Wok and Stroll

Today was supposed to be our first round of golf in Gulf Shores. Today was supposed to be semi-nice with no rain. Today was neither.

We awoke to clouds and 30mph winds. I immediately called the golf course and cancelled our 10:06am tee time. Instead we lounged around reading and then walked to the beach. We left clad in shorts and short-sleeved tee shirts. It started out ok, but the closer we got to the water, the worse it got. Mark talked on the phone for 20 minutes while I sat huddled on a bench. By then I was too cold to go to the water's edge, so we walked back. My pedometer told us it was a 1.62 mile round trip to the beach.

Since we wouldn't be on the beach, we drove up to the Tanger Outlet Mall to look for new golf shirts. Everyone else had the same idea. We then found food mecca - a Chinese buffet! It's been a long time. It wasn't Happy China in Chesterfield, but the best we've had since December.

After driving around and a trip to Camping World and the grocery store, we bundled up in long pants, long sleeve shirts, jackets, and a windshirt to yet another trip down to the water. This time the flags were red on the beach, meaning danger - high surf or tides.

Either spring break is now over and every one went back to school and/or work, or everyone stayed away. What a difference one day makes.

We were the only ones on the beach!

In warmer weather and warmer water temp, these waves would have provided several hours of fun.

These guys had the beach to themselves. It was too windy to fly, so they just stood there facing the wind. Every now and then the one-legged guy flew away, but he always came back into gull formation.

Sunday Sights

After reading the Sunday paper, we walked to the beach and a couple of miles on the beach. The beach started getting crowded early today. It always gets crowded on the weekends when the locals enjoy their treasure by the Gulf. It's where I would be if I lived here.

After our walk we drove over to Orange Beach - about 10 miles east towards Florida. There's a great bay area to watch the fishermen and all the boats coming out of the marinas into the Gulf.

This afternoon we finally went to the beach to just relax and take in the sights. It was the crowdedest I've ever seen it. Everyone had the same idea we did. Hopefully the crowds will thin out tomorrow once the kids go back to school and their parents go back to work.

It's always a great people watching experience. Why do some people pour themselves into swimsuits that are at least three sizes too small? Bikinis are not meant for everyone, and one size does not fit all! And we thank God daily that we have boys - if we had girls, they certainly wouldn't go out of the house looking like these 25 year old wannabees, while being only 14.

Not a lot of folks in the water. It's fun to watch the 3-10 year olds. They just don't care that it's freezing - they stay in for hours. The parents step one foot in and scream. Ahhh youth! Twenty-five years ago, I would have been in the water. Too old for that nonsense now!

Going Green

It seems we've transported one small four legged critter across state lines. Last night when I was turning off the small reading light next to my side of the bed, I noticed a movement just above my head. There was a bright neon green frog on my bed! I did not scream, I just grabbed a handful of kleenex and caught him. Mark kept yelling, "Don't let him jump away." We know these guys are quick, a few jumped on us while sitting outside all winter in Florida. Mark took the wad outside and set the little guy free. I wanted him to sing Born Free but he refused.

After breakfast we put on the walking shoes and headed to the beach. There's a wonderful breeze on the Gulf, 70ish, and overcast - a great formula for walking the beach. A few diehards were in the water - it's not quite 70 degrees. We remember these spring break vacations. No matter how cold, ya just gotta get in the water. By the time we got back to the park, we had walked almost 5 miles.

We drove through the Gulf Shores State Park campground where we had stayed numerous time over 20 years ago. The park has been ravaged by Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina. What used to be the most beautiful park around is now treeless and blacktop. It also has lots of campers in it. One campsite that caught our eye - a pup tent with a van parked next to it. Once we got a closer look, we noted a couple was sitting on lawn chairs just outside their tent, watching a large (~32") flat screen TV that they had sitting just inside the van. I guess there was a basketball game they just couldn't miss while camping. Roughing it, a little.

After a wonderful large pizza from Papa Rocco's, another trek to the beach was needed. The sun was now out, and quite warm. A few more kids were in the water. Note: kids - not adults, except for a few fathers who wouldn't let their kids in without adult supervision.

Bike rides before BBQ burgers. We're beat! It's time to crash on the couch before bed.

Another Four Meal Day

I just hate it when a day is so long, it becomes a four meal one. We left Orange Lake, FL at 5:30am EST this morning. We wanted to get an early start so we would arrive in Gulf Shores, AL before 4:00pm CST.

Four meals: a light continental breakfast, i.e. coffee/sweet rolls at 5:00am; lunch at Subway at 10:00am; dinner at McDonalds at 4:00pm, and we've just finished another dinner of sandwiches at 7:3opm.

The ride was basically non-eventful. I did route us on a somewhat scenic route down Business 98 in Pensacola, and then another 30 miles on a two-lane route on 98 through Alabama. We have been to the Luxury RV Park in Gulf Shores numerous times, and we still love it. It's a small park with about 75 spots. This is the first time we've been on the west side of the park with a fabulous view.

