Thu – 29 Dec/16

I drove Charlotte and with her sewing machine to the Craft Room – almost. I parked across the street in a car wash slot. Charlotte had to walk an extra few feet to the sewing room.

The park has two car wash areas. Each area has concrete pads, hoses, a garbage can and a Wet/Dry Shop Vac available. No car washes can start before 8 a.m. otherwise they are available on a first come-first served basis every day.

Some folks come just for a quick spray down, while others do a more complete job. Today the other pad had two quick scrubs and one full wash (like mine).

By the time I made it back to the RV it was already after 11 a.m.

Ooops! I noticed Charlotte coming down the sidewalk. Her sewing machine case is like a piece of luggage with wheels and an extendable handle. Was I late? I checked my watch – it was only 11:15.

Perhaps Charlotte finished the quilt or the sewing machine malfunctioned?

Actually, it was neither. Charlotte needed her quilting frame to continue. She also wanted to go to the Lake County Fairground Farmers Market that is held on Thursday’s (until 1 a.m.) She decided to come back to the RV early to be there before it became too warm to walk through all the booth areas. Soon we were on the road.

The fairground is located about 10 minutes away.  We found a parking spot right at the main building entrance. Our first stop was to visit the Greyhounds. A group that supports and cares for retired Greyhounds had a few “retired runners” on display. This is to draw attention to their cause. A neighbor, back home in Canada, has an adopted greyhound from Florida. Her greyhound, Milo, has leather “Booties” to protect his paws from the cold, hard winter sidewalks. We made a small donation then entered the main building to search for items we “didn’t know we needed”.

I picked up a few items we actually did need. I bought two bottles of spray solution for cleaning eyeglasses after negotiating a 2 for 1 deal. I also picked up 3 bottles of Listerine (Classic) Mouthwash for $10.

While I was “Dealing” Charlotte spotted a booth we visit each year. Hand crafted woven baskets are made, on site, at very reasonable prices. Charlotte wanted a basket to hold her cosmetics in a size that would fit on the bathroom counter next to the sink; however, she wasn’t sure which basket would fit. The price was so reasonable I told her to pick two that she thought would be suitable and she could always find a use for the one that doesn’t fit. My philosophy, in these situations, is: “Get both – It’s cheaper than gas!” (…and saves having to return).

We checked out several other items; however our only other purchase was a small basket of fresh tomatoes ($1.00) from the abundant selection of produce in the Farmers Market area.

Our next mission was to head to the Hobby Lobby in Mt. Dora. Another crafter showed Charlotte some fabric that was an absolute “Must Have”. Anytime we can find material related to or depicting scenes of “Camping/Trailers/RVing” it is a “Must Have”. Charlotte now has a piece of this material. No idea when or what it will be used for; however as I say: “It’s cheaper than gas!” I am sure she will find something that she can make with it and  that “something” will become even more special because of the neat material.

Hunger pangs necessitated a stop at Arby’s for a late lunch. Despite being early afternoon both the inside and the “Drive-Thru” were packed. Charlotte enjoyed the French Dip Roast Beef and I got a pair of plain  Arby’s Jr.’s to which I added enough “Horsey” Sauce (the white, horseradish stuff) to make my eyes water.

We enjoyed a “Topless” (the car – not us - grin) drive back to the park. The sky is now completely clouded over. Despite being quite dark there is no rain, as yet. The winds, that are picking up substantially, are ushering in this evening’s cold front.

We unloaded the car and I sheltered it under the car cover that I purchased last year. The “Live” oaks drop leaves that infiltrate everywhere. Last year the car fan had become totally packed with leaves that had been “Sucked In”. It had to be disassembled and cleared so it would work. The car cover is used more to keep the leaves from falling into the vents than it is to keep the car clean.

The remainder of Charlotte’s afternoon was spent placing her quilt into a small frame used to hold the material under tension. Then the sewing machine is used to stitch the areas that were being held taut.

 

We were not hungry for a big supper after the late meal at Arby’s. Instead we just finished the coffee cake.

A quick 10 minute downpour passed through the area as the cold front pushes the heat and moisture south.

As usual, Jeopardy was followed by Family Feud (Steve Harvey version) to start the TV evening. I finished the blog as we watched The Big Bang Theory.

Note: The windows will be closed for the night as the temps will drop into the 40’s F. This is a nearly 40 degree F drop from this afternoon’s high.

That’s it for today.