Looking Festive

DeBary, FL.

54 deg light fog, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 79F. Winds from the North at 10 to 15 mph shifting to the South in the afternoon.

Laura has been very busy lately so she hasn't had time to come over to help decorate the inside of me, but Jim dug out the outside decorations and now has me looking festive. ; )

Also, if you look real close, you may be able to see the Christmas tree on the passengers side of my dash. There's no lights or decorations on it yet, but it's secured in place.

In my last post, I talked about the people here in the park decorating the little "island" in the road. Well, Jim took some photos of some of the decorations so I thought I'd post a few here.

I'm hoping that Jim will go out one of these nights and try to get a few photos of these decorations when they're lit up. If he does, I'll post a few of them.

Not a whole lot going on around here. Except for presents for each other, Jim and Linda have all the Christmas shopping done. Linda has been very busy doing some embroidery work on some of the presents, sewing on some of the others and then wrapping them when she's finished.  And, she and Jim have also ordered a few presents on line and had them shipped directly to the recipients.  (This is the first year that they've done that).

Jim's been riding his bike some, talking to the neighbors and helping Linda when he can.

Did you know that on this date in  1918 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson set sail for France to attend the Versailles Peace Conference? Wilson became the first chief executive to travel to Europe while in office.

A Few CG Photos, Ashley And Anna and Gram's

DeBary, FL.

Sunday, 11-11-12

Sunday was a really nice day with temperatures in the mid- 70's, fairly low humidity and just enough wind to keep the mosquitoes away. Since it was so nice, Jim took a few short rides on his bike and on one of those rides, he took his camera along and took a few photos of the park.

This first on is of the entrance to the park as you turn off of Highbanks Rd. Remember, you can click on these photos to enlarge them if you want to.

As you come through the entrance, you'll see the office off to your right. There was a 5th wheel sitting in front of the office when Jim took this photo, so he didn't get a real good photo of it.

A little past the office, you come to a small bridge. This photo is of the lake off to your right from the bridge. It's strictly catch and release and kids have a good time fishing here.

This is a view of the park just after crossing the bridge. There are many "park" model homes here and quite a  a few travel trailers that have been permanently placed on the sites with screen rooms or car ports built onto the sides of them.

From what I understand, Jim and Linda first stayed here about 15 years ago, and at that time there were a lot of junky RVs in the park, the park was run down, the staff couldn't care less about the campers and was not a good place to stay.

Since then, there have been many improvements. The junky units were removed from the park, the electricity has been up-graded, the sewer system revamped the management changed and 24 hour security people employed.

It's still an old park and the sites are quite small, but in general, is a very nice and friendly park to stay at. And, with security people roaming the park on golf carts 24 hours a day, it's very safe too.

OK, back to the photos.

As you travel down the street shown in the above photo you'll come to the very nice Clubhouse on the right. It's very nice and they have all kinds of activities there including potluck dinners, breakfasts, ice cream socials and holiday dinners. There's also a game room in the clubhouse and a very nice laundry.

One street past the clubhouse, you'll come to the side street that I'm on. There's a permanent unit on the corner and I'm right next to it. As I said, the sites here are quite small, but Mike and Anne. (Mike is one of the security people), who live in the permanent unit are very nice and the folks in the 5th wheel to my right are also nice

It a quiet park with quite a few activities. Most of the people are very friendly and have been coming here for years. Some stay here year round but I'd guess that probably about 75% of the people just spend the winter months here.

After dinner Sunday evening, Laura, Ashley and Anna stopped by for awhile. It sure was good to see them again. They stayed and visited for a couple hours and then headed back Laura's as both Laura and Ashley had to work on Monday.

Monday, 11-12-13

Not a whole lot happened yesterday. Linda did some embroidery work and worked on her Family Tree Program, Linda has some sewing projects she wants to complete for Christmas presents so Jim got out the extra leaf for my kitchen table and after cleaning it and the table, installed the leaf so that Linda will have a larger work space for her sewing machine. Jim also took a few short rides on his bike, talked to the neighbors and took a nap in the afternoon. ; )

For dinner they headed over to Gram's Kitchen in Orange City. Both Jim and Linda said that it felt just like they had just been there a week or so ago instead of about 9 months. The same waitress waited on them and the food was excellent as usual. : )  

Did you know that November is "National Pomegranate Month"?

Shopping, A New Friend and Highbanks

DeBary, FL.

42 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 70F. Winds from the NNW at 10 to 15 mph shifting to the East in the afternoon.


As soon as Linda got up and had her breakfast Tuesday morning, Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed for Jacksonville. You see, by accident, quite a few years ago, they had found a shoe store in a shopping center on the North side of Jacksonville.  It's called Rack Room Shoes and they sell all kinds of shoes.

And, they carry shoes in Jim's size, (14). : )

The soles of one of Jim's pair of shoes had split.  So being that we were in the area, they headed over there and ended up buying Jim 2 pair, since the second pair was 1/2 price.  : )

By about 12:30 they were back to the CG.

