Ellis2Roam

Too Much to Do

2012-02-04T11:20:00.000-05:00

Time just zips by, so much done and so little said. This may seem disjointed writing but I’m having trouble with my rememberer remembering all the exciting things we have been doing.

Barb is very busy with her crafts and quilting ladies at the clubhouse. I have been busy sanding, staining and applying Varathane to the rocking chair to get ready for my caning lessons. Barb learned how to hook a rug using regular knitting wool and they – yes, I said they, she couldn’t stop at just one, we have 2 new hooked rugs to keep our tootsies snuggly at the sink and to wipe our shoes when we come in the door. They look great don’t they? Barb also learned how to apply and embroidery appliqué to fabric and made a couple of throw pillows for the living room. They look spectacular too. She is sooooo talented!

The design was all hand sewn

You remember we trimmed our Sago Palms and harvested about 30+ ‘pups’? Well, we took two that we liked, gave 5 to the park and offered the rest to anyone who needed Palms. They were gone that day and it helped that Ms Barb (a resident here) came over and took the remainder off our hands so she could plant around the park (she has volunteered to plant and maintain the public gardens in the park and she does an excellent job).

We are getting serious now about getting a new grill (BBQ) since we have a shed to store it in. Our neighbor is able to roll his grill in and out of his shed so we have a new project. Yes, we need more to do so we are building a small deck/porch for the shed so we don’t have to lift the grill in or out. A little plan, a shopping list and off we go. Within the day, we have it all done and anchored in place and ready for use. Now what you ask? Well, off to buy the grill and of course, our first cook out is steaks! Yeah, life is good.

Barb & I have been helping a few people having computer problems and learning some new things besides so it works out to be a two way street.

One of the other guys here was teaching how to make bamboo knitting needles so Barb signed me up. She likes her bamboo needles and thought she could save us money if I knew how to make them myself! Isn’t that nice, she is thinking of me and saving us money?

The quilting ladies spent a day fabric hunting in Pensacola. Arrangements had been made to tour a quilting equipment manufacturer, quilt shops, fabric retailers and of course lunch. Apparently, they all had a fun time and I’m sure plans are already in the works for the next one. I don’t know where we can store all of her new materials.

Barb thought she wasn’t busy enough so she volunteered to make new window drapery for the front window of another Escapee’s motorhome. Barb smoked into it on Saturday morning and burned the midnight oils and finished them early Monday morning before coming to bed! We delivered them Monday afternoon and Bob and I installed them and they are very happy. They are getting the rest of the coach reupholstered but Barb didn’t raise her hand for that one, thank goodness!

Of course, there is always a lunch out. Dan & Barb asked if we like sea food and well, you know my line to that so we joined them at Steamers in Gulf Shores. It was good even if you don’t count the dollar draft! Barb had a couple of filets of Mahi Mahi and I had Royal Reds and Mahi Mahi – they had a special on, 6,6 and 6 – 6 oz each of 2 entries and 6 oz of potato or potato salad along with a tossed salad for $7.99, oh, and a dollar for a draft beer! After lunch, Dan & Barb went to the beach with his metal detector looking for his fortune while Barb & I headed back and stopped off at Ole Time Pottery, looking for a couple of planter pots to add to the deck and plant with ‘stuff’. Saw some nice pots but nothing there spoke to us that we needed it so we’re still looking.

Mardis Gras is fast approaching and the planning is moving forward. You can imagine our excitement, so shopping we go to Toomies Mardis Gras store. We had fun trying on lots of masks, hats and even a wig. We bought wreaths and ornaments to decorate the yard.

We leave you with a few pictures of some of our neighbors that come around every day to say hello. We hope all is well with you where ever you are. If you have comments, please leave you for us.

All that Jazz

2012-01-22T22:47:00.000-05:00

Another week of goins on goin on! Barb was off to the clubhouse to do be crafty while I hung out at the rig keeping busy with stuff. I finally started working on the rocking chair that I brought down to learn a new caning pattern. At first glance, I didn’t think it needed a lot of sanding etc to splash a coat or two of varnish on it but upon closer inspection, it need a great deal more attention so the sanding has begun and it’s coming along nicely.

On Friday, we lunched out at the LA BBQ with new friends from ERPU row and met up with another couple of SKPs and had a fun time – what can go wrong, good food and good company always equals a good time.

While Barb was off being crafty, I wired an outlet on the outside of the shed. It wasn’t a big job; I just had to add onto the existing system but again, a little more difficult than first thought. The previous tenants used # 10 wire – a little big for standard outlets, the ground wire was being difficult and wouldn’t stay snug under the ground screw.

Sunday, we tried to upgrade our satellite TV system to HD. I was given an oval dish from a friend back home but it would not capture the signal at all. I tried using our existing dish but could only get a weak signal. After trying a few different permutations, we decided that the plastic LNB holder was not the correct one for our set up and we’ll have to wait for this upgrade until we return back home.

Tuesday was dinner at the clubhouse and free entertainment after. Chuck Stevens sang lots of tunes and sounded like ‘ole Blue Eyes’, Manilow, a little of Willie Nelson and James Taylor. It was very well done and again, a fun time.

Wednesday was the bus trip to the Crescent City, the home of jazz, Creole food, beignets and Mardis Gras – New Orleans. We had a great time, even though it was about our forth time there, there is always something new to see. We left very early – we had to meet at the clubhouse at 6:30AM – I didn’t know clocks had those numbers on them! We arrive in ‘Nawlins’ around 11 and a group of us head out as if we know where we’re going. The first stop was to pick up a muffuletta at the Central Grocery – it was advised we get it early as it is a popular sandwich and could be out if we waited for lunch. Of course, I can eat – after all, we had breakfast at 6AM!

Our next stop was to browse through the French Market . It is a street flea market with lots of stuff, crafts, jewelry and of course, food stops. Walking through the Market, we end up on Barracks Street and turn toward Bourbon Street, the heart of the French Quarter. The architecture is like nowhere else, almost every building fronting on Bourbon Street, has a balcony edged with wrought iron railing. Not sure on how truthful this fact is but these apartments on Bourbon Street rent for as little as $900/week – yikes!

I can't walk and chew gum yet this guy plays 2-3 instruments

Lorna, Barb, Barb, Dan, Gloria, Skip & Ed

One of our group has difficulty walking so it was time for a break and where best but a jazz bar. It must be the time of the year as there was no live entertainment but the bar keep turned on a stereo system to keep us amused – we were the only patrons there. From here, we continued on to Toulouse and turned south toward Jackson Square. We came upon a group of street buskers playing unusual instruments – upside down washtub, a washboard, a suitcase as a drum, the drummer stepped on a ‘hotel desk’ bell as well the conventional string instruments. It was very entertaining and an abstract from the day. We picked up another couple of our travelers at Jackson Square and then headed over to the Café Du Monde for a chicory coffee and beignets – a must stop for anyone coming to New Orleans. On the way, we ‘played’ with a mime, dressed as a cowboy. He wanted a kiss from the girls and to shoot off the private parts of the guys. Our next stop was on the tram and to look over the Mississippi and ‘watch the world go by’. Soon, we were loading back on the buses and on our way back to the Plantation. It was a great day.

We have long time RVing buds in Winnipeg that we email often and had not heard from them in awhile so was sort of thinking maybe they just might come down this way this winter. Well, to our surprise they dropped over for a visit on Sunday and we had a great time with catch up chat and stories. Of course, being Sunday, I’ll stop here as we go to the ice cream social. Hope all is well where you are…..

Wow, it’s over all ready

2012-01-09T14:01:00.000-05:00

Well, the last time I posted, we were just finishing with Christmas and getting ready for New Years Eve and anxiously waiting to visit with good friends Dick and Karla from Minnesota. They are stopping by on their way to their winter spot in Bradenton, Florida. We visited with them this time last year while we were at the Escapees park in Wauchula, Florida. Anyway, the clubhouse was busy again on Boxing Day with a pot luck dinner with all of the favorites from Christmas dinner but Barb & I stayed away, we went to the show instead to see War Horse. It was a good flick and also nice not being so busy!

Thursday, Barb needed some supplies for an upcoming project so we took off after lunch and ran some errands and hit the fabric store! We had planned this trip so we could head over to Bellingrath Gardens to view the Christmas light display which has been reported as the best ever! Naturally, you just know Barb took her camera and I have posted some pictures but as good as they are, they do not show justice to the display of 3 million lights and over 900 separate light strings and 14 different themes! It was simply awesome! Apparently, the staff starts decorating right after Labor Day to have the display ready for the Thanksgiving! It looked like a lot of hard work to put up and maintain but it sure brought in a lot of visitors. We thought being so late in the Christmas season, the crowds would be minimal. Wrong! We do not understand why so many people are always in a rush to ‘run’ through a display such as this! I can’t count how many times we were pushed or bumped by others as they jockeyed for position or rushed to pass by! Tourists!

Here we are on Friday morning and our prepaid cell has just run out of days and we have no way for Dick & Karla to contact us when they arrive! Yikes, it’s not as if the phone doesn’t tell me, I was pivoting around as to whether to change carriers since we have not been happy with the Net10 service! So, a quick dash out to WalMart to check into ‘to change or not to change’! After some discussion with the sales folks, we change to Tracfone (both are run by the same company). It has better features for us so we’ll see! Upon activation, we find it is also a bit cheaper, we got 800 minutes and 425 days for $100! That means no more number changes and no more waiting until the new sim card arrives for service every time we come south! Anyway, we transfer the number so Karla can call us! Whew and just in time as we hear from them about 1ish! They arrive and after a tour of our new site and shed, we settle down for some serious ‘catch up chat’! They’ve had 3 full days of travel (1500+ miles) so the evening ends early after dinner even without a game of Wizard (Karla’s favorite) with plans for tomorrow!

This is the second time we have celebrated New Years Eve with Dick & Karla. We toured around the area and had lunch at the Fish River Grill – I still think they ruined the ambiance when they put wood floors in! We were late having dinner and for the party at the clubhouse but had fun anyway. Auld Lang Syne was sang at 9PM – it must have been midnight somewhere – and we had 10 of us back to the rig for the remainder of the party. Unfortunately, I was to tune the satellite into New York so we could watch Times Square and ring in the new year – well, I mistakenly tuned to a west coast channel and we missed it! Can you say oppsss? I was not the most popular guy in the rig! A good time anyway, being with friends!

January 1st brings all the polar bear dippers out here except it’s called ‘The Dipstick Dip’! At high noon, we – yes, I said we all walked, jumped or dove into the pool and received an ‘Official Dipstick’ certificate for ‘braving the cold (65F) water under a stressful 69F air temperature! After, we all went inside for soup and chili! We had lots of fun and friendship to start the New Year. Down here in the south, it is common to all gather for a serving of ‘Hopping Jon’ with corn bread for lunch for good luck for the upcoming year! So, it was a busy Sunday, dipsticking, soup and chili, hopping jon and then the ice cream social (yes John, more ice cream) – all in a couple of hours! After we finish filling our emaciating bodies, the four of us settle back to our rig for a round of Wizard! Kara says “finally”! As darkness settles in, we drive over to Fairhope to take in the tree lights that adorn the downtown streets of this cute town and then – well, you guessed it, out for dinner! What a day and we were lucky enough to share it with such good friends as Dick & Karla. 2012 is just going to be great!

