Monday - 21 Dec/15

Winter begins here tonight (11:49 p.m.) - 10 F above normal - night time temps will be in the 70's F - daytime  in the mid-80's F. At this rate Marty will outgrow his snowboard boots before he gets to use them (grin);

A few white clouds; but mostly sunshine until more clouds come in this afternoon. Even the locals are complaining about the heat.

A relaxing morning. Charlotte enjoyed the warmth of the sun while sitting on the patio. A half hour was spent chatting with a fellow crafter and neighbour who had just returned from spending a few days with their grandchildren in Sarasota. Our central location means Disney, the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico are all only a little more than an hour away.

Charlotte left for crafts after lunch.

My task today was to repair the dual Day/Night window blind over the dinette window. The string broke. Getting the blind out to work on was an hour long frustrating experience. Some of the screws were in a position that could not be seen and had to be removed by feel. Restringing was also quite a process.

The string I had on hand was not suitable. Needed was a cord of specific size and strength. The string I had would have worn out in the less than the 11 years the original lasted. I phoned the Ocala Camping World and they had a few repair kits in stock and put one aside for me.

I picked Charlotte up at crafts and we were soon on our way to Camping World. We arrived by 4 p.m. and were back at the RV before 5.

We worked until 8:30 and finally got the blind restrung. Because this is a large (almost 5 feet wide) day/night blind it required two of us at times. I couldn't have done it without Charlotte's help.

We will wait until tomorrow to try to get the blind and valance back in place. Hope it doesn't take more than the hour that was needed to remove it.

Nick (our son-in-law) is an RV Tech (Nick's Mobile RV - He is the best!) Now we know why he tells customers it is cheaper to buy a new blind than it is to pay to have one restrung. He's right! This is a time consuming job,

I finally took the time to check the mail that Charlotte picked up at on the way to crafting. The park Post Office is next  to the craft hall. There was a nice Christmas Card from the park staff and the OMS January newsletter.

Best of all was a Christmas Card from our friends, Helene and Ron, back home in Canada. Helene's handmade cards are a treat we always look forward to and appreciate receiving. They are so unique and creative. If she had a boutique in NYC or LA she could easily get $100 a card for her wonderful creations. To Helene, it is her hobby - a hobby that brightens the day for anyone who receives one of her special cards.

Tonight will be Scorpion on TV before we zonk out.