Like Going To the Doctor’s.

Our Location today is Venice, Florida.

For some reason we didn’t pay attention to the weather report last night before going to bed. That was a bad mistake! Neither Kathy nor I wanted to disturb each other after we’d gone to bed but most of the night we kept waking because we were cold. You heard that right. With the high humidity and cooler temperatures we really felt it. The temp dropped near 40 F (5 C) but without running even a cube heater we were both shivering through most of the night. 

When we got up shortly after 7:00 this morning we both donned our hoodies and turned on the furnace to take the chill out of the air. For breakfast we enjoyed our usual cereal but covered it with the Strawberries we’d gotten at the flea market yesterday. Yummy breakfast! 

We were dressed and out the door before 9:00 because we were on a mission. Since late Saturday afternoon we have been hearing a strange squeaking noise coming from outside the truck so we wanted to get it checked at the nearest Ford dealership. We didn’t see one in Venice when we were there yesterday but we had seen one on Friday when we were on our way to explore Punta Gorda. It wasn’t that far but it was in Port Charlotte. 

We explained our problem to Chad the Service Manager saying we needed it checked out before we set out towing the trailer. He sympathized with us but his mechanic had four other trucks booked ahead of us and he figured the earliest he could look at it would be after lunch. We agreed to wait but said we’d walk over to look around the strip mall across the street. 

Kathy getting her hair trimmed.

Kathy and I now had to really waste some time so after walking over to the mall the first thing we did was window shopping to see what stores were there until we hit pay dirt. There was a Fantastic Sam’s hair salon. That is the same chain that we use back home. We walked in to register and were told the wait would be about forty-five minutes. There were at least ten hairstylists and they were all busy plus the waiting area was full. Kathy read magazines while I solved number problems in my puzzle book to pass the time. It was just after noon hour when we both walked out with cooler hair styles than we’d walked in with. 

Front half of customer lounge at ford dealership.

We went to Wendy’s for lunch before we walked back to the Ford dealership to see how things were going. They still had three trucks ahead of us so we went to sit in their customer lounge. After a half an hour Chad the Service Manager came in to say the Mechanic couldn’t hear the noise we describe and would I mind going on a road test with him. I re-explained the problem to Juan and he tried repeatedly to make the truck create the sound with no luck. He had me drive it while he listened but the sound was gone. He said he’d put it on the hoist and examine the front brakes. 

I spoke with Chad and he said the other customers had all left their vehicles so they slipped us ahead of them. Juan reported plenty of material on the brake pads but it did show signs of having overheated at some time and nothing was visibly wrong with it. Since it was safe to drive we could take the truck or come back another time so he could take it apart further to either find or not find the noise. We chose to take the truck and Chad told us there was no charge since no work had actually been done to the truck. Isn’t that like when you go to a doctor by the time you see him the problem is not bothering you. With a big thanks to Chad we were on our way. 

We stopped at another mall that was barely visible from highway 41 to check it out. It ended up being bigger than the Devonshire Mall back home which is huge. We managed to get an hour of walking exercise in before leaving but we didn’t make it far because it was nearly 6:00 and we were getting hungry. As we’re about to leave the parking lot we spot a Steak n’ Shake. Last year we were hooked on stopping whenever we saw one of these places. We enjoyed our supper there tonight and it still tasted as good as ever. 

As we drove into the park this evening guess what we could hear. Noise coming from the truck again. Oh boy! Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

The World's Great Proverbs

Virtue is its own reward.

Afternoon at Venice Beach.

Our Location today is Venice, Florida.

I don’t know why but I was sleeping better breathing all the sea air when we were down in the Keys. Yesterday we had more than enough rain for us not to venture outside the trailer. Kathy managed to sleep well but I kept laying awake for periods of time throughout the night. Finally when I got up just after 7:00 it was early enough to actually get my first sunrise picture of the season. 

My first Sunrise picture of the year.

Kathy slept so well I’d nearly finished reading all my morning blogs before she walked into the back room. Having toast and coffee for breakfast it didn’t take long for us to figure what we were doing and where we were going today. 

We were going to check out the Dome Flea Market in Venice. We’d have been there in ten minutes if the GPS could tell the difference between the right and the left side of the road.