The view while sitting in my chair on our patio:

What you can't see behind the green foliage in front of me is, a swamp with alligators. On the other side of the high-rises is the Gulf of Mexico.

After we got set up, we headed to McDonalds and then Wal*Mart. It's so nice having everything right here and close. We next met our neighbors who are from Joplin, MO, and are younger than us. They are just now semi-retired, on their way back from south Florida for the winter; and like us, are spending two weeks here to wind down from the winter. It should be an interesting two weeks.

We rode our bikes down to the beach (a short 3 block ride). Unfortunately there are no bike racks and nowhere to lock them up, so we'll have to drive the truck and buy a parking pass for two weeks.

Spring break is winding down here. Most people in the park are like us - on their way home after wintering elsewhere in the country. They were able to accommodate our two-week visit, without having to change spots.

Now we must re-acclimate ourselves to Central time - just not tonight. Too tired!

Farewell

Today was the serious "get ready to roll" day. We got out of bed knowing that we had to fill up the tank, head to the grocery store, and stop off at an RV store to get a piece for the 5th wheel. Since the cupboards are bare, Mark offered to take me to breakfast. We came upon my favorite breakfast joint - IHop. I usually reserve this treat for lunch time with my dear friend Michelle from home. Knowing that I wouldn't see her for a few more weeks, I managed to enjoy my breakfast with Mark. No girl talk - just reading the USA Today and loads of coffee, plus that 2000+ calorie breakfast.

We stopped off at SweetBay to load up on meat and a few essentials, then back to the park to get in the pool. We don't think the pool where we're headed to in Gulf Shores is heated, so we had to enjoy this. As we anticipated - it was fabulous.

We finally got the outside all put away - it never goes back as easily as when we packed it all in December. Just a few things inside, and we'll be hitting the road by 6:00am - or whenever Mark wakes up.

Our spot is bare now.

We had mixed emotions late this afternoon when we had to go around and say goodbye to all of our new found friends. All of our new friends are returning to this park; we are not. We've told them all we'll be visiting in the park next season since we'll only be about a hundred miles away, and we will make every effort to keep in touch.

On a happy note - we filled up this morning - diesel dropped at a few stations - all the way down to $3.99 point 9!

Here's a sample of what we're going to miss next year.

The beautiful oak trees with the Spanish moss:

John and Frances from Ohio:

Tom and Deanna from near Eldridge, Missouri:

And last, but certainly not least: Our golfing buddies Joe and Marilyn from Arkansas.

There are many more friends, just no good pictures.

Signing off from Florida.

One More Day in Paradise

Today, the next to last day in Florida. We started cleaning up the site, the outside rug put away,barbecue pit degreased and final loads of laundry done. But since there is always something better to do,we played golf.

The final round of the season with Joe and Marilyn at Williston Country Club. Great weather, good course conditions and fair golf. This is one of the things we will miss next year, $20 golf with cart.

To finish the day we made one last trip to St. John's seafood restaurant. Bob,Rachael, Joe and Marilyn joined us for one last meal in Ocala. Plans are already being hatched to meet in Tunica,Ms. later this summer for golf and gambling.

Tying up Loose Ends

Today started out clear and COLD. The weather threw us another curve before we head north. It has been in the 80's but now we are going to have two days of 30's in the morning. We know that everyone will be happy that the highs will still reach the mid 70's.

Diane defrosted the fridge today in preparation for moving on after 3 months in the park. The next few days will be spent rearranging the basement and trying to figure out where all this stuff was when we left St. Louis. No matter how hard we try to not add things we always seem to have more than we started with.

This afternoon was golf with the boys. There were eight guys playing at Lake Diamond. $2 nassau and $ .25 skins. Joe, Mark, Donnie( from the band) and Bob were the big winners. Our team won $2 and 3 skins. No big amount of money but the bragging rights last for a year. We hope to return and play the same game next March.

Tonight we finally attended Karaoke Night. Joe and Marilyn have been trying to get us to go for a while and today we gave in. There was a large turn out and it seems that there a number of folks in the park that are truly talented. As usual there are people who just enjoy singing regardless of ability and we applaud their nerve. We just aren't public singers unless there is a large amount of alcohol or Dave and Deb Fluegge involved.

This is one of the last scheduled events in the park for the winter. We are going to miss the fun evenings with our old and new friends.

Ho Hum Day

This morning was my last Stretch and Tone class. One of my fellow toners managed to get a copy of the exercise list, so I'll seek her out tomorrow to get a copy. Hopefully I'll keep it up once I get back home. I doubt we'll rejoin the gym since we'll be leaving again in November. We'll be forced to walk around the neighborhood.

Mark was going to start washing the 5th wheel today but the weather wouldn't cooperate. It was windy and only got to around 65 today - tomorrow will be better, but the guys are all going golfing in the afternoon. It will wait until Wednesday or Thursday when we're near 80.

