Dec 13th to 18th - Naples FL

Dec 13th - Sat - Naples
More chores today! I did most of my sewing, need thread for one more pair of shorts. A cord in the blind in our bedroom broke some time ago. We shopped unsuccessfully a couple of times for replacement cord and checked on the internet for repair instructions which looked very complicated. We happened to mention it to our neighbor Ray and he said he had yards of cord, had repaired 4 blinds and would be happy to help us. Unfortunately, this was a 4 cord blind and didn’t look like the ones he had done. Fortunately, Terry was able to tape new cord to old and pull it through. It took a while to get everything adjusted but it works and I can put away the lovely container of seasoning that I was using to prop up the blind for some air.
We went through forwarded mail and then after dinner made a quick trip for the thread that I need. Hemmed one leg on the shorts, cussed the tangled mess of thread, ripped it out and left it for tomorrow!

Dec 14th - Sun - Naples
Strawberry shortcake again for breakfast. I love having it for breakfast instead of being too full to really enjoy it for dessert after dinner.
We had received a phone call yesterday from our friends Billy & Lori (traveled with them in Tennesee, NC and SC) and they are in the same park north of here as our friends Gary & Carie from Victoria BC. We picked up Billy & Lori and went to the Fleamasters flea market. The weather turned out windier and cooler than forecast so it was a good day for the flea market. Basket of 5 tomatoes $1, whole medium seedless watermelon $2, huge avocado $1.
We stopped at Costco on the way back and discovered that they have a separate liquor store with good prices so we had to stock up a bit. We had a drink with Billy & Lori and Gary & Carie joined us when they drove into the park.
Christmas decorations along Hwy 41 are lovely so it is fun to drive home in the dark. Palm trees are a natural to decorate with lights spiraled around the trunk.

Dec 15th - Mon - Naples
Did a bit of housecleaning and put together a picnic lunch for a visit to a beach today. Billy & Lori and Gary & Carie came to our site and then we took 2 vehicles to Delnor-Wiggins State Park which is not very far from here. It rained last night and the weather did not look promising but it was still warm. After paying the $5 per carload state park fee, we found several parking lots with boardwalks to a very long, white sand beach. We set up chairs and relaxed!! Did some shelling, ate lunch and everyone except Terry & I went in the water. I did wade and the water is initially cool but swimmable. We built a sandman (as opposed to a snowman!) and took a bunch of pictures with it.
Some very dark clouds started moving in so we wisely packed up and headed for our rig just in time to get under the awning before the rain really came down. Billy & Lori headed out after one drink, Gary & Carie and we moved inside for another round when wind came up with another downpour.

Dec 16th - Tues - Naples
Our steps had quite a few rusty spots so, since there was very little wind, we spray painted them this morning. Then, since we had to wait for the steps to dry, we went for a bike ride along a path/sidewalk beside Hwy 41 and then checked out a small strip mall near our RV park. And wouldn’t you know it - Terry found a little casino there! We each signed up for a card with an initial $5 on it. I lost the $5 and a bit more and finally pried Terry out of there with some money still on his card.
We had invited Ray & Claire for dinner so we made a quick trip to a grocery store for a couple of items, put the baby backs on to boil and sat down for a drink with our guests. Because of the high humidity here, the steps were still not dry so we put them up and used the cooler to get into the rig - good thing for Ray & Claire that we ate outside. Had a great dinner with dessert provided by Claire.

Dec 17th - Wed - Naples
Had a late breakfast today before we realized that it was hamburger day at the community center here. We made RV park reservations for January (still in Florida) and did some cleaning. Terry thought he would have a hamburger anyway but we both ended up just having ice cream. Then we went back to the casino and spent some time and not too much money.
I spent some very frustrating time trying to figure out why our vehicle insurance premium went up by $100. Insurance company sent me to the credit bureau (rate is based on your credit rating!) which sent me back to the insurance company where someone finally found that WA state had an increase in premiums last year. I was getting pretty upset before it was all solved.

Dec 18th - Thurs - Naples
Another beach day. We stopped at a couple of stores before picking up Billy & Lori to go to Sanibel Island which is not too far north of here. There is a $6 fee to cross the causeway to the island. We found a public access and the metered parking that we had been told about. So we paid for 3 hours at $2 per hour and packed our gear out to the beach. Everyone raves about the beauty of Sanibel Island and the beaches there but we would return any time to Delnor-Wiggins rather than Sanibel.
It was a hot day except for a few welcome cooler periods when the sun went behind a cloud - great for sitting, eating & drinking!. We left just before 4 and drove north to Captiva Island. Large houses and lovely landscaping. We dropped Billy & Lori and went to check on Gary & Carie. Gary has been having some very bad back pain and had gone for some chiropractic/massage treatments. He was still feeling pretty bad but has not let it totally stop him.