Jim Gets Ambitious and An Invasion Of Kids

Orange City, FL.
61 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. partly cloudy, 50% chance of showers this afternoon, SE winds @ 10 to 15 mph.

Jim seemed pretty ambitious yesterday, and actually got quite a bit done. In the morning, he took CLT and went to Home Depot where he bought some florescent bulbs and some bulbs for the light over my stove. From there he went to an auto parts store and bought some gear oil to have on hand, and also some of those new micro fiber towels to use in and around me for cleaning and polishing. Then on the way back here, he stopped at a convenience store and picked up a 12 pack of Diet Coke.

Whew!!!

After lunch, he put out all my awnings, got out the grill and lawn chairs and then watched the postponed NASCAR truck race on the little TV he has down in my basement. Then, after taking a little nap, he cooked a couple of burgers on the grill for dinner.

Like I said, he was ambitious yesterday.

While he was doing all of this, Linda was working on her embroidery, watching TV, reading her book, taking a nap, and making a vegetable to have with the burgers.

I don't quite know what's going on around here. All of a sudden there are a bunch of kids running around in the park. They're not college age, but rather little kids and teen-agers that are here with parents or grand-parents. The only thing I can figure is that some of the schools are closed for spring break, and the parents and grand-parents are bringing the kids along on short camping trips. So far, they've all been well behaved, and haven't even been very noisy.

Did you know that on this date in 1889, the Eiffel Tower in Paris officially opened?

A Slow Sunday and Lost At Laura's

Orange City, FL.
53 deg. clear, NW winds @ 7 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. sunny, wind NE @ 5 to 10 mph.

After I finished yesterday's blog, we had a very heavy rain shower. It lasted for about 20 or 30 minutes, and was accompanied by some thunder and lightning. Then, about noon, the clouds cleared and it turned into a beautiful day.

During the afternoon, Jim watched the NASCAR race on TV while Linda did some embroidery work and read some of her current book. Then after a light dinner, they hopped in CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over to Laura and Lindsey's to watch some episodes of Lost that Laura had taped, and that Linda and Jim had missed.

By 9:00 they were back here and then watched some TV before going to bed after the news.

I don't know what's going on today. I know Jim wants to go to get a couple of fluorescent bulbs to replace the ones he had to use the other day to get my kitchen sink light working, (He likes to keep a couple of spares on hand), so maybe he'll do that.

Did you know that in Cape Coral, FL. it is illegal to hang your clothes outside on a clothesline?

A Little Rain, My Site, and The Food Is Back

Orange City, FL.
73 deg. light rain, SW winds @ 10 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. rain this morning, partly sunny this afternoon, W. winds @ 15 mph.

Well, we finally got some rain. I don't think it's anywhere near enough to help much, but every little bit makes a difference. It got really warm here yesterday, with the thermometer on my East side showing 90 deg at one point in the afternoon. They usually don't get temps in the 90's here until sometime around the 1st of June.

Jim was taking a few photos the other day, and so I though I'd show you the one of my current site. It's a nice large site with a lot of room for parking, which is nice if I get company. At about 10:30 yesterday morning, Laura and Lindsey brought all the food that Jim and Linda had stored in their refrigerator. After getting all the food put into my new refrigerator, everyone sat around and talked for an hour or so before they had to leave. As they were leaving, Lindsey grabbed the little fridge they had lent us and put it into the back of their truck to take home.

Thanks for the loan of the fridge, Laura and Lindsey, it sure helped a lot.

It got really windy yesterday afternoon, so Jim and Linda didn't do anything outside. Linda did a load of laundry, and they both watched some TV and took naps, but that was about it.

Did you know that there are more than 50 different kinds of kangaroos?

Laura and Lindsey Stop By and The Weather

Orange City, FL.
66 deg. partly cloudy, S. winds @ 12 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 89 deg. partly cloudy, with a 20 % chance of rain, S. winds @ 20 mph. Possible severe T-storms tonight after midnight.

