Westward Ho

Yes, we have no pictures……..  This internet is way too slow….. plus, I didn't take any !!     We started the loading process on Friday.    Despite the fact that it was a torrential downpour for most of the day, we managed to get a fair share done.    On Saturday, with a departure time of 9 ,10, 11   noon, we finally said Good Bye and headed out at 12:40……  and still raining !!      The Jeep was loaded and the  MH was packed as full as we've ever tried.    Hopefully, most of the 'stuff' will stay in Montrose when we leave in the fall.

The first day we made it all the way to Milton Florida. Next to Pensalcola and the  Famous birthplace of Jeffrey P Miller some 48 years ago.   It's changed a bit since then.    The sun was out but we didn't care as we were worn out.    We slept very well.         After the historic rains earlier in the week, the park had been totally flooded.    Several motorhomes and cars had to be totaled.   Others had their possessions out in the drying process.    Watermarks on buildings and RV's indicated it came up at least 2 feet, if not 3 in some spots.   They had been hard at work in the week and the office was shiny clean and the park was open.    The pool had overflowed as well.

The next day we drove over 500 miles to a lovely RV park in Shrevesport.    The southern plan (we normally take the northern, tornado alley road to Co ) has been a very nice driving route.    It's flat and being a weekend, traffic is moderate and trucks are apparently enjoying a weekend off.     Weather has been flawless and we're hoping our luck will not change.

Today, we will head towards Witchita Falls, Tx, bypassing Dallas, Fort Worth but still a hassle with traffic.     Not sure how far we'll go but I'm hoping we can relax a bit.    It helps that we both drive.

In a couple of days, we will meet up with duo of Dean and Diane.   Remember them from our Canada trip of two years ago ?    Fortunately, they are headed north from their winter in Texas and our paths will collide somewhere in SE Colorado.   We are really looking forward to a reunion and hope they have plenty of firewood for our nightly campfires….we have none.   But we do have wine to bring to the party.

And then it's on to Denver for some serious shopping for the house and to enjoy the kids once again.

So, that's the synopsis of our trip so far.    It's really good to be back on the road again in the moving house…..and headed WEST.

PS…..  We got a later start this morning and decided to take it easier than our other days.     With that in mind, I visualized a nice happy hour overlooking the Texas landscape and watching the sun go down.       But not to be…..We are in Wichita Falls and this is what greeted us when we stepped out…….It's a dry heat tho….as if that matters.  

EPCOT and sponges

Connecticut left and then Colorado arrived….how lucky are we !!    4/7 th of our grandkids in two weeks.        Becca gets passes to the Disney world so we took advantage and had a great day at Epcot.   Weather was pleasant altho the sun was intense.  

The Flower Show is in it's final days …..   I've seen it before and noted that there was a lack of color this year….  most of the characters were green and brown.   Still worthy of a walk about to see them and probably a lot easier to maintain.

I waited at this colorful Kodak point hoping the monorail would pass thru but no luck….. still pretty.   Those are impatients in the water.

 About the only color we saw.

 Peter Pan and Captain Hook and Lizzie and Becca…..the Captain was NOT a flower frocked statue…he moved.    The characters are only in place for about 15 min due to the heat and heaviness of the costumes….and they always have a handler with them to control the little fans.  

 We walked and walked, had lunch in Italy and decided not to wait in line for 75 minutes to enjoy "Soaring".    It's a great experience but not worthy of that long line.


Later in the week we wandered over to the Gulf Coast and stopped in Tarpon Springs.   This is home to over a hundred years of sponge harvesting.    They offer boat rides out to watch the divers go down and retrieve the sponges.    Started by the Greeks, the community is still a colorful testament to their culture.    The pelicans were hoping for a handout.   This was Rufus and he's known to accept handouts.

 Bins of sponges of all types were available along the main street.    I resisted.   The one store said they are antibacterial and won't mold or mildew.

The house is now quiet and we're gearing up for our trip west.    There is a lot to do.    The MH will become a moving van altho we aren't taking any furniture or large items.  

The builder sent us new pictures yesterday.    The stonework is looking good.

And the granite is in……it's pretty basic granite but is the opposite of the lighter color we have in the Florida house so I went for the change.   I was watching HGTV last night and a guy was looking at a kitchen and said that granite was "dated"…..oh dear… the last thing I want my house to be is dated….that's what I am !!    