I did get in touch with the Luxury RV park in Gulf Shores, and they were able to accommodate us for an extra week. That gets us back into St. Louis around the 13th of April.

We're running out of food so we jumped in the car with Joe and Marilyn to find somewhere to eat lunch. We ended up at a Sonny's BBQ joint - they are a chain that is very popular in the South. Excellent pulled pork sandwiches!

We released the spot we had reserved at this park for next year. Joe and Marilyn wanted the spot to be near the rest of the group that is returning here. We are now committed to moving to a new park next year.

The End is Near

Happy Easter to everyone. We managed to talk to both boys and both of our dads today. We are very sorry that everyone is experiencing a snowy Easter Sunday. As I recall, we came home last year in early April, and we had an ice storm on Easter morning. This, we remind all family and friends, is why we are in Florida!

We had a surprise 72nd birthday party for our friend John today. Joe BBQd burgers, shrimp, onion and beef shish-ka-bobs, and the rest of us brought baked beans, potato salad, chips and dip, birthday cake, ice cream, plus jelly beans and malted milk balls. He was extremely grateful for all the attention we gave him.

The birthday man - John, and his wife Frances.

Marilyn was kind enough to put the candles on that you can't blow out.

It was so hot in the sun, we all had to cram under the awning where it was 20 degrees cooler.

After stuffing ourselves, everyone headed back to their respective homes. We went to the pool while others napped. Gradually around 6pm everyone finally came out and about.

The main topic of conversation here is, when are you leaving and are you coming back to Grand Lake. There is a feeling in the park that even though most of the 400 spots are still filled, the season is just about over. By the end of this week there will be 100 or more empty spots and we are told that in two weeks from now almost everyone will be headed home or to another RV park on the way home. We will be leaving for Gulf Shores, Alabama this Friday for a week or two depending on the weather in St. Louis. Home is calling but so is the Gulf of Mexico!

The Last Dance

This morning we headed to the Super Flea Market with Pam and Dennis. We were prepared for them to be wowed and after seeing this flea market they told us they were going to take Stephanie and Andy to the one near Atlanta. They did find a few treasures that had to be purchased. Again, we went home empty handed.

Next we headed for lunch at El Toro,the Mexican restaurant we had tried once before. Pam then wanted to stop off at Steve's world famous nuts to get a couple of monster grapefruits to take back home tomorrow. This time we bought a cantaloupe, a mango, Fuji apples, and a monster grapefruit. We just discovered today how good the mangoes are - I can't believe we've been here all winter and missed out on these wonderful fruits.

We then went back to rest up for the last Prime Cuts Band entertainment until next season. It was an almost packed house tonight - the 50/25/25 drawing netted a total of $300 - unfortunately we didn't win. We're holding out for the Florida Lotto tonight. We all had a good time enjoying the drinks, music and wonderful company of our friends and family.

Pam and Dennis impressing us with their fancy steps:

Lots of people showed up in their country/western attire also (Joe):

We then had to say goodbye to Pam and Dennis as they are headed back to Georgia in the morning. Fortunately for them, it's only a six hour drive. It was wonderful having them here, and hopefully they enjoyed it and will continue RVing after they retire later this year.

Slow Play

Friday's blog is coming late because the internet wasn't being cooperative. Yesterday Mark and I headed up to Gainesville to golf one last time on the Ironwood course. The weather was perfect, and it appears that every single person living in the area decided they wanted to enjoy the day the same way.

Even though we were ready to give up after 10 holes because of the extremely slow play, we kept going because we paid $60 to play. We managed to get in 14 holes before our patience wore out. After 4 1/2 hours we couldn't take any more. The golf courses in the area have marshals on the course but instead of helping to keep play moving they mostly check the bathrooms and trash cans. Fast play doesn't exist here on Friday thru Sunday. Mark will try again on Tuesday with Joe and several other guys in the park. After that round the next golf will be much farther north.

We were going to play bingo on our last Friday here but we ran a little late so the day ended outside our house talking with Pam and Dennis.

Practice Makes Perfect

Thursday was another laid back day (these are my favorites). After pancakes for breakfast, we got on the bikes and rambled around the park for a couple of hours. Mark made a few calls back home to his golfing cronies while I checked in with my Dad to make sure everything in Missouri has not floated away. Quite the pictures on the Weather Channel and on-line.

It was also cleaning day in the 5th wheel. We were having guests for dinner, so I dug out the vacuum. I had put a double batch of Italian Cheese Tortellini in the crockpot, and later started on a batch of brownies. After pouring the batter into the pan, we realized the trailer was really unlevel - one side was empty while the other side was overflowing. What a mess. Mark had mentioned earlier today that he thought the trailer was not level, but I couldn't really tell.

Since it was so far off, we had to bring in the slides, hook onto the truck, and move forward 4 feet so I could remove two of the leveling boards. I guess this is what happens when you stay parked in the grass for three months. This whole ordeal took about an hour. We were quite the spectacle to our neighbors. Several came running over thinking something was wrong because they all thought we were leaving without saying goodbye. No such thing - just practicing for the real thing next week Friday.