We hope you were able to start off the New Year with family or friends and we wish you the very best through 2012.

An Escapee Kinda Christmas

2011-12-31T09:28:00.000-05:00

It is a whirl wind of activity here before Christmas. Saturday was the annual Fish River Christmas Boast Parade! This year they had record 26 boats decorated. It was very impressive as the flotilla sailed past our viewing point. We went down early to ensure we were able to secure a perfect spot to watch. We car pooled with Pat & Carolyn and arrived at the boat launch area about 4:30PM. After a short wait, we had the opportunity to talk to one of the participants as he was getting ready to launch his decorated boat for the parade. There was a judging for best decorated and they received a gift certificate from Big Daddy’s Grill located on the Fish River. The parade was to start at dusk or 6ish – it drifted by us at about 7:30! I think 3 hours was a little too anxious! Oh well, besides being a little cool, it was a good time and the boats were beautiful! Since we came early, the four of us were a tad hungry so off to Foley for dinner. None of us had been to the Mellow Mushroom so why not go there! It was a good spot and they heard we were coming and had a special on – coffee with Bailey’s – right up our alley after a cool evening watching the parade!

Sunday we went to the ice cream social and stayed for a small concert given by a couple of escapees. It was really enjoyable and we hope to have more entertainment like this.

On Monday, Barb learned a new craft that we’ll see more of later. I worked on the outdoor electric outlets – one was cut off where the other shed used to be. I have to re-route the system so we will have electricity on our shed.

Tuesday, the quilting ladies had their annual Christmas ‘mug mat’ gift exchange and of course, snacks and beverages! Apparently, they had a great time – Dan Lopes played Santa making the day extra special for them all. So, the wind down to Christmas begins. We had a last minute shopping trip into Foley and on our way; we passed this sign advertising a local BBQ. We found it hilarious, check out the wording and spelling! While we were in Foley, Barb & I did our Christmas card exchange – we pick the card we want to give and give it while standing there and take pictures! I know, it may seem cheap to you but we don’t have to recycle the cards, we don’t have to worry about keeping them on board – the pictures go into our computers for later!

Friday night, a group of us wandered through the campground caroling – it was voted that I keep the duck tape over my lips! Anyway, a great time regardless of the singing!

Saturday night was our Christmas Eve ‘Secret Santa’ event with – yes, more caroling, then of course food! Everyone was to bring finger food to share and we had a ‘royal’ spread of tasty tidbits to savor! After we all ‘grazed’ past the tables of delectable morsels, we all formed a circle and Joan read a story. Whenever she said the words right (write) or left, we were to pass our gifts in that direction! It was a fun time!

It was a difficult decision this year on our own gift lists since we really don’t need or want anything and we always are aware of trailer weight. So this year we decided that we would exchange a gourmet meal, complete with menus and recipes of what we would like the other to buy and cook! Barb has been all secretive with her shopping and wrapping – I think I missed something here. Anyway, it’s Christmas morning and now the moment of truth has come! I open mine – it’s in a liquor box so now I know I missed something – and there is a menu, recipes complete with pictures, martini glasses, a jar of sand to suggest we are going on a picnic to the beach and candles! I really missed the boat on this gift exchange; all I gave Barb was a menu and the recipes! After we enjoyed our gift opening, we had Pat & Carolyn over for Christmas breakfast then we went to the clubhouse to decorate our table for dinner. Our Grinch Tree was the table centre piece and looked great. Most everyone else had already been and gone so I guess I shouldn’t have had that extra eggnog!

Well, Santa was felt throughout the campground as we all ascended once again upon the clubhouse to enjoy each others company and a Christmas feast with about 180 Escapee friends! Too much food and not enough will power or sense to back away! When the meal was over, Barb had to back the truck up to the doors and ‘roll’ me into the truck bed to bring me home! We had a great day; we spoke with our kids, grandkids and had a fabulous meal with friends. The late afternoon brought us being lazy and kicking back to revel in the warm glow of the day.

We’re hoping you had a nice Christmas too and all the best throughout 2012.

T’is the Season

2011-12-17T15:25:00.000-05:00

As you may recall, we were missing some hardware from our garden shed kit, well, I contacted the manufacturer and they are sending us more parts by the end of the week! Barb went out with a ladies group for a luncheon and met a few new ladies and renewed many friendships from last year. I was left to my own devices and managed to get caught up on our blog. That evening, we attended the BaldwinPops Christmas concert at the Foley Civic Centre. It was fantastic! We car pooled with Pat & Carolyn and on the way home, Pat drove by one of the more magnificent home Christmas decoration that we have seen in a long time. Another busy day and I’m sure more to come!

Almost every Tuesday and Thursday, the club provides dinner at a cost that makes impossible not to go! It is also a fun social time with friends. This Tuesday was no acceptation – it was the baked potato feast! You get a baked potato and can put any or all the toppings on you want from onions, peppers, jalapenos, cheese, chili etc. I can’t think of all the toppings provided but it was a feast! Whoa, I’m supposed to be losing some weight but it didn’t happen tonight! Time to get the walking shoes out and put some miles on!

Wednesday, we received a shipment from the shed manufacturer but the contents were not what we ordered! What, where did they get this info? I ordered the exact part numbers that were in the instructions! See, working with the instruction manual is never good!

Thursday I called the manufacturer again about the parts and they assured us another package was coming today with the correct parts. After our morning sessions at the clubhouse (Barb at quilting and me at computers) we took a road trip to Pensacola to Jo-ann’s fabrics for supplies, banking and shopping. When we arrived back home, a neighbor brought us a UPS package containing the rest of our shed hardware! This time, they sent more than necessary but now we can complete the shed!

Friday, we completed the shed; placed the windows in the doors, put on the door hardware and hung them! Done! Oh, not quite, I have to lag screw the floor to the plywood deck so off to HD again! In all this action, we managed to turn a couple of gardens, trim the Wisteria bush a little and Barb managed to work on a couple of craft and sewing projects to be sent back to Canada eh! What a week!

Saturday was cool here so we hung out and worked on stuff inside. Barb of course being her crafty self while I hung more Christmas decorations but this time we had some rum and eggnog and it made the job easier! I got the shed fastened down to the deck and moved a bunch of stuff inside, including the chairs I brought to cane. It was warm enough in the shed to work on my chairs but trying, enlightened me that I will need some sort of work bench to work from! Anyway, I had to take off the old cane and as I did, one side of the seat fell off! It was broken right along the caning holes, from the front to the back. Oppssss, now I know why this chair was only a few bucks to buy! So, a little more work than planned but I guess that’s what it’s all about when restoring old furniture!

Sunday, Barb once again was motivated by her creativity and crafted a ‘Grinch' Christmas tree! It looks great, what do you think? Maybe she’s telling me something! Later in the afternoon we attended the flatulence fest at the club house! Various chefs made lots of good tasting recipes that have some sort of beans in it! We had, of course chili, soups, salads, stews and cupcakes with a jelly bean on top! It was great fun and of course, followed up with the ice cream social that is every Sunday evening! I ate so much that Barb suggested we take a longer way home so I could walk off some of my over eating! Again, I was over served – this seems to be a common thread with me! Hummmm….. Probably a hint this should be my first hurdle to loosing weight!

Here we are on Tuesday and Barb is off to learn a new beading project while I start picking up some patio stones so we can move the deck to fit the rig better. Well, the grass here must grow crazy in the summer as I uncovered and pulled up 90+ 6x12 patio stones! Holy broken back, these were not visible when I started but pulling up one and then the next, it was like following a trail of bread crumbs or maybe a trail of John’s lost golf balls after one of his rounds! Barb returned with another beautiful hand crafted jewelry piece while I had created a bunch of craters where the stones had been hidden!

In the afternoon, we decided to tackle one of the two Sago Palm trees that are encroaching on the deck. The palm leaves were very dense on the ground so we trimmed off the lower leaves and uncovered several ‘offsets’ or ‘pups’ (new palm plants) around the base of the palm trunk. These ‘pups’ can be separated from the ‘host plant’ easily and then if dried and potted properly, can be replanted for future palm trees! I wore a long sleeved shirt or my arms would have been torn up by the thorns on the palm leaves! We disturbed many large creepies that y’all know Barb is not friendly with so she was forced to keep her distance but still managed the workman end of the shovel to help separate some of the larger ‘pups’. In all, we ‘harvested’ a dozen ‘pups’ that can be potted. After we finished, the palm tree looked better so now we feel more confident to do the other tree!

Wednesday was our very own Santa Claus parade here in the park. It wasn’t an earth shattering display but the fact that a small community like the Rainbow Plantation participated is fantastic! I think most of the residents and campers were in the parade! At 75 degrees, it just didn’t seem like a Santa Parade! After, we all went back to the clubhouse for hot chocolate and cookies – hot chocolate! You can see most of us are from the North where you have hot chocolate after a Santa Claus Parade.

Friday, Barb painted the parts of the wood deck that showed from under the shed. After, we dove under the second Sago Palm and trimmed and harvested again more ‘pups’. Now, we have close to 30 ‘pups’ from very small to quite large specimens. We have to let them dry for about a week or so to let the cut portion ‘heal’ over so it will be ready to pot. We spoke to a nursery about the Sagos and did some additional research online to learn more on how to trim, harvest and grow the trees. Of course, being in the yard gardening, brings several neighbors around to see what we’re up to and of course, provide additional support and suggestions! But wait, we gotta stop and clean up! It’s getting time to head on over to the clubhouse for our second Christmas festivity – the Christmas dinner and dance!

We had signed up to help out on the kitchen but due to the large number that signed up for dinner, Larry (the cook) decided to serve differently and only wanted Barb to help so I was sent packing! We were at a fun table of 12 and had a nice meal with lots of talk and laughs! I even treated Barb to a dance before we hiked for home!

Well, this is a good place to whoa up for a bit and wish y’all a Merry Christmas and the best to you throughout 2012!

Sweet Home Alabama

2011-12-12T15:14:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, we wake to see snow falling and sticking to the tress! Quick, someone get me out of here – SNOW, yikes! Are we back in Ontario?

We are underway by 10:30 AM EST and by noon, we are clear of Atlanta and the snow & rain. Unbeknown to us, we will break 2 of our golden rules today! As we near Montgomery, AL, Barb fires up James (the GPS) to find us a Walmart to stay and we realize that with the time zone change, we could make it all the way to the Rainbow Plantation if we didn’t stop for lunch. This is one of those rules – we generally don’t drive more than 6 hours! Soooo on we go and arrive just at 5PM CST and the sun is just dipping below the trees but we manage to get the rig parked before too much darkness descends. This is another one of those rules – don’t park after dark! We can’t open the driver’s side slide as the shrubs need some trimming and we’re not sure just what we can do. So, set up best we can and in the morning go to the office to see what we can and cannot do to the plantings around us. We’ll finish set up in the morning! Since we could not bring any food over the border and we stayed with Jim & Lydia, the cupboards are bare so off to the grocery store! Before we got parked, George & Dottie spied us ‘sneaking’ in and came over to welcome us home! This was a wonderful welcome for us.