There were a number of empty booths probably because it was shortly after 10:30 on a Sunday morning. There were a few vendors that dealt with used goods probably from estates but the rest only had new materials. There was one booth called the Treasure Chest that had costume jewelry covering every inch of her booth including lots hanging from the ceiling. It was awesome to see. We did walk away with some reasonably priced fresh Strawberries and Beefsteak tomatoes. 

Since it was still early and we hadn’t driven into the city of Venice we thought we’d look around. We stopped to look at a few of the tourist trap type stores and were slowly getting closer to the heart of the city so we decided to stop at Perkins for lunch. The parking lot was full and there was a ten minute wait for a table because many people had attended Sunday church services before going for lunch. The Grilled Salmon Diner we had was delicious and worth the wait.

Grilled Salmon with Sauteed Spinach and Herbed Rice.

We kept driving on highway 41 until we saw signs pointing to the Historic section of Venice and the beach. After crossing the drawbridge over the river this is truly the best part of the city but again it had plenty of touristy shops and restaurants. Before we knew it we had made it to the Venice Beach and lucked out getting a free parking spot just as someone else was leaving. 

Drawbridge traffic stop.

Antique sports cars.

We wondered over the dunes via the walkways and were stunned by the sight before us. Looking out at the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico the waves were rolling in at least five to six feet tall. It was beautiful! The Red flags were flying to indicate dangerous swimming conditions brought on by Rip Currents but the beach was full. People of all ages were out just enjoying a beautiful day at the beach. There were also quite a few Para-surfers zipping across the water being propelled by constant wind speeds of forty mph with higher gusts. Kathy and I had sat on a bench closer to the dunes enjoying all that was happening around us. When I moved about fifty feet closer to the water to take pictures the wind noise was almost deafening.

We took our time leaving but were still home by 5:00. Kathy busied herself cleaning the strawberries and in the process managed to cut the tip of her finger. So I helped her finish prepping them and then with her coaching I pealed the tomatoes and made our homemade Tomato Cheese Soup. It was more than filling and as tasty as if Kathy had made it herself. 

Homemade Tomato Cheese Soup.

After supper we stepped out of the trailer to bring the recycle down to the collection bin and nearly went into shock as the wind was making it feel very cold. Tomorrow the weather is looking better than today so I’m sure we’ll find something good to do. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You own more CBs than CDs.

Changed Plans.

Our Location today is Venice, Florida.

With the both of us finally getting a decent night’s sleep after a few that were restless when we slept passed 8:00 it almost felt like we’d been drugged. Kathy insisted on cooking French Toast for breakfast a change from our normal cereal. Having breakfast and watching the Weather Channel as they were showing heavy rains headed our way for this afternoon the NOAA radio started displaying Tornado Watches in effect until Supper time this evening. This raised a little concern but if the need were to arise we’d simply go to the clubhouse for safety. 

Our morning view out our rear window. 

Kathy wanted to work on her bookkeeping this morning while I had a few things that I took outside to adjust. I had that finished and was back inside the trailer by 10:45. Within minutes of closing the door the rain started coming down with almost torrential strength. Anyone outside would have been instantly drenched. 

Since Kathy was still busy with the bookkeeping she asked that I help start cooking lunch. This is something that I enjoy doing when she instructs me because I have no idea of what spices to use to improve the taste of food. Half way finished Kathy joined me and we finished it together.

While sitting eating lunch the rain intensity increased and we started hearing thunder in the distance. By the time we’d finished eating the wind had picked up rocking the trailer from side to side making it difficult to walk or stand in the trailer.

By 1:00 the intensity of the thunder felt like it was shaking the ground we are parked on and last sometimes over a minute. Up to this time we had only heard the thunder but now we started seeing the flashes of lightning and when the thunder would start it actually rattled the dishes in the kitchen cabinets.

Like I said in last night’s post we had plans that we were looking on enjoying after lunch but with the high winds, heavy rain, thunder and lightning along with the threat of a possible Tornado our plans got changed and we stuck close to home. We still have a few days here before we again head north and the weather is supposed to clear up. 

Our evening view. The moist grass has a darker shade.

