Saturday, September 30, 2017

Saturday - Definite Fall Weather!

Ken was up by 6:30 and started reading.  I got up at 7:30 after doing some back exercises in bed.  After breakfast I did some packing for my 2 night, 3 day trip with my Curvette ladies.  Then we left for a walk around Lititz!

Yesterday and today they had The Artisian Porch Walk around town with 5 or 6 crafters at about 6 different locations.  Yesterday was a perfect weather day, but today was much cooler (in the upper 60's) and very windy.  It still was a gorgeous day to be out and about.  We spent about 2 hours checking out the different vendors.  Loved seeing all their "wares" but we didn't make any purchases.

After lunch I drove to Lancaster to Michael's and AC Moore and it proved to be a rather futile trip!  They had a 25% off coupon for your total purchase of regular and sale priced items, but it seems that everything I wanted was an "exception"!  So much for bargain shopping!

I recorded our expenses on our budget program when I returned and Ken had read and rested while I was gone.  Ken left at 5:15 to have pizza with some of his buddies from his Step Study.

I don't where this day went, but I seem to have lost numerous hours.  I was looking forward to more crafting, but that only happened for about an hour.  I spent the evening making dinner for myself, showering, finishing my packing for my departure tomorrow morning at 7 with my Curvette friends, and cut-up veggies for the breakfast casserole I am responsible for on Monday morning.  

Looking forward to spending these next few days at the Grand Canyon of PA, staying in a cabin of one of the Curvettes.  There are 7 of us going and it will be a very fun time!

Friday, September 29, 2017

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - A Fun Few Days on the Home Front!!

Wednesday Ken left for his job at MCC after I had already started my walk around Lititz.  It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures that got in the upper 80's.  I enjoyed my walk and all went well.

After making my breakfast and showering, I spent the rest of the morning crafting.  I am having so much fun being creative!  After we ate our lunch, Ken decided to go for a looooong walk on the rail trail that will eventually go from Lititz to Ephrata.  It will be completed next year, but right now it goes out 3 1/2 miles and Ken went both ways.  He was determined to get as many steps as I got yesterday (over 17,00 and he succeeded!).  

That evening Ken did some reading while I continued working on some craft projects.

Thursday was another beautiful day and Ken left at 7:45 to have breakfast with Gary.  I did some dusting and scouring around the apartment after cooking breakfast.  When Ken returned we went for a walk, showered, ate lunch and by 12:15 we were on our way to Masonic Village to play cards with my parents.  It was a fun afternoon but the men won 3 of the 5 games.

We had grilled chicken salads for dinner and then it was time for Ken to read while I returned to my office space to craft.  We were in bed by 10:15.

Friday was a positively gorgeous fall day with temperatures in the low 70's but there was plenty of sunshine.  Ken drove me to meet my Curvette ladies for breakfast, arriving at the restaurant at 6:40 - too early for this gal but I love being with my friends.  Ken had breakfast at a different location with his mentor from his Step Study.

I was back home by 8 and Ken around 9:45.  We went for a walk and what a pleasure to be out and about on such a wonderful day.  After lunch, we drove to York to pick up Wilbur at Beasley Ford where he got inspected, lubed, and an oil change.  We had stopped at Michael's Crafts on the way there and what should have been a 15 minute stop ended up being about 45 minutes.  What a confusing mess at the register!  I followed Ken to the place where we store Wilbur in Ephrata and the traffic was horrendous!  I think everyone was out and about!!!! 

We were back home at 4:30 and by 5:45 we were out the door and back to Ephrata to spend the evening at 10,000 Villages to have a light dinner and listen to a very special local musical group, The Craven Family.  Their son, Oliver, who is part of a nationally known musical group, The Stray Birds, was home and sang and played with his mother and dad.  What a special evening.  Doloris and Fred joined us for the fun time.

While there, I recognized a friend from high school that we saw about 2 years ago for the 1st time since graduation.  She had come by herself to hear The Cravens upon a recommendation from a salesperson at 10,000 Villages when Beth was there earlier in the day.  She sat with the 4 of us and we had a great time "catching up" on what is happening in her life!  She left around 7:30.

The concert was finished at 8:30 and upon Martin's invitation, we went to their house to play a game of Haus.  We had a fun, silly time, but the men were victorious!  Home by 10:30 and off to bed.

