Wed - 8 Jan/14

Up at 7 am this morning. Charlotte had a Quilting session at 9 am.

It was still quite cool; however, the cold front is moving out and it will be in the low 60's F and overcast today. I would return at 11 pm to pick Charlotte up.

It took the whole 2 hours Charlotte was at Quilting for me to do our medications for the next 3 weeks. 2 Hours seems like a lot of time; however, between the 2 of us we take 3 dozen pills daily - multiply that by 21 days = a lot of counting and sorting.

When I returned to pick Charlotte up at 11 am she was just completing a list of items she would need for the next project. 

As I had a few more pills to sort; Charlotte made lunch. It was Spanish Rice w/hamburger and canned tomatoes. That made for a quick, easy meal that was really tasty. Frozen Lima Beans, as today's veggie, was a treat. They are a favourite of mine and somewhat hard to find in the stores at home for some reason.

I delivered Charlotte back to the Multi-purpose Building for 1 pm for the Craft Session. This time she brought her knitting and crocheting materials. Again, I will return in 2 hours to pick her up. It really is a Multi-purpose building. The room within the building also serves as the Hurricane Shelter for the park.

As I was leaving I stopped at the RV Park Post Office right next door to the Multi-purpose building to check our mail. Along with a flyer there was a  "You've Got Mail" card. When this happens it means there is a package too large for the box and it must be picked up at the main office. There was nothing at the Main Office when I checked - this was a false alarm - it must have been put in our mail box by mistake.

Once back at the RV I continued searching and found a few more Quilt Shops to add to my list of places to visit. We have been so busy at the park we have not gone for an excursion yet; just necessary shopping. Perhaps' by this weekend, with the weather reaching into the 80's F, we may head out to a few area farmers/flea markets?

After picking up Charlotte in the car at Crafts I dropped her off at the RV. I then packed up my computer and walked over to the Rec Hall to see what the Computer session was all about. There were about a dozen folks there with their laptops. It was very informal and friendly group. At times the group would be in a discussion about some point raised by a member; then things would gravitate to smaller groups with folks trying to solve a problem or question raised by someone regarding their own computer.  

Like all things computer - times disappears and it was soon 6 pm.

Charlotte made "Beans & Weenies" for supper which was just right for this cooler temperature day, 

We spent the evening, as usual, relaxing as we watched TV. Tomorrow should be almost a carbon copy of today as the activity schedule is similar. This is a very relaxing park. We are glad we made the decision to come to OMS (Olde Mill Stream RV Resort - Umatilla, FL) this year.

Tue - 7 Jan/14

Wow! Temps below freezing last night. The "Polar Vortex" is the new "politically correct" term for what they used to just call "Cold Air From Canada".

The local oranges are ready for pressing into orange juice. The growers were watering their trees to save the crop. The icy coating actually prevents the oranges from freezing on the inside even though they have icicles on the outside. The coating keeps the freezing wind from chilling the oranges even more. If ice crystals form on the inside they would not be prime for pressing.

The clear blue skies are giving plenty of sunshine; however, it will only get up to 45F (wind chill 39F) and just stay above freezing this evening. It is hard to believe it will be back into the 80'sF by the weekend.

Charlotte walked over to the office to get tickets ($3 each) for Tacos-in-a-Bag on Sunday. Signing up is new this year. They found there was either too much waste or not enough supplies last year by offering it without a sign-up. Now they will know how the amount of supplies will needed by the number of tickets purchased.

Charlotte also went to check if she could purchase a role of dimes for Fast Bingo today (5 pm - 7 pm). The park provides long term stays with a detailed guide to activities and events with complete instructions - what a bonus. It is called "Fast Bingo" because they just call the numbers (quickly). We will not hear "Under the B" tonight. Each player requires $4.50 in dimes and $0.75 in nickels to play.

As we live on the border of NY state we save the "American" coins that we regularly receive in our change during the year. We had enough change to supply one player for the game; however, we needed about $4.00 for the second set. No dimes were available at the office and they didn't know if any would be available at the game. We will just bring extra nickles and hope for the best.

