Wow, it’s over all ready

Well, the last time I posted, we were just finishing with Christmas and getting ready for New Years Eve and anxiously waiting to visit with good friends Dick and Karla  from Minnesota. They are stopping by on their way to their winter spot in Bradenton, Florida. We visited with them this time last year while we were at the Escapees park in Wauchula, Florida. Anyway, the clubhouse was busy again on Boxing Day with a pot luck dinner with all of the favorites from Christmas dinner but Barb & I stayed away, we went to the show instead to see War Horse. It was a good flick and also nice not being so busy!

Thursday, Barb needed some supplies for an upcoming project so we took off after lunch and ran some errands and hit the fabric store! We had planned this trip so we could head over to Bellingrath Gardens to view the Christmas light display which has been reported as the best ever! Naturally, you just know Barb took her camera and I have posted some pictures but as good as they are, they do not show justice to the display of 3 million lights and over 900 separate light strings and 14 different themes! It was simply awesome! Apparently, the staff starts decorating right after Labor Day to have the display ready for the Thanksgiving! It looked like a lot of hard work to put up and maintain but it sure brought in a lot of visitors. We thought being so late in the Christmas season, the crowds would be minimal. Wrong! We do not understand why so many people are always in a rush to ‘run’ through a display such as this! I can’t count how many times we were pushed or bumped by others as they jockeyed for position or rushed to pass by! Tourists!

Here we are on Friday morning and our prepaid cell has just run out of days and we have no way for Dick & Karla to contact us when they arrive! Yikes, it’s not as if the phone doesn’t tell me, I was pivoting around as to whether to change carriers since we have not been happy with the Net10 service! So, a quick dash out to WalMart to check into ‘to change or not to change’! After some discussion with the sales folks, we change to Tracfone (both are run by the same company). It has better features for us so we’ll see! Upon activation, we find it is also a bit cheaper, we got 800 minutes and 425 days for $100! That means no more number changes and no more waiting until the new sim card arrives for service every time we come south! Anyway, we transfer the number so Karla can call us! Whew and just in time as we hear from them about 1ish! They arrive and after a tour of our new site and shed, we settle down for some serious ‘catch up chat’! They’ve had 3 full days of travel (1500+ miles) so the evening ends early after dinner even without a game of Wizard (Karla’s favorite) with plans for tomorrow!

This is the second time we have celebrated New Years Eve with Dick & Karla. We toured around the area and had lunch at the Fish River Grill – I still think they ruined the ambiance when they put wood floors in! We were late having dinner and for the party at the clubhouse but had fun anyway. Auld Lang Syne was sang at 9PM – it must have been midnight somewhere – and we had 10 of us back to the rig for the remainder of the party. Unfortunately, I was to tune the satellite into New York so we could watch Times Square and ring in the new year – well, I mistakenly tuned to a west coast channel and we missed it! Can you say oppsss? I was not the most popular guy in the rig! A good time anyway, being with friends!

January 1st brings all the polar bear dippers out here except it’s called ‘The Dipstick Dip’! At high noon, we – yes, I said we all walked, jumped or dove into the pool and received an ‘Official Dipstick’ certificate for ‘braving the cold (65F) water under a stressful 69F air temperature! After, we all went inside for soup and chili! We had lots of fun and friendship to start the New Year. Down here in the south, it is common to all gather for a serving of ‘Hopping Jon’ with corn bread for lunch for good luck for the upcoming year! So, it was a busy Sunday, dipsticking, soup and chili, hopping jon and then the ice cream social (yes John, more ice cream) – all in a couple of hours! After we finish filling our emaciating bodies, the four of us settle back to our rig for a round of Wizard! Kara says “finally”! As darkness settles in, we drive over to Fairhope to take in the tree lights that adorn the downtown streets of this cute town and then – well, you guessed it, out for dinner! What a day and we were lucky enough to share it with such good friends as Dick & Karla. 2012 is just going to be great!

We hope you were able to start off the New Year with family or friends and we wish you the very best through 2012.

An Escapee Kinda Christmas

It is a whirl wind of activity here before Christmas. Saturday was the annual Fish River Christmas Boast Parade! This year they had record 26 boats decorated. It was very impressive as the flotilla sailed past our viewing point. We went down early to ensure we were able to secure a perfect spot to watch. We car pooled with Pat & Carolyn and arrived at the boat launch area about 4:30PM. After a short wait, we had the opportunity to talk to one of the participants as he was getting ready to launch his decorated boat for the parade. There was a judging for best decorated and they received a gift certificate from Big Daddy’s Grill located on the Fish River. The parade was to start at dusk or 6ish – it drifted by us at about 7:30! I think 3 hours was a little too anxious! Oh well, besides being a little cool, it was a good time and the boats were beautiful! Since we came early, the four of us were a tad hungry so off to Foley for dinner. None of us had been to the Mellow Mushroom so why not go there! It was a good spot and they heard we were coming and had a special on – coffee with Bailey’s – right up our alley after a cool evening watching the parade!

