Sun - Jan 7/18

The usual CBS Sunday Morning viewing until 10:30 a.m.

The wind is starting to swing around and come from the South which should warm things up.

Charlotte thought we should go out being it was a nice day. She thought a return trip to Rettinger's Flea Market would be OK since half the booths were closed on our last visit (Day before Christmas).

There was a large crowd today. We had to go around twice to find a parking spot. A slot opened up where we usually park - right at the main building entrance.

No matter how many times you visit a Flea Market there is always something new to see, or, as I say; "Something you didn't know you needed".

The "As Seen On TV" booth was closed last time. We looked today; but there was nothing that caught our interest.

The Mini-Donut booth was also open this time. There was a long line; however we thought it was worth the wait. We ordered a "Bucket of Half and Half" (half Cinnamon and half Confectioner's Sugar). It was worth the wait. (grin)

Later we spotted a booth we hadn't visited before. It had a large collection of natural gemstones and rocks (polished and natural).

Charlotte has a "Rock Tumbler" and thought she might find some "rough" stones.  Our daughter Kat also enjoys natural gemstones. I gave her a call (at her work) to see if she had any special requests. She texted a short list and we set about fulfilling her order.

The lady at the booth was more than helpful. (Ooops, her business card is packed away with our purchases in the RV and I'm at the MPR doing the blog for today.) I'm sure we will visit again before we head home in the Spring.

Charlotte sampled "Boiled Peanuts" from different booths as we wandered through the flea market and finally decided on the ones she liked best. She then bought a cupful. They are usually sold in a styrofoam cup which is then placed in a paper bag. The coffee-type cup is to keep them warm. I traded the paper bag for a plastic bag which was better for the soggy shells.

Boiled peanuts are simply RAW (unroasted) peanuts boiled in salty water for a long time. Fully mature peanuts do not make good quality boiled peanuts; rather raw or "green" ones are used. "Raw" denotes peanuts in a semi-mature state, having achieved full size, but not being fully dried, as would be needed for roasting or peanut butter use. After boiling in salt water they take on a strong salty taste and become softer with the length of cooking. They then somewhat resemble a pea or bean in texture.


They are a common snack in the South. (South Carolina, Georgia, northern Florida, Alabama, Mississippi  and parts of North Carolina and Virginia). They are often sold by vendors that set up at the side of the road.

Charlotte likes them "Really Salty".

The temps here were still only touching 60 F; however the sunshine felt wonderful. We decided to take the top off the Del Sol and just go for an "Anywhere Ride".

An "Anywhere Ride" is when we just go down a road until we reach another main road, intersection or fork along the way. Then we make a random decision on which way to go. This, naturally, requires that we stay off the busiest of highways. We travel (Anywhere) for a set amount of time. Then we put "Home" (in this case the motorhome at OMS) into the GPS and head back.

Due to the unique design of the Del Sol we can remove the hard top, lower the electric rear window and leave the side windows up thus enjoying the sunshine without having cold air enter the passenger compartment. It was so nice to feel the sun on our face again. This adventured totaled about 2 hours before the skies started to cloud up and we returned to OMS.

I caught the final quarter of the Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Wild Card Playoff game before going to do the blog for today. As usual, I will try to do the day's blog before the evening sets in because there will nothing of much significance to report when we are watching TV for the evening.

Today, while I was doing the blog, there was "Fast Bingo" going on at the other end of the MPR. They use a special set of cards. A "Reader" calls out the numbers one after the other as quickly as they can be said. This is what makes the Bingo "Fast". All participants pay a small fee per game (just pennies) and the winners split the pots. We tried playing a few times in the past; however, since we don't play Bingo often, it was just too rapid for us to follow. The two dozen or so folks present all seem to be having a great time!

That wraps up an unusually cold week. Next week will head back to the low 70 F; however there will be a 30% chance of rain on most days. In Florida, that may not be noticeable, as the rain tends to dry up as quick as it falls.