Oh, I want you to see my new little buddy that came into Kelly's Monday evening.

He's brand new and lives up in the central part of Pennsylvania. His owners brought him  down to Florida to visit family and friends and now he's on his way back home. I wished him a safe journey as he pulled out of the campground yesterday morning.

Speaking of yesterday morning,  it was about 9:50 when we pulled out of Kelly's. Once back on US 301, we retraced our route back to Callahan and then followed US 1 down to I-295. 295 took us around the west side of Jacksonville and joined back up with I-95 on the South side of the city. Once back on 95 we took it South to exit 329 where Jim pulled me into a T/A Truck Stop and topped off my tank with some of that good old #2 diesel fuel.

You see, since I'll be setting in a RV Park for at least 2 months, Jim wanted to get my tank as full as possible so there's not so much chance of condensation. My furnace also uses diesel fuel when it gets colder, so that was another reason to stop and fill up.

From the Truck Stop, we continued South on 95 and followed it down to Daytona Beach, where we turned SW on I-4. I-4 then brought us down here to DeBary and the Highbanks Marina & Camp Resort, where I'll be spending the next 2 or 3 months.

It was 12:50 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us exactly 3 hours to stop to top off my tank and travel the 147 miles down here.

After going into the office and talking to the nice ladies inside, Jim came out and unhooked CLT from the back of me and parked him across the road in a parking area. Then, the park manager led me into the park and to my site. By about 1:15 I was backed into my site, (the same site I was in last year, #198), and Jim was getting a ride in one of the workers golf carts, back up to the office area, to retrieve CLT and pay for my site.

I've only been here once before, but Jim and Linda have been here often enough that many of the folks in the park wave and welcome them back, as was the case as we drove through the park to get to my site. In fact, Jim and Linda both made the comment that it was good to be back in this park and this year especially, it kind of felt like they were coming back home.

Much of the afternoon was spent getting me set up for the long term. Extra attention was paid to getting me real level and getting all the utilities hooked up and looking as neat as possible. Then, because they were both tired and didn't want to cook, they headed over to the Steak & Shake Restaurant for dinner.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  this is where I'll be for quite awhile. There'll be many days where there's nothing to post about, so I won't be posting near as often. But, you can be assured that I'll let you know when there's anything new happening.

Did you know that DeBary Hall Historic Site is the restored winter home of Samuel Frederick de Bary, the first settler in this region? Built in 1871, the 8,000 sq. ft. Italianate architectural style mansion is open to the public with artists. displays, multimedia programs, and docent-led tours. DeBary Hall Historic Site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1972.

Not Much To Report

Rantoul, IL.

65 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Not much to report on today. Jim's been keeping busy working on getting tie down straps set up for my main awning, getting his bike out of the back of CLT and getting it ready to ride, (it has a flat tire that won't hold air, so he going to have to repair it),  talking to the neighbors, and just doing "stuff". 

Linda's been working on the computer, (catching up on financial projects), and doing laundry.

Oh, and they've both been watching the Olympic Games on TV from time to time.

For dinner, Jim cooked a steak on the grill, Linda cooked some Kohlrabi on my stove and made some garlic bread.

It sure all smelled good and both of them said it all tasted really good too. ; )

Don't know what's happening today. They may take CLT and head down to Champaign to do a little shopping.

Oh, and I'll bet that they'll be watching some more of the Olympics on TV also. : )

Did you know that 12-year-old Inge Sorensen from Denmark won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke in 1936, making her the youngest medalist ever in an individual event?

I Forgot, An Un-Dissapointment and Craby

Crescent City, CA.

45 deg. clear, no wind

Forecast = Partly cloudy in the morning, then mostly cloudy. High of 57F. Breezy. Winds from the NNW at 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%


Boy!!!! Did I ever blow it yesterday. I forgot one of the highlights of the day!!!   OK, it may not be real exciting, but Jim and Linda really enjoyed it.

When Jim paid for 3 more nights here at the Shoreline RV Park and Campground he asked the CG host if there was a restaurant in the area that he would recommend. Without hesitation, he said  "The Chart Room Restaurant" . So, about 5:00 they headed over there to see of they could get some Seafood for dinner.

Well, as far as Jim and Linda are concerned, it was great!!!! Jim had a coup of clam chowder and then their "Famous Fish-N-Chips" and Linda had the Shrimp and Chips. They both thought the food was excellent, the service was very good and the view out over the bay was super!!!

As you can probably tell, they really liked it!!! ; ) 

Oh, and the sea lions over by the restaurant liked the dock too!! : )
                                
Now, for yesterday's activities.

It was sometime in the morning when Jim was outside that he talked to Ed, (My neighbor who's RV you saw in yesterday's post), and mentioned that they tried to take that scenic drive through the Jedediah Smith State Park, but couldn't because the road was closed. Well, Ed said that he and his wife had just been to the other end of the road and it was open far enough that you could go at least as far as Stout Grove, and that's where most of the biggest trees are at.

