WEEK TWO, NEAR GULF COAST OF FLORIDA



There has been so much going on in our lives over the past week because of the loss of Audrey's next oldest brother, that it will be difficult to go back two weeks in my little pea brain for Blog material.  But I will try!

 

Brother, Wayne, was 77 and has suffered with congestive heart failure for several years.  His life of heart troubles began when he was only 39 with two open heart surgeries within ten years.  He had a dream to travel the US with a Toy hauler for his motorcycle, but he never got that far and had a long face when we began our travels.  He did make several trips across the country just with the motorcycle and the little trailer behind, before his motorcycle riding days came to an end.  He was in his glory!!  We will all miss him terribly.  He was at our home many holidays over the years to participate in family gatherings, thus making this loss hard on our boys.

 

Sunday evening, December 15th, we attended a concert with Debbie Myers and Tommy Thompson in Big Tree RV Park in Arcadia FL (home to us for December) .  They were very good and Tommy at age 82 was awesome on the steel guitar.  He said that he has a twelve string on order, so you can imagine his music ability.

Monday our only outing activity was Bingo.  Gary went with me, wonder of wonders!!  I think that he just wanted to see if he got as much a thrill out of it as he does at a Casino spending a penny at a time!!  One was about as expensive of an entertainment as the other.

We had reservations for Tuesday to go to Bradenton for dinner at Golden Coral and on to Sarasota to the Mertz Theatre by bus to see the musical "Showboat".  It was well played and their scenery sets were great.  It was a wonderful evening.


Lobby

The beginning of what turned in to a full house.

 

Awesome Privacy Box and Balcony



Center ceiling

This Mertz Theatre was dismantled and brought to Florida from Scotland.  It was dedicated here in January of 1990.

 

 
 
 

 

Our Wednesday was a full day taking Audrey's niece, Tina, to the Tampa airport to pick up Tina's son, daughter-in-law, and new granddaughter.  They were coming in from Texas for the holidays. 

Approaching bridge to cross the Tampa Bay Bridge

 

Getting closer to top!

View of Tampa skyline when leaving bridge.

It was great to see the kids and the baby was so easy to make up to.  We stopped at Hungry Howie's for pizza as everyone was hungry, on the trip back to Tina's to let them get settled in after their trip.
I did not get to use the camera again!!  Or just forgot, I should say.

The week has been full already, but we are not finished!!  Thursday we took off for N Fort Myers to meet up with a high school classmate of Gary's and his wife to do lunch at The Shell Factory.  Very good fish and wonderful fellowship.  We will have to do that again.

Audrey, Gary, Barbara and Jim

Thursday was also Jam Night at Big Tree.  Many talented musicians and singers in the park, and many enjoyed dancing to the music.  There are many who live year around in this park as well as many who are annual Snowbirds.  Then there are us transients, fly by night gypsies!

And Bill (in Arizona) we just had to show you that Crocs and socks are IN!  Never fear.

Home is where the motorhome, trailer, or park model is!!

This week was followed with a call on Sunday morning about brother, Wayne, so our morning turned from getting dressed for church to packing suitcases to begin our travels north in the Jeep.
After a week preparing for a funeral and emptying an apartment and beginning other business arrangements, we are packing today to leave for Florida again.  We are taking sister, Pearl, with us so that she can spend some more time with her daughter, Tina.  So pray for our safe travels. 

You all take care and stay warm.  You can have this cold and snow even though it was beautiful watching it fall.  We hope that we are ahead of the "clipper" that is forecast!!!  We will be driving slow for sure.

FIRST WEEK IN ARCADIA, FL

Although home is not always here the heart is, it is now where the weather is best and the best location that we could choose, to escape this cold weather that everyone in the north is having.  Enjoy your cold and snow and we will enjoy our 70's and 80's temperatures and sunshine!!
We are at Big Tree RV Park in Arcadia near Port Charlotte Florida for the month of December.  This was chosen because of an awesome bargain that they gave for this month!!  Then it also put us in close proximity to Audrey's niece and her family.  So we will enjoy this side of the family for this holiday. 

Our motorhome across the lake and next door to MH  couple from British Columbia.
They also are traveling though and only here for a month.

View looking across the lake from our front window.

We arrived on Friday and got pretty well set up for housekeeping.  We will continue to put things away a little at a time.  There is so much out of wack because of not staying in the motorhome for the last two months in Ohio.  I also likes to decorate a little for Christmas, so will get that done.

Our first Sunday we attended Adult Bible Fellowship and Worship service at the First Baptist church of Arcadia.  We felt right at home!!

After church we went into Arcadia and had dinner at the Magnolia St. Seafood and Grille.  It was very good food, but then that is always the case when I do not have to cook!!

