The Weather and A Trip To Daytona Beach

DeBary, FL.

50 deg. clear, NW wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast =  Today: Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Highs around 66°F. West northwest wind 7 to 25 MPH, gusting to 36 MPH. Chance of precipitation near 20%.

Tonight: Mostly clear with isolated showers. Lows around 36°F. Wind chill around 26°F. West northwest wind 13 to 20 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH. Chance of precipitation near 20%.


You may notice that the weather forecast above includes the weather for tonight. The reason for that, is that today the temperatures down here in Florida are supposed to drop like a rock!!! Plus, the winds are going to  pick up a lot!!! If the forecasters on TV are correct, the temperature will get all the way down into the 20's tonight, but I really doubt it as long as the wind blows like they're forecasting.

In any case, it's going to feel really cold tonight. Something we really haven't had much of all winter.

Oh, and by the way, tomorrow's highs are only supposed to get up into the mid 50's, with 15 to 20 mph winds!!!!

Brrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, Jim and Linda took a few more boxes of "stuff" out of the inside of me to the house. While they were there, they hung a few more curtains in the bathrooms. They also stopped at the manager's office and filled out another paper. Nancy also gave them little credit card like things that they'll need to operate the gate at the entrance of the community. So far, they haven't needed the card because there was a problem with the gate, but now the gate is being repaired and if they go over there in the evening, they'll need the card to get in.

Yesterday, CLT took  Jim and Linda over to Daytona Beach where they went to some furniture stores to look for a new bed for the house. Since Linda was a girl, she has always wanted a "poster" bed and she's been thinking that this will probably be the last chance she'll ever have to own one. So,  ,   ,  ,  ,  they searched the stores over there and she finally found one that she likes.

I saw a picture of it in a brochure that they brought back with them, and it the post on the headboard and footboard are quite thin and very tall. In fact, I'm thinking that those posts will go almost all the way up to the ceiling in that double wide. 

Of course there had to be a little "glitch" in all of this. You see, this bed has to be ordered and will not be available for delivery until the 15th of March!!! As you know, we'll be leaving here on the 7th, so this causes a problem. Well, Jim and Linda thought about it for awhile and finally decided that by the end of the month, one way or another, they'd get back here to accept the delivery, or possibly Laura or Lindsey could come and let the delivery men into the house.

So, the delivery date was set for the 29 of March, and one way or another, someone will be there.

Today, I think Linda wants to go over to the house and get started on making those bedroom curtains, so they'll probably spend quite a bit of time over there. While she's making the curtains, Jim will probably be unpacking some of the boxes of "stuff" that they've taken over there.

Did you know that In 1968, congress (Legislation # 15951) passed a bill that changed several federal holidays, in order for them to fall on a Monday, thus creating a 3-day weekend? The act took affect 3 years later in 1971.

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?

A Little Business and Some Photos

DeBary, FL.

36 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny with patchy frost. Highs around 66°F. North northwest wind to 13 MPH.


Jim called Nancy, (the community manager over at Highland Country Estates), yesterday morning to find out what would be the best time for he and Linda to come over and take care of some business. She told him that she wouldn't be in the office for some of the afternoon, so around 11:00 would be the best time.

So, about 10:45 they headed over there.

Then, they went to the house and removed all the masking tape from the areas that were painted. After removing the tape and moving some of the furniture back to the walls, Jim got out his camera and took some pictures.

The light was coming in the window, so it made kind of a glare, but I think you can see the furniture that they bought OK. This first photo is of the couch, end tables, lamps and ottoman that they bought. (Can you tell the walls are painted light blue? )

This is Jim's leather Barcalounger and the love seat that matches the couch

This is the chair that came with the couch and love seat. It matches the ottoman that's in front of the couch. This chair is currently in the small bedroom that Linda will use for a sewing/craft room.

This is the chest of drawers that they purchased to put the TV on and it will also give them more storage. This chest appears to be fairly old and is made completely of solid wood, (no particle board).

This photo is of the Secretary that Linda fell in love with the first time that they went into the store. In fact it was purchased before Jim and Linda took possession of the house. This item also appears to be quite old and is very well made.

I have photos of more of the furniture that they've purchased, but I'll save them for another day.

Jim and Linda were back here at Highbanks by about 1:00. After relaxing for a while, both of them took naps. ; )  The rest of the day was spent watching TV, relaxing and resting their muscles that were still sore from all the painting.

