Feb 25th - Wed - Picayune
After I caught up our blog, we went casino hopping today. First to the Silver Slipper in Bay St Louis. You have to wind around to the coast to find this casino - it is very isolated but lots of people were there. We received a coupon for a half price buffet so we immediately had a very good lunch. We got $10 on our player cards - it took a while for me to lose mine and an additional $5 and Terry to lose his and an additional $10 - pretty cheap entertainment.
Then we headed back towards Biloxi and hit the Treasure Bay Casino where we got nothing on our card and weren’t really impressed with the casino so we did not stay. Next was the Island View with $10 each on the card - I lost mine and Terry added $10 and still came out with nothing! In Biloxi we went to the very large Beau Rivage Casino. It belongs to the MGM chain where we already had a players card so we did not get a promos on the card. We each spent a few more $ and decided we were burned out. We hit I10 to come back.
There are miles of beaches along Hwy 90 which is the road we took along the coast. There is a lot of road rebuilding still going on to repair hurricane damage and there are lots of foundations that have not been used for new buildings. Near Biloxi, some of the remaining tree trunks have been cleverly used by chainsaw carvers.
Gary & Carie took their 5th wheel into town for new tires today so we stopped by for a short happy hour to find out how it all went.
Feb 26th - Thurs - Picayune
Waited for the laundry room to empty out and got the wash done this morning. Went with Gary & Carie to Dirt Cheap and Treasure Hunt stores as I had seen an alarm clock that I thought would suit their needs. Then we all went to Bay St. Louis to the Hollywood Casino where Gary & Carie signed up for player cards and got their $25 credit for slot play. Carie put $5 into a machine, hit a bonus and cashed out $26 so she was a happy camper - or should I say “happy gambler”? Terry & I started playing a couple of machines that we hadn’t played before and we actually came out $10 ahead which is unusual for us lately. I will mention that my winnings covered Terry’s losses! Carie took her winnings up to $41 and Gary made a whopping 14 cents.
All 6 of us got together for happy hour which again was inside due to the weather cooling off so quickly when the sun goes down.
Feb 27th - Fri - Picayune
Pretty quiet day. Computer stuff including giving Lauri a quick Word lesson, shortened a couple of pairs of jeans, sewed some hanging tabs on towels for Carie, Terry cleaned the truck and Billy kept us updated on tornado warnings in some counties to the north of us. We took a short drive to Louisiana to buy lottery tickets, got some lunch and picked up a few groceries. Back in time to join everyone in Billy & Lauri’s rig for happy hour. The weather was warmer and we could have sat out but it seems like the warm weather also brought out bugs, especially no seeums.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Feb 22nd to 24th - Picayune MS
Feb 22nd - Sun - Picayune MS
We were finishing a few chores when Billy & Lauri arrived at 11:30. The park had messed up the sites and were parking them on the original site on the entrance road. Terry helped get that all straightened out. After Billy & Lauri set up and had lunch, we all went to the nearby Super WalMart for a few groceries. Shortly after we returned, Carie & Gary showed up.
We had an early dinner and then Carie & Gary came over to watch the Academy Awards which we normally don’t watch. Lauri was the one who definitely wanted to watch them and we have the satellite set up so knew we would get them. But Lauri wasn’t feeling up to par and they could pick up the show with their antenna so they ended up staying home.
Feb 23rd - Mon - Picayune
We all went to New Orleans today to check out the city and the Mardi Gras celebrations. We stopped at a visitor center and got some good advice for parking and a recommendation to stay for a couple of parades this evening rather than attending parades tomorrow. Today is actually “Lundi Gras” (Fat Monday) and tomorrow is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) so tomorrow will be much more crowded.
We found the parking lot with no problem and choked up a bit at the $20 cost for all day. Carie & Gary were riding with us so we got a break and split the cost. It was a short walk to the French Quarter and we headed for Bourbon Street. The French Quarter is very old and mostly not refurbished. Many buildings on the side streets appear to be uninhabited. Bourbon Street was very interesting with people on balconies throwing beads to people on the street. The street was closed to all but delivery trucks and you can walk around anywhere in New Orleans with booze in plastic cups.
We stopped at a little place eatery with courtyard seating. I tried jambalaya and Terry had gumbo. For the $7.99 price each we would not order it again! After lunch we continued walking and ended up at the river (Mississippi of course) where a lot of the buildings appear to be rebuilt. We enjoyed a beer at a microbrewery and then walked and shopped some more. One parade started at 5:15 and the second at 6:00 from a spot outside downtown so we decided to have dinner before the parade. We were on Canal Street just out of the French Quarter and ended up at a Chinese restaurant where only Billy had a meal that was really enjoyable.
We ended up waiting until 7:30 before the first parade finally started coming down Canal Street. Of course we were standing and all our feet were getting tired. Again, floats were very nice and “throws” (beads and stuff) were plentiful. There were not huge crowds and we felt very safe with a large police presence. There was about a 20 minute wait before the second parade which was Krewe Orpheus and one of the larger parades with celebrities. 3 of the very large, tall floats included Josh Groban, Joan Rivers and Jim Bellushi. The signature float of Krewe Orpheus is a multi car train - very impressive. Quite a few of the floats had small trailers behind with 4 rotating spotlights. I should get pictures posted soon.
We had positioned ourselves for a short walk to the vehicles and headed there after the second parade. On the way we saw parking advertised for $30 and $40 so felt better about our rate. Wanda directed us quickly to the freeway and an easy 40 minute drive back.
Feb 24th - Tues - Picayune
A relaxing day today to give our feet a break. Lazy morning, a breakfast sandwich and then we headed out to go somewhere. I wanted to explore Picayune so we drove in the direction that we thought the town would be and we were surprised at how large it is. We HAD to stop at a store called Hudson’s Treasure Hunt. It turned out to be a large, clearance store where you had to go down each aisle as things were not strictly segregated and organized (this is an understatement!). One whole end was devoted to fabric & crafts, the other end to clothes and in between a bit of everything else. Kind of a flea market in one store - we felt right at home. After wandering around for quite a while, we ended up with some powerful little magnets for our board and some automotive light bulbs! Then we had to stop into the “sister” store across the street (Dirt Cheap) which turned out to be basically more of the same.
Filled up with diesel at $2.09 a gallon, we could get used to that price. Terry wanted to take advantage of the sunny day to barbeque so we stopped at WalMart for some pork chops and also picked up a bulb to repair a brake light on the truck. We were just finishing our early dinner when Carie stopped in to invite us over for a drink. Billy stopped in for a few minutes to report on their return trip to New Orleans. He said there were lots of people and they decided early that they would leave before dark.
We were finishing a few chores when Billy & Lauri arrived at 11:30. The park had messed up the sites and were parking them on the original site on the entrance road. Terry helped get that all straightened out. After Billy & Lauri set up and had lunch, we all went to the nearby Super WalMart for a few groceries. Shortly after we returned, Carie & Gary showed up.
We had an early dinner and then Carie & Gary came over to watch the Academy Awards which we normally don’t watch. Lauri was the one who definitely wanted to watch them and we have the satellite set up so knew we would get them. But Lauri wasn’t feeling up to par and they could pick up the show with their antenna so they ended up staying home.
