Tuesday - 5 Jan/16

Mid-60's F today; however it felt cooler due to the strong winds (gusts to 24 mph) and cloudy.

We waited until after lunch to head out. First stop was the Rec Hall to pick up material lists for upcoming crafts.A light jacket is needed today as we had the top off on the Del Sol.

The next stop was at our usual JoAnn Fabric store in Tavares, FL. Charlotte was happy with the materials she found.

While I was waiting a lady wondered if I found it cold with the top off. I told her I am from Canada and live half way to the North Pole. This was like our summer. She smiled and welcomed me to Florida.

Even though it wasn't a "Prefect" day; it was still nice enough to enjoy the fresh air. I had a little secret excursion planned. We went through Howey-in-the-Hills then on to Yalaha, FL. My destination was the Yalaha Bakery which we have to visit at least once when we come south.

The Yalaha Bakery is a family owned company, founded in 1995. It offers high quality German products, made with the highest culinary standards.Their products are made only with organic natural sources, using the best ingredients from around the world. They also make a variety of other pastries from Cannoli to Danish. The price per item is more than a grocery store bakery; but well worth it.

Their breads are handmade daily by artisans. The Gluten Free Breads and Pastries, Sugar Free Pastries, and other products are made only with natural grains. They are chemically free from preservatives and made only with organic Flours. Their pastries are made with organic flours, butter, organic chocolate, organic spices and imported European ingredients.

Our choices, as usual, were hard to make. Today were Black Forest Cake (Fluffy Chocolate Cake with Kirsch Cherries, Liquor, Whipped Cream and Chocolate Shavings) and Lemon-Mango pastry that was not on their list of regular fare (it should be).

A stop at Publix to check our Powerball tickets. No luck. We pick up tickets for the next draw which will be worth somewhere North of $400 million.

The B/W James Stewart Classic "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959) from our videos was Charlotte's choice to tide our TV viewing over until News and Jeopardy, etc.

I made our special Cream of Mushroom soup for supper. I saute 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms and add to the Campbell's soup that is made with extra milk and no water. Spiced to taste.

Evening TV concluded with the 2 hour NCIS/NCIS New Orleans crossover episode and the news.

Monday - 4 Jan/16

The rain passed overnight. Sunny and back up to the low 60's F which will increase to almost 80 F by the weekend. It is still breezy; but the humidity is down to 50%.

Nothing out of the ordinary planned for today. This is our 3rd year here at OMS and we have been venturing to Florida since the 70's. There isn't much we haven't seen; but there are still a few attractions on the list. We are slowly merging into a "Retiree" style of living.

Charlotte made a "Garbage Run". There is no garbage pickup at OMS. A trash compactor and recycling bins are near the Rec Hall just one street over from our site. Chatting with our new neighbour we now know he is a "Yooper" (Upper Michigan) and he came here from another area park.

Charlotte was then off to Crafts for 1 p.m. making a post office stop on the way.

I did some re-organizing - a forever task in an RV.

I also spent time on the internet (working well today) checking out the upcoming shows at the "Orange Blossom Opry" in Wiersdale, FL.

This showplace is a small, theater style venue that features great "Country" acts in an alcohol and smoke free environment. Bonus: its only 20 miles from here on the "Slow" roads.

I picked up tickets for Jerry Lewis and The Playboys; The Drifters (we previously saw then in Las Vegas, NV) and BritBeat (Beatles Tribute Show). We passed on Bill Haley Jr. and The Comets and The Diamonds. We have seen both groups in visits to Branson, MO. We now have a full variety of shows on our schedule to keep us busy until our quick home trip in mid-February.

The tickets were printout out and the pages then folded in half and lined up, in order by date, along the top of the living room slide out.

Charlotte arrived back from crafts prior to 4 p.m. She enjoyed the brisk feeling in the air. A welcome change from the 80+ temps of last month. There were 2 projects today. The first was cutting Greeting Cards to make a gift box.

