Relaxing Day Gone Busy.

Our Location today is Punta Gorda, Florida, USA.

Throughout last night after we got home from posting the blog we needed to run a cube heater to dry the moisture from inside our trailer because of all the rain we’ve had the Humidity level was 100%. That didn’t make for as restful a night’s sleep as the nights when we slept with the windows open. That also meant that Kathy slept later to make up for her restless night.

Since we don’t want to take the chance to overrun our data plan on our hotspot we did something that we haven’t done in quite some time this morning. Once we were dressed we were busy reading. Kathy then made the suggestion that we do the laundry today rather than waiting until we arrived in the Keys. So with a change of plans for our lazy day I started sorting the clothes. We also took the time to have lunch before leaving the trailer.

At the Laundromat in Punta Gorda the place was packed with people who only have the weekends to do such a chore. Hoping that I’d get this done early was a mistake. Kathy managed to do a lot of reading while I finished a number puzzle while the wash was being done. It was past 3:30 by the time we headed back to the trailer putting up with the rush hour traffic of those trying to escape their 9 to 5 jobs.

After getting the clothes put in their proper spots and saying our See-Ya’s to the neighbors that we’ve become friends with I returned to the trailer to start writing most of today’s happenings down in the form of our post.

It was nearly 6:00 by the time we arrived at the McDonalds to make our final post for this month but for some reason or another my computer was extremely hot when I took it out of its carrying case and would not fire up. On the way home we did stop to top off our fuel tanks so we can get an early start in the morning and not have to worry about that chore. We’ve also been busy when we got back to the trailer closing up as much as possible tonight. Tomorrow we leave Punta Gorda and head for Sugar Loaf Key. I’m taking the chance of posting from the trailer tonight hoping I don’t exceed our data plan so there won’t be any pictures. 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

If in February there be no rain, 'tis neither good for hay nor grain.

Wrapping It Up.

Our Location today is Punta Gorda, Florida, USA.

This morning when we got up we actually had to run an electric heater to warm the dampness from inside the trailer. Looking outside you could tell it was daylight but just barely as the heavy cloud covering eliminated any chance of seeing the sun for the day and people were walking around in long pants with jackets again. 

Morning visitors outside our trailer.

After having breakfast and completing our morning reading on the computers we looked at the local weather forecast. They indicated a slight window of time around noon hour that there would be no rain. Since we’ll be moving on Sunday we chose this as a window of opportunity to close up as many things outside as possible.

 Once I’d rehung the stepladder and reinstalled the bicycle carrier Kathy came out to give me a hand. The first bike to be mounted was our Tandem Bike. Due to the fact that our carrier only holds two bicycles at this time I have to use the rear bumper to strap the wheels to. Until we unhook our electrical cord only one wheel is tied. Once the next two bikes were mounted we covered them over before Kathy went back inside the trailer. 

Kathy started cleaning and vacuuming while I continued as much as I could outside. When Kathy was done inside she warmed the Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup we’d made the other day for lunch. The warm soup felt good because the cool breeze that was blowing through the area made the already cool temperatures feel cold. 

Sea Fog at Sanibel beach on Wednesday afternoon.

While Kathy finished the dishes I managed to finish packing away the storage skirt, tire covers, X-chocks and signs. Tomorrow I’ll only have to empty our waste tanks again before packing up our hoses. The less outside for Sunday morning the better. The best part was that it didn’t rain the whole time we were outside today. 

As mentioned earlier this week we’ve noticed a continual usage of data on our Verizon MiFi Hotspot that we can’t account for. We found out the hard way of different Phantom updates from our Anti-Spyware, Norton and Windows programs. We’ve also increased our data usage twice this month but still are going through data like crazy. Even shutting our hotspot down when not in use has not helped. Since we are near the end of our billing cycle and we really didn’t want to increase our plan again we thought of an alternative. Tonight’s blog has been uploaded curtesy of McDonalds. In a sense by eating supper here we are paying to use their WiFi but it is unlimited data. 

One more day dealing with this not so Florida weather before we head to the sunshine and comfortable temperatures of the Keys. 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 walk into a restaurant with a toothpick already in your mouth.

Watching the Weather and It Happened.

Our Location today is Punta Gorda, Florida, USA.

