Sun - 5 Mar/17

It is mostly cloudy today with winds that are still quite strong requiring we wear a light jacket. Temps will be just above 70 F by late afternoon.

The usual CBS Sunday Morning TV with breakfast in bed.

 Plus other Harbor Freight Stuff as well!






Today's mission was a trip to Harbor Freight to pick up a few items for Nick (son-in-law - Nick's Mobile RV Service) while they were on sale. We go to the store in Apopka, FL. It is a little longer drive than other stores; but we can stay off the busy roads to get there. That way we enjoy the trip.

There is "Good News/Bad News" regarding construction along the way.

The "Goods News" is that Florida DOT is now working on what appears to be an extension of SR-429 (Toll) that currently ends near Harbour Freight and US-441. It will eventually split in two with one section heading to Mt. Dora and the other heading towards Plymouth. This 10 mile section will cost 270 million.

The "Bad News" is that I doubt if it will be "On Time and On Budget" and that it will be a Toll Road. Florida is moving to "Transponders Only" which means no toll booths on this new section. This would make it illegal to travel on this section without a transponder. Tourists Beware! You could be in for a big fine!

We returned on US-441 (multi-lanes of busy) which took us right to our choice for a late lunch: Outback (Steakhouse) in Leesburg, FL.

We went there to try their Steak and Lobster Special. Charlotte enjoyed both lobster tails and I had the steaks. That way we both ate what we enjoyed most (for a reasonable price). I still prefer "Texas Roadhouse", of all the regular chains, for steak.

If I want to spend well over $100 my chain choice would be Ruth's Chris Steak House. The best of all (that I can afford and been to) is the historic (100 years +) "Cattlemen's Steakhouse" located in the stockyards of Oklahoma City.

I apologize, my misteak mistake for getting off track - now back to the meat of what I was saying. (grin)

We then returned to the motorhome by our favourite "Slow Road" along Lake Eustis. Charlotte enjoys the view of Lake Eustis as well as the Spanish Moss that hangs from the Live Oak Trees that reach out over the road.

Back at the motorhome Charlotte took the strawberries out of the refrigerator so they would get to room temperature by the time we have them for Supper.

Mmmm Good! Another serving of Strawberry Shortcake - Yummy!

Just a regular TV evening (Surfing was necessary) to end the day.

Sat - 4 Mar/17

It will be cool and windy for several days. We have no big plans for today.

This morning there was a craft and ??? fair outside near the office. It was just for "OMS" residents. Charlotte bought a few "Catnip" treats made by fellow crafter Martha (Saranac Lake area, NY) to bring home to the furs: Max and Jesse (Cats).

Charlotte found something she did know she needed. She also found a cross-stitch made by Julie who is also a crafter (from Michigan).

We returned to the motorhome and I made brunch while watching Innovation Nation. Bacon, eggs and cheese all done together like an omelet - it ain't pretty; but it tastes good.

Linda, another crafter (from Ontario) stopped by to see if Charlotte was going to go to the Craft Room on Monday morning. That isn't a regular "Sewing" day; but Charlotte didn't have to be coaxed. She will be going. Lynda (this time spelt with a "Y"; Why? Because we like you! (Ooops! Watched too much M-I-C-K-E-Y ...) |Actually it is because I am not sure which way she spells her name - Hey - I've got a 50/50 chance of being correct. - grin). L?nda liked Charlotte's "Quilt Quilt" (Sorry, I only stutter when I type - another grin).

We watched TV until almost dusk then headed out for supper.

First stop was at Publix to check our lotto tickets and to pick up Charlotte's magazines (Woman's World and First). We won enough to pay for this week's tickets. We keep on dreaming.

We finally decided on Arby's. As usual Charlotte chose the French Dip and I had 2 Arby Jr's. (...always with too much Horsey Sauce).

We made a stop at Walgreen's on the way back to OMS. Charlotte wanted a few more items to place into her Mini-Duffle Bags". Hooray! She found what she was looking for. (Hey! Something she knew she needed! - I'm really grinning this time.)