The process makes the front of the card into the top of the box.

The inside wording becomes the bottom of the box. Neat!

Project 2 was crocheting a can or bottle holder. Charlotte stopped at "Can" height. She was trying to decide if she would continue to "Bottle" height or not.

Bottle height was the final decision.

Supper was Marie Callender Turkey Pot Pies w/(leftover)peas.

The usual TV night finished the day.

Sunday - 3 Jan/16

The cold spell is brought in between 1" and 2" of rain through the night. This is a good day to recuperate after being busy yesterday. No plans to go anywhere today. Sunday will really be a day of rest - we need it!

We are still getting "Tree Rain". The huge oak tree will keep shedding water from it's leaves for a while even though the sun is almost breaking through the overcast and the ground (sandy soil) is dry.

The rain lasted longer than the Cinnamon Bread we bought yesterday. The bread was all gone by 10 a.m.

The brisk breeze makes the temp feel like 50 F. Walkers are wearing sweaters or light coats.

CBS Sunday Morning as usual. The rain let up here after about 11 a.m. TV news show it is still falling north and south of us. Weather is a big deal down here. They track it for cities by the minute.

A Hitchcock B/W:Movie Marathon was on the agenda today. It started with a 1941 Hitchcock B/W Classic: "Suspicion" starring  Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine and Cedric Hardwick followed by "Young and Innocent" (1937). Next up was "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934) in B/W and  "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956) in colour. Both with the same title, similar (but different) storylines and both directed by Hitchcock.
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Rain began again around 4 p.m. and continued slowly and steadily through the evening.

Our Movie viewing was interrupted for a short time around 6 p.m. We got to view a video from home that was sent by email. We watched our grandson, Martin, snowboarding down "Big Ben". (The Ski Hill not the Clock - grin).

Needless to say, the cold damp weather meant we had the heat on all day as we watched the videos.

That was about it for today!

Saturday - Jan 2/16

The cold spell has arrived with the temps just reaching the mid-60's F. Dark; but no rain.

Started the day with a gas fill-up. $1.87 a gallon is the lowest Florida price of the year! (grin)

First stop was JoAnn Fabrics for some more fusing material for quilting.

Then we were off to Brownwood Paddock Town Square. This is the newest town square in The Villages. The area was once cattle ranches resulting in a Western Theme.

On Saturday there is a Farmers Market in the square from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

A Chocolate Brown Newfoundland was in the square getting used to the environment of people in open spaces. He is in training as a Therapy Dog. Everyone petting him helps in his acclimatization in preparation for his future task.

As usual, we found something we didn't know we needed. Giving free samples does work!

Well, sometimes! We passed on the excellent cheesecake because we didn't have a cooler and it would be a while before we returned to the motorhome.

I really think Charlotte just comes to view the dogs?

A stop here resulted in a purchase of Cinnamon Bun Bread.

We did our best; however we only lasted a few dozen steps before sampling...sinfully good!

What goes better with Cinnamon Bun Bread than coffee? That's a rhetorical question, eh! (grin)

The Villages has it's own radio station. Mellow sounds from an earlier era (mostly pre-millenium) play softly from speakers mounted on the lamp posts surrounding the square. This makes sense as this is an "Over 55" community - nearly all 115,000 + residents (technically only one partner has to be 55+).

We stopped on the way back at Publix. We needed a refill for our water dispenser and a few groceries. We also picked up a few tickets for the Powerball Lottery. I'm sure we could find a way to spend 242 million if we won. The chances are pretty good - 1 in 300 million.(Right!)

Back at OMS Charlotte went into the office to pick up tickets for upcoming events and to pay our monthly electricity bill. Back at the RV Charlotte prepared potato salad for the Potluck upcoming at 5 p.m.

A good crowd as usual. Folks at our table were from Michigan and Canada. The Michiganers were not "Yoopers". (Nickname for those living in the Upper Peninsula).