It has been a fun 3 days!



Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Tuesday - A Fun Day With Lanie!

Ken was up early to do some reading and I came to life around 6:40.  We went for our morning walk (I wore my SAS) and then Ken cooked us breakfast while I showered and got ready for the day.

Lanie had mentioned at my birthday that she would prefer to buy me lunch and then spend a mother and daughter day together instead of buying me a gift and I thought it was a great idea!  So, today was the day.

It was a gorgeous sunny, hot day with temperatures  near 90, a perfect day to be outdoors!  She allowed me to choose what I wanted to do, so we met in Ephrata and took a long walk on the Linear Trail, which is for bikes and walking and follows an old railroad line.  We met at 9:30 and I had stopped at WaWa to buy her hot chocolate and a pumpkin spice latte for me.  We sat on a bench along the trail drinking and chatting.  Then the 4+ mile walk began ending in downtown Ephrata where we went in a couple shops.

From there we went to The Deck and outside eatery that has delicious sandwiches, salads, etc. and the best homemade french fries.  We had such a fun day just spending time together.  It was a special day for this mother!

We parted ways around 2:15 and I went to Wal-Mart for some groceries, arriving home at 3:30.  Ken had spent the majority of the day at his desk catching up on needed paperwork, bills, e-mails, etc.  I was rather tired from the 17,000 steps I walked today, so I rested for about a 1/2 hour.  We made salads for dinner and Ken grilled salmon and steak.  We ate watching the World news.  My heart goes out to the poor folks in Puerto Rico.  What a devastating situation!

I worked on this blog while Ken did more reading and then I decided to do some crafting while watching The Voice.

It has been a very special, fun day!

Monday, September 25, 2017

Monday - An on the Move Day!

Ken and I got up around 6:45 and watched the first 15 minutes of the national news.  So many sad things are going on right now!  We got ready and by 7:45 Ken followed me in Wilbur to the Ford dealership in York so Wilbur could get inspected, have an oil change, and check anything else that might need attention.  We will probably pick him up on Tuesday or Wednesday.

From there we went to Office Max to purchase a wireless keyboard and mouse for our laptop since I have several keys on the board that are not working. Much cheaper to buy a keyboard than try to fix the problem with the laptop!  Trying to use the on screen keyboard to type info into our blog was really a "pain"!

We stopped at the house long enough to drop off a few groceries and then went to deliver for Meals on Wheels, which takes about 1 1/4 hours.  The recipients of the food are so happy and grateful to see you and it makes us feel good to be a part of the organization.  We are only substitute drives, but we do enjoy doing it!  Then we drove right to Costco for needed groceries.  Our cupboards were rather bare when we returned from our camping trip.  Of course, we had to have lunch while we were there!

As soon as we returned, had everything in its place, and Ken had carved the rotisserie chicken, he left to go to a local roadside stand for some fresh fruit, veggies, and cage free eggs.  I worked on this blog while he was gone.  Upon his return, he decided to rest and I started working on crafts.  I repainted the slate sign that we hang at CG's that has our names and Lanc. Co. on it.  I had fun doing a whole different design on the slate and was fairly pleased with the result.

Ken left at 6:15 for Celebrate Recovery and I finished my painting project, only eating dinner at 7:45.  I watched The Voice (can't believe another show has started that I get addicted to!) while playing some games of Pop Words on the I-Pad.  Ken got back around 9:30, watched the end of The Voice with me and by 10:15 we were in bed.




Sunday, September 24, 2017

Back to a "Normal Routine"!

Ken and I were up at 6:45 and decided we had enough time to take a walk before leaving for church!  So we took our normal path around Lititz.  When we got near Linden Hall, a private girls school that has horseback riding, we realized one of their horses was in between the 2 corrals and free to roam.  We had decided to go on the school property and report the "loose" horse to someone.  Just then a police car came down the road, so I hailed him and told him what appeared to be a problem.  He said he would take care of it.  As we continued our walk another police car came as back-up.  I guess it takes a group of people to round up a horse!

By 8:30 we were on our way to church and sat with Lloyd and Deb, members of our small group.  Again, it was another good sermon by Scott.  The 4 of us met Eddie and Lori, other members of our small group who recently moved and started attending an LCBC campus closer to their new location, at a local restaurant for breakfast (lunch for Lloyd!).  We had a fun time catching up on life.

