Time for a Beach Fix

I've been in FL for about a month now and I was past due for a beach fix.  I decided to drive over to Cocoa Beach about 60 miles from here.  It was a great day and Sedona and I decided we would just pack up and get over there early.

There were not too many people on the beach but I did hear a lot of kids and then remembered it was Thanksgiving weekend.  Sedona did not like the sand.  She was just so funny getting into the soft sand and then running quickly back to the boardwalk until we got too far and she was at the end of her leash.  She just kept looking back at the boardwalk and was never comfortable with the sand.

We spread out our place in the sand and then began to walk.  Sedona wanted absolutely anything to do with the surf.  It was still a fun day.

Only a few people on the beach.

Surf was perfect.  Wish I had planned to go in the water.

Kites flying

Birds flying

Sedona not happy.  She's looking back at the boardwalk thinking she wants to go back.

It was a great day and I'm glad for that fix.
Later...

Winter Home-Citrus Ridge

Here are a couple of photos of the neighborhood as you enter there is are beautiful grounds with a gazebo and then others like to decorate bowling balls which are so cute.  They look like ladybugs which is the insect of TN.

This is the house I'm looking at

Another angle

Entrance to Citrus Ridge

Lake view

Sedona looking at the bowling ball

The Lady Bug bowling balls

Sedona enjoys riding in the basket on my bicycle.  She is spoiled.

It's raining.  First time since I've been here.  Smells so good but no beach for me.

Thanksgiving in Paradise

I went with the noodles to the activity center for Thanksgiving lunch.  The tables were all set for about 40 people but I don't think they all came.  I took my tray and utensils plus glass and drink.  I was all set up on my left handed side of the table and Carmen asked if I want to eat with them.  She said we thought since Margie isn't here we would let you join us.  Thanks Carmen, that was very nice and I did feel welcome.

Lots and lots of food as usual and lots and lots of different kinds of wine, now that's a first for me at a Thanksgiving dinner.  We just didn't do that in my family.  It was good tasting the different kinds.  I like the sweet ones, not the dry ones.  Marilyn has some Chocovine which was red wine with chocolate in it.  Yummy.

Learned the difference between stuffing and dressing.  Actually Margie has kind of warned me that I would not see the kind of dressing I was used to.  I suppose northern stuffing is the thing down here.  Wonder if they would eat some of my cornbread southern dressing?  Hum, may have to try that some day.

Carmen invited me to sit with them.

Another Table

It was a little warm in the dining hall.

This group is all about posing for pix.

It's time to eat.  Pearl in blue is 86 and is quite spry.

Waited too late.

This is stuffing!

Marilyn shared her different wines.

Carmen didn't like it.

Ah come on Ruth, you know you want some.

So while I was basking in the warmth of Orlando and having a good Turkey day, Margie was in Tennessee in 26 degree rain and having a wonderful time with her family.  They had to go for Thanksgiving because Roger got a job at Disney and will be working through Christmas.  I'm still waiting on my call back interview.  Still don't know if I'll be working this year may have to wait until January.

After lunch it was time to Noodle in the pool a little and then try to get through the 5lbs of paper.  There were so many ads for Black Friday.

I rode my bike over to Ansel's house.  He just put it on the market and I wanted to get a look at it and see if that would be something I could be interested in some day.  It's a 2br 2ba and it very nice looking and kept up.  Everything goes with the house and I found a place that I could store Somewhere while I'm down here in the winter for only $30.  Sounds promising but I just don't think I'm ready for roots just yet.

Later...

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

  Here are my solar lights at night.

I am thankful for so many things it will be difficult to list everything but I'll hit the highlights.

I'm thankful for God in my life, my family, my health, Sedona, state government because I gave for 30 years and now it's giving back.  I am also thankful for my wonderful friends.  Some of those friends are from childhood and some are brand new.  I am thankful for my lifestyle.  I am thankful that God has given us so many wonderful, beautiful places on earth to be able to enjoy.  I'm just thankful for everything because if it's good, it's good and if it's bad, it causes me to grow & learn.

Enjoy your family & friends and tell them you love them, not just today but all the time.

Later...

Yard Sale finds

Margie and I got up early and I mean early for a bite of breakfast and a trip to a neighborhood yard sale in Deer Creek.  The place we were originally going for breakfast, The End Zone, didn't open until 7 o'clock so off we go to the next logical place, Cracker Barrel.

The $8 table cleaned up & in use.

After a filling breakfast we were ready for the task at hand.  My objective was to find an outside table sort of like a picnic table.  Margie's objective was to find one crystal wine goblet with designs on it.  Off we go, nothing much at the first few sites.  One site I saw a table and asked the lady if it was for sale.  "No but I'll ask my husband when he gets back."  We went to the next site and I saw said husband outside.  I said to Margie, what do you think I should offer him? $20 was the absolute most.  Agreed.  I went over to ask him if he would sell the table and he said,"will you give me $10?"  I said, "how about $8 and he said sold."  Ha! so much for $20.  So I now have a table for the winter and if I decide to leave it in April I will have gotten $8 worth out of it.  Or maybe I could sell it again.  Oh whatever, I have a table.

