December 2010

Now I am way behind in my blog !   The most recent ‘home improvement’ was the removal of our Carrotwood tree – it turned out that it was an ‘invasive tree’ and by removing it we ‘opened up’ the front of the house.

We hope to have the area paved to make golf cart access to the rear of the house easier. The Hobby Shop woodworkers descended on the wood like termites – the wood has a wonderful orange hue.

Thanksgiving was spent with good friends, sharing GREAT food, for which, I am thankful.

The Christmas season is in full swing – the annual Buttonwood Bay Decorate Your Golf Cart Parade was held this past Sunday night (delayed a week due to storms)

 and that meant our ‘out of town’ guests were drafted to partake in the festivities with us. With their help we managed to accumulate enough points to score a 2^nd place finish - - whoo hoo!!

We took those same friends, Doug and Audrey, to Myakka State Park. The tram ride didn’t turn up an abundance of animal life unfortunately – 1 sleepy gator and 3 armadillos. There is however a great nature walk that has you climb up a 35 foot tower to get to a walkway/suspension bridge  through the tree canopies. At the far end of the walkway there is a tower that reaches 74 feet – yeah, I know where y’all live there are flagpoles higher than that but down here that is a major height !!

 MK and I getting ready to cross

A view from the tower 

Audrey on the bridge

Spanish moss - - just an 'art shot'.

Our friends left this morning to proceed north to family in Atlanta. MK and I got up early and went with them to the local diner for breakfast – so that made our 44^th anniversary day a bit longer than most of our active days are (  mine anyway ).

Tomorrow – nice forcast – think we’ll go and lose some golf balls.

Closing at this point – wishing everyone a Very Merry and a Happy Happy because, all-in-all - - - It’s a Wonderful Life.

it has been a while

Well, it has been a while since I put anything up – between unpacking all of the stuff we brought down in the trailer and then all of the things that came down in the motor home 

and then trying to fit all of it into the home here we have been busy. The Halloween Party, 

getting tires on the Subaru and seven batteries (6 for the golf cart and one for the Subbie), getting ready for (and having the yard sale) … I brought lots of stuff down from my garage in PA but now have to get it into a very small shed.

We also brought many items that are a part of ‘who we are’ . . . the copper that was in the PA kitchen,

 paintings that we have ‘had forever’, the stained glass window that had been in the kitchen in NY and then the living room in PA – is now installed here! The more we do – the more this becomes “home” - Paint doesn't seem too worried

I'll try to keep up with this blog a bit better - bear with me   :)

Living a tropical life

Things rust - - one of the things I needed to do was replace the screws around all of the windows

don't know if they were an inferior product or not - but I found them to be unsightly. Luckily they were easily removable with a 1/4 socket and my screw gun (well, a few required use of vise grips). There are still some that need working on but they are behind the window awnings in the front of the house.
This is what it looks like with the new screws:

much cleaner - worth the effort.   Just letting you know that I am keeping busy .................

Busy days - lots to do

Along with trying to fit all of our "stuff" into the place, we arranged to have some repairs done and on of the main items involved the plantings in the front of the house.
OLD VIEW:

this was a sort of traditional look - and thanks to our son for spreading mulch last year - but the boxwoods nerver grew well and were all 'sticks' and the grasses just grew wildly and caught all of the oak leaves from the large tree next door.


NEW LOOK:

this is in the "Less is More" category - - - we will have sod put in as soon as we regroup - the soil has more in common with a golf course than a lawn ( and the 'commonality' is a sand trap!). MK asked for two ceramic planting pots to be placed in the ground near the decorative 'sand dollar' - into which she plans to put 'seasonal' flowers during the time we are here....

Scottsboro, Alabama

As many of you who follow this blog know, MK loves to find "interesting" things for us to see and do as we travel. We use the sites "RoadsideAmerica.com" and WLRA.com (Worlds Largest Roadside Attractions) and also look at Factorytoursusa.com. This place is one that she has wanted to visit for several years and we said, 'Sometime when we go down I -75 we have to take the time to go to:

Yep - this is where YOU can buy things that people have lost when their baggage goes unclaimed! Fascinating, Fun, Fabulous Deals. We spent several hours there - electronics, clothing, shoes - - - everything people take on holidays. Even saw a brand new, one piece motorcycle race suit (size: Small) !  Saw lots of size 16 basketball shoes (I think some team had to play barefoot - they were orange and white). MK's favorite Canon camera broke - the lens became skewed and doesn't work very well at all - we found a replacement there !  for about a third of what she paid for hers (plus this is newer with more megapixels and better zoom).  Plan a trip to Chattanooga and then take the drive to Scottsboro - it is worth the trip!