Sunday we went to the ice cream social and stayed for a small concert given by a couple of escapees. It was really enjoyable and we hope to have more entertainment like this.

On Monday, Barb learned a new craft that we’ll see more of later. I worked on the outdoor electric outlets – one was cut off where the other shed used to be. I have to re-route the system so we will have electricity on our shed.

Tuesday, the quilting ladies had their annual Christmas ‘mug mat’ gift exchange and of course, snacks and beverages! Apparently, they had a great time – Dan Lopes played Santa making the day extra special for them all. So, the wind down to Christmas begins. We had a last minute shopping trip into Foley and on our way; we passed this sign advertising a local BBQ. We found it hilarious, check out the wording and spelling! While we were in Foley, Barb & I did our Christmas card exchange – we pick the card we want to give and give it while standing there and take pictures! I know, it may seem cheap to you but we don’t have to recycle the cards, we don’t have to worry about keeping them on board – the pictures go into our computers for later!

Friday night, a group of us wandered through the campground caroling – it was voted that I keep the duck tape over my lips! Anyway, a great time regardless of the singing!

Saturday night was our Christmas Eve ‘Secret Santa’ event with – yes, more caroling, then of course food! Everyone was to bring finger food to share and we had a ‘royal’ spread of tasty tidbits to savor! After we all ‘grazed’ past the tables of delectable morsels, we all formed a circle and Joan read a story. Whenever she said the words right (write) or left, we were to pass our gifts in that direction! It was a fun time!

It was a difficult decision this year on our own gift lists since we really don’t need or want anything and we always are aware of trailer weight. So this year we decided that we would exchange a gourmet meal, complete with menus and recipes of what we would like the other to buy and cook! Barb has been all secretive with her shopping and wrapping – I think I missed something here. Anyway, it’s Christmas morning and now the moment of truth has come! I open mine – it’s in a liquor box so now I know I missed something – and there is a menu, recipes complete with pictures, martini glasses, a jar of sand to suggest we are going on a picnic to the beach and candles! I really missed the boat on this gift exchange; all I gave Barb was a menu and the recipes! After we enjoyed our gift opening, we had Pat & Carolyn over for Christmas breakfast then we went to the clubhouse to decorate our table for dinner. Our Grinch Tree was the table centre piece and looked great. Most everyone else had already been and gone so I guess I shouldn’t have had that extra eggnog!

Well, Santa was felt throughout the campground as we all ascended once again upon the clubhouse to enjoy each others company and a Christmas feast with about 180 Escapee friends! Too much food and not enough will power or sense to back away! When the meal was over, Barb had to back the truck up to the doors and ‘roll’ me into the truck bed to bring me home! We had a great day; we spoke with our kids, grandkids and had a fabulous meal with friends. The late afternoon brought us being lazy and kicking back to revel in the warm glow of the day.

We’re hoping you had a nice Christmas too and all the best throughout 2012.

T’is the Season

As you may recall, we were missing some hardware from our garden shed kit, well, I contacted the manufacturer and they are sending us more parts by the end of the week! Barb went out with a ladies group for a luncheon and met a few new ladies and renewed many friendships from last year. I was left to my own devices and managed to get caught up on our blog. That evening, we attended the BaldwinPops Christmas concert at the Foley Civic Centre. It was fantastic! We car pooled with Pat & Carolyn and on the way home, Pat drove by one of the more magnificent home Christmas decoration that we have seen in a long time. Another busy day and I’m sure more to come!

Almost every Tuesday and Thursday, the club provides dinner at a cost that makes impossible not to go! It is also a fun social time with friends. This Tuesday was no acceptation – it was the baked potato feast! You get a baked potato and can put any or all the toppings on you want from onions, peppers, jalapenos, cheese, chili etc. I can’t think of all the toppings provided but it was a feast! Whoa, I’m supposed to be losing some weight but it didn’t happen tonight! Time to get the walking shoes out and put some miles on!

Wednesday, we received a shipment from the shed manufacturer but the contents were not what we ordered! What, where did they get this info? I ordered the exact part numbers that were in the instructions! See, working with the instruction manual is never good!

Thursday I called the manufacturer again about the parts and they assured us another package was coming today with the correct parts. After our morning sessions at the clubhouse (Barb at quilting and me at computers) we took a road trip to Pensacola to Jo-ann’s fabrics for supplies, banking and shopping. When we arrived back home, a neighbor brought us a UPS package containing the rest of our shed hardware! This time, they sent more than necessary but now we can complete the shed!