See you on the road…………..and happy to be leaving record breaking high temps ( 93 today ), humidity and the approaching  love bugs……..

One way to be younger every day…...

….spend it with younger people !!   Or maybe not….. but it was a good time with Andy and Mason this week.    The parents went back to work and we continued playing.
Mostly, this was my view of them ……...

Later in the week, we went to Legoland.     We got cheap (relatively speaking) tickets  in advance and I felt bad about parents who paid serious money to take little ones here because for the most part, it is NOT Disney.    It is a new park but seems old and kind of dingy.    The rides are aimed at the young and Andy wasn't too impressed altho Mason enjoyed driving.    He was very good and obeyed all the traffic signs but other kids just drove with abandon and there were many collisions.   Luckily they don't go fast.   

The best part were all of the Lego built displays.    The Star Wars was excellent….

As were the various cities and landmarks….

Too bad we bought our Ford from the dealer, we could have had the boys build us one…..they have enough Legos….And now they have even more after we visited the large store on the way out.    

On Friday, Jon had a trip to Tampa so we dropped the boys off so they could ride home with their dad.    

 And now the house is much too quiet and the old people are back to their recliners.  

Meanwhile, out in the West…..the floors are in !!  

Spring break…….

Boys are spending their spring break in Tulum Mexico.  Near Cancun.    We took our kids there many, many years ago….thee was nothing there except ruins and thatched huts that sold trinkets and Coke.    Jon was about 7 I think so that makes it about 35 years ago.    The beaches at Tulum are stunning as is the park at Xel Ha.     The boys snorkeled with large fish, like barracudas and sting rays….I was reluctant about the whole thing and kept vigilance on the rocks above .   I'm assuming it's all built up now with hotels and such.      Yesterday Andy and Mason went to the Park. 

 

 Maybe we'll have to go back again……This time they can pay their own way.!!

The house moves along and I am getting stressed about all the decisions that will be required…..Like furniture and dishes and everything …..

As we were driving back from SC, somewhere in the state, I saw a billboard ….. I didn't get a picture but it roughly said………" Sign in online for the ER (at some hospital) and do your waiting at home."   Now, I always thought the emergency room was for EMERGENCIES…..seems to me if you were having a stroke or heart attack, you really should not wait at home.  

Enjoying The Masters and convinced if I watch every minute it will improve my golf game….by osmosis.

Catching up……...

 It's good to be home………….or didn't I tell you we were gone?     It wasn't a very exciting trip but the moving house needed it's annual checkup and P prefers to go to the source.    So, we drove 500+ miles up and back (divided into 2 reasonable days each way) and visited the Freightliner factory in Gaffney SC.   Everything went well and despite the torrential rains the entire time there, we had a good outing.    Spring is popping out up there and everything was in bloom, including the climbing wisteria which was common along highways.   It seems very invasive as it's vines climb the trees.    We saw one tree that was completely covered.    It has such beautiful flower.    Other trees were blooming and I was especially nostalgic for the dogwood that we had in Ct.   ( I really intended to take pics but didn't want to get wet. )

While we were there, the builder sent us some photos of the progress.    This is the master bath

 and obviously this is the kitchen with cabinetry being put in.  It will look much better with the doors and drawers, granite and flooring.    Tile was to start on Monday.   It's getting exciting.   Except, I now have to quit procrastinating and start ordering the lighting fixtures.   If I was out there, I think it would be easier.    I'm saving the mini pendants for later as well as the dining light.   But I've almost decided on bathrooms and ceiling fans (4).  

I'm a gadget person….I admit it.       I have had a FitBit One for awhile.    It clips very securely onto clothes and counts  all of your steps.   I sync it with Loseit.com and it gives me all sorts of non-vital info.    If you spend more money, you can sync it to Runkeeper and also a BP monitor and also a glucose monitor, if you have those concerns.    It's kind of fun and keeps me motivated.   Altho, this week, between the serious rains and  days of driving, my stats were pretty ugly.  

We came home to beautiful weather……only in the 70's with bright sun.   But in a day or two it will become more heated.    Guests will be arriving soon from the North so no one will complain about the heat.   Especially 2 boys who love to swim.  

Have your event in TV……..

