Saturday - 19 Dec/15

Sunny and still below 50 F at 10 a.m.  Yes, we slept in. (grin)

We missed the pancake breakfast at 9 a.m. in the Rec Hall; but that's OK - we will have a repeat of the  banana pancakes with maple syrup that we enjoyed yesterday in the RV.

It was so cool last night the butter in our "French Butter Keeper" was really solid. This ceramic storage dish keeps the butter fresh, soft and spreadable for up to 20 days without refrigeration.

How does it work? (I thought you'd never ask! (grin).

Evaporation cools. The small amount of water in the bottom evaporates in the heat, thus keeping the butter chilled enough to keep it fresh and soft enough to be spreadable.

We have 2 electric heaters that we use in the RV when hooked up to electricity to save the propane for when we are dry camping on the road. We do like to sleep cool so we used the oil filled rad to keep the bedroom from getting too cold last night. It is quite safe as it will shut off if tipped, has a thermostat to set the temp and an indicator light to show when it is heating. The rad is totally silent which is good for sleeping.

In the main living area we use the Fireplace (style) heater that uses a ceramic core and blower to circulate the heat. It is safer than a cone style heater as the heating core is inside and cannot contact combustibles. Safety features prevent overheating and it runs the fan to cool down when the heater shuts off. The remote (or up front) controls turn the heater on/off. They also control the fireplace display speed as well as the heater temp. It does double duty by supporting the Flat Screen TV that is hooked up to our computer for viewing movies.

We used the propane heaters this morning to warm it up quickly. Our RV is one of the few that has 2 propane heaters (20,000 and 30,000 BTU). This was available only for this model year on the Bounder 34 F because of it's 3 slideouts. Most RV's just have one heater; however this model was designed for dry camping in the cold. The RV was warm again in no time.

The "Do the Laundry" signal went off today! You know the signal - It automatically goes off when the last pair of clean underwear are put on. (grin).

Say - does anybody know why we say "Pair of Underwear" when we only put on one at a time?

Actually, we say "pair" for a number of things like pair of scissors, pants, etc.

Explanation: Pants (pantaloons) were originally two similar parts that were put on one leg at a time because they actually came in two pieces. You put on one leg at a time (like everybody else, eh!), tied it around your waist, then put on the other. From the beginning, about the 16th Century, pants have been referred to as a pair.

But, I digress. (grin)

We decided against an "RV washers/dryer as it was only available in a different model. We liked the layout of our model best so we have to use the park laundry a half dozen times a year. Not a big deal. We always wait until the last minute so we do it all at once making for fewer trips.

We certainly have a "Car Load" of laundry! (grin)

Surprise! Wally and Linda Medley (park co-managers) did a great job of refreshing the laundry. They built the new folding table themselves (hands-on managers, eh!) during the summer. The new and larger unit is not made for chairs. In fact. chairs are banned from the laundry room. Complaints indicated folks could not fold their laundry at the table because itwas occupied by people reading or using their electronic devices. Now the protocol is to go to the main hall while the washing/drying is underway. The cycles for both are 45 minutes making it easy to return (even from the RV) on time.

We choose to work on an open puzzle in the main hall returning near the end of each cycle to do what was necessary.

I suffer from "Old-Timer's Disease" (something like alzheimer's disease). I can be forgetful! I stick these "Ladybug" magnetic markers I made onto the washers and dryers we are using. Memory problem solved!

Less than 2 hours later all was done and back in the RV. Another Bette Davis B/W passed the rest of the afternoon.

Getting on the internet, like yesterday, was a problem. This is a provider fault not an RV park fault. It was useless for several hours yesterday and again today it was off and on many times. There seems to be less service from the provider on the weekend (cost of overtime?). I also think they do not have enough bandwidth that compounds whatever other problems they have. Today it went from not working for a few hours to excellent - go figure?

Supper was Pizza.  We buy frozen Red Baron Supreme on French Bread to which we add extra pepperoni, green pepper, green olives and cheese. Always good.

The OMS Christmas Dance started at 7 p.m. meaning we had to be there by 6:30 p.m. to get a seat.

The Lee Ann Noel Band played again this year for the Christmas Dance. No, it is not the Lee Ann Christmas Band. Here last name is actually Noel. To beat the rush we left a few minutes before the end of the dance at 10 p.m.

We turned on both propane heaters to take the chill off then it was maintained with the electric units.

Dateline on TV ended the day.

Friday - 18 Dec/15

The rain finally arrived. Fairly steady rain through the night until early morning.

