The Decision Is Made and Tomorrow's The Big Day

DeBary, FL.

67 deg. cloudy, WSW wind @ 16 mph.

Forecast = Today: Mostly sunny. Highs around 64°F. West northwest wind to 21 MPH, gusting to 29 MPH.
Tonight: Clear. Lows around 41°F. Wind chill around 34°F. West northwest wind 7 to 16 MPH, gusting to 23 MPH.

Jim and Linda have been busy trying to figure out what to take to the house and what to keep in me to transfer to their new (to them), Motorhome. They've probably taken more to the house than they should have, but until they actually get the Motorhome, they really won't know just how much will fit into the smaller cabinet space and storage compartments.

The other day, (I think it was Monday), Laura brought Anna to the house to see it. If you remember, Anna lives up in Jacksonville and was down here to visit.

Anyway, both Jim and Linda said that it seems like Anna really liked the house and she and Laura even helped Linda make some changes to the curtains in the Florida Room which runs across the front of the house.

Thanks Anna!!! : )

OK, it's time to announce who's going to take over this blog.

After much persuading, Blaine, (Jim and Linda's pet), has agreed to give it a try. He's really hesitant, but I've assured him that all of my followers have been very understanding when I made mistakes and that I was sure that you would be tolerant with him too.  

So,  ,  ,  ,  why Blaine??? Well to be honest, he probably knows more about Jim and Linda than most anyone else. He's been with them since before they went full-timing, he's traveled to all the places that they have gone during the last 12+ years, and he will be in the RV when they're traveling and in the house when they're not.

He could even ride along when Jim and Linda take CLT (Cute Little Truck), someplace! ; )

I don't know just yet how we'll make the transfer, but in the next couple days, he and I will get it figured out. I've helped him start a new main page, so there will be a new URL. There's no post on it yet, but I'm sure he'll post in the next few days. As soon as he gets the page set up and makes his first post, there will be a link to it here.

Tomorrow is the big day!!!! Jim and Linda will take me to the dealer in the morning and then, after the inspection of the new MH and the papers are signed, the new MH and myself will be taken to a CG in the area where Jim and Linda will transfer the rest of their belongings.

After that, Jim and Linda will bring the new MH back here to Highbanks and someone from the dealership will come an take me to the dealer's lot.

A little about my time with Jim and Linda.

I've had a great time, and it's been fun taking them to the places they wanted to go. I'm really sorry that I'm just too big to go to some of the parks that they want to go to though. Jim says that he really likes how I handle the Interstates, and both of them seemed to have really enjoyed my spacious interior, but they both like to get "off the beaten path" when they travel, and, as Jim found out, I'm really too large to do that comfortably. (At least for him).

I also understand that since they've decided to buy the house that I'm just too big for their needs. There's really no sense putting a 45' MH in storage for at leas 1/2 of the year and in fact, it would be very hard on me.

So, hopefully I'll find someone who wants to travel long distances and stay in larger RV parks. I'm sure I will. I'm really in pretty good shape for my age.

All in all, I've had a great time and have enjoyed writing this blog. I'll miss Jim and Linda, their family and all of their friends that I've met, but things change and I'm used to that. After all, I am a house that has wheels, and I never know where I'll be on any given day.

Who knows, buy this time next year, I could be on my way to Alaska!!! ; )

Did you know that today is "Oreo Cookie Day"?

Just one last thing.

I would like to thank all of you who have followed this blog. It has really meant a lot to know that so many of you were interested in my ramblings. Thank You!!! Thank You!!! Thank You!!!!!

Please follow Blaine's Blog when he starts posting.

Moving Linda's Chair and First Guests

DeBary, FL.

36 deg. clear, NW wind @ 9 mph.

Forecast today - Mostly sunny. Highs around 57°F. West northwest wind 11 to 17 MPH, gusting to 24 MPH.

Tonight: Clear with patchy frost. Lows around 37°F. Wind chill around 29°F. West wind 8 to 15 MPH, gusting to 21 MPH.


It felt really cold here yesterday. I don't think the temperatures ever got out of the 50's and there was a 25 to 30 mph wind blowing most of the day. That didn't stop Jim, Lindsey and Denny from moving Linda's recliner over to the house though.

