Thanks to all who expressed concern about the truck--since the foggy mornings have cleared the truck has started fine so far. We had emptied the fuel line water reservoir last week (but appreciate the heads up, Silliyak) and this week we bought some diesel fuel/injector cleaner as a precaution. And we're crossing our fingers.
Florida temperatures dropped drastically the last couple of days, so Denny worked on the dripping shower faucets. Which because his tool box has been drastically reduced, means we have to run to Lowes to get yet another single use socket to be able to remove the faucets from the shower stall to get at the washers. Nothing is ever easy in a recreational vehicle. And of course then I got involved with the white vinegar to clean off the lime and minerals from the water out west. I'm still trying to figure out how Denny can start a job and I end up having to work too. Because it doesn't seem to work the other way around. Heh.
It's been great being in campgrounds once again, where every site has a RV rather than a permanently attached park model trailer. The mind set of the people in campgrounds is totally different from those who stay in one place for 4-6 months at a time and RVers seem much more active. Or perhaps my prejudices are showing? Hmm.
For the moment, things are copacetic and life is good. Is that redundant?
Edited: After lunch Denny and I decided to drive up the road a piece to pick oranges, tangerines and grapefruit at the U-pick. Guess what? The truck shuddered and gasped and belched black exhaust again and this time switching fuel tanks didn't help. We limped all the way up to the U-pick, but when we left the truck ran fine. We just put in a brand new fuel filter last week before this started, so Denny is going to buy another one and put it in to see if that makes a difference.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Truck Troubles
Kong (the all powerful Ford F450 that hauls our house hither and yon) coughed and sputtered when we were hitching up the trailer to leave the campground yesterday. At first we just thought it was because it was so foggy and humid, but he tried to stall and would pull the trailer out of our camp site. Hmm, not good. We limped to the highway, pulled out and started going a speedy 20 mph per hour on a 65 mph highway. Yikes! The engine coughed and sputtered and spewed black exhaust and just would-not-go. In desperation, Denny flipped the switch to change to our almost empty big fuel tank and after a few minutes the engine started to run smoothly and pick up speed. Of course, we had 30 miles to go to the nearest gas station and we're running on a tank reading empty, so Denny had to switch back to our smaller fuel tank and we held our breath to see what would happen. Which was that the truck continued to run just fine. A piece of debris in the fuel line? Bad diesel fuel in the small tank--no we filled both tanks at the same time. Who knows.
When we arrived at our destination yesterday and after getting unhitched and all set up we headed towards town to pick up our mail at the post office and we noticed a Wal*mart that had diesel fuel pumps at their station, so we filled up the big tank and topped off the smaller tank, hoping if the diesel fuel in the small tank had a problem that mixing fresh fuel would help. The truck continued to run just fine.
Today? Not so good. Again this morning the truck shuddered and paused and belched and crept out of the campground. Again, Denny switched tanks and the truck ran better after a few minutes. Again, he switched back to the smaller tank, now determined to run the tank until it is empty. And the truck ran fine, even after several shopping stops and restarts. But we'll see what happens tomorrow. *crossing fingers*
When we arrived at our destination yesterday and after getting unhitched and all set up we headed towards town to pick up our mail at the post office and we noticed a Wal*mart that had diesel fuel pumps at their station, so we filled up the big tank and topped off the smaller tank, hoping if the diesel fuel in the small tank had a problem that mixing fresh fuel would help. The truck continued to run just fine.
Today? Not so good. Again this morning the truck shuddered and paused and belched and crept out of the campground. Again, Denny switched tanks and the truck ran better after a few minutes. Again, he switched back to the smaller tank, now determined to run the tank until it is empty. And the truck ran fine, even after several shopping stops and restarts. But we'll see what happens tomorrow. *crossing fingers*
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Lazy Sunday in Moore Haven
It's been a relatively quiet week for us here in the Moore Haven area. We came down to spend a little time with friends and former co-workers Tim and Penny only to discover that Penny was scheduled for neck surgery this week. So we got in a quick visit before her surgery and we're meeting up with them again today to see how she's doing. The surgeon replaced a messed up vertebra in her neck with a titanium one and she's feeling pretty good already.
Other than that, we located a couple geocaches and we'll be hitting the Indian casino today, but there's not a lot around the immediate area otherwise. But as always, I have a couple of pictures of what we saw this week.
Leaving the Apopka area we passed all things Disney on I-4, where even the power line stanchions look like Mickey Mouse.
It looks like someone's RV is on fire here, doesn't it? Actually, that' a field of sugar cane burning. The area around Lake Okeechobee has rich soil and the proper climate for successful sugar cane growing. In 2004-2005 Florida produced 1.56 million tons of raw sugar. The growers burn the fields to get rid of the leaves and excess growth on the plants so they are only hauling the stalks to the mills, saving money. Plus it gets rid of insect and animal pests.
At the 3 mile canal geocache we found a little more than we expected. I'm not sure if this carcass was a feral pig or a huge dog (there were very long, stiff black tufts of hair attached to the neck vertebrae area), but whatever it was, it was big.