Lunch was Red Baron French Bread Pizza to which we add extra pepperoni, cheese, onions and green pepper. Not only is this a good pizza - it fits perfectly in our freezer. It just takes 3 minutes on high in the microwave and we have an excellent meal.

Charlotte spent part of the afternoon completing a sample of Swedish Embroidery that she will show to the Craft group tomorrow.

Saw a few more RVers roll in this afternoon. The park is probably very close to capacity. The few empty spots may be seasonals that haven't arrived yet.

Ooops! We went to the Rec Hall for Fast Bingo. We realized our mistake, returned to the RV and drove to the other end of the park arriving just in time. 

The wonderful thing about RVing is that folks are so helpful. Realizing we were first-timers they pitched in to get us set up and to explain the rules. Soon we each had a borrowed Bingo Dauber to mark our cards. Someone lent us a container for our winnings ( I was lucky twice) and we were able to buy enough "Change" to get through the game. Tom and Chris not only helped us through the game; but sold us a few rolls of dimes and nickels so we would be ready for the next session on Thursday. RVing - were else can you go and have complete strangers treat you like friends.

Not being Bingo regulars we realized that we missed a few "Bingos" - not finding them until the next round had started. Amazingly, we played 105 games in about an hour and a half - it is truly :Fast Bingo". We had a great time thanks to everyone that helped and are looking forward to Thursday's session!

Back to the RV on time for the last half of Jeopardy. Tuesday is my favourite TV night - NCIS and Person of Interest. Charlotte has to be at the multi-purpose building by 9 am tomorrow morning for the Quilting session so it will be bed right after with the News on Timer. I bet we won't make it to the end.

Mon - 6 Jan/14

We slept in today then lazed watching TV in bed.

A little rain then overcast although it is in the low 50's F. By Tuesday morning it will be below freezing! Even today locals were out with jackets, hats and gloves due to the brisk wind.

Charlotte made egg muffins again for breakfast. Good as usual.

I drove Charlotte at 1 pm Crafts (on Mon and Wed) in the multi-purpose building on the other side of the park.

Park residents were pulling in to pick up their mail at the park post office.

The multi-purpose building looks like a warehouse from the outside except that there is a building within a building.

They even have a pet washing facility - talk about pet friendly! But, there are rules! A sign on the wall indicates that scrubbing "Hubbies" in the tub is not allowed.

The craft room inside the multi-purpose room is immaculate - like all the park facilities.

Charlotte brought her Swedish Weaving to do while there. There were a dozen others at the center for the session. Some of the folks thought they may be interested in Charlotte teaching them Swedish Weaving.

Just as I arrived back at the RV my daughter Kat  phoned. She couldn't connect to the Seagate Central (3 TB Wi-Fi Drive) on the home network. I sent instructions. Hope she can connect so she can watch the DVD's and TV Series stored on the drive when visiting when she checks on the house and the cats.

That took up 2 hours.

Then I was off to pick up Charlotte at Crafts at 3 pm. She had just started a new project which she will try to complete for the Wednesday session those interested can see what the finished product looks like.

We had "Ball Park" Beef Hot Dogs for a late lunch (3:30 pm) then headed for Jo-Ann Fabrics to check if they still carried "Huck Toweling" that would be needed for doing Swedish Embroidery. There would be no use in Charlotte trying to teach a craft if the material needed was not available for the participants. A computer check of the stock indicated 83 yards of material on hand. That should be enough (for a small army).

Ooops! We just realized we missed this evening's Bingo!

Oh Well! Another quiet evening watching TV. (Talking about quiet - this park is just that!)

Sun - Jan 5/14

Wow! A sunny summer day today! Almost 80 F - warmer than 80 inside the RV. Hard to believe it will drop to the 20's F by Tuesday.

We didn't turn on the A/C because I would be going in and out many times as I made the last push to move the "freezable stuff" that was still inside when we came south. I would move these items to the outside compartments today.

My first task today was to clean the front windows and install the privacy shield. This shield lets in less sunshine; yet allows us to see out without others seeing in. It also makes watching the TV easier as it is up front above the windshield.

 

 

Soon the shield was in place on the main windshield and front side windows.

 

 

Tennis balls under the wiper arms help preserve the wiper blades by keeping them off the windshield. Covers installed over the blades help protect them from UV deterioration.