The morning brings sunshine and warm temps, we’re lov’n it! We check in at the park office and find no restrictions on our dos and no don’ts! Barb’s eyes light up – landscaping and site planning running through her head like the sugar plum verse! T’is the season! We pick up our activity/social calendar and go back to finish setting up the rig. We thought we might move it back but with some trimming, we are fine where we parked it last night, so out come the shears and chop chop! Many people came over to welcome us and to introduce themselves; other Canadians, Pat & Carolyn stop by to welcome us back too. Wow, this makes us feel great! As we are finishing up and leveling the rig, Pat & Carolyn came by to invite us to lunch with a bunch – hey, why not jump in with both feet, after all, we are LEOs (lets eat out) so let’s go! And so the social life here begins!

Thursday, we’re off to see what kind if a deal we can find for a garden shed. Our first stop was Lowes but they were too busy so we crossed the street to Home Depot. We were only looking for a smallish shed about 3’X7’, we don’t plan to store very much and we just need room for our Christmas decorations and a BBQ! The sales associate showed us where the sheds were and pointed out one that was clearance priced at ½ off! I’m sure you can imagine which one we bought! It is a little bigger – 7X7 and now the challenge is to not fill it!

It’s a little different down here when planning a small project like this. They do have a little wind from time to time so we don’t want to come back next fall and find our shed down a few sites! Hummmm, how to anchor it without making it impossible to move when we’re done with the site! Of course Home Depot has all the necessary hardware to do what we want; some PT 2X4’s, a couple sheets of plywood, 4 screw type anchors and 4 - 3” lag screws should set us up! All I needed to do was to use my usual confused look on my face and ask an apparently dumb question! Ahhh, sawing and hammering – actually used screws instead of nails but all the same, more construction!

Friday, we had lunch out at the Road Kill Café with a bigger group and then onto Home Depot to pick up our shed and deck supplies to put it on. They used a fork lift to load it and refused to follow us back to the campground to unload it! Oh well, Barb & I unloaded the smaller stuff and 1 box and thought that we would tackle the big one when we needed to – why can’t we store it in the truck? We decided where to put the shed and started laying out the 2X4’s and made a cutting plan for Saturday. That evening, we put up the Christmas decorations. It was made more difficult without the customary rum and eggnog!

Saturday, Barb and I had to go back to HD to exchange a pair of anchors and pick up a few other items to start the deck floor. Soon, we were motoring along and had the frame built and square! We ‘screwed’ the anchors in and used lag screws to attach the frame to the anchors. Next we put down the plywood and had lunch. George came by to help so we unloaded the big box (why don’t these things come with handles?) and started to open them to find the shed floor and of course the instructions – I know, it’s unusual for men to look for instructions but Barb insisted we get it right! The three of us got the finicky stuff and window assembly done. We still have 2 windows to put together but no more gaskets or screws! I wonder what else is missing. I’m sure we’ll find out as we move forward. Once we placed the shed floor, we quit for the day and it’s a good thing too as rigor was starting to set in and I couldn’t move much more! George & Dottie came over for dinner and best of all, Dottie cooked it and brought it with them – they must have heard about my cooking skills!

Sunday, Barb & I started with the walls etc. so we moved quickly through assembly. Before long the walls were up and the roof on. Now lets look at the doors – what, no screws or nuts and bolts to attach the hinges! Only some of the hardware was packed! I’ll have to contact the manufacturer Monday for replacements but now the shed construction is on hold until we receive more hardware!

Where are the doors?

I think this is a good place to end until next time. Keep well and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and the best though 2012.

On the Road Again…..

2011-12-07T10:06:00.001-05:00

We departed Ontario with the usual fanfare at the border with the usual questions – any meat or fruit and vegetables on board? This is not our first crossing so we know not to tempt fate and take food stuffs across so I say “no sir”! The CBP guard looked in the rig and to my embarrassment, we comes out with a tomato, a green pepper and a hand full of blue berries! Oppsss, we forgot about those few things. The guard did leave us with a baggie of celery and an egg! I guess he didn’t feel that we could feed America on that! No other issues so we were on our way – our target was a Walmart 8 miles north of Cincinnati, Ohio for the night. The weather was great and the traffic fairly light until we got to Dayton. The rain started and didn’t stop until the next day and the traffic was heavier but moving well. We arrived at our destination for the night just after dark. We went inside and bought dinner and followed the Escapee Good Neighbor Policy and asked permission to stay the night – we stayed here last year and it was great. This year, not so much as we were informed that due to a city ordinance, no overnight parking allowed! What? We were more than a little tired but the Flying J in Kentucky was only 45 minutes away so off we go! Driving through Cincinnati in the pouring rain at night was not our favorite adventure! I guess Ohio doesn’t want our business any more!

After breakfast the next day, we’re back on the road again. This time our target destination is a Walmart in Calhoun GA (about 70 miles north of Atlanta). It is still raining as we approach Lexington, KY and a little car cut in front of us, I had to stand on the brakes to avoid running over it! As I did this, the ABS and the Parking brake lights come on! We have been having an ABS sensor problem for a while and the auto techs were unable to see the problem let alone find it so I thought it was back – we still had brakes! The rain kept up until we entered Tennessee. We stopped in Knoxville for fuel and the rains came down. It rained extremely hard when we were passing through Chattanooga TN., and the traffic had slowed to 60Kms/hr. There is another long steep hill to descend and we were quickly catching up to the traffic in front of us and I had my foot on the brakes to the floor! Holy crap, Huston, we’ve got problems! By manually operating the trailer brakes and down shifting and I could change lanes, we avoided a serious mishap! I slowed us down enough to catch my breath and decided to safely make our way to Calhoun for the night! Once we were set up and approval to stay obtained, we had a very stiff beverage to celebrate our arrival! BTW, it was still raining when we settled for the night!

The next day, we call Jim & Lydia and inform them that we had arrived and asked Jim to set up an appointment to get the brakes fixed. We limped our way from Calhoun to Jasper (about 40 miles) to meet up with Jim & Lydia at the Home Depot in Jasper. The road over (Hwy 53) is not the flattest or straightest road but using the trailer brakes, we got there. Jim says he made an appointment for 1PM but not sure there is room at the shop for our rig! Hello Home Depot, when asked, they did not mind us leaving the rig there while we determined what the problems are. Jim and I took off to the repair centre while Barb & Lydia went to their villa in the mountains of Bent Tree. The repair folks determined that we had ‘blown’ a brake line to the back and lost almost all the brake fluid. Unfortunately, the brake line runs between the fuel tank and the frame and they need to drop the tank to do the repairs! The other bad news is that they could not possibly get it done today (Wednesday, Nov 23^rd) and they are closed for their Thanksgiving holidays until Monday, Nov 28^th! We inform Jim that we have to extend our stay a couple of days and with some trepidation, actually Barb started crying, he surrenders! Let’s hope the pineapple doesn’t get cut up!

The next day, American Thanksgiving, we go with Jim & Lydia to Cumming GA for dinner with their son Todd and his family & extended family. It was a great time; football of course, was the main event with dinner thrown in between games! Seriously, it was wonderful that they included us with their family and we had a great time meeting them all. The meal was another feast with something for everybody. Whew, someone get the wheel barrow to get me to the car!

The next few days are a blur! Jim & Lydia made sure we didn’t want for anything. And, when time was slack, we went to one of their friend’s home for dinner. Chris and John’s son-in-law, Alvero from Venezuela, cooked one of his favorite beef meals, complete with a Guasacaca dip with grilled sausage for dipping! Wow! He served a Balsamic-Rosemary Butter sauce/gravy for the beef and it was spectacular. Again, I needed a wheel barrow! As Jim would say, we were over served– it’s not our fault that we couldn’t move after the evening ended. After dinner, more of their posse appeared and soon the party was in full swing. We met lots of interesting people which brings lots of interesting stories!


We're looking down from the screened sunroom, watching the wildlife

Saturday and Sunday, we hung out and helped Jim & Lydia get themselves ready to go full timing! They are packing up some stuff for the Store and Lock, moved more stuff into the trailer, completed some electrical work and discovered how the satellite hook up worked with the TV. This is a pre-owned trailer so the Coax labeling is not as it appears!

The new brake line is in!

On Monday, the truck is finally done and we plan to leave on Tuesday which is probably a relief for Jim & Lydia. We are very thankful for such good friends keeping us longer and entertained even as they are packing up to move. To celebrate Jim & Lydia’s new adventure and our departure, we went out for dinner to a little bistro called 61 Main in downtown Jasper. Another friend, Nancy, joined us for dinner and we all had a great time bringing a fun end to our visit. It has been raining off an on for the past couple of days and the weather forecast is calling for snow on Monday night. Oh no, don’t snow yet, we’re here in the south!

I’m sure you are exhausted trying to get through this meandering so wishing you well out there and hopefully you will come back for more soon.

T’was the Night Before…..

2011-12-05T11:37:00.001-05:00

We can not believe how quick time zips by. It seems that we were gearing up for our Christmas in November with our kids and grandkids! Speaking of which, we all had a great time. Barb & I arrived early to help Terri & Mark with food prep, decorate the tree and to taste test the rum and eggnog! Everything was great but we had to cut down on the ice in the eggnog! Our other kids, Dawn and her family arrived and Corrie and hers, arrived with our grandkids and everyone quickly got into the swing of having a fun time. Soon, the tree was over flowing with gifts and the Christmas fever was soon in full speed with the little ones. I’m sure even the older kids were a little excited but of course, a teenager doesn’t want to show it!

The bird was carved and 15 of us sat down to a feast. The older grand kids complete their verse and light their candle on our Advent wreath then we snap the crackers, laugh at the little gifts inside and some of us revelers donned our paper hats while the noise level decreased as we were all focused on the bounty in front of us! What a meal! If anyone left hungry, it was their own fault. As for me, I could hear the alarm – beep beep beep – sound as I backed away from the table! Christmas is a time for family traditions. Besides the feasting and the Advent wreath, we also have a personal ornament that we each hang on the tree and say a little something about our past year. Some are as simple as wishing us all a Merry Christmas and others maybe are too long! This year, we were surprised by the detail even the smaller kids had in their fulfillment of ‘public speaking’! It was great!

With dinner over and the family traditions done, you know where the kids were – sitting in front of the tree, patiently waiting – oh, okay not so patient but still waiting for someone to assume the roll of Santa! Since we were at Terri & Mark’s, Alex is Santa and soon the paper is flying and squeals of delight and excitement fills the air! All the kids are surprised and happy with the gifts.