Feb 23rd - Mon - Picayune
We all went to New Orleans today to check out the city and the Mardi Gras celebrations. We stopped at a visitor center and got some good advice for parking and a recommendation to stay for a couple of parades this evening rather than attending parades tomorrow. Today is actually “Lundi Gras” (Fat Monday) and tomorrow is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) so tomorrow will be much more crowded.
We found the parking lot with no problem and choked up a bit at the $20 cost for all day. Carie & Gary were riding with us so we got a break and split the cost. It was a short walk to the French Quarter and we headed for Bourbon Street. The French Quarter is very old and mostly not refurbished. Many buildings on the side streets appear to be uninhabited. Bourbon Street was very interesting with people on balconies throwing beads to people on the street. The street was closed to all but delivery trucks and you can walk around anywhere in New Orleans with booze in plastic cups.
We stopped at a little place eatery with courtyard seating. I tried jambalaya and Terry had gumbo. For the $7.99 price each we would not order it again! After lunch we continued walking and ended up at the river (Mississippi of course) where a lot of the buildings appear to be rebuilt. We enjoyed a beer at a microbrewery and then walked and shopped some more. One parade started at 5:15 and the second at 6:00 from a spot outside downtown so we decided to have dinner before the parade. We were on Canal Street just out of the French Quarter and ended up at a Chinese restaurant where only Billy had a meal that was really enjoyable.
We ended up waiting until 7:30 before the first parade finally started coming down Canal Street. Of course we were standing and all our feet were getting tired. Again, floats were very nice and “throws” (beads and stuff) were plentiful. There were not huge crowds and we felt very safe with a large police presence. There was about a 20 minute wait before the second parade which was Krewe Orpheus and one of the larger parades with celebrities. 3 of the very large, tall floats included Josh Groban, Joan Rivers and Jim Bellushi. The signature float of Krewe Orpheus is a multi car train - very impressive. Quite a few of the floats had small trailers behind with 4 rotating spotlights. I should get pictures posted soon.
We had positioned ourselves for a short walk to the vehicles and headed there after the second parade. On the way we saw parking advertised for $30 and $40 so felt better about our rate. Wanda directed us quickly to the freeway and an easy 40 minute drive back.
Feb 24th - Tues - Picayune
A relaxing day today to give our feet a break. Lazy morning, a breakfast sandwich and then we headed out to go somewhere. I wanted to explore Picayune so we drove in the direction that we thought the town would be and we were surprised at how large it is. We HAD to stop at a store called Hudson’s Treasure Hunt. It turned out to be a large, clearance store where you had to go down each aisle as things were not strictly segregated and organized (this is an understatement!). One whole end was devoted to fabric & crafts, the other end to clothes and in between a bit of everything else. Kind of a flea market in one store - we felt right at home. After wandering around for quite a while, we ended up with some powerful little magnets for our board and some automotive light bulbs! Then we had to stop into the “sister” store across the street (Dirt Cheap) which turned out to be basically more of the same.
Filled up with diesel at $2.09 a gallon, we could get used to that price. Terry wanted to take advantage of the sunny day to barbeque so we stopped at WalMart for some pork chops and also picked up a bulb to repair a brake light on the truck. We were just finishing our early dinner when Carie stopped in to invite us over for a drink. Billy stopped in for a few minutes to report on their return trip to New Orleans. He said there were lots of people and they decided early that they would leave before dark.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Feb 18th to 21st - Foley to Picayune MS
Feb 18th - Wed - Foley
Another flea treatment for Dolly and I did some online research for tips on how to get rid of the darn critters. One suggestion was DAILY vacuuming so I figured I could handle that. Got it done just as Billy & Lauri came to pick us up for the day’s outing. We started a loop through Pensacola and went to the Gulf Islands National Seashore to walk and pick up sea shells. The sand is so fine that it squeaks when you scuff your feet in it. Back along the coast to Gulf Shores and then continued along the coast until we ran out of road and backtracked to Gulf Shores and headed north. Stopped for a cool beer since our dinner destination does not serve beer. Then we stopped at a store called “Old Time Pottery”. We had driven past it several times and wondered why there were so many cars in the parking lot. I saw in a brochure that it was a home furnishings store so we stopped to check it out. It is huge! Silk flowers, baskets, outdoor furniture, rows of chair pads, seasonal decorative items, dishes & kitchen ware, bath towels, bedding, knick-knacks and even some fishing items - to keep men interested I guess.
We introduced Billy & Lauri to Lamberts (throwed rolls) for dinner and all brought enough food home for another meal.
Feb 19th - Thurs - Foley
We determined that I messed up when we checked in here and paid for one less night than our friends will be here. Our spot is already taken and we don’t want to move for one night. If we hook up we will move rather than take another spot in this park. I called our next spot in Mississippi and there was no problem getting there a day early.
Carie & Gary arrived when we were sitting out enjoying the sun that finally was warm enough - and the rig provided a wind break. We all sat and chatted for a while, then we and Lauri & Billy fixed leftovers for a late lunch/early dinner as we are all going to another Mardi Gras parade tonight.
At 5 we all crowded into Gary’s truck and followed a neighbor to Daphne where they knew a good place to park for parade viewing. It was pretty cool and the parade didn’t start until 6:45 so we just visited with new friends and tried to stay warm. The parade was shorter than the previous one but there were fewer spectators right where we were standing so we all got lots of beads, stuffed toys and moon pies.
We drove through downtown Fairhope on the way back to show the others the wonderful lighted trees. Everyone was suitably impressed!
Feb 20th - Fri - Foley
Terry & I organized and packed up some things for our move tomorrow and then went for diesel and a few groceries. Then we dug out a couple of old clubs for Gary and we went golfing with him. We did 20 holes as there was a backup on the first hole when we went around the second time so we played 8 & 9 while the others got out of our way. The weather was perfect - warm and breezy.
Next we all went over to Billy & Lauri’s for happy hour. Lauri made dinner for all of us and then we were going to go to another parade. We decided to skip the parade as it was too cold so we went inside for dessert and concerts on CDs.
Feb 21st - Sat - to Picayune MS
Left at 9 for a 3 hour drive to Picayune, Mississippi. We bypassed Mobile AL and Biloxi MS on Hwy 10. We may drive back to Biloxi next week. The CampClubUSA sites here are right on the road into the park and we would have been separated so we decided to pay a bit extra with a weekly rate and get sites in the interior of the park and all together. Of course had to make phone calls to check with the others and finally got set up about 1:30.
Checked email, fed the dog and set out for a casino in Bay St Louis about 30 miles from here on the coast. We had a really good Rueben sandwich at a coffee shop there and played the slots for quite a while on the $25 that they put on our new players’ club cards. Back home to relax (and blog).
Good fuel prices here - unleaded in Picayune is $1.59 and one station in Bay St Louis had diesel at $1.95.