The Potluck today was "Bean Soup". The ham pieces leftover from the Christmas meal is made into hearty soup. Piping hot bowls of this hearty soup, as much ham as beans, is brought to each while all waited for their call to self-serve at the potluck table.

The soup was a meal in itself.

We were back at the motorhome by 6 p.m. in time for the local news followed by Jeopardy then  Movies to end the evening.

We had a busy day!

Friday - 1 Jan/16

Wow! We slept in until 11 a.m. (and we weren't even drinking last night - grin).

Up just in time to watch the Rose Parade which was fantastic (as always). In the years BRV (Before RVing) traditionally it was a family day with KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) for dinner while we watched the parade. Today it was a McD (homemade) meal. (I'm thinking of applying to do the McD ad - grin).

Happy New Year phone calls back home. We found out that today Marty (Grandson) picked up a new playmate "Camper" for their dog "Buddy".

Charlotte worked on an upcoming craft project. More on the project at a later date.

I did yesterday's blog. I was too tired to do it last night. Thankfully, Wi-Fi (at times) is better today.

Our TV is on aerial down here. Hockey isn't available on a regular basis on the channels we receive. Today is a treat. NBC is broadcasting the NHL Winter Classic which makes it available locally. NHL Classics are broadcast live from outdoor rinks specially built in a sports stadium for this single-use occasion. The teams wear "Throwback" sweaters that are replicas of jerseys worn in a previous era.

Today's game features the Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins from the Foxboro (New England Patriots) "Gillette" Stadium. This is an appropriate match-up. The number of head-to-head Stanley Cup Game 7s played between the Bruins and Canadiens, the most in North American professional sports. The Canadiens were founded 8 years before the NHL came into existence. This is only the second time in their history that they have played on January 1st.

Appropriately, it was snowing lightly for the game. Ah! Memories of my youth playing nightly on my 100' x 40' backyard rink. I say nightly because school days were 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by the time I walked home and had supper it was dark. After all, it was winter and we lived "halfway to the North Pole". The rink was lit by three 200 watt light bulbs. Kids, in those days, also played on local park outdoor rinks, on area ponds, ice patches in fields and on the streets after a freezing rain. Indoor artificial ice play was usually only for older (15-21) kids leagues or adult teams.

Driveway and road hockey were played during mild spells or in the fall and spring. "CAR!" was the shout heard as often as a cheer for a goal scored. Wooden Hockey sticks, covered in tape layers to either protect or repair, were shuffled (w/eyes closed) to decide on the teams. If the score got "lop-sided" there was a reshuffle because we wanted a good competitive game. Fighting was the exception. In our group it was usually between brothers who probably fought once a day anyway. Skates lasted as long as the sticks (a few years) as they were bought a size or two larger and filled with extra socks. Needed equipment was usually accumulated as Christmas presents over a few years.

The "Throwback" sweaters wore by the Canadiens in this NHL Winter Classic, have a white "C"with a red "H" in the center. The sweaters are also more white than blue as in the original.  This is because the visiting team sweaters are traditionally the "Lighter" version of the team jersey. This makes it easier for players (and fans) to recognize team mates in this fast paced game.

Boston being the home team in this Classic is wearing the darker version of a "Throwback" jersey.

Naturally, I'm cheering for the "Habs".

"Les Habs" is an informal nickname for the Montreal (Quebec, Canada) Canadiens. The term "Habs" is an abbreviation of "Les Habitants." This term dates back to the 17th century, and refers to the settlers of New France, now known as Quebec. According to NHL.com, the first person to use the term was the owner of Madison Square Garden. Tex Rickard, who apparently told a reporter that the H stood for "Habs"; however, that is incorrect. (Not who said it, just the meaning of the "H".)

The first iteration "Les Canadiens" wore was a blue sweater with a white "C". The "CH" was first used in the 1917-18 season, when the team became the Club de Hockey Canadien. The "H" stands for Hockey.