Oh, Jim got an e-mail from Denny and Bev!! (part of the Illinois bunch), They're going to be able to spend a couple nights here at Highbanks around the 1st of March!!! That means that they'll be able to come and see me and also see Jim and Linda's new, (to them), double wide!!

Did you know that An early American reference to Groundhog Day can be found in a diary entry, dated February 4, 1841, of Berks County, Pennsylvania, storekeeper James Morris?

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.

Getting Ready and Dinner With Paul And Louise

Rantoul, IL.

42 deg, clear, W. wind @ 6 mph.

Forecast = Clear. High of 64F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 15 mph.


Friday, Jim took CLT and headed over to Rural King. He wanted to buy a few thing there before we leave the area. He also stopped by ACE Hardware to find some kind of thermostat, but they didn't have what he wanted in stock.

In the afternoon, he installed the tow-bar back on the front of CLT and rolled up all my awnings before it started raining. Then, since it was raining, he fooled around with the computer for awhile and then took a nap. : )

Yesterday, after it warmed up a little, (It was only about 50 degrees with a 15 to 20 mph wind blowing), Jim went out and checked the air pressure in all my tires. After that, he took his bicycle's front wheel off and put the bike and the wheel into the back of CLT and secured it.

Around Lunchtime, Louise came over and told Jim that she and Paul wanted to take Jim and Linda out to dinner. She said that they had planned to have a cook-out, but being that it was quite cool and windy, they decided it would be better to go to a restaurant. 

She told Jim that she and Paul would pick them up about 6:30.

Wow!!! What a nice surprise!!!

During the afternoon, Jim added some water to my fresh water tank and went through some of my basement compartments to make sure everything was secure. Then, he cleaned and put away the awning tie down straps and anchors.

Linda is still working on her Family Tree Maker program. She keeps finding more and more people to add, and also additional information about the people she already had found. She's also been doing laundry and has been starting to get the inside of me ready to travel.

About 6:30 Paul and Louise pulled up in front of my site, picked up Jim and Linda and headed to Gifford, (which is a very small town about 6 or 8 miles East of Rantoul), and to the Longbranch Restaurant. Jerry and Lorie, (a couple who help Paul and Louise with the Campground on the weekends), followed along in their car.

Jim and Linda had been to the Longbranch with Paul and Louise a few years ago, and just like that time, the food was very good, with good service.

Of course the best part of the meal was visiting with Paul, Louise, Jerry and Lorie. : )

Louise and Paul insisted on paying for Jim and Linda's meal. What great people!! It's no wonder Jim and Linda have been coming back to this Campground for years. : )

Thank you so much, Paul and Louise!!!

After returning, Jim and Linda watched some college football on TV and then headed for bed.

Today, Jim and Linda want to make one last run to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute items. Then, later, Jim will dump my tanks, put away all my hoses and probably hook CLT up to the back of me.

Tomorrow morning, all he'll have to do is unhook the electric.

Did you know that on this date in 1962 "The Jetsons" premiered on ABC-TV? It was the first program on the network to be carried in color.

A Very Good Day

Rantoul, IL.

39 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = High temp. 72 deg. sunny, SW wind @ 10 to 20 mph.


First of all, Jim would like to thank all of you that sent Jim birthday wishes yesterday. He enjoyed reading every one of your comments and e-mails. : )

Jim didn't do a lot yesterday. It was pretty windy and as many of you know, he doesn't much like being outside when it's windy. So, he surfed the Internet, watched some TV, sorted thorough some papers that he had accumulated on our trip out west, and took a nice long nap in the afternoon.

Mike, (Jim's Son), called from Apex, NC to wish him a Happy Birthday and to talk awhile. While they were talking, Jim told Mike that we should be getting there on or about the 3rd of October for a 2 week visit. Mike said that time period would work out great for them and that he, Gina and the kids are looking forward  to our visit. : )

About 4:30, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed down to Urbana where they went to to the Farm & Fleet store. Jim needed some new jeans and they've usually got a pretty good price on them. After purchasing a couple pairs, (they were even on sale), they headed over to an Outback Steakhouse in Champaign for dinner.

You see, a couple weeks ago, Jim was going through a drawer and found an Outback Steakhouse gift card that he and Linda had received, probably way back in December for Christmas. So, it was decided that they would use it for Jim's birthday dinner.

