Combination Day of Work and Fun!

It was another night of not having the best sleep.  I got up at 7:15 and started getting ready.  Ken was out of bed at 7:40 and we began to prepare for the flax breakfast that we were sharing with Chuck and Melissa.

I mixed the pancake batter while Ken sliced the strawberries.  Then I prepared a dish of fruit including cantaloupe, pineapple, and oranges. We were all ready when they arrived at 9:00.  Chuck was a bit apprehensive, but more than willing to give the pancakes a try.  They both decided that they really didn't have a lot of flavor but were fine when you spread peanut butter on them and then added strawberries, blueberries, and bananas.  Whipped cream helps too! Ken and I find them a nice alternative to cereal, but having them 1 or 2X's per week is enough!

Okay I will smile, but am I really supposed to eat this????

Not so bad, right?????

We spent some time chatting and then we went our separate ways.  They went to Wal-Mart while I did laundry and Ken started organizing the basement of Waldo and loading things in the car for our trip back to PA on Wednesday.  When the laundry was completed, the bed remade and all the clothing in its proper place, it was time to sort through all of it and decide what we would take home. Since we are leaving Waldo at Lazydays until the beginning of May, sorting through things is necessary.  When we come back we will take about 2 weeks of leisure travel to get back to PA, which means we have to keep most of the "summer" clothes in Waldo and take the warm weather clothing home. 

Lanie called to check on us and Ken had a nice talk with Katelyn too!  Lanie is hosting Easter Dinner (thank you, Lanie) and we are looking forward to being with both our daughters and their families.  We miss all of them very much!

Ken grilled and we had a late lunch. At 3:00 the 4 of us walked to the shuffleboard courts and played 3 games - the men won all of them.  It was rather frustrating.  Then we played a game of Bocce and the men won again, but it was 11 to 16.  Much more respectable score than the shuffleboard games.

Back to our motorhomes by 5:45 and Ken ate a light dinner and left for his Celebrate Recovery Meeting at a local church in Mt. Dora.  I worked on my blog and played several games of Pop Words on the I-Pad.

Ken returned at 8:45 and we went over to Chuck and Melissa and played a game of Pinochle (W) and then a game of Skip-Bo, which the men won by 1 card.  We were back to Waldo by 10:30 with plans to meet around 10:15 tomorrow morning to drive to the pickleball courts.

It is going to be a cool morning as the temperature is to drop to 42 degrees. What is that about?  It is the end of March in Florida!!!!

Just a little side note.  I am so proud of Ken.  He has been working very hard to eat better on this 3 month trip in Florida.  He has lost 25 lbs. since we left home and he looks and feels great!  Quite an accomplishment! 

Fun Filled Day of Activity!

We both had a good night's sleep waking to the 6:45 alarm.  We did our readings and then got ready to go to Church.  We picked one in downtown Eustis that had a contemporary service at 9:30.  

After a cereal breakfast and cleaning up, the 4 of us were on our way to the church by 9:10.  When we arrived, about 10 minutes later, their were only about 6 people in the sanctuary.  By the time the service started there were about 60 worshipers, quite a difference from the last 2 weeks when we attended Bayside Church.  At Bayside, there were several thousand people in attendance.  We did enjoy the simple service and the message from their pastor.

The original part of the Church was very old!

The " band" is rehearsing before the service.

The woodwork in the Church was very pretty as well as
the stained glass windows!

Back to the CG to change and leave for the pickleball courts in Mt. Dora, about 7 miles from the CG.  When we arrived, a craft show was in full swing and the was no parking to be found unless you wanted to pay $10.00.  So, we decided to drive to Leesburg, about 35 minutes on the other side of the CG to Pear Park where they had put in 6 pickleball courts 1 year ago.  What a great park and the courts were fantastic!

It was a fun day to play because of the weather - no wind gusts and the temperature was in the 70's.  We played for 2 hours and it was some of the best pickleball we have played together.  Nice long volleys and some really good shots.  Can you tell I love the game??????

It was 2:15 when we finished, so we drove about 1 mile to a Subway for lunch. Tasted good after that workout!  We were back to the CG by 3:30 and decided to get together to play Bocce around 4:30.  Ken and Melissa took long naps, Chuck a short one, and I decided to clean out some drawers and cupboards.