Friday, we completed the shed; placed the windows in the doors, put on the door hardware and hung them! Done! Oh, not quite, I have to lag screw the floor to the plywood deck so off to HD again! In all this action, we managed to turn a couple of gardens, trim the Wisteria bush a little and Barb managed to work on a couple of craft and sewing projects to be sent back to Canada eh! What a week!

Saturday was cool here so we hung out and worked on stuff inside. Barb of course being her crafty self while I hung more Christmas decorations but this time we had some rum and eggnog and it made the job easier! I got the shed fastened down to the deck and moved a bunch of stuff inside, including the chairs I brought to cane. It was warm enough in the shed to work on my chairs but trying, enlightened me that I will need some sort of work bench to work from! Anyway, I had to take off the old cane and as I did, one side of the seat fell off! It was broken right along the caning holes, from the front to the back. Oppssss, now I know why this chair was only a few bucks to buy! So, a little more work than planned but I guess that’s what it’s all about when restoring old furniture!

Sunday, Barb once again was motivated by her creativity and crafted a ‘Grinch' Christmas tree!  It looks great, what do you think? Maybe she’s telling me something! Later in the afternoon we attended the flatulence fest at the club house! Various chefs made lots of good tasting recipes that have some sort of beans in it! We had, of course chili, soups, salads, stews and cupcakes with a jelly bean on top! It was great fun and of course, followed up with the ice cream social that is every Sunday evening! I ate so much that Barb suggested we take a longer way home so I could walk off some of my over eating! Again, I was over served – this seems to be a common thread with me! Hummmm….. Probably a hint this should be my first hurdle to loosing weight!

Here we are on Tuesday and Barb is off to learn a new beading project while I start picking up some patio stones so we can move the deck to fit the rig better. Well, the grass here must grow crazy in the summer as I uncovered and pulled up 90+ 6x12 patio stones! Holy broken back, these were not visible when I started but pulling up one and then the next, it was like following a trail of bread crumbs or maybe a trail of John’s lost golf balls after one of his rounds! Barb returned with another beautiful hand crafted jewelry piece while I had created a bunch of craters where the stones had been hidden!

In the afternoon, we decided to tackle one of the two Sago Palm trees that are encroaching on the deck. The palm leaves were very dense on the ground so we trimmed off the lower leaves and uncovered several ‘offsets’ or ‘pups’ (new palm plants) around the base of the palm trunk. These ‘pups’ can be separated from the ‘host plant’ easily and then if dried and potted properly, can be replanted for future palm trees! I wore a long sleeved shirt or my arms would have been torn up by the thorns on the palm leaves! We disturbed many large creepies that y’all know Barb is not friendly with so she was forced to keep her distance but still managed the workman end of the shovel to help separate some of the larger ‘pups’. In all, we ‘harvested’ a dozen ‘pups’ that can be potted. After we finished, the palm tree looked better so now we feel more confident to do the other tree!

Wednesday was our very own Santa Claus parade here in the park. It wasn’t an earth shattering display but the fact that a small community like the Rainbow Plantation participated is fantastic! I think most of the residents and campers were in the parade! At 75 degrees, it just didn’t seem like a Santa Parade! After, we all went back to the clubhouse for hot chocolate and cookies – hot chocolate!  You can see most of us are from the North where you have hot chocolate after a Santa Claus Parade.

Friday, Barb painted the parts of the wood deck that showed from under the shed. After, we dove under the second Sago Palm and trimmed and harvested again more ‘pups’. Now, we have close to 30 ‘pups’ from very small to quite large specimens. We have to let them dry for about a week or so to let the cut portion ‘heal’ over so it will be ready to pot. We spoke to a nursery about the Sagos and did some additional research online to learn more on how to trim, harvest and grow the trees. Of course, being in the yard gardening, brings several neighbors around to see what we’re up to and of course, provide additional support and suggestions! But wait, we gotta stop and clean up! It’s getting time to head on over to the clubhouse for our second Christmas festivity – the Christmas dinner and dance!

 

We had signed up to help out on the kitchen but due to the large number that signed up for dinner, Larry (the cook) decided to serve differently and only wanted Barb to help so I was sent packing! We were at a fun table of 12 and had a nice meal with lots of talk and laughs! I even treated Barb to a dance before we hiked for home!

Well, this is a good place to whoa up for a bit and wish y’all a Merry Christmas and the best to you throughout 2012!

Sweet Home Alabama

Tuesday, we wake to see snow falling and sticking to the tress! Quick, someone get me out of here – SNOW, yikes! Are we back in Ontario?

