Monday - Beautiful Warm, Sunny Day, Then Rain Around 3:15

Ken was up in time to do his morning routine and when I came out it was time to watch the Morning News.  Wilbur's large windshield blind had recently come out of its track, and because Ken and I had fixed it about 2 years ago, we decided to spend time trying to adjust it again.  There is very little room to work and because of the wires coming from the "up and down" mechanism, it is very difficult to adjust.  The motor is still working, but we couldn't get it back on the track.  Hopefully we will get Rick to help us when we get to Harbor Lakes!

We headed over to Ernie and Noela to discuss the activity schedule for today.  It is predicted to be about the warmest day while we are in this CG, but it is to  rain by mid afternoon.  So, we decided to go to Tarpon Springs, about a 35 minute drive to learn about the sponge diving and to enjoy one of their many Greek Restaurants.  

Ken and I called Lanie before we left because they were leaving Michigan to head home today and they were having snow in that area.  At 9:30, they had been driving about an hour and were in Ohio where it was still snowing.  Road conditions were not good, but they were being very cautious.  We heard from her around 12:30 and they were in rain, but the snow had stopped - hallelujah and by 5:30 they were home.  We were so thankful!

The 4 of us got to Tarpon Springs around 10:45 and we immediately went to one of the sponge boats that had just docked with a huge load of sponges.  We talked to one of the gentleman on board and there were 3 men on the crew, 2 being divers.  Wow, did they ever have sponges that they were sorting by size and kind to be sold to sponge brokers.   We also talked to a 90 year old gentleman whose boat the city bought to put in the sponge museum.  He had captained that sponge boat for 20 years and left us know it is hard, unpredictable work!

Must have been a very "full" boat!

These large ones on the boat are wool sponges and they
are so soft!

A lot of work needs to be done after the sponges are on board -
removing the membrane that encloses them, sorting, cleaning
and trimming.

The ones on the left are sponges that are
mostly used for decoration and the others, yellow
sponges, the most common variety!

The 4 of us went to the Sponge Factory to see the free movie about the sponge industry, which was very interesting.  Just some info that you may find interesting and a few other things we saw along our walk -

Christmas is around the corner!

The suits that were used when sponge
diving 1st began were so heavy!  The boots
weighed 50 lbs each and enabled the divers
to stay on the floor of the Gulf.  The
metal "helmets" were extremely heavy too!

There are 5 types of sponges - yellow, vase, wool, silk, and finger.  Vase sponges are used for growing plants, herbs, etc and all you need to do is keep the sponge moist - no soil needed.  Yellow ones are used for cleaning, wool for bathing, silk for applying or removing make-up, etc., and finger ones mostly in aquariums or flower arrangements!  

Vase sponges!

The other item they sell a lot of at Tarpon Springs is homemade scented soaps, the perfect item to go with all the sponges -

Noela was checking out the scented homemade soaps!

From there we went to one of the Greek Restaurants for lunch but all of us were rather disappointed with our food.  We headed to one of the many other Greek Restaurants that had a phenomenal bakery of so many mouthwatering Greek pastries.  Ken and I bought one to share later this evening with some coffee and tea and Ernie and Noela did the same.  (They actually bought 2, but who is counting!)

By then it was getting very cloudy and threatening, so we headed back to the CG stopping at a roadside market for some fruit and then to Wal-Mart for some much needed groceries.

Ken and I got Wilbur organized for some card playing tonight and then he rested while I did my devotions, downloaded photos, and worked on this blog.  It was still raining!

Ernie and Noela came over from 7 to 10 and we enjoyed the desserts we had purchased - delicious.  Ken and I shared chocolate cake layered with raspberry whipped cream, ganache, coated in choco., and garnished with raspberries!  Should have taken a picture!  We played 4 rounds of Hand and Foot (a whole game) and the men won big time!!!  We were close until the last round when Noela and I never got into our foot and they had about 9 books to our 1 - wow!

Off to bed by 10:30, read, and lights out!

Sunday - Our 1st Full Day in Florida!

After a very good night's sleep, Ken was up about an hour before me to do his reading and morning routine.  I did my stretches and devotions before getting out of bed around 7:45. Then we went over to Ernie and Noela's and sat on the outside patio drinking our hot beverages, sharing stories, and then deciding on our plans for the day. 