We walked to the Bocce courts at 4:30 and it took until 6:30 to play 3 games. The women won the 1st and the men the 2nd and 3rd games.  The courts here in the CG are really nice and well maintained so playing is challenging and fun.

Slow down!

Chuck's needs to gain a little speed!

The men may have won, but we put on our "we are happy' for
you faces"!

Okay, Okay, Okay!  So you won the last game rather handily,
but what about the other ones?????

Back to our "homes" for a light dinner and the 4 of us watched "Passion" at the Gregorys.  We thought it was well done and the message was one that needed to be heard.  My only criticism was that I had difficulty understanding some of the lyrics to the songs, but the emotion was easily felt.

When it was over, we decided to play 1 game of Pinochle which the men easily won.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day!

This certainly was a great day!  Tomorrow we are treating Chuck and Melissa to a flax pancake breakfast and Chuck is rather nervous.  He is deciding if he should eat before coming to Waldo.  Be brave, Chuck, you might even like them!!!

A Relaxing Day with Some Rain!

Ken had a good night's sleep, but I just couldn't fall sleep.  Maybe it was the 2 large iced teas I had at "lupper" with caffeine.  Whatever it was, I only went to sleep around 1:30 - ridiculous!

When we got up, it was fairly cloudy and they were predicting some heavy rain.  We had some flax pancakes and got ready to go to play pickleball in Mt. Dora. We were supposed to leave at 10, but the forecast and radar of the upcoming weather looked extremely threatening, so we decided to stay at the CG and play some shuffleboard.  

Soon after we started, light rain began.  We continued playing and were able to finish the game between the raindrops with the men being victorious.  By now we were all a bit chilly, so we went back to our motorhomes to change and then left to drive to Mt. Dora to check out the location of the pickleball courts for tomorrow or Monday.  There are 3 new courts right in the center of town and we look forward to playing there.  Ken and I felt bad for the standholders who were participating in an outdoor craft show along the streets of the town today.  We know how frustrating that can be.

From there we made a stop at Wal-Mart and it was raining steadily by then.  We were back to Waldo by 1:00 and made salads for dinner and had lunch.  It was still raining, so we all decided to "lay low" for the afternoon.  

Ken did some work on his computer and I worked on our blog and downloading pictures.  By 3:00 the sun actually came out, long before expected.  Ken had started to pack some clothes for when we head back to PA.

The 4 of us walked to the Bocce courts at 3:37 (Ken's time) and had such a good time playing that game.  The women won 2 of the 3 games.  Then we played another game of shuffleboard and the men won very handily. 

This game requires a lot of concentration and skill and the
women showed both!

Look out Chuck!  My bocce ball is coming through!

Wow, I am not sure if I am dancing or throwing
my bocce ball!

The women just couldn't get it together
in shuffleboard!

Got back to our motorhomes at 6:30, had dinner, cleaned up, and by 7:30 we were back together and decided to play something different - Mexican Train Dominos.  It was a long, fun game with the men being the winners.  The game only ended at 10:45, so off to bed.

The weather today was certainly better than predicted.  We thought it might be a "wash out", but we were able to spend a lot of time outside.  It wasn't overly sunny, but warm and pleasant.

Interesting Day at The Villages

After a good night's sleep, Ken and I were both up by 7:15 after doing some reading.  We had breakfast, cleaned up and had time to drink tea and chai outside and take a short walk around part of the CG.

We stopped in with Chuck and Melissa and discussed our plans for going to The Villages today.  We had thought we would leave around 10, but had talked about staying for the live music that starts at the town center at 5.  So, we decided that 11 would be a better time.  

The 4 of us arrived at the newest section of The Village, Brownwood, the western section.  Hard to imagine that this whole area was only started about 4 years ago.  They still have about 3,000 homes that can be built in Brownwood, but they anticipate it being completed in about 2 years, finishing the entire city of The Villages.  The Villages is considered a city with the finished population being about 110,000.  It is an amazing place with almost everything you need accessible by a golf cart.  There are 120+ pickleball courts, 630 holes of golf, and about any club or activity you can imagine.  There are many banks, health care facilities, including a retirement home, shoppes, eateries, grocery stores, etc.  It is a fascinating place. 

They spare no expense at the entrance to the different
sections in The Villages!

Ken thinks "he can take him down"!