 

Charlotte made great "Home Style" burgers for lunch. No Lettuce, tomatoes or bacon. Just juicy burgers and onion w/condiments. Mmmm Good!

 

Charlotte Enjoyed a little of the warmth on the patio while I hooked up connections from the computer to the Front TV. Using it as a second computer screen allows us to watch DVD's on the bigger screen. We started with the first episode of the series "Breaking Bad". I have several series and a few hundred DVD's we can watch when there is nothing interesting on TV.

 

After the "Break" I finished arranging the "Stuff" in the outside compartments. It isn't pretty; but, it is now stored outside.

 

We passed on some of today's park activities (Church, Jam session, Texas Hold-Em and Fast Bingo) to get these tasks completed.

 

 

We did; however, head over to the Rec Hall for Trivia at 7 pm. We met some great folks! We joined them to make a team of 6. We competed against nearly 20 other teams.

 

 

Like us, there were a lot of first-timers at Trivia, so the procedure was explained to all. Each player contributes $1 at the start. The top 3 winning teams receive a share of the entry fee. There were 6 questions, each with 2 parts and a final question with 4 parts.

 

The "Theme" this week was TV. Many of the questions were based on TV programs in the 50-60's.

 

The team arrives at a consensus on the answer and submits it on paper with the team name. The team decides which part f their answer will be worth 4 points and which will receive 2 points, if correct. Thankfully, we had good players as our teammates.

 

 

Part way through the contest they sang Happy Birthday to those who were celebrating. They did the same for those having an Anniversary.

 

 

They also brought treats to each table at half time. The treats were related to Trivia Question Answers from earlier in the contest. Everyone received a "Cow Tales" (Anwer: Nostalgic Chocolate Bar) and a Cream Puff (Answer: First appeared on restaurant menus in the U.S. in 1851). Neat!

 

We were 2 points out of first place when it was time to answer the final question: Place the 4 named TV Westerns in order - Most to Least Episodes. We answered: Gunsmoke; Bonanza; Wagon Train and Rawhide.

 

Now we had to choose how many of the 12 points to wager on our answer. The way the final 4-part question is structure is that you have to get it all correct. If even one answer is wrong your team loses the total wager (up to 12 points). We were not 100% sure so we decided to wager 0. We hoped the team 2 points ahead of us would make a mistake giving us the lead.

 

We were one of two teams to get it correct; however, we bet 0. If we would have wager 12 we would have won. The team ahead of us faltered and lost 12 points; however, another team that was correct with their wager, passed us to win.

 

We decided, if possible, to meet and be a team next week. The hosts really put a lot of work into the Trivia Contest. Everyone had a great time. We are already looking forward to next week.

 

Again, a little TV before bed.

 

 



Sat Jan 4/14

Back to the 70's F today with only a very few glimpses of sunshine. The cold that is ravaging the north will arrive in a few days bringing chance of a freeze by Tuesday. The temp will drop over 40 degrees F when this hits. Ironically. it was a freeze in the early 80's that is the reason the RV park exists. It was previously an orange grove that had all the trees die in a killer frost. Loosing the oranges or blossoms is enough of a catastrophe - loosing all the trees is the ultimate. The land was sold for re-development; thus, the RV park.

We have a new neighbour across the road. They came in late yesterday. They are from Delaware. Most folks here are from PA, MI and Canada (They count the states individual - the provinces are just Canada which is now #2 in the park).

Charlotte made use of our new grocery supplies and made yummy egg muffins w/bacon for breakfast. Our New Year's resolution is to try and eat out less - we hope to lose a little weight (or at least not gain). The RV Park Pot Luck Suppers don't count - tonight it's Bean Soup.

I can't believe we are still sorting out the groceries and the supplies we came down with. The inside is just about under control. The outside storage re-sort will take a few days.

Charlotte did a good job shortening a pair of Wrangler black jeans that was a Christmas gift.

I spent a few hours programming the computer and GPS with new Flea Market addresses. Olde Mills Stream RV Resort provides long term stays (not overnighters) with a most comprehensive guide to the park and to the area. It has everything you need to know and a few things you hadn't thought of to make your stay fun. They provide Emergency Care addresses and numbers, park maps, guidelines and event info as well as information on several dozen area attractions, stores and services.