I got ready and Ken went outside to unload the bikes and clean out the car including washing the windows.  We ate breakfast, I packed some snacks and drinks, and by 10:45 the 4 of us were on our way to Honeymoon Island State Park to enjoy some relaxing time in the beautiful sunshine at the beach.  None of us had been there before and it really was a great beach with very white, powdery sand a lot like the sand at Siesta Key Beach.  We did some walking along the shoreline where there were lots of shells, but most of them were broken.  Ken took a really long walk but the 3 of us went back to do some reading.  It was a gorgeous day with temperatures near 80.  

Quite a beautiful beach!

Had a very natural look!

It looks like snow, but the sand is so white!

Lots of shell pieces!

Honeymoon Beach had 2 weddings
today!

Ernie and Noela went in the water and
enjoyed the action of the waves!

Starting to cool off and get a bit cloudy when we were
ready to leave!

This guy crossed the road in front of us when we were leaving!

We left the beach around 4:30 and headed back towards the CG, stopping at Whiskey Joe's, a recommendation from a lady Ernie and Noela had met in the Keys that was from this area.  It was a beautiful setting along the water and the food was excellent.  We sat outside on their upper deck overlooking the water and the firepits below.

So nice to be back with Ernie and Noela!

What a great place to eat - a beautiful setting!

Our 1st Florida sunset for this trip - gorgeous!

We were back to the CG around 6:45 and Ken spent time hooking up the septic hose.  We both showered, Ken sent some messages to his friends and buddies, and I worked on this blog.  Ken had gone through the pictures he had taken today and I downloaded the ones he saved.  Both of us felt rather tired, and by 9 we called it a day.

It is so nice to be back in Florida and sharing time with special friends!

Saturday - We Arrived in Florida!

Ken and I woke at 6 and decided to get up and "get going"!  It didn't take us very long to get ready.  When Ken came back inside after disconnecting the electric he said the setting for this CG was rather amazing.  It was called McIntosh Lake RV Park  and we had a nice view of the lake from our site.  The CG only has 38 sites and is privately owned.  When we had pulled in last night after dark (6:00) it was raining.  They had asked us to call them when we were near their park which I did.  The gentleman was at the gate on a golf cart to direct us to our pull through site.  After we were parked, he drove me in the cart to the office to sign in, waited for me, and then drove me back to our site.  What service!  The CG was located less then a mile from I-95 at Exit 58 in Georgia and it only cost us $35.00 with tax.  It is definitely a place that we would recommend and where we would stop again if nearby!  We had a nice level site and were able to leave the CRV connected!

Ken and I were back on I-95 by 7:10 and it was rather foggy, but mild - in the upper 50's.  After 1 hour of driving we stopped at the Florida Visitor's Center to eat our breakfast in Wilbur, have a free cup of orange juice and get some info for the Tarpon Springs area.  We made several quick stops on our way to Ja-Mar RV Resort near Port Richey, arriving there around 2:30.  We would have been there about a 1/2 hour sooner, but we missed the road into the CG and turned at the next right only to be in a rather "iffy" section and it was a dead end.  So, we had to disconnect the CRV so Ken could turn Wilbur around.  It was a bit "tricky" getting back to the road for the CG, but we made it.  

The people were very friendly when we checked in and we got a site right beside Ernie and Noela!  They had arrived around 1 and we got to our site when they were just getting ready to go for groceries.  We were so happy to see each other and sat down to chat for a bit.  They they left and Ken began the process of de-winterizing Wilbur while I did the set-up inside.  All went well and we were just about done with everything when Ernie and Noela returned.  

Ken and I showered and he took a short rest before we over to their RV around 5 to chat and discuss what we might want to do while in this area for the week.  Ken and I had been here about 7 or 8 years ago but it is a new location for them.  We went to Wilbur for a leftover Thanksgiving dinner, cleaned up and then spent from 7:30 to 9:15 in their RV.  We played one round of Hand and Foot and the women won by such a HUGE margin that the men declared us the winners for the entire game which is usually 4 rounds.  For those of you who play Hand and Foot the men never got to their Foot and they had No books.  We had 5 dirty and 3 clean when we went out!  Wow!  No wonder they gave up!!!!

Back to Wilbur and we went right to bed, exhausted from 2 long days of driving!  Did a little reading and then it was off to dreamland.  It actually got to 80+ degrees today, quite a change from PA yesterday morning! 