After walking around the town square and checking out the movie theater, the shops, and the Golf Cart Shoppe and "gas station", we went to the sales office and met with Wes to learn more about The Villages!  The lowest priced housing starts at $179,000. to over 1.5 million.  The monthly fees are $145.00 for the amenities including everything except the fitness center and the pro golf courses.  All the standard 18 hole golf courses are free to play and $4.00 if you use a golf cart. Taxes are fairly reasonable also.  No wonder so many people have bought into this whole concept!

Just walking around the shoppes at the town square!

This is the marquee for the movie theater!
They stay with the western theme everywhere!

Your choice of golf carts is endless and you can even
customize your own!

You pick the color you want and they have it!

A special gas station for filling up your golf cart!

After leaving the info center, we rode our bikes 6 1/2 miles to Fiesta Grande for a great Mexican lunch on their outdoor patio.

I can't begin to comprehend the miles and miles of golf cart,
pedestrian, and bike riding trails that are shared throughout The Villages!
They are everywhere.....

and you even go through tunnels under the roadways!

But, you have to share with the golf carts.......

and there are sooooooo many of them.  Some of the
drivers are rather aggressive!

Plenty of gorgeous golf courses.

 We rode the 6 1/2 miles back, stopping at an Open House, but the model was way too big for us.  Then a very nice couple, Mike and Marilyn, who were sitting on their front porch, waved to us as we rode by.  When we passed them when leaving their courtyard area (which was the model homes that we were all interested in seeing), they invited us to tour their home.  How kind of them. The village courtyard model was so practical and charming and would be the style that would appeal to all of us. We really appreciated their willingness to show it to us.  We rode the 6 1/2 miles back to the Town Square and spent some time enjoying the live music.

They have live music every night at all 3 of the town squares
in The Villages. It draws quite a crowd!

Don't you just love the log cabin background for the entertainers!

We were back to the CG by 7:30 and by 8 we were at Chuck and Melissa's playing Rook, Spades, and Skip-Bo. The women won all 3 games - YES!!!

We were back to Waldo by 10, did some reading and writing, and then another special day endedat

A Warm Day at Southern Palms!

Ken did not sleep well last night, probably due to all the caffeinated iced tea and soda he had at Sonny's for dinner.  Needless to say, he was awake a lot and was up early.  I only got out of bed at 8 after doing my devotions in bed.

Ken made breakfast all by himself while I got ready - omelettes, lots of fresh fruit, chai and tea.  Delicious.

He got a call from Kevin and they had a nice, long conversation.  Ken always enjoys talking to him.  I did some clean-up inside including going through cupboards and drawers deciding what we can eliminate from Waldo.  We have toooooo much stuff!!!!

Chuck and Melissa arrived at the CG by 10:30 with a new a conditioner.  Boy, they were fortunate to have such fast service on that repair and installation. While they were setting up I continued going through things and packing a few things for home.

Around 11:30 we all went over to the Farmer's Market/Flea Market right across the road from our campsites. It is miniature Green Dragon with more "junk" than food, but it was fun to check it out.  We did get some delicious strawberries for $4.00 for 6 pints and they are from Plant City, Florida.

Don't they look delicious????

Good assortment of fruits and veggies!

There were great looking strawberries at many of the
produce stands and all so cheap!!!

We were back by 12:45 and it was time for lunch.  Chuck and Melissa have had about 4 nights of not sleeping well, and Ken has had 2, so they all took naps.  I made some wire bookmarks for our granddaughters and had fun doing it.

Ken did some reading when he got up and I worked on the computer recording expenses (Yuck!!) and the blog. At 3:30 the 4 of us starting playing shuffleboard here at the CG - men vs. women, of course!  The men won the 1st, the women the 2nd, and then it was back and forth on the last game with the women being victorious.  The games were long, points very close, and only ended around 6:30.  By that time we were all hungry and cool.  The sun had gone in, the winds picked up, and it was a bit chilly.

This is a serious competition!

What form!!!  Watch this move big boy!!!

What do you mean I should let you win????? You better
"up the annie" if you think I am going to go for that deal!!!

Ken grilled for dinner and we had salads.  Chuck and Melissa came over at 8 to play games. Men won Wild LCR, Pinochle, and Skip-Bo.  Thank goodness we won the shuffleboard match or it would have been a "Bust"!

They left at 10:10 with plans to meet around 10 AM to go to The Villages for a bike ride and a Mexican Lunch!

It's been another fun day!