Denny came over around 10:00 and Lindsey and Laura came just a short while later. Within a few minutes, the guys had the legs off of the chair and were very carefully maneuvering the chair down my steps and through my door. With the 3 of them, it went pretty well and soon the chair was in the back of CLT and on its way to the house.

Getting the chair into the house was much easier because of the wider doors and steps, and soon it was sitting in the living room with it's legs back on. : )

By a little after 11:00 Jim and Denny were back here and Laura and Lindsey were back home.

Thanks everyone!!!!!! : )

Denny had seen a little of the house when he helped to take the chair over there, but Bev and not, so  about noon, Jim, Linda, Denny and Bev headed over there.

After taking a tour of the house, everyone sat and talked for awhile. This is Bev relaxing on the love seat,

and Denny and Linda relaxing on the couch.

Both Jim and Linda said that Denny and Bev seemed to really like the house and gave it some very nice compliments.  While they were talking, Jim made the observation that Denny and Bev were the first people to visit the house that weren't family. Later, he said that he's glad that the first guests at the house were Denny, (probably his oldest friend) and Bev. : )

After visiting for awhile, everyone came back here to the CG. Denny and Bev went to their RV, Jim was tired, so he took a little nap, Linda watched some TV. Later in the afternoon, Linda put together a ham casserole and baked some brownies. Then around 6:00 they headed over to Denny and Bev's where they all enjoyed a very nice meal of casserole, corn, warm bread and brownies.

Around 8:00 Jim and Linda came back here and then watched TV until bedtime.

Another very good day with family and friends.

Thanks everyone, for all your help.

Today, Denny and Bev will be leaving. : (   They have reservations at a campground on the coast North of Daytona. They'll stay there for a few days before heading up to S. Carolina to see Denny's sister and then heading back to Illinois.

Did you know that March is "Adopt A Rescued Guinea Pig month"?

Oh!!!! And thanks everyone for the great comments and congratulations that you left on yesterday's Blog!! They are very much appreciated.

Shopping, Moving and Company Coming

DeBary, FL.

47 deg. clear, NW wind @ 7 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs around 73°F. Northwest wind 9 to 15 MPH, gusting to 21 MPH.


Tuesday ended up being a grocery shopping day. That is, after the rain and storms finally cleared the area. We didn't have any storms here in DeBary, but it did rain quite hard for awhile.

While it was raining, Jim and Linda were going through drawers, cabinets and other storage places inside of me to further try to decide what stuff they still need to take to the house.

This has been one of the hardest parts of moving and downsizing RVs. If they leave too much inside of me, and there's not enough storage in a smaller RV that they purchase, then what do they do with those items? On the other hand, they need to be sure that they have enough along to be able to live comfortably for the next 2 or 3 weeks, or however long it takes to find an RV.

Yesterday, they took a whole bunch of stuff over to the house and put it away. Jim also loaded up his bike and took it over there so he wouldn't have it in the back of CLT. Then, after they returned and were resting/napping, Laura called and wanted to know it they'd like to meet over a Steak N Shake around 5:30 for dinner?

Well, again, that was a "no brainer", so around 5:15 they headed over there and had a nice visit with Laura and Lindsey while enjoying a sandwich. : )

Oh, do you remember that around the 1st of February I mentioned that Denny and Bev, (part of the Illinois Bunch), were going to stop by for a few nights? Well, tomorrow they'll be arriving here at Highbanks and will be staying for 2 nights!! They'll be coming in their Winnebago Brave but as of today, there's no sites empty real near me, so I may not be able to see him.  : (

I'm sure Jim and Linda will have a good time visiting with Denny and Bev though and they've already planned a Pizza dinner for tomorrow night. : )

It should be a fun time!!! : )

 Did you know that today is "National Tooth Fairy Day"?

Slow Process

DeBary, FL.

54 deg, cloudy, NE wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with patchy fog. Highs around 77°F. East wind to 9 MPH.


It's a slow process, but it seems to be working well. Every day, Jim and Linda take anywhere from 2 to 5 boxes/totes full of stuff over to the house and put the stuff away that same day. It's taking a long time this way but they're not wearing themselves out either. Many of my cabinets, drawers and other storage areas are now completely empty now and soon I'll be carrying only the basic necessities that will be needed for the next couple weeks. 