Not a real lot happened around here yesterday. I think Jim and Linda just wanted a day to kick back and relax. About 5:00 they went to the Pier 16 restaurant that is near here and then shortly after they returned, Laura and Lindsey stopped by and told Jim and Lind all about their vacation that they had just returned from.

It sounded like they had a really good time.

Today, Laura and Lindsey are going to bring over all the food that Jim and Linda have stored in their refrigerator, and then take back that little refrigerator that Jim and Linda were using while mine was broken. Other than that, I doubt if much else will be happening around here.

If you've read the forecast above, you already know that they are forecasting high temps up near 90 degrees for us today. That's over 10 degrees higher than the normal for this time of year, and of course, there's a cold front coming down from the North that will surely stir up some bad weather as it passes through.

I hope it doesn't get too nasty tonight.

Did you know that the highest wind velocity ever recorded in the United States was 231 mph, on Mount Washington, New Hampshire, in 1934?

Finally Repaired and Creative Coach

Orange City, FL.
64 deg. mostly cloudy, light Southerly winds.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. partly cloudy, breezy with winds @ 10 to 15 mph and gusts to 25 mph.

Yep, you read it right, I'm back at the Orange City RV Resort and I have a new furnace circulating pump installed!!!

Just about noon, yesterday, the Fed-X truck finally brought the pump to Creative Coach, and by 2:25, Lester, (my mechanic), had the pump installed and tested, Jim and Linda had paid the bill, and we were pulling out of the parking lot. :-)

I thought we might hit some heavy Orlando traffic, being that it was after 3:00 by the time we went through the city, but there were only 2 places where I had to slow down, and the trip went really well. In fact, it was only 3:45 when we pulled in here at the park. So, it only took us 1 hour and 20 minutes to travel the 79 miles.

So now, I'm "good to go", again for awhile. I had a lot of things repaired this time, but some of the items were just plain worn out from normal use, and age just got the best from other items, like my tires.

I'd like to say a little about Creative Coach. www.creativecoach.com The only reason that it took so long for my repairs, was because they had to wait on parts for me. Any time the parts were available, they were installed right away, and they made every effort to get the parts as quickly as possible. Everyone was very friendly and courteous, and went out of their way to make sure Jim and Linda were comfortable. I would highly recommend Creative Coach to anyone who is in Central Florida and in need of mechanical repair, accident damage repair, or even a complete remodeling of a coach interior. I was there long enough to see the quality of work they do, and believe me, if it's not perfect, it won't leave the shop. Their prices may not be the cheapest, but you get what you pay for.

In my opinion, they are one of the "Good Guys".

Did you know that birds cannot go into outer space, because they use gravity to assist them in swallowing, so they'd quickly choke and die in a non-gravity environment?

Bummeerrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

Lakeland, FL.
63 deg. clear, SE winds @ 8 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 82 deg. mostly sunny, SE winds @ 15 to 20 mph.

Bummmmeeerrr!!!! That new circulating pump for my furnace still isn't here!!! Instead of having it shipped here, the Florida distributor had it shipped to him, and now it's supposed to get here today!!!

But I sure wouldn't put any money on it!!!!

Jim is getting really ticked off, so I sure hope it does come today.

Nothing else happening around here. Jim and Linda went to a Steak & Shake restaurant last night, stopped at a grocery store on the way home to pick up bread and milk, and then watched TV until bedtime.

Oh, Yesterday, I forgot the "Did you know" on the blog, so today, I'm posting 2 of them.

Did you know that American poet, Robert Frost, was born on this date in 1874?

Did you know that on an average day, a queen bee lays about 1,500 eggs?

A Trip, A New Fridge, and Waiting Again

Lakeland, FL.
59 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 82 deg. clear, SE winds @ 10 to 20 mph.

