ONE WEEK LATER, WEEKEND IN PORT CHARLOTTE AND BOCA GRANDE ISLAND

Almost ready for another long weekend away from home, we spend the day before leaving with our friends, Judy and Jeff, from Niagara Falls Canada.  We drove up to Eustis to check out their weekly Flea Market.  After seeing everything there, but pretty much empty handed, we went on to a large Thrift Store.  It is always fun to look through those, but again we left empty handed.  Guess there was not enough money burning a hole in our pocket.  Uh,uh, we stopped at Big Lots and managed to find scrap booking supplies there!

 

By then it was past time for lunch!  And Gary is a 7, 12, 5 diner,  most generally by the clock!  So on the good word of friends back in Ohio, we stopped at Stavros Greek Restaurant to find the atmosphere good and the food even better!!   We left taking half of the food home with us for another meal.  And many thanks to Jim and Cathy for the good word!!

Gary, Audrey, Judy and Jeff

The day ended with a need for resting and only time to get our suitcase packed for the weekend in Port Charlotte with my sister, Pearl and her daughter Tina.  Our mission was to also attend the Salem Ohio Day in Southwest Florida (N. Ft. Myers). 
We spent the first evening with Pearl, Tina and Tina's kids and grandkids for a spaghetti dinner and goodies for Valentine's Day.  With nine little ones around, we did not do much except play cards while the kids played.  It was a busy place and I did not think to get the camera out, but the memories will stay with us!!  Thanks to all for a wonderful time.

Saturday we drove on to N. Ft. Myers to the restaurant at the Shell Factory for a wonderful buffet and much visiting at the Salem Ohio Day.  It was great to catch up with everyone and find out what is going on exciting in their lives these days.  The count attending went from 119 last year to 147 this year, and not all were the same from last year either.  Over the summer we talked with others who winter in Florida and know many of them do not attend.  It is great that the number attending still grows though. 

Bob Sebo, speaker

Our speaker this year was Bob Sebo who filled us in on the things going on back in Salem regarding business, and the efforts to get more businesses interested in coming to town.   Seems there are two new motels slated to build there in addition to other business expansions.  He also lauded Mr. Yarnell for a wonderful job done scheduling entertainment for the Waterworth Memorial Park Band Shell for all of the years since it was built. Mr. Yarnell announced his retirement from this position and it will take another special person to fill those shoes.  This just touches the tip of updates that Bob gave us.

 

We heard that Bob sold his home in Florida because the time is so limited for his family to be in FL.  Hope that he continues to make it for the special Salem Day though.

There were many drawings for things donated by businesses in Salem.  Many nice items, I must say!!  But we did not win any.  Maybe next time.

There was also an auction of a wood sculpture of the Quaker Sam logo carved and donated by Ray D Smith, Class of '64.  It was made from a white wood from here in the US, a black wood from Africa and a red wood from South America.  It was very nice and the bidding was started at $100.  Not in our ball park, especially since we do not have wall hanging space in our home!!

 

Jerry and Cathy Hendricks

Gary and Audrey

Tim Dean

Bill Goodchild, Janice Wells, and Ester Goodchild

Tim and Carolyn Bowser and their guests, Linda and Jim Mueller

Michael and Sally Hary with Gary

Sunday we went off to church with Tina and then out to dinner at Olive Garden.  The afternoon was spent resting and soaking up some sun.  The week is promising to by great and in the lower 80's!!  Then we got out the Five-Crowns card game and the three of us ladies got in our usual three rounds.

 

Since Monday was our last day to be there, we planned a day of sight seeing.  We drove on west to Boca Grande Island.  And here we thought we already were on the "west coast" of Florida!  It was a wonderful day of walking and sitting out in the sunshine, picking up sea shells, after checking out the lighthouse and museum.  Check out the pictures.

Tina and Pearl

Boca Grande Lighthouse, view from inland.



Boca Grande Lighthouse, view from the Gulf shore.
















Here we are reading a plaque about the water tanks that were used to catch rainwater for the island people's only freshwater when the island was first inhabited.


 

 

The First Baptist Church built in the early days on the Island.

Episcopal Church built in the early days on the Island.

Tina and Pearl under the Banyon Tree.

Enough sightseeing, it is time for lunch!!  So we stopped at PJ's SeaGrille for some awesome delicious food, from Cuban, to crabcakes and baked shrimp.  Yum!!