Pam and Dennis and Joe and Marilyn came down for Tortellini, salad, and the ever-popular brownies (with ice cream, of course!). After all left we settled back to watch the Golf Channel and see if Tiger can do it again.

Tourists

It was a glorious day in central Florida - sunny, 85, and windy. Around 10:15a we got in Pam and Dennis' truck and headed west to the Gulf coast to visit the Homosassa State Park which houses a wildlife refuge center. Since it's spring break, it was quite crowded, but worth it. After a 20 minute wait to buy tickets, we waited another 20 minutes to get on a pontoon that took us up the river to enter the refuge center.

We first visited the alligator area.

Then we back tracked to get to the manatees. Such big animals.

The park had deer, fox, cougar, a bear, a turkey, alligators, whopping cranes, flamingos, a hippo, ducks, etc. Most fellow tourists were extremely interested in the turtles! Huh? I guess we see more than most while living in the Midwest. This cage was my favorite:

The American Bald Eagle.

After our final trip back down the river to get to the Visitor's Center, we headed up the coast to get to Cedar Key. It used to be home of the factory that made cedar No. 2 pencils back in the '30s and '40s. We found a restaurant on the Gulf and each ate a large platter of fried seafood.

It was then back in the truck and we headed back to the RV park. After being in the truck all day, we got on our bikes and visited around the park.

Guests

We've been busy since Pam and Dennis got here. Monday (St. Patty's Day) was good. The Jai Alai joint had a corned beef and cabbage meal for $5.95. We went with Pam and Dennis and Joe and Marilyn for lunch. The St. Patty's special was a plate of cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and a very small portion of corned beef. Pam and Dennis opted for cheeseburgers and fries while the rest of us went the traditional fare. We topped off lunch with a miniature chocolate bundt cake with chocolate sauce, and a scoop of ice cream.

While waiting for the food, we were able to bet a few horses. Marilyn won once, and Joe & Mark won once. Pam and I bet on three races and were not winners. When Pam and Dennis with map in hand to find the Wal*Mart, Mark and I went to the pool for a while. It was fabulous.

Pam made us yummy meat balls for dinner last night. We sat outside until the mosquitoes and cold air drove us all home. Dennis was kind enough to buy me citronella bracelets that glow in the dark, so I could safely get home on my bike, as well as keep the bugs off. Unfortunately, they stunk so bad, I had to give them to Pam.

At 8:00am this morning, we were out of door for the much-anticipated garage sales in the park. What a joke that was. I ended up doing laundry instead. We thought lots of people would have stuff for sale so they wouldn't have to haul it all home when they leave in a few weeks.

Since Pam and Dennis were going to be cleaning the outside of their trailer today, we went golfing with Joe and Marilyn. The weather was perfect, and we had lots of fun. We all agreed to meet at 6:00pm and we were headed to the St. John's Seafood Restaurant for the $9.99 for 30 fried shrimp.

Such is the life of RVers, food, looking for bargains, and more food, with a few beverages thrown in for good measure.

Hot Hot Hot

Last night was yet another restless night, only for a different reason this time. We played games with the air conditioner - should we turn it on, or keep it off. On, off, aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh. At 2:00am Mark turned it on even though all the windows were still open. He thought I was freezing, so ten minutes later he turned it off. Then it was too hot to sleep. At 7:00a I finally crawled out, begging for coffee. We turned on the A/C and it ran all day long.

Today we made a SweetBay run (closest grocery store) and a stop at Steve's World Famous Nuts joint (fruit and veggie stand). Mark picked out another gigantic 2 lb. grapefruit, along with grapes, strawberries, apples, and peppers. We are definitely spoiled and will miss all the local fruit once we get back home.

The afternoon was spent lounging in the pool for a couple of hours and then watching the golf on TV. When Pam and Dennis were finished with their dinner, they came over and we all sat outside at Gary and Anne's until it got too cold - yes, we were under blankets.

The Music of Our Lives

This morning we had breakfast at the main clubhouse, cooked by Marilyn and Deanna. They filled in for the activity director who was at a different park this weekend. It's always nice when someone else cooks breakfast.

We anxiously awaited the arrival of Pam and Dennis. They arrived around 2:00pm. They had survived the tornadoes in Atlanta last night (as did Michael who is there for three weeks on business. He was within a mile of the downtown area.) A computer glitch put Pam and Dennis on an already occupied spot, so after 20 minutes, a new spot, much closer to ours, was found. We left them to set up and we headed to the pool for a while. 85 degrees, but still windy. A bit dicey getting out.

We delivered the new tacky butterfly whirly-gigs (that we picked up at the Super Flea Market several weeks ago) to Pam's new campsite - sort of a "welcome to the world of RVing" gift. I don't think they really saw the humor, but for now, they are still upright and in the ground.