We enjoy rain on the motorhome roof. I grew up with a tin roof (on the back porch) right outside my bedroom window. Rain on the roof is a special treat.

We have nothing planned for the day. No park events and the weather is not enticing for a road trip.

Charlotte made banana pancakes with (Real) Maple Syrup that we brought from home. An appropriate tasty treat with the cold spell coming in. This is Florida - it will be back to the 80's F in a few days.

Another relaxing day. Charlotte caught up on more hand sewing while watching (listening to) Bette Davis movies (3) from our collection. These old B & W flicks are great. They are all dialogue which makes them great for listening to while doing other things (like hand sewing).

Jeopardy was not on this evening due to a TV special. Lots of Christmas Specials made the night's TV choice for programs we were interested in really non-existent.

Not to worry. Our video library was put on hard drive just for these occasions.

Harrrison Ford in "The Fugitive" filled the need perfectly.

Finished the evening with Dateline on TV.

We might need heat tonight as it will drop to the low 40's F tonight.

Thursday - 17 Dec/15

Here we go again. We slept in until almost 10 a.m. We must need the rest!

We each have an "Almost" cold. You know, the kind where you feel "stuffed Up". You have a coughing or sneezing spell once every few hours and it seems to go away - then comes back. Just enough to be a nuisance.

Charlotte did a little more hand stitching (no she hasn't got her hand raised to ask permission to leave the room - grin).

Went out around 1 p.m. to find needed craft items for Charlotte's upcoming projects. We made a stop at the office to pay next month's rent. It doesn't matter who is working the front desk - the greeting is always friendly. Today it was Linda (co-manager). When asked why they are always happy in the office she replied that they are "...always glad to take our money." (her words - not mine). Did I mention...sense of humor?"

As we left the park we could see linemen working on the power lines. Not a good day to have the power go out!

Instead of going to Hobby Lobby which is a few miles closer we decided to head for JoAnn Fabrics because we enjoy the slow ride along the lake. Charlotte particularly likes the parts where the oaks, draped in Spanish Moss, hang over the road.

Charlotte managed to find all items on her craft materials list except one: "Shrinky Dinks Frosted Ruff 'N' Ready" sheets.

• Shrinky Dinks are the classic shrink plastic product for creating permanent plastic ornaments, window hangings, magnets, key fobs and more from drawings, tracings, rubber stampings and more.
  Use permanent ink pens, paints, or colored pencils and then accent with glitter, embossing powders, wire, stained glass copper edging, and more.
  This frosted version gives you a rough side perfect for coloring, painting, inking, typing, photocopying and bakes translucent.

Heat shrinks the sheets making the creation into a miniature which often is used to decorate items.

Hunger called. I have a direct line (grin). We went to "Steak 'n Shake" a little bit up the road. True to its name, the menu features primarily steakburgers and hand-dipped milkshakes (Rated #1 by Zagat), though other entrees, side items, and drinks are also available. There is, however, no actual steak on the menu.

The corporation's slogan "Famous for Steakburgers" refers to its most prominent food item, the "Steakburger", so called because it is made from a mixture that includes T-bone, sirloin, and round steak.

Founded in 1934, Steak 'n Shake's slogan "In Sight It Must Be Right" originally referred the Founder's practice of wheeling a barrel of T-bone, sirloin, and round steaks into the public area of his restaurant, then grinding them into burgers in front of his customers. This practice was intended to reassure customers of the wholesomeness of the product at a time when ground beef was still viewed with some skepticism by the general public. It was widely thought that impurities were deliberately introduced into it. This practice of grinding the beef in public helped assure his customers because they could see for themselves that he was grinding steaks into the hamburger meat. This does not occur in public today; however the grill and cooking process is still prominently in view.

Even though it was after 2 p.m. the place was packed (with seniors). We discovered that on week days between 2 and 5, (a.m. or p.m.) all drinks are half-price which explained the crowd. Keeping with the season we both ordered Egg Nog Shakes. They were really good even if I couldn't taste the rum (grin).

The burgers were also very good. Pressing them down while cooking on the grill creates the signature crispy edges they are known for. The meal was actually less expensive than McD's!

Continuing our quest we went on to the JoAnn in Lady Lake. Still no Shrinky Dinks!

Despite the best efforts of "Mabel" (our GPS) to misguide us, I remembered where Michaels was located and we arrived with only one "U-Turn" required. U-turns are commonplace in this 6 lane section of Hwy. 27 and are required to access shopping areas on the opposite side of the divided highway.

Charlotte came out with an item! Success! she had indeed found the required "Shrinky Dink" sheets at Michaels.