They even provide a card to identify you to several local businesses that give park guests a discount (we already saved 10% at Pizza Hut). This is service above and beyond any we have seen in our travels - anywhere.

Good News - Marty's Hockey Team won again today - they will play tomorrow in the semi-finals. If they win they will go on to the tournament championship game.

We still have a hard time remembering that in an RV park - "If you are a half hour early - you are still 15 minutes late". This means we will start getting things ready for the Bean Soup Potluck at 5 pm at 3 pm.

Charlotte will bring pickles and olives as most others that signed up are bringing salads or dessert.

Good thing we went a half hour early - not much room left in the hall.

We met some nice single ladies from Ohio and Delaware. They liked this park so much they kept coming even when their husbands passed away. It is their second home.

Soon they started calling table numbers for folks to pick up the potluck items. We weren't first; but we weren't last either. There was plenty for all.

The Bean Soup was brought to each table by the supper helpers. It was excellent! The surplus soup was offered to folks who had a container - wish we would have known. The soup was that good.

The helpers sell tickets for a 50-50 draw to defray the costs incurred as the Main course, coffee and tea are free. They divide the prize into 5 equal draws. My ticket was 2 numbers behind one of the winners.

A two minute walk and we were back at the RV.

No other plans for this evening except TV before bed.

Fri - Jan 3/14

The cold front has rolled in giving use the sun and temps only in the high 50's F. That's the sun trying to shine through the mist inside the windshield.

The sudden drop in temp along with the high humidity from yesterday left a lot of moisture on the inside of the windows.

The warmth of the sun cleared the moisture in half an hour with the help of the RV fans.

We spent the morning packing the frozen chicken breasts, hamburger, sausages and hot dogs, purchased yesterday at Sam's Club, into meal sizes using Zip lock freezer bags.

We cooked some of the loose hamburger to use in spaghetti sauce, hash or shepherd's pie using our Salton induction cooktop. It is much better than a regular hotplate. It is really quick, saves propane and adds very little heat to the RV.

Induction cooking uses induction heating, as opposed to heat transfer from electric coils or gas flame to directly heat the cooking utensil which is made of ferromagnetic metal. Non-inductive cookware can be used on units that have an interface disk.

In an induction cooker, a coil of copper wire underneath the cooking pot uses electricity (AC) to produce an oscillating magnetic field which induces an electric current in the container. Current flowing in the metal container produces resistive heating which heats the food. While the current is large, it is produced by a low voltage.

An induction cooker is faster and more energy-efficient than a traditional electric cooking surface. It allows instant control of cooking energy similar to gas burners. Turn off a boiling pot and the bubbling stops within seconds - amazing. Other cooking methods use flames or red-hot heating elements; induction heating heats only the pot. Because the surface of the cook top is heated only by contact with the vessel, the possibility of burn injury is significantly less than with other methods. The induction effect does not directly heat the air around the vessel, resulting in further energy efficiencies. Cooling air is blown through the electronics but emerges only a little warmer than the ambient temperature.

The magnetic properties of a steel vessel concentrate the induced current in a thin layer near its surface, which makes the heating effect stronger. We love it!

I spent a half-hour mid-afternoon pumping out the sewage tanks. The "Black Water" (sewage) tank are closed when hooked up at a campsite until it fills. During a lengthy stay the "Grey Water"  tank (sinks and shower) are left open to drain. I forgot to open the Grey Water and after a few days of showers and dishes it was now full. So I cleared both and then left the Grey Water tank open.

Today was round 2 of shopping. We left for the Walmart in Mt. Dora around 5 pm. The little towns run together. The distance From Umatilla through Eustis to the Walmart in Mt. Dora was less than 12 miles. I looked up the Walmart on the GPS; however, when we arrived it was just the old building. They recently moved (virtually next door) and built a new Supercenter. Today we were shopping for the items that we did not require in the large lots that were at Sam's Club or the specialty items that were not available there.

Walmart did not have a few things we needed so we went next door to Target. Charlotte picked up a latte at the in-store Starbucks while I went through the checkout.