So , , , , ,after grabbing an early bite to eat for lunch, they took CLT and headed to the other end of the scenic road and enter the Redwood forest from there!!! : )

The photos below are of the 1 lane gravel road running through the forest. CLT says that there are a lot of wide spots where you can pass another vehicle, should you meet one.

The photo below shows how large the trees actually are. That's a full-sized SUV coming toward you.

CLT waiting in a parking area while Jim took a few photos.

Photos, like this neat mountain stream.

The Smith River also runs through the park, and CLT says, "Yes, the water really is that color"!!

It was around 2:00 by the time CLT brought them back here to the CG, and from what I overheard, they really enjoyed their excursion. : )

Oh, one more thing. During the day yesterday, the man from the RV, (kind of behind me), knocked on my door and brought Jim and Linda 4 nice sized crabs that he had caught with his crab nets. Jim had been talking to him the other day, and he had asked Jim if he and Linda liked crab? Well to make a long story shorter, yesterday he went out crabbing and caught a whole bunch, so he brought some over here. All cleaned and everything!!!

Wasn't that nice of him?

Linda had never cooked crab before, but the man told her how to do it. So for dinner, Jim and Linda had crab!!! Both of them really enjoyed it and today, Jim will be going over there to return the man's pot and thank him again for giving them the crabs.

You meet the nicest people in Campgrounds and RV Parks!!!! ; )

Did you know that the Coast Redwood Tree grows from a seed that is about the size of a tomato seed?

Doing Stuff, Groceries, Food, Weather and Heading Farther West

Nice, CA.

50 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 81F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 10 mph.


Not much happening. Linda has been doing some laundry the last few days, Jim has been out and about talking to whoever he could find to talk to, ; )  and in between, there's been naps, sitting and watching the fishermen on the lake, and kicking back.  : )  Then, yesterday, they headed to a Sentry Grocery Store that's about 2 miles from here to restock some of the food they've eaten since the last shopping trip.

You know, just doing stuff.

Wednesday evening, Jim cooked some burgers on the grill while Linda put together salads and a vegetable inside.  Then, last night, they both decided that they wanted breakfast for dinner, so they headed back to the Marine Grill and had eggs, sausage and potatoes.

The weather here has been just great. It gets down into the 50's at night and warms up into the 70's during the day, with a nice breeze blowing. And, for today, they're forecasting temps in the 80's!!!!

Today, we'll be leaving here and heading West to US 101. Once on 101, we'll head North, but for how far, is any one's guess. Jim has researched RV parks all along the route and when he or Linda decide they want to stop, we'll stop at the nearest CG that can accommodate me.

Ahhh!!!! This full-timing thing is really nice. ; )

Did you know that Clear Lake is believed to be one of the oldest lakes in North America, due to a geological fluke? The lake sits on a huge block of stone which slowly tilts in the northern direction at the same rate as the lake fills in with sediment, thus keeping the water at roughly the same depth. Core samples of the lake's sediments, taken by U.S. Geological Survey geologists in 1973 and 1980, indicate that the lake is at least 480,000 years old.

Oh, in case you don't hear from me for a couple days, don't worry. I understand that AT&T doesn't have many towers out along the coast, so unless I can get wi-fi at a CG I probably won't be able to post. : ( 

Nothing Much Happening

Tecopa, CA.

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

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 75F. Winds from the NE at 5 to 10 mph.


There was nothing much planned for Monday except to do laundry. Well, that's about all that happened. Jim was out and about visiting with neighbors, playing with the computer and just kicking back. Linda did laundry, read some and worked on her Family Tree Maker program.

Yesterday, the plan was to go back to Death Valley to check out some more sights, but Jim woke up with a plugged ear and really didn't feel too well, so those plans were scrapped.

Instead, they took a ride, first into Tecopa to mail a letter and then up to Shoshone to buy some 87 octane for CLT and some bread and chips.

Oh, and the price of gas, 30 miles from nowhere and at the only station for many miles around?

$5.29 !!!!!!!

Now, the price of gas in California is high, but not that high. They just charge that much because they're the only station around and people have to pay it.  : (   Then next closest station is in Pahrump, NV., about 25 miles east of Shoshone, (where I'm told it's much cheaper), or in Death Valley itself, where the price is even higher!!!

Jim's feeling better today, so I think they're going to head into Death Valley. It should be interesting, and I'm counting on Jim taking some more photos so I can post them here.

A Point to Ponder : The only place you'll find success before work is in the dictionary.

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 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?

I'm Happy and The Cold Front Comes Through

DeBary, FL.

42 deg. mostly cloudy, light W. wind.

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DeBary, FL.

60 deg. clear, no wind.

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


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

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

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

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

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

She had $12.95 in the bank. ; ) 

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

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

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

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

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

Slow Days, Decorating and Jenny and Don

DeBary, FL.

56 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

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

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

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

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

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

It should be fun getting decorated!!! : )

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

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

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

Get well soon, Don!

Groceries and A Leak Next Door

DeBary, FL.

66 deg. clear, no wind.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nothing!!! ; )

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