Looking out the back window before supper the Sawgrass that was looking dry and yellow is now dark in color from all the rainwater that it has absorbed this afternoon. 

Here's something we haven't seen all day.

Tonight we simply had Chicken noodle soup for supper. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Did you hear about the famous inventors who failed to invent the airplane?

They were the Wrong Brothers.

Exploring.

Our Location today is Venice, Florida.

The forecast for today was for more rain but when we woke up this morning all we could see was bright sunshine. The temperature was back to a comfortable point away from the freezing mark but the wind was really rocking the trailer. Rather than staying in the trailer and getting motion sickness we gathered the GPS and cameras and headed out the door with a list of places to check out. Since this is a new to us part of Florida we wanted to familiarize ourselves as to where things are located. 

Clear skies starting to cloud over.

Next year when we return to Florida we’ll be spending the month of February near Punta Gorda so we thought that we’d check out the park today. It was quite the drive back south on highway 41 traveling back on roads we’d driven northbound to Venice on Wednesday. We drove for nearly an hour before reaching Sun’n Shade in Boca Raton. This is not something we normally do but we just drove into the park. 

We'd all like to live here.

It is an older park but is well kept with a few seasonal park models spread throughout. The rest of the sites were for mobile RV units. Each site has its own cement patio and fire pit with two cement runners to park your vehicle on which would save the wear and tear on the grass. The roadways were asphalt and wide enough for two vehicles to pass. There was a swimming pool, shuffle board and horseshoe pits. Since we didn’t enter the office we could not see any kind of store on site but there is plenty of commerce not far up the road in Punta Gorda. 

By the time we’d driven back into Port Charlotte we were starting to feel hungry so we pulled into the first restaurant we saw which just happened to be Bob Evans. It gave us a rest from driving and a refreshing but inexpensive meal. Kathy had chicken salad with fruit while I chose another breakfast type meal by having a southwest omelet with hash browns. 

Kathy's Chicken salad with fruit.

My southwest omelet with hashbrowns. 

One of the things we had planned on going to see today was Muscle Car City that is located on highway 41 in a fairly large building but it appeared very busy and since it is close enough to Boca Raton we’ll save that for next year when we’re staying here for a month. 

We did find the Sun Flea Market Star in Port Charlotte. It is housed in a fairly large building as well and since this was Friday we didn’t have to put up with the weekend crowds which made it much easier to walk around and take your time looking. It also houses an extremely large Kids Star park attached to the food court which allowed the children to wear themselves out while mom or dad did their shopping. Kathy found a nice magnetic bracelet she liked and we found a new door mat for our trailer. He had all kinds of mats for every type of RV but only one was for a fifth wheel so it was meant to come home with us. 

After a quick stop at Winn Dixie for some supplies it didn’t take too long getting back to the trailer. While Kathy was putting the groceries away I was outside grilling a couple of hamburgers on the Weber Q. 

That's a lot of wet weather heading our way.

While we ate supper the weather forecasters were giving their opinion on the possible weather we’ll have to put up with for the next few days. No matter if we have nice or bad weather we’ll find something to do. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

Nobody will sit next to you at a Little League game.

Fun Rainy Day Outing.

Our Location today is Venice, Florida.

Last night when we went to bed we knew that it was supposed to be cool overnight but when we got up this morning it was almost too cold to get out from under the covers. Breaking from our recent tradition of dressing after breakfast we were fully dressed in long pants with socks on before eating. We even had to turn on the electric cube heater to take the dampness out of the air. Adding insult to injury as I was about to serve our hot cereal for breakfast the skies opened up and the rain still hasn’t stopped as of this writing. 

The best we could do after breakfast was our morning reading of blogs and E-mails but that was really taking the wind out of our sails so we made a plan. Shortly after eating lunch we donned our raincoats and headed out to possibly help the local economy. 

Kathy has shopped high and low for a decorative wreath to hang on our apartment door. Most times the ones she found were just too large or way off the color scheme that she had imagined. On the way here yesterday we spotted a Hobby Lobby so that was our destination. 

