Tue - Feb 20/18

Today we decided to redo our plan for pancake lunch at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill inside De Leon Springs State Park. We passed on our previous visit because of the 2 hour wait. We had plans "Up the Road" and this would have made us late.

Our first stop on the way was at the Quilt Shop of Deland.

It was packed with a group on a "Quilt Shop Run". I don't know if they were just coming here or visiting a number of other shops (probably) in the area. They all had "Name Tags" which suggests a bus tour from an RV park.

Then we were off to De Leon Springs State Park and the Old Spanish Sugar Mill Grill and Griddle House. Today we had only this in mind and we came prepared with a plan of attack for the usual wait:

      - 1. Get tickets for the Boat Cruise. (Come early - often sell out - last cruise today was at 1 p.m.)
      - 2. Give your name at the Sugar Mill for a table and tell them you are taking the boat cruise @ (give the time)
      - 3. Take the cruise.
      - 4. Return to the Sugar Mill and tell them you are back. You will have a table quickly.

This beats trying to kill an hour or two just waiting for a table.

De Leon Springs State Park, in the early 1800s,  was developed by settlers as the Spring Garden Plantation and a sugar mill. Later in the century, the plantation was destroyed twice, during the Second Seminole War and the Civil War. In the 1880s, the railroad arrived and the springs became a winter resort with a hotel and a wall enclosing the spring bowl. The name was changed from Spring Garden to Ponce De Leon Springs to attract tourists who were promised “a fountain of youth impregnated with a deliciously healthy combination of soda and sulphur.” In the 1920s, the sugar mill and paddlewheel were reconstructed and still stand today.

The spring itself is in a large, shallow, conical pool, 189 feet by 168 feet, and 28 feet deep to the single central vent with an everyday temp of 72 F. Water flows at an average 14 - 19 million gallons per day over a 3-foot drop to the spring run, and on to Spring Garden Lake, then to the 18,000-acre Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, Lakes Woodruff and Dexter, and eventually to the St. Johns River. The St. Johns River is only one of 3 rivers in the USA that flow South to North (exiting into the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville, FL.)

Today activities include: Swimming (in the pool only), snorkeling, kayaking/canoeing, paddleboat rentals, boat tour, fishing, hiking, boat ramp, wildlife viewing, picnic area, playground and restaurant dining in the historic sugar mill. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg-gMg5yez0

Only instructional scuba sessions are allowed. There is no recreational diving; however a scuba diver did discover a 6,000 year old Indian Canoe that had sunk in the spring. These first inhabitants of the area also left burial grounds and shell mounds (aka garbage dump) around the spring.

Charlotte scored the best seat (according to the Captain) on the tour boat. The 50 minute cruise was leisurely and informative. We got to view a large variety of birds as they perched in trees, swam nearby or flew past the boat.

There were also "Gators" of all sizes from babies to 12 feet in length. Can you spot the baby in this shot? (Center @ 3 o'clock)

Back at the Sugar Mill it was still packed; but we were seated in just a few minutes. Fortunately, we were seated near the door which afforded us a welcomed breeze. All the tables have their own griddles which makes it a warm environment. You receive 2 types of batter for the "all you can eat" pancakes. The Early American pancake mix is made from either their own unique mixture of 5 fresh stone ground wheat varieties or unbleached white.

They also provide the utensils, cooking spray, butter and 3 types of syrup (Raw Honey, Regular Syrup or Unsulphured Molasses). We both decided on the Molasses for a change as we usually have Maple Syrup at home. We added Chopped Pecans and Chocolate Chips to sprinkle into our batter and Bacon as a side. Yummy!

We returned by way of Barberville and Alexander Springs to avoid the rush hour traffic through Deland, FL. This route also had less traffic and was a more relaxed drive.

OMS Office sent a note thanking the park residents for helping to raise $7,500.00 for the UFD!

I went to the MPR to use the Wi-Fi to publish the blog. I returned to the RV in time for the start of our usual Jeopardy TV evening.

Mon - Feb 19/18

We both decided this was a good day to be lazy. Just checked e-Mails and watched TV all morning.

Stu sent great pictures of UFD Spaghetti Supper Fundraiser at the park yesterday.