For quite a number of years I have been carefully monitoring weather forecasts and it has really been to our benefit in many instances. We have gotten up early in a day and driven until late that evening in order to beat a snowstorm that would be crossing our paths only to see other travelers coming off the highway the following morning with drifts of snow on their rigs. We have delayed moving from one campground to another due to forecasts of possible tornados only to find the damage from the storm when we did arrived later. This week I monitored the weather to determine that yesterday would be our best day to visit Sanibel Island because it was the only clear day forecasted for this week it turned out warm and clear. This morning when we were awakened by the pounding rain on our trailer and we were happy that we’d explored the island yesterday.

I had made my own prediction that we would definitely have no problem sleeping last night. With all the fresh air we had breathed along with all the exercising we did it was no magic that my forecast came true in fact we even slept in this morning. Due to the on and off lines of rain showers that we were being hit with today and the constant gloomy cloud covering we used this morning for getting some bookkeeping and phone calls made.

This afternoon armed with a shopping list for groceries Kathy suggested we’d go to Walmart and get some walking exercise in before getting our groceries. While we were walking around Kathy started looking at things with more attention to detail. Then we started sharing ideas before it finally happen. She put the item into the cart that would become our first Christmas gift purchased for this coming year.  With only 302 days before Christmas we finally got started. With 10 grandchildren of varying ages and 10 children to buy for we try to personalize it for everyone and not just give gift cards and by starting this early we are able to accomplish it with little stress. When we are walking around relaxed like today and something just looks right we pick it up to bring home. By the time we left Walmart not only was the shopping cart full of groceries but there were a number of Gifts there as well.

Back at the trailer wearing my raincoat I stayed dry while unloading the truck. After everything was unpacked and Kathy was restocking the pantry I went outside to fire up our Weber Q so it could preheat. As soon as everything was put away I put a medium sized Supreme pizza that we’d picked up at the deli-counter in Walmart on the grill after I’d lowered the heat to low. The rain was just a drizzle by then and with little wind the pizza was ready in no time.

We’ll continue watching the weather so we can have something much more interesting to talk about. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Why didn't the banana sunbathe?

Because it peeled too easily.

Fun Cycling Day on Sanibel Island.

Our Location today is Punta Gorda, Florida, USA.

As mentioned in last night’s post we had plans to go exploring Sanibel Island today so before going to bed I told Kathy I’d wake her up when I got up so we could get an early start. That was the plan but what happened was a lot different. After approximately one hour sleeping I started thinking about this and that and anything else that was irrelevant and could not fall soundly back to sleep. I would finally just start drifting off to sleep and my mind would once again start racing. Finally at 7:00 I figured I might as well just get my morning reading done before breakfast. 

Kathy was up on her own before 8:00 so once we’d finished breakfast she started packing our picnic lunch that we’d be having today. While she did that I was outside strapping the Tandem Bike in the rear of the truck bed. Since there was a lite fog this morning it felt misty so we even brought our rain gear with us. 

We soon were at the toll booths paying our $6.00 to cross the Causeway to Sanibel Island. Nobody ahead of us was driving anywhere near the speed limit and the traffic was nearly at a crawl. For the two miles from the toll booth to the Visitor’s Center on the island it took us over a half hour to get to it. The Visitor’s Center stop was brief but we walked out armed with all the information we needed. 

Our next stop was the Sanibel Island Pioneer Village. From the Visitor’s Center the traffic again crawled along until we reached the Intersection. There are no traffic lights on Sanibel Island other than in front of the Fire Hall. All intersections are all way stops and at the busiest ones there is a uniformed Traffic Director. The arms and hands of these Traffic Director are moving at such a high rate of speed you almost think you are looking at an electronic sign showing you when and where to turn. 

At the Pioneer Village we paid the admission and listened to the video on the history of the island. Since we’d missed the guided tour we walked from one building to the next listening to the stationed recordings of the buildings. The history was unique but the number of buildings was less than those of other villages we have visited in the past even though there are plans to add more buildings. The biggest draw in artifacts was that you could sit in a rocking chair that Teddy Roosevelt had once sat in while on a fishing trip. It was past noon after we finished our tour so we simply sat in the truck in the parking lot to enjoy our picnic lunch.   

Our next stop was one of the beaches so we could pay $3.00 an hour to use the parking lot. Our intention was to go bicycle riding on some of the many bike trails covered all over the island. I forgot to tell you that on Sanibel Island there are Bike/Ped/Running paths all over the island and motorized vehicles must yield right of way to non-motorized traffic. 

The Weather Network had forecasted a high temperature of only 68 F for Sanibel Island so Kathy and I made certain we had enough fluids to drink and were gone riding for nearly two hours by which time we were feeling exhausted from the heat. That was odd! Checking the computer moments ago the temp actually reached 81 F but felt more like 93 F today. So that’s why we felt drained. 