We had already bought tickets for tonight's special entertainment in the park - the Street-Lites who perform 50s, 60s, and Motown. The four of us loaded up the cooler and snacks, and found a table in the front of the room which allowed us to view all the dancers. The band was excellent - well worth the high price of $10/ticket. One of the singers is a former member of the 70's group the Grass Roots. (Everybody wants to be in Florida!) When we looked around the room nearly everyone was singing along, this was truly the music of our lives.

Note the Kirk Douglas look-alike, who happened to be an excellent dancer.

And Bingo Was It's Name-O

This has been a strange day. We both had a very sleepless night. Apparently I snore terribly, and Mark is suffering from my diagnosis of restless leg syndrome, or something just like it. He says it was because of the gallon of iced tea he had at dinner last night. Regardless, neither of us slept well.

At around 7:45a this morning I woke Mark up to tell him someone is knocking at the door. Our first thought was, "Joe - we're gonna kill him." It was not Joe; it was a friend Rachel and one of her friends, asking us if they could try our door key to get into her trailer since this woman and her husband have the exact same 5th wheel as us. Mark gave the girls the key and off they went to give it a try. Unfortunately, our key didn't fit theirs. Her husband had gone off to Orlando for the day and she was frantic - locked outside with the dog. We later found out she ended up crawling in an unlocked window. We didn't even know we could lock ourselves out, but we found out today that it is possible.

All this commotion caused me to get out of bed when I wasn't really ready. After two pots of coffee I felt much better. Our plans to walk around the park never materialized because it began raining as soon as I got up, and didn't quit until around 7:00pm. Not storms, just steady rain. Good for the Florida drought situation, but bad for cabin fever. I did get a nap though.

Joe and Marilyn picked us up at 5:30pm to go down to the Skillet Diner at the truck stop for dinner. We know this is way too early for dinner, but Marilyn plays Texas Hold Em on Friday nights here in the park. Since we had been inside all day, I suggested to Mark that since we're down to two Friday nights left in the park, maybe we should try the Friday night bingo in the main hall. Marilyn said she had a "dobber" we could borrow. We are new to this, but set out anyway for an evening of fun.

We sat with Rachel and Deanna who were kind enough to show us the ropes. After about six games of regular bingo and a few other variations, we got down to the high payout games that required the "dobber". We had purchased for $14, six regular games, and six special paper dobber-required games, and one dobber. We were quite unlucky until the very last game.

The very last game was a "cover all." This was the end result:

Yes, I covered all for a pot of $118. Not bad for Mark's $14 investment! Makes us wonder why we've never gone before. This was certainly lots better than betting on the dogs and horses at the Jai Alai joint.

The rain has quit, and we're looking forward to tomorrow. My sister and her husband will be arriving for a week's stay in the park.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Today began with the furnace running but the temp quickly rose to the mid 70's. We had a tee time at Lake Diamond Country Club with Gary and Anne at 12:15. Due to the high cost of fuel we suggested we ride together and since they had a gasoline vehicle vs. our diesel truck they drove. On the way to Ocala we saw the line had been crossed, diesel was now selling at the Shell station for $4.04 per gallon. We sure hope that these spiraling fuel costs start to level off. In five days we have seen diesel rise from $3.69 to $4.04.

The golf course was one of the more expensive we have played this season and for the most part one of the more difficult ones. It is such a popular place to play that when we arrived there were no carts available. The effort to carry our bags to the driving range was our only real exercise for the day. Our scores were poor but the round was enjoyable. After spending time at every golf course trying to spot an alligator we finally succeeded. Next to the ladies tee box at hole thirteen we spotted a small (4 feet long) gator swimming across a pond. (Sorry Steph - I had my camera in my golf bag for just this occasion, but I was too far away to run and get it.)

I'm starting to miss everyone back home, especially since my sister Pam and her husband, got to have dinner last night with Michael, who is working in Atlanta for three weeks! Yes, I was jealous, but Pammy came through for me - she emailed a picture.

At first we thought something was wrong with Michael, but it seems he shaved his head on purpose. (Mark thinks this is funny that he and his brother shave their heads, because if they would just leave it alone, it would fall out on its own!)

If everyone else would send us their pictures, we might not feel the need to come home in a month. Just kidding - the countdown has begun, as long as the weather cooperates. If there's a chance of winter weather, we'll be staying in Gulf Shores, Alabama for longer than a week.

Taking It Easy

Today was our day to conserve diesel. The truck never moved from its parking spot. After our golf outing yesterday, Mark needed a day to recuperate from a back injury sustained in last Friday's game. Even though his back hurt yesterday, and kept spasming up when using an iron on a par 3, he still shot 78 - yippee. We believe this is his lowest round ever.

We lounged about today, read outside for a few hours, biked numerous times, and even got in a walk early this morning. I say early, but it was really 10:00a for Mark, and around 11:00a for me.