All too quickly, the pile of gifts is reduced to a pile of ripped and shredded paper but everyone is happy. The older grand kids soon retire to the TV downstairs but the little ones want batteries installed, see how things work and settle in to play. The older ones (read adults) settle in for another beverage and some chit chat. It was another great family time and the memories help to send us on our way south.

We planned a week for some rest and calm before hitting the road but this week is less than restful. I was just recovering from a cold but was generous to give it to Barb! Our cousin in London came for a visit and delivered a stained glass window. We sent her a design we would like and she did an excellent job recreating what we wanted. We visited with John & Kay again and dropped off Barb’s bears to sell at a craft show in their complex.

Since we have HD TVs and now a HD Satellite receiver, we needed some other equipment to make all the pieces work together so we needed to make a run to get the necessary stuff. Well, that took half a day and more windshield time! We’re into the countdown and started packing stuff away.

We will add more after we cross the border. Hope you have been well and come back soon for another update – we are so far behind – so busy!

Our Canadian Season Comes to an End

2011-11-19T10:28:00.001-05:00

After such a busy day Tuesday, we just hung out Wednesday and if we moved, it was slowly! I should be more specific, I’m the only one moving slowly as Barb is a busy bee working on a couple of Christmas sewing projects. But you guys knew this didn’t you! The last couple of nights have been below freezing so I had to put the water line away until morning. I haven’t insulated or placed a heater wire on it yet – and may not, we only have 11 days left before we head south!

Sunday we decided to take our grandsons to the movies. We have reached that fork in the road; our 14 year old grandson has plans with his friends and can not come out to play with us! So with tickets purchased, we load Nate and his mom, Corrie for a great afternoon in front of Puss in Boots! We did the 3D experience and it was a fun flick!

Our family Christmas is quickly approaching for us and we have seriously started our shopping. Not a fun event for Barb because I am shopping challenged! I’m not one to browse and look for the perfect item. You can see her frustration with me! Anyway, it was successful none the less and we (meaning Barb) had it all wrapped before hitting the sack – no not me, bed!

The next couple of days were spent Christmas shopping and being busy. Not sure where the time goes but wow, so close to our departure now. We have heard from some of our friends at The Plantation and the activities are quickly spinning up to speed. It makes us even more excited to get down to our site and be part of the community. Of course, we had our doctor’s appointments and are marking time, awaiting results! That keeps you on pins and needles wondering if we need more drugs to keep us ‘normal’!

In mid week, we tripped down to our good friends for a day/night Mexican Train fix! Diane had a cold and was so kind to share it! It is that time of the year isn’t it? We had a great time, catching up on each others news and of course, playing Mexican Train until the wee hours. Other friends – Ray & Donna stopped by to play too and with a few beverages and some good laughs, we had a very enjoyable couple of days. Soon after, we met another pair of ‘old RVing’ buds for lunch, Kay & John. We met them during our first year of full timing in 2001. We have kept in touch with them since, meeting at various places here or on the road. It’s a great life style and be able to stay in touch.

We hope you are able to do the same, where ever you are…..

A Weekend Getaway!

2011-10-29T10:13:00.000-04:00

In our last update, I forgot to mention that while parked at Terri’s, I found some time to check out a couple of chairs we picked up in the spring but stored them until we could get at them. Well, one is in dire need to be redone completely but the other looks like some repair to the caning and then a little refinish work to the wood will make this chair look great! So with a little ‘secret sauce’ and some elbow grease, the chair is ready for anyone to be proud to have in their home. All offers will be considered!

Anyway, we are having a nice visit with my brother, Larry. Back in the summer, I found a rocking chair for sale and asked Larry to have a look at it for me and buy it if it was solid. He did and stored it for us so now I have another project when we are down at the Plantation. I’m hoping to learn a new weave for the back of the chair.

While we’re here, we set up our annual doc appointments to see if we’re ill! We tinkered and tweaked some stuff for Larry and I sanded the rocking chair. Barb worked on editing pictures for her movies and finished a DVD project. We left on Friday for our Ontario ‘winter perch’ then onto Terri’s cabin for the weekend. Terri & Mark picked up a 10’x5’ bow window to replace the old window in the front of their cabin. We offered to help install the beast so fun times lay ahead!

Saturday we were up early and Mark & I were off to the lumber store for supplies. Terri and Barb started the demolition of the old window. It was a time consuming task to get the old window out and down to the RSO (rough stud opening). We found lots and I mean lots of walnuts in the old ceiling and a huge wasp nest under the window sill. We didn’t think to measure the nest but it was about the size of 2 basket balls held together. Here are a couple of links for you. Once the glass was out, we could see what challenges presented to us. The old roof was half rotten and black with mold! Yuck! It was demolished quickly and put in the fire barrel! As we started getting to the RSO, we realized that we needed more lumber to enlarge the opening for the new window and the local lumber store closed in an hour! We quickly made a list and sent Mark on his way to shop! As we continue to remove drywall and get down to the bare frame, we realize that we need additional lumber so I am sent to intercept Mark on his return. The bad news, the road I know was closed and I got lost and ended up at the wrong location! I get back before Mark and we measure the window again and Barb suggests we just remove the plywood end frames and the window should fit!

We carried the window from the barn to the house - about 200 feet! We couldn’t have done it without the girls help. We set it down on the scaffold and see that the window is still too big for the RSO! Hey, why don’t we chisel a ½ inch out of the jack studs? Once that was done, the window went in with a little coxing! Whew, Barb & I are relieved! We feared that we said we could help and the job is relatively easy but after these ‘small’ road blocks, we were thinking that we would have to buy more materials on Sunday, thus covering the window with a tarp for Saturday night! After a very busy day, their neighbors took pity on us and had us over for dinner. We had an enjoyable evening kicking back and meeting new folks. After such a day, we all slept like logs!

Back at the rig on Monday, we went into Waterdown to do laundry and some shopping. We toured around a little to find a better way to and from the campground. Tuesday was a run back to the docs in Markham. I had an 8:30AM appointment so we had to leave the campground by 5:45AM to beat the rush hour traffic. We arrived at the hospital by 7 so we pushed our seats back and caught another 40 winks in the parking lot! I happen to crack an eye lid and saw a lady giving us the once over, I wonder what she was thinking! While I was being run through a gambit of tests, Barb met up with a girl friend from Bell! Wow, Barb worked for Bell 20 years ago, time just zips by! After a short time and dinner with Larry, we parted ways and Barb & I headed home only to get caught up in Toronto’s rush hour traffic. Whew, another busy day!

Another slice of life from a couple of roamers. We wish you all well out there…..

Technology is…..

2011-10-20T16:11:00.001-04:00

Well, we arrived in the big smoke of Toronto safe and sound. Our GPS, James (we have James Bond’s voice guiding us) took us on a route that we have not been on before so more colored lines on the map. Anyway, traffic was light until we zipped past Kitchener then into Toronto. We had a little kafuffle when we arrived at Terri’s – both cars were parked in the driveway so that we could squeeze in but not disconnect, so a call to Mark. Oopppsss, he forgot to move the cars. Oh well, nothing too serious so we tried the TV satellite again and again could not acquire the signal! Now, I am really puzzled! We have replaced the receiver, the coax cable and tried a LNB that was working on a neighbors system at Lake Huron Resort. So we made a call to Bell to have a professional come and solve our problem.

Since Roebuck would not allow us to wash the rig or truck, they were truly filthy and deserved a good wash down so I set to do that on Thursday while waiting for the Bell TV tech! Barb was busy making apple and pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. We waited all day and no Tech, I’m sure you can see a little frustration here!

Well, that was Thursday and it was not fixed until Friday evening! Let me try a ‘readers digest’ explanation – they sent a tech to our mailing address then cancelled the order, next order couldn’t find the current location, the phone number, our calling card, didn’t answer them and they couldn’t get their heads around that our system was in an RV! Of course, when I called originally, I made sure the service rep understood that the system was in an RV and that it was not located at my home address and that the contact number would be our cell phone! But when it came to the poor service tech, he was just given the info off the ‘official’ service record, not the tidbits of info from the customer like where he is and what number to call! Anyway, we finally got a nice repair tech to solve our problem – he replaced both coax connectors on each end of the cable and we have TV again! Since we had tried another coax at Lake Huron Resort last Monday, I don’t understand why that didn’t fix the problem then! Oh well, electronics, it can be a mysterious animal!

The weather for Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful so Barb & I decided to borrow Terri’s Mini convertible and take it over to Corrie’s for our family Thanksgiving dinner! We felt like kids again and I’m sure the other cars that passed us thought – look at those old coots in their second childhood! I would like to say that my hair was blowing in the breeze but I don’t have enough! It is great that our family and my brother’s family all get together every Thanksgiving, this was our 26^th year. We all have diverse and busy lives, so staying in touch and seeing all the kids grow, catching up on each others lives also reminds us of how lucky we are! With the weather being so beautiful, we were able to enjoy Corrie’s yard and have a very relaxing day. The kids played in the tree house and had fun being kids!

On Thanksgiving Monday, Barb & I took Kasey (the dog) for a 3K walk and then kicked back in Terri’s back yard and enjoyed the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing! Ahhhh! Terri has a Butterfly Bush in her front garden and the Monarchs are migrating south but they stopped off to get some nourishment! What a site, 6-10 of these orange and black beauties flitting around the blossoms of the bush!

We haven’t done much all week, fed and walk the dog, fed the fish and cut the lawn. Oh, we also did some winter garden prep and cut down some plants for them. On Friday, we went to Mack’s football game in the rain! Mack is a tight end on the defensive line. He’s a big guy and will do well, he understands his job out there and played great. It brought memories back for Barb & me, watching high school football. I was too chicken to play but we went to most games to cheer our playing friends on!

We picked Terri and Mark up at the airport. Terri participated in the Deloitte Habitat for Humanity Adventure in Brazil. After, Mark joined her in Peru for a vacation. The flight was, of course, an hour late so we didn’t get out of the terminal until near midnight! Back at the house, Barb had a cheese and cracker tray ready thinking that they would be a bit hungry and too wired to go straight to bed when we got there! So, a few glasses of wine and browse through their pictures and listen to some stories and whoa, look at the time, after 2AM when we said good night! We hung out on Saturday and took in a movie and dinner. All in all, we had a great time house sitting – except for the Bell service call screw up!

Our nephew was running in the half marathon in Toronto so we decided to go to the half way point to cheer him on. The four of us drove down and got parked and situated ourselves along the barrier at the turn in hopes to spot him when he turns to head back or maybe at the least, he’ll be able to see us! Well, he ran faster than we anticipated and missed him by a few minutes. It was interesting anyway, watching some of the participants as they made the turn for the half and full marathons. Some runners looked fresh and as if they just started while others were dragging a little. You know which group I’d be in! On Monday, the news reported that a 100 year old gentleman completed the marathon in just over 8 hours! Wow! After the race, we all had breakfast and we hitched up and made our way over to my brother’s driveway north of Pickering.