 

Driving around "old" Arcadia was very interesting.  Some interesting buildings there.  Arcadia is quite spread out, like many older towns.  We will go back downtown and walk the streets one of these days as there are several interesting shops.

Yep, decorating is finished!!  It now feels like Christmas, especially at night when there is not so much warm air and sunshine.  But we do like our good weather for walking for exercise.

By the way, Gary bought a 26 inch bicycle here in the park and takes a spin around the park daily for his exercise.  Hope that we can find a place to fasten it on when we move so that he can continue his exercise.

We did the usual Bingo in the park, a spaghetti dinner here and laundry during that first week.

A week after we arrived we got my niece and went off to the Everglades for an Airboat ride.  We all enjoyed that very much!!  It was our first.  Gary and I had done a Trolley ride through the Everglades a year ago, but this was more fun!!

Captain and guide.

 

Our captain was fun and even knew some German for the benefit of the German tourists on the boat.

 

 

Tina and Audrey must be looking at something interesting!



Maybe this alligator??



Mangrove trees brought into the country, which now stop Hurricanes and prevent errosion.
They are very protected.

Sometimes sunning, and sometimes bathing.

There were many birds native to the area and also many that we see in other parts of the country.

After the airboat ride, we stopped in at Seafood Depot in Everglades City for lunch.  We were hungry and always attempting to get Tina to put a little weight back on.  She has had a rough year, some of which was caused by too potent of antibiotics.  Many do not realize what using antibiotics too strong or too often can do to our body.




Audrey's niece, Tina, and Gary  

 



 Many birds to be seen along the highway, but difficult to catch them on film during flight. Gary did stop for me to use the camera.

 

Returning Tina to her home in Port Charlotte and after our return to Arcadia, we still had time to get to the Christmas Musical at First Baptist Church.  "Mary Did You Know?"  It was very nice and we enjoyed it very much. 

They had their poinsettias all across the front of the church on the steps, with this cross in the center.  It was lovely.

 

Many things planned for next week, so tune in again.  God Bless you all!!

VISITING RVing FRIENDS AND MEETING NEW FRIENDS IN NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA

We are on our way south and experiencing warmer weather already, although it does not look like it from the mode of dress here!!  They just are not used to the cold.
In Kannapolis NC we were to meet up with friends, Tim and Judy, who we had befriended back in 2011 in Sandy, OR.  They were visiting their other friends as they traveled through the Carolinas, Del and Dixie who were originally from Sandy OR also.  Del, Dixie, and daughter Susie opened their homes to us and shared dinner and great fellowship.  It was a wonderful evening and so neat to meet some of their family, especially Susie's daughter, Zoe.  She was the sweetest three year old!!

Dixie, Del, a cousin and Susie, with Judy and Tim behind on right.

Susie, Zoe, a cousin, Tim, Audrey and Gary

The stories around dinner were great and the delicious dinner was very filling.  I got my first view of an infra-red portable oven.  Almost convinced that I should have one, but where would I put it?

The next day we moved on to Lexington SC to our home!!  Sandy, who was house sitting for us, was glad to see us and we were glad to be back in our home.  We had a wonderful visit and enjoyed many hands of the 5-Crown card game. 
Sandy had made reservations for us to join her Senior Center's tour of Christmas Lights in the Saluda Shoals Park at the Saluda River.  It was an awesome display and I got many good pictures even though the driver did not stop too often.  Edna, you did a great job!!

From the Tour of Lights we went back to Lexington SC to eat at the Flight Deck Restaurant.  The food was very good and it was an interesting place. 

Friends, Bo and Brenda,  Bo is often the bus driver for the Center.

Friends, Gene and Edna on the left here.

Sandy, our host and house sitter, with Audrey and Edna.

Sandy, Edna and Brenda, who was anxious to hug Clark Kent.

You can see that we had a fun time!!

We were afraid that we were going to miss Sandy's husband, but he made it home the evening before we left.  Just in time for dinner.  Mike is a truck driver and had just returned from up north.  He said there was plenty of snow, but the roads were clear. 
Mike and Sandy, many thanks again for letting us park the motorhome in your back yard for the past two months!!  We felt that is was safe there and the weather did not have any adverse affects on it.  I am sure the sunny days helped.
We first met Mike and Sandy in 2008, visited them again in 2010, 2012 and again twice this year.  Their friends, Bo and Brenda as well as Gene and Edna, have been new friends to us in September Senior Center and activities there.  We have enjoyed hours together with 5-Crowns also. 
After a few days there in Lexington, we moved on into Florida.  The next Blog will show our new home in Arcadia, FL.


Our greetings to you all!!
And stay tuned and enjoy our warmer weather with us.