Another flea treatment for Dolly and I did some online research for tips on how to get rid of the darn critters. One suggestion was DAILY vacuuming so I figured I could handle that. Got it done just as Billy & Lauri came to pick us up for the day’s outing. We started a loop through Pensacola and went to the Gulf Islands National Seashore to walk and pick up sea shells. The sand is so fine that it squeaks when you scuff your feet in it. Back along the coast to Gulf Shores and then continued along the coast until we ran out of road and backtracked to Gulf Shores and headed north. Stopped for a cool beer since our dinner destination does not serve beer. Then we stopped at a store called “Old Time Pottery”. We had driven past it several times and wondered why there were so many cars in the parking lot. I saw in a brochure that it was a home furnishings store so we stopped to check it out. It is huge! Silk flowers, baskets, outdoor furniture, rows of chair pads, seasonal decorative items, dishes & kitchen ware, bath towels, bedding, knick-knacks and even some fishing items - to keep men interested I guess.
We introduced Billy & Lauri to Lamberts (throwed rolls) for dinner and all brought enough food home for another meal.
Feb 19th - Thurs - Foley
We determined that I messed up when we checked in here and paid for one less night than our friends will be here. Our spot is already taken and we don’t want to move for one night. If we hook up we will move rather than take another spot in this park. I called our next spot in Mississippi and there was no problem getting there a day early.
Carie & Gary arrived when we were sitting out enjoying the sun that finally was warm enough - and the rig provided a wind break. We all sat and chatted for a while, then we and Lauri & Billy fixed leftovers for a late lunch/early dinner as we are all going to another Mardi Gras parade tonight.
At 5 we all crowded into Gary’s truck and followed a neighbor to Daphne where they knew a good place to park for parade viewing. It was pretty cool and the parade didn’t start until 6:45 so we just visited with new friends and tried to stay warm. The parade was shorter than the previous one but there were fewer spectators right where we were standing so we all got lots of beads, stuffed toys and moon pies.
We drove through downtown Fairhope on the way back to show the others the wonderful lighted trees. Everyone was suitably impressed!
Feb 20th - Fri - Foley
Terry & I organized and packed up some things for our move tomorrow and then went for diesel and a few groceries. Then we dug out a couple of old clubs for Gary and we went golfing with him. We did 20 holes as there was a backup on the first hole when we went around the second time so we played 8 & 9 while the others got out of our way. The weather was perfect - warm and breezy.
Next we all went over to Billy & Lauri’s for happy hour. Lauri made dinner for all of us and then we were going to go to another parade. We decided to skip the parade as it was too cold so we went inside for dessert and concerts on CDs.
Feb 21st - Sat - to Picayune MS
Left at 9 for a 3 hour drive to Picayune, Mississippi. We bypassed Mobile AL and Biloxi MS on Hwy 10. We may drive back to Biloxi next week. The CampClubUSA sites here are right on the road into the park and we would have been separated so we decided to pay a bit extra with a weekly rate and get sites in the interior of the park and all together. Of course had to make phone calls to check with the others and finally got set up about 1:30.
Checked email, fed the dog and set out for a casino in Bay St Louis about 30 miles from here on the coast. We had a really good Rueben sandwich at a coffee shop there and played the slots for quite a while on the $25 that they put on our new players’ club cards. Back home to relax (and blog).
Good fuel prices here - unleaded in Picayune is $1.59 and one station in Bay St Louis had diesel at $1.95.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Feb 15th to 17th - Foley AL
Feb 15th - Sun - Foley
It rained last night but cleared mid morning. Terry cleaned some nasty black streaks off the front of the 5th wheel and cleaned the truck while I did some stuff on the computer and a little cleaning. I found a branch in the bushes, fastened it to our front stabilizer and hung our Mardi Gras beads. Not sure what else to do with them!
We made a quick grocery run and our Chewelah neighbors (Bob & Karen) were sitting out when we got back so we went and chatted with them for a while. We split for dinner and I asked them to come over afterwards. We ended up talking nonstop until nearly 11. It turns out that Karen worked in a hospital with the wife (Diane) of the guy (Marv) who took us fishing in Alaska. Not only is this another amazing “small world” coincidence but the fact that the conversation happened to lead us to this discovery is incredible.
Feb 16th - Mon - Foley
There is a little laundry room here with 2 washers & 3 dryers. To use them, you reserve a 2 hour slot and pay $7 to use the machines for as many loads as you can do in that time. So I did laundry today from 11 to 1. I was able to start a bit early and my last dryer load overlapped with the next person so did 5 loads.
Then we loaded an empty propane tank and found the Ace Hardware recommended by a neighbor. Drove through a huge outlet mall but didn’t find anything that we had to look at. A little more sightseeing and then we stopped at Lambert’s for an early dinner.
Lambert’s is “the home of the throwed rolls”. A server walks around with a tray of freshly baked, warm, large dinner rolls and throws them to whoever wants one. Just put your hand up and he will accurately throw a roll from near or across the room. Items on the menu are served with 2 vegetable sides (a wide selection to choose from) and then there are “pass arounds”. Servers constantly go around with fried potatoes & onions, deep fried okra, black eyed peas, macaroni & tomatoes and apple butter & molasses for the rolls. You can munch on deep fried okra and rolls while you decide what to order and the other pass arounds are placed on your plate - as much as you can eat. Take home boxes are automatically provided. Terry had a hamburger steak that I swear was close to a pound of meat so a good portion of it is in the fridge for lunch.
Shortly after we got back, a neighbor delivered some fresh shrimp that I had ordered - 4 pounds for $20. So I had to clean them and freeze some.
I have been moving pictures on the computer to make them easier to find and figured I was past due to back them up. I spent too long trying to get it to work and finally found on an internet Picasa forum that there was a problem with the program. I had to uninstall Picasa, remove a file and reinstall Picasa from the internet. Then I finally got my backup done.
Feb 17th - Tues - Foley
A hair stylist comes to the park on Tuesdays so I took advantage of it to get an overdue haircut. While I was getting my hair cut, Terry decided it was nice enough to play golf so he went and got our clubs. Then I had to send him back to exchange my Crocs for shoes more suitable for golf. So as soon as my cut was done, we hit the golf course. It was pretty busy but we didn’t have to wait too long on any hole. We were a couple of holes into our 3rd round and Terry hit a bad shot just as Billy & Lauri drove in so we decided to quit.
Lauri also needed a haircut so I went up with her and worked on a jigsaw puzzle while she was getting her ears lowered. I had asked Billy & Lauri for dinner and none of us had had lunch so we decided to have an early dinner. Didn’t take me long to make shrimp & mushroom fettuccine, cabbage & apple slaw and garlic toast.
After dishes were done, we all got in our truck so we could show them around the area a bit - Foley, Corelle store at the outlet mall and Gulf Shores. We all figured it was long enough since lunch/dinner that we would enjoy ice cream so we drove miles before finally finding a place and having dessert.
It rained last night but cleared mid morning. Terry cleaned some nasty black streaks off the front of the 5th wheel and cleaned the truck while I did some stuff on the computer and a little cleaning. I found a branch in the bushes, fastened it to our front stabilizer and hung our Mardi Gras beads. Not sure what else to do with them!