We left Orange City, Monday morning at about 8:50 and headed towards Lakeland on I-4. The traffic through Orlando was horrible with stop and go driving all the way through the city. If you remember, it was raining a little, and it seems like that's all it takes to make some people drive goofy. Anyway, it took us almost exactly 2 hours to drive the 79 miles. Once at Creative Coach, Jim unhooked CLT from me and then Glenn got me into a spot next to a building where he hooked up my electric cord.

So, here I sit. So far, I have a new refrigerator, and a new spring in my awning. The refrigerator was quite a project. There was only about 1/2 inch of clearance through the door as they took the old one out and brought the new one in. Then of course the propane line was in a different place on the new fridge, so that had to be changed, but the rest of the installation went pretty well, and now the new fridge is working and Jim and Linda have put some of the food into it.

Now, about the only other thing left is that circulating pump for my furnace. Lester has a tracking number on it, and Fed-X is supposed to deliver it today.

We'll see.

Oh, what are Jim and Linda doing, you ask? Well, nothing much during the days, Linda has been reading and doing some embroidery work, Jim found a nice guy with a 2001 Beaver Coach to talk to, and they did go out to eat at the Country Angels Restaurant, Monday evening. Then last night, Jim got out his grill and grilled a nice steak, while Linda cooked some potatoes and heated up some green beans.

Today will be spent waiting for that pump, and then hopefully getting it installed, so we can get out of here. I don't know where we will go from here. Maybe back to Orange City, (to retrieve the rest of the food out of Laura's refrigerator), or maybe up to the Escapees Park in Bushnell. A lot will depend on when that pump gets here.

Rain? and Getting Ready

Orange City, FL.
60 deg. light rain, NE winds @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. light spotty showers, E. winds @ 10 to 15 mph.

I'm sure glad that Jim got most of the preparation for leaving done yesterday. It sure would be nasty this morning, rolling up awnings, checking tires, draining tanks, and putting away water and sewer hoses. I don't know where this rain came from. None of the weather people on TV were forecasting it, and I think it pretty much surprised everyone.

They really need the rain around here, but it would have been nice if it wasn't raining the day I need to travel. Already this morning, they're having accidents in Orlando, and of course, we have to go through there to get to Lakeland. Oh well, maybe they'll have it all cleared up by the time I get there.

Jim called Jeff yesterday morning to wish him a happy birthday. (His birthday was Saturday), and they must have talked for over an hour. I don't know why they don't talk more often because when they do talk, they talk and talk and talk. He seems to be doing well, and is very busy working.

Not much to report on this morning. Jim brought that little refrigerator inside of me yesterday morning and put it kind of under my kitchen table. It should ride there OK until we get to Lakeland. Then, in the afternoon, he got most of the outside work done, and so now, I'm pretty much ready to go.

Well, I guess that's all for now. I sure hope we don't run into a traffic mess in Orlando. I'll let you know how it went as soon as I can.

Did you know the parachute was invented by Leonardo da Vinci in 1515?

Two Visits and Getting Ready

Orange City, FL.
51 deg. clear, NE wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 73 deg. partly cloudy, breezy. NE winds @ 10 to 20 mph.

Friday afternoon, Laura and Lindsey stopped by for awhile. They were doing some last minute shopping before heading out on a much deserved vacation. They had planned on going way back last August, but a hurricane changed those plans. Anyway, they'll be gone for a week, which is fine, because I'll be over in Lakeland getting my refrigerator replaced, along with those other parts installed, that were ordered a couple of weeks ago.

Yesterday Ashley stopped by for awhile. She was running from place to place as usual, but found time to come and visit with Grandma and Grandpa, (and me), for about an hour.

Today, I don't think I'll have any visitors. I imagine that Jim and Linda will be getting me ready to head back over to Lakeland tomorrow. I sure hope all the parts are there so I can get in and out in a reasonable period of time. I sure don't want to sit there any longer than necessary.

Did you know that Frostbite Falls, Minnesota was home to Rocky and Bullwinkle?

Laura and Lindsey Bring Food

Orange City, FL.
54 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 77 deg. partly cloudy, N. winds @ 10 to 15 mph.