Okay, Nancy, I need your help again on this lovely plant. Isn't the blossom gorgeous? The bush it was growing on is about 15 feet tall and six feet across.
The lunar eclipse this week--did you see it? I shared it with about a zillion mosquitoes. Sigh.
Usually I prefer the pink clouds at sunset, but this golden sunset appealed to me.
I'm still fighting with the focus on this camera and I haven't figured it out yet. I was going for the tall trees and the sunset and got the palm tree across the street instead.
For this same shot, I turned the camera away from the palm tree, focused on the trees across the pond, then swung the camera back to the area of the palm tree where the sun was setting. Got it.
Other than that, we located a couple geocaches and we'll be hitting the Indian casino today, but there's not a lot around the immediate area otherwise. But as always, I have a couple of pictures of what we saw this week.
Leaving the Apopka area we passed all things Disney on I-4, where even the power line stanchions look like Mickey Mouse.
It looks like someone's RV is on fire here, doesn't it? Actually, that' a field of sugar cane burning. The area around Lake Okeechobee has rich soil and the proper climate for successful sugar cane growing. In 2004-2005 Florida produced 1.56 million tons of raw sugar. The growers burn the fields to get rid of the leaves and excess growth on the plants so they are only hauling the stalks to the mills, saving money. Plus it gets rid of insect and animal pests.
At the 3 mile canal geocache we found a little more than we expected. I'm not sure if this carcass was a feral pig or a huge dog (there were very long, stiff black tufts of hair attached to the neck vertebrae area), but whatever it was, it was big.
Okay, Nancy, I need your help again on this lovely plant. Isn't the blossom gorgeous? The bush it was growing on is about 15 feet tall and six feet across.
The lunar eclipse this week--did you see it? I shared it with about a zillion mosquitoes. Sigh.
Usually I prefer the pink clouds at sunset, but this golden sunset appealed to me.
I'm still fighting with the focus on this camera and I haven't figured it out yet. I was going for the tall trees and the sunset and got the palm tree across the street instead.
For this same shot, I turned the camera away from the palm tree, focused on the trees across the pond, then swung the camera back to the area of the palm tree where the sun was setting. Got it.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
I Love a Parade--kinda
Knowing that we were in for a warm, humid day today, Denny and I took our walk around the campground early. As we were walking at the rear of the campground we saw this large 4 wheeled contraption heading towards the entrance and wondered what it could be for. Then as we saw people starting to drag lawn chairs to the main interior roadway of the campground we remembered the calendar entry for "Robin's Nest Fest" today. Apparently, there was going to be a parade.
Now, unlike the last two campgrounds we've stayed at, there are no golf carts in huge numbers here, so we weren't quite sure just what was going to be paraded around. Denny opted to cool off under our awning at our site, while I took the camera with me to the swimming pool where I planned to do my water aerobics while everyone else was preoccupied with the parade. But I did have to snap a couple of shots just for the records.
Understand, this campground sits 20 miles from the nearest chain grocery store or Wal*mart, there is no real restaurant in the town of Moore Haven which is six miles away, although there is a Burger King and Subway (even McDonald's hasn't graced the town with its presence) and the only general shopping is done at the Family Dollar store. Therefore, we entertain ourselves here and so the roadway was lined with happy campers awaiting the parade at 9AM. Sad, huh? Heh. Activities followed, including a holey board (originally listed as holey broad, much to our amusement) tournament, skeet shooting, lawn bowling and as Denny and I returned from a quick trip to town, there was a long line snaking around the clubhouse while people waited for something that was being grilled on a huge barbecue cooker.
I guess these folks were the grand marshalls or something. The parade was even led by a sheriff's car with flashing lights and the occasional blast of the siren. Big times here, folks.
The square dancing group. Strangely enough, our next door neighbors who square dance here were from Dayton, Ohio originally. Small world.
The motorcycle brigade. If three vehicles can be a brigade. And some biker purists would probably say that the two tricycles aren't bikes.
Red Hat Society ladies.
More Red Hat Society ladies. I guess really every female in the campground could be a member based on age--even me, finally.
The campground employees had their part in the parade--this is the gardener. The mail room lady had her electric scooter decorated, plus there was the bingo callers' golf cart, the manager's golf cart, and so on. I guess you had to be there.
Now, unlike the last two campgrounds we've stayed at, there are no golf carts in huge numbers here, so we weren't quite sure just what was going to be paraded around. Denny opted to cool off under our awning at our site, while I took the camera with me to the swimming pool where I planned to do my water aerobics while everyone else was preoccupied with the parade. But I did have to snap a couple of shots just for the records.
Understand, this campground sits 20 miles from the nearest chain grocery store or Wal*mart, there is no real restaurant in the town of Moore Haven which is six miles away, although there is a Burger King and Subway (even McDonald's hasn't graced the town with its presence) and the only general shopping is done at the Family Dollar store. Therefore, we entertain ourselves here and so the roadway was lined with happy campers awaiting the parade at 9AM. Sad, huh? Heh. Activities followed, including a holey board (originally listed as holey broad, much to our amusement) tournament, skeet shooting, lawn bowling and as Denny and I returned from a quick trip to town, there was a long line snaking around the clubhouse while people waited for something that was being grilled on a huge barbecue cooker.