Ken and I were home by 12:30 and he left for an outdoor Peace Rally (conference) in  downtown Lancaster.  He had read numerous books by the one speaker and was anxious to hear him and maybe have a chance to talk with him.  He had a very enjoyable afternoon talking to several of the speakers and vendors.

I had decided to stay home and do some crafting while watching the Steelers game.  I also "caught" some of the Eagles game which ended with a 61 yard field goal in the final second - talk about exciting.  It wasn't a good outcome for the Steelers who lost in overtime!

Ken took a short nap when he returned and by 5 we were in Ephrata for our couples card club.  We ordered pizza from Papa John's and then played cards. We missed having Dan and Jackie there who are babysitting in Texas for their son Ryan's children while he and his wife are on a 10 day mission trip.  It was a fun evening!

We were home by 10 and went right to bed to do some reading - so much for a relaxing, quiet day but we sure had a good time and were happy to see many of our friends.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Time to Go Back to Lititz!

Ken woke me at 6:45 and we got ready to leave Sea Pines.  I was a bit sad to be leaving because I had such a good time.  We usually camp with Fred and Doloris numerous times throughout the summer, but it just didn't happen this year, so we had such a great time being with them.  I didn't want it to end.

We visited Fred and Doloris to say our goodbyes and pulled to the front of the CG to connect the CRV.  We were on our way home by 8:45 , made 1  stop for drinks and got home by 12:15.  We had a dead battery in the CRV, but the jumper cables did their job.  We had  the same problem when we arrived at Sea Pines at the beginning of our trip. We need to solve this problem before we head to Florida.

We had loaded most things in the CRV when we left the CG, so unloading went smoothly and rather quickly.  By 2:00 everything was in its proper place and I had done 2 loads of wash. Ken went to his Step Study class from 2:30 to 5 and I finished the wash and did some crafting.  

We picked up subs at Subway to eat at home and then Ken did some reading while I worked on this blog.  Then we watched the Penn State game.

I must admit that it feels good to be back home but I had a wonderful camping adventure.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Friday - Our Last Full Day at Sea Pines!

Ken and I feel that this has been one of most relaxing camping trips we have taken.  As much as I love pickleball, when it is not a part of your morning routine everything seems so much more relaxing and low key.  It has been very inexpensive too!

Ken was doing his devotions when I got up a 7. We decided to take a walk around the CG before breakfast.  It was a bit cloudy and cooler, but so nice for walking.  We ate breakfast outside and then Ken put somethings away outside and I did the same inside.  He also loaded our bikes for our trip to the Cape May area.

The 4 of us left the CG at 10:30 in our separate vehicles since we had to take our bikes.  We parked in downtown Cape May after a half hour drive, got on our bikes and rode to Sunset Beach about a 2 mile ride.  It was a perfect day for a ride, with plenty of sunshine, temperature in the mid 70's and just a a light breeze.  I actually felt comfortable walking the beach in my sweatshirt.  We found a few pieces of seaglass, but I also collected a lot of small pebbles that I might be able to use on some of my seaglass pictures.  

Pebbles, pebbles everywhere.

Also the beach that is famous for Cape May diamonds.

Sometimes you just have ti sit to find treasures!

I should be able to find some usable pebbles here.

Time for Fred to relax and reflect!



Sunset Beach is known for the slowly sinking cement ship.  Each year less and less of it is visible.  We also saw the Cape May/Lewes Ferry pass by.



The ferry takes people, cars, and bikes and is a great ride.
 We took our bikes on it several years ago.



Then we did our 'tradition lunch' at Sunset Grille right on the beach.  What a setting and their chicken cheese steak is amazing!  Ken and I were good and shared it.  Oh, I almost forgot -  we shared the delicious onion rings too.  We were bad.    We left Cape May around 3, but Ken and I went into Cape May to get a photo of the lighthouse.  

The grill is right on the beach and only has outdoor seating.

The Happy Campers!





The lighthouse near Sunset Beach.


When we got back to the CG, Ken agreed to playing some rounds of mini golf - what a nice guy.  He knows how much I love this course at Sea Pines.  We played 4 rounds, 36 holes, and Ken won by 3 strokes.  I'm not sure what happened!   