The UFD volunteers were ready if a call came in (none did; but they came to OMS in the morning on an EMS call). We were surprised by the number of girls that are now volunteering for the UFD.

Lunch was the last of our Spaghetti that we made the other day. We would have finished it yesterday; but we didn't want Spaghetti twice in one day. Our version today was minus the salad, breadstick and meatballs. Ours was tastier; but of course, it always is on the 2nd (or 3rd) day.

Stu also sent us a picture (unknown origin) from the (just past) Canada Day celebration at the Rec Hall. Several folks were taking pictures with their iPads. No idea who took this one.

After lunch we went to the MPR to work on the last of the "No Sew" quilts that Charlotte is making to bring home as gifts. We went at this time as there is no planned activity in the room. This way we can put two of the tables together making it easier to work on the project. Two layers of "Polar Fleece" material are placed together, pinned and trimmed.

Then a 5 inch square is cut out of each corner. Now 5 inch slits are cut an inch apart all around the edge of the material. When this is done it is time to "tie up the loose ends."(literally).  Each slit (top and bottom) are then tied together (secure knots) to finish the quilt. All this took a little more than two hours with both of us working.

We returned the quilt and quilting tools to the motorhome then departed to Publix for our lottery tickets (no luck - as usual) and a jug of milk. We were back in the motorhome by 5 p.m.

Two additional scary  Florida (aka "The Gunshine State") facts from TV:
        - 49% of residents have a concealed weapon permit. (How many more illegal weapons? How many more "Long Guns"?)
       - over 98,000 "Hit and Runs" last year. (How many more weren't reported? This is why I bought a Dash Cam.)

We were still not very hungry after finishing the spaghetti for dinner. Supper was just munchies as we watched Jeopardy. Charlotte made "PCP Ritz". Sounds like a "Druggies Dream". Actually, it is P(epperoni on) C(heddar chunks on) P(ickles - Hamburger Dill slices on) Ritz.(grin) Yummy!

Just a TV evening to wrap up the day.

Sun - Feb 18/18

Got up early to publish the blog as I had lost the Wi-Fi connection just as I was about to do that last night. I got it done and went back to watching CBS Sunday Morning in bed as is our usual Sunday morning practice.

In the News:

Trump shamefully used the Florida school "Valentine's Day Massacre" to blast the FBI and once again to claim "No Collusion" with the Russians.

Students from the school today voiced their opinions on CBS Sunday Morning. They are planning a mass student protest by Marching in March (on Washington, DC). I wish them success. They are the next generation. Hopefully, they will not lose their "Common Sense" and concern for all when they become the next politicians.

Politicians get votes from the poor using funds from the rich while promising both protection from each other. In doing so they use the art of compromise: i.e. "If you stop telling lies about me I will stop telling the truth about you!" Although seemingly funny, it is really not a laughing matter.

Not News:

The heavy dew in the morning means it is cloudy until almost noon. The warmth (mid-80's F) from the sun burns off the moisture in the air and it becomes dry with no chance of rain during the day.

No initial plans for the day except our 5:30 seating time for the annual Spaghetti Supper that supports the Umatilla Volunteer Fire Department. This event raises several thousand dollars every year. The money is used to buy needed items for the unit.

Mid-morning Stu sent a picture from last night's show in the Rec Hall. We (Stu and I) took the picture. Stu took the initial picture then I used his camera to take a second picture from the same (as close as possible) location. Stu, skillfully using Photo Shop (a software program), joined the two photos together so we all appeared in the same picture. Neat! Definitely "Cut and Paste".

We decided to relax with a TV afternoon until it was time for Spaghetti.

Well, that didn't last long! I was putting the new wiper blades together getting them prepared for installation on the motorhome. The first unit went together fine. The second unit was missing the correct connecting bolt. This meant a trip back to Camping World.

At Camping World they sold the remaining 28" unit that was left yesterday; however they did have 26" sets that are identical except for wiper length. I took one of these to the front and told them I was taking the piece (connector w/red washer and nut) I needed out of that package and adding it to my original purchase which I would keep. This totally flustered the two ladies at the cash. I gave them no choice and left with my old unit; receipt and the missing parts that I extracted from the 26" set.