I had to pull over twice within 2 blocks while going through Umatilla. Police with Lights; but No Siren (usually a Code 2) were really in a hurry. At the speed they were going it actually seemed like it might be a Code 3; but they left the sirens off so the perpetrator(s) wouldn't know they were coming. Hope this doesn't make the evening news! (today's news already had several murders).

Just TV surfing until bedtime.

Fri - 3 Mar/17

Nothing on the schedule for today until this evening. The cold front and strong winds give clear blue skies and warrant a light jacket. There is actually a "Wind Chill" this morning making the mid-60's F seem like the 50's. It will just get above 70 F today and will be for the next few days.

Just a relaxing (watching in bed) TV morning.

Lunch was the last round of spaghetti (it was a big batch).

We went to the Orange Blossom Opry (7:30 p.m. show) for "The Diamonds". This is the third time we have seen them. The first time was in Branson, MO at Dave Clark's American Bandstand Theatre. The Diamonds originated in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They came along when "Pop" music of the day was morphing into "Rock and Roll".

A Black Gospel Group, "The Revelaires", were a heavy influence on their style. They also taught them how to be not so "Square". The Diamonds showed up on the R and B charts as well because of their "Doo Wop" sound. Doo Wop was the "Black" sound not played on "White" radio stations. Their great lead singer, Dave Somerville (saw him in Branson, he has since passed), and Bill Reed (Bass) had many thinking they were a Black Group.

Their first hits were "Covers" of other groups' songs. Even "Little Darlin'" was a cover; but their version sold over a million (a big number in 1957) and created music history. It was rare for a white cover group (Canadian, no less) to have more rhythm and feeling than the original (Black) group. It hit #2 on both the Pop and R and B charts and was their stepping stone to fame.

Their appearance on American Bandstand dispelled the thought that they were a coloured group (visual proof - right there in "Black and White" (TV) - grin). They were guests twice in the original season (1957) They appeared 33 times over the years. Their original song, "The Stroll", was played numerous times on American Bandstand and, as they say, "the rest is history!"

Note: "The Stroll" was when the kids forming two lines facing each other with a few yards of space between them. The dance couples then took turns “strolling” down this middle. (original inspiration for "Line Dancing". (Eh! ??? - grin).

Another Note: Paul Anka (Diana), another Canadian, was also a guest during ABS's first season (show #3).

Of Added Interest: A conversation overheard on the Musical Tour's Greyhound Bus:

     Buddy Holly: "How long do you think rock and roll will last Dave?"

     Dave Somerville: "Six Months".

     Buddy Holly: "I hope you're wrong Dave. I think rock and roll is good for a year."

We all know how that turned out!

Mind Sludge: Paul Anka used to climb into the luggage rack above the seats on the tour bus to rest. I can verify that is possible - I used to do it on high school football team trips. It was actually a good place to rest.

 Of course, The Diamonds played all their hits and their "Covers". No surprise - they also "covered" just about everybody through the years as well. This was done by singing Medleys of eras, artists and genres. As usual, (seen them 3 times to date) it was a great show. They are pure entertainment. They are humourous and play their own brass (2 Trombones, 2 Saxophones). Oh! ...did I mention - they can sing? Their version of the Beach Boys "In My Room" was not only performed "A Capella"; but also without microphones. It was absolutely fantastic.

They ended with "Silhouettes" and the National Anthem of Rock and Roll - "Little Darlin' " which has sold 20 million copies to date.

Charlotte noticed their sequin jackets (the Red Ones) had different numbers on them. Can you see them? (grin) I Googled; but couldn't find out why?

We made it back to the motorhome in time for some TV, news and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. (Trump has certainly provided him with comedic material).

That's it for today.

Thu - 2 Mar/17

Not a lot going on today. Weather will be cloudy with 30% chance of rain. Still getting into the mid-80's F before the cold front drops it to the 70's.

Charlotte checked when she arrived at the Craft Room to see if the "Cupboard" was open. It wasn't! I drove her to the office to pick up the key.

