Ponce de Leon Lighthouse

On Tuesday we went to the Ponce Lighthouse. There are over 200 steps to the top of the lighthouse. Gary, Jenn, Mark and I climbed them all. Mom and Dad cheered us on from rocking chairs on the porch. It wasn't too difficult. There were landings occasionally where you could stop and rest. The worse part was the paint smell coming from new paint on part of the staircase. I definitely do not want that job. It was a little bit disconcerting to look up or down the staircase as we went round and round. The last set of steps was almost straight up (almost a ladder). The view from the top was worth all the effort. Awesome!!!

Family Visits in Florida

For the past week we've been in New Smyrna Beach visiting with family. Mom, Dad, Jennifer and Mark arrived on Saturday. Sherry and Doug's son Todd, wife Donna, daughters Jessica and Lily also arrived on Saturday. We have had a great time visiting with everyone.
On Monday we celebrated Bob's birthday with a cookout at Tommy and David's house.

Alls Quiet at Thousand Trails

We moved back into Thousand Trails in Clermont (outside Orlando) on Friday. This place is very different now than during "the season" as it is called down here. During Jan, February, March and April this place was packed. First with us snowbirds..then in April some snowbirds along with families enjoying their spring break vacations. Now the park is almost empty. Lots of the staff have gone also. Some areas of the park are closed since they just don't need all of the camping spots. It is very quiet.
And did I mention that it is HOT!!! It has been in the 90s most every day until today. We had a bit of rain today and temps in the upper 80s instead. However, the heat is coming back starting tomorrow. 90s for the rest of the week. The humidity level has been up to about 71% today. Air conditioning is our friend. We have 50amp service and both ACs have run constantly. We plan to stay here until Friday.
We'll move to New Smyrna Beach Campground then. Mom, Dad, Jenn and Mark are coming down and we're going to have a week at the beach. Doug and Sherry are already in Florida and hopefully their sons and families are coming down too. So..family reunion time. Yeah!!!

Back in Florida

We had a very good visit in North Carolina. We saw most of our family and some of our friends. If we didn't see you, sorry we missed you. If we did..it was great. We will be looking forward to our next visit (probably sometime next fall).
In the meantime...all are welcome to visit us where-ever we are.

Which presently once again is Florida. We left last Thursday and came on down to Daytona Beach for the weekend. I needed new lenses for my glasses and wasn't able to get them made in NC before we had to leave. So we came to Daytona Beach and ordered them from a local shop. $459.00 for new lenses. I'm using the same frame. It sucks to have "old" eyes. What a racket!!!
I learned when I saw my regular ophthalmologist that the prescription I've been living with for over a year is wrong. In Jan 07 I made the mistake of going to a optometrist's office in a certain big box store to have a quick eye check for new glasses. Big mistake. I should have gone to the ophthalmologist that I've been seeing for over 20 years. I found out I was being "over-corrected" and it is causing eye strain..which is causing daily headaches. So, I am looking forward to the new lenses next week or so. Hopefully, it will be better.

On Tuesday morning we moved to Lazydays. We needed the house worked on. It had a spider web shaped fiberglass crack on the back. We stayed at Lazydays until Friday while the repair was done. This picture shows the crack before the repair. Its a little hard to see but look right in the middle of the picture for a spider web. That is the crack. They called it a "Stress" fracture. The Lazyday body shop did a great job. We were told they ground the crack and re-fiberglassed. Then paint and polish. It looks awesome.

On the way down to Florida, we stopped at the Swan Lake and Iris Gardens in Sumter, SC. The gardens began in 1927 as a private fishing retreat for Hamilton Carr Bland, a local businessman. At the same time he was developing the 30 acres of swamp on what is now West Liberty Street, he was landscaping the grounds of his home with Japanese iris. They failed miserably, and after consulting expert horticulturists from as far away as New York, he ordered his gardener to dig up the bulbs and dump them at the swamp. The following spring, they burst into bloom. The accidental garden, referred to by Southern Living magazine a "lovely mistake," has since been developed into one of the finest botanical gardens in the United States. In 1938 Mr. A.T. Heath, Sr., deeded additional land to the city with the stipulation that Mr. Bland develop this part of the gardens. Today, the Heath Gardens encompass most of the park's 120 acres. Mr. Bland deeded the Bland Gardens to the city in 1949. The two gardens are joined by the McDuffie Overpass, a gift to the city from the McDuffie family in 1994.