We are underway by 10:30 AM EST and by noon, we are clear of Atlanta and the snow & rain. Unbeknown to us, we will break 2 of our golden rules today! As we near Montgomery, AL, Barb fires up James (the GPS) to find us a Walmart to stay and we realize that with the time zone change, we could make it all the way to the Rainbow Plantation if we didn’t stop for lunch. This is one of those rules – we generally don’t drive more than 6 hours! Soooo on we go and arrive just at 5PM CST and the sun is just dipping below the trees but we manage to get the rig parked before too much darkness descends. This is another one of those rules – don’t park after dark! We can’t open the driver’s side slide as the shrubs need some trimming and we’re not sure just what we can do. So, set up best we can and in the morning go to the office to see what we can and cannot do to the plantings around us. We’ll finish set up in the morning! Since we could not bring any food over the border and we stayed with Jim & Lydia, the cupboards are bare so off to the grocery store! Before we got parked, George & Dottie spied us ‘sneaking’ in and came over to welcome us home! This was a wonderful welcome for us.

 

The morning brings sunshine and warm temps, we’re lov’n it! We check in at the park office and find no restrictions on our dos and no don’ts! Barb’s eyes light up – landscaping and site planning running through her head like the sugar plum verse! T’is the season! We pick up our activity/social calendar and go back to finish setting up the rig. We thought we might move it back but with some trimming, we are fine where we parked it last night, so out come the shears and chop chop! Many people came over to welcome us and to introduce themselves; other Canadians, Pat & Carolyn stop by to welcome us back too. Wow, this makes us feel great! As we are finishing up and leveling the rig, Pat & Carolyn came by to invite us to lunch with a bunch – hey, why not jump in with both feet, after all, we are LEOs (lets eat out) so let’s go! And so the social life here begins!

Thursday, we’re off to see what kind if a deal we can find for a garden shed. Our first stop was Lowes but they were too busy so we crossed the street to Home Depot. We were only looking for a smallish shed about 3’X7’, we don’t plan to store very much and we just need room for our Christmas decorations and a BBQ! The sales associate showed us where the sheds were and pointed out one that was clearance priced at ½ off! I’m sure you can imagine which one we bought! It is a little bigger – 7X7 and now the challenge is to not fill it!

 

It’s a little different down here when planning a small project like this. They do have a little wind from time to time so we don’t want to come back next fall and find our shed down a few sites! Hummmm, how to anchor it without making it impossible to move when we’re done with the site! Of course Home Depot has all the necessary hardware to do what we want; some PT 2X4’s, a couple sheets of plywood, 4 screw type anchors and 4 - 3” lag screws should set us up! All I needed to do was to use my usual confused look on my face and ask an apparently dumb question! Ahhh, sawing and hammering – actually used screws instead of nails but all the same, more construction!

Friday, we had lunch out at the Road Kill Café with a bigger group and then onto Home Depot to pick up our shed and deck supplies to put it on. They used a fork lift to load it and refused to follow us back to the campground to unload it! Oh well, Barb & I unloaded the smaller stuff and 1 box and thought that we would tackle the big one when we needed to – why can’t we store it in the truck? We decided where to put the shed and started laying out the 2X4’s and made a cutting plan for Saturday. That evening, we put up the Christmas decorations. It was made more difficult without the customary rum and eggnog!

Saturday, Barb and I had to go back to HD to exchange a pair of anchors and pick up a few other items to start the deck floor. Soon, we were motoring along and had the frame built and square! We ‘screwed’ the anchors in and used lag screws to attach the frame to the anchors. Next we put down the plywood and had lunch. George came by to help so we unloaded the big box (why don’t these things come with handles?) and started to open them to find the shed floor and of course the instructions – I know, it’s unusual for men to look for instructions but Barb insisted we get it right! The three of us got the finicky stuff and window assembly done. We still have 2 windows to put together but no more gaskets or screws! I wonder what else is missing. I’m sure we’ll find out as we move forward. Once we placed the shed floor, we quit for the day and it’s a good thing too as rigor was starting to set in and I couldn’t move much more! George & Dottie came over for dinner and best of all, Dottie cooked it and brought it with them – they must have heard about my cooking skills!

Sunday, Barb & I started with the walls etc. so we moved quickly through assembly. Before long the walls were up and the roof on. Now lets look at the doors – what, no screws or nuts and bolts to attach the hinges! Only some of the hardware was packed! I’ll have to contact the manufacturer Monday for replacements but now the shed construction is on hold until we receive more hardware!

Where are the doors?

I think this is a good place to end until next time. Keep well and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and the best though 2012.