I drove Charlotte back to the Craft Room and after carrying in her sewing machine I went to The Lodge to use the internet until noon. I checked our P.O. Box  and found a notice reminding us to reserve before Friday for next year or the sites become available to the public. We talked it over again and decided to "Play it by Ear" next year. I'm a slow learner - it took me 70 years to realize I am no longer invincible. I just hate to be locked into decisions (aka reservations); especially those I have to pay for in advance.

Charlotte finished the last 3 of her mini-duffle bags today. I doubt if these are the last she will make - she enjoys making them. They are so neat! The cupboard key was returned to the office. Lunch was another round of spaghetti with only one more to go (tomorrow).

The motorhome isn't heating up much because of the cloud cover. I left the A/C on to keep it from becoming humid. The motorhome has 2 A/C units - 1 large and 1 small. They both use the same common ceiling ductwork to cool all of the RV. I set the large unit's thermostat 2 degrees higher than the small unit. If the temp rises above the small unit setting the large A/C will come on for a short period and bring it down quickly - then shut off. This makes it much quieter for most of the time as the small unit can barely be heard when running. This also saves power costs.

Just a relaxing afternoon - TV surfing until we headed out just before suppertime. The coming rain front cooled things off enough to allow the A/C to be shut off when we left. Charlotte needed black thread to finish her Cat Quilt so we were off to JoAnn with coupons in hand.

CORRECTION!!!

Earlier announcement didn't last long. Charlotte found some nice material and now has enough to make 6 more mini-duffle bags! EXCELLENT!

Bill's Rule #3: If you enjoy doing it - keep doing it!

We made it back to the motorhome just before dusk; but not before the rain. I always enjoy listening to it bounce off the RV's roof. At least we were back in time for Jeopardy.

Supper was sinful. Charlotte couldn't resist how fresh they smelled when we were shopping yesterday. Fresh Florida strawberries are now becoming available. After cutting them up they were added to shortcake and topped with 2 rounds of heavy whipped cream. Mmmm - Good!

As usual, it was TV surfing to end the evening. I hope the rain is still falling at bedtime.

Wed - 1 Mar/17

I started the A/C this morning because it will be humid and almost get to 90 F today. It will be easier to keep all cool then bring it down later.

I dropped Charlotte off at the Craft Room; but instead of going to The Lodge I headed to the Laundry Room. Charlotte wanted to help; however I didn't want her to miss crafts and it would be much hotter after lunch to do the laundry (together) then.

I don't mind doing the laundry as I usually meet interesting folks to talk with while there. Today the first conversation was with these lovely folks that come from upper New York State near Buffalo. They were kind enough to open the door for me (more than once) I had 4 hampers loads to wash today. Charlotte made the task easier by sorting the loads before going to crafts.

 We always wait to "the bitter end" before doing laundry. We prefer that scenario compared to doing a load once a week. It is actually easier that way. It takes less time at an RV park than at home as I can often access 4 washing machines at once. That way it doesn't take any longer than doing a single load at home.

Once again I used my "Ladybugs" to mark the machines I was using. In case I have a "Senior Moment" I will have no problem finding the machines I have my laundry in. It is not as critical here there aren't too many machines in the laundry. I made the "Ladybugs" when we were in Arizona. The RV parks there are much larger (some over 3000 sites) as are the laundry rooms. It is a lot harder to remember when your machines are (randomly situated) in a laundry that has 60 machines.

There are no chairs allowed in the laundry room here anymore. They suggest waiting in the Rec Hall or other locations. I waited outside for half an hour. That is the time the washers take to complete their cycle.

While I moved the laundry from the washers to the dryers I had the pleasure of meeting another park resident. We managed to solve the problems of the world while waiting for our loads to dry. As I said earlier, while doing laundry, you meet such interesting people.

Things went well today. I managed to do the 4 loads, then load the loads into the car trunk and unload the loads at the motorhome and carry the loads inside and put most of the loads "away" before going "away" to pick up Charlotte at noon. Whew! I'm out of breath. That was a mouthful. (grin).

Lunch was a repeat of the Spaghetti I made yesterday. I wonder if NASA has figured out why spaghetti is better the day after???