Neither Jim or Linda had ever been to an Outback before. Jim said that he thought that there was a little too much seasoning on his steak, but they both enjoyed the meal and the service was excellent.

After returning back here, they watched TV until the news was over and then went to bed.

Jim said that he had a very good day!! : )

A Point to Ponder : You know you're getting old when you are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of the police.  

Visitors

Rantoul, IL.

50 deg. clear, no wind

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

We have visitors!!! Yep, yesterday morning, Jim opened one of my kitchen cabinets and there was the evidence of our visitors.

As you can probably figure out, these are not welcome visitors. They came in without an invitation, they ate some of Jim's cheese popcorn, part of 2 different granola bars that Linda had in there and part of a package of peanut butter sandwich crackers. : (

All without even asking!!!!!

Well, because they were so rude and invaded my cabinets, Jim and Linda decided that they would definitely  have to go!!! So, being that they have a reputation for not leaving, Jim decided that drastic actions were in order. The first step was to go to the Ace Hardware store in town and buy some traps and then bring them back here and set them up, (with a gob of peanut butter on them), in the cabinet where our visitors were indulging themselves.

I don't know how many visitors we had, but about 7:00 last night, one of the traps snapped and sure enough,  one of our unwelcome visitors met his demise. : ) Jim reset the trap and put it back into the cabinet, but as of this morning, there doesn't seem to be any evidence of any additional visitors.

I'm sure he'll leave the traps set until we leave here. That way if there are any more inside of me, or more try to come in, we'll be ready for them. ; )

Did you know that on this date in 1620 - The Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England? The ship arrived at Provincetown, MA, on November 21st and then at Plymouth, MA, on December 26th. There were 102 passengers onboard.

Prescriptions, Shopping and Should Be Interesting

Rantoul, IL.

64 deg. clear, SE wind @ 4 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 90s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.


Not much been happening around here. Thursday was just a kick-back day and I'm having trouble thinking of anything at all worth mentioning.

Yesterday, Jim and Linda first went to Walgreen's to get Jim's prescriptions refilled. While they were waiting, Jim bought a new coffee pot that was on sale. The old one has been acting up lately and he was considering buying a new one anyway.

After getting one of the 2 prescriptions filled, (they were out of the one type of eye drops), they headed over to Wally World. One of my day/night shades in the bedroom has broken and being that neither Jim or Linda like those things, Linda is going to make some curtains for all 3 of the windows and get rid of all of those shades in the bedroom.

So, they needed a few things like curtain rods and material.

They found most of what will be needed, but will have to go down to Champaign one of these days to get a few more items.

I overheard Linda telling Jim how she was planning to make the new curtains and I think they should be pretty neat. ; ) 

Oh, and Jim bought a new electric shaver while they were at Wally World. He was just going to get some new shaver heads for his old one, but they didn't have them in stock. He did find out that the new heads would be quite expensive and being that his shaver is getting pretty old, he and Linda decided that it would probably be best to just buy a whole new shaver.

By the time they left Wally World, it was noon, so they headed to the Red Wheel Restaurant for lunch.

Once back here, Jim unpacked the new shaver and coffee pot. He plugged the shaver in to charge up the battery and ran a couple pots of water through the new coffee pot. (As per the instructions).

Then he took a nap. ; )

Well, I hope I didn't bore you too much with this post, but that's about all that happened.

This weekend should be pretty quiet here at Prairie Pines, but the next 2 weekends will be hectic. The first one, of course is the Labor Day weekend and Louise says that all of the sites are sold out. The weekend after Labor Day, there are 4 groups/clubs coming, and again, the CG will be almost full.

Should be interesting.

Did you know that today is "Kiss and Make Up Day"?    ; )

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. : ( 

Some Shopping and Getting Ready To Wander

Kingsburg, CA.

51 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 72F. Winds from the South at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the NNW in the afternoon.


Yesterday morning, Jim and Linda decided that it would be a good idea to go into town and buy some groceries, so about 10:30 they left here and headed out.

They found a Save Mart Supermarket and by about 12:30, they were back here putting the groceries away. : )

After the groceries were put away, both Jim and Linda took naps before starting to get me ready to travel. Jim went out and checked my fluid levels, tires and made sure everything in my basement compartments was stored properly, Linda started putting stuff away inside of me, did some organizing, and then read some and did some crossword puzzles.