We made a quick grocery run and our Chewelah neighbors (Bob & Karen) were sitting out when we got back so we went and chatted with them for a while. We split for dinner and I asked them to come over afterwards. We ended up talking nonstop until nearly 11. It turns out that Karen worked in a hospital with the wife (Diane) of the guy (Marv) who took us fishing in Alaska. Not only is this another amazing “small world” coincidence but the fact that the conversation happened to lead us to this discovery is incredible.
Feb 16th - Mon - Foley
There is a little laundry room here with 2 washers & 3 dryers. To use them, you reserve a 2 hour slot and pay $7 to use the machines for as many loads as you can do in that time. So I did laundry today from 11 to 1. I was able to start a bit early and my last dryer load overlapped with the next person so did 5 loads.
Then we loaded an empty propane tank and found the Ace Hardware recommended by a neighbor. Drove through a huge outlet mall but didn’t find anything that we had to look at. A little more sightseeing and then we stopped at Lambert’s for an early dinner.
Lambert’s is “the home of the throwed rolls”. A server walks around with a tray of freshly baked, warm, large dinner rolls and throws them to whoever wants one. Just put your hand up and he will accurately throw a roll from near or across the room. Items on the menu are served with 2 vegetable sides (a wide selection to choose from) and then there are “pass arounds”. Servers constantly go around with fried potatoes & onions, deep fried okra, black eyed peas, macaroni & tomatoes and apple butter & molasses for the rolls. You can munch on deep fried okra and rolls while you decide what to order and the other pass arounds are placed on your plate - as much as you can eat. Take home boxes are automatically provided. Terry had a hamburger steak that I swear was close to a pound of meat so a good portion of it is in the fridge for lunch.
Shortly after we got back, a neighbor delivered some fresh shrimp that I had ordered - 4 pounds for $20. So I had to clean them and freeze some.
I have been moving pictures on the computer to make them easier to find and figured I was past due to back them up. I spent too long trying to get it to work and finally found on an internet Picasa forum that there was a problem with the program. I had to uninstall Picasa, remove a file and reinstall Picasa from the internet. Then I finally got my backup done.
Feb 17th - Tues - Foley
A hair stylist comes to the park on Tuesdays so I took advantage of it to get an overdue haircut. While I was getting my hair cut, Terry decided it was nice enough to play golf so he went and got our clubs. Then I had to send him back to exchange my Crocs for shoes more suitable for golf. So as soon as my cut was done, we hit the golf course. It was pretty busy but we didn’t have to wait too long on any hole. We were a couple of holes into our 3rd round and Terry hit a bad shot just as Billy & Lauri drove in so we decided to quit.
Lauri also needed a haircut so I went up with her and worked on a jigsaw puzzle while she was getting her ears lowered. I had asked Billy & Lauri for dinner and none of us had had lunch so we decided to have an early dinner. Didn’t take me long to make shrimp & mushroom fettuccine, cabbage & apple slaw and garlic toast.
After dishes were done, we all got in our truck so we could show them around the area a bit - Foley, Corelle store at the outlet mall and Gulf Shores. We all figured it was long enough since lunch/dinner that we would enjoy ice cream so we drove miles before finally finding a place and having dessert.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Feb 13th & 14th - Foley AL
Feb 13th - Fri - Foley
We needed an oil change on the truck this morning so we stopped at an Express Lube. The staff was the most professional, polite and knowledgeable that we have encountered. We also have sometimes had a clunk in the rear of the truck so we continued on to the Chevrolet dealer just down the road. After a transmission specialist took it for a drive, he diagnosed it as slip splines that needed cleaning and lubricating. They could get us in right away so we walked across the road for some lunch and the truck was completed shortly after we got back. No more clunks!
We drove into Gulf Shores and stopped at Souvenir City just to say we had been there. It is the biggest touristy store that I have seen with the front entrance through a shark’s mouth and the rear entrance through a pirate ship. Then we continued to drive along the beaches and to Gulf State Park which has a long row of little cabins along the water for rent as well as an RV park. As we were returning to the park, it started to sprinkle.
Our lunch was early and we were supposed to go to a Mardi Gras parade with some neighbors so we planned an early dinner. The sprinkles turned to rain and Terry ended up shielding the barbeque with a large umbrella to get the ribs cooked. No parade as the rain continued all evening.
About 4:30 a rig pulled in across the street with a Washington license plate. We spoke just long enough to the occupants to find out that they were from Chewelah (just north of Spokane) before the rain sent them inside.
Feb 14th - Sat - Foley
We planned to take part in a golf tournament today but it rained all night (with lightning & thunder) which created new water hazards on the golf course and expanded the existing ponds. It was still raining at 9 when the tournament was scheduled to start so it was a no-go. We made a trip to Pensacola instead. Wanda found us a bank for some cash and then we continued on to Gulf Islands National Park. Not exactly a beach day but nice to see. More sightseeing and a stop for a late lunch before heading back. We followed the coast for a different route back.
The rain had stopped when we returned so we took a walk and visited with some people. We got directions to go to a Mardi Gras parade in nearby Fairhope so set off shortly after 5. Missed a turn, got hung up in mega traffic going to the parade and lucked out finding a parking spot fairly close to the parade route. Turned out the parade made a loop so we saw the tops of floats over people’s heads a block away and then it came in front of us.
There were huge floats in the parade with occupants throwing candy, beads, stuffed animals, Frisbees, plastic cups and Moon Pies to the crowd. When a horse back rider or float went by, everyone would start yelling and waving their arms to have goodies thrown their way. What fun!! We ended up with 50 strands of beads, 2 cups and 2 Frisbees - and I had the camera in my right hand which means Terry made some good catches.
As soon as the parade ended, we hurried to our truck and got out before traffic got bad. We stopped for a quick hamburger and were home just before 9.
We needed an oil change on the truck this morning so we stopped at an Express Lube. The staff was the most professional, polite and knowledgeable that we have encountered. We also have sometimes had a clunk in the rear of the truck so we continued on to the Chevrolet dealer just down the road. After a transmission specialist took it for a drive, he diagnosed it as slip splines that needed cleaning and lubricating. They could get us in right away so we walked across the road for some lunch and the truck was completed shortly after we got back. No more clunks!
We drove into Gulf Shores and stopped at Souvenir City just to say we had been there. It is the biggest touristy store that I have seen with the front entrance through a shark’s mouth and the rear entrance through a pirate ship. Then we continued to drive along the beaches and to Gulf State Park which has a long row of little cabins along the water for rent as well as an RV park. As we were returning to the park, it started to sprinkle.
Our lunch was early and we were supposed to go to a Mardi Gras parade with some neighbors so we planned an early dinner. The sprinkles turned to rain and Terry ended up shielding the barbeque with a large umbrella to get the ribs cooked. No parade as the rain continued all evening.
About 4:30 a rig pulled in across the street with a Washington license plate. We spoke just long enough to the occupants to find out that they were from Chewelah (just north of Spokane) before the rain sent them inside.