I guess these folks were the grand marshalls or something. The parade was even led by a sheriff's car with flashing lights and the occasional blast of the siren. Big times here, folks.
The square dancing group. Strangely enough, our next door neighbors who square dance here were from Dayton, Ohio originally. Small world.
The motorcycle brigade. If three vehicles can be a brigade. And some biker purists would probably say that the two tricycles aren't bikes.
Red Hat Society ladies.
More Red Hat Society ladies. I guess really every female in the campground could be a member based on age--even me, finally.
The campground employees had their part in the parade--this is the gardener. The mail room lady had her electric scooter decorated, plus there was the bingo callers' golf cart, the manager's golf cart, and so on. I guess you had to be there.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Flock
Yesterday a pop-up window informed me that AOL was no longer going to support the Netscape 9.x browser. I loved this version because all my bookmarks popped up as separate tabs so I could keep my home page up all the time and just go in and out of the various tabs at will. Loved it, loved it, loved it.
The pop-up suggested I download either Firefox (got it, use it to Stumble) or Flock, a "social" browser. Okay, I'm a sucker for new stuff, so I downloaded and installed Flock. Hmm, not bad looking, I like the idea of off-line blogging and the ability to post to the blog quickly. I'll have to play with it and while it doesn't open links in separate tabs (why is that such a rare feature?) it looks interesting.
More stuff to confuse Denny--I love it.
The pop-up suggested I download either Firefox (got it, use it to Stumble) or Flock, a "social" browser. Okay, I'm a sucker for new stuff, so I downloaded and installed Flock. Hmm, not bad looking, I like the idea of off-line blogging and the ability to post to the blog quickly. I'll have to play with it and while it doesn't open links in separate tabs (why is that such a rare feature?) it looks interesting.
More stuff to confuse Denny--I love it.
Blogged with Flock
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Just for Coll
While wandering around the campground today, trying to map out a mile-long walk we came across this little Coco imitator and I had to post him for my blogging buddy Coll. Of course, there's no mistaking the REAL Coco, who has personality to spare. Hi Coll!
Campground 7---Campers 0
As we were preparing to leave Apopka yesterday our neighbors came outside to chat and do a bit of complaining about the campground. It seems they had spoken to someone across the driveway who had ripped the rubber roof of their coach on a tree here in the campground, making the tally for our small segment of the camping area campground 6--campers 0. We shook our heads and carefully, carefully pulled out of our site, missing the low hanging tree to our right. After dumping our tanks on the other side of the campground, we made our way to the campground's exit.
Now, three days ago there were workers doing something to the exit lane that involved fresh concrete, so they converted one of the two gated entrance lanes to an entrance/exit area. It was convoluted and tight, but we figured by Monday the concrete would be dry and the real exit lane would be open. Not to be. So Denny slowly maneuvered our rig through the cones, but couldn't avoid the sharp corner of the "decorative" edging of our lane. As an entrance, the pointed end would be away from the tires, but going the wrong way, it was pointed right into the tires. We could see in the mirrors that the first of our three right side tires on the trailer ran into the point, but there was no room to maneuver away from it. On we went.
90 miles down the road in Sebring, FL we heard a loud bang and I checked the side mirror to see that we appeared to have a flat. Strangely enough, a half block down the street we saw a sign for a Goodyear store, so we limped down there and pulled in. Checking the tire we saw a large slash in the sidewall where the tire blew out. Damage from that darned sharp corner in the campground. The tire store carried a similar tire to ours, so Denny bought one and had it installed. We considered just putting the spare tire on, but figured if we had damaged the other two tires then we needed the spare for those, because we knew that the Moore Haven area was not one that had a lot of stores and businesses. While the business owner was super nice and chatted with me about Ohio, which is where his mother was from, one of the employees struggled with finding a way to jack up our trailer to get the tire changed. An hour and a half and one very hot kitty later, we were once again on our way. The rest of the trip was uneventful and we ended up parked next to a man who worked for the city of Dayton, OH and in a nice, open spot.
Final tally, campground 7--campers 0.
Final irony? A heart-shaped blowout.
Now, three days ago there were workers doing something to the exit lane that involved fresh concrete, so they converted one of the two gated entrance lanes to an entrance/exit area. It was convoluted and tight, but we figured by Monday the concrete would be dry and the real exit lane would be open. Not to be. So Denny slowly maneuvered our rig through the cones, but couldn't avoid the sharp corner of the "decorative" edging of our lane. As an entrance, the pointed end would be away from the tires, but going the wrong way, it was pointed right into the tires. We could see in the mirrors that the first of our three right side tires on the trailer ran into the point, but there was no room to maneuver away from it. On we went.