Time for more packing for our trip home tomorrow, showers, and a game of pinochle which I won.  Martins had gone back to Mike's Seafood to have another lobster special.  They returned at 8:15 and we went to their RV to play Haus which the women won -  yes!  We left there at 10:00 and it was off to dreamland.  It was another wonderful day.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Thursday - A Relaxing Day!

I had a tough time going to sleep.  In think I slept about 20 minutes from midnight to 3 AM.  Needless to say, I was happy to sleep in till 9:15, but when you get such a late start, the day flies by.  We ate a light breakfast and then Fred and Doloris stopped by for some 'chatting' time.  Then Ken and I took a 45 minute walk around the CG.

Fred and Doloris had gone to the beach but we weren't in a big hurry, so I worked on the blog, Ken did some reading and then we played a game of Hand and Foot.  I think we are all addicted to this game.  We ate lunch outside and were on the beach by 2:30.  The 4 of did some reading and then played 2 games of Bocce.  We did a 'sudden death play off' and the ladies were the winners.  After being humiliated playing Kubb the other day, the men weren't even willing to give it a try.  

We all returned to the CG at 6, showered and then we ate together in Wilbur. We each made our own salads, they brought brussel sprouts and we provided pulled pork sandwiches and cupcakes for dessert.  What a feast! 

Then it was time for some serious card playing - more Hand and Foot, of course! The women started out so strong, but the men beat us again.  So frustrating. At 10:15 we called it a day and what a fun and relaxing one it was.  Can't believe we have been here 1 whole week.  It has flown!

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Wednesday - A Beautiful Day to Hunt for Seaglass!

Ken and I were up before 6:30, did some reading, exercises, watched the news, and then went for a 45 minute walk around the CG.

We made a cooked breakfast when we returned and ate outside.  It was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the low 80's.  We packed our lunch and by 10:05 (Ken's suggested departure time) the 4 of drove in the CRV to Fortescue.  As soon as we got there, Fred spotted 3  bald eagles sitting on a tree.  Unfortunately Ken hadn't taken his camera, so all of the pictures are from his phone. 

Hard to tell, but there are 3 bald eagles.


Then only 1 remained! 





After yesterday's high surf we thought we would find lots of seaglass - wrong! The surf had "dragged" in lots and lots of sand, but it seemed the " treasures" were buried.  There was very little beach exposed when we got there so we had to wait until low tide took more effect.   So, we sat on the sea wall and just enjoyed the view.

We could hardly believe how much sand had been
 washed up to the wall.

Several days before the guys had to help us over
the wall, or we had to go down the 4 steps.
Today only 1 of the steps was visible.


After eating our lunch it was low tide and we could begin
our hunt.

Unfortunately  as the water receded, so did all the "treasures".  We found very little seaglass.  We really tried, but with very limited success.


So we left there and drove to Gandy Beach.  We found a lot more than at Fortescue but not nearly as plentiful as Monday.  Each of us found at least 1 piece of red which is a very unusual color to find.  We were excited.  On the return trip, we saw several flocks of wild turkeys.  We see them every year.


this is the small beach area at Gandy Beach.




We were back to the CG by 5:45 after a quick stop at the local Acme - Ken and my 1st grocery stop since leaving home and we only ate out one time. Pretty impressive, huh?

We both showered and then Ken took a nap, since he had a rather short night's sleep.  I made salads for dinner and did some clean-up.  Ken grilled chicken for dinner and by the time we had eaten and finished dishes, it was 8.  Fred and Doloris came over to play games while watching the finale of America's Got Talent.  What an exciting show and we were all happy with the winner.  Darci was amazing.

We played Skip-Bo and the men won again.  For some reason they seem to always win that game.  They also won Hand and Foot, but it was a very close one.  It was a late night of fun, for we only got to bed at 11:30.  For some reason Ken had a very upset stomach all evening, but he never told us.  He always reads before going to sleep, but not tonight.  He went right to sleep.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Tuesday - An Overcast Day in Avalon!

We were expecting to awaken to a very rainy and windy day because of Hurricane Jose, but the forecast had changed and we only had intermittent light showers and a rather normal breeze at the CG.

