Sep 4, 2021 - We made it home

After just under two months, we are home. It has been a great trip in spite of the Covid-19 issue. We had the opportunity to see so many great things in this country. Our trip total was 8122 miles on the coach and 1800 miles on the scooter. We traveled through countless national and state parks, an unbelievable number of national and state forests, and were successful pretty much in avoiding the cities. Several people have asked what parks were our favorites. This is how I would classify. Best park overall is Yellowstone. Second best...

Feb 27, 2021 - what season is this?

When we are at home in Illinois, there is no mistaking the seasons, even though occasionally in times of transition there can be some quick changes back and forth. Most of the time we are here in Florida during the winter, heading north once the snow has melted. In our previous stays here, I have been surprised by the lack of any color besides green. If something was blooming, it was either so tiny you could hardly see it or something non-native that someone had obviously planted in their yard. But since we arrived here last fall and spring...

Feb 21, 2021 - post vaccine

Our night out in a restaurant was great; what a treat it was to be eating food I had not cooked. The couple who is renting our other campsite stopped by to pick our brains about cruising. They had been on their first one pre-COVID and loved it and wanted to know more. It was kind of cool and windy to sit outside and talk so we invited them in the motor home and two hours later we had told them everything we know. It felt so good to have someone over. Other than that life here in central Florida is pretty much the same. We joined an Audubon...

Feb 19, 2021 - Pumpkin Spice Pudding Pie

I have only five more days for my RADIATION THERAPY TREATMENTS , the other three weeks have gone by pretty good, with no problems but that I feel so weak and have to take a nap after my treatments. Norma wanted to make pumpkin spice pudding last Nov for THANKSGIVING but did not have the time to make PUMPKIN BREAD , PUMPKIN PIE and all the other stuff. So today it is the PUMPKIN SPICE PUDDING PIE and while the pie is cooling Norma went out to cut the grass. Here it is Feb with snow up north and we have flowers growing and a garden in the...

Feb 18, 2021 - Collier Seminole State Park, Naples FL

This is the start of about a month long tour of southern FL. We left Murrells Inlet SC on the 14th, made a couple stops along the way, and we arrived at Collier Seminole State Park this afternoon. We will be here at Collier Seminole State Park for almost a week. Hope all is well with you. Stay safe. Stay healthy. 2-ole-buddies & Bentley

Feb 17, 2021 - Emancipation Day

We returned to the parking lot outside the Brevard County Health Department building for a second COVID vaccination and the promise of normal life. We were surprised that there were significantly fewer people lined up in their cars along side us than last time. No one was getting shot #2 last time we were there and everyone who got shot #1 with us should have been there for #2. We have no idea what caused the difference. Again no one cared that we were from out of state and the concerns we had heard that vaccine was in short supply did not...

Feb 14, 2021 - Time Is Flying By

It's been a month since I've written here, time is flying by. Each weeks seems to go faster. There isn't a whole lot to report on. An RV is normally one adventure after another as far as what needs fixing is concerned. This trip has been no different. We've removed and repaired a toilet, replaced a 120v to 12v converter-charger, replaced a water pump in the coach portion, hung a six foot long privacy shade at the windshield, and had a leaking vacuum breaker replaced in the waste system. After having to rebuild our two rear stabilizing jacks...

Feb 13, 2021 - Linda threw me under the bus

Here is what happened we had decided to wait on the Covid vaccination until later in the year maybe around flue shot time. They were giving shots at the Volusia County fairgrounds and Publix had started giving them at their stores Jan. 29th. So this is what changed everything. I heard Linda talking to Kathy(sister-in-law). Kathy had got her shot and she asked Linda when she would get hers. Her reply was I will get it when Donald tells me too. So when she got off the phone I told her she had threw me under the bus. I said now if you get...

Feb 11, 2021 - Summerfield FL

Friday night Dan and Lisa came by our little bit of wheel estate and had dinner and hung out for a couple hours. Dan is working on Sunday, our normal day to meet them at Flicker Light in Hollywood for pizza, so we just did it a couple days early and accomplished the same thing. A fair amount of pizza, chicken wings, garlic rolls and salad were devoured as expected. We were out the door about 9:30 Saturday morning and on our way to Ft. Lauderdale for breakfast at Southport. Breakfast is a new offering there and since Jeff said it was pretty...

Feb 10, 2021 - Reservation In Texas

Because we our going to Texas this year on our three month vacation or trip. I could not reserve a camp site in Texas because they have a five months before you can reserve a state park camp site. Most states have a eleven month ahead of time for reservation of state parks camp sites. I need to reserve a camp sites in Texas because all the state parks we our going to camp in has water falls , cold spring waters or cold rivers with springs running . It is summer time so we need to cool off at the end of the day. The Texas state park system...

Feb 9, 2021 - in search of peace and beauty

As we wait to get our second COVID injection next week and for the freedom it will provide, we are continuing to enjoy the natural wonders of central Florida. There are so many wetlands and nature sanctuaries around here that we easily could visit one every day and not get to them all. A few nature photographers at The Great Outdoors contribute regularly to our Facebook page. Their posts give us new ideas of places to visit. Even when we go to the same park on the same day as they do, we see different creatures. It's not Disney World. We...

Feb 4, 2021 - Thursday - kayak day!

Although the morning was cool, the day was fantastic! We went to Alligator Creek (no alligators here though!) and kayaked over 8 miles in 4 hours! The group was small with 7 of us, but we all enjoyed our time together. I saw about 7 Osprey, a couple of Little Blue Herons, a flying Great Blue Heron, a couple of Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Ibises, and a Bald Eagle!