Feb 14th - Sat - Foley
We planned to take part in a golf tournament today but it rained all night (with lightning & thunder) which created new water hazards on the golf course and expanded the existing ponds. It was still raining at 9 when the tournament was scheduled to start so it was a no-go. We made a trip to Pensacola instead. Wanda found us a bank for some cash and then we continued on to Gulf Islands National Park. Not exactly a beach day but nice to see. More sightseeing and a stop for a late lunch before heading back. We followed the coast for a different route back.
The rain had stopped when we returned so we took a walk and visited with some people. We got directions to go to a Mardi Gras parade in nearby Fairhope so set off shortly after 5. Missed a turn, got hung up in mega traffic going to the parade and lucked out finding a parking spot fairly close to the parade route. Turned out the parade made a loop so we saw the tops of floats over people’s heads a block away and then it came in front of us.
There were huge floats in the parade with occupants throwing candy, beads, stuffed animals, Frisbees, plastic cups and Moon Pies to the crowd. When a horse back rider or float went by, everyone would start yelling and waving their arms to have goodies thrown their way. What fun!! We ended up with 50 strands of beads, 2 cups and 2 Frisbees - and I had the camera in my right hand which means Terry made some good catches.
As soon as the parade ended, we hurried to our truck and got out before traffic got bad. We stopped for a quick hamburger and were home just before 9.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Feb 10th to 12th - Foley AL
Feb 10th - Tues - to Foley AL
The 4+ hour trip today took us along the gulf shore on Hwy 98 through Pensacola FL to Alabama. There are miles of incredible white sand beaches and a surprising stretch of sand dunes. Since there is pretty much solid development along Hwy 98, there are traffic lights all the way and it seemed a large number of them were red but it was a nice drive. The route winds a bit through Pensacola but Wanda looked after us just fine.
We are staying at Magnolia Springs Hideaway RV park and golf course. It is small (61 sites) but clean and quiet as the RV park sits behind the golf course. It is a 9 hole, par 3 course that RV residents can play all day for $7. We are staying here for 11 days and I am really looking forward to working on my short game.
We set up the satellite dish and could not get one satellite (119) to come in. Terry just had to roughly place the dish to get the 110 satellite so was really frustrated with 119. We finally decided to call it quits and work on it another day - we do have the 110 channels.
Feb 11th - Wed - Foley
It was very windy this morning with rain forecast for this afternoon so we decided to go check out the Wind Creek casino near Atmore - about 75 miles north of here. On the way, the rain started and was coming down so hard you could barely see the road. It let up a bit before we made a mad dash from the parking lot.
This is a brand new casino with just slots - no table games. Most of the slots are 1 cent which suits us just fine. We played for a long time before I lost my allowance and Terry lost part of his. We were given coupons for a buffet dinner so we ate about 4 and then headed back. Stopped for diesel on the way at $2.15 a gallon.
Feb 12th - Thurs - Foley
We hit the golf course this morning. We walked through the park and started play on the 4th hole. After the 9th hole, we stopped to pay at the clubhouse and continued on with the first hole where we had to wait in line. When we got to the 4th hole, a couple of guys from the RV park joined us and we played through 9 again. There were even more people waiting to tee off on one so we quit and walked back to the RV park.
This is a very small course - the longest hole is 140 yards, most are 80 to 95 and one is 55 yards. The grass and greens are mostly brown and hard packed but it is fun.
We had lunch when we got back and I started to make potato salad for potluck tonight when I found out that I did not have enough potatoes. So off to the grocery store. With the salad partly done, we headed to the golf course again. This time we played 4 & 5 before it clogged up on 6. So over to 8 & 9, then 1 thru 9 and 1 thru 3 which put us back to the edge of the RV park and time to quit.
Dinner tonight was a fish fry & potluck. A guy just down from us caught all the fish (Spotted Trout), filleted & breaded it and had some help frying it for everyone. There was a full house for dinner and we ended up sitting at an extra table with 2 other couples who are also full timers (Steve & Barb and Ron & Barbara) - good food and good company.
The 4+ hour trip today took us along the gulf shore on Hwy 98 through Pensacola FL to Alabama. There are miles of incredible white sand beaches and a surprising stretch of sand dunes. Since there is pretty much solid development along Hwy 98, there are traffic lights all the way and it seemed a large number of them were red but it was a nice drive. The route winds a bit through Pensacola but Wanda looked after us just fine.
We are staying at Magnolia Springs Hideaway RV park and golf course. It is small (61 sites) but clean and quiet as the RV park sits behind the golf course. It is a 9 hole, par 3 course that RV residents can play all day for $7. We are staying here for 11 days and I am really looking forward to working on my short game.
We set up the satellite dish and could not get one satellite (119) to come in. Terry just had to roughly place the dish to get the 110 satellite so was really frustrated with 119. We finally decided to call it quits and work on it another day - we do have the 110 channels.
Feb 11th - Wed - Foley
It was very windy this morning with rain forecast for this afternoon so we decided to go check out the Wind Creek casino near Atmore - about 75 miles north of here. On the way, the rain started and was coming down so hard you could barely see the road. It let up a bit before we made a mad dash from the parking lot.
This is a brand new casino with just slots - no table games. Most of the slots are 1 cent which suits us just fine. We played for a long time before I lost my allowance and Terry lost part of his. We were given coupons for a buffet dinner so we ate about 4 and then headed back. Stopped for diesel on the way at $2.15 a gallon.
Feb 12th - Thurs - Foley
We hit the golf course this morning. We walked through the park and started play on the 4th hole. After the 9th hole, we stopped to pay at the clubhouse and continued on with the first hole where we had to wait in line. When we got to the 4th hole, a couple of guys from the RV park joined us and we played through 9 again. There were even more people waiting to tee off on one so we quit and walked back to the RV park.
This is a very small course - the longest hole is 140 yards, most are 80 to 95 and one is 55 yards. The grass and greens are mostly brown and hard packed but it is fun.
We had lunch when we got back and I started to make potato salad for potluck tonight when I found out that I did not have enough potatoes. So off to the grocery store. With the salad partly done, we headed to the golf course again. This time we played 4 & 5 before it clogged up on 6. So over to 8 & 9, then 1 thru 9 and 1 thru 3 which put us back to the edge of the RV park and time to quit.
Dinner tonight was a fish fry & potluck. A guy just down from us caught all the fish (Spotted Trout), filleted & breaded it and had some help frying it for everyone. There was a full house for dinner and we ended up sitting at an extra table with 2 other couples who are also full timers (Steve & Barb and Ron & Barbara) - good food and good company.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Feb 7th to 9th - Mexico Beach FL
Feb 7th - Sat - Mexico Beach
Haircut and bath for Dolly this morning - still fighting fleas. Then we joined Billy & Lauri for lunch at a restaurant here in Mexico Beach. The recommended Reuben sandwich was nothing exceptional but the waitress apologized for the slow kitchen with a free pitcher of beer and we were sitting outside in the sun so how bad could it be? We wandered along a stretch of little shops and an Ace Hardware where I got some flea spray for carpets and furniture.
When we returned, we put Dolly in the truck and I sprayed the carpets. We sat outside and played Sequence with Billy & Lauri while the sprayed areas dried.