Yesterday, Linda called Laura to make arrangements for her and Jim to go over there to get a few things out of Laura's refrigerator. Well, Laura said she and Lindsey were going to be out and about anyway, so if Linda would tell her what she needed, they would bring the items out here to the park. So, Linda told her and about 1:30 they pulled up behind me and brought the food.

That was really nice of them.

The part that I really liked, was that they all sat out under my awning, and Laura and Lindsey stayed for a couple of hours to visit. :-)

For dinner, Jim cooked a couple of hamburgers, (which Laura had brought), out on the grill, while Linda made a peach desert on my stove. It sure all smelled good, and I'll bet it tasted good too!

Today, I think Jim and Linda are going to go to CVS or Walgreen's. The tree pollen is really bad right now and Jim's allergies have really been bothering him, so he needs to replenish his supply of medicine to help treat them.

Did you know that the diameter of the wire in a standard paper clip is 1 millimeter - or about 0.04 inch?

Another Problem

Orange City, FL.
58 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly sunny, NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

OK, I guess I might as well get right to it. I've got another problem, and my owners, (especially Jim), are not happy campers.

It all started Sunday night while Jim and Linda were watching TV. Jim said that he was smelling something, but Linda said she didn't smell it. Well, Jim finally got up to try to find out what it was, and when he got back to my refrigerator, and opened the door, he was almost knocked down by the fumes coming out of it.

You see, RV refrigerators are not at all like a home refrigerator. RV units work on an ammonia solution that circulates through the coils. They do this because when the ammonia solution gets heated and cools, it causes the refrigerator to get cold. That way the refrigerator can be operated on propane (to heat the solution), when I don't have an electric hook-up. Anyway, one of the coils inside of the refrigerator must have broken, (allowing the ammonia solution to escape), which caused the smell, which completely took Jim's breath away when he first opened the door.

After Jim got his breath back, he quickly shut off the refrigerator, and then he and Linda started to try to figure out what to do with all the food. As you probably remember, Jim and Linda had just gone to the grocery store, so of course the fridge was completely full, (including the freezer part). Well, Linda called Laura to see if she had any room on her refrigerator, (which she did), so they packed most of the food into their cooler, and some bags and headed over there.

Now, this is just what they wanted to do, late on a Sunday night! :-(

Before they left they opened most of my windows and turned on my vent fans, to try to get the smell out of me. Well, as you probably have guessed by now, the ammonia smell was really strong, and while the open windows and vents helped a lot, it was still really smelly when they returned.

Monday morning Jim called Lester, (my mechanic), and told him what had happened. He gave him all the info off of my old fridge and Lester called back awhile later and told Jim he had located a new one, and would have it at the shop when I returned to have my other repairs completed this next Monday.

Also Monday, Lindsey and Laura brought over a little refrigerator that Anna had used at college. It is setting out on the picnic table and along with the cooler, Jim and Linda are able to manage.

Well, all of this made Jim very angry at me. He was even talking about trading me off or selling me. He said that I was just too expensive to keep!! (RV refrigerators are more expensive than a house refrigerator). He said that after all the money they had already spent on me, I just wasn't worth it, and there was always something going wrong with me!!! He said it was time to get rid of me!!!!

Well, he and Linda did a lot of talking the last few days, and I think they've finally decided to keep me. I know Linda wants to keep me. She really likes my layout and is real comfortable with me. Jim on the other hand isn't too sure, but I think he realizes that a different MH may have problems too. And, he has been saying all along, that he knew my fridge was getting old and didn't know how much longer it would last.

I think the biggest problem was that they had just spent a lot of money on me, and really didn't have the money for a new refrigerator right now.

So, as of right now, the plan is to go back to Lakeland on Monday to get my furnace circulating pump, awning spring, and the new refrigerator installed. I hope everything goes smoothly.

Did you know that on this date in 1931 the Nevada state legislator legalized gambling?