We had a leisure and relaxing morning including watching the news in bed and late breakfast.  We both did some reading and I chatted with my mother.  Let me tell you - life is tough!

Doloris stopped by to talk about plans for today.  We decided to drive to Driftwood RV, close to the CG, to tour their park models.  They also own a Park/CG not very far from their business where they set-up a lot of the park models they sell.  It is a great area.  The 4 of us had fun going in and out of the models and then Hal took us to their park to see 2 already set-up and a gorgeous resale that was amazing.  


The salesman took us to see three park models set-up in a
nearby camping resort.  This was a smaller model.

Very nice, but not our favorite floor plan.

The added on sunroom gives lots of extra living area.

Then we toured this 2016 resale, the floor plan that was our favorite.

This one was amazing and included all of the gorgeous
furnishings.

A great kitchen - so bright and cheery.

Really liked all of their furniture and decorating.

This is the master BR which is the back part of the
addition with the sunroom.

If we were looking to buy, this would definitely be my choice.
It was a lot less money than a new one and had so many beautiful
extra not to mention all the furnishings.


From there we drove to Avalon Beach to check-out the surf.  It was windy and the size and number of waves rather amazing considering it was low tide. We were back to the CG by 1:30 and we had lunch, Ken read, and I worked on the computer.  We played a game (4 rounds) of Hand and Foot which Ken won. 

Waves, waves, everywhere.


What a rough surf!


At 6 the 4 of us hopped on our CRV and went back to tje beach to checkout the surf because it was just about high tide.  You could see waves breaking far out in the ocean, at the shoreline and everywhere in between.  It was special.

At high tide, it was really pounding.





The pier was rebuilt in recent years and the water was
splashing onto it.



Some powerful wave action!


When we returned to the CG, it was time to make dinner.  The 4 of us got together in Wilbur from 7:15 to 10:00 and played Hand and Foot, which the men won and then a game of Haus with the ladies being victorious.  All of this happened while listening and "watching" America's Got Talent.  I can't decide who should win.  How do you compare apples to oranges?  

Ken and I read till 11:45 and then called it a day and what a fun day it was.  It was cloudy, windy, and rained lightly a lot of the day but it didn't dampen our spirits!  We enjoyed all of it.



Monday, September 18, 2017

Monday in Avalon

Ken had a tough night's sleep and was up by 6:15.  I was up in time to watch the 7:00 news.  Ken got us a bowl of fresh fruit while I got ready.  We made eggs for breakfast, cleaned up and then packed snacks and drinks to take with us today for our seaglass hunt at Fortescue. 

The 4 of us took the hour drive in Martin's truck stopping at Wawa for hot drinks.  It was raining lightly when we left the CG, but it was a very nice day at Fortescue.  We thought we would be there till 1 or so, but we only left around 2 after a very successful seaglass hunt.  

This is the beach at Fortescue.

Our seaglass hunt is on.
A lady who was also looking for seaglass suggested we go to Gandy Island to do more hunting and when we discovered it was only about 20 minutes from our location we hopped in the truck and drove there.  We didn't find as many pieces, but some of the colors were amazing and so unusual.  Doloris and I each found a piece of red, Fred some beautiful blue pieces and Ken many gorgeous teals.


Just a small beach area at Gandy Beach.

My back says enough seaglass hunting.....

.....but it is so hard to stop.  Just 1 more piece!

This is Ken and my finds from both areas.  Many nice colors.

We arrived back to the CG around 4:45, showered, and watched the local news to get an update on Hurricane Jose who will create some rain, strong winds, some tidal waves and beach erosion.  It appears we will be just fine, but the coastline could get "messy".

Ken took a needed nap while I worked on this blog and downloaded photos.  My computer keyboard decided to act strangely as several of the keys would not
work - the g, h, delete and backspace.  What is that about?  I asked Google about the problem and none of their "fixes" solved the problem.  If you have any suggestions please let me know.

After dinner we went to Fred and Doloris RV to play Hand and Foot.  The women did extremely well the first 2 rounds but the men  only lost by alittle - 105 points. If you play this game you know how very close the game was.  

We were back to Wilbur around 10.  This certainly was a fun and exciting day. We love looking for seaglass.

Tomorrow sounds like a rainy one, probably time for more game playing!