There was quite a buzz going on in the park today. It seems that a few RVers were kicked out of the park last night at midnight after getting in a heated argument with the park management. We're sorry to say that the musical singalong group of Mary and Terri were two of the three that had to leave. (Who's going to fill in the entertainment slot next Tuesday for the final singalong of the season?) Just two days ago, the managers in the park left suddenly also. Way too many rumors, and no one really knows the real story, but lots of speculation. Here is where we say, thank goodness we are leaving and not coming back next year. There seems to some of this type of behavior in every park. Hopefully we won't find this next year in Tampa.

There is somewhat of a celebrity staying here in the park this winter. Bill White, formerly of the St. Louis Cardinals in the late '60s. He and his wife have been here for a couple of months. Also, Bob Gibson visited him in the park a few weeks ago - they were going golfing together.

Other celebrities in the area - Dory Funk Jr.,Wesley Snipes, the Ards and John Travolta. Everyone wants to be in Florida in the winter.

This afternoon Mark helped me with my chipping around the putting green. After an hour practicing, I believe I've got it. We'll see tomorrow.

At Last

The day I've been waiting for finally arrived. After stretch and tone, we headed over to the Disney complex near Orlando for our very first St. Louis Cardinals spring training game! It was a lot like I expected. I bought the tickets through the Atlanta Braves website back in early February for $27 each. I can't believe there would be any bad seats. We were two rows from the top, on the first base side.

Yes, parents, we are still alive and well!

There are numerous differences between spring training and regular season games. First - parking was free. The Disney Wide World of Sports complex is gigantic; it serves as the home field for Atlanta Braves spring training, along with lots of other fields. There were girls playing lacrosse and guys playing baseball. They looked to be high school age. We did have quite a ways to walk, but it was 75 and sunny, so we didn't mind.

Second - I think that at least 95 percent of the ushers/parking attendants/concession workers are all retirees snowbirding in FL. They all had on name tags with their home state on them. Mark struck up a conversation with an usher from Indiana- he said the park has 7500 seats, but can accommodate a couple thousand more on the side of left field where the seats are $10 and all you need is a blanket or lawn chair. The Braves hosted a night game against the Yankees last week, and the attendance was 11,000.

Besides the workers being retirees, so were most of the patrons. It wasn't the rowdy outings that we get at Busch Stadium III (BSIII). Also, we were so close, even in the upper deck, that you could hear the umps calling strikes.

The organist had a sense of humor. Every time our pitchers walked someone, he played I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash. He also played a lot of Another One Bites the Dust when we got out.

Another thing we noticed - the game goes much faster - no long stretches between innings for network TV commercials. Although, I talked to my dad after the game, and he said it was on TV at home.

The food and beverages were also quite cheap, compared to BSIII. A hot dog, cheeseburger, and soda was only $10. At BSIII it would have been at least $18. Sodas and bottled water - $2. They also don't have those annoying beer vendors up and down throughout the game, blocking the view. I only saw one guy - and he came by twice selling sunflower seeds of all things.

The Cardinals did not have a good first inning - Wainwright gave up two runs immediately, and finally settled down. Since most of our "regulars" have moved on to other teams, we only had a few familiar faces to cheer for - Albert, Yadi, Wainwright, and Ankiel. I'm hoping Tony Glaus gets better, because Rolen was one of my favorites, and he didn't even come close to being Scotty.

One other crazy happening - during "8th inning stretch" all the ushers came out and "danced" to the "chicken song." Too bizarre.

A few sights from the game:

Check out the Mickey Mouse cut into center field.

Albert Pujols at his first at-bat.

The beautiful infield.

The Braves' saxophone group that plays Take Me Out to the Ballgame during 7th inning stretch. Not the ending we were looking for.

After the game we headed back to Orange Lake, hoping to find cheap diesel along the way. Hah! After eating a 2/$14.95 dinner, we drove back to the "cheapest diesel in town" station, only to find that they, too, have opted for the ever so popular $3.99 point 9 diesel.

Bar Food

Today is the day we finally go to George's Bar. We have been talking with friends John and Francis about going to this bar for lunch for the past few days. The word is the burgers are great and we are ready to check them out. Last year John was going to take Francis there but he got sick and couldn't go, today Francis came down with a high fever and won't be going with us. We gathered Jim, Betty, Marilyn and Joe and set out for the day's adventure. The bar is located about 3 miles from us down a narrow road and next to Orange Lake. We had visions of a Better Burger or maybe a Beef and Brick. Unfortunately we won't be able to enjoy these sandwiches until we get back home and there certainly wasn't anything at George's that came close. Ho hum burgers, cold fries and smoke. Apparently the one place you can smoke inside in Florida is George's Bar. Ah well, we tried.

Bad Hair Day

The winds were whipping all day long. From the time we woke up (6:15am for me) until around 7:00pm, the wind blew 20-30 mph, with gusts over 40 mph. While the sun shined brightly and the official temperature was in the mid 60s, it felt like about 40. Since it rained all day yesterday, this was not going to keep people inside for day 2.