After was a warm reception, we got parked and set up – all except for the satellite TV! We have the same problems again! The Bell repair guy mentioned the age of our system so maybe we need to get some new coax! Off to WalMart for a 25 foot roll! As the skies were darkening, I hook up the new coax and Barb says “hey, we got a signal”! How about that, didn’t have to move the dish very much too fine tune for the best signal! I guess 11 years of being hooked and unhooked and suffering in the UV all day, the coax deteriorated beyond being useful!

That is the excitement we have had so far! We hope all is well out there and y’all drive safely……

On the Road Again

2011-10-07T14:32:00.000-04:00

I’m sure I have mentioned this before but it’s a little bit sad to watch some of our neighbors pull out for the season. Some are leaving for good and some are traveling. But as we get closer to our departure, we are starting to plan and get excited to move on too!

The weather is nasty here and the fruit trees are dropping their harvest fast. We had hoped to have picked some free apples but now we’ll buy them! It is apple country here in Meaford with plenty of opportunities for fresh apples. This is the weekend for the Scarecrow Invasion and Apple Feast with a parade on Friday evening with a family festival at the harbor pavilion. The town has been busy placing scarecrows everywhere - I mean everywhere! They are hanging from the street lights, in planters, on walls - everywhere! Well, it rained all day Friday and evening so we did not venture into town to experience this fall highlight! It would have been fun.

Terri, Mark and Alex came up for the weekend. We went down to the fish ladder in Thornbury to watch salmon swim up stream to spawn. We did stop at one of the many road side apple farms to get some fresh apples and Terri picked up some maple syrup and fudge to take with her to San Palo, Brazil for her Habitat build. We found a neat little pub called Leeky Canoe for lunch and some wobbly pops and then had a casual walk around Meaford and the harbor. It was a very pleasant day and the weather held up for us. Holy, look at the time! We have to hurry before the winery closes; we’re going for wine tasting and a sit on their deck and enjoy the view of Georgian Bay with the fall colors quickly approaching. After, we hiked a short distance to the over look I mentioned in an earlier post. The colors are not quite ready yet but almost, it was still a nice view.

Our neighbors, Peter and Molly came over Sunday afternoon to chat and ended a great weekend! We traded contact cards and I noticed that Molly’s name is really Marlene! What? Peter calls her Marly but with his British accent, we thought he was calling her Molly! Molly said it was okay, we were the only friends that called her Molly and she said ‘I rather like it’!

On Monday, we drove over to Wellington to visit with our other daughter and pick up our mail. We had some mail arrive that we needed before heading south. On our way home, we detoured to Hastings to meet up with our RVing friends, Pat and Carolyn and had a nice dinner at their home. On our way home, we were stopped by a traffic jam for 30-45 minutes on Hwy 401 and arrived home at 1:30AM! Whew, another long day in the truck! Needless to say, we were not “up and at’em” early the next day!

Barb continues to create new projects for herself and I was busy organizing the basement storage and putting stuff away! I took the truck in for service and found other repairs had to be made before we are loaded up. We had a slashed tire on the inside side wall and in need of a tie rod and ball joint! Wow, it’s like going to the doctor for a physical and coming out having to have major surgery! Oh well, it’s only money and now we feel secure that the truck is ready for another trip!

The weather up here the last days of our stay has not been enjoyable! It has been rainy and cold; just nasty! On Sunday, the weather was more cooperative and we left under dry conditions with some blue sky! Peter & Molly came over to say farewell – they were about the only people left in the park! Traffic was light and the day was good for travel.

We arrived at Lake Huron Resort and started set up and Judy stopped by to welcome us. We are on the same site we have had before but this time we can not find the Bell satellite for our TV viewing! I moved the dish to several different spots but can not locate the bird! A neighbor with Bell TV came out to offer assistance but still no go! It’s getting cold and the rain is starting again and my frustration is rising! We never have this problem – 10 minutes tops normally to find service! Time for a break and headed over to Judy and Larry’s to warm up and have refreshments! We came back before dark and tried again but no success!

Monday brings us rain all day but we still try again to find TV service but still nothing. If we hadn’t found an American TV service satellite, I would have thought we had ‘other’ electronic problems! So, time to call Bell! Well their help was next to zero! We did the few things they suggested but still nothing! Time to go back to Judy and Larry’s, they are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for us and Anne and Gerry. Arriving we met their neighbors Art & Lorraine who were over for Happy Hour. They are very nice people. It was a nice afternoon and evening with lots to eat and conversations abound!

Tuesday, we tried again to get TV service but still no go. We went off to Goderich to buy a new satellite receiver and while there, toured the devastation from the Tornado that hit on Aug 21^st. I can’t put what we saw into words. I hope these few pictures do justice to the damage and toll inflicted!

Back to the rig to see if the new receiver ‘fixes’ our problem. NO! I still can’t find the signal from the bird. Only 1 more day and we’ll be in Toronto and we’re sure we’ll have service from Terri’s driveway! Back to Judy and Larry’s where we headed down the hill to the beach and we were very happy we made it up without a lot of puffing. Our 5K walks really helped us get into better shape. Judy & Larry invited us to stay for supper since we are heading to Toronto in the morning and after a pleasant evening we headed home.

Hoping all is well where ever you are…..

ps: happy now John? Sorry for the delay but the Satellite TV has been driving me more crazy!

Summer Comes to a Close

2011-09-23T09:17:00.001-04:00

It is wind down time. The campground is almost deserted and really quiet! The weather has cooled off dramatically and we find ourselves being busy inside. Barb is working on sewing projects, restarted our family tree search and creating some DVD projects. Me, well after watching Barb doing her thing, I’m too tired to start anything! Well, that’s a fib, I’m continuing to scan our photo albums and scrap books! Every now and then, I’ll see a picture that is too cute not to share so I’ll send it out to our daughters with a cryptic comment! We all have a laugh and it is fun!

While I was scanning some pictures, I came across a picture of my mother with friends. I googled the name of her friends and found their family tree! I sent the tree owner a message and waiting to hear back from them. We hope this will provide us with more leads to my mom’s lineage. It’s these little victories of genealogy that keep us hooked! Barb is using a family tree maker from My Heritage and it is really comprehensive. We’re hoping to publish this online so maybe we can get more input from other family members.

Barb helped a neighbor with her new sewing machine and I started our departure count down by checking air pressures, adjusting as required and giving the truck a good scrubbing on the inside. Soon, we’ll start putting our outdoor furniture and decorations away. Getting ready to head south always brings mixed emotions, saying farewell to new friends we have met this year but always looking forward to meeting more along the way!

Another neighbor wanted help re-leveling their trailer. So Barb & I gathered up our bottle jack, wood blocks and ground tarp and headed next door. This is the new trailer that was delivered and the delivery guy did not do even an adequate job for the customer! So, we managed to get it sorted out and leveled the way it should have been when delivered.

It’s been a slow quiet week here but we manage to keep busy. We wish you all well out there….

The Ignition Switch Twitch…

2011-09-14T14:27:00.000-04:00

Both of us are amazed that we have not felt the desire to move on this summer! Usually, after having the jacks down for about 5-6 weeks, we are ready to move on down the road for more adventures. But this summer, we haven’t had that feeling – until now! Could it be that we have been busy doing and being focused and not wondering what was waiting around the next bend or over the next hill? Could it be that we are in a nice campground that’s not making us wonder why we’re here? Could it be that the summer is nearly over and our thoughts are wandering to our venture south to our ‘new’ ERPU site at the Rainbow Plantation? I can’t think of any more ‘could it bes’ so let’s chalk it up to the end of this chapter in the summer of 2011 and it’s time to turn the page!

We have kinda gotten out of our normal routine for no reason. Barb has been busy working on a couple of projects that I can not mention here just in case someone is reading this. But she has finished one project – 8 bears have been born from that fur coat we showed you a few entries back. They are almost too cute but they are for sale so if you want one, send us an email to reserve yours today! She is also restarting the family tree project that had been sidelined when we could not trace my mother’s lineage back. We are using a neat tree building program from My Heritage Family Tree and helps inputting and tracking. Ancestry.ca had a special on where you can try out there service but of course there are strings and we’re not sure yet. We’ll use our family first for history etc then maybe…

The bathroom is 98% completed now. We replaced the paper holder and had to modify the cabinet where the old one was so the new one would fit. Some wood bought, some stain slapped on and some varnish and when assembled, I was ¼ inch short! Crap, and I left my board stretcher at the house so cut, stain and varnish a new piece and by the time this entry is published, it will be 100% complete! It’s always fun when I’m working on something!

Our neighbor, Peter and Molly bought a new trailer and Barb & I have been busy helping them with modifications and additions to make it ‘their own’. I put his Max-Air vent hoods on and helped take out a couple of cabinets they didn’t want – I’m good at demolition! Barb provided Molly with some ideas and helped me with another pair of hands. I’m busy doing nothing and there’s Peter, cutting our grass! I gave him a hard time of course, accusing him of not liking our shabby chic lawn next to his new trailer. Finally, he said he’s doing it to repay us for our help! Nice!

Barb is putting the finishing touches to some nice Christmas gifts that are going to be a hit. I am starting a big project of scanning some of our memorabilia that we have accumulated over the 44 years of wedding bliss.

We’re ‘talking’ to friends about this winter and whom to expect at the plantation and when. It is exciting to make plans with friends that you can meet on the road! Oh, we just got an email from our friends Dick and Karla in Minnesota. I hope you can remember us talking about how good friends they have been to us when we visit them. They are opening their ‘retirement log cabin’ as a B&B! So, if you’re interested in a little down time to recharge your batteries and experience the north woods of Minnesota, check them out at www.redpinepointbedandbreakfast.com. Dick and Karla are wonderful people and you will feel welcomed and comfortable. I hope you look them up.

Enough for now and we wish you well out there….

It’s Coming!

2011-09-07T11:23:00.000-04:00

Well, it’s that time of the year again; the leaves on some trees are actually starting to turn. The soy bean fields are nearing harvest as they turn gold! The nights are cooling and dew is heavy most mornings! Time has gone by in a blink and it is hard to believe the summer is backed up in memory! Our time here at Roebuck Campground is ending which takes our thoughts of our future travels. We’re excited to know we have a winter site waiting for us and not having to worry if there are sites available or what the campground is like. Get ready Rainbow Plantation, here we come!

I know, get back to the present. We’ve done another 5K walk today and then into Owen Sound for some groceries and to the fabric store for supplies – not for me but Barb is onto another little project while I continued on finishing the bathroom trim and cut the grass. Tuesday was more of the same, Barb was finishing a set of napkins for Terri – a small gift to celebrate their pergola project behind their house and I fastened down the bathroom trim.

We decided on a road trip into Waterdown to inspect Olympia Village campground where we might use for the month of Oct/Nov before we head south. They have been working on some new sites (they are the ones that called us 3 days in advance to tell us they couldn’t accommodate us on the long weekend in May and how we ended up in Meaford) and we wanted to ensure we could fit and it would be adequate for us. It was a 3 hour trip for a 15 minute tour but I now have peace of mind that we don’t have to go to Golden Pond in Ingersol again! It was one of the few campgrounds that are open year round but their electricity is flakey and the water is undrinkable but they always treated us good! We went to Terri’s for dinner and to present her with the ‘custom’ napkins. Thursday we moved slower than normal and didn’t get home here until after lunch and couldn’t get motivated to do much.