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Sunday - Another Nice Day in Avalon!

Ken and I were up by 6:45 and did some reading and watched the news.  I did some exercises and then we left for a walk around the CG.  It was a bit cloudy but rather warm.  

Ken borrowed a saw from Fred to cut some branches that were touching the roof of Wilbur.  They are predicting some stronger winds and rain starting tomorrow night so it was important to get those branches down!!!!  We also said good-bye to our neighboring campers that were from Lititz and then chatted with the folks behind us.  We also talked with Fred and Doloris regarding our plans for today.  They wanted to check out a local brewery and then go to the beach.  We decided we would meet them at the beach after lunch.

We enjoyed our breakfast outside and after cleaning up we headed to the CG's 9 hole mini golf course that is the nicest one we play when camping.  This year they replaced the cups and the greens.  Ken and I love to challenge each other every year when we stay at Sea Pines.  As per usual, it was quite a competition. After 9 holes I had 5 more strokes than Ken and of course, we never stop at 9 holes.  Till the challenge was finished we had played the course 5 times and I ended up winning by 3 strokes.  I actually had 3 holes in one when we played our last round!  I was one excited gal!

When we returned to Wilbur Ken and I played 2 rounds of Hand and Foot and I was the winner both games.  We ate lunch and by 2:30 we joined Fred and Doloris on Avalon Beach.  There were lots of large powerful waves today, rather fun to watch.  We did play 2 games of Bocce which the women were winning by numerous points, but the men ended up winning both games - I am not sure what happened.

Back to the CG by 6 and Ken decided to put most things away outside because of the predicted rain and wind.  I made sauteed veggies and salads for dinner and Ken grilled.  By the time we finished the dishes it was 8:15 so we headed over to Martins to play a round of Hand and Foot.  The women started strongly but somehow the men ended up winning by quite a large margin!

We discussed our plans for tomorrow and were back to Wilbur by 10.  I worked on this blog and we both did some reading.

Looking forward to going to Fortesque to look for sea glass tomorrow.  Hopefully it will be a good "hunt"!

Somehow my photographer was off duty today!  I am hoping to have some photos to post tomorrow!

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Saturday - A Foggy Start but Then a Gorgeous Beach Day!

Ken and I really had a leisure start to the day.  We were both up around 6:45 and did some reading and then watched the morning news.  Ken did some work on the computer while I did some clean-up and then cut up fresh fruit for breakfast.

I put on my SAS and we went for a long walk around the CG, stopping by Fred and Doloris' site when we got back.  We chatted for a little while and then went back to Wilbur to have breakfast for by then it was 9:45 and this girl needed her chai.  The sun had appeared and we were able to eat outside.  Ken continued working on the computer while I did dishes and got ready for the day!

We had a nice chat with our neighbors who are actually from Lititz - small world. We pass by their house everyday when we go for our walk.  Fred and Doloris stopped by and we all had a nice time talking.

Fred and Doloris left around noon for the beach at Avalon and I spent time working on my blog and downloading photos.  Ken did some e-mails and messaging plus made a phone call to Rick in Florida.  We knew they had returned to their home in Venice and that there was very minimal damage in their area.  Ken wanted to talk to him and make sure they were doing well.  All is well!

Ken and I drove to the beach, arriving there around 2:45.  Fred and Doloris had left for awhile to go to an outdoor upstairs eatery on the edge of Avalon for drinks and a snack.  While they were gone, Ken took a nap and I did some reading, followed by a walk on the beach.  When Martins returned, we played 3 games of Kubb and the women won all 3 and rather handily I might add!!!  We spent some additional time relaxing on the beach since it was such a gorgeous and perfect beach day.

We returned to the CG at 6:30 and made large salads for dinner.  After showers, Ken grilled chicken and I sauteed onions and peppers to put on our salads.  It was all but 9 when we finished eating and cleaning up.  

The 4 of us played Skip-Bo in Wilbur from 9 to 10 and the men were victorious.  It came down to the last card so for those of you who play Skip-Bo you know they won by the "hair of their chinny, chin chin"!  (not much to brag about!)

I finished this blog and by 10:30 we were in bed after another wonderful and relaxing day in Avalon!  Tomorrow should be another great beach day!  What fun!!!!


