CLT brought Jim and Linda back here to the park, so when after they got back, they just watched a little TV and then went to bed.

Again, it was hard to say good-bye to very good friends. Jim and Linda have known Roland and Louise for about 11 years and have enjoyed each others company from the beginning.

Did you know that today is "National Kazoo Day"?

Lakemont Ridge, Wally World and Pizza

Frostproof, FL.

61 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Patchy fog early in the morning...then partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 80s. Southeast winds around 10 mph.

Roland came over yesterday morning and had coffee with Jim. At first, they stayed inside of me and talked because it ended up being foggy outside, but after awhile, the fog lifted and they went out an sat on the patio and talked.

After they had talked for awhile, they decided to take a walk and ended up out at the entrance of this park, where Jim took a couple photos.

The photo above is of the sign you see as you're driving down County Road 630.

As soon as you turn into the entrance, this is the view you have.

As you follow the road into the park, you will see the  new office/clubhouse on your right. Way to the left edge of this photo you can see a travel trailer parked in front of the office while the owner is inside registering.

From the office, if you look back towards the direction you had just come from, you'll see me and CLT parked on site #450. (That's the main road running along the side of me).

At first, I was concerned about being right next to the main road, but there's not that much traffic and what traffic there is doesn't cause any problems.

About 10:00, Roland went home for awhile. When he came back he and Jim took his car and headed to Wally World. Roland needed to get some groceries and other things, so Jim rode along and helped him shop.

After they were finished shopping, Roland dropped Jim off on the way back home.

Not much happened during the afternoon. Linda worked on her embroidery project, did a load of laundry and read some. Then, about 5:00 Roland and Louise stopped by and picked up Jim and Linda. Earlier in the day, they had decided to go to Pizza Hut for dinner.

After dinner and great conversation, they dropped Jim and Linda off on their way back home.

Another good day with very good friends. : )

Did you know that in 1889 and Italian tavern owner named Don Raffaele Esposito developed a pizza featuring tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil- ingredients bearing the colors of the Italian flag? He named it the Margherita Pizza, after the Queen of Italy, Margherita Teresa Giovanni. Thus, modern-day tomato-and-cheese pizza was born.

Just About Ready

DeBary, FL.

65 deg. 45 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the upper 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.


Not a whole lot to blog about this morning. Jim and Linda have me just about ready to travel, but other than getting me ready, not much else has happened.

Linda did another load of laundry, Jim put his bicycle in the back of CLT, and they both went to Walgreen's to pick up a few items and then to the grocery store to stock up for the next week or so.

Oh, I've been able to get another photo loaded with the very slow Internet connection that I have here. Jim took this one a few days ago. It's a shot taken from the Marina here at the Campground looking across the St. John's River.

I thought it was a kind of neat shot of the river, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Did you know that the St. John's River is 310 miles long and is one of only a few rivers in the United States that runs North?

Air Filter, Getting Ready and Dinner

DeBary, FL.

53 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecasts = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.


Once Jim went outside yesterday morning, he got out a few tools and removed my old engine air filter and installed this new one.

As you can see, it's very large and the filter element is permanently fastened inside of the canister. And as you may imagine, it's also quite expensive.

It's really not too hard to install though, and in about an hour and a half, Jim was finished and putting away his tools.

After he finished with the filter, he drug the tow bar out from under me and re-installed it on the front of CLT.

After lunch, Jim took a little nap before going out and putting some more water in my fresh water tank.

Besides doing some laundry, Linda has been starting to get the inside of me ready to travel. It's amazing how much stuff has been gotten out during our 2 month stay here. And as you RVers know, everything has to be put back in its proper spot so everything fits and stays where it's supposed to while we're traveling down the road.

Being that Laura has to work all weekend, Jim and Linda made arrangements to meet her, Lindsey and Ashley for dinner at the Perkins Restaurant. It will probably be the last time that they'll be able to spend much time together before we leave, although as I understand it, Ashley may stop by here on Sunday, and Jim and Linda may try to meet up with Laura Sunday evening after she gets off work.

The evening was spent doing the usual stuff.

Did you know that on this date in1954, The Nautilus was launched in Groton, CT? It was the first atomic-powered submarine. U.S. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower broke the traditional bottle of champagne across the bow.

Yesterday's Schedule

DeBary, FL.

52 deg. light fog, no wind.

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


What Jim and Linda did yesterday.

AM.
   Jim:  Play around with the computer.
           Go outside and close gray water tank valve.
           Look at maps.

  Linda:
          Do a load of laundry.
          Work on grocery list.
          Read book.

PM.
  Jim:
         Go to Grocery store.
          Put groceries away.
          Take nap.
          Watch football on TV
          Cook steak on grill for dinner.
          Watch football on TV.
          Go to bed after the news.

  Linda:
          Go to Grocery store
          Put groceries away
          Read book.
          Watch football on TV.
          Cook vegetables in side of me for dinner.
          Watch football on TV.
          Go to bed after the news.

Did you know that today is "National Static Electricity Day"?

Shocking!!!!!  ; )

The Mattress And Refrigerator Projects

DeBary, FL.

46 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast =  Mostly sunny. Areas of fog early in the morning. Highs in the upper 70s. Northeast winds around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.

Jim and Linda stripped the bed first thing yesterday morning and then Jim went to work installing the new control/pump unit on their Sleep Number mattress. It wasn't an especially difficult job but in an RV, doing something like that means you have to work in more confined spaces.

It didn't take long before he had the old unit out and the new one installed with the hoses neatly routed to the mattress.

While Jim was busy with that, Linda started the laundry and then cleaned out the refrigerator. It had been a long time since she had gone through it and sure enough, there were some items in there that, (well, lets just say), were not so good anymore. : O

After the mattress project, Jim took the "not so good anymore" items over to the dumpster and then talked to Allan, (The neighbor on my right side), for awhile. He and his wife, (I can't remember her name for sure, but I think it's Teresa), just returned from a trip up to Kentucky in their car, to be with family over the Holidays. He said it was pretty cold up there, and they even had some snow while they were there.

After the laundry was finished, and the bed remade, Jim took a little nap. ; )

The rest of the day was spent watching football and British Comedies on TV

Did you know that on this date in 1790, George Washington delivered the first State of the Union address?