After dinner we went to play card bingo but it turned out that Lauri was misinformed and nothing was going on. So back into our place where we taught B & L a dice game.
Feb 8th - Sun - Mexico Beach
There is a small laundry room here and only 2 washers & dryers are working. I washed 2 loads, threw them in the dryers and put in two more loads of wash before I discovered that one of the dryers was not heating. I spoke to the manager, got my money back and since the load was mostly shirts, hung them on hangers on a line. Then we took the other 2 loads of washed clothes into a laundromat in town to dry. When the laundry was done, we joine Billy & Lauri at the beach.
There is a very long, curved stretch of sandy beach in Mexico Beach. The sand is very fine and soft, lovely to walk on. It was not hot but pleasant to sit, walk and watch water & birds. We drove through town and walked out on a pier where there were several fishermen catching lots of fish.
It seems that it is much less humid here than other parts of Florida but the shirts hanging on the line were not dry when we got back so I put up the rod in the shower to finish drying them.
Feb 9th - Mon - Mexico Beach
Billy & Lauri asked us to join them on a grocery shopping trip to Panama City so we left about 10:30. After shopping, we looked for a place for lunch and decided to check out a place called “Po Folks” (Poor Folks). You could get fried green tomatoes, fried greens, hush puppies, catfish and other “southern” foods. We all went for a lunch special with fried chicken, chicken fried steak, biscuit, gravy & 2 vegetable sides. Way too much food and an overload of grease but good. All this for $5.99.
We drove through historic downtown Panama City - not impressive unless you are into antiques - and then headed back. We put away groceries, packed up some stuff in preparation for leaving tomorrow and went for a bike ride all around the park. Then, since no one was making dinner, Billy & Lauri came over to play some more Sequence. We are all getting better at playing and some games go on for a long time.
Haircut and bath for Dolly this morning - still fighting fleas. Then we joined Billy & Lauri for lunch at a restaurant here in Mexico Beach. The recommended Reuben sandwich was nothing exceptional but the waitress apologized for the slow kitchen with a free pitcher of beer and we were sitting outside in the sun so how bad could it be? We wandered along a stretch of little shops and an Ace Hardware where I got some flea spray for carpets and furniture.
When we returned, we put Dolly in the truck and I sprayed the carpets. We sat outside and played Sequence with Billy & Lauri while the sprayed areas dried.
After dinner we went to play card bingo but it turned out that Lauri was misinformed and nothing was going on. So back into our place where we taught B & L a dice game.
Feb 8th - Sun - Mexico Beach
There is a small laundry room here and only 2 washers & dryers are working. I washed 2 loads, threw them in the dryers and put in two more loads of wash before I discovered that one of the dryers was not heating. I spoke to the manager, got my money back and since the load was mostly shirts, hung them on hangers on a line. Then we took the other 2 loads of washed clothes into a laundromat in town to dry. When the laundry was done, we joine Billy & Lauri at the beach.
There is a very long, curved stretch of sandy beach in Mexico Beach. The sand is very fine and soft, lovely to walk on. It was not hot but pleasant to sit, walk and watch water & birds. We drove through town and walked out on a pier where there were several fishermen catching lots of fish.
It seems that it is much less humid here than other parts of Florida but the shirts hanging on the line were not dry when we got back so I put up the rod in the shower to finish drying them.
Feb 9th - Mon - Mexico Beach
Billy & Lauri asked us to join them on a grocery shopping trip to Panama City so we left about 10:30. After shopping, we looked for a place for lunch and decided to check out a place called “Po Folks” (Poor Folks). You could get fried green tomatoes, fried greens, hush puppies, catfish and other “southern” foods. We all went for a lunch special with fried chicken, chicken fried steak, biscuit, gravy & 2 vegetable sides. Way too much food and an overload of grease but good. All this for $5.99.
We drove through historic downtown Panama City - not impressive unless you are into antiques - and then headed back. We put away groceries, packed up some stuff in preparation for leaving tomorrow and went for a bike ride all around the park. Then, since no one was making dinner, Billy & Lauri came over to play some more Sequence. We are all getting better at playing and some games go on for a long time.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Feb 3rd to 6th - Mexico Beach
Feb 3rd - Tues - to Mexico Beach
Another 3 ½ hour drive today to Rustic Sands CG in Mexico Beach which is less than 20 miles from Panama City on the Florida panhandle. Billy & Lauri got an early start so they were already all set up when we arrived after stopping at a grocery store on the way in Port St Joe. We set up, had a late lunch and went to register since the office was closed when we drove in. It was pretty cool but we went for a bike ride around the park. It is not very big and not full. The pool is not open as the weather has been too cold - costs too much to heat it and not enough people want to use it in these temperatures.
We went next door for happy hour and then had a light, early dinner so we could go to play bingo. There was no one else there when we arrived just before 6:30 - we had crossed a time zone and didn’t realize it so it was only 5:30 here! Billy & Terry played pool and Lauri & I read magazines while we waited for others to arrive. We played card bingo. 4 people sit at each table and deal out a deck of cards which you sort in suits face up on the table. You put in 25 cents for each game. Then one person takes another deck of cards, turns them up one at a time and calls each card. Each person with that card puts it in the center and the first person with no cards wins the round and the money and gets to call the cards for the next round. If there are not the right number of people for 4 at a table, the cards are dealt to a dummy hand and played “for fun”. Terry & Billy each won 4 games, I won one and Lauri won one but had to split the pot with 2 other winners. There were only 10 people playing so it’s not like you won a lot but it was fun.
Feb 4th - Wed - Mexico Beach
Very cool this morning. I took Dolly out and went back to bed!
About 10:30 we joined Billy & Lauri for an outing to Panama City since it was too cold & breezy to enjoy the outdoors. We searched for and finally found a Michael’s craft store - looking for candle wax for our buddy burners. The bulk wax was pretty expensive but we bought a couple of large pillars. Stopped at a Big Lots to get a new computer mouse for Lauri and continued on to Panama City beach. The beaches are beautiful here - very white sand and turquoise water. The access to the beaches near Panama City is limited because of condos, apartment and hotels but there are several public accesses and we didn’t see parking meters that were present in Naples and Tampa areas. We stopped at a Hooters right on the beach for lunch and got a table where we could look out at the gulf - very nice.
On the way back we stopped and bought some Plant City (near Thonotosassa) strawberries. I sliced the berries, made some biscuits, Lauri & Billy came over at 6:30 and we all had strawberry shortcake for dinner since we had a late lunch.
Feb 5th - Thurs - Mexico Beach
Another excursion today - this time back the way we came to Apalachicola. This time we took the scenic loop closer to the coast and saw a lot of houses on stilts near the water. In Apalachicola, we wandered through several touristy shops with very fun stuff. Decided that we didn’t see anywhere that looked good for lunch so continued on to St. George’s Island where we had lunch at Harry A’s - just OK. I finally had a soft shell crab sandwich. They bread and deep fry the entire crab and lay it on the bun with legs and all. Just tasted like a fish sandwich.