A Quiet Day, Great Weather, and A Great Dinner

Orange City, FL.
65 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 87 deg. partly cloudy, S. winds @ 5to 10 mph.

It was pretty quiet around her yesterday. No one came to visit me, no one bashed into any posts and there was no other newsworthy activity near me.

The weather here in FL has been really great. We've had temps in the mid 80's with light winds, low humidity, and it has been cooling off to the low 60's at night. I think it's called "Chamber of Commerce Weather". :-) The whole state does need some rain though. Everything is really dry, and there have been a lot of brush fires scattered around the state. As of now, the only rain in the forecast is a 20% chance on Tuesday.

Yesterday afternoon, Laura called and invited Jim and Linda to dinner. She said that Lindsey's parents, (Marv and Inez), were coming too, and that Lindsey was going to be cooking chicken on the grill. Linda volunteered to bring a vegetable and some bread, so about 5:30, Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over there with a green bean dish, and a loaf of french bread. When they got there, they found out that Inez had brought a potato casserole, and a strawberry desert. (Inez is famous for her great deserts.)

Well, from what I can tell, good food and good conversation was had by all, and by about 8:30, CLT was rolling back here into the park, with well fed and happy campers. :-)

Did you know that Tuatara lizards, from New Zealand, have two eyes in the center of their heads, and a third one on top of their heads?

Winn Dixie, and Home?

Orange City, FL.
63 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. partly cloudy, S. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

I don't think the either Jim or Linda felt much like going grocery shopping yesterday, but they were out of a lot of items. So, a little after lunch, they headed to the Winn Dixie that's only a couple miles from here. They were gone for quite a while so I wasn't surprised at all the groceries they brought back to store inside of me.

After getting all the groceries put away, both Jim and Linda took little naps. Then about 6:00 Linda heated up some chicken they had bought at the grocery store deli. That, along with some potato salad and bread they had also bought, made a nice meal.

You know, I was reading a full-timer's blog the other day, and they were talking about going back home to see someone. Now I don't know, maybe it's just me, but Jim and Linda feel the same way. We don't go "home" at any time. We are "home" wherever we are. Jim and Linda sold their house years ago, and moved into their Motor Home which then became their home. It seems to me that the people who talk about going "home" have not really accepted the full-timing lifestyle, and the fact that they now live permanently in their RV. They evidently still think of where they used to live, as "home".

I wonder if that's why some people don't keep full-timing for very long?

Did you know that the railroad engineer, Casey Jones, was born on this date in 1864?

A Visit From Ashley, and A Water Fountain?

Orange City, FL.
58 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 82 deg. partly cloudy, SE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Ashley, (Linda and Jim's granddaughter), stopped by for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. She didn't get a chance to come out and see me when we were here 4 or 5 weeks ago, so it had been a long time since I had seen her. It sure was good to see her again.

Oh, we had a little excitement across the street from me yesterday. First, this guy was trying to back his MH into a site, and wasn't having much luck. He didn't seem to have the slightest idea of which way to turn the steering wheel. I really felt sorry for the MH, I know he was embarrassed to be sitting cross ways in the street while his owner tried to figure out how to get him into the site.

After his owner finally got him into the site, I noticed this lady driving behind me in the car that the MH tows down the road. Now, there's nothing unusual about that, except that this lady had a dog jumping around on her lap (while she was driving), and seemed to be more concerned about the dog than her driving. Well, when she pulled off of the road to park, she evidently wasn't watching where she was going, and bashed right into a post sticking up out of the ground that has a water faucet on it! Well, for a while we had a nice water fountain across the street, with the water shooting about 20 feet up into the air.

It was actually kind of purdy! :-)

While all this was going on, the guy that was driving the MH, just looked over there to see what happened and then just continued hooking up the utilities for the MH. He didn't go over there to see if there was any damage to the car or anything.

He probably thought it was better to just stay away. ;-)

It didn't take the park employees very long to get the water leak repaired, and the man did finally go over and check the car for damage. I hope the lady learned not to let the dog jump around on her lap while she is driving. It could have been much worse.