Being it was going to be even hotter (almost 90 F) this afternoon we decided to "TV" this afternoon. We headed to Walmart around dusk. Charlotte needed material for another "Mini -Duffle Bag" as well as a whole variety of "Mystery Items", after all, she can't give a gift bag without it containing something!
 
After Walmart (in Mount Dora) our next stop was our usual Publix (in Eustis). Again, we enjoyed the nice warm evening by driving there "Topless" (the car - not us - another grin).

Back at the motorhome it took a little "Creative Packing" to get all the groceries into the pull-out Pantry I built last year. As they say; "Build it and it will get filled!".

It was just as hard getting everything into the refrigerator. My last chore was pre-cooking "Ground Chuck". (Relax - it's not a guy! ...its a type of ground meat". (That was a big grin). Now the "Prep Time" will be quicker when I make Spanish Rice or some other creation for lunch next week.

I am little late doing the blog tonight. It was a busy day. I managed to finish it before "The Late Show" made it to the end.

That it for today! (Literally - it just passed midnight! - Damn! Now I'm back in a "Pumpkin" instead of a motorhome!. (Groan!...I'm just too tired to grin!)

Tue - 28 Feb/17

We decided to relax today. The weather is okay; however it will be getting warmer. The next few days may be close to record highs. Charlotte worked late last night hand stitching the binding on her cat quilt. Her rest has been well earned. We won't be going to the Craft Room or The Lodge today.

I made a huge pot of spaghetti meat sauce so we won't have to do much cooking for lunch for the next few days. It was yummy!

Charlotte relaxed doing craft "Odds and Ends" today.

Only a few more stitches to complete the Cat Quilt. It will look great in the Sewing Room at home.

I continued refining my FileDrawer Program. it now incorporates several of my other programs including those that list our collections such as Audible Audio Books, Movies, Boyd's Bears, Recipes and my Sudoku Program.

Just a TV Evening. Trump is on for an hour and a half. We will probably TV surf - I don't know if I can take that much "Fake News".

We will try to stay awake for The Late Show - Stephen Colbert should be hilarious after an hour and a half of material from Trump and his minions.

We should be able to sleep well if we can just stop laughing.

Mon - 27 Feb/17

A rather relaxed day today to make up for a busy weekend. It will be warmer (mid-80's F) and more humid with a 20% chance of rain (not here - mainly along the Atlantic coast).

I drove Charlotte to the Office before 9 a.m. to pick up the key for the Craft Room cupboard so she could access the ironing board and iron. Jean, a fellow crafter, usually does this; however on Monday mornings she is at the Yoga session.

The Yoga Class doesn't want anyone in The Lodge while they are doing their contortions so I set up the computer (to use the internet) in the Craft Room today.

Around noon Charlotte returned the key to the office. There she picked up the light cord (just arrived by UPS) for the "LuvALamp" she completed a few days ago. The "How to Install" session will be tomorrow morning so we crossed the road to pick up a 60 watt  "LED" lightbulb from the ACE Hardware store. Incandescent bulbs are too hot for safe use in the lamp.

We just "took it easy" in the motorhome for the rest of the day.

Kat (daughter) not the cat (Max  or Jesse -grin) called from home (today is her day off) to report that all is well. The only news was that a drug store will be going in to where Stokefire (a craft and gift store) was recently located. It will be a Pharmasave store so we are hoping our present pharmacist (that's his brand) is opening a second store. This will save us the trip to Ingleside for our meds; otherwise we will still be driving there for our prescriptions.

 

 

I made cheese wrapped hot dogs for supper while we watched the evening news.

Charlotte. among other things, had cut strips for completing the binding on her "Cat Quilt" this morning. Tonight she worked on adding this to the quilt in the motorhome while listening/watching TV.

As usual, just a regular TV evening to wrap up a restful day.

Sun - 26 Feb/17

Another lovely weather day in store for today.

While watching CBS Sunday Morning (our usual TV on Sunday) I began frying bacon for our breakfast omelet. Then I added the ingredients and we enjoyed it while watching the program.

Then we were off on a "Road Trip"!