90 miles down the road in Sebring, FL we heard a loud bang and I checked the side mirror to see that we appeared to have a flat. Strangely enough, a half block down the street we saw a sign for a Goodyear store, so we limped down there and pulled in. Checking the tire we saw a large slash in the sidewall where the tire blew out. Damage from that darned sharp corner in the campground. The tire store carried a similar tire to ours, so Denny bought one and had it installed. We considered just putting the spare tire on, but figured if we had damaged the other two tires then we needed the spare for those, because we knew that the Moore Haven area was not one that had a lot of stores and businesses. While the business owner was super nice and chatted with me about Ohio, which is where his mother was from, one of the employees struggled with finding a way to jack up our trailer to get the tire changed. An hour and a half and one very hot kitty later, we were once again on our way. The rest of the trip was uneventful and we ended up parked next to a man who worked for the city of Dayton, OH and in a nice, open spot.
Final tally, campground 7--campers 0.
Final irony? A heart-shaped blowout.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Lazy Sunday in Apopka
Denny and I have spent a very quiet week here in Apopka. There's not much to do here; I guess it's hard to compete with all the Disney attractions that are about 25-30 miles away. Unfortunately, Denny gets seasick on rides of any type, so we passed on the whole Disney thing this week. And beside--it's all Daytona here on TV so it's been hard to get Denny out of the trailer.
I did manage to drag him out for a walk or two this week, and this is what we saw.
I have no clue as to what type of flowering bush this might be, but the flowers are lovely and remind me of orchids.
A close up of a blossom on the unknown flowering bush.
Florida has cactus, too. Who knew? I would have thought the climate was too humid for cactus--shows what I know.
There are a lot of not so nice trailers homes in this park, but the landscaping at this trailer caught our eye.
I have no idea if this bunion-like growth was caused by an injury to this live oak, or by a virus or insect of some sort.
Another unrecognized plant. Its flowers looked like sprays of fireworks in miniature.
The loop around the campground is 1.27 miles according to our handheld GPS receiver and apparently that was a little too much for Denny. Actually, this shot was taken at the campground in Port Richey where our walks were much shorter but wore him out just as badly. Heh. It's a tough lifestyle.
I did manage to drag him out for a walk or two this week, and this is what we saw.
I have no clue as to what type of flowering bush this might be, but the flowers are lovely and remind me of orchids.
A close up of a blossom on the unknown flowering bush.
Florida has cactus, too. Who knew? I would have thought the climate was too humid for cactus--shows what I know.
There are a lot of not so nice trailers homes in this park, but the landscaping at this trailer caught our eye.
I have no idea if this bunion-like growth was caused by an injury to this live oak, or by a virus or insect of some sort.
Another unrecognized plant. Its flowers looked like sprays of fireworks in miniature.
The loop around the campground is 1.27 miles according to our handheld GPS receiver and apparently that was a little too much for Denny. Actually, this shot was taken at the campground in Port Richey where our walks were much shorter but wore him out just as badly. Heh. It's a tough lifestyle.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
He's Not There
You probably made that long, lonely drive this weekend. While it's not the date, it's close enough for a working man. The sun was out today and it felt warm for a February afternoon. But chances are, the lanes you drove were empty and the parked cars few. You found your spot and stood there gazing at a name and a set of dates etched in smooth stone.
But he's not there.
You probably spoke with him quietly, telling him what has been going on this past year; a new job, a new jogging regime, emotional turmoil. Perhaps you thought about how much you miss him, how much he has missed in your life, how much you need to talk to him, how you need his advice; but he's not there.
You could have saved the gas, you know, because you will find him in your dishwater blond hair, your blue eyes that crinkle when you smile, your shit-eatin' grin and your wide Hobbit feet with their hairy toes. Look deep in the mirror, my son, and you will find him. He's there.
But he's not there.
You probably spoke with him quietly, telling him what has been going on this past year; a new job, a new jogging regime, emotional turmoil. Perhaps you thought about how much you miss him, how much he has missed in your life, how much you need to talk to him, how you need his advice; but he's not there.
You could have saved the gas, you know, because you will find him in your dishwater blond hair, your blue eyes that crinkle when you smile, your shit-eatin' grin and your wide Hobbit feet with their hairy toes. Look deep in the mirror, my son, and you will find him. He's there.
A Different View of Florida
I have been whining about this campground (Danger, Will Rogers, danger!) which shall remain nameless unless you follow our travels on the map at the bottom of the page. I wish I had the computer skills and editing talents of Eric who has created the "On the Roads with the Dacrons" site. Then I could make a funny video about bashed up RVs and shrewishly screaming wives and put it online.
Eric and his wife, the lovely Velma, also sell Kettle Corn and blog about that too. They make me smile, and I hope they make you smile too. Of course, you have to have a bit of a skewed sense of humor and enjoy a scosh of leg pulling but I like it. But what's not to like about a couple who have flamingos on the window cover on their fifth wheel!
Eric and his wife, the lovely Velma, also sell Kettle Corn and blog about that too. They make me smile, and I hope they make you smile too. Of course, you have to have a bit of a skewed sense of humor and enjoy a scosh of leg pulling but I like it. But what's not to like about a couple who have flamingos on the window cover on their fifth wheel!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Campground 4 5--Campers 0
I mentioned Tuesday that the Tin Can on Wheels had a slight accident while negotiating the roads within this campground. What we have seen in the past three days is:
1. One ripped awning on a fifth wheel caused by a tree catching it while the owner was backing into his site.
2. One damaged left front headlight area on a large motorhome, being repaired with duct tape (the RVers friend). Obviously caused while trying to maneuver into the site.
