Fri – 23 Dec/16

Another lovely day is in store with clear blue skies, low humidity and temps almost to 80F.

Wow! It has already been a week since we left!

We are trying to get into a “Relax” mode; but it is hard. After a lifetime of doing everything that needed to be done ASAP; slowing down isn’t easy! The RV is still not totally unpacked and organized yet. It would normally be all set in a day or two.

Instead of Go-Go-Go we are going to do SLOW-SLOW-SLOW - --or at least try!

Today I will pick just a few items to check off the TO DO List! Yesterday, it was the windshield privacy screens – today it will be setting up Charlotte’s Sewing Material storage area.

All this will start after breakfast and the morning email check.

I found all the parts and assembled the sewing area shelving before noon.

Charlotte went for a walk to the Sewing Room. She knew Jean would be there until noon and she could give her a package of the Quilt Piecing Sheets we picked up yesterday.

Old habits die hard! While Charlotte was gone I added the Steering Wheel Table for good measure. Charlotte will put the table cloth on when she digs it out from the storage under the bed.

Perhaps a gradual de-escalation of our ASAP Work Ethic will work?

When Charlotte returned we booked a Cat Boat Tour.

It appears to be very popular. The first open date was New Year’s Eve Day. I got the last 2 left for 1 p.m.

It is a 2 hour guided tour featuring CraigCat powerboats (2 persons per Cat Boat). I will drive it myself.

We have taken tours down the Mt. Dora Canal through the 2,000 year-old cypress tree lined jungle waterway.

The Dora Canal has been called "The Most Beautiful Mile in the World. (It’s a 1930’s quote)

Scenes from the movie ’The African Queen’ with Humphrey Bogart, were filmed in the Dora Canal as well as various Tarzan movies.

Our tour will be fully narrated and guided. We will start at Gilbert Park just two blocks from downtown Mt. Dora. We will see the sights of the Mt. Dora shoreline and then cruise at high speed across Lake Dora to the Dora Canal which connects Lake Dora to Lake Eustis.

It should be fun!

The weather is just perfect today. Charlotte is enjoying is reading Dr. Hyde’s book “Jakob’s Ghost”. We are lucky enough to have him as our physician. Not only is he recognized world-wide (he has spoken twice – by invitation - to the House of Lords in London, UK) he is a fine author, as well. We were fortunate to receive, as a gift, a signed copy of this limited edition publication that chronicles his early (in his 20’s) life. I found it a fascinating read! Stuff that movies are made of!

Hey! We can’t waste such a lovely day! It will almost touch 80F this afternoon. We are off into the sunshine in the Del Sol with the top off!

A half hour after leaving we made our first stop at the Market at Marion, FL. This is a large area Flea Market that is (thankfully) not quite as busy on Friday as on the weekend.

In the first row that we entered Charlotte spotted some “Boyd’s Bears”. I had to go back to the car to get her “Boyd’s List”. With a few hundred “Bears” in her collection it is impossible to remember every one she has at home. Good Thing – there were 3 she would have duplicated! Charlotte did find 4 Boyd’s Bear (Resins) to add to her collection.

She also found a real neat purse that was needed to replace her current one which is too small for all her “current stuff”.

We also purchased boiled (in the shell) and salted, shelled peanuts as well as “Tupelo” Honey. Tupelo Honey had a really bad season this year making it scarce and almost doubling the price. It is now very hard to find. This dealer had only a few left.  Local honey can be bought for ¼ the price; but we really like Tupelo and find it worth the extra ($20) cost for even a small jar.

We then headed into Lady Lake, FL (The Villages area) to check if that Jo-Ann Fabrics store had the Quilt Piecing Sheets we bought yesterday. We had purchase the last 2 packs that were available in the Tavares, FL store. Luckily, they had 2 which I also bought for Charlotte.

Next it was across the road to Home Depot. Charlotte was now looking for a plant to place on the Steering Wheel Table to keep her “Snow People” company. I tried to get keys made for the RV (to replace the one’s we left for security, at the park office). Charlotte was successful – I was not.

Home Depot does not stock RV type keys; however, I was referred to a locksmith about a mile up the road. I knew just where he was located, got the extra keys and we were now heading for supper.

This section of Lady Lake is 6 lanes of “Wall-to-Wall” traffic at most times. An accident involving several wrecked cars and injuries was just clearing up at this corner. Being familiar with the area I was able to avoid the mess by turning off US-27/US-441 onto CR-25. This is the way we usually always take anyway. It is shorter, faster and less hectic (traffic-wise). We are certainly glad everyone doesn’t know this route.

Bonus: it was also the way we were heading anyway. Being Friday, we were going for the “All-You-Can-Eat” Fish Fry at “Gator Joe’s Bar and Grill on the beach (Lake Wier) in Ocklawaha, FL. This is always great. They automatically bring a refill – we take as much home as we eat!

After a leisurely supper on the deck over the beach we headed back the OMS. The extra hour or more before sunset (compared to up north) is really nice. We were back at the RV about 5:50 p.m. That was 15 minutes after sunset and it was still not dark.

I will do the blog while we watch Jeopardy! Nothing elso, except TV, planned for this evening.

That’s a wrap!