 

Speaking of which, if you decide to go into cardiac arrest anytime soon, might I suggest that you do it in The Villages.      The paper reported that we have a 46% survival rate…meaning you walk out of the hospital…..compared to the national average of 9%.     Reasons given are  (1) Response time by EMS of 4 minutes !!   compared to 9-11 elsewhere (if you're lucky)    (2)  More trained neighbors and recreation staff (3)  Use of   compression- only CPR (proven more effective than with mouth to mouth) and many AED's in neighborhoods and public buildings.     So, come for a visit and have your event here instead of on the streets of NYC !!     

I really need to get my camera out and capture spring.   I sent in my favorite  lens for a tune-up and after $200 and a lengthy list of things corrected, I should have no excuses for lousy shots.    I felt that it was really dirty after the sand and dust of Utah last summer.   I suspect the camera could use a bath as well.  
I need to carry it with me on the golf course.    The alligators are out, the large birds are strutting their stuff and everything is blooming.      Yesterday, we played Redfish Run Executive course.    I think its rated a 3 out of 4.   Only one par 4 but it is brutal with all sorts of ugly stuff to get in trouble in and there is water on most holes.   But, I managed to shoot a 3 over par !!!   On days like that, it seems that the ball just knows where to go and does its thing regardless of what I do.    Guess that's how the Pro's feel when it's their day.   Only I didn't win a million bucks.    Just a Mexican dinner.  

We are supposed to be on an RV Rally in Tennessee this week.   We didn't pack up the wagon and go. We don't really know anyone in the group and altho the area should be beautiful in the mountains, we opted to stick around here.    But, we need to be in Gaffney SC for the annual Freightliner maintenance so that will get us out of the house this month.   It will be good to get out in the bus after these months staying put.    And then we load up for our trek westward in May.    No news on the house but assuming it is moving towards the finishing stages soon.  

Never mind……...

………what I said the other day…..    Blogging is a bit like dieting.   You start out strong and full of intention but after while, it's not so interesting anymore and you'd rather just "stop looking at life as a possible blog post' / eat the entire pie"……     And sometimes, it seems like you should do something more important, especially when others around you are having really hard days….or the world seems heartless and the news never gets to the happy stuff.      But then, I realized that I actually missed talking to you and I didn't want to keep a private journal and altho the bad stuff in the world will keep happening, it's a pretty nice day at this house so time to get up off the couch and get back to writing again…..well, actually, I do do my writing on the couch.      So, if most of you have gone elsewhere, that's OK and I'll just talk to myself for a bit…..

While I was gone, not too much happened…..well, except for the attempted burglary down the street and my part in the adventure.    I was quietly contemplating nothing on the lanai one afternoon and I see a young man calmly walking across the golf course.   He wasn't dressed like a maintenance guy so I was pondering what he was doing there and wondering what I should do about it.    Then my neighbor comes banging on my door to say there was a burglar on the loose and I said " I just saw him !!"    I don't think I've ever seen a real life actual thief before.    So, the call to 911 goes in and in seconds it seemed , I had 3 squad cars in my front yard and also a bloodhound.    And then a helicopter flying low and slow over the area.    I gave a report, both verbal and written and in no time, all of our phones were ringing, texts and emails were received and we were thoroughly warned about the burglar.   The officers were very professional and nice and shortly, both of the "perps" were apprehended.   I've been waiting for my reward money ………

Some of you might have seen the NBC Nightly News episode on the fast growing sport of Pickleball.   I have worked my way thru PB 101 and 102 and with the help of my cute coach, I am actually playing…not well, but I am optimistic that I will look less awkward soon.   

Our neighbors and good friends , The Scott's , are gardeners and their yard is always resplendent with colorful flowers…..even their Bird of Paradise blooms….!

       
 The other day, we noticed that John, a serious and excellent golfer, seems to be trying to grow golf ball flowers…………..

 And today, after heavy rains, we noticed that he had actually succeeded……….

It's Time…….

……to end our relationship.     I've become lazy and rather boring and after 498 posts, what more do I have to share………..?
I think that the Blogs written by active RVer's who travel about and give info on where to stay, where to go and what to do when you get there, are very helpful.    Cooking blogs have taught me a lot.   Art blogs are my favorite as are blogs of my friends.     But mine fits none of those categories and altho it was originally designed to keep the family informed of our travels, it has certainly lost that theme since we don't travel so much and if we do, we return to the same places we wrote about previously.  I've noticed that other blog writers are coming to similar conclusions and are either stopping or cutting back to a point where it's hard to follow them.    I'd prefer not to become boring and stagnant and feel that I might be teetering on the edge of that.     I'll continue to keep a private journal of our life because it is a great source when we need to remember where we were or what we did and when we did it.  
   So thanks for coming along all  these years and be good out there……and stay Younger Every Day !!