We biked around the park several times today, checking out the wind and rain damage from yesterday's storm. Lots of satellite antennas were on the ground; awnings ripped off trailers, kitchen fly tents blown over. The golf course was even closed today because a tree on the first hole was halfway down and had to await the chainsaw brigade. The ground was covered with Spanish moss that had blown out of the trees, and all the drainage ditches full to the top with rain water.

I tried a new recipe in the crock pot today - cheesy tortellini in a red sauce with sausage and hamburger. It was delicious, as was the half batch of brownies I made. Can't make a full batch because a large pan doesn't fit into my RV oven. It's just as well - we eat the whole thing, regardless of the size.

Tonight we all met for the Tom, Donny, and Paul country music show. Mostly the same show but a number of new songs tonight. The show was very entertaining and I enjoy watching the line dancers. Someday I'll find a right foot and learn how to do that; right now it's two left feet.

The furnace is running, and I've gotta get the blanket back on the bed. 30s tonight. Now I must spring forward!

Port Richey III

After watching the weather last night and then early this morning, we decided today was the day to head south to Port Richey to check out, for the 3rd time, the RV park we have a deposit on for next winter. At 8:30a we headed down I-75, an all too familiar route to the Tampa area. The farther south we got, the more the clouds were breaking apart and the sun poked through.

We again had a list of questions, concerns, etc. to ask RVers in the Ja-Mar North RV park. We came upon a couple from Ohio who are currently spending their fifth season in this park. They had nothing but great things to say about the park. Yes, the owners are extremely religious (this is not a bad thing), and thus don't allow allow alcohol in the public areas of the park. No, it's not just gospel music for entertainment. Yes, the cell phones work great. And we found out that the traffic is only horrific January-March. Again, shouldn't be a problem.

We next headed off to find public beaches in the area. The first one was a county park with 50' of sand - not on the Gulf coast, but in the canal area. We then found another country park, which was better, but again, not a place I would want to go often. We know there are fabulous beaches about an hour south in the St. Pete area so I'm not worried about that.

A visit to a local golf shop to inquire about local courses in that area was next on the agenda. The owner of this store just happened to own an 18-hole course about 15 minutes away. He gave us a certificate for a free beer, a bucket of balls, and $4 off a round. Unfortunately it expires the end of April, and we don't plan on heading back down there before leaving here three weeks from today.

After spending several hours there, we headed back north to our park. At 3:30 we stopped for linner at a Cracker Barrel. We were starving and ate like pigs. The closer we got to our park in Orange Lake, the more evidence of a ton of rain today became evident. Our little spot was just about flooded. We got back at 5:30pm - it is now 11:10pm and still raining. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy all day - can't wait.

The price of diesel has skyrocketed again in FL. We filled up early this morning for $3.89. This afternoon at a different station, it was $3.79 - how lucky for us. Unfortunately, most diesel we saw today was $3.85 for cash and $3.91 for charge. One truck stop on I-75 was $3.99 for cash. We keep wondering what this will do to the RV business. For us, it will mean parking the 5th wheel for the summer.

Day of Indecision

This has been a day of indecision. We started the day thinking that all decisions had been made regarding next year's location for winter. We also assumed that since we played golf yesterday we would hang around the park today. Wrong on both counts.

After talking about the negatives and positives of Grand Lake RV, where we are this year, we realized there were several things that concerned us. The main thing is that our plan when we started to travel was adventure. Returning to the same location every year is comfortable but not very adventuresome. With this in mind we are returning to Port Richey for the third time and checking out the Ja-Mar RV park. This is a park that is very close to the Gulf of Mexico beaches and just north of Tampa. Hopefully we will come to a final decision before we head back to St. Louis.

The golf decision was easy. Jim and Betty stopped by and said they were going to Pine Oaks to play this afternoon. We're in of course. The tee time was 2:15 which should have given us plenty of time to play before the forecasted storm. As we finished hole 9 there might have been some lightning. The clubhouse was nearby and we stopped to check with the starter about the weather. The issue was resolved immediately when huge raindrops began to fall. Rain checks were issued and the race home was on since all the windows in the trailer were open.

Windows are closed , Gary and Anne stopped by and are now gone. There's nothing left to do but watch Celebrity Apprentice and listen to the rain or play cards or do..........

New Things

This morning I got to lounge about reading - it's my favorite time of the day - all is quiet, no TV, just me, my coffee, and my book all bundled up in my Lazy-Boy leather recliner. It doesn't get much better! Mark was on the computer, and then he went out to bike ride.

At 11:15am we left to try out a new to us golf course. Gary and Anne were meeting us at our 12:32p tee time. The course was nice, and we had a lot of fun. My game is still improving.

Afterwards we went to the Cajun styled Harry's Restaurant. We got there in time for the "early bird specials" - three magic words for all retirees - plus it was two-for-ones on draft beer and wine. At least Gary and I got to take part in that deal.

I've decided that I love fried grits - at least the ones from Harry's. I had shrimp and scallops in some kind of hot cajuny sauce, served over the fried grits. In no way was this healthy - but man, was it good!