At least the day was lovely for the trip. During daylight drives in this direction I take CR-450 from Umatilla to CR-42 to US-27 to Camping World. Reverse the process going back. The bonus is that CR-450 is the least used of the three main roads that connect to CR-42 from Umatilla. With no cars behind us (in both directions) for the entire time we were on this section we were able to go slower than the speed limit and enjoy the drive.

Back at the motorhome we watched the Daytona 500 on TV until it was time to go for supper. I had time to assemble the last wiper blade unit before departing for our 5 - 5:30 p.m. Spaghetti Supper sitting.

The hall was packed.

There were plenty of volunteers from both OMS and the Umatilla Fire Department to serve. The food was good as was the company at our table. Several hundred will be served before the event is over later this evening.

We returned to the motorhome for dessert. Charlotte made strawberries w/whipped cream which we enjoyed while watching the end of the Daytona 500. After a few multi-car pileups including one at the end of the race, Austin Dillon came out on top. This is a BT - DT. (Been There - Done That) for us. A race at Daytona is an awesome experience that everyone should do at least once. A tour of the facility is also highly recommended; however now we prefer TV viewing over the post-race chaos of trying to get to the car and then depart the scene.

We got a phone call about 7:30 p.m. Our ticket in the 50-50 draw was a winner. Charlotte and I decided to donate it back to the Fire Department. They actually had made an emergency call to the park earlier today.  It was our way of saying "Thanks" for all they do.

Nothing else planned except a TV evening.

I couldn't get on to Stu's Wi-Fi this evening; however I had a good connection on my cell phone and was able to use it as a "Hot Spot" and proceeded to publish the blog.

Sat - Feb 17/18

Today started with the OMS Yard Sale. This event ran from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Charlotte wanted to go to Martha's site for two reasons: 1) Last year she had Catnip Cat Toys for sale and Charlotte wanted to buy some for Max and Jesse (our cats back home). She also wanted some advice on constructing "Florence the Flamingo".

I dropped her off at Martha's and went to check the Post Office - nothing.

Then I crossed the road to the car wash area and washed the pollen off the Del Sol. Martha's site was right behind the car wash area. I could keep an eye on Charlotte as I washed the car. No Catnip Cat Toys this year; but she did manage to find a cat toy and a few other items.

We returned with these to the motorhome to leave our new found treasures before heading off to the Marion Flea Market.

We have never seen it so crowded. All the inside booths were manned today. There were also many outside booths compared to only a few on our previous visits.

Charlotte always enjoys looking through the "As Seen On TV" section. Nothing needed this time.

Along the way we found out "Elvis was in the building"...a Limited Edition Elvis PEZ Collectible, that is (grin) Our daughter Liz collects PEZ. Of course, we don't have any idea if she has this one or not (she has hundreds) so we called. They (Nick and Marty, too) were relaxing in front of the fireplace at a ski lodge at Mont Tremblant, QC when we called to check. I remember when we used to like snow - that was years ago. (grin)

Charlotte managed to find a number of nice decorated T's she liked. We also bought to 2 small pie servers (one for the RV and one for home) at the kitchen supply booth. The servers we have are too large for the smaller diameter pies we usually purchase at Publix.

We ventured down to an aisle at the beginning that we never ventured down. It was mostly mattresses and pillows and that type of item; however at the Webster Flea Market a vendor mentioned he had a booth here and would have what I was looking at this location. I managed to find him and he did have 2 Business Card Cases that I purchased to replace my current case when it needs to be replaced. Wallets are everywhere; but Business Card Cases are very hard to find.

We then departed the Flea Market and headed just a few miles south on US-27 to Camping World. There I bought 2 new windshield wipers for the motorhome. I need a special model of blade for the Bounder as it attached to a holder by a pin which in turn is attached to the wiper arm using 2 screws.
Luckily, they had a pair in stock.

Now it was time for lunch. The closest of our usual restaurants was Cracker Barrel a few miles more along US-27 in Lady Lake, FL. Here the US-27 highway is also co-named as US-441. The best part of Cracker Barrel, after the food, is the Old Country Store. Needless to say she always finds a few items "To Go" (home with her).