Friday - Frigid Cold, So Florida Here We Come!

Ken and I woke before the alarm and loaded a few last minute items that would have frozen if we loaded them yesterday.  We left the house at 3:00 and drove to the local Giant grocery store parking lot to "hitch" the CRV behind Wilbur.  Ken and I were positively frozen till the task was accomplished.  It was 16 degrees, breezy, and DARK!  By 3:35 we were on our way.

I believe we kept our gloves and heavy coats on for about the 1st 2 hours because it took a long time to get Wilbur warm.  It is a large area to heat and so much of the warmth goes to the back.  It was an easy drive around Baltimore, DC, and Richmond with very light traffic.  We stopped for gas when we were about a third of the way thru North Carolina and by then we were very hungry.  We ate our egg sandwiches while continuing on our drive.

I was able to talk to several friends and family today including Cindy, Doloris, Noela, and my mother.  Ken did all the driving and great job he did.  I actually stayed awake except for about 15 minutes and did a lot of crocheting.  We drove 740 miles making it all the way to Exit 58 in Georgia, arriving around 6 - wow, a long driving day!  We had a level pull in site so we didn't have to disconnect the CRV.  We had leftovers from yesterday for dinner and spent some time putting things away that we put in Wilbur at the last minute.

I downloaded photos and worked on this blog heading to bed at 8:45.  Ken had called it a day around 8:15 and I hope he gets a good night's rest.  We have about 280 miles to drive tomorrow to reach our campground at Port Richey where we will be spending about a week.  Ernie and Neola will be there for the week arriving tomorrow also.  We are so anxious to see them!

Good night!!!

Thanksgiving Day!

Ken was up before me (surprise!), we got ready, ate a light breakfast, and left at 9:15 to go to Jamie's.  We did make several stops including one at Dan and Jackie's to drop off some cards I had made for her.  We got to Jamie's at 10 and what a fun day!  Her in-laws, Dan and Sue and Dane's brother, Brent, were there also. 

Cali certainly loves Samson!

 

We spent most of the day in the kitchen chatting, helping prepare food, and cleaning up!.  Jamie had done a lot of work ahead of time, but it was great working together and enjoying each other's company.  We had a delicious dinner including Jamie's 1st turkey that she made in her oven (usually they deep fry one!), mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, corn, roasted brussel sprouts, and cranberry salad.  Bria and Cali had baked a pecan pie for dessert and Sue added an ice cream dessert.  It was wonderful.  Ken, Sue and I spent a lot of the afternoon playing games with Bria and Cali.

Bria likes to be a kitchen helper!

Looks good enough to eat!

We have so much to be thankful for!

Fun playing games with the girls!

Bria and I played war and she was the winner!

Looks like some serious chatting!

A man's work is never done!

We left there around 5:15 and Jamie's family were leaving tonight to go with Sue and Dan (Brent too) to their beach house at Rehobeth for a long weekend.  Ken and I still had plenty to do before departing for Florida early tomorrow morning, so it worked out well for everyone.

Brent, Cali, and Bria!

What a great family!

Ken and I feel so blessed to share life with these special people!

It was in the low 20's when we got home and we felt frozen till we had the frig and freezer loaded in Wilbur and also took out a few more items.  There were numerous items that had to wait until we are ready to "pull out"!  We did some reading and by 8:30 we decided to go to bed.  I set the alarm for 2:30 because we hope to be on the road by 3:15.

Wednesday - Cold, Mostly Cloudy Day with Strong Winds!

With this kind of weather it is definitely time to head to Florida!  We watched some of the morning news and then worked together in the kitchen.  We made something new for Thanksgiving - sausage stuffing and I think it is going to be rather tasty!  I also made some finger jello and a molded cranberry jello salad with a special topping.  For some reason, we certainly had a lot of dishes to wash.

Ken made a couple trips to Wilbur while I did devotions and then got ready for the day.  Did have a nice chat with Cindy and Ken talked to Noela.  Ernie and Noela are having a wonderful time in the Florida Keys and great weather.  A lot of their trip (they had left Canada in October) has been somewhat cool and rainy.  We are looking forward to meeting them near Tarpon Springs in Florida this Saturday or Sunday!