We had hoped to be back at the RV in time for Bingo at 7 pm; however, the little jaunt to Target delayed us enough to miss the start. Maybe next week?

Once back, the freezer items were stored quickly. The remainder would be put away after supper.

Hurray! We got a text message from our daughter Liz. Our grandson's team won their second game in the hockey tournament. Two wins in a row - way to go, Marty!

It was then TV until bedtime.

Thu - Jan 2/14

After a more hectic than usual 3 days on the road we are now starting to get caught up with our rest thanks to today being an overcast, rainy day.

The rain came in waves with strong winds until around 2 pm when it began to let up.

As the rain lightened to occasional we headed out to Sam's Club in Lady Lake, FL. We started off towards Eustis, Tavares, Leesburg, Fruitland Park and finally Lady Lake, FL. Most of the roads were 4 or 6 lanes wide with sections of fairly heavy traffic.

We stopped at the office as we left. I requested a table for our site while Charlotte went to the Rec Hall to register for the "Bean Soup" meal on Saturday. OMS (Olde Mill Stream RV Resort) provides the main course for the "Pot Luck" meals while guests that sign up indicate what they will be bringing to share. Charlotte noticed most signed up for salads  or desserts so she decided to bring a tray of assorted pickles.

The first task at Sam's Club was to fill up the Del Sol at the gas bar. We saved $0.35 a gallon over the highest posted price that we saw today.

We purchased mostly meats, soft drinks, water or paper items that we do not bring across the border when we head south from Canada.

I offered Chili's for supper; however, Charotte realized we were getting tired and decided on having supper at Sam's Club. Cost: $1.70 (x 2) for a great Nathan's Hot Dog and large soft drink for each of us!

We crossed the road to finish our planned shopping. Charlotte picked up yarn in 3 pretty colours at Jo-Ann Fabrics while I went to Best Buy for printer ink.

Charlotte knits dozens of baby hats and toques that she donates to the Red Cross, hospitals or other organizations. This year some went to an Inuit (Eskimo) community in Canada's North; Haiti and other places.

We returned to the RV by a different route. After leaving US-27 we came back on CR-42 to SR-19 which turns into Main Street in Umatilla, FL which is where OMS is located. This will probably be our main path to this area being it is only 2 lanes, scenic and less congested.

We were back at the RV by 8:30 pm. We were surprized to find the table we requested already on our site even though we said, "No Hurry - wait until it stops raining." Now that's service!

We transferred most of the groceries from the car to the motorhome. I left some large items in the trunk as it had started raining heavily again.. The water and soft drinks will go into the outside storage tomorrow until needed.

Typed the blog while listening to the local news. Although it was over 70 F today a cold front is coming in bringing the night temps into the low 40's F. Still beats the -40 F back home!

Wed - Jan 1/14

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Wishing one and all a great year ahead!

Slept in again until 9 am. (This is getting to be a habit!)

 

 

The park is so quiet!

We are taking it easy this morning while watching the Rose Parade.

The 125th Rose Parade (Theme: "Dreams Come True") features 48 floral floats,

20 marching bands,

and 16 equestrian units.

It gets underway at 8 am; however, TV viewers actually see the floats much later as they pass the reviewing area near the end of the 5.5 mile route along Colorado Boulevard (Pasadena, CA) starting around 11 am.

While all grandstand seating for the Rose Parade is sold out, free curbside viewing is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parade-goers can begin camping out along the sidewalk on Colorado Boulevard at noon Tuesday. (700,000 expected). (Security is heightened as a result of the Boston Marathon Bombing)

Pasadena's Valley Hunt Club staged the first parade in 1890. It has been held in Pasadena every New Year's Day, except when January 1 falls on a Sunday. In that case, it is held on the subsequent Monday, January 2. This exception was instituted in 1893.

Local tradition has it that "the Tournament has a deal with God; we'll never hold the parade on a Sunday, and He'll never let it rain on the Rose Parade." However, truth be known, this "Never on Sunday" policy was instituted in order "to avoid frightening horses tethered outside local churches and thus interfering with worship services."