We decided to cross the parking lot to the "Super Target". There was an item on our shopping (not crafts) list that we decided would be significantly cheaper at Target as compared to Publix. Target really a Walmart in disguise. It is virtually identical except that it is neatly organized.

I am really disappointed that Target messed up their venture into the Canadian market. They tried to open too many stores at the same time. The stores did not have sufficient stock on the shelves and they all ended up closing. Their huge distribution center, built a few miles from where we live, was since purchased by Walmart. It has become a "Twin" to the existing Walmart distribution center in the same industrial park.

We took the "Back Way" to OMS from Lady Lake. This is our usual practice allowing us to get away from the 6 lanes of "wall to wall" traffic. It was so warm (mid-80's) and humid (also mid-80's %) that travelling with the top off required the extra cool provided by having all the windows down just to be comfortable,

Our last stop was at Publix to purchase the items on our grocery list. We arrived before sunset. It was dusk when we finished. Being here means we receive nearly an extra hour of daylight in the evening when compared to home. (We live half way to the North Pole within a mile of the 45th.)

We unpacked all in time for Jeopardy. The "Fridge" and Pull-Out Pantry are now stuffed to capacity. We are going to sleep fully confident that we will survive the upcoming "Cold Spell" even if there are periods of steady rain (mostly Friday) during the 2-3 days when the temps drop below 70 F before returning to the "Plus 80's". (grin)

Wednesday - 16 Dec/15

I could say read Tuesday as today was the same (except different movies).

We decided to take it easy again with the record setting warm temps and high humidity making it feel like the high 90's F. Even the locals were complaining today. The local news has been talking about the "Cold Spell" for the last week on all the weather forecasts. A cold front will cool it down to the 60's F for a few days starting Friday.

Charlotte passed on the group sewing even though the craft room is air conditioned. It was just too hot to pack up the sewing machine and materials to go. I do not know how they survive down here in the summer.

Charlotte did some hand sewing while I spent the day working on my movie database.

After Jeopardy and Family Feud we ended the day with "Romancing the Stone".

Tuesday - 15 Dec/15

The temps are in the mid-80's F; however the humidity level is in the 80% range making it feel closer to 90 F. This makes for dull overcast skies. The chance for a 5 minute shower popping up at any time is in the 30% range; however the rain missed us.

Tuesday is a "Nothing Day". That just means there are no park activities that we participate in today.

Charlotte is making more of the fabric Christmas Balls and doing a little needlework. I'm catching up on anything Internet since it is working extremely well this morning.

I had no excursions planned as it was not sunny. It was a good day for movies. A few Bette Davis B/W movies, a comedy (Airplane) and a Clint Eastwood (In the Line of Fire) filled the afternoon until it was time for Jeopardy and regular TV in the evening.

Not  much news  today; but the rest did us good.

Monday - 14 Dec/15

We slept in a bit this morning since there was no events scheduled.

Charlotte went to crafts for 1 p.m. while I started to straighten up the outside compartments. This had been overdue because of the pantry construction.

I had to delay once again as I received a call from the insurance company concerning the windshield replacement. The information I forwarded to my insurance agent was not all forwarded to the insurance company. As a result they were confused by what they received.

It took the better part of an hour and a half to get it straightened out due to dropped phone calls and slow internet connections.

Charlotte returned just as I finished. The fabric Christmas Decoration she made was really neat.

I went back outside and finished the current compartment arrangements. Still more to be done. At least I managed to get the wood and pantry building hardware and tools put away.

Charlotte continued to work on the fabric Christmas Balls. They are so pretty!

This is a slow news day. We will find movies to watch if too many TV programs are replaced by Christmas Specials. That's it for today.

Sunday - 13 Dec/15

Wow! Temps will remain above 80 F through to next weekend. This above average weather is OK by us.

Today the usual start for us is watching CBS Sunday Morning on TV. We enjoy the weekly hour and a half of interesting, educational and informative "Good News" items that gives us a break from the usually grim local news. I always enjoy their "Leave You With..." video shorts of nature.

This morning the Andrew Lloyd Webber piece meant that we will be watching "CATS" at 10:30 until it is time to depart for our scheduled afternoon adventure.

Today we are going to Mt. Dora for the Christmas Sock Hop at the community center. Legends in Concert are back by popular demand. Johnny Dee and the Starlights will be singing the big Rock 'N Roll hits of the 50's and 60's at the Mount Dora Community Building Theater. Showtime is 2 p.m.

We were lucky enough to get a parking slot just two spots from the entrance.

The show was almost a sellout. We were among the first in to the hall.