Good-Bye Bradenton and Hello Eustis

Ken and I were up by 6:45 and got ready for our move to Eustis - our last full week in Florida!  We had done most of the prep work yesterday, so this morning we were able to take our time getting ready.  

Chuck stopped by to tell us there was a slight change of plans.  During the night their air conditioning unit in the bedroom area kept tripping the breaker.  It would run for about a minute or so and then shut down.  So, we will follow each other most of the trip to Eustis, but they will continue on to Alliance Coach, about 25 miles from Southern Palms CG, where they get their motorhome serviced.  They had called Alliance and they would check out their problem and hopefully be able to repair it quickly.


During the drive, I was able to talk to Jamie and left a message for my mother. Both of them are doing well!

It was a 2 1/2 hour drive to Eustis and Ken and I were set-up on our site by 1:15.  It is a rather large site that is quiet, little traffic noise - hallelujah!  After lunch, Ken and I drove to a nearby Wal-Mart for a few items, to an orchard to get some oranges and grapefruit, and then to Hobby Lobby for some needed things for the granddaughters for Easter.  While shopping, Melissa called to say they need a new air conditioner unit and since they have one in stock, they can install it 1st thing tomorrow morning and hopefully they will be here at Southern Palms around lunchtime.  What service!  Also, Alliance has some RV sites on their property where they can stay until the repair is completed!  How nice!

Melissa suggested that they could meet us at Sonny's Bar-B-Q in Eustis for dinner around 6 and then come back to Waldo to play cards.  So, that is exactly what we did and we had a great time.  We played 2 games of Pinochle and the women won both - Yeah!!!  Tomorrow night they will be in the campsite next to us, which will be great.  We were excited that we could all be together tonight even though we aren't in the same CG.

Looking forward to a fun time in this area!

Manatee Beach Was Fun, But Foggy!

Ken had a bad night's sleep being awake for over 2 hours.  He is more than ready to get on a campsite where we don't hear all the traffic on I-75.  It really is loud and noisy all night long!

We packed our beach "stuff", a few snacks, cooked an egg breakfast, and then picked up Chuck and Melissa at 8:30 and headed towards Manatee Beach, about 50 minutes southwest.  We did make a quick stop at Home Depot, arriving at the beach at 9:45.  The drive was not foggy until we went over the bridge right at the beach. 

Ernie and Noela joined us at 10, having driven through some very dense fog. Chuck and Melissa chose to sit and read today, while Ernie, Noela, Ken and I decided to walk almost the entire time we were there.  It was my last chance during this time in Florida to search for shark teeth and I didn't want to miss my opportunity.  The sun came out for a few minutes, but most of the time we were there it was foggy and overcast.

A bit foggy wouldn't you say???

The blue heron is waiting for the fishermen to catch him a fish!

Ernie is holding whelk egg casings!

Whelk egg casings hanging from the trees.  Hard to imagine
the water was up that high!

Leaping Lizard!

We all left the beach at 1:15 and drove to Farlow's on the Beach for lunch, one of our favorite places to eat while in Florida.  Their food is exceptional and you get to eat outside - great combination!!!  We said our sad good-byes to Ernie and Noela hoping we will see them again before next January here in Florida. We have had a very good time sharing adventures with them.

The last time the 6 of us will be together during the snowbird
months of 2016 in Florida!!

We were back to the CG by 4 and Ken began organizing outside while I did the same inside for our departure to Eustis tomorrow.  Can't believe we will be heading back to PA in about 1 week.

John offered to take some things home for us in their motorhome since we aren't taking Waldo home, but leaving him at Lazydays.   We certainly appreciate it, for we have lots of things to take home in our CRV.

I talked to Polly and Doloris to let them know of our change of plans for our trip out west.  I also connected with Lanie and Jamie and they are very happy that we will be home for the summer, just as we are.  Looking forward to having more time with my parents and our daughters and their families!

We left Waldo at 7:20 and stopped by to get John and Cindy and go to Chuck and Melissa's to play 5 Crowns (M) and then Skip-Bo, which the women finally won!  It felt so good!

We finished game playing at 9:45 and said our goodbyes to John and Cindy. Chuck, Melissa, Ken and I are leaving around 9 tomorrow morning and driving about 3 hours to Southern Palms CG in Eustis.  Cindy and John will be driving about 13 miles to their next CG near Palmetto so they will only leave at 11.  It was so nice that the 6 of us could spend time together this past week.