We drove the island to St George State Park and decided we did not want to pay the $5 entrance fee just to have a look. As we drove back across the long bridge, I talked the others into stopping on the far side and walking back on an old bridge to check out boats fishing near the bridge. Turned out they were harvesting oysters. The water is very shallow and they use two long poles with rakes on the ends in a pinching fashion to scrape oysters off the bottom and lift them into the boat. Then they pound the clumps apart and put the oysters in bags.
We made a quick stop at a grocery store in Port St. Joe on the way back and found a Salvation Army to get rid of some clothes that Lauri & I sorted out. I had put port roast in the crock pot and had Billy & Lauri over for dinner. Then the other 3 went to play a card game called “Pass the Trash” while I worked on email and posted pictures to the internet in folder 2008 #13.
Feb 6th - Fri - Mexico Beach
Billy & Lauri went to do laundry this morning. I posted pictures to 2 new folders so check out 2008 #14 and #15.
The weather warmed up quite a bit so we rode our bikes about ½ a mile to the beach. Terry thought the sand was hard enough to ride by the water but instead discovered how cold the water was when he took a little spill! Gathered a few shells and just sat and watched the beautifully clear water lap the shore. Still had on long pants and sweatshirts but nice compared to previous days. After dinner, Billy & Lauri came over for more Sequence. Lauri brought guacamole and chips - just what we all don’t need but YUM!
Another 3 ½ hour drive today to Rustic Sands CG in Mexico Beach which is less than 20 miles from Panama City on the Florida panhandle. Billy & Lauri got an early start so they were already all set up when we arrived after stopping at a grocery store on the way in Port St Joe. We set up, had a late lunch and went to register since the office was closed when we drove in. It was pretty cool but we went for a bike ride around the park. It is not very big and not full. The pool is not open as the weather has been too cold - costs too much to heat it and not enough people want to use it in these temperatures.
We went next door for happy hour and then had a light, early dinner so we could go to play bingo. There was no one else there when we arrived just before 6:30 - we had crossed a time zone and didn’t realize it so it was only 5:30 here! Billy & Terry played pool and Lauri & I read magazines while we waited for others to arrive. We played card bingo. 4 people sit at each table and deal out a deck of cards which you sort in suits face up on the table. You put in 25 cents for each game. Then one person takes another deck of cards, turns them up one at a time and calls each card. Each person with that card puts it in the center and the first person with no cards wins the round and the money and gets to call the cards for the next round. If there are not the right number of people for 4 at a table, the cards are dealt to a dummy hand and played “for fun”. Terry & Billy each won 4 games, I won one and Lauri won one but had to split the pot with 2 other winners. There were only 10 people playing so it’s not like you won a lot but it was fun.
Feb 4th - Wed - Mexico Beach
Very cool this morning. I took Dolly out and went back to bed!
About 10:30 we joined Billy & Lauri for an outing to Panama City since it was too cold & breezy to enjoy the outdoors. We searched for and finally found a Michael’s craft store - looking for candle wax for our buddy burners. The bulk wax was pretty expensive but we bought a couple of large pillars. Stopped at a Big Lots to get a new computer mouse for Lauri and continued on to Panama City beach. The beaches are beautiful here - very white sand and turquoise water. The access to the beaches near Panama City is limited because of condos, apartment and hotels but there are several public accesses and we didn’t see parking meters that were present in Naples and Tampa areas. We stopped at a Hooters right on the beach for lunch and got a table where we could look out at the gulf - very nice.
On the way back we stopped and bought some Plant City (near Thonotosassa) strawberries. I sliced the berries, made some biscuits, Lauri & Billy came over at 6:30 and we all had strawberry shortcake for dinner since we had a late lunch.
Feb 5th - Thurs - Mexico Beach
Another excursion today - this time back the way we came to Apalachicola. This time we took the scenic loop closer to the coast and saw a lot of houses on stilts near the water. In Apalachicola, we wandered through several touristy shops with very fun stuff. Decided that we didn’t see anywhere that looked good for lunch so continued on to St. George’s Island where we had lunch at Harry A’s - just OK. I finally had a soft shell crab sandwich. They bread and deep fry the entire crab and lay it on the bun with legs and all. Just tasted like a fish sandwich.
We drove the island to St George State Park and decided we did not want to pay the $5 entrance fee just to have a look. As we drove back across the long bridge, I talked the others into stopping on the far side and walking back on an old bridge to check out boats fishing near the bridge. Turned out they were harvesting oysters. The water is very shallow and they use two long poles with rakes on the ends in a pinching fashion to scrape oysters off the bottom and lift them into the boat. Then they pound the clumps apart and put the oysters in bags.
We made a quick stop at a grocery store in Port St. Joe on the way back and found a Salvation Army to get rid of some clothes that Lauri & I sorted out. I had put port roast in the crock pot and had Billy & Lauri over for dinner. Then the other 3 went to play a card game called “Pass the Trash” while I worked on email and posted pictures to the internet in folder 2008 #13.
Feb 6th - Fri - Mexico Beach
Billy & Lauri went to do laundry this morning. I posted pictures to 2 new folders so check out 2008 #14 and #15.
The weather warmed up quite a bit so we rode our bikes about ½ a mile to the beach. Terry thought the sand was hard enough to ride by the water but instead discovered how cold the water was when he took a little spill! Gathered a few shells and just sat and watched the beautifully clear water lap the shore. Still had on long pants and sweatshirts but nice compared to previous days. After dinner, Billy & Lauri came over for more Sequence. Lauri brought guacamole and chips - just what we all don’t need but YUM!
Monday, February 02, 2009
Jan 29th to Feb 2nd - Florida
Jan 29th - Thurs - Thonotosassa
Cool but warm enough for water exercises. Then we all (Billy & Lauri, Carie & Gary) loaded our bikes to check out a trail about 15 minutes away in the Flatwood recreation area. There are several trails but we picked the paved, 8.4 mile loop. It was cloudy and breezy but a lovely ride. We had packed lunches so stopped midway to eat. There were people roller-blading, walking and running as well as other bicyclists. The only wildlife we saw was a hawk resting on a branch quite close to the trail.
When we got back, Terry took the garbage to the dumpster and continued to ride around the park. It was getting dark so he headed back and arrived just as it started to pour rain. He had to dash out to put a plastic bag on his bicycle seat and then out again to unlatch and close the door as the rain was blowing in onto the mat.
I had strawberries left from Tuesday so I cleaned them and invited Billy & Lauri and Gary & Carie over for strawberries and dip - YUM!! “Life is uncertain - eat dessert first”!
Everyone headed home to make dinner and then we all went to play bingo. Terry won one of the larger payouts for a blackout - $21. Considering it cost us $9.25 to play all evening, that is pretty good.
Jan 30th - Fri - Thonotosassa
Lots of rain last night - greatly needed here. When I heard the rain let up a bit this morning I quickly took Dolly out so we didn’t have to go out in a downpour. I figured it was too cold for water exercise class but when we took the laundry over about 10:30, the diehards were in the pool.
About noon, Billy & Laurie and we went to check out a little restaurant for lunch and had the recommended grouper sandwich. Deep fried fillets on a huge hoagie bun with all the trimmings and a large side of fries. I’m glad I tried it but it was a little too greasy to order again.