Next it was time to find the crystal wine glass.  Oooh, at last there are some so we pulled over and alas, they were only plastic.  Forward, there are some glass ones, ah but they are too plain.  Strike 3 we were out of places to find so no crystal wine glass for Margie, this time anyway.

While at the yard sale I saw some lights I really like and asked the owner where she got them.  Harbor Freight Tools (one of my favorite stores) and I located one in Lakeland.  So off I went in the afternoon to get me some lights.  Here are a couple of shots and once they are charged I'll post a pix of them at night.  They are solar and change colors.  So cool.

The box of solar garden light set

In my garden space getting a good charge

I really like my site in the community but what I don't like about it is all these acorns that fall on my drive, on my house and on the yard.  I sweep everyday otherwise they make a mess when driven over.  They are not TN acorns, they are very soft and Sedona loves to eat them.  Oh well, hasn't hurt her yet.

Later...

Busy Around the Community

Dancing to the tunes

Sweet Charlie with his blue cooler full of candy.

Friday afternoon was the welcome back pool party.  There were about 80 people there, not bad out of 400+ sites and considering not everyone is back.  Guess they will have another welcome back.  Anyway there was entertainment with Sweet Charlie who has a cooler full of candy the audience can go up and get some during his performance of course there is a tip jar sitting right next to the candy.  Sweet Charlie must be able to sing songs from every era and genre.  He was a great entertainer.  When you have folks getting up to dance, that's a sign of a good entertainer.

Thee were plenty of dancers and you could tell the couples who had danced together for years.  Dancing With The Stars has nothing on this group of ball room dancers.   Roger and Margie even got up to Unchained Melody and danced but I had her camera and took a movie and I didn't get a shot of them dancing.  Maybe she will post them on her blog.

I believe everyone is waiting for the food.

Some took a dip wile waiting.

Finally a song I really like, Margaritaville.  But no one danced to it and they didn't look interested at all.  Oh well, I liked it.




Later...

Whew, I need to go somewhere to rest!

Have you ever been on a cruise?  If so, do you remember your first cruise?  Remember getting the daily ship schedule and then kill yourself for the next six days trying to do EVERYTHING the ship cruise director has to offer?  Then the end of your cruise is upon you and you feel like you need to take a vacation to rest up from your cruise.

That's about what I'm feeling like right now.  There are so many activities at my winter home that it is wearing me out trying to do everything that I'm feeling like I need a rest.  LOL

Let's see, there's the pool.  I love the pool and am glad to hear that the pool is heated so I should be able to use it most of the year plus it has a hot tub.  There are two groups of people; the noodles and the non-noodles.  Margie and Roger belong to the noodles.  Sounded good to me, we go to the pool to swim but all we do is noodle around.  That's okay I have my own noodle.  Lots of folks to meet.

Next is the water exercise class at 10:00 in the morning.  I can do that 'cause it's not too early.  There were about four of us but I've been told that when January gets here and ALL the snowbirds get back it will be more crowded.  Some of the exercises I had done before but the ones with the empty water jugs were new to me.  I thought what a cinch but today I'm thinking I sure need to do more of that to work the soreness out.  To tell you the truth, I thought these seasoned citizens were doing exercises that were easy and not really doing anything to notice a difference. Man-o-man, I take back all those thoughts I may have had.  Ouch, ouch.

Now if that wasn't enough this morning at 9:00 is beginners line-dancing.  Okay, not too bad, I love to dance so this should be a cinch.  NOT, I'm beginning I have 2 left feet.  I just have to practice, practice, practice.  No problem with the electric slide though.  It was fun and I'll go back.  I stayed to watch some of the intermediate dances and those folks are good.

Eating, well let's see.  There's all you can eat wings at the End Zone.  Last night was buy one-get one free fajitas at the All Star Grill.  There was another single lady so we got to take advantage of the bogo free.  It would have been cheap if it hadn't been for my 2 margaritas.   Tonight will be the welcome back party of ribs and stuff.  Yummy.  Good thing I started working out, otherwise I'd be packing on the lbs.  But I need to cut back on the eating and lose some of these excess lbs.  Oh well, tomorrow's another day.

This is a great community to ride my bicycle and Sedona just loves riding.  I got a flat and had to get the tube changed (thanks Roger.)  Next time I'll know how to do it.  The tube didn't come with directions.

Roger is my new "husband."  He has fixed my water faucet outside, tire tube, door lock and the outside water faucet (again.)  I sure thank Margie for letting Roger adopt me.  He is a good handyman.  It's kind of like my BFF, Debbie, letting me use her husband, Randy as my "husband" when I was in my stick and brick home.  Just a point of clarification, "Husband" as in fixing things.

I've got other things to do like bingo and there are bus rides to the Hard Rock Casino and you know I've got to give that a try.  

Now I have a dilemma, Monday I've got line dancing and water exercise at the same time.  What's a girl to do!

There's ice cream socials, golf cart parade (I'll decorate my bike and me & Sodona will ride in the parade in it) , crafts, horseshoes, shuffleboard, dominoes and nickle-nickle (whatever that is, but I'll find out and let you know.)  Oh and in addition to all this I've got an interview with Disney next Tuesday.  When am I going to have a chance to work?