Today the Canadien Sweater is possibly the most iconic team jersey in professional sports. (What - Who's biased!)

Final: Montreal 5 Boston 1. Montreal takes over First Place! Ironically, Montreal's goalie, Mike Condon, is from Boston. (Players in the game were from 10 different counties). As both teams milled on the ice in preparation for a "Hand Shake Line" it appears that the referees nixed the post game ceremony. Instead, both teams raised their sticks in a salute to the 70,000 + fans. A "Hand Shake Line" is a tradition where both teams form a line and shake hands with their opponents. It is routinely done at most levels of minor hockey league play. In high leagues it is done at the end of a playoff series. I guess that the players thought an NHL Classic was significant enough for a  hand shake line; but it appears someone thought differently?

Sadly, the evening news revealed all of last nights "Bangs" were not fireworks. Several were wounded and a homicide occurred last night in various incidents. A few were injured by falling bullets from celebratory gunshots at midnight. Others were the results of fights. Partying and guns don't mix!

A regular TV night in the RV ended the evening.

Thursday - 31 Dec/15

Taking it easy today - saving our energy so we can stay up and dance until Midnight! (grin)

The usual TV stuff throughout the day.

I spent a few hours looking for and ordering tickets online for events in The Villages and elsewhere in the area. The Villages has quite a line-up of shows in a variety of it's venues.

Unfortunately, a few we were interested in attending were already sold out or only had single seats available. (America, Johnny Mathis, Alter Eagles)

A few we had already seen in Concert. (Engelbert Humperdinck, Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka, Jim Stafford, Andre-Phillipe Gagnon, Soji Tanuchi).

We will not see Loretta Lynn in concert because we will probably be at home on that concert date. We did; however, eat at her original restaurant near Bucksnort, TN. I forget what I ate; however I remember Charlotte had Hog Jowls w/Collard Greens.

We passed on a few tribute shows that we have already seen the original stars in concert.(Rod Stewart) or seen previously as tributes (Buddy Holly, Frankie Valli (saw the Original "The Jersey Boys" in Las Vegas), The Beatles) Curiously, more than one tribute show for "The Beatles" and "Frankie Vallie" were available by different groups this season in The Villages.

The Villages actually has it's own Philharmonic, which we passed on. We skipped the ballet and play offerings as well as a few "Tenors" concerts. Nashville, TN and Branson, MO have been regular stops on the way home so we avoided any Country and Western groups as well.

We did manage to get tickets for Johnny Rivers, Rocky's Lady Legends (w/Shirley Alton Reeves - Lead Singer of The Shirelles, "Little" Peggy March, The Crystals, etc.) and a tribute concert with Fire and Rain Band (James Taylor) and The Boxers (Simon and Garfunkle). That should keep us out of trouble for a while.


The dance tonight in the Rec Hall starts at 9 pm rather than the usual 7 pm because it is New Year's Eve. The park provides draft beer and soda at the more important events. Most folks will BYOB and snacks.

The Rec Hall was packed with overflow in the adjoining Library/Card Room.

Music was provided by Chris Diamond "Florida's Favorite One Man Show".

His buddy "Elvis" was taking video of the show. Thank You! Thank You Very Much!

We sat with some John and Becky, great folks from Iowa. They were not from Winterset the only area of Iowa we are familiar with; however they did know about  John Wayne's Birthplace, Fons and Porter (PBS Crafters) and The Bridges of Madison County (in the Clint Eastwood Movie of the same name). I bet the are cheering for Iowa (vs Stanford) in the Rose Bowl Game tomorrow. Just a stretch. (grin)

The music stopped just before midnight. The large screen at the back of the stage was pulled down and the "Times Square Ball Drop" was projected. All in the Rec Hall stood and accompanied the traditional countdown bringing in the new year with a cheer.

New Year wishes all around!

Back in the RV by 12:05 a.m. We haven't been up this late since - well, probably last New Year's Eve. We were in bed by 12:10 and asleep almost immediately.