Paved bike paths all over the island.

After fastening the bike back in the truck we got our chairs and were planning on sitting on the beach for a while. As we were approaching the beach Kathy thought her glasses were steaming up but suddenly realized that it was a heavy wall of Sea Fog rolling in. By the time we reached the beach you could barely see ten feet of water and Kathy said she needed wiper blades for her glasses. 

Sea Fog rolling in from the Gulf before 4:00 in the afternoon.

By 4:00 we were leaving the parking lot thinking we’d head back to the trailer for supper. Remember that crawling traffic on the way onto the island well leaving the island was worse. In a half hour we’d only moved one tenth of a mile according to the GPS. We figured at this rate we’d get home for supper by 7:00 so the first restaurant we saw we stopped to eat. 

Kathy enjoying the safety of riding on bike paths.

Cip’s is located in a newer strip mall with only a couple of stores attached. The menu is not large but covers all tastes. The cost is slightly higher than most restaurants but they make up for it in service and the size of the meal and food that can’t be beat. 

We left Cip’s at 6:00 and only took another half hour to exit the island. The traffic had thinned down by then and we made it home by 8:30. No time lost or gained. We are already making plans to return to Sanibel Island next year so we can do more exploring and ride more of the trails. 

Bike paths everywhere.

I think we’ll both sleep well tonight. 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

If at first you don't succeed - try management.

Jokes On The Job

Ride To Fruit Stand and Cooking Day.

Our Location today is Punta Gorda, Florida, USA.

Waking up to another fog covered morning was no surprise after hearing the forecast on the news before we went to bed last night. What was a surprise was to hear that Kathy had trouble sleeping. I mentioned we had slept with the windows open the night before. Well we did the same thing last night the only difference was the crickets were so loud last night that their sound kept her awake the better part of the night.

Since the temperatures were in the comfortable range this morning I convinced Kathy to do our bicycle riding this morning. While I was getting the Tandem Bike ready for our morning spin Kathy came outside and asked if rather than riding around the park it would be too difficult to ride over to the nearby fruit stand that was located a quarter mile up the road. My response was it was an easy ride so bringing a saddle bag away we went.

It was an easy ride along the shoulder of highway 41 with vehicles driving by us at 60 mph but most coming our way tried to move over giving us that extra margarine of safety. Kathy said she was glad that I was steering because she would have been too nervous. Kathy was amazed at the selection of fruits and vegetables that were all garden grown on sight. Our saddle bag was quite full for our return trip but it wasn’t a problem. Since there was no way to cross the highway for the return trip I simply chose to ride on the shoulder facing the traffic just as if we were walking.

Back at the trailer after unloading the saddlebag Kathy enlisted my help by chopping fruits and vegetables for a number of meals to come. While she blanched some tomatoes to make our Tomato and Cheese Soup for lunch I was busy chopping ingredients for another vegetable salad. Once lunch was completed I started chopping more ingredients for homemade chicken noodle soup while Kathy started making her chicken stock.

I set up the outside cook stove in our outside kitchen so we could continue simmering the stock outside while Kathy would cook something else inside on the kitchen stove. She also had me grilling a couple of chicken breast on the Weber Q on low while I helped her inside the trailer. Kathy had picked up some Won Tons when we first arrived in Florida and had used some but the uncooked ones were starting to look like they were drying up. So Kathy was frying them in vegetable oil on the kitchen stove while I dusted them with Confectioners’ Sugar between running outside stirring the chicken stock and flipping the chicken on the grill.

Once the Fried Won Tons were finished so was the chicken on the grill and the stock outside. We drained the stock while I chopped the one chicken breast for the soup Kathy started making. We’ll have the soup later this week. 

We needed to sit outside to cool down for a while and enjoy a pop. The warmth of the sun was feeling very comfortable until the sun disappeared behind a huge bank of clouds and the wind started to pick up. Thinking a storm was about to hit Kathy went in to retract the awning while I closed up the grill, closed the outside kitchen, put the Tandem Bike in the shed and stored our chairs.

For supper while Kathy made a Caesar Salad I chopped the second chicken breast I’d grilled today to add to the salad. For dessert we made quite a dent in the fried Won Tons but at less than three calories each we didn’t hurt our diets.

Tomorrow we’ll be out for the day exploring Sanibel Island. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Joke of The Day

 1st cannibal: Am I late for dinner?

2nd cannibal: Yes, everyone's eaten.

Getting Things Right and A Fun Visit.

Our Location today is Punta Gorda, Florida, USA.

