Visiting in Sumterville

Fri January 29    Busy day for us both.  Diane helped decorate the social halls for Valentine's day, had pizza with the girls, and after a short break stayed and played pokeno.   This week she donated her money back to the other players.  I took the truck back to the dealer to get the bug deflector replaced and then stopped at fresh market for pretzels and licorice and came home with a bag of groceries including crab cakes.  We had the crab cakes for diner and we were not disappointed.  It was a long day but the weather was great, a good day to do anything.

Saturday  January 30   Another really nice day weather wise.  After breakfast Diane did some laundry while I walked Rudy and cleaned up.  Then we headed into the chili cook off festival to try

Jeep Parking Only!!

some local fare.  We arrived at 12:30 and were surprised to park right beside the activities .......that's because it ended at 1:00.  Well we bought tickets and hurried through the stands tasting and reviewing each one as we went.  Just as we picked the ones we liked and voted it was over.  But they had a band and few other activities we walked around for a hour or so and headed home.  After that we drove around Lake Pan to see if anything had changed, but it hadn't, then we finally got together with the Lucero's for dinner at Beef O'Brady's.  If was a nice evening with Len, Shawna and Gabe.  It was great to see them all.

I got within about 8 feet of him,
he was big when he flew away!

Sunday January 31   Not much happening today.  Diane cleaned the place up a little, went and played bingo after lunch.  I wasn't feeling to good this morning so I pretty much just laid around the house all day.  We had set steaks out to thaw a couple of days ago and we needed to use them.  As the day wore on I felt a little better and I did manage to get the grill started and cook diner and Diane decided she will keep me anyway.

Monday  February 1    We have been having some great weather sunny with temp's in the 80's.  Today we took the truck back to the accessory's guy to have the rain guards put on, had lunch at this really unique place by Lake Harris.   We think more people boated in for lunch than drove.   The food was good, the atmosphere was great, the service was very slow.  The place was packed with the nice weather and only one waitress.  By the time we left we had

Outdoor bar at the restaurant
on the River...interesting place.

to come straight home to rescue Rudy.  Happy hour with the neighbors left overs for diner and off to bed.

Tuesday February 2    Started a new project this morning.  I don't know what got me on the trail,  but today I decided to start working on the leaky storage bin outside under the driver's seat.  Y'all know how this story goes.  First I was just looking at it,  then I removed the light and wiring to gain better access, then the carpet liner to find the leak, then the door, the panel beside it and so the story goes.  By lunch I had half of the front drivers side removed.  With everything removed and sitting on the ground I wanted to make sure we can get a new one.   Diane started looking and calling only to find out there is a blizzard in Iowa and Winnebago is closed until Thursday.  I cleaned up and we both went to play bingo.  We had a good time but

Nothing left of the bin,
let's hope we can get a new one.

didn't win, we did come close so many times.  Happy hour with the neighbors before bingo and left overs for diner.

Wednesday February 3    After breakfast on the grill and cleaning up a little we took Dianes bicycle to the shop to get fixed.  The brakes are rusted I guess it needs new cables.  I was thinking we would trash it and get a cheap one but the bike shop guy says he could fix it about 50 bucks or so.  We'll see how the 'or so goes', higher, lower or breaks even!!  Then off to Camping World (you always need something) walked around, checked out the RV selection but left with only a set of string lights.  Over to the neighbors for happy hour and then just sausages on the grill for diner.

Thursday February 4    Cloudy and a little breeze this morning still warm(70) but storms are headed our way.  We left about 10:00 to meet Morgan at UF in Gainesville 75 miles north of here.  The temperature hit 78 degrees as we drove past Ocala and I turned on the AC.  We drove into the storm as we approached Gainesville the rain hit with a vengeance and the temp dropped from 75 to 63 in an instant.  We met Morgan, went to a nice dinner(the Metro Dinner) had a good time visiting with her.  The rain was relentless all day,  not just rain but wind driven, can barely see to drive type rain.  Anyway, we dropped Morgan off back at school and headed home.  The rain quit 5 mile before we pulled in and people in shorts and t-shirts are looking at us funny as we get out with sweat shirts and carrying wet umbrellas.   But within a hour the storm reached the camp ground and everyone was scurrying for cover.   Good thing is Diane had diner in the crock pot and we were in for the night.

Brad, Diane and Rudy