Friday we drove up to Tobermory to celebrate my birthday. It’s been 30+ years since we have been there and it hasn’t changed too much except for the large homes. We had lunch on a patio overlooking the harbor and watching some of the world go by! After, we strolled through the harbor and wandered into a few gift shops. Oh, also had to stop for an ice cream! As we were heading out, the Chi-cheemaun ferry from ManitoulinIsland was just arriving and it’s always a treat to watch the ship as it lifts the bow to let the vehicles off!

On the way back, I had a ‘bright’ idea to see the ‘Devil’sMonument’ – I had read a sign on the way up and thought it might be interesting. It was only 19Ks out of our way – we’ve traveled further for less! Anyway, after turning off the highway and no more signs to follow, we gave up after 40 minutes of very rough road. There was supposed to be the Cabot Head Lighthouse along the way but we didn’t find that either! Our GPS was of no help! We did get to see some very nice cottage/homes and magnificent vistas of Georgian Bay and the beautiful blue waters! We didn’t get to see what we started out to see but we still saw beautiful sites anyway and made the side trip worthwhile.

Wishing you well out there…..

Fun Times in a Small Spaces

2011-08-30T17:10:00.008-04:00

This past week has been fun! We started out by removing the bathroom vanity so we could start taking up the floor – again! Of course, you can’t remove any trim without breaking at least one piece but we did better than that, we broke two! So here we are, trim off, door off and the entire floor up. There is no room to do any cutting inside so we have to dodge the rain to cut outside! I’m sure you’re picturing the fun, drawers pile throughout, a door standing some where, trim and floor strips stacked neatly all the while we carry on in our rig! The good news is we found the source of our squeaks – the sub floor was too big and was rubbing in various places so with my handy little jigsaw, we did some trimming and glued and screwed the sub floor back down but not before we had to run out for more glue. The head contractor – (me) didn’t calculate enough! This can’t happen once we move to laying the laminate so I picked up some extra just in case! According to the directions on the floor glue, it had to be left for 48 hours before use – hey it’s our bathroom floor, how can that happen? Use the ‘public washrooms? Not!

So now we start to relay the laminate. Barb is our laborer here! She is down on the floor dry piecing it as she goes to ensure I am handing her the correct one – she knows me too well! It is going great until we get to a straight wall section and we realize we’re off just a smidge and the strips are not quite fitting! Thank heavens the glue doesn’t set too quickly and we are able to move it just enough to get us back on track. We’re sure you are chuckling as you try to imagine us two oldies working together on our hands and knees in the small space of our bathroom! We finally get the last piece in place late Sunday night and sit for a beverage before heading off to bed.

We decided to improve the drawer slides from the originals and went uptown! The bad news is the drawer openings have to be cut larger so the new drawer equipment will fit! We just have enough room on the vanity face to do it and the drawer fronts will still cover! The drain needs to be altered so the drawer slides will reach the wall for the top drawers – oh such good times! It’s never just a simple task! As I’m working on the wall brackets for the drawer slides, I notice a drip coming from the sink tail pipe! Now what? I finish the drawer slide wall brackets then disassemble the sink drain, clean everything and reassemble it to find it still leaks! Disassemble again and take off the new putty and re-do it again – with a little more this time and all is good now.

Now the moment of truth – fitting the drawers back in and see how they slide and if they close properly! They slide great but with too little resistance, what’s going to happen when were going down the road and have to brake? The fronts don’t line up 100% so I have to tweak the wall brackets for better alignment. To make the install seem a little easier, I tried installing the wall brackets on plywood and then attached the plywood to the wall. Wrong! It was more work doing it my way! After some experimentation, I finally got all brackets adjusted and the drawers are working great. With all this fun stuff, Barb even got all 7 bears assembled and ready for stuffing and jointing when the parts for the arms & legs arrive!

Sunday, while Irene pounded the eastern seaboard, we woke up to no water! The park had a major leak and had to shut the system off while the owner dug a huge pit to find the problem. I helped him hand bomb some clay back in the hole for him to stand on while he fixed the pipe. He found a small sharp piece of shale that had worked its way through the plastic water line! Unbelievable!

In the afternoon, Barb & I hiked about 2kms from our site to an overlook that looked toward Meaford and the waters of Georgian Bay. We will be sure to go back later when the leaves are turning, I’m sure the colors will be spectacular!

We hope that if any of our readers were in the clutches of Irene that they escaped without harm. We wish you well, wherever you are…..

Surprise!!

2011-08-21T13:20:00.010-04:00

You probably thought that I was going to start out by telling the story of when we stayed at the Walmart in Surprise Arizona, on our way to the Escapee Park in Congress! But you’re wrong. I’m going tell a story of my Bride’s birthday surprise.

Terri called to say they will stop by on their way to Killarney on a canoe camping trip! Wow, that’s a long way off their route! I took the call and didn’t tell Barb about the plans. Things happen and Terri and Mark were having technical difficulties with their Koi pond which had to be fixed before going away. So Terri drove all the way from their cabin in New York on Saturday to have dinner with her mom for her birthday. That was a neat surprise for Barb. Terri ended up staying over and we chatted and played cards into the night! Barb was thrilled with this surprise.

Monday we completed our 5K walk and after we decided to update our passports since they expire at the end of September – wouldn’t want to have any difficulties going south in the winter! So, after we got our pictures done, the government paperwork completed, we head to the bike trial in Owen Sound. This time we went east, back toward the highway. OMG, it is all up hill and by the time we reached the 3K mark, our legs were on fire! Thank goodness the trail was downhill back to the truck or we may have had to call a cab! After dinner, our neighbors asked us to join their campfire. We agreed and the campground owners joined in and we had a great time talking about just about everything. Curly told us it took him over 10 years to get his campground approved through the town council! How frustrating would that have been? Wow!

Barbie’s birthday was her regular quilt day but we went touring instead! We only had 2 more water falls to see in the area, Weaver and Indian Falls. Weaver falls was ok but nothing too dramatic but an easy walk. Indian Falls was much better and the walk definitely not to be considered easy! A short path of rocks leads us down to the stream and then we had to walk over rocks and tree roots. Soon, the path lead us up hill about 45 meters but the steps were the kind that someone had cut into the terrain and most were a stretch to get to. Once up top, the path was a bit better but you still had to watch for the tree roots! The view from the top of the falls was pretty good. After getting all the pictures, we decided to go back and walk into the falls from the bottom. Finding an appropriate access onto the stream and up toward the falls was sometimes difficult but we made it. We had to stop a few times to let young folks by on their way to swim in the pools at the bottom and stand under the falls as it cascades over the rocks. By the time we got back to the truck, we were ready for a nap!

Since we were part way up the west coast of Georgian Bay, we decided to continue along the Scenic Drive on Grey Road 1 to Wiarton. We’re sure it was a scenic drive sometime but all we saw were big houses and lots of trees. Every now and then we’d get a glimpse of the water through the openings of driveways. We stopped at the boat ramp at Big Bay to stretch and get a few pictures. We learned it was the unofficial ‘Rock Skipping Capital of Canada’! The beach was covered in round smooth rocks just right for skipping. After a few throws, we decided we were out of practice and took a walk out on the breakwater. IMHO, anywhere around Georgian Bay is just beautiful. We continue to be thankful for this lifestyle, to be able to see and experience this!

The next day we relaxed by cutting grass and weeding the gardens and the tomato box! After some awning time, Barb and I continued on our crafty projects. Barb is cutting out 7 bears from that coat and I have finished my chairs. The next blog entry will highlight our fun re-doing the bathroom floor – again!

Hope all is well where ever you are…..

More of the Same

2011-08-16T11:13:00.009-04:00

After a whirl wind trip to meet up with friends from the Plantation, we settle in and continue our walks and stuff. Wednesday is blood donor day which I try to do as often as possible. The Canadian Blood Services like my O neg blood! I finally found someone who will look at our DVR that got smoked last December during our power surge. Yes, we did purchase a new one but I figured if not too expensive, we will have a recorder for the bedroom TV system! We’ll see where this takes us!

Barb is embarking on a new project and we stopped by the fabric shop in Owen Sound to pick up a few things. We had planned on launching the kayak at the beach there but the wind was up and the waves a bit too choppy for us so back home.

The weather is not warm enough so Barb picked up this fake fur coat to keep her warmer! I know, you’re wondering why I can’t do the job - right? Oh! She is just cutting it up to make teddy bears! You better get your orders in quick! This ‘fur’ is in great shape and will look great as bears! While Barb was doing that, I started my second chair! It is symmetrical with equal holes on each side and front and back so it may be a little easier to cane!

On Saturday, we were up earlier than usual and headed on in to Meaford to wander through some of the yard and garage sales going on. Thanks Dottie for the inspiration! We got to 5 of them but all were selling toddler and kid’s clothes – not what we’re looking for! We drove by the beach and the lake was as calm as a mirror so what the hell, lets launch! We followed the shore along the lake for about 3 kms and viewed many nice homes and cottages. Apparently we were not the only ‘smart’ boaters taking advantage of the beautiful conditions; there were lots of pleasure boats out and lots of fishermen. We also met a couple of young adults on their paddle boards heading toward the Meaford Harbor and back. So, our up and out early was not wasted!

Monday is our usual 5kms walk and after lunch, we took a bike ride from Thornbury to Lara Bay along the old rail tracks. Except for not being along the water, it was a pleasant ride. After, we rode over to the river and viewed a different fish ladder. The ladder is a different design – to us anyway and we have seen several, all the way out to the Hell’s Gate on the Fraser River in BC. Anyway, this ladder is a separate canal built beside the dam that has natural looking pools built with rocks and the fish can jump up into each level as it winds back and forth until it reaches the top. I’m sure the pictures explain it better than I do!

Wednesday’s are our normal travel and site seeing day but it was wet, cool and miserable here so we ‘squirreled’ up inside all day.

We decided to mosey over to see my brother Larry at his boat on the east coast of Georgian Bay. The views from the top of the Blue Mountains toward Georgian Bay are always spectacular on clear days and today (Friday) they did not disappoint us! Larry is at a different marina this year and is enjoying life on his boat. After some chit chat and lunch, we headed out the south end of Beausoleil Island, around to the north and back through the north channels and back to the marina. It was a nice trip and even on a Friday, the waters were busy with lots of other water craft! With all the coves and bays, this would be an excellent place for our kayaking adventures. We’ve looked around in the past but did not find a suitable RV park – we think the Escapees have raised our standards!

Hope all is good where ever you are…..

Back to Normal!