Tina, Pearl, and Gary

It is now time to head back to Tina's.  It has been a day well spent, but time to end it.  Here are a few sights along the way.

 

What is left of the railroad track used in early days when phosphate was mined in the area.

The turtle was hardly a match for the traffic.

Osprey Nest, a common sight.



Us gals ended the day playing cards again, but think that we were tired.  The highlight was when Pearl threw her cards on the discard pile right after they had been dealt for her without realizing it was a new hand!!  This was Tina's reaction. . .

Are we not playing cards anymore??

We should be ready for a good night's sleep!!

Tuesday is our day to return to the motor home and Bushnell.  But not before Gary makes a side trip to meet up with my great niece's husband, Michael, at a business shop at the Punta Gorda Airport where he works.  He wanted to show Gary some planes that they were working on.  One had just come in from Italy.

Michael called us gals and told us that Gary was like a kid in a candy store.  So glad that he took the time to check it out. 
Our trip back up the I-75 interstate was safe and uneventful.  PTL!  That highway can be a bear some times.  Guess we picked the right time to travel it.
Take care and God Bless you all!!

HOMOSASSA SPRINGS WILDLIFE STATE PARK IN FLORIDA



We had a wonderful visit with my sister and niece all last weekend, but it was a busy time.  Imagine three cooks in the kitchen in a motorhome!!  We did it!!



Tina, Audrey, and Pearl having a great time!

Guess who was first in line to eat!!  Off the best china, no less!!

Now off to Homosassa!!  We took Pearl and Tina to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park after church at First Baptist in Bushnell and dinner at Sonny's BBQ on Sunday afternoon, which was very enjoyable.  They have everything from snakes to birds and black bear to hippo.  We went to see Manatees, but they were not in the water near us.  Will have to go back another time, maybe at feeding time so they will be close by.

Tina and Pearl on the boat cruise.

Tina, Audrey and Pearl

There were many, many varieties including this rattler.

Beautiful flamingos, not sure why they are so salmon colored.

Just a few pictures to show the variety as there were too many to put them all in the Blog.


 

 

Pearl and Tina, as close as we got to the Manatees!

As if we had not had enough walking on Sunday, we went to Webster Flea Market on Monday.  Webster is about three times the size of the market at Rogers up home.  In fact, we did not get it all covered before we decided that we had enough.  Didn't buy much except a set of three sizes of Revere Ware sauce pans for son, Ben.  Used, but in excellent shape!  But that was okay as we enjoy just looking!!

After they left for home on Tuesday, I loaded up the car and went off to do scrapbooking in the park, in one of the activity buildings.  Met a new friend Judy and we got a lot accomplished, especially since there is so much space to work!!  Hopefully, we will have a few more to meet with us real soon.

Gary decided that it was time to get back to cleaning and waxing the motorhome on the outside.  And I got out the vinyl shade material that I had sent for last summer and got busy cutting it for shades on the side windows beside the driver's and passenger's seats.  Gary ended up having to help put the grommets in.  I just didn't seem to have the power or maybe I was afraid of hitting my fingers with the hammer.  We made light cream color for when parked and short black ones for the upper part of the window when we are on the road. I also have material for shades at the end of our awnings outside, which I need to get cut and grommets in.  One of these days we will get it all finished!!  We are always finding new projects, it seems.

Hope that you all are handling the cold well.  Spring will soon be here, right?  Take care and stop back to see us again soon.

TWO MORE BUSY WEEKS IN FLORIDA

The week of January 19th began a little slow which was good as it gave us time to rest up after the three days straight of riding bus and sight seeing.  On Tuesday we went to the Spaghetti Dinner here in the park, where there was a Country Music singer after dinner.

But even more important to us was the couple from Niagara Falls Canada that we met, who just began their first year as Full Timers. Jeff and Judy are a very nice couple who we found we had a lot in common with.  At some point in his life, Jeff must have done some engineering as he and Gary could talk that to no end.  And when I asked Judy if she scrap books, she was very enthused to plan meeting with me at the activity center on Tuesdays to pursue that hobby!!  I was elated of course as my first day at the center had been spent by myself.  I did get a lot done though.

Judy and Jeff

It was interesting how we happened to be sitting across from each other for dinner.  We were both late in arriving at the Hall so ended up in the back corner in what few seats were left.  We started talking and didn't stop!!  They are younger than we are so that is also good for us!!