The show started promptly at 2 p.m. and ended (with a 15 minute intermission) just before 4 p.m. It was a very enjoyable concert with Johnny Dee and the Starlights playing many hits from the
50's and 60-'s. Hits songs ranged from those by Elvis, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, etc. as well as Christmas Rock songs (Jingle Bell Rock, etc.).

The crowd was up on their feet on occasion, clapping, singing along and dancing (a few) in the aisles. It was an enjoyable, relaxing and entertaining few hours of great songs from our era.

A few minutes after the end of the show we were on our way back to the motorhome.

Not being fans of college football we did not even turn on regular TV. Movies was the order of the day (er...evening).  First up was a pair of "Italian Jobs" (1969) w/Michael Caine and (2003) w/Mark Wahlberg with the latter based loosely on the former. Both were in reality quite different and fun; but my vote is for 2003.

Next up was "Red" starring Bruce Willis. RED = R.E.D. = Retired Extremely Dangerous. When his peaceful life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last ditch effort to survive and uncover his assailants.

Next up was RED 2 w/Bruce Willis and his old crew (again). Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.

Charlotte microwaved Turkey Pot Pies which we ate while "at the movies".

It was just a relaxing way to end a fun day.

Saturday - 12 Dec/15

Today Umatilla hosts the ever popular Cracker Christmas parade and festival. A true “hometown” festival, the day begins with the annual "dog jog", followed by one of the area's largest Christmas parades. An all day festival in Cadwell Park rounds out the day that includes arts and crafts, local folk artisans, food, children's activities and local entertainment. A Christmas Parade in 80 F+ weather really seems strange to us.

"Cracker" refers to colonial-era English and American Pioneer Settlers and their descendants in what is now the U.S. state of Florida. The first of these arrived in 1763 after Spain traded Florida to Great Britain following the latter's victory over France in the Seven Year's War.

To many Floridians, the term is used as a proud self-description. Since the huge influx of new residents into Florida in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, from the northern parts of the United States, Mexico and Latin America, the term "Florida Cracker" is used informally by some Floridians to indicate that their families have lived in the state for many generations. 

To other Floridians the term is derogatory and demeaning and generally describes poor whites. It is similar to being called a "Redneck". Like many words and sayings it depends on the context of it's use. It is truly in the "Ear of the Beholder!"

We left for center town Umatilla, just a few miles down US-19 about 8:30 a.m. We parked a block from the staging area for the parade only a short distance from the reviewing stand. We crossed the street and found a good viewing spot in front of "Central Avenue Treat". We naturally "Treated" ourselves with two dozen mini-donuts and a coffee to help us survive until parade time. Whew! We made it!

A "Dog Jog" was held along the route prior to the parade itself. It passed by just after 9 a.m.

Charlotte's favourite was "Roy", one of the several similar dogs from "PAWS", an organization that trains and supplies Therapy Dogs.

Then the "Cracker Christmas Parade and Festival" was under way.

The first several entries were from the Lake County Sheriff's office.

They had all types of vehicles that included specialty vehicles, patrol cars, water rescue, motorcycles, bicycle patrol, animal rescue and marching officers.

Olde Mill Stream RV Resort had good representation with:

a float;

a historic auto and historic military vehicles.

Numerous convertibles carried several "Pageant" Queens ranging from "Miss Teen" to "Miss Teenie" to "Miss (area town  name)" 2015.

Being near the reviewing stand meant we got to see a little extra as local school teams arrived. 

These included cheerleaders;

Junior ROTC Army Cadets; 

and Marching Bands.

Several local churches entered floats. Ditto local politicians running for office and local businesses.

There was a wide range of "Horsepower" from "Hayburners"

to ATV's 

to Monster Trucks.

There were also many Batons in the air

including a float from the State and National Champion: "Superstars Twirling Academy".

It took a almost and hour before Santa arrived to complete the parade.

We sat on the park bench in front of "Treats" until the crowd dispersed. That took all of 5 minutes. Only a few departed on "Hover Boards" (Eat your heart out McFly!"

We then walked around the corner to Caldwell Park for the "Festival" portion of today's events. There were a number of craft vendors and food booths throughout the park.

Performances were happening on a small stage. We listened to a lower school choir which was replaced by a high school band.

We met a few other folks from OMS that were shopping the craft stalls. Charlotte bought a small Glass Bamboo Planter for the RV.

Then it was back to the RV for an afternoon of movies. We saw Ocean's 11 previously; today it was Ocean's 12 and 13.



















The rest of the day will be movies and relaxing and snacks for supper. This will give us a chance to recuperate from the last few busy days.