Did you know that elephants can smell water from as far away as 3 miles?

A Beautiful Day, A Test and Shopping,

Orange City, FL.
60 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 82 deg. partly cloudy, E. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

It was another beautiful day here on Orange City yesterday. In the morning, Jim took Linda over to a medical place to get a blood test, in preparation to go to see her doctor next week. After that, they stopped at a gas station to get CLT a drink of 87 octane, and then went next door to a Bob Evans Restaurant where they had a late breakfast. After they came back here, they spent quite a bit of time relaxing under my awning and enjoying the weather. It got up close to 90 deg. for awhile in the afternoon, but, believe it or not, the humidity wasn't very high, and there was a nice breeze blowing, so it was really nice.

About 2:30 Laura came over and picked up Linda to go shopping over at the mall in Sanford. They were gone for a couple hours and when they came back, Linda told Jim about the new jeans and tops she had bought. Jim said she really needed some new clothes, and was glad she had found some she liked.

After a light dinner, the evening was spent reading and watching TV until the news was over.

Did you know that the lifespan of a squirrel is about 9 years?

A Bath, Lakeland to OC, and Some Visitors

Orange City, FL.
59 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. mostly sunny, E. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Yep, you read it right. I'm now in Orange City and back at the Orange City RV Resort. About 8:15 yesterday morning, Glenn, (the mechanic that parks and moves all the RVs around), came out and told Jim and Linda that he was ready to take me around to the other building. Well, I didn't know what he wanted to do that for, but when he got me around there, a couple of the guys gave me a much needed bath!! I didn't know it, but they give all the coaches that get major repairs done, a bath before they leave.

While I was getting my bath, Jim and Linda were in the office paying for all my repairs. Like I have said before, I'm sure glad they like me a lot, because I can be expensive to maintain at times. Especially when I need things like new tires.

By 10:00 we were pulling out of the repair place lot and were heading to a gas station just a little way down the road, where Jim gave me a nice drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. Then it was back to I-4, where we turned left and followed it all the way up here to Orange City. It was just about noon when we pulled into the park, so it took us just about 2 hours to get fuel and travel 81 miles.

How did I like my new tires, you ask? Smmoooooth! They seem to ride better than the old ones did.

AS Jim was checking me in, Laura called on the phone. Jim told her that we had just gotten in, and she said that she and Lindsey would stop by after a little while. So, about 2:00 she and Lindsey came and everyone sat outside under my new awning and talked for awhile.

Neat! It was really good to see them again.

I don't know just what's happening today. Laura is off work, so she and Linda will probably do something together. As for Jim, I think he's just looking for a day where he can just relax.

Did you know that the dental drill was invented by John Greenwood, of New York, in 1790?

Getting Parts Installed, A Surprise, and Good To Go

Lakeland, FL.
53 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. mostly sunny, SE winds @ 5 mph.

Wow, did I get a lot of work done on me yesterday!!!

It was only a few minutes after 8:00, and Lester was already working on changing my circulating pump. It's in a real difficult spot to get to, so it took him quite awhile. Then he tackled my exhaust leak, and by noon, he had that fixed also.

In the middle of all this, I got a real surprise! A truck pulled into a space along side of me, and the man got out and installed 6 new tires on my wheels!! Yep, 6 brand new Michelin load range H tires!! You could have knocked me off the jack with a feather!! I knew my tires were getting old, and that one tire had developed the crack back in Louisiana, but I never expected this!! Wow!!!!

After I calmed down from the excitement of getting the tires, Jim started me up and let my engine run for awhile so Lester could check for any leaks. Well, there were not any that Lester could find, so as of right now, I'm good to go!!!

So, this morning, (after Lester makes a final check for leaks), Jim and Linda will pay my bill, make arrangements for me to come back in a couple of weeks, and then we can leave here so I can try out my new tires!

I can hardly wait!!!!