3. One damaged right rear taillight frame, being repaired with duct tape (see above) after our next door neighbor backed into his site (I assume it's the tree right next to us that caused the damage because the owner was putting the tape on as we arrived home yesterday and the site had been empty when we left earlier).
So with our damage, that makes four rigs within a 200 feet section of campground that were damaged while trying to drive through/pull into a campsite.
Edited: After talking with a neighbor who was outside when yet another new arrival came in yesterday while we were gone, I discovered that there was a fifth RV that was damaged. A very nice fifth wheel scraped the front cap while the owner was attempting to center the unit in the site. I guess he was able to buff out most of it, but damage is damage.
My recommendation? DO NOT PLAN TO VISIT THIS CAMPGROUND--it would be hazardous to your mental health and injurious to your rig and wallet. My neighbor also told me that the section where all these 36 to 45 foot RVs are being located was once the TENT site area! No wonder we're scraping and bashing trees here! Arrrggghhh.
1. One ripped awning on a fifth wheel caused by a tree catching it while the owner was backing into his site.
2. One damaged left front headlight area on a large motorhome, being repaired with duct tape (the RVers friend). Obviously caused while trying to maneuver into the site.
3. One damaged right rear taillight frame, being repaired with duct tape (see above) after our next door neighbor backed into his site (I assume it's the tree right next to us that caused the damage because the owner was putting the tape on as we arrived home yesterday and the site had been empty when we left earlier).
So with our damage, that makes four rigs within a 200 feet section of campground that were damaged while trying to drive through/pull into a campsite.
Edited: After talking with a neighbor who was outside when yet another new arrival came in yesterday while we were gone, I discovered that there was a fifth RV that was damaged. A very nice fifth wheel scraped the front cap while the owner was attempting to center the unit in the site. I guess he was able to buff out most of it, but damage is damage.
My recommendation? DO NOT PLAN TO VISIT THIS CAMPGROUND--it would be hazardous to your mental health and injurious to your rig and wallet. My neighbor also told me that the section where all these 36 to 45 foot RVs are being located was once the TENT site area! No wonder we're scraping and bashing trees here! Arrrggghhh.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
An Accident Waiting To Happen
Monday (yesterday) was moving day. Denny and I was ready for the change, hoping to get back to a regular campground and away from traffic. We routed ourselves on state roads, knowing the going would be slow because of traffic and traffic signals, but we were only going about 95 miles so we decided to take the time.
Traffic wasn't horrible and the traffic signals became fewer and fewer as we headed towards the middle of the state. Occasionally we even left the towns behind and drove through areas that had yet to be developed, which was nice. We pulled into the campground around noon and discovered yet another campground that had converted to a park heavily leaning towards permanently established trailers. So permanent, in fact, that a school bus arrives daily to pick up and drop off kids. There is a separate section for RVs, and that's where we were placed.
I pointed out the suggested route to getting to our site to Denny, who took it upon himself to go a different way. That was fine until he tried to make a turn that was too sharp and one that had a fence on our right side. He found the fence with our folding entry steps and popped out a fence board from the pressure of moving forward. A handyman was driving by and took care of the board and we proceeded to try to find a way to our row that didn't involved making a hairpin turn. When we finally got to our site we discovered it was a relatively narrow site with overhanging tree limbs and trees at the rear. I pulled out the walkie talkies and Denny started to back in. When I realized that at the current angle Denny was going to clip a tree with the right upper corner of the rig, I pushed the walkie talkie button and told him to stop. Stop. Stop. STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP!!! Apparently the battery was dead in his walkie talkie and only the fact that a lady standing across the street waved and shouted to Denny made him stop in time--by about one inch. Lots of snarling at each other and we tried again, this time with hand signals. Got the trailer backed in, only to find there wasn't enough clearance on one side to open the kitchen slide (need that one open to cook and access the refrigerator!). So more maneuvering on Denny's part (doing a great job, by the way) and we were in.
Then came the unhitching. I raised the rig, Denny pulled the hitch release and started to drive off. Only this time instead of stopping after pulling away from the king pin he kept driving with the power cable and emergency breakaway cord still attached to the truck. I hollered "Denny, stop, stop, stop,STOP, STOP, STOP G*DDAMMIT STOP!!!" This time he didn't hear and so the breakaway switch got pulled out, but not the power cable, thank goodness. More snarling and fault finding followed. (We get over this quickly, it's also part of the routine on a bad day) I'm sure our audience (because you can be darn sure everyone was covertly watching and listening after the first series of "STOP STOOP STOP") was quite entertained. Certainly Denny and I would have been in their place. But we got all set up, dragged out over one hundred feet of cable to be able to set up our TV and Internet satellite dishes out in a clearing in the storage area to be able to get away from the tall trees and we were good to go. Whew. Because before we found the clearing I had been trying to call other campgrounds to move to in place of this one and they were all full. The joy of being in Florida in February when half the population of Ohio heads south to enjoy the sun.