2011-08-10T10:35:00.009-04:00

Well, after the past week of excitement, we are trying to get back to normal. The humid weather has taken its toll on my bride but we are doing what we can. Barb has resumed her sewing and finished one project and onto another. Me, I am still working on the same chair. Thanks goodness, I’m not depending on my memory as I would still be wondering what strip of cane goes where!

Some folks moved in across the street and were having some problems disconnecting their tow vehicle so I went over to assist. They were newbies and needed some coaching on a few things about their rig so falling back on my ‘walk through’ experience, I tried to help them out. All that talking is exhausting so more time for me in the lounger under the awning!

We didn’t do any touring this week as we spent all day Thursday in Toronto. I had a doctors appointment, we stopped to have lunch with Larry, stopped at Corrie’s to see Mack & Nate, stopped to see Terri & Mark’s new pergola and had to go to A1 Electronics to get a part for the fridge. Whew, what a busy day.

The fridge has a fan in the back to help cool the condenser which increases the efficiency of the fridge. It runs from a thermister that is mounted on the condenser. The fan has not been coming on and after a little trouble shooting; I determined that I needed to change the thermister. Friday, I replaced it and now the fan runs fine so we’ll see if it really does improve the cooling of the fridge!

The long weekend is here and the park is quite full. They held a Karaoke event Saturday night and no, we didn’t go and punish all with my dulcet tones! Even with all the added campers, it is still quiet. This gave me more time to finish ‘the’ chair. Yes, that’s correct, finally completed one of the pair!

I checked on the fan in the back of the fridge in this heat to see if it was working and wouldn’t you know it’s a DC motor and when you reverse the positive and negative leads (hook it up backwards), the fan runs backward! It was blowing air down the fridge and not up! So I had to make a quick change there!

Tuesday, we met George & Dottie (friends from the Plantation) at Walmart in Guelph as they passed through Ontario to get to Maine from Michigan. Thanks goodness, they have a generator and could put on the A/C as we sat and chit chatted! After an enjoyable sit, we wandered over to Montana’s for lunch/dinner. When we came out, the weather had changed and threatening rain but somewhat cooler. Dottie is more than paranoid about big cities and heavy traffic when traveling in their motorhome. They asked when would be the best time to go through Toronto! We gave a short laugh and said the Hwy 401 is busy all the time, even the wee hours of the morning but after 10am would be a good time. And of course, this is construction season so roll the dice! After a fun visit, we were on our way back north and arrived home about 9PM!

Another long day for a couple of retired RVers. We hope all is well with you, were ever you are….

An Elvis Sighting in Collingwood

2011-07-31T09:39:00.021-04:00

So it is true, Elvis lives! If I hadn’t seen him with my own eyes, well, you know the story. While we were sitting around on Thursday, we learned that it was the annual Elvis Fest in Collingwood. I asked if anyone was interested in driving down and having a look see and without hesitation, the ladies said yes! The parade with Elvis started at 9AM so we had to leave by 7:30! We loaded our lawn chairs and all the Elvis fans into the truck and our first stop was Timmy’s!

We roll into Collingwood with time to spare we made our way to Main Street to find a suitable place along the parade route. The shady side was full so we sat in the sun but it wasn’t long before the fire trucks came along. Another Elvis, wow, look at all the Elvis look-a-likes. They came from all over the world and the winning Elvis came from London, England. Now that is a mile or two from Memphis! All the Elvis’s sat or stood in classic cars. Some had their own cars like Roy LeBlanc. He had a stretch limo and was standing out of the sun roof serenading the fans as he made his way along the parade route. One was on his Harley and he also sang as he proceeded down the route. We were only 6 of thousands standing along the parade route and walking along Main Street. Di, Donna and Barb even got their picture taken with a tall Elvis in white. Boy all they talked about after was how great he smelled. Our St. Thomas group knows Roy Le Bla nc, an amazing Elvis impersonator, who is singing at Blue Mountain Village. We head to Blue Mountain but go to the hotel instead of the village and using our GPS we find we are only 500 meters away. Parking was hard to find and we had a lengthy walk but still got to the village common with plenty of spare time. No shade and high temperatures but we persevered and watched most of the concert. One lady got real lucky as Elvis pulled her out of the audience and danced with her. I think the three ladies with us would love to have danced with him too!

The village was very busy, not only for the free Elvis concerts ongoing through the day but also with mountain bikers.

People were riding the ski lifts to the top and some more adventurous and possibly younger, were riding their BMX bikes down the mountain! I’d be okay with the ride up but I’d also be bringing the same ride back down!

We all agreed it was time to take to the shade and have some lunch so off to a neat little road house, The Beaver and Bullfrog in Collingwood. After, we went back to the rigs for more ladder golf, beverages and to kick back!

Sunday, Barb & I did a ‘hitch up’ breakfast for our friend’s departure! It was a great week with friends and we were all sad their visit came to and end! Larry was at his boat so he drove over from Honey Harbor to visit and have dinner with us what a great treat!

Well, we’re back to our normal routine albeit moving slowly through this humid weather. We hope you’re able to keep cool where ever you are…..

Not our Normal Routine

2011-07-25T16:16:00.012-04:00

Sunday, John & Dianne and Ray & Donna arrived in their 5ers to spend a week with us. It is great that RVing friends can meet up almost anywhere! After a quick beverage and some chat, they got set up then we spent the remainder of the day catching up with each others activities. Some over indulging occurred but was only good entertainment for the rest of us! After a feast of lasagna, Caesar salad and garlic bread followed by pie and ice cream, we settled in for some serious – ok not so serious Mexican train until after midnight!

During the days, we played lots of ladder golf, had a few beverages, shopped, more beverages, on Tuesday, we biked along the Owen Sound Harbor and tried to keep cool!

First, we had to stop at WalMart to buy a new inner tube for Ray’s bike. With the use of a couple of screw drivers and a wrench, we complete repairs in the parking lot! It was scary for a second, 3 guys working on the tire at the same time! Now off to the ride! The bike ride along the water is always excellent. We left one truck at the start and took the other one down to the end of the ride at the bridge in Owen Sound. All 6 of us rode down to the harbor bridge – 3.57Kms with a few stops along the way to smell the flowers, literally! The Georgian Bay Garden Club maintains a beautiful garden about the halfway mark on our ride so we stopped to ‘wander’ through the summer blossoms and enjoy some shade. Arriving at our destination we had a short discussion as to if the river water is flowing out into Georgian Bay, then why is the surface water carrying weed debris back up the river! You see, these nonsensical discussions are how we fix all the problems of the world! For our return, 4 of us decide to bike back while 2 thought it best if they took the truck back to the beginning and met us there so we loaded their bikes in the second truck and we took off. The ride back was all up a slight grade so no coasting now; it was peddling all the way! Whew, we’re tired and in need of refreshments! While sitting on the deck laughing at the day’s activities, we see more wildlife - a turtle walking down the road. On closer inspection, it was a baby snapping turtle and Curly, the CG owner didn’t want it getting into his swimming pond so it was scooped up taken off to a different pond for him/her to live a long and happy life!

Wednesday, we toured two of the local water falls around Owen Sound, Inglis and Jones Falls. Inglis Falls was the easiest to walk to but the trails leading away to view the glacial pot holes were a bit more of a challenge so we’ll do that when it cools down some. The view was pretty good and the falls did not disappoint us. When people create these look out points for viewing, why can’t they keep the underbrush cut down in front of the viewing area? Oh, no budget! So it was still early so the 6 of us clamber back in the truck and we wander off to find Jones Falls. It was easy to find if you follow the signage but when ignored; now you start another adventure! But I had 5 other drivers with me – no, not in the back seat, that would be illegal, so in no time, I was quickly turned around and we arrived at the Falls parking lot!

It was a tricky walk through a fairly dense wood. If you were not watching your step, you could easily trip over the many roots above ground or the many mid sized rocks on the path. During our walk back to the Falls, we came across a King Milk snake sunning itself on a rock in the middle of the stream. Finally we arrive at the Falls and again, not many real good viewing spots so we took turns having a look from a small out cropping that looked like it was going to cave into the stream 30 feet below at any time! The best vantage point would have been at the base of the Falls but none of us were in any shape to repel down to it! After a quick look, we started back and found the snake still where we had left it! The sight of the snake drove us all to drink so we had to find a good ‘ole’ watering hole! Barb & Donna were so shaken up that they needed strawberry daiquiris to calm them down while the rest of us ordered beers!

The tourist brochure suggested that the Rocky Raccoon was a great place for dinner so we thought we’d give it a try. Oopppsss, none of us were really into the menu so we politely excused ourselves and headed on over to Montana’s, a place we all know and like! After dinner, the local car buffs were holding their weekly ‘cruise night’ in the parking lot of the Heritage Mall so the ‘boys’ went to have a look see while the ‘girls’ went to WalMart! There were lots of classic cars and trucks but nothing that would pull our rig so I didn’t make any offers on any that were for sale! Heading back to the campground, we were all exhausted but had time for another round of ladder golf and then onto Mexican Train for the night!

Thursday was hot and we all had the air running with no plans of going or doing anything. In the afternoon, we all collected at our rig and we showed them some of Barb’s DVD productions of our various trips to Alaska. When we finished watching a couple of DVDs, it was dinner time again. We had another picnic table along with ours and ate communal style outdoors – this means we’re camping? Everyone brought their own entrée that could be grilled and we all kicked in on the veggies and or desserts.

Friday was another laid back day in the morning and we went to the local winery for a tasting the afternoon. This was a neat find, a free tasting – not too prevalent any more and then an opportunity to have a glass of your favorite wine with an exotic cheese tray sitting back on their deck overlooking the farm land and Georgian Bay! It was a great way to spend an afternoon with friends! Back to the rig for a light dinner then more Mexican Train and more laughs! Their visit is winding down and we are all having a great time. Saturday will be separate entry so stay tuned!

Hope y’all are well wherever you are….

Another Week in Paradise

2011-07-16T13:22:00.010-04:00

Barb & I had an enjoyable 5+K bike ride today along the Owen Sound harbor. We didn’t see any dolphins as we did in Rockport, Texas but it was just as enjoyable. We also found a good place to put the kayak in so maybe in the near future it will get wet again – it’s been too long! More in town, we stopped to read some of the history of the harbor and watch divers as they make repairs to the ‘sea wall’ of the harbor.

We are continuing on our little projects, Barb is finishing her golf placemats and started on a quilted tote bag and me on my caning. Thanks goodness I bought the how to caning book as my memory of “how to” from Bob at the plantation is a little off – ok, more than a little!

Wednesday is tour day so we decide to venture south of here to see some waterfalls – 3 in total. We started at the furthest one away and made our way back home. It was not a difficult drive and McGowan, Hoggs and Eugenia waterfalls were good, great views and lots of water. When we were at Eugenia, we were a little disappointed as we could not really view the falls from a good angle. As we were approaching our truck, another couple told us to take a different trail in order to see the ‘breath taking’ view as advertised! It was great and glad these other folks spoke up! As we were leaving, we spied a small bakery and stopped to buy some ‘home made’ bread and it was fantastic! One can not say enough about these small towns and their little boutiques! Our route home from here took us through Beaver Valley – one of the better ski hills in the area and we stopped at a small conservation areahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif dedicated to John Muir, a “Scottish-American naturalist and preservationist” and spent a few minutes taking in the views overlooking Beaver Valley toward the Blue Mountains. We stopped for dinner at a fish and chip restaurant in Meaford. We will not recommend it to others when asked.