Ater a quick stop at the Winn Dixie on the way back to the RV park to pick up the items we forgot last night (tp, wine coolers, milk, soap), we made it back home at 7:30p. I'm whipped, and typing this while Mark is down the street checking in with Joe to see what we missed today by being out of the park.

Weighty Matters

The much anticipated severe storm was a bust - thankfully. We woke up to 35mph winds and a very cloudy sky. I went over to do laundry around 8:00am, and am happy to report - no confrontations today. The weather was nice enough to let me sit outside and read for a while after my domestic chores.


We visited the office today to inquire, yet again, about a spot for next year. This time we spoke to the manager who was kind enough to get us set for spot #252, which is directly behind us right now. We wanted to face the opposite direction next year - with the sun on our door. This year we never get sun on our rug outside the door. Since we signed up for six months next year, we are guaranteed our spot, along with the 20% discount. We plan on coming down here right after the wedding in November, and then driving back and forth for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and probably again in the spring. We'll have both vehicles next year - the Camry gets 30mph - so it won't be a problem. Since everyone back home is trudging through 6-12" of snow, we won't be feeling one bit guilty about being gone so long.


The light rain finally showed up around 2pm, but only for about an hour. Perfect - I got in my nap, then we rode our bikes for an hour. We even stopped by the workout room for nearly five minutes of weight work. This was the most strenuous session so far this season. I guess we'll work on weight loss at home.

Since we had to go grocery shopping, we ate at the local seafood restaurant, which is next to the grocery store. Ahh, the fried shrimp were delicious, and cheap. $9.99 for 30 large fried shrimp. Now I'm stuffed.

Ho Ho Ho

For the first time this winter, we awoke to a screeching alarm clock. Not the right way to start the day, but we did, nonetheless. Mark wanted to be first in line to get the oil changed in the truck at the Ocala Ford dealer. We arrived at a few minutes after 7:00. At 9:30 and over $100 later, we left to find breakfast and a golf course.

After Burger King breakfast sandwiches, we headed north to Gainesville to golf. Another gorgeous day, and quite windy, and I played much better. Afterwards we headed back to the park, stopping on the side of the road again to check out the gators. Some were still out sunning, but not as many as yesterday.

We had to get back and ready for the big evening. The park put on a "thank you for wintering with us" luau, complete with food, soft drinks, a band, and Hawaiian dancers. We had to laugh at the attendance. Most events around the park draw around 100 people, if that many. Tonight's "free" food was attended by hundreds - most of these people we've never seen before. They must just stay in their rigs most of the day.

The food was delicious, and the entertainment was great. The mosquitoes and chiggers biting me were not! The evening ended with the audience singing Tiny Bubbles. It reminded me of my folks watching Don Ho and TV and us watching him sing his theme song. Funny, we knew the words.

Golf n' Gators

Today was a picture-perfect day in the Sunshine State. We started off walking this morning after breakfast. Everyone was out and about. Then we took the $7.00 large bag of golf balls that Mark got yesterday from the pro shop, and we walked over, hoping to improve my golf swing. We hit half of the 100 balls this morning, and the other half later this afternoon.

The swimming pool was fabulous and crowded also, but no one seemed to mind. We were just all happy for the warmth once again.

While swimming, I told Mark that we really needed to go find some alligators. After all, we've been here over two months, and it was past time. Jim and Betty told us that if we drove up SR441, we would find them lounging along the road. Right there were, within 10 miles of where we've been all along!

Steph - these pictures are for you:

There were eight of them just hanging out, all bunched up together.

Check out the mouth!

This big guy looks like he just ate a big dog - he is fat!

These alligators were not in a zoo or park - they were in a 2-mile stretch on the road in some prairie. I bet we saw at least 50 of them. Fortunately the state of Florida built a 4' high concrete wall on both sides of the road to keep the wildlife off. This was the second coolest thing I've seen yet since getting to FL (shuttle launch is still the best).

Always Gabbing

We've realized we're running out of time here - only a month left. Where has the time gone? We haven't seen half the stuff in Florida that we've wanted to see. We're either going to cram it all in the next four weeks or just wait until next year. I have yet to see an alligator or the manatees, or half the beaches. Since my golf game has gone to hell in a handbasket, we'd be better off being tourists.

We did go back to the super flea market this morning. Still the same crap, but fun to visit anyway. Who buys all those white cotton socks anyway?



The afternoon was spent reading in the bright warm sun while Mark sat inside watching tv (napping) in the air conditioning. Several times we started out riding bikes for exercise, but just kept running into too many people who just wanted to talk. I did manage a 1.5 mile walk, but again, kept running into people to talk to.



After dinner we sucked it up and again, even though we were never gonna go back, returned to the Mary and Terri Sing-a-Long.

Mary is playing piano, and her significant other, Terri, is playing the wash tub bass. Since Terri had a cold, there were numerous "guest" singers. After an hour we'd had enough, plus we were out of adult beverages, so we headed back to our 5th wheel. Ahhh, home sweet home.