There was one other thing to do, and that was repair the entry step which had gotten bent from pulling against that fence. Denny got that fixed with a little old fashioned muscle (and I never said a word about that ill-fated, badly chosen route he took to get to our site, although my tongue hurts like all-get-out).
So we're here, we're staying and right now it's raining so I'm going to relax with some Internet surfing and stupid computer games.
Traffic wasn't horrible and the traffic signals became fewer and fewer as we headed towards the middle of the state. Occasionally we even left the towns behind and drove through areas that had yet to be developed, which was nice. We pulled into the campground around noon and discovered yet another campground that had converted to a park heavily leaning towards permanently established trailers. So permanent, in fact, that a school bus arrives daily to pick up and drop off kids. There is a separate section for RVs, and that's where we were placed.
I pointed out the suggested route to getting to our site to Denny, who took it upon himself to go a different way. That was fine until he tried to make a turn that was too sharp and one that had a fence on our right side. He found the fence with our folding entry steps and popped out a fence board from the pressure of moving forward. A handyman was driving by and took care of the board and we proceeded to try to find a way to our row that didn't involved making a hairpin turn. When we finally got to our site we discovered it was a relatively narrow site with overhanging tree limbs and trees at the rear. I pulled out the walkie talkies and Denny started to back in. When I realized that at the current angle Denny was going to clip a tree with the right upper corner of the rig, I pushed the walkie talkie button and told him to stop. Stop. Stop. STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP!!! Apparently the battery was dead in his walkie talkie and only the fact that a lady standing across the street waved and shouted to Denny made him stop in time--by about one inch. Lots of snarling at each other and we tried again, this time with hand signals. Got the trailer backed in, only to find there wasn't enough clearance on one side to open the kitchen slide (need that one open to cook and access the refrigerator!). So more maneuvering on Denny's part (doing a great job, by the way) and we were in.
Then came the unhitching. I raised the rig, Denny pulled the hitch release and started to drive off. Only this time instead of stopping after pulling away from the king pin he kept driving with the power cable and emergency breakaway cord still attached to the truck. I hollered "Denny, stop, stop, stop,STOP, STOP, STOP G*DDAMMIT STOP!!!" This time he didn't hear and so the breakaway switch got pulled out, but not the power cable, thank goodness. More snarling and fault finding followed. (We get over this quickly, it's also part of the routine on a bad day) I'm sure our audience (because you can be darn sure everyone was covertly watching and listening after the first series of "STOP STOOP STOP") was quite entertained. Certainly Denny and I would have been in their place. But we got all set up, dragged out over one hundred feet of cable to be able to set up our TV and Internet satellite dishes out in a clearing in the storage area to be able to get away from the tall trees and we were good to go. Whew. Because before we found the clearing I had been trying to call other campgrounds to move to in place of this one and they were all full. The joy of being in Florida in February when half the population of Ohio heads south to enjoy the sun.
There was one other thing to do, and that was repair the entry step which had gotten bent from pulling against that fence. Denny got that fixed with a little old fashioned muscle (and I never said a word about that ill-fated, badly chosen route he took to get to our site, although my tongue hurts like all-get-out).
So we're here, we're staying and right now it's raining so I'm going to relax with some Internet surfing and stupid computer games.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
A Litte of St. Pete on Lazy Sunday
It's been a good week for us. We visited with friends and family, drove down along Gulf Boulevard on our way to St. Pete Beach catching snippets of beach and seeing many attractive homes along the way. The permanent crown has been installed in my mouth, so we're finally good to go. It's time--we feel like we're growing moss here!
We're hoping the next campground is just that; a campground. We're not fond of "travel parks" which are basically mobile home parks that allow RVs to stay in lots stuck between permanently installed park model trailers. People are more settled in travel parks, more used to their set routines, more of a neighborhood or community. Denny and I prefer the foot-loose and fancy free mentality of campgrounds, where people are on the move and still interested in seeing what's out there around the next curve in the road. We're just not ready to "sit" yet.
This immature little blue heron was fishing in a marshy area of the Links Golf Club in Hudson this week. He will turn a lovely dark slate blue when he matures into a little blue heron (as opposed to a great blue heron).
This home sat back off Gulf Blvd in the area of Indian Beach. The exterior was painted in a faux copper verdigris finish with copper trim on the walls and railings. Denny and I think someone sanded down the bark of the twin palms standing on either side of the steps--note how smooth the trunks and bases of the palm leaf area are compared to the trees nearer the street.
A parasail surfer preparing his sail and gear prior to entering the water. These guys are amazing to watch.
Denny and I with his cousins Wanda and Warren and Warren's wife, Pat. We spent the day eating, drinking and watching the waters of St. Pete's beach from ten stories up. Now that's living!
We're hoping the next campground is just that; a campground. We're not fond of "travel parks" which are basically mobile home parks that allow RVs to stay in lots stuck between permanently installed park model trailers. People are more settled in travel parks, more used to their set routines, more of a neighborhood or community. Denny and I prefer the foot-loose and fancy free mentality of campgrounds, where people are on the move and still interested in seeing what's out there around the next curve in the road. We're just not ready to "sit" yet.
This immature little blue heron was fishing in a marshy area of the Links Golf Club in Hudson this week. He will turn a lovely dark slate blue when he matures into a little blue heron (as opposed to a great blue heron).