Other than moving stuff to the house, not much else has been happening around here. When they're not moving stuff, they're sorting out the things that they think they'll need here. Already, a few things have been moved to the house and had to be brought back. : )

Yesterday evening, both Jim and Linda were tired from moving so they went to Gram's Kitchen for dinner. Again, the food was good and so was the service.

I don't have a clue as to what's going on today. I know Jim would like to watch the race on TV this afternoon. That may work out because I think that both he and Linda could use a day off from moving.

Did you know that on this date in 1878 - The first telephone directories issued in the U.S. were distributed to residents in New Haven, CT? It was a single page of only fifty names.

A Call, Wally World, The Texas Roadhouse and Carpets

DeBary, FL.

63 deg. clear, S. breeze @ 3 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with areas of fog. Highs around 81°F. South southwest wind 5 to 11 MPH, gusting to 16 MPH.


Haven't posted the last few days because there really hasn't been much to post about, but yesterday, a few things happened.

First of all, yesterday morning, Jim called Roland. (He had called the afternoon before, but Jim and Linda had missed the call.) If you remember, Roland and Louise have recently bought a double wind down in Frosproof, (about a year or 2 ago). He hadn't been following this blog, and had just found out that Jim and Linda had bought the house here in Debary, and was wanting to hear all about it.

They talked for about 1/2 an hour and got pretty much caught up on what's been happening. : )

Unlike Saturday and Sunday when Jim and Linda just took more totes and boxes full of stuff to the house, yesterday, not only did they take some boxes and totes of stuff to the house but CLT also took them to Wally world where Linda bought some curtains for the living room and some material to make curtains for the bedroom.

As they were leaving Wally World, Laura called and asked Linda if she would like to see Ashley's new house. Ashley and one of her girl friends are renting a house up in DeLand had just moved into it. Anyway, Linda said that she'd like to, so Laura met them over at the house and picked Linda up.

Then, last night, Jim and Linda met Laura, Lindsey and Ashley over at the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant in Orange City for dinner.

You see, Jim had told Laura and Lindsey that for helping them with the house, he would buy them a dinner at a restaurant of their choice, so they chose this one. Everyone said that the food was excellent, the service was great and they would definitely go back there again sometime in the future.  : )

Today, is rug cleaning day at the house. Jim and Linda will rent one of those "Rug Doctor" machines and then  around 10:00 Laura is going to meet them over there and help clean all the carpets.

It would have been nice if they could have cleaned the carpets before all the furniture was in the house, but it just didn't work out that way, so now, they'll have to move the furniture around. : (

Did you know that on this date in 1892,  President Lincoln's birthday was declared to be a national holiday?

I've Been Thinking Again

DeBary, FL.

51 deg. clear, N. wind @ 8 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs around 73°F. North northeast wind to 11 MPH, gusting to 16 MPH.


You know, I've been thinking, why couldn't Jim or Linda take over this blog? They'd know exactly what was going on both when traveling and when staying in the house.

Yep, I think I may have figured this whole blog thing out!!!! : )

Not a lot to report on today. The last few days, Jim and Linda have been packing up a couple of boxes of stuff each day and taking it over to the house. The biggest challenge seems to be figuring out just what they think they'll need  for their trip up North this summer.

Also, because they have no idea how much storage space they'll have in a smaller RV, they really don't know how much they'll be able to take!!!

Today, They'll probably pack up a few more boxes and take them to the house. Most of my basement compartments are pretty empty and I have some empty cabinets inside of me already, so they're definitely making progress.

Oh, I don't think I mentioned it, but the other day, Jim paid for another month's site rent here at Highbanks. That means our departure date from here will be March 7th. At that time, (if Jim and Linda haven't already located a smaller RV), we'll leave here and start going to different RV dealerships to search for my replacement.

A Point to Ponder : Good judgment comes from bad experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

Moving More Stuff and Planning A Trip To Wildwood

DeBary, FL.

58 deg. very light sprinkles, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Highs around 75°F. East wind 1 to 8 MPH.