The most beautiful state……...

We pulled out our western/winter clothes, spent 4 hours on a flight and have been enjoying the past several days in Colorado.      We woke the first morning in Denver to a beautiful fluffy 6 inches of snow.    And as we headed into the mountains, the views were magnificent.    However, we didn't stop to take decent pictures so this one just gives you a hint, taken thru the windshield.

The house progress is much faster than we had anticipated and some decisions needed to be made before dry wall went in.     Montrose, altho it can get cold and snowy ( as we experienced on our Dec. trip) has been called the Banana Belt….I'd say more like the Squash belt as far as growing stuff in the winter !….   But it was near 60 and the golfers were out in force.


View of the Par 3 green from the back of the house.  





Looking from the front of the house towards the back of the house and the views….to the right is the kitchen and fireplace on the left.    Master bedroom is the other large window on the right.   Ceilings in the great room are 12 feet.

Back of house with large overhang.

We've met a couple who  purchased a pre-owned house and have spent 4 months in a huge remodel.   It is beautiful.    They moved from a ranch where they were avid hunters and trophies abound.    They served ELK for dinner and I brought wine called Elk Cove pinot gris, which was also very good.    The elk, I wouldn't know since I'm not a big meat eater and opted to enjoy the wonderfully prepared fresh vegetables.    But P said it was excellent.           This is not a good pic of Buffy who watched over us as we savored his wildlife friend.           My father was an avid hunter and our freezer was filled with a variety of birds, ducks and deer.  It was vital to the family budget.    And to the best of my memory and effort, I didn't touch any of it…..altho I'm sure that the "beef" hamburger was not the 100% cow that my mother insisted it was.  

  

Cleaning up my life……..

Well, my life is pretty clean but my drawers and closets need a good purging…….I'm not particularly sentimental so most of the time I can get rid of "stuff" that we all like to hoard keep.   But I hang on to art supplies and I love my books.    But now, it's time to face reality and know that I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME…..I will never use all of this and probably won't even look at it ever again.     I still plan on living to be  (more) old and (more) feeble but I do like my pens and pencils and papers much more than the others……so the paints and books  must go.    I might have a source who will take some of it and if I don't, I'll offer it up to the various clubs or schools.   

Now I only buy books that don't work on the Kindle so my habit is more under control.    I know that Barnes and Noble can't exist unless I contribute to it's bottom line…..but I love sitting there with a favorite magazines, a Starbucks and my best friend.    I rarely buy anything …. I hope they come up with a solution to stay in business.    Maybe they could branch out into shoes, or hats, or  pet supplies…….or….combine with Nordstroms !!

Because I know you are just waiting for the big announcement…..there is none.   I did not place in the Photo contest …..  I wasn't disappointed nor surprised once I saw those that won.    This year the photos were outstanding.   Usually, they are quite mediocre and ordinary.   But this time there was great creativity and technique and diversity.   I was impressed…… but I still like my frog.    

 The house is moving along faster than we had thought.    We need to drop by soon and make any changes before the dry wall goes in.    Electric and plumbing will be in shortly and we may need to change outlets.

The back has a large overhang over the great room to help with the western sun.   To the left is the Master bedroom, to the right is the guest room.    This view is looking from the golf course.
I am NOT looking forward to furnishing an entire house.    We did it once before, also in Colorado in the early 90's…..I took my time then but we are having a family gathering in July so I want it well equipped to handle our crowd.

We are back on the golf courses.    We are slowly improving after almost 9 months of inactivity.    I saw the good Dr once again re: the knee and find that I have some sort of patellar syndrome vs: the MCL issue.     Good news is I can do anything I want and won't hurt it.    I've been wearing a brace which feels good when I'm swinging but it sure doesn't do much for an even tan.   Meanwhile, Mr Pickleball has made himself quite popular by attaching the GoPro to the fencing and capturing his League play.   He's sending the videos to various players so they can critique their games.    They are loving it but also take notice of their physique and one guy thought he looked pregnant.