 

Later that week we droved down I-75 to Cracker Barrell and met up with a friend, Barb, who used to be in our Sunday School class back home at First Friends.

Barb, Gary and Audrey

This is not the first time that we have connected with her down here, so it was good to catch up on news.  She was on her way over near Orlando to see one of her daughters and her family.  We will try to connect up again before the end of March if we can all find the time.  It is always good to see old friends!!

The next day Gary went out to Dade Battlefield again for what was to be a re-enactment.  It was rainy so did not turn out to be an actual re-enactment, but informative and enjoyable, non the less.

 

We have been trying to walk here in the park, though do not get it done as often as we should.  Diane, I just had to show you the Knomes that we found on one of our walks.  Hope that you are still enjoying yours. 

Sunday we took a drive down to Brookesville and had dinner at Golden Corral after church.  Then on Monday I made a pot of chicken soup since all it seems to do is rain.  Thus many days have been very cool, or even down right cold!!  So much humidity that we had to get out the dehumidifier.

Lois we just wanted to let you know that we met Marie and Len while sitting out one afternoon.  They stopped by to introduce themselves.  Also, I think that the couple who you had asked about finally arrived across the road behind us.  Everyone misses you and Don!!

On Tuesday while I was scrapbooking with Judy and another lady who is only here for the week, I got a call to meet up with cousins who were traveling through on their way from Miami to Ohio by way of Port Charlotte and Bushnell.  It was great for Gary and I to meet up with Tom and Judy as well as Bill and Barb for a short visit.  They were hoping to beat the storm home, but ended up staying a couple days in Brunswick GA until the worst of the storm was over.

That evening we went to the Elvis impersonator show here in the Park.  It is always well attended, and I think that they have this Jimmy Smith here every other year.  We had seen him before, but enjoyed it just as much again.  Jimmy did many other artists songs as well, such as Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Crash Craddick, Conway Twitty, George Jones, and Bobby Darin, to name a few.  He has a great voice!!

Elvis, Jimmy and Elvis!

Jimmy and Elvis!

Yes, Tina, Elvis is dead, but it seems we keep seeing him about!! People just don't let him rest in peace!!

There was a little chap by the name of Carson in the front row who was very agreeable to go up on stage and show his dance routine!  Jimmy got quite a kick out of it.  Just wish we would have been in the front row to have watched little Carson's feet!!



Not sure who is learning from whom!!

I do believe that they both had loads of fun!!

Wednesday was doctor day in Dade City for Gary, and of course I had to get a little shopping in again at BonWorths.  We stopped again at BubbaQue for dinner.  Then home to rest up for the next day on a bus trip to Port Canaveral for a Casino Cruise on the Atlantic on Victory.

Their bus picks us up right here in the Park.

Victory Cruise Ship

 






I got to play bingo for a while also.  It was a pretty rocky boat ride even though the ship was pretty big, so did not do real well walking around. They had musicians and a dance floor also.  We had their buffet dinner also.  Always good food.

This past Saturday did not look too promising for sunshine, but we bit the bullet and drove up to Mt. Dora for their big Art Festival.  We were able to stay dry and enjoyed the day very much.

The prices here began at $3500, and the bronze rocker on the right was $19,000.

Prices here were in the thousands!!  Awesome work!!

I had to take pictures from a distance, or from the back of the booth as in the chairs booth.  Seems some of the artists do not like you taking pictures, as if I could copy any of their work!! I did hear from someone that their fear is of the pictures floating about on the Internet and being mass copied in some other country. 
Some of these are repeats of the show we saw there in 2010, but enjoyed them again.  And they keep coming back, so must be making sales!!  They seemed to keep busy.

We stopped in at the Masonic Temple for a cheeseburger lunch.  It was good to rest the feet!!

The weather was perfect for lunch on the porch!!

Yesterday, we had dinner at a Mexican Restaurant in front of the park after church.  Food and service was very good.  We had wondered why it always has such a full parking lot.  Now we know.

Later in the afternoon Jeff and Judy stopped by.  Great to visit again!!

Now I am caught up with my Blog and hope to stay that way!!  I need to do pictures every day and it would work easier that way.  I did get my Blog printed in hard back for the year 2013.  Thanks to Bob and Donna for the idea!!  I hope to keep getting one each year.

Speaking of Bob and Donna, we enjoy your Blog as well, and you seem to be having much fun!!  Maybe we will see you again when we get out west this year.

Take care now and stay tuned.