We continue to enjoy the great convertible weather by taking as many "Back Roads" as possible on our return to OMS so we wouldn't have to "speed".

I got involved trying to do as much of this evenings blog and didn't notice the time. Thankfully Stu and Gladys saved us a seat at the Rec Hall. (Whew!) Tonight's "Diamond" show (a Neil Diamond Tribute) was SRO (Sold Right Out).

Charlotte and I left the show as the last song was starting to "Beat the Rush". We were back at the RV in a few minutes. I then worked on finishing the blog.

Once again, thanks to Stu, I have great photos from the show that he sent just as I was doing the blog. Some of the excellent photos are included with my show description below.

Jack Berrios has been doing a Neil Diamond Tribute Show for the last 15 years. Berrios brings high-energy to his show, complete with a backup singer, a conga player, his son on keyboard, a costume change and background lights." 

He sang many of Neil's hits and sounded remarkably like Diamond. Songs, included crowd favorites, such as, "America," "Cherry, Cherry," "Solitary Man" and "I'm a Believer "were interspersed with stories about Diamond's life and career. Jack came down and interacted with the audience on several occasions.

He also had a member of the audience join him for a duet of Neil and Barbra Streisand's "You Don't Bring Me Flowers (Anymore)". The show was enjoyable and moved at a relaxed pace. With a short intermission it lasted almost 2 hours.

I lost the Wi-Fi connection just as I was about to publish the blog. I got up Sunday and was able to publish before we started watching CBS Sunday Morning.

Fri - Feb 16/18

Mid-80's F and dry for the next week. Only light clouds once the fog burnt off.

I installed the Digital Stream TV Converter - it is a newer model with a new screen view; but otherwise all is the same as the unit it replaces. We now will use the old unit for backup and the extra remote will "Travel". We can each have one - this means "Dueling Remotes". (grin)

Just a lazy TV morning after a busy week. It will be an "Odds and Ends" kind of day.

We went out to lunch at Gator Grill in Umatilla, FL. Charlotte liked the Haddock we had so much last Friday that we returned. It was just as yummy and we will probably be back again.

We returned to the motorhome and watched TV until late afternoon when we went to Walgreens across from our usual Publix at the intersection of SR-19 and SR-44 for a few items including the usual "Woman's World" magazine.

Convertible cruising was very comfortable despite still being in the mid-80's F. (after 5 p.m.) The lack of humidity made it feel much cooler than last week at the same temp.

Stu e-Mailed photos of his "Sewer Solution" installation. Job well done! I showed him my setup recently. I'm sure he will find it as easy to use as I do mine.  (Refer to blog for explanation of Sewer Solution - Wednesday - Dec 2/15).

Again, since it will be the usual "Jeopardy TV Evening. I will publish the blog early.

Thu - Feb 15/18

Florida is totally fogged in this morning and it will take an extra hour to lift today. After that back to the 80's F and dry for a week.

Rant Time: All the news stations are giving details on the mass school shooting yesterday. 17 dead. Yet there is virtually nothing about stopping the sale of guns. Little comment from Trump. Maybe it has something to do with the 30 Million NRA contribution to his election campaign. This is news because there were 17 killed all at once. In the USA there is an average of 45-50 people murdered every day. I can't help believe that this would be less if guns were banned. End of Rant!

Today is Yoga in the Lodge so I went to the MPR with Charlotte. She is working on "Florence the Flamingo" today, A few men using Wi-Fi for a bit (until Yoga was over and the "Do Not Enter" sign on the door was removed). There were about 10 ladies sewing away today.

Amazon's "Free Shipping" (from CA) is out for delivery so it should be here later today. Their 5-7 day shipping has always arrived in 2. Great Service.

Charlotte managed to get "Florence" cut out. She took out her sewing machine and has started working on the clothes. We will also be going to JoAnn for one last "No Sew" quilt if we can find one that is suitable. I had to spend time getting my e-Mail working again.

On the way to JoAnn mid-afternoon I checked the Post Office. There was a "You Have Mail". We picked up the Amazon order at the office on the way out of the park.

The fog had lifted about 10 a.m. We enjoyed the convertible weather as we drove along Lakeshore Drive in Eustis, FL on the way to JoAnn where Charlotte picked up another pack of batting and another "No Sew" Quilt Kit.