For dinner, she heated up some roasted chicken that they had bought at the store and that, along with some potato salad and bread seemed to fill up their tanks. ; )

The water from the storm that was standing in the park is all gone. There were only a few small puddles yesterday morning and by noon it had all soaked into the sandy soil.

This morning we'll continue wandering. There's a park about 150 miles North of here that Jim and Linda have been to a couple of times before and I think that's where we'll be heading.

I hope we have an easy travel day.

Did you know that it was on this date in 1912 - The ocean liner Titanic sank at 2:27 a.m. in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg the evening before? 1,517 people died and more than 700 people survived.

A Little Shopping, Empty Sites and RV Park Research

Bakersfield, CA.

39 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 64F. Winds from the South at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the NW in the afternoon.


Not much happening around here the last few days. Yesterday, Jim and Linda did hop into CLT and head to a Walgreen's Drug Store to pick up a few items and then head back to that Food Max Grocery store that they had gone to when we first got here, to buy a few things.

Other than that, not much else going on.

As you probably remember, I'm parked in the new section of RV sites here at the  Bakersfield Palms RV Park .  This section is for RVs that are staying for shorter periods of time. In fact, it is kind of interesting how it empties out every morning, and then almost completely fills up in the afternoon and evening.

Take Thursday for instance. By about 11:00 there were only 3 of us RVs here in this section, but by 8:00 pm, it was almost completely full. That has been the norm ever since we came here a week ago, but yesterday something changed.

Hardly any RVs came into the park!! I don't know if it's because of the upcoming Easter weekend, or if it's just a normal thing, but it sure seems strange to have so many sites empty this morning. All along, I was thinking that the Easter weekend would be busy, (like it is up and down the I-95 corridor on the East coast), and that's part of the reason we are staying here until Monday, but I may have been wrong.

It's going to be interesting to see how many RVs come into the park during the next few days.

Jim's been doing a lot of research of RV Parks along our planned route from here to Portland, OR., and he's found some that sound really interesting. There are a few that are supposed to have sites right along rivers and a few others that are supposed to have ocean views.

Now, if the weather only co-operates.

Did you know that The custom of giving eggs at Easter time has been traced back to Egyptians, Persians, Gauls, Greeks and Romans, to whom the egg was a symbol of life?

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.

H.E.B, Home Depot and Getting Ready

Boerne, TX

48 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 61F. Winds from the NNE at 5-20 mph with gusts to 30 mph shifting to the WNW in the afternoon.
.

As soon as Linda was up and had her breakfast, she and Jim took CLT and headed out to get some groceries. Because of previous trips to and though Texas, they knew about and wanted to go to an H.E.B grocery store. In the past, they really liked the stores and weren't disappointed on this shopping trip.   : )

There's an H.E.B store here in Boerne, but construction crews have a portion of the parking lot closed off so finding a place to park is a nightmare. So,  ,  ,  ,  , they headed to another H.E B store about 8 miles East of here.

The shopping went well, and by a little after noon they were back here, carrying groceries inside of me and putting them away.

I don't think I told you, but the other day, an electric space heater that Jim and Linda use inside of me, (instead of my furnace when the weather isn't too cold), died. Jim had originally found the heater setting along side of a dumpster down in Florida about 5 years ago, and after some cleaning, it has worked well for all these years.

Anyway, it died the other morning and so after he relaxed a little, he took CLT and headed to Home Depot to see if they had any left. Well, they only had a few models left, but one of them was just what he was looking for, so he bought it and brought it back here.  

It's one of those tower heaters, (like the old one was), and it seems to be doing a fine job. It's 48 degrees outside right now and 73 degrees inside of me, and my furnace hasn't run all night. : )

Linda did a load of laundry yesterday afternoon and after the washer was done, Jim went out and drained my tanks and put away all my hoses. Then he checked my tires and fluid levels to make sure I'm ready to leave here this morning.

I don't think we'll be traveling very far today. West of here, the RV parks are kind of scarce, so it's either have a short travel day, or have a long travel day. Well, being that we're not in a hurry and Jim and Linda really don't like long travel days very much, the shorter one was chosen. ; )

Don't know if I'll have Internet at this next park so you may not hear from me for a day or so. But, don't worry, I'll get you caught up on my wanderings as soon as I can.  ; )

Did you know that "Texas" comes from the Hasinai Indian word tejas meaning friends or allies?

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.

Happy Valentine's Day and Shopping

Summerdale, AL.