Margie told me the other day that someone told her that if they stay in here the first year they will end up  buying.  There are a lot of neat places in here but I'm not ready to even think of putting down roots.

Life is good!  Later...

My Winter Home-Does that mean I'm a Snowbird?

Sand Hill Cranes are my neighbors

These folks are crazy about their golf carts.  This was at the pool.

My site fixed up.

Close up of my bicycle which got a flat tire quickly.  Roger is going to fix the tube tomorrow.

My site!  Love it!

Yep, I have arrived at my winter home in Davenport FL.  So far so good.  Thanks to Margie and Roger I have met a lot of good neighbors and learned a lot about the neighborhood.  It's a 55 + community and one of the guys at happy hour tonight asked me, in a round about way, if I was old enough to be in this community.  I sure was flattered. 

It's going to be a good winter.  Now what will I do when I get hitch-itch?  Go to the beach for a quick fix.  I am so fortunate to be able to do this.  I know it too.

Later...

Finally, IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE

Yes, it's official.  While at the arts & crafts fair yesterday, Nan and I found this clock that called my name.  I had seen them before and they were too high in price.  I dickered with the guy and got the price down to where I would pay and bought it.  Now I've got to find the perfect place.  As I look around I sure have a lot of clocks in my living room, microwave, over the front door and now my Somewhere clock. 

I have 2 new blog followers, Jeff & Brenda.  How do I know this?  Because they posted a comment a few days ago about Rock Crusher Canyon Park.  They winter here but I'm going to miss them by a few days but I may run back over here sometime in the winter to say hello.  I also understand from some birdies around here that Jeff "does" the music for the park in the winter.  Bet that's fun.  Thanks for reading and posting comments to my blog.  It's nice to know there are a few readers out there.
Later...

A Taste of Things to Come

The snowbirds are beginning to arrive at the Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park and one of the "things" on the November calendar is a Strawberry Shortcake Sunday afternoon. Nan was still here and I like this place so much that I decided to stay another day or two. Anyway, we decided we simply must  go and have some shortcake.

some shortcake.

For $4 you sure get your money's worth.

Here's Nan with Belle the Women RV mascot

The Women RV forum that Nan and I are a part of have a mascot flamingo bell and her name is Belle.  Duh!  Anyway I am Belle's keeper until the next get together in FL in Jan and it's my role to take her places and enjoy the RVing lifestyle with members of the forum.    So you can see her every once in a while show up in my pictures.  She is almost as sneaky as Buffet and she loves to drink so you never know when she will show up.

Yesterday Nan and I went over to Homosassas FL for the Arts, Crafts and Seafood Festival.  Lots of people, great ideas for crafts and good seafood.    I really like this part of Florida.  The people are so friendly and there are not hoards of people.  Now if I could get Disney to move some of its property and attractions over here, I'd be perfectly content to stay here.  This place gives me a good peaceful feeling.  Maybe it will be my winter home next year or another year, 'cause I'm thinking Nevada next winter but that's a long way away and a lot can happen.

Later...

Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park

Site #9

You can see the clear passenger side window in this shot.

Covered Pool

Nice hot tub, not too hot

One person swimming laps

 This RV park is nice.  The sites are spacious.  Some are heavily treed; others are clear, guess those are for satellite users.  It's a large park and has lots of activities.  Prices are good especially for 2-3 months as it includes all utilities including cable.  It's a little noisy because of a road that runs close by but if you get over in the 200's it's quieter.

My friend Nan will be here tomorrow for the weekend.  Her site will be next to me.  Homosassas FL is going to have an Arts & Crafts event on the weekend and I'm sure we will have to see what's going on.

I went to Homossasas Springs today to visit Monkey Island.  It was amazing to watch them play and then when they were fed dinner it was like a frenzy.  I ate at the Crab House and the shrimp were delicious.  If you are in this area be sure to go see the Monkeys.





Later...

Windows have been defogged!

Yesterday afternoon I pulled into Suncoast Designers Inc in Hudson FL to have my driver and passenger side windows fixed.  They had fogged so badly that I could barely see out of the side view mirrors.  I had heard so many good things about this place and after checking with other companies found the price was better here than anywhere on the East Coast.

I made my appointment in June because I thought a lot of snowbirds would be having their windows fixed and boy, was I right.  They have a place to park w/50 amp electric & water and they were just about full.  The guys said that they had already done 120 windows this week and it's only Wednesday.

They are very efficient, courteous and neat.  I would highly recommend them.  They arrived at 7:00 a.m. this morning, one guy took out the screws, another guy came by and took the window out, another guy put up cardboard and tape and then they were gone in about 15 minutes.  By 1:00 the process began again, one guy came with the window, one came to screw them in, one guy came to seal the outside and clean the fingerprints off and I was out of there by about 2:00.  Like I said, efficient.

 

Oh I just realized I didn't take a picture of the finished product.  Believe me, great job.  I may edit this tomorrow with my new window pictures.

Later...