Friday, September 15, 2017

Thursday and Friday - Sea Pines Resort at Avalon, NJ

Happy Birthday to my Kenny, the love of my life!  I can hardly believe how many birthdays we have shared and all the wonderful memories and adventures we have had.  I feel so blessed!

Ken and I were on our way to Avalon Beach, NJ by 7:30 on Thursday morning but made a stop at one of our favorite restaurants for breakfast, Perkins.  What a treat.  We always share the tremendous 12 and really enjoy their very light delicious pancakes with their triple berry syrup.  I am sure they have to be healthy!!!!!

Crossing the Delaware Memorial Bridge!



We made one additional stop for a drink and "potty" and arrived at the campground around 11:30.  Fred and Doloris had gotten there at 9:30 and picked a site where there were other ones available for us close by.  It had rained lightly on and off on the way to the CG and remained cloudy but warm all day - not a good beach day.

Ken and I took our time setting up, ate lunch and then the 4 of us sat outside chatting and "catching up" on life.  It is hard to imagine that this is the 1st time we have camped together since last summer!  They were excited (well at least willing) to learn a new card game so we taught them team Hand and Foot (or Hoof and Mouth as Ken calls it!).  It was a lot of fun.

I put on my SAS and all of us took a walk around the CG.  It is a nice CG with some exceptionally large sites, but most of them are occupied by the permanents folks.  There are very few 3 point hook-ups sites but this time of year there are usually a few available.  Fortunately both of us were able to get one of those sites which is a good thing since we will be here for 10 days!

We cooked and ate our dinners separately and later Ken and I went to their campsite to sit by their campfire.  It was a gorgeous, warm evening, a great night to sit outside.  We called it a day around 9:30.  So good to be camping with Fred and Doloris again!

Friday started a bit cloudy, but by 9:30 the sun appeared and it was a beautiful warm day with only a slight breeze.  We had a leisure morning and after breakfast the 4 of us enjoyed some time just chatting. 

Ken and I decided to ride our bikes from Avalon to Stone Harbor and Fred and Doloris headed to the beach.  We had a wonderful 10 mile bike ride enjoying seeing all the beautiful, huge homes with amazing flowers and landscaping.  We stopped at a bakery in downtown Stone Harbor where Ken enjoyed a cup of coffee and we shared (imagine that!) a donut. 

Love this area, especially in September!

This enormous house had gorgeous flowers!



So beautiful!


I never saw impatients get so tall and bushy!
This is a beautiful beach area too!

Tempting, but we didn't have any!!!

Downtown Stone Harbor!


We did ride to Nun's Beach to check it out and saw that tomorrow they are having their annual surfing contest that benefits the nun's retreat that is in Stone Harbor.  Not sure if we will stop by to see any of it, but it is rather a interesting event that is hosted by the nuns.

This is the building that is operated by the Catholic Church
as a retreat for the nuns!



Peace and tranquil Nun's Beach!


Sitting on the lifeguard chair enjoying the view of the ocean!


Getting ready for tomorrow's annual surf contest!


We met Fred and Doloris at the beach around 1:15 and ate our packed lunch. Ken took a nap and I read and enjoyed a short walk along the surf.  It was a perfect beach day.  The 4 of us played 2 regular games of Bocce on the beach - women won 15 to 5 and then the men were victorious 15 to 12.  We decided to break the tie by playing a game to just 3 points and the men won 3 to 1.  We had a blast!

Looks like Ken is relaxing and enjoying his beach view!


Back to the CG around 5:30 and showers felt amazing - getting rid of all the sand and suntan lotion.  We all got in the CRV and headed to Mike's in Sea Island City where their special for the evening was a lobster dinner.  The 3 of them look forward to this meal every year.  I, on the other hand, have chicken fingers ( a kid's meal).  Lobster is not on my radar!!!!  The meal included a lb. lobster, corn on the cob, cole slaw, roasted potatoes, and bread for $15.95. What a deal!

Savoring every bite!

Fred and Doloris are serious about their lobster eating!

Fred thought if he got close enough Doloris would share her
last bite - no go!  

When we returned to the CG we headed over to their RV and played one game of Haus which was handily won by the women.  By 10:15 we were back to Wilbur and went to bed.  This was a very fun day!