The remainder of the week was our regular stuff, walking, quilting, caning, site maintenance and some shopping. When we got back from a busy day out yesterday, we were surprised by our neighbors when they brought us a couple bottles of wine and garden light in appreciation of our help.

So our week ended on a happy note and we hope yours is also going well…..

Back in the Groove

2011-07-09T19:09:00.012-04:00

We are back on site near Meaford and want to get back to a semblance of normal. We have the 5K walk coming up this weekend and continue to walk on alternate days. Once back, we checked the weather to see if we could expect 3 days of dryness and yes, we get to paint the deck now! It dried in a couple of hours for the second coat so all done in a day but it has to cure for 72 hours. We can get in and out with walking on it so no hardship there.

Our plants were a little thirsty but with some TLC from Barb, they are coming back nicely. I continued with my chairs, trying to get the wood finished so I can start
canning them. We think they will look great. Barb has her sewing centre set up again and is continuing with her placemat project. She has also finished her latest wood carving project and I’m sure you will agree it looks great!

Wednesday, we toured around Sauble Beach and Sauble Falls. It was a first time for us in the Sauble Beach area. We had a picnic lunch beside the falls and watched the kids jumping over the falls into a deep pool (we hope it was a deep pool)! We were surprised that kids were not tubing over the
cascades but maybe that was because their parents were nearby! After our lunch and watching the ‘entertainment’, we went to the beach. As we drove down to it, the mist was rolling in and it cooled
considerably so playing in the sand another day! Our return trip took us through Wairton and back to Owen Sound. We rolled up to a stop light and the vehicle next to us was trying to talk to us…. He wanted to know if we wanted to sell the truck! We said no but he persisted at the next light and asked us to take his number if we changed our mind! That was weird!

The rest of the week we walked 3 Kms (still getting ready for our 5K walk on Saturday), stained between the boards of the deck and used the remainder of the stain on the picnic table. Barb finished up one of her quilting projects and
continued on another until she ran out of thread! We both started some new things too. Barb started carving a plaque to replace our name plaque that has outlived its usefulness. I started weaving the cane on the infamous chairs!

Our neighbor was having problems with their roof A/C and asked for some help. Apparently they had the rig in for service last fall – they had to have a new roof and side put on as he tangled with a booth and lost! Anyway, the RV dealer took the A/C off and repaired the roof and re-installed it. It hasn’t worked since and of course, they said it was tested before it left the shop! With the dealer on the phone with me, we checked all the connections and lights etc. The dealer says the only possible solution was a seized motor! So up I go to remove the cowling and see if it is. After I get all the stuff off to actually see the motor, I see a couple of connections that are not connected and have suspicious feelings whizzing through me! I stick the wiring harness back down into the coach and scramble down and re-connect them into the control board and holy crap, the A/C kicks on! Wow, and it worked when it left the shop!

On your mark!!!!! It is race day and we’re up early doing our stretches – fooled ya’s didn’t I? We were up early so we could get down to Meaford – about a 15 minute drive and get signed in and do some people watching! At 9 sharp, we were all lined
up – runners and walkers and the gun went off! By the time we got a couple hundred feet under our belt, we know we had set a pace that was too quick and it wasn’t long before the ‘shin splints’ were affecting my bride! Barb was in terrible pain for the remainder of the 5K! Our daughter suggested they are caused by dehydration and her mom should drink more water! But you all know the equation, water in, water out! So, we slowed a little and Barb limped along, head down and trying very hard not to give in to the aches! As the KMs ticket by, Barb was determined not to let our donor pledges down and continued to trudge along. To our surprise, we actually beat our normal time of 1 hour, 2 minutes for 5Kms and came in under 57 minutes! Yea Barbie! The remainder of the day was spent on the deck, under the awning, on our duffs staying cool and re-hydrating ourselves!

Well, we hope all is good for you out there……

Life Camped out in Toronto

2011-07-04T19:26:00.011-04:00

Friday, June24th, we hitched up the rig and hauled it down to Toronto. Barb & I had some things going on in the ‘big smoke’ and thought rather than commute to and from; we would do some driveway parking at our daughter’s place! After we set up, Mark, Terri, Sandra (Mark’s mom), Barb and I went to Alex’s Grade 8 graduation. All the girls were dressed to the nines and most of the boys had suits on, some with their sneakers! I don’t remember this amount of celebration when I passed into high school! Each student introduced the next student to accept their diploma – it was an interesting way to involve all the kids. Of course, each student had to write their own introduction so there were some funny ones. Afterwards, the students went to their after parties and the adults went to La Veranda for an Italian dinner. It was very nice, having dinner on the sidewalk cafe amongst hanging baskets of plants and flowers.

Saturday was busy. Terri decided they wanted a Pergola built on the patio. So, the construction begins! By end of day, the plans were made, materials purchased and we had all 6 footings poured and the 4x4 saddles set in. After a few brewskis and dinner, we called it a day. Holy crap, their fish pond
with lots of gold fish and Koi just pumped itself to almost empty and there’s hardly any water left! Panic and surprise fills the air so we have to find out why and add some water so the fish don’t become sushi!

On Sunday, we constructed 2 of the 6 legs that hold the upper structure. Each leg was made from 4 4x4s that sit in
the saddles. But the main event was spending an afternoon on a 31 foot Nonsuch sail boat, cruising around the Toronto harbor. Alan and Karen (our hosts) took us back to Snug Harbor at the RCYC marina for a pot luck BBQ. Our hosts were extremely nice and we met many of their yachting buds. After the BBQ, we took a sunset cruise toward the eastern gap of the Toronto Islands. We found thousands of Cormorants nesting in the trees and were told their poop is killing the trees they are nesting in! On our way back to the dock to drop us off, we saw a man swimming in no particular direction. We approached and asked if he was ok but he did not respond or acknowledge us. We circled a few times trying to communicate
but he did not respond so we called the Toronto marine patrol. When they arrived, he still did not respond and tried swimming away from them. The patrol called for backup and it appeared they were suited up to get wet! We had moved on toward the dock before the setting sun dipped below the skyline of Toronto and do not know the out come of the swimmer – it’s too cool at this time of the year for an evening swim.

Monday, we resumed on the construction project. Barb & I constructed the other 4 legs and with Marks help, we had the skeleton up by the time darkness fell. Tuesday we went to Mack’s graduation dinner in cabbage town. We were not allowed into the school auditorium as there were too many students graduating and the auditorium was only large
enough to seat 750 people so only parents were permitted – boo! We had a fun time and good company and good food at Pappas Grill for the after Graduation Dinner.

Wednesday, we spent the day washing the rig and Barb cut the front and back lawns! We were done when the evening set upon us!

Thursday night, Barb slept alone – Mark & Terri went to their cabin in up state NY while I was at another sleep study appointment. Friday is Canada Day and we’ll be moving on back to Roebuck but not until we put on red something to celebrate our nations birthday! The trip north was easy, not much traffic considering it was a holiday – now that doesn’t speak for the cars stuck behind us on the 2 lane highways!

We rolled in without mishap and were set up quickly. A neighbor came over to greet us and was amazed at how fast we had our TV satellite dish set up. I opened my mouth by offering to help him with his dish. After moving the dish to several different locations and an hour later, he called the tech support line and they gave us the accurate co-ordinates and ding, he had a signal and all was good. Whew, that was frustrating, I’m glad ours is much easier to set up!

Well, that’s all for now and happy Canada Day to all our Canadian friends and happy Independence Day to our American friends …..

The Aches and Pains Continue

2011-06-22T11:08:00.009-04:00

We have had Killdeers running around the cg since we have been here. There was a nest on an adjoining site that had 4 eggs in it. The mom Killdeer seemed to have been sitting on the nest forever. They finally hatched Saturday and when I went over, 3 of the baby birds were nestled down into the grass and the mom was squawking and pretending to be injured to lure us away from the baby’s. I don’t think it was 2 hours later and the 3 baby’s were running around following mom! It is amazing! And they look so cute with their tiny bodies and long legs.

You remember I said I’m not a gardener but the laborer – well dig, dig, dig and we’re still not finished! We built a wooden planter for the tomato plants from the left over deck boards! We have a ‘skill’ saw powered by battery and it was fine when new but now the battery is suspehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifct and it just doesn’t do the job anymore. So off to the campground owner to borrow a hand saw again! My shoulders are more than a little sore but before you go and say I’m outta shape, I’m saying I’m outta shape!

The job is done, 2 gardens dug in and the raised tomato garden built and filled with dirt and planted! We checked with the cg owners and they pointed us to some perennials that we could split up for our gardens. After all the digging, back filling and watering, the site is starting to look ‘homey’! After we cleaned up all the scrap wood and cuttings, it was time for a cool one!

Barb & I have decided to ‘give back’ to the Meaford community. There is a 5K walk coming up and we’ve reached out to our family and friends to help support us in our efforts to contribute to the Meaford Hospital. Here is the web site if we missed you on our email and you want to help. We’re taking this serious and are in ‘training’ so we don’t embarrass ourselves. Our normal ‘walks’ are about 2 miles and this one is 3 so we’re confident we can do it!

I had a nice Father’s Day, 2 of our daughters called to wish me well and Terri came up to see us with her husband Mark and her step daughter Alex. They arrived early afternoon and brought dinner and beverages. We tested out our new deck and played Ladder Golf. It was a fun visit.

Barb’s quilting group back at the plantation has received sad news about one of their members. They are building a prayer quilt via long distance and each member has to send a quilt square with their signature and one of the ladies is assembling the finished quilt. Well, with our postal strike, Barb wants to make sure it gets there so we’ll see what happens after our government forces them back to work. We’ll know more by the weekend and we may have to use UPS or Fedex. While we were in Owen Sound to check out these options, we decided to try out their bike trails – recovered rail lines. The trails are ok but there are no places to park to access the trail. After driving around tracing the trail, we finally found a place to pull off the road so we could unload the bikes from the back of the truck and get going! Well, it’s been awhile since we straddled these ole bikes and we cut our tour short! We did manage to get in 5Kms though and as you’ll see by the trail, we had some nice views of the Sound.

Tuesday morning brought us our planned 5K walk to be ready for the big day on July 9. We thought we were walking slower today but actually shaved a minute off our time! Whoopee! When we got back to the rig, we collapsed in the lounge chairs under the awning and let our bodies catch up to our exercise! After, we set about doin our stuff – Barb finished another pine needle basket and then started working on her quilt project, I cut the grass and put a coat of varnish on the chairs. We bought some opaque water based stain for the deck but we can not put it on if it is expected to rain within 72 hours so that will have to wait. That is it for now.

Keep well where ever you are….