Did you know that mosquitoes prefer children to adults, and blonds to brunettes?

Not Much To Tell About

Lakeland, FL.
52 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. partly cloudy, light SW winds.

Not much to tell you about today, yesterday was real quiet around here. Jim and Linda just watched TV, read, and did normal daily things.

For dinner, Jim cooked a nice steak out on the grill, (that he and Linda shared), while Linda heated up some left-over green beans and made some garlic bread out of a partial older loaf of bread.

Today, I'm hoping to get most of my repairs finished, so we can get out of here for awhile. We'll have to come back in a couple of weeks to get the last parts installed, but at least I won't have to sit here in this lot while we're waiting for them to come.

Well, I'd better get going. I don't know how early they'll start to work on me this morning, but I want to be ready.

Did you know that ants stretch when they wake up?

A Great Visit With Old Friends,

Lakeland, FL.
51 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 82 deg. clear, S. winds @ 5 mph.

Did all of you remember to set your clocks ahead one hour? Be honest now, I'll bet some of you forgot.

Yesterday was a slow day for me, but CLT took Jim and Linda up to Wildwood to see Monte and Donna, so he had a busy day. They left here about 10:00, and drove up to Wildwood, where their first stop was the Russell Stover candy store. There, Linda picked up a whole bunch of sugar free candy that should keep her supplied for a long time. Sugar free candy is fairly hard to find, so when we come down here to FL. she always stocks up.

The next stop was at a Denny's Diner, for lunch. Jim and Linda had never been in one of Denny's diner type restaurant before, and both said it was kind of neat.
After lunch, they headed over to Monte and Donna's house to visit with them for awhile. CLT says they must have really enjoyed their visit, because there were there for about 5 hours. Jim snapped this photo just as they were leaving.

It was almost 6:30 by the time CLT pulled back into the parking lot here at Creative Coach, and Jim and Linda were still talking about the great visit they had.

It's too bad they can't get together more often.

After they got back here, Jim and Linda had some left-over pizza for dinner, and then watched TV until bedtime.

Did you know that an ant can survive for up to two weeks underwater?

I See The Light! and A Plan

Lakeland, FL.
48 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 80 deg. mostly sunny, SE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

I can see the light!!!! I can see the light!!!! What light is that, you ask?? It's the light at the end of the tunnel!!!!

Yesterday there was finally some real progress on my repairs. My oil was changed, my filters were changed and my chassis was lubed. Lester replaced the kick-down cylinders on my two front leveling jacks, I found out that they had finally located a new pump for my furnace, and finally my new awning fabric was installed!! Oh, and I almost forgot!! When they changed my fuel filters, they found out that the little priming pump, for my fuel system was leaking, and not the filter. So, they replaced the little pump, and now, No More Fuel Leak!!! :-)

Now, there was one little glitch. When they replaced my awning fabric, they found out that the spring that rolls the awning up, had lost most of it's springing abilities, and one of the locks at the end of the awning was defective. But, not to worry. These parts are readily available and can be ordered.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I'm going to have to stay here even longer to wait for the awning parts... Nope!!! Let me try to explain what the new plan is.. Monday, they will finish installing the parts that they have on hand, and then on Tuesday or Wednesday, we'll leave for a couple of weeks to go back to Orange City to see Laura and her family. Then, we'll come back here to have the furnace pump and the awning parts installed.

Sounds like a plan to me!! And, the best part is that it means that I'll be able to get out of here for awhile!! :-)

Yesterday, Jim and Linda called some friends of theirs (Monte and Donna), who live up in Wildwood, FL, and made plans to take CLT, (Cute Little Truck), and go up there to see them today. I met Monte and Donna last year when they came to see me while I was in Bushell, and they're really nice people. I wish I could see them again this year, but I don't think that's going to happen. Oh well, maybe next year. It's about an hour and a half drive up there, so I'll be here by myself for a good part of the day.