The swans were gathered from all over the world, representing Australia, North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Originally imported by Mr. Bland in the late 1920's, the Australian Black swans have been in residence the longest, and some of the birds living in the garden at present are their descendants. Other species were added over the years, with the donation of Bewick swans in 1997 by Yuasa-Exide Corporation completing the collection. Visitors are permitted to bring bread or crackers for feeding the swans, who are usually friendly. Canada geese, mallards, egrets, herons and anhingas also call the gardens home. The swans and geese were quite friendly and would walk right up to you (looking for that bread or cracker handout).

Back in North Carolina

We stopped on Monday at the Santee State Park in South Carolina. A very nice park on Lake Marion. It was pretty cool with a strong wind coming off the lake. Gary walked Elli on Tuesday morning and met a few folks as he went along. Since he was wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt a couple of them asked if he was from Florida or a Yankee. It was brisk and they were bundled up. They just didn't understand how he could be comfortable. Gary told them that when the temperature gets down to about 45* he'll put on long pants. So far, that hasn't happened lately.



On Wednesday Mom and I went up to Buies Creek and met my sister Teresa for lunch. Afterwards we stopped at Wal-Mart to re-stock our groceries. Gary and my Dad ran their own set of errands.
I don't think I mentioned that a few weeks ago my Dad had an accident with their mini-van. Slick roads and poor visibility contributed to it's demise. Thankfully Dad wasn't injured. Since then they've been considering the replacement vehicle. Thursday became the "let's shop" for a new vehicle day. NOT my favorite pastime. But necessary.

By Friday morning, they had decided on a 2005 Toyota Sienna mini-van. Mom, Dad and I drove the diesel Ford back up to Fuquay-Varina to do the deal and pick it up.

When we looked at it on Thursday, it looked gray. Well...when we got there to pick it up it was a lovely shade of blue. We knew it had been dirty due to pollen and some road construction going on near the car dealership but had no idea it was so bad. It cleaned up GOOD!!
A couple of hours later we headed on back to the house. Me driving the big diesel truck and Dad in the new van. They were pretty excited to have the new addition.

Dad immediately put a for sale sign in the cargo van they've been driving since the accident. Anyone need a 1998 Ford E150 cargo van? White..they're asking $5000 for it but you can probably get it for less.

On Saturday most of my brothers and sister and families came down to Mom and Dads. We had a great visit while feasting on Bojangles chicken and yummy sides prepared by all. We missed our daughter Jenn being there. She recently started a new job and had to work.

Saturday morning we learned our good friend Rita had been admitted to the hospital and was having surgery later in the day. We were relieved to hear from her husband Van later in the afternoon that everything went well and she was doing better. This morning we drove up to Durham to visit for a while. She'll be in the hospital for a few more days as she recovers. This is only the second time in her life she's been in a hospital. The first and only other time was 29 years and 4 days before when her son Daniel was born. The staff at Durham Regional seem to be doing right by her so far and overall I think she is pleased their care. Her sister Cheryl has been staying close by just to make sure.

This afternoon Jenn and her husband Mark came over and we went out to the Western Sizzlin with them and Mom and Dad. They started having computer problems as Gary went to pay.
For a while we thought we'd be doing dishes to pay for our supper. No cash with us and a broken credit card computer does not make for a peaceful dinner. Gary kept reassuring the manager that we weren't going to eat their food and leave without paying. In the meantime we were enjoying the buffet and steaks we'd ordered. Gary had to go back to the register twice more as they tried to resolve the issue. Finally they got the problem fixed and Gary signed the ticket. All of this took almost a half hour to resolve. Do you think he got a "Sorry for the trouble"...NOT!!!
The manager did come by again and check to see if we needed anything else.. still no apology or thank you for the business. I think I'd at least have said that. But we've never had any problems before and the food there is usually excellent, so we'll be going back again at some point I'm sure.

North Cold..South Warm..