When we first walked into this location Kathy’s mouth dropped because she had never been in a Hobby Lobby of this size. It was nearly half the size of a Walmart. The first thing we did was walk all the aisles just seeing what they carried. The next thing we did was look at wreaths they already had made with the same results as before. So now we started looking at things we could use for Kathy to make her own wreath designed the way she wanted. By the time we had all the components coordinated and were ready to leave over two hours had passed but we weren’t cooped up in the trailer listening to the rain. 

We made a few more stops at Big Lots and Dollar tree looking for a few nonessential items before stopping at Chick-fil-A for a fast food supper. We were introduced to their menu when we met Tom and Marcy with their sons Nicholas and Bryce last year in Largo Florida. We found their food very tasty not overly seasoned and in a comfortable setting. While there today Kathy and I also witnessed the manager introducing a new employee to the food that they would be serving. He had a number of the different sandwiches made at Chick-fil-A and had the new employee sample each one and then give him their opinion of each. When that was done he simply dumped the leftovers into the trash. What a waste of food but what a way to start a new job. 

Notice the rain on the pavement.

Since we hadn’t gotten any fuel since before going down to the Keys I stopped to fill the truck before our final stop. We stopped at Lowe’s where we were looking for a multihanger for our outside vignette. Kathy had one thing in mind but when I explained why I thought a different hook would be better so she conceded. 

Yesterday setting up. Sights are very close together.

By the time we got back to the trailer the rain had slowed to a drizzle and our neighbors who are from Port Perry, Ontario and Newbie RVers were out packing for an early morning departure because they have to be back to work on Monday. With a wish of safe travels we bid them good night and safe travels. 

The view out our rear window.

The weather report is the same for the next two days. I’m sure we’ll find something to occupy our time. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

The World's Great Proverbs

He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount. 

Scenic Northerly Trek.

Our Location today is Venice, Florida.

Typical pretravel night where neither of us got very much sleep. We didn’t set the alarm but by 7:15 we were both wide awake. So once breakfast was over it was a simple matter of closing up the inside of the trailer before heading outside. 

Once I was outside I had to look around to be certain we were still in Miami Florida because the wind was blowing and everyone was bundled up with multiple layers. I instantly got back in the trailer and changed from shorts and sandals to long pants, shoes and a jacket. Kathy at that point thought that I was losing it until she opened the door. After experiencing such a shocking delay we were still leaving the park by 9:00.

Two weeks ago when we left this park to go to the Keys the GPS took us in a different direction and around a block causing us to have to hunt for a gas station along the way. Even the route we went today the first few blocks were the same but it made us drive right by the gas station I had planned on going to two weeks ago.

We were guided to US 41 also known as the Everglades Highway. We drove past both the Gator Park and Shark Valley State Park that we had visited almost three weeks before. That brought back a rush of wonderful memories. As we continued on our West to North-West direction on occasion we’d see alligators sunning themselves in the sunlight. After nearly two hours the GPS had us turn east through Big Cypress National Preserve and brought us through a Panther Habitat district before taking us north on I-75. 

It was time to stretch and have lunch so when we saw a sign for Cracker Barrel we pulled off for a rest. The location we stopped at had quite a few RV/Bus parking spots and since nobody else was using them I straddled the lines and parked in that area. It’s nice they have spots for us to park but they are only 40 foot long spots and we are running nearly 60 feet. After nearly three hours on the road it was almost difficult to walk. We enjoyed our meals and the atmosphere and even walked around their country store just looking at things that brought back fond memories.

Our truck parked across three parking spots.

Kathy's grilled Chicken salad.

My breakfast steak and eggs.

We spent another half hour on the Interstate until we were once again guided back to US 41. Traveling through many smaller communities we noticed the Myakka RV Resort as we were driving by on the other side of the highway the GPS told us we were arriving on the right to an empty field. You got to love those GPSs. 

This is a very small park with paved patios and gravel pads that could use some leveling. This will be a good spot for us to explore a few attractions that Kathy has researched. Before supper we walked around for more exercise and are glad our rear window looks out over the glades leading to the Myakka River instead of the front of the park looking at US 41.

Tomorrow we’ll hope the weather improves not just for us but all the northern states as well. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Office Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes

Seen on a Coffee Mug

Another deadline, another miracle!