61 deg. overcast, rain.

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

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!



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

So, they hopped into CLT and headed down there.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I guess it never hurts to ask.

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

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

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

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

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

Thonotosassa, FL.

50 deg. clear, no wind.

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

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

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

The view as you turn into the park.

The office/clubhouse/laundry

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

My site as seen from across the street.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Syl and Gin standing in front of their new MH.

A shot of Gin inside.

The drivers side

And, Denny and Syl looking at the passengers side.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

A Little Surprise and My New Filter Is Here

DeBary, FL.

41 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.


After spending some time working on the computer, he got on the phone and called the Deland Truck Center to find out if that new engine air filter for me had come in. Well, Dennis, the parts manager said that it had come in and that Jim could come and pick it up anytime.

So, after lunch, Jim took CLT and headed over there. But, on the way, he stopped by an Office Max store to check on something he had been researching for quite awhile on the Internet.

It was a surprise but I guess I can tell you what it is now, because Jim has already given it to Linda.

It's a new "Family Tree Maker" program.

You see, Linda has become very frustrated with the old one she had been using. You may not remember, but the old one is a shareware program that is no longer being supported. Greg, the computer guy who Jim and Linda bought the new computer from, tried his best to get the old family tree program to run under Windows 7, but it just wasn't working, the latest problem being with trying to print out information once it was entered.

So, after Jim and Linda had talked about it, it was decided that the only way to really have access to the information was to get a new program and re-enter all the information.  : (   Now, this means a lot of work for Linda, but she enjoys doing family tree stuff, so it may not feel so much like work at all. : )

After doing the research and looking at reviews, Jim determined that this new program had the most features that Linda would like and was one of the easiest to use, so he thought he'd surprise her and buy it here before we started traveling.

 The new program hasn't been installed yet, but she's been reading the book that came with it, and is excited about all the features. : )

After stopping at Office Max, Jim went to the truck place and picked up the new air filter. I think he's going to install it today.

Laura stopped by for awhile again yesterday. She has to work all weekend, and knows that we'll be leaving on Monday, so she's been stopping by whenever she gets a little time.

Did you know that today is "International Fetish Day"?

A New Machine and The Swamp House Grill

DeBary, FL.

66 deg. clear, SE wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast =

A chance of showers through mid morning...then widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Monday, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the Mall in Sanford. They needed to pick up the moccasins that they had taken to the shoe repair shop. After picking up the shoes, Jim went into the Sears store that was right next to the shoe shop.

The reason for going to Sears was to try to find a VCR/DVD Recorder to replace the VCR unit (that no longer works), in my overhead cabinet next to the TV.

You see, over the years, Jim and Linda have recorded many things off of the TV on tapes and now since everything has gone to DVDs the tapes have become obsolete. Well, with this machine, it will be possible to transfer many of those tapes to disks and also record new programs off of the TV.

There is one little problem though. Although there is enough room in the cabinet for the machine, the faceplate that covers the opening around the VCR unit will not work with the new combination unit. : (

So, the original faceplate will have to be extensively modified or a new one made. I don't think Jim has decided what he will do yet, but he says he should be able to install the new machine for now and worry about that later.

About 4:00 Monday afternoon, Laura stopped by for awhile. No special reason, just wanted to visit.

Yesterday not much happened except that for dinner, Jim and Linda went over to the Swamp House Grill, which is part of this park, the Highbanks Marina and Campground. Although it's convenient and a neat place, (overlooking the St. John's River), Jim and Linda don't often go there because it tends to be a bit more "pricey" than the places they usually go to eat at. But, for Christmas, Ashley and Anna gave Jim and Linda a gift card for the restaurant, so last night they decided to go.

Linda had large garden salad with chicken, and Jim had the fish and chips. Both were still talking about how great the food was when they returned. : )

Today, I think Jim and Linda are finally going to take down the rest of the Christmas decorations. Jim took down the ones outside the other day, but the tree is still up, and I have bows and wreaths still hanging inside of me. It shouldn't take too long, but it's one of those things that has just been put off.

Did you know that more than 90% of all fish caught are caught in the northern hemisphere?

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

DeBary, FL

62 deg. overcast, no wind.

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


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

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

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

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

Don't I look festive?  ; )

After Laura and Ashley left, Jim put all the empty boxes and bags back under my bed and then took a little nap.

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

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

They said both were excellent! : )

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

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