4 more degrees colder... :(

Moving North on US 301

Yesterday, we left Thousand Trails in Clermont going north on US 27..then FL 19 and finally onto US 301. This took us through the Ocala National Forest and on toward the Florida Georgia border. We stopped for the night in Callahan Florida at the Kelly Countryside RV park. We had a pretty good seafood dinner at the nearby Cedar River Seafood restaurant. I worked for several hours before bedtime.
As we moved north yesterday it became cooler..and cooler. Florida has had a cold front move in. The temperature was about 20* cooler on Sunday than it was on Saturday. And rain had moved in too. Several times I told Gary we were going in the wrong direction..north.. cold..south..warm..I like warm. But..northward we came.
Overnight the temp went down to below 50*. Not too bad but enough that the heat pump ran several times during the night. Again..north cold..south warm..
This morning after breakfast Gary went to the store to get us another Florida Lotto ticket (we were very near the border and our weekly drawing ticket ran out on Saturday). I know...it is one of the things I learned before I was 50...I am not going to win the lottery..but hey..if you don't play you absolutely have no chance in winning. So we're doing our part and contributing to Florida's economy.
After dressing in long pants for the first time in several weeks, we headed on north. (The would be me in the long pants..Mr P is still in shorts). Again via US 301N. This route wiggles northward all the way to North Carolina. We've seen lots of woodlands and wetlands. And we saw our first sign "Bridge may ice in winter". Florida does not have these signs.. north cold..south warm..
I've enjoyed the slower pace without all the traffic I-95 has. We stopped in Statesboro Georgia for lunch. One of the best Ryan's Steakhouse buffets we have run across. Friendly folks and good price at $6.79 for lunch.
We've just passed the Georgia Welcome Center on 301. It was closed and is being used for a truck rest stop now. Strange. Just 1 of the things we've noticed about traveling on 301. 301 was a north south route used by many before I-95. The are lots of old motels in and near the small towns. Many of them are abandoned now. A few are still open but look like they struggle to remain so.
The countryside has changed too. No more palmettos and a lot fewer palms. Lots more pines and oaks. Still seeing some Spanish moss hanging on the trees. Did you know Spanish moss isn't either Spanish or moss? And it is infested with chiggers. Once upon a time folks used it to stuff their mattress. And when they woke up in the morning itching..it was because the chiggers got them. Hence the saying " Don't let the bedbugs bite".
We passed into South Carolina a few minutes ago. Everything is pretty green and some flowers are starting to bloom. We just went thru Allendale and saw a sign for the Cooterfest being held in May..What is a Cooter?? Guesses?? Check out their website to learn all about it.
http://www.cooterfest.com/
We're probably going to stop near Walterboro for the night. Then continue on up to NC tomorrow..or not..who knows..Another RV'er said on a blog recently their plans were set in jello, and I thought this was a good description..so we're see. See you all soon. Love, Deb

Hi Ya'll

Today I went to the Orthopedic Doc and he exchanged my long splint for a shorter "Boomerang" wrist splint. This is much smaller and without a metal brace in it. It allows my fingers freedom and I can type with my left hand again. The fractures appear to be healing as expected, but I have developed some tendinitis in the elbow and wrist. So, I also have a tennis elbow splint on too. Hopefully over the next few weeks this will subside. All in all, not too bad..at least I can type some with my left hand. :)

Things have been pretty quiet for the past couple of weeks. We're at Orlando Thousand Trails until Sunday. I've enjoyed watching the cardinals and other birds enjoying our new bird feeder. It hangs from a suction cup on our back window. I can sit on the other side of the glass inside the house and watch them. We've had about 5-6 different birds visit this week.




We're going home to North Carolina next week for a visit. We will leave Sunday and travel slowly up the east coast avoiding I-95 as much as possible. Just too many other RV's on the road also going north. This will take longer but we'll see some new sights and be in Dunn by Friday at the latest. I'm looking forward to seeing our family and friends. We already have a family dinner planned for Saturday at my Mom and Dad's house in Dunn. Then the next Wednesday we'll move up to Durham and stay at Rita's Mom and Dad's house for a week or so. Then back to Florida (Lazydays) to have some warranty work done on the house before meeting at New Smyrna Beach for the family reunion scheduled for the last week of May.

Then, we're off to the west for the summer. Not sure where yet...but we're thinking Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas...we'll see. Don't have the plans set yet, and as usual subject to change. Part of the fun is in the planning.

It just needs to get and stay warmer up there. We've been enjoying the mild weather down here very much.

Hillsborough River State Park

Last week Gary and I returned to Hillsborough River State Park. This was a much more enjoyable trip than a few weeks ago when I fell at the Park. We enjoyed a long hike down beside the river. I hope you enjoy the pictures. If you double click on the picture it will open in another window with larger pictures.

First Year Anniversary

March 19th marks our first year anniversary living full time in our RV. While we didn't start "on the road" until May we actually moved into the Nash travel trailer March 19th after having a yard sale. Having sold our bedroom furniture that day, we moved into the trailer that night. From 2200sq feet in our stix and brick house to 220 sq feet in the Nash to now 300 sq ft in our Cameo.
Yes, we have found we really can live in and with less.