Next door was a Price Cutter grocery store that someone mentioned for good meat prices. Wish we had found it sooner - $5.99 for boneless ribeye & New York strip steaks, $2.99 for boneless center cut pork chops, $2.13 for boneless/skinless chicken breasts and .99 for chicken thighs to cook for Dolly.
Stopped at a Bealls for Lauri to check out a sale and then home.
I immediately started boiling the thighs for Dolly as I did not have room in fridge, cooler or freezer to store them whole. Putting away groceries and other puttering and it was time to relax. After such a large lunch, we had soup for dinner. Then we headed to a Western dance here at the park.
There was a self-described “one man band” for the music and he was great. He played a mix of music and the only reason that I didn’t dance every dance was that Terry was dancing with Lauri & Carie. He also had one dance with a lady that approached us and asked if I minded if my husband taught her how to two-step. He tried but she was not a very good student. A guy stopped by and told Terry that he hadn’t seen a man dance with so many women. We even danced multiple polkas nearly to the end!
Jan 31st - Sat - Thonotosassa
Just puttered around getting things ready to leave tomorrow - cleaning, pick up a few groceries, a quick visit to the nearby flea market for shammies that work so well for washing dishes and visiting with a couple of neighbors. Happy hour inside our place since the weather was pretty cool.
Feb 1st - Sun - to Keaton Beach FL
Didn’t take long to unplug and hook up this morning and head north. A 3 ½ hour drive took us inland near Ocala and then back to the Gulf of Mexico to Old Pavilion RV park in Keaton Beach. Billy & Lauri pulled in before we were even done setting up. They left at the crack of 8 am while we were still in bed but they had to stop for propane and gas in their motor home. Billy drove his motor home in next to us so our doors are together and so they can enjoy the waterfront view through their windshield that we see from our back window.
After our lunches, Billy offered to drive on an area exploration trip. Not much here!! Most of the residences are up on HIGH “stilts” of some type - concrete columns, poles, concrete blocks and timbers are all used. A lot are manufactured homes and many put an elevated deck under part of the house. We went back to Steinhatchee which we drove through on the way here - stopped at a grocery store but did not find an appealing bar for a beer.
Lauri asked us to join them for hamburgers for dinner - nice not to cook! And we all watched the Super Bowl which turned out to be a good game.
Feb 2nd - Mon - Keaton Beach
Woke up to light rain so Terry made a quick trip outside to put away the patio chairs and tuck Billy’s chairs under his rig. Enjoyed our coffee & a bowl of fruit looking at our waterfront view. Had a late breakfast and then invited Billy & Lauri over for cards. We ended up playing Sequence which we all enjoyed. The rain had quit and there was no wind so we wandered around outside for a while and then played more Sequence until it was time to split and prepare dinner. Caught up & posted my blog.
Cool but warm enough for water exercises. Then we all (Billy & Lauri, Carie & Gary) loaded our bikes to check out a trail about 15 minutes away in the Flatwood recreation area. There are several trails but we picked the paved, 8.4 mile loop. It was cloudy and breezy but a lovely ride. We had packed lunches so stopped midway to eat. There were people roller-blading, walking and running as well as other bicyclists. The only wildlife we saw was a hawk resting on a branch quite close to the trail.
When we got back, Terry took the garbage to the dumpster and continued to ride around the park. It was getting dark so he headed back and arrived just as it started to pour rain. He had to dash out to put a plastic bag on his bicycle seat and then out again to unlatch and close the door as the rain was blowing in onto the mat.
I had strawberries left from Tuesday so I cleaned them and invited Billy & Lauri and Gary & Carie over for strawberries and dip - YUM!! “Life is uncertain - eat dessert first”!
Everyone headed home to make dinner and then we all went to play bingo. Terry won one of the larger payouts for a blackout - $21. Considering it cost us $9.25 to play all evening, that is pretty good.
Jan 30th - Fri - Thonotosassa
Lots of rain last night - greatly needed here. When I heard the rain let up a bit this morning I quickly took Dolly out so we didn’t have to go out in a downpour. I figured it was too cold for water exercise class but when we took the laundry over about 10:30, the diehards were in the pool.
About noon, Billy & Laurie and we went to check out a little restaurant for lunch and had the recommended grouper sandwich. Deep fried fillets on a huge hoagie bun with all the trimmings and a large side of fries. I’m glad I tried it but it was a little too greasy to order again.
Next door was a Price Cutter grocery store that someone mentioned for good meat prices. Wish we had found it sooner - $5.99 for boneless ribeye & New York strip steaks, $2.99 for boneless center cut pork chops, $2.13 for boneless/skinless chicken breasts and .99 for chicken thighs to cook for Dolly.
Stopped at a Bealls for Lauri to check out a sale and then home.
I immediately started boiling the thighs for Dolly as I did not have room in fridge, cooler or freezer to store them whole. Putting away groceries and other puttering and it was time to relax. After such a large lunch, we had soup for dinner. Then we headed to a Western dance here at the park.
There was a self-described “one man band” for the music and he was great. He played a mix of music and the only reason that I didn’t dance every dance was that Terry was dancing with Lauri & Carie. He also had one dance with a lady that approached us and asked if I minded if my husband taught her how to two-step. He tried but she was not a very good student. A guy stopped by and told Terry that he hadn’t seen a man dance with so many women. We even danced multiple polkas nearly to the end!
Jan 31st - Sat - Thonotosassa
Just puttered around getting things ready to leave tomorrow - cleaning, pick up a few groceries, a quick visit to the nearby flea market for shammies that work so well for washing dishes and visiting with a couple of neighbors. Happy hour inside our place since the weather was pretty cool.
Feb 1st - Sun - to Keaton Beach FL
Didn’t take long to unplug and hook up this morning and head north. A 3 ½ hour drive took us inland near Ocala and then back to the Gulf of Mexico to Old Pavilion RV park in Keaton Beach. Billy & Lauri pulled in before we were even done setting up. They left at the crack of 8 am while we were still in bed but they had to stop for propane and gas in their motor home. Billy drove his motor home in next to us so our doors are together and so they can enjoy the waterfront view through their windshield that we see from our back window.
After our lunches, Billy offered to drive on an area exploration trip. Not much here!! Most of the residences are up on HIGH “stilts” of some type - concrete columns, poles, concrete blocks and timbers are all used. A lot are manufactured homes and many put an elevated deck under part of the house. We went back to Steinhatchee which we drove through on the way here - stopped at a grocery store but did not find an appealing bar for a beer.
Lauri asked us to join them for hamburgers for dinner - nice not to cook! And we all watched the Super Bowl which turned out to be a good game.
Feb 2nd - Mon - Keaton Beach
Woke up to light rain so Terry made a quick trip outside to put away the patio chairs and tuck Billy’s chairs under his rig. Enjoyed our coffee & a bowl of fruit looking at our waterfront view. Had a late breakfast and then invited Billy & Lauri over for cards. We ended up playing Sequence which we all enjoyed. The rain had quit and there was no wind so we wandered around outside for a while and then played more Sequence until it was time to split and prepare dinner. Caught up & posted my blog.
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