BLATANT COMMERCIAL CONTENT:
We belong to PASSPORT AMERICA - it is one of several 1/2 price camping clubs - the dues are close to $50 per year   BUT    IT    WORKS - - - on this trip south we have stayed at three of the participating parks   and we have saved $60 already  with at least one more to go. If you travel in a camping vehicle - you need to check this out. I will gladly explain more if you wish to write me.  BUT, also, if you decide it is for you, please put Mary down as a reference since we get a reward (we'll send you her club member # for you to add to your application). Here is an interesting CG we are staying at - the site available was 'at the top of the hill' - that is what the lady said on the phone.

and there we are - - - - waaaaaaaaay up on the left - - - what a view !!!

three campgrounds - the first was an older type with oak lined narrow roadways - the second was a very modern one with all of the amenities but certainly wasn't 'charming' - and the third is one of the strangest, built onto the hillside like this - has 50 amp electric, water, sewer and cable tv so it is good from that perspective + we are getting a nice breeze from the valley to our far side - tomorrow we "camp" in a "Friends Driveway Campground" for two nights and then we boogey on down - most likely spending one additional night on the road.  Look Out B Bay  here we come !!!!!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Made it all of the way home with the Ford -  of course I jinxed myself - the Ford developed over-heating problems ! Made it home but got really tired of watching the Temp Gauge. Now we are on the trip down - but this one is a slow one - relaxing. One thing we loved about the Fall was finding White Pumpkins - so for all of our friends who knew that, - we passed this guy on I -81 in Virginia:

  

Those ARE WHITE PUMPKINS !!!

We also noticed that Virginia does not approve of 'tail gaiting' !!

two views of the Blue Ridge Mtns

 

and then, of course, there is the camping - - - each is different. This one in Virginia involved a beautiful, narrow winding road - and the CG itself has marvelous oak trees.

and then there begs the question - where were these guys headed??

Rolling along home

Well - here we are rolling southbound . . . asking our trusty Ford Explorer to once again work hard for its keep. The 'box' is filled with "stuff " for the Florida house.

The Explorer has had its share of adventures over the years -   and always comes through for us - this was a heavy load tho' - now unloaded and ready to head north tomorrow.

But even though this wasn't a 'pleasure trip' MK & I are always looking for interesting sites - this one was a 'gas'

Ah the joy of living in 'rural America' - The Corn Maze
This farm is just 'up the road' - we buy our fresh produce there - so, we had to support their maze.

MK and I only did the Haunted Mansion part on the right. 

It is over a mile to the "top" of the house !!






















MK was lucky to have an experienced guide tho'  :

ummmm ..... this looks familiar .................












well - we found a checkpoint - - - yeah !!!

--- actually we found all of the checkpoints in the Haunted Mansion part - but the left side (Pumpkin and Witch) was over 3 miles in length - and then you have to walk back out !!!

Packing up is such a chore !! Luckily Kevin came over to help us this Labor Day Weekend. Picked up his Yellow Triumph motorcycle from our garage (of course he brought two old ones over to store !! ). 

We are getting there - should be ready in a week or so.

Sometimes ya' just never know who is going to drop in:

precision landing here in the development !!

Reading Debby's posts about their packing up everything since this is their 'last move' from their Northern home. We are about a year behind them but are beginning the 'push' - Yard Sale this weekend (how I hate them!!) and then we get all of the stuff we are taking south this year into the garage so it will be ready to put into our enclosed trailer. But, among all of the 'stuff' there was a painting done by a close friend who gave it to me for my "OLD" birthday and it needed to be put into a frame - shopping today, we found a frame that pleased us and the results are:


THE MILL

We chose a black frame for the Black and White print with its black matting !!!   
Thanks, Pat - I love it !!

Time for a change - 

My wonderful, Quadrini built race car is gone - years of good times and memories but it had been left, forlornly in my shed for two years and it requires love that I just didn't have time to give it. MK & I want to travel in the Summer and that is the racing season. 
It went to a friend who lives in New England so it will continue to be enjoyed as it should but t'was a bit sad seeing it head down the road . . . 

We have been doing some real traveling these last few weeks but never expected to see:

Totally amazing!  One of the Wonders of the World!

Of course all of the signs there say not to touch! and I am sure there are adequate measures to ensure that one obeys.

Ooops!!!

No, it isn't really "over there" - it is

FOAMHENGE

located in Natural Bridge, Virginia