Jim and Linda took some more stuff over to the house yesterday afternoon. While they were there, a lady that lives down at the end of the block stopped by to welcome them to the neighborhood and to give them some park/area information. She also told them about some of the park activities and invited them to come to the gatherings/meals that will be occurring.

Like everyone else that Jim and Linda have met in the park, she was very friendly and seemed to sincerely want to welcome them to the community.

After getting the stuff that they had taken over there put away, Jim and Linda came back here and rested for awhile. Then, about 5:00 Jim cooked a hot dog and a brat out on the grill for dinner.

Oh, just before Jim went out fire up the grill, Linda called Monte and Donna who live over in Wildwood, FL to see if they would be home today. Linda wants to go over there to the Russell Stover Candies Store to buy a bunch of Sugar free candy and then she and Jim want to stop and see their long-time RVing friends who now live in a double wide.

Linda talked to Monte, and he said that they'd  be home and told Linda that they were looking forward to seeing her and Jim.

So, this morning, (probably about 9:30 or 10:00), CLT (Cute Little Truck), will take Jim and Linda over to Wildwood. It's about 60 miles and they'll have to go through some fairly large cities along the way, so it'll probably take them around an hour and a half. Once the they get there, they'll do their shopping, grab a bite to eat and then head to Monte and Donna's.

It should be a fun day. ; )

A Point to Ponder : Worrying works! 90 percent of the things I worry about never happen.

Moving Some Stuff

DeBary, FL.

45 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs around 75°F. West wind to 6 MPH.


Not much happened over the weekend. Saturday Jim went to the grocery store and picked up a few things and the bought CLT that drink if 87 octane that he was wanting. Sunday was spent relaxing, doing little chores around here, and of course, watching the "Super Bowl" in the evening.

Yesterday, Jim started digging through my basement compartments to find more items that they won't be needing this summer. Then after bringing some totes and boxes inside of me, he and Linda packed up more things. Then they put everything in the back of CLT to take over to the house.

Once over at the house, Jim carried some of the boxes and totes inside for Linda and then while she was putting those things away inside, he went outside and worked on organizing the storage shed and putting the rest of the items he had taken out of my basement compartments out there.

Oh, they also weren't real happy with the arrangement of some of the living room furniture at the house so they shuffled it around a little. Nothing major, just moved an end table and then scooted the couch and Jim's recliner a little.

On the way back here into the park, they stopped at the office and picked up their mail. Then, once they got back here to my site, Linda did some paperwork and Jim took a little nap. : )

For dinner, they decided to head over to Steak 'n Shake for a sandwich.

Don't know exactly what's happening today, they may take a few more boxes/totes of stuff over to the house.

Did you know that on this date in 1953 - The Walt Disney’s film "Peter Pan" opened at the Roxy Theater in New York City?

Waiting

DeBary, FL.

54 deg. clear, N. wind @ 8 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs around 68°F. North northeast wind 11 to 15 MPH.


It's been awhile since my last post so I thought I'd bring you up to date on what's been happening.

WAITING!!!!!!

Yep. waiting on inspectors, insurance agents and insurance companies. Right now, the ball is in the insurance companies court and by Wednesday or Thursday, Jim and Linda should know for sure what they're going to do. Their agent seems pretty confident that everything will go through, but if it doesn't, Jim and Linda now have developed a back-up plan. (Just in case.)

Sunday, Laura, Lindsey and Ashley met Jim and Linda over at the house. CLT, (Cute Little Truck), says that  from what he heard, it sounded like they really liked it. They spent an hour or so looking at things and Laura had some good suggestions as to how to arrange furniture etc., when they do finally buy some.

Jim and Linda have also started moving a few things out of me and into the house. Yesterday, Jim took a few totes out of my basement and CLT says that he took some stuff out of the back of him and put it into the storage shed.

One other thing they have done is to start making lists of items they need to purchase, such as cleaning supplies, light bulbs and paper products. (Especially TP)  ; )  They also started a list of a few food and drink items they want to take over there so that they can have a snack and a drink.

I'm sure there will be more lists and items on them, but this is a start. : )

Today, I expect that they will take a few more items over to the house. Linda's getting real "itchy" to go looking at furniture so they may do some of that too.

Did you know that on this date in 1947 - KTLA, Channel 5, in Hollywood, CA, began operation as the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River?