I planned out a route that kept us on the "Back Roads" to the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Park in Cross Creek, FL. Her old Florida homestead and orange grove is a walk back in time to 1930s, displaying farm life as it was when Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings lived and worked in the tiny community of Cross Creek.

Her "Cracker" style home and farm, where she wrote her Pulitzer prize-winning novel "The Yearling" and other wonderful works of fiction, has been restored and is preserved as it was when she lived here. Her 1942 memoir "Cross Creek" chronicled the idiosyncrasies of her "Cracker" neighbours whose white southern "Frontier Mentality" and close connection to the natural world has recently sparked scholarly interest.

This year, 2017, marks the 75^th anniversary of the publication of two of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings most memorable books: "Cross Creek" and "Cross Creek Cookery". Charlotte purchased the "Cross Creek Cookery" which is more than a just regional cookbook; it is a collection of stories about the recipes with anecdotes and thoughts that make it a "Novel Novel" (grin)

The State Park, the Friends of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm group, and the surrounding communities will be celebrating Rawlings and these two books throughout the year with talks, cooking, theatre and art exhibits. Today we enjoyed a small part of this celebration as several "Friends" (in period attire) were in attendance today. They actively aiding in "Informing" visitors on the history of the estate. This also included a glimpse into the historical significance and finer points of creating the biscuits of which we would partake after the tour.

We arrived a few minutes after the 1 p.m. tour began; however we were fortunate that the "Tenant's House" was open today for viewing.

The sturdy; but bare, domicile was typical of the area and era.

It was fun to see "Free Range" chickens roaming all over the property. There were more outside their coop than inside.

The 2 p.m. tour would start from the nearby barn. We only had to wait a short time before joining the group.

The tour started outside with an extremely well versed and humourous guide and a large interested collection of visitors.

The group size led to it being split in two once we arrived at the house.

The majority of the furnishings (90%) are original including this table that Marjorie wrote at in her porch.

This authenticity included the Pulitzer Prize for "The Yearling"!  (I expected a trophy of some sort).

If you want to find out why there are always roses in the toilet you'll have to take the tour (or google it). (grin).

At the end of the tour we enjoyed ample samples of several types of biscuits and jellies (all made from ingredients grown on the property) that correlate to the "Cross Creek Cookbook".

The biscuits, like the tour, made today's visit a real "Treat"!

On leaving our next destination was Micanopy, FL about 10 miles away. The town (Pop. 600) was named for Seminole Chief Micanopy. The historic district is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is affectionately known as "The Town That Time Forgot". It was the first "Town" constructed in "Florida Territory" (circa 1821) ) after Florida was ceded from Spain (to the USA). . Today it is considered a "Mecca for Antiques" which is rare in Florida as most "new" residents sold or left everything where they lived when they moved south.

Charlotte's only purchase was two "Cat Pics" to add to her card collection.

We then followed the route (in reverse) that we took today and headed back to the motorhome. It was still warm with clear blue skies, sunshine and little traffic making it an enjoyable ride.

Once we entered Marion County we were getting closer to the motorhome and even closer to suppertime. I decided to "Follow My Nose" and turned onto CR-464C which headed SW. That took us right to Ocklawaha, FL and "Gator Joe's" in time for supper.

The place was packed. Folks came in by Seaplane, Powerboats, Pontoon Boats, Wave Runners and Kayaks.

The beach on both sides of the deck was also packed.

We both decided on our usual meal - the "Fish Basket".

We watched the last few laps of the Daytona 500 before departing for the motorhome. Having been there for a race a few years ago my thoughts went back to how "Crazy" it was leaving after a race (and I shuddered). It was an exciting experience; but once was enough! The crowd and ensuing chaos is indescribable.

The "Low Fuel" light came on a few miles after leaving Gator Joe's. I figured I could make it back to the closest gas station to OMS that was on our route (at Altoona, FL). Thankfully I was right. Hey! That's 400 miles on 9.6 gallons = 41.7 mpg. The Del Sol is still running fine after 500,000 km. Wow! (It's a Honda). Just breaking in - Eh!

A few minutes after filling up we were  back at the motorhome. It was ust TV until bedtime.

That wrapped up a really interesting day.