Ken and I left at 12:15 and spent the afternoon playing 5 games of Pinochle with Mom and Dad at Masonic Village.  We were 2 to 2 but then the men won the 5th game.  It was a fun afternoon.  It is always hard to say good-bye to them when we are leaving for an extended time.  Fortunately we will be home in 3 1/2 weeks, so we will spend time with them again near Christmas.

We only left there at 5:15 and came right home.  We checked out somethings in Wilbur, watched the evening news, and then had stuffed peppers for dinner.  We cleaned up the kitchen and Ken did some vacuuming while I worked on this blog.  I did more scrapbook pages for the girls while watching TV.

Looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with Jamie's family and Dane's parents and brother.  Lanie and her family left for Michigan yesterday to spend almost a week with Bob's sister, Nancy and her family, for Thanksgiving which has become a yearly tradition.  We will certainly miss them having them with us. 

Monday and Tuesday - Preparing for Trip South!

After watching the news and eating breakfast, we left at 8:15 to go to Ephrata with our 1st stop at Wal-Mart to get a few food items for Thanksgiving and then to the Wilbur's storage area to bring him back home.  I followed Ken to get propane and gas so Wilbur would be ready to "rock and roll" early Friday morning.  It was a chilly, damp morning, but when the sun finally appeared, it definitely "warmed up"!

We were back home around 11:15 and after getting Wilbur situated in the apartment parking area it was time for lunch.  We spent several hours organizing the clothes we want to take with us, some food items, paper goods, etc and loaded them in the CRV to take down to Wilbur.  In the middle of this activity, Ken left for a 1:30 check-up appointment with his Eye Dr.  We continued some loading when he returned.

At 5:30 we met our good friends, Sam and Kathy, at the Knight and Day Diner for dinner from the Sr. Citizen Menu that offers so many good entree choices and includes soup or salad, and ice cream for dessert for about $7.99 - amazing.  The 4 of us had so many laughs recalling our many camping adventures together and some of the crazy things that happened.  We also did some serious chatting "catching up" on life.  We must have had a lot to talk about because we only parted ways at 8!

Ken and I spent the evening watching The Voice while I crocheted and Ken did some responses to Facebook and e-mails.  Bed by 10.  

Today, Tuesday, it was rather cool when we got up and stayed rather chilly a lot of the day.  Ken made us breakfast while I started doing the wash and getting ready for my dermatology appointment.  I left at 9 and  I was so excited - I am Clear for another Year!  Hallelujah!

I stopped at AC Moore to get some yarn and then headed to Costco - a big mistake!  That place was crazy busy and I could hardly find a place to park.  I only went for 2 items and was thankful that the check-out lines were rather small when I was ready to leave.  I was back home by 12 and stopped at Polly's with 2 items she was graciously willing to take to 2 of the Curvettes who ordered them from me.  I had a nice visit with Polly while I was there.

Ken had spent a lot of the morning at his desk paying bills (yuck!) and then loading more items in Wilbur.  It is amazing how many things need to go with us!!!  I spent time finishing the wash and ordering more photos from Costco for the Christmas calendars.  Ken ran a few errands and I worked on this blog.

We meet our good friends, Dan and Jackie, at Scooters at 5 and it was Pasta Night.  Ken and I had baked penne pasta with sausage and hamburg and you also got a drink, salad, and their special dessert of the season, pumpkin ice cream with baked apples.  The entree was only $9.99 and all of it was delicious.  Dan and Jackie treated us as a "send-off" for Florida - how nice of them.

The 4 of us, plus Ken's friend, Troy, were at Celebrate Recovery by 6:45 and it was a special night for Ken's Step Study Group.  They each got to speak and explain what a Step Study is and what it meant to each of the men (6 of them) that completed the study.  In 2017 and 2018 they met  from April to October on Saturdays starting at 3 and ending at 5.  The study also required them to do a lot of soul searching and studying.  I was so proud of Ken for the wonderful message he delivered and how well he presented it.  I think it was extremely meaningful to many of the folks who were there.

Dan drove me home and Ken, Jackie and Troy stayed for the small groups.  I worked on the girls scrapbook pages until Ken returned around 9:30.  We chatted about the evening and by 10 he was in bed.  I watched my new favorite show, New Amsterdam, and it was so good.  I did some reading in bed and then lights out by 11:30.