This home sat back off Gulf Blvd in the area of Indian Beach. The exterior was painted in a faux copper verdigris finish with copper trim on the walls and railings. Denny and I think someone sanded down the bark of the twin palms standing on either side of the steps--note how smooth the trunks and bases of the palm leaf area are compared to the trees nearer the street.
A parasail surfer preparing his sail and gear prior to entering the water. These guys are amazing to watch.
Denny and I with his cousins Wanda and Warren and Warren's wife, Pat. We spent the day eating, drinking and watching the waters of St. Pete's beach from ten stories up. Now that's living!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
The Links in Hudson, FL
It is pretty difficult to get a decent tee time in Florida in February, thanks to all of us snowbirds down here enjoying the nice weather. Ken, Denny, Bonnie and I tried to play 18 holes at the Links Golf Club in Hudson, FL on Wednesday, but having a 2:42PM tee time meant we were only able to get in 12 holes before the course closed at 6PM. Therefore I can't say what the entire course was like, but the holes we played were enjoyable.
For the men, the distance of the course from the white tees is 5294 yards; from the blue tees, 5835. For the women's tees the distance is 4241. There are sand traps, creeks, ponds and marshy areas to avoid as well as the occasional tricky tiered green. Play is extremely slow in February and there are players wearing spiked golf shoes who drag their feet on the greens. We also played behind folks who didn't repair their divot marks on the greens, which is annoying. But the course is fun if you don't mind playing between houses sometimes.
The Links is located at 8706 Pavilion Drive, Hudson, FL Phone 727-868-1091 Cost for 18 holes with a cart after 2:30PM in February is $14.00.
A flock of herons flew up from the reeds here just as we were teeing off. Some of the golf tee boxes are located in areas of homes, others are in more open areas like this one.
Friday, February 08, 2008
A Commercial Break
Below you'll see the front and back of a lovely fleece jacket created by Bonnie. She adds the lace panel, sews on the appliquéd embroidered pieces and then embroiders a matching design on the front of the jacket. Very pretty and very well done. The jackets cost $39 plus $4.50 shipping and handling. If you'd like one, contact me. I'm not going to put Bonnie's personal information online.
The lace panel insert is of a lighthouse with two sailboat appliqués. The green you see is my shirt, not the background color behind the lace.
The front has a sailboat embroidered in dark blue. The jacket is lightweight with a very soft fleece lining--like a light sweatshirt, which is perfect for cool Florida winter evenings.
The lace panel insert is of a lighthouse with two sailboat appliqués. The green you see is my shirt, not the background color behind the lace.
The front has a sailboat embroidered in dark blue. The jacket is lightweight with a very soft fleece lining--like a light sweatshirt, which is perfect for cool Florida winter evenings.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Old and New
Denny's ex-sister-in-law and her fiance came up from St. Petersburg to visit us today. We hadn't met Tim yet and were anxious to do so because when Marilyn wrote about him she sounded almost giddy, and that's exactly how you want someone to feel when they are in love, right?
We had a very nice visit and lunch at Sam's on the Beach at Hudson Beach. Sam's is located next to the water (one can't really call that small strip of rocky soil a beach) with both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu leans towards appetizers, sandwiches and buckets of beer. The seagulls aren't too annoying and there are some skimpy bathing suits around for the men to ogle (that's for you and Denny, Tim--but remember, no drooling!)
I've always appreciated the fact that I didn't lose all my ex in-laws after my divorce and Denny remained close to Marilyn after his divorce. And seeing "family" happy and in a new setting is wonderful. It was another beautiful day in the neighborhood today.
We had a very nice visit and lunch at Sam's on the Beach at Hudson Beach. Sam's is located next to the water (one can't really call that small strip of rocky soil a beach) with both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu leans towards appetizers, sandwiches and buckets of beer. The seagulls aren't too annoying and there are some skimpy bathing suits around for the men to ogle (that's for you and Denny, Tim--but remember, no drooling!)
I've always appreciated the fact that I didn't lose all my ex in-laws after my divorce and Denny remained close to Marilyn after his divorce. And seeing "family" happy and in a new setting is wonderful. It was another beautiful day in the neighborhood today.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Stranger in the Night
I was awakened this morning by an oddly rhythmic sound. After shaking some of the sleep from my brain I peered out the window to see someone walking down our street carrying something circular behind their back, which looked disturbingly like the new folding table we bought yesterday. Naturally without my glasses I couldn't see the person clearly, only that he was holding something behind his back in a strange, awkward manner and that the rhythmic sound was him scuffing his feet as he walked. What was unusual was that he was heading deeper into the RV park.
After checking our patio to find the table still leaning against the side of the rig,I called security to report the suspicious activity, only to get voicemail. Well, what can you do?