We stopped at Winn-Dixie on the way back to OMS because Publix didn't have Smuckers "Goober" in stock. Goober is a mix of peanut butter and fruit.Yummy! We were able to pick up one of each type.

We also picked up our lottery tickets - no luck as usual.










Just another Jeopardy TV evening tonight after the sadness of the school shooting updates on the evening news. Hug your kids!

Wed - Feb 14/18


Happy Valentine's Day!

Originally, today was to commemorate the sacrifice of St. Valentine, who became a martyr for performing Christian marriages 18 centuries ago.

 (oil painting - Leonhard Beck - circa 1510)

For the first time since 1945 it is also Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. This, of course, will put Easter Sunday on April Fool's Day.

As Shakespeare would say; "Therein lies the rub!" (grin)

Today is also Ash Wednesday. Along with Good Friday, while not a "Holy Day" (when Catholics are required to attend mass), it is the only other day requiring Fasting and Abstinence from meat  (not sex - another big grin).

NY Daily News

“My "freestyle" marks are all in good fun,” Bill Donaghy, the artist, said. “God knows we need a sense of humor..."

On Ash Wednesday ashes, an expression of grief in ancient times, are often ceremonially placed on the fore heads of Christians as a visible cross. Traditionally, accompany this gesture are the words (sometimes in Latin) "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return." In 1969, the Catholic Roman Rite (Western) introduced "Repent, and believe in the Gospel"(Mark 1:15) to remind the faithful of their sinfulness; mortality and need to repent. Either wording may be used as well as sprinkling ashes on the head rather than a cross on the forehead.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day in Lent. Can you still be a believer and celebrate with Champagne and Chocolates? I'm sure the "All things in moderation rule can apply here."

To that end we will pass on the above. Charlotte and I will celebrate with popcorn and bottled water at the Orange Blossom Opry tonight in Wiersdale as The Shirelles perform. It is a 7:30 p.m. show and we will be back too late to include a synopsis in the blog. I will "go out on a limb" and say the show was great!

Happy Valentine's Day Charlotte!

Back to today! A usual Wednesday otherwise. It is starting off overcast, damp and cool; however it will warm up to almost 80 F by this afternoon. Tomorrow and the next week will all be above 80 F and dry. This is on course to be the warmest February on record.

I dropped Charlotte off at the MPR. Just Charlotte and Jean there today - more ladies will probably arrive later. Today she will be working on two "No Sew" Polar Fleece quilts.  Once the top and bottom are aligned narrow slits are cut around the edge. These narrow pieces of material are then knotted together. Voila! a "No Sew" quilt is born. 

I went next door to the Lodge to use the Wi-Fi. Most of the first hour was installing updates, checking e-Mail, checked yesterday's Amazon order (already left CA) and did the banking. The "Tornado Committee" were meeting here again and "fine tuning" their work. Volunteers are often "taken for granted"; but they make many things in life better. 

I finished early and went over to the MPR to check on Charlotte's progress and to help her pack up when done. We got a little "Knotty".(grin) I helped her tie knots to finish the second "No Sew" quilt that she was working on today. That only took an hour. 

Then it was back to the motorhome for lunch. Being a "No Meat" day and because we don't do "Vegan" posed a problem. Luckily, we still had a can of Habitant Pea Soup from home. We usually eat it with really fresh bread; but we had none. Time for a little trick. I put the bread we did have in the microwave (5 slices for 1 minute on high). Mmmm...like it just came out of the oven. Dessert was fresh strawberries w/whipped cream...another Mmmm.

Just a relaxing TV afternoon before heading (At 6 p.m.) to the Opry for the 7:30 p.m. show featuring "The Shirelles". 

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Hope you didn't make an "Ash" of yourself. (grin)

Quick Update: Just after we published the blog and before we were leaving.

School Shooting in Parkland, FL. (near Ft. Lauderdale)

Former student was taken into custody about an hour after he had left the building. 15 deaths and multiple injuries - no firm totals yet.

This is the 18th. school shooting since Columbine. Parkland was voted the safest community in Florida. I'd hate to live in a dangerous community.