After spending most of the day yesterday relating about our Saturday’s adventures we were so tired (bored but mentally exhausted) that we had no trouble sleeping at all. Of course sleeping with the windows open listening to the crickets didn’t hurt either. I slept in until nearly 7:30 this morning and as I opened the curtains in the back room I suddenly became aware that it was still partially dark outside. Lifting the Day-shade I realized we were heavily fogged in outside. Minutes later Kathy followed me out to the computers and experienced the same curiosity that had caught me by surprise. 

After breakfast we returned to the computers to get our morning reading in before getting ready to leave. We had a number of places that we had earmarked to stop at today in hopes of resolving some of our issues.

Last Tuesday while we were travelling around getting our shopping completed I had purchased some stackable storage organizers because they were the best thing I could find at the time. What I didn’t like about them was the large size of the removable containers that were more the size that a contractor would like to have not an RVer carrying an assortment of fasteners for quick repairs. Not having opened them we stopped at Harbor Freight this morning to see what they might have. The ones we found there were the same size but half the thickness with double the number of smaller sized removable compartments to hold my hardware and they were half the price as the others. 

Our next stop was at Fantastic Sam’s hair cutting shop. This is the same brand hair shop we use back home in Ontario. Due to the warmer Florida temperatures our hair has been growing a lot faster than we’d hoped for so we needed to get a good trim. We barely had time to sit down to wait and we both had different women trimming our hair to look more natural. Within twenty minutes we were back on the road with our heads feeling lighter and cooler from the thinner hair.

Now that I had the hardware organizers that I felt would better serve my needs we had to stop at a Home Depot to return the others. Since we were in a different end of Fort Myers the GPS thought a different location was better than the original store. The clerks at the return counter had no problem with the return. We also managed to purchase the stainless steel screws that I needed for our Tandem Bike while we were there. 

Our last stop was for a late lunch at McDonalds but it wasn’t just for lunch. Last year we’d had a problem with our Virus Scan and Anti-spyware on our computers constantly updating and destroying our data usage on our Verizon MiFi hotspot. So before leaving home this year I disabled the automatic feature on both and thought all was good. This year we were continuing to use a lot of data and not because of a lot of pictures like what was posted yesterday. I finally realized that our Windows was also doing daily updates that I didn’t know about. We were at McDonalds for over an hour and a half while our computers were updating. That will be their last update until our next stop at a WiFi free restaurant.    

Back at the trailer as soon as we walked in the door we were scrambling to open all the windows wide. I finished adding Kathy’s second bottle holder on the Tandem Bike with the stainless steel screws that we’d just bought earlier. Kathy read under the shade of the awning while I finished my chore. Once I was completed we went riding around the park getting in extra laps today. 

When we returned our neighbors Rick and Barb were just saying good bye to some guests. We started talking about health related issues and grand kids. We also talked of our past hobby and why we gave it up for the sake of being able to travel more often. Suddenly we realized it was starting to cool down and it was starting to get dark. We’d enjoyed our visiting so much nobody was worrying about the time. We’ll talk again before we leave on Sunday.

For supper Kathy sautéed some Spinach and we shared the extra steak that I grilled last night. 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

Your two-year-old has more teeth than you do.

A Very Busy Day of Just Fun Part II.

Our Location today is Punta Gorda, Florida, USA.

As I explained in yesterday’s post we were out the door early and back home late so I’d better explain here. 

We’d forgotten that yesterday the park was allowing for the RVers of the park a chance to do some house cleaning in the form of holding a park-wide Yard Sale. We took a few minutes looking at nearby tables that were filled with things others no longer needed in their RVs. We also learned that we had some very Artistically Talented neighbors who were able to make Wind Chimes from materials that would have been sent to the landfill while others recreated materials that Mother Nature dropped around their sites into decorative Center-Pieces. 

A new technique of 3-D painting.

Leaving the park we headed to Punta Gorda as they were having an Arts and Crafts Show in the downtown core. It was easy to find free parking that was close at hand to one section but not far from other vendors. These vendors were all people that had great talent whether it was jewelry, paintings, wall hanging displays, the odd vendor trying to sell the latest gizmo that you just had to have and only the one food vendor. 

We wandered more into the downtown core where we spotted more vendors set up closer to City Hall. Here there were a number of vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables along with a few more crafters selling their wares but here were a few more food vendors. In this area there was also a two man band playing some old time favorites as well as Calypso and Reggae type music and they were very good. 