Denny's cousin Ken had all the beer taken from their outdoor refrigerator last week, along with some onions that were in an outside hanging basket. Ken figured it was kids from the neighborhood, but Denny and I knew kids wouldn't take onions, so it was probably someone within the park here. Having things stolen really is rare in public campgrounds--I can probably count on one hand hearing of thievery in our 15 years of RVing. Normally, people in campgrounds look out for each other and are given warning if there has been a problem of thieves in the area so they can lock up or put away anything of value. Usually, you don't even have to do that--traveling by RV has been a very safe lifestyle for us. But every once in a while, things happen to remind you to be a little cautious and a little careful. Lesson learned.
After checking our patio to find the table still leaning against the side of the rig,I called security to report the suspicious activity, only to get voicemail. Well, what can you do?
Denny's cousin Ken had all the beer taken from their outdoor refrigerator last week, along with some onions that were in an outside hanging basket. Ken figured it was kids from the neighborhood, but Denny and I knew kids wouldn't take onions, so it was probably someone within the park here. Having things stolen really is rare in public campgrounds--I can probably count on one hand hearing of thievery in our 15 years of RVing. Normally, people in campgrounds look out for each other and are given warning if there has been a problem of thieves in the area so they can lock up or put away anything of value. Usually, you don't even have to do that--traveling by RV has been a very safe lifestyle for us. But every once in a while, things happen to remind you to be a little cautious and a little careful. Lesson learned.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Lazy Sunday in Florida
The past two weeks have been unusual for us; we've spent a lot of time being "social". Not that we're normally anti-social, it's just that you won't find large gatherings of folks on our patio most of the time. But down here in Florida there seems to be a large number of relatives and friends this year and we're taking full advantage of it. Which means we're not getting out and about taking pictures and sightseeing (unless you count the miles of strip malls and shops here). So this week's Lazy Sunday pictures aren't all of scenery, just things we saw.
I believe the huge field filled with tee pees and tents may have been a Native American pow-wow, but there were no signs along US 17 to indicate the reason for so many of these structures sitting there.
Seeing these birds of paradise growing naturally in these trees made me wonder why the ones that come from florist shops are so vibrantly colored. Perhaps the intense Florida sunshine has bleached these out.
No, not the Village People, but a bunch of comedians. This group of construction workers watched as Wanda, Bonnie and I tried to wend our way through a bunch of warning tape to get to the beach, only to arrive at an entrance way that was all taped off. Could they have warned us? Yes. Did they? No. But they did get a good laugh at us trying to bend down low enough to get under it. Goofballs. Glad we made their day. Denny and Ken, of course, found an alternate, unblocked way to get to the beach. Men. Sigh.
This is "Casablanca" according to a sign on the street side of the house. If someone offered to give me this place, I'd certainly take it. It actually houses three condo units.
It was threatening to rain while we were at St. Pete's beach, but held off. This view is why two bedroom condos run $650,000 here.
The "rides" of the Red Hat Ladies at our campground. 'nuff said.
Had to finish with a sunset. I have to admit, I was disappointed in the sunset at St. Pete's, but you can't have everything and we had just had a fabulous day with relatives. Notice how calm the Gulf of Mexico is at sunset.
I believe the huge field filled with tee pees and tents may have been a Native American pow-wow, but there were no signs along US 17 to indicate the reason for so many of these structures sitting there.
Seeing these birds of paradise growing naturally in these trees made me wonder why the ones that come from florist shops are so vibrantly colored. Perhaps the intense Florida sunshine has bleached these out.
No, not the Village People, but a bunch of comedians. This group of construction workers watched as Wanda, Bonnie and I tried to wend our way through a bunch of warning tape to get to the beach, only to arrive at an entrance way that was all taped off. Could they have warned us? Yes. Did they? No. But they did get a good laugh at us trying to bend down low enough to get under it. Goofballs. Glad we made their day. Denny and Ken, of course, found an alternate, unblocked way to get to the beach. Men. Sigh.
This is "Casablanca" according to a sign on the street side of the house. If someone offered to give me this place, I'd certainly take it. It actually houses three condo units.
It was threatening to rain while we were at St. Pete's beach, but held off. This view is why two bedroom condos run $650,000 here.
The "rides" of the Red Hat Ladies at our campground. 'nuff said.
Had to finish with a sunset. I have to admit, I was disappointed in the sunset at St. Pete's, but you can't have everything and we had just had a fabulous day with relatives. Notice how calm the Gulf of Mexico is at sunset.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Summertree Golf Course
Denny and I asked Ken and Bonnie to join us for a round of golf yesterday and Bonnie said that the Summertree Golf Club looked like a nice place to play. So that's where we went. Course fees are $12 for nine holes, which includes a riding cart. If you decide to play an additional nine holes, the price is $6 (half-price for the round).
The golf course is set in a housing development, but the designers left a lot of trees on the course and there is a lot of water in the form of ponds and creeks, so you really don't notice the homes on most of the holes. The greens have some slope and tiers to make them interesting. Right now, the Bermuda grass is dormant and naturally at this time of year the course is receiving a lot of play. But the golfers fix their divots on the greens and most of the fairways, so the course is in decent shape, considering. It's a fun little course and if we were in this area again, we'd come back to play it.
It's hard to tell that you are surrounded by houses here.
This little blue heron was wandering around the tee at hole number seven, presumably looking for slizards or bugs near the homes that were on either side of the tee. This was the only hole where you teed off near houses.
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