Incidentally, the Rose Bowl Game is also not held on Sunday to avoid competing with the NFL. Other bowl games usually held on January 1 also follow this rule, as does the NHL Winter Classic (Hockey Game played outside - not indoors). The Detroit Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs in Today's Winter Classic at 1 pm.

Game Conditions at Ann Arbor, MI: Temp: 13 F. (Wind Chill = 0 F.) and light snow.

In short, this will be the coldest of the six NHL Winter Classics played so far. That makes for nearly 110,000 freezing fans. This crowd should make the Guinness Book of Records as the largest outdoor hockey crowd in history!

Hey! Being Canadian, we're cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs as the play the Detroit Red Wings in today's NHL Winter Classic from Ann Arbor, MI (1 pm - Eastern Time) but, I digress.

The club organized horse-drawn carriages covered in flowers, followed by foot races, polo matches, and a game of tug-of-war on the town lot that attracted a crowd of 2,000 to the event. Upon seeing the scores of flowers on display, the professor decided to suggest the name "Tournament of Roses."

The first associated football game was played in 1902. Originally titled the "Tournament East-West football game," it is considered to be the original Rose Bowl Game. The next game was not played until New Year's Day 1916 and annually since then.

By 1895, the event was too large for the Valley Hunt Club to handle. The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association was formed and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

 

This year there are 45 floats that compete for one of 24 awards selected by three judges each year.

 

 

Honda's float, being the official sponsor, does not compete, even though it's 5 linked sections will break the record for length at 274 feet.

 

Each float is required to have all surfaces of the framework covered in natural materials (such as flowers, plants, seaweeds, seeds, bark, vegetables, or nuts, etc.) No artificial flowers, colouring or plant material is allowed.

 

Many floats are commercially built; however, community based floats still depend mainly on volunteers to help in covering the framework. All this has to be done a few days before the parade. They also have to find ways to keep the live materials from fading or dying for a number of days before and after the parade. Last-minute volunteer opportunities are usually available for visitors wanting a unique experience.

 

The Showcase of Floats takes place Jan. 1 (1-5 pm) and Jan. 2 (9- 5 pm). Tickets $10.

 

It may surprise you to learn that the roses adorning the floats are grown in South America, as are about 80 percent of all the cut flowers flowers sold in the United States. The amazing thing in this years Rose Parade is that one float - "Bedtime Buccaneers" - will use over 94 percent American grown flowers - most of which were donated by California growers.

Meanwhile, back at the Winter Classic, Toronto 3 - Detroit 2 in an overtime, shootout victory!

No sun and the predicted rain, although very light, was steady from the afternoon onwards.

All in all - a good restful day!

Tue - Dec 31/13

Slept in until 9 am.

Spent the day doing little jobs. A few more baskets to sort out and store. We will take our time and hopefully have everything re-organized over the next few days - ah! the joys of leaving home after an ice storm!

We left for the New Year's Eve Dance in the Rec Hall a little after 8 pm. The Rec hall is less than a 2 minute walk from the RV. It officially started at 9 pm; however, ii appears being 45 minutes early still meant we were 15 minutes late! Luckily, there were still a few (very few) spots still open.

We sat with other folks with home bases as close as Charleston, SC and as far away as Ontario (like us). The folks from Trenton, ON have been here for a few months. The Charleston couple came in, like us, this past Sunday. The other couple are regulars who have been coming here for 9 years. No idea on the number here tonight - my guess - 400 or so. I'm sure we will meet most of them at some time over the next few months.

The tradition for main events here is complimentary beer (pitchers), cold sodas, bottled water, snacks and popcorn for the guests. The event committee holds a 50-50 draw that defrays the cost! Neat!

The band was great! They played a good mix of Oldies and Country tunes that had the dance floor hopping. We laughed when their opening number was a favourite song of ours: John Anderson's " Swingin' !"

And we were Swingin', yeah just-a-swingin'
Little Charlotte she's as pretty as the angels when they sing
I can't believe I'm out here on her front porch in this swing
Just-a-swingin'

 

(My wife's name is Charlotte)

 

They projected Time Square onto the large movie screen as the New Year approached and everyone counted down to midnight.

 

Wishes for a Happy New Year all around and we were soon on our way back to the RV.

 

This was a great start to the New Year!