Just like when we lived in the stix and brick house on Locust Drive, life goes on day by day. We work, play and deal with it. What ever "it" is. Good or not so good.

After the "Bump in the Road"

On Friday we moved to Bubba and Anna's home site for the weekend. We went over to their house and eat dinner. We had planned to go to a motor-cross race at the Daytona Speedway but it rained..and rained..and rained...all day on Friday and on into Friday night. So we just ordered pizza from Domino's and visited for a while.

This week was Bike Week in Daytona Beach (and surrounding area). Many,many, many motorcycles and riders were in town. Temporary campgrounds were set up all up and down Tomoka Farm Road. On Saturday we went over to the beach side to Main Street, or rather I should say we attempted to go there. The traffic was so dense we only traveled on Main St for about 1 block before returning over the bridge to the mainland side. We met Bob and Bev for dinner at the Port Orange Steakhouse. Even though we were early for dinner, meeting at 4:30pm the restaurant was already packed. This was true for most restaurants we passed. Bob said over a quarter million bikes and riders were in town. I can believe it. They were everywhere.

Today we moved back to Peace River in Wauchula. We'll be here for two weeks. Just can't beat the price. $0.00

My arm is doing OK. I'm getting better at typing with 1 hand. And the pain pills are down to 1 or 2 a day. So, I guess things are progressing as expected. If careful, I can even dress myself again. :) Yeah!!!

Hopefully I'll be able to work my regular hours this week. I only worked a little over 9 hours last week. Yuck! That cuts into the budget.

Hope you are all doing well. Please drop us a line or give us a call.
Love to you all. Deb

I found a bump in the Road

Last Thursday's trail walk ended with an abrupt "humph"...this is the sound of me hitting the pavement arms out reached. Can you say OUCH??

After laying there for a few minutes (making sure all body parts still worked), I jumped up ...Ok ..I got up slowly..examined the skinned hands and knees ...then slowly walked back to our house.

By the time we got back it had become apparent my collision with the asphalt had resulted in a problem with my arms. Something other than the skinned up palms was wrong. So after checking the computer website for a local hospital covered by our insurance plans, we went over to Brandon Regional Hospital.

9 hours later we got back home. I had a new long arm cast splint on my left arm. The Physician's Assistant I saw said his read of the x-ray didn't clearly show a fracture anywhere. But, due to the pain and my inability to use my left arm he had the splint applied. I had to wear it until I saw an Orthopedic doc this week. On Friday the ER doc called me to say that the radiologist could see a fracture of the radial head of my left arm. (Missed by the Physician Assistant)
The treatment for this was the same..splint cast until I could see the Ortho doc in 3-5 days.

Today I saw Dr. Gordon at Orthopedic Associates of Osceola County. He reviewed the x-rays again and confirmed a fracture of the left radial head and found another fracture in my wrist of the radial styloid. Which makes sense to me as I have being having pain in my wrist too. The good news is no more splint on my elbow. Current treatment for a non-displaced fracture of the radial head is a very short time in the splint followed by early mobility of the elbow. They have learned that putting the elbow in a cast for 6-8 weeks (the healing time for the fracture) is not good. Yes, the fracture heals, but you end up with an elbow joint that doesn't work any longer. Long time physical therapy is needed to return function. Not a good result at all.

So, now I will be using a sling when I am up and about and doing some light exercises to keep the elbow functioning. No lifting is allowed. Just wait out the time it will take to heal the fracture. The wrist fracture did get a new splint. Thankfully it is one I can remove occasionally. Now I just wait and let the body do it's work healing.

A list of things I have learned that I like having 2 hands/arms to perform.
Brushing teeth. (putting toothpaste on the brush).
Bathing and drying. Trying to keep the splint dry. Did you know they now sell "Shower Sleeves" to cover the cast?
Getting dressed. Have you ever tried to put on a bra with only 1 hand?
Bathroom duty. I never realized how much I used my left hand.
Reading a book. Holding the book with 1 hand is a challenge..especially when I have to turn a page.
Typing on the computer. 1 hand sure is slow.
Tying my shoe laces.
Opening a bottle.
Cooking.

Washing dishes (this one I don't mind at all).. :) someone else is doing the dishes.

Anyway..no complaints..learning new things keeps us young..right!!!
...as the saying goes..could have been worse.