Hmmm, maybe I can get to know that Country Coach Motorhome that is parked next to me right now. He's having some body damage repaired where he tangled with a palm tree. :-(

Did you know that on this date in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for the telephone?

Some Work, and The End Of Beaver Coaches?

Lakeland, FL.
38 deg. partly cloudy, NE winds @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. sunny, NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Well, Lester, (my mechanic), did work on me some yesterday. He worked on a small fuel leak that I had up near my fuel fill on the left side. He was able to get a socket wrench up to the fill area, (from underneath), and tighten the clamps a little. Now, we'll just have to wait until Jim gets me another drink of that good old #2 and see if it leaks or not. I don't even want to know what would be involved if it still leaks. They would probably have to remove my 150 gallon fuel tank. :-( He also worked on my exhaust system, and determined that I will need a new section of pipe to repair it. He took all the measurements and assured Jim that he could get it and install it.

I was really hoping that more work would get done yesterday, but it's a start at least. Maybe today.

I don't know if you've heard the news that Monaco Coach is very close to closing the doors and going out of business. Why is this important to me, you ask? Well, Monaco Coach owens Safari, Holiday Rambler, and Beaver, the company that made me. If Monaco goes out of business and takes the Beaver name with it, there will be no new coaches to carry on my heritage. I would hate to see that. We've been a proud brand throughout the years, known for quality, and craftsmanship, it would be a shame to see our line end. :-(

Did you know that the Ritz cracker was introduced to the markets in 1934?

I'm OK, and A Promise

Lakeland, FL.
34 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today - high temp. 64 deg, clear, N. winds @ 10 mph.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I'm OK. More parts are coming in each day, and today, Jim has been promised that they would start working on me.

There has been absolutely nothing happening here in the last few days, so nothing to write about.

Did you know that a housefly beats it's wings about 20,000 times per minute when flying?

Plans For Monday, Friends Leaving and 24

Lakeland, FL. (24)
65 deg. mostly cloudy, SW winds @ 7 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 65 deg. and falling. Morning showers possible, winds becoming NW @ 17 mph with 25 mph gusts. Temp falling tonight to tonight 37 deg.

Even though they don't do any physical work, and the shop is not officially open, Lester, (my mechanic), and some of the others come to work for a few hours on Saturday mornings. I think they mostly use the time for planning and discussing past and upcoming work and projects. Anyway, it sounds like they may start doing some work on me Monday, such as my annual service, installing those kick-down cylinders, and the water circulating pump, parts that have already come in.

I know I said that my new awning fabric had come in also, but the man that told Jim that, made a mistake, and it's not here yet. Oh well, they've got plenty of other stuff to do, and maybe it'll come in Monday or Tuesday. We're also still waiting on a new pump for my furnace to replace the one that's leaking. (24)

Well, my new friend, the Holiday Rambler, who was parked along side of me, left yesterday. If you remember, he was the one who broke through a septic system clean out, and sustained major body damage. Well, Friday, his new left rear leveling jack came in, the mechanics installed it, and now he is feeling much better. He was really glad to be leaving here yesterday. It had been over a month since that the accident happened.

Good luck, new friend. Hope to see you down the road again some day.

You know, it's kind of hard meeting new RVs, making friends with them, and then watching them leave, to head down the road to go on new adventures. Sometimes you'll see them again, but other times you won't, but you know what? I wouldn't trade it for anything. Even though it makes me sad to see them leave, I know that they are heading out onto the highway to see new things and go new places, and that makes me happy to know that they are doing what they were made for. The worst thing that can happen to an RV is to be parked somewhere for long periods of time. We were made to travel down the highway.

OK, enough of that!

Last night, Jim cooked a steak out on the grill, while Linda made some baked beans for him and cabbage for her. (She doesn't much like baked beans), and warmed up some left-over rice. (24) They both said it made a good meal.

I'll bet you're wondering what that #24 is doing scattered around on this post. Well.....

Did you know that on this date, 24 years ago, Jim and Linda were married?

Happy anniversary, Jim and Linda!