We continued walking about but realized it was near lunch time so seeing one of the local establishments with an outdoor menu with prices that were reasonable so we went in. The place was called Jacks on Marion and they had everything from diet conscious food to heavier meals. We enjoyed a cup of the soup of the day Vegetable Beef that had more beef in it than some sandwiches we’ve had in other restaurants. The sandwich was on a huge Croissant type roll with a chicken salad fill with a small order of Baked Fries on the side. Even though we looked at the desert menu we refrained but not for health reasons. 

When we left we walked down the street to a small ice cream shop we seen driving through the area a few times. Cubby’s advertised homemade ice cream with assorted flavors and servings. They also offered a small variety of lite sandwiches and non-alcoholic drinks. We had a simple Hot Fudge Sundae that did not disappoint and it was less expensive and probably larger than if we’d ordered it at the restaurant.   

At that point we had seen what we wanted in Punta Gorda and headed back to the trailer to change into cooler clothes as the temperatures were climbing back more to the norm for the area. On the way home we discussed a few other of our planned outings and chose to do some today.

Back at the trailer after changing Kathy called Theresa and her sister Jackie about going to visit with them. It was perfect as they had plans for the evening so visiting in the afternoon was wonderful. 

Jackie and Theresa happy we can to visit so far from home. 

Within the hour we were at Upriver RV Resort in North Fort Myers. They share a park model trailer as their winter getaway from the cold of winter back in Sarnia Ontario. Theresa is the mother of our good friend Kathie who lives near us in Windsor Ontario. We spent the next two and a half hours getting caught up on things we’ve missed in one another’s lives since the last time we got together. 

Tom, son Bryce and Marci.

When we left just before 4:00 and Kathy suggested we go back to downtown Fort Myers where we had gone the other night with our good friends Tom, Marci and Bryce Gimmarro. They had suggested if we returned to Fort Myers to eat at the restaurant called Ford’s Garage so that’s where we were heading. Since it was early we didn’t think it would be easy getting curbside parking and we were right. What worried us more was seeing lots of Police presence and barricades all over ready to be used. 

Spotting a parking lot with an attendant we found out it was the Fort Myers Day Parade and the cost of parking was a $10.00 to support the Vets. We were more than willing to support such a worthy cause considering what most have given up for others to live freely. We inquired further about the parade and decided it would be worth our while to enjoy it since we don’t know if we’ll be back here to see it again.   

Silverware in Napkin.

The parking lot was quite close to the parade route so we simply walked down a block to Ford’s Garage where we were told it was a half hour wait. Since the parade didn’t start until after 7:00 we had plenty of time to wait. Once we got our table it was only minutes before our server came by to take our orders. Since the name of the restaurant has Garage in it the theme was of just that. The sign-in desk was a toolbox with a flathead engine next to it as a door stop. The servers all wore shirts with the logo on one lapel and their own name on the other while carrying a shop-towel in their rear pockets just like a service garage. The napkins looked like shop-towels with stainless steel gearclamps as napkin rings. The tabletops looked like refinished packing crates and of course the old Model T mounted on a double hoist with its wheels turning and every once in a while the horn going off and blowing steam out the exhaust pipe. 

Sign-in desk and service cloths (Napkins) in rear pocket.

When our fish and chips arrived on platters even patrons nearby asked what it was because they were so huge. We cut most of the breading off so we could finish our meals. Again restaurants that know how to get customers in the door keep their prices reasonable and their portions large. We’ll be back in the future. 

The parade was supposed to start at 7:00 but there was a Half Marathon that was being run by many of the local athletes including many Super Heroes. Next they had a fifteen minute fireworks that lasted until 8:00. The parade themes were in celebration of Thomas Edison and the Veterans that had served in the times of conflict. The parade continued showcasing local politicians, military, police and firefighters. It showcased the local schools and many other service groups and even a few local sponsors from the surrounding area. The parade finally came to a close by 10:00 pm. 

It took only minutes to leave the parking lot but under the direction of the traffic directors we ended up in a gridlock of vehicles all had the same thing in mind of getting home. After inching our way down a few side roads until we finally reached highway 41 we stopped at a traffic light that seemed to take forever to change. Once we were on the highway we arrived home at the trailer around 11:00 but after a fourteen hour day we were just too bushed to write our blog. Sorry for the length but I didn’t want to forget anything. 

Today I spent most of the day righting this blog and editing the pictures to go in it while Kathy was researching other RV parks in this area for the month of March next year. Since I was going to grill a couple of steaks for supper Kathy also had me grill some bacon. Suddenly all our neighbors were firing up there barbecues. 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

Eat to live, not live to eat.