Missing our friends!!

 Monday 25 January 2021

   Everything returns to normal.  The weather has warmed up for a few days so we started with breakfast on the grill(our last pack of scrapple) then back to phone calls and bill paying etc(yuck).  Last week we

took the truck in for the check engine light fix and now it is on again so I went back to the garage and they can't fix it, I have to take to a Ford dealer(just great $$$).  It was after lunch until I got back, a quick bite to eat and I went for a bike ride while Diane checked on mail delivery.  Temps in the 70's today, we're just lovin' that.  Happy hour alone,  started a fire and ended up with just hot dogs cooked over the fire.

Beautiful sunset!!

Tuesday 26 January 2021

   If you remember a week or so again we went to St. Augustine and bought two things at camping world.  This morning we drove back down to return the stuff just our luck the stuff didn't fit.  However

we managed to stop for lunch at Woodpeckers BBQ.  The food was great we split the rib and brisket meal. After lunch we stopped to check out a RV repair shop and made an appointment for service.  Back to the Moho for dinner.  The weather is still great in the 70's good enough for shorts these past few days. Chicken on salad for dinner and called it a day.

Wednesday 27 January 2021

    It rained almost all day.  Stayed in the camper.  The end

Thursday 28 January 2021

   The rain yesterday bought much cooler weather our way.  47 degrees and the wind was around 20 mph when I got up this morning, it was so cold Rudy slept in until 9:30.  We did survive and wind died down a bit in the afternoon.  They are having the Navy Chiefs initiation this week with the final day today so we have been entertained with all the commotion. We did get over to the MP office to get our finger print cards filled out and Diane made a post office run this afternoon.   That was about it for the day.    

    

Exercise by the lake,
cold and windy!!

Visiting with friends

 Sunday 17 January 2021 to Sunday 24 January 2021

   This entire week we spent with our friends Buddy and Teresa from Louisiana.  We didn't go anywhere this year.  With COVID and all we just stayed here at the campground but we still had a great time.  There was a lot of eating, talking, happy hours, playing mexican train/sequence, more eating, sleep repeat.  We did go to the museum here on base and that was fun.  The museum host was probably the best part of the tour, a retired navy man just absolutely full of information and followed us around trying to impart most of his knowledge.  We had great food.  Crawfish etouffee, bacon wrapped chicken, grilled filets with grilled squash/zucchini, burgers, bacon wrapped cream cheese stuffed venison loin(YUM)and our last night pizza from Papa Murphy's(our new favorite pizza).  Several special treats Teresa made, baked spicy pretzels,  Rolo chocolate turtles, creole spicy crackers.  Most everything we ate especially if they made it started and ended with jalapeno, including but not limited to jalapeno rub,  jalapeno seasoning, and my new favorite - jalapeno cream cheese.
   We really had a good time catching up and with COVID and such there was just endless conversation.  They were up and packed and hit the road Sunday around lunch, off for an estimate for the Moho.

   Sunday night Diane and I tried out our new fire pit and relaxed with a glass of wine and boring burgers for dinner.  

 

Time at Camp Blanding

 Sunday 10 January 2020

  We took a drive to St. Augustine mostly to see how long it takes for when Buddie and Teresa get here.  We drove through the town of Penny Farms that turns out to be the home of J C Penny and now there is a big retirement home there.  We drove on into St. Augustine looking for a restaurant when we remembered the town.  The oldest town has the oldest and narrowest streets, plus $20 to park flat rate.  Soooo we headed out of town and found Georgie's diner that had it's own parking lot.  Food was great I had shrimp over rice with a wonderful veggie medley and Diane had grilled Mahi tacos which were great and huge. Back to the Moho via Gander Outdoor where we purchased seat covers and a set of sheets. The sheets fit but the seat cover that says "fits most" didn't fit.  Salad for dinner.

             Main street Penny Farms and the entrance to the retire center. 

           

Monday 11 January 2020

  We went into Starke for a few items and came back empty handed but with full bellies. I talked with a detailing guy here washing other units and scheduled him for tomorrow.  Burgers and chips for dinner.

Tuesday 12 January 2020

   Woke up this morning to the chirp of a gas detecting senor at 2:45 am.  I turned on the lights Diane moaned and rolled over.  I got my glasses, flash light, and screw driver and was preparing to tear it apart when I read the code and just hit reset and all was well back to bed.  After a nice breakfast on grill Diane took the truck into town for an oil change and to fix the check engine light while I waited for Ernest(detailer).  The oil change went well, not so much for check engine light.  The sensor is in gas tank and he said if we go that far we should have the tank cleaned.  So Monday it goes back in.  Meanwhile I read up on the gas detector.  The reset only works for three days so Diane ordered us one just as soon as she got home.  Ernest called said he couldn't make it and rescheduled for Friday. Dinner was wings brought home from Dick's Wings they were OK.

Wednesday 13 January 2020

   Diane has been busy ordering us parts and supplies since we arrived and today I started cleaning out bins and installed new water filters and generally rearranged basement compartments.  Diane went to the grocery store and to check on where we can get COVID vaccine.  My ears were feeling like they were full of wax, hope no ear infection.  Grilled chicken on salad for dinner and that was it for today.

Thursday 14 January 2020

   I woke up this morning with that all to familiar twinge in my ear.  Diane cleaned out the medicine cabinet and found two old bottles of drops and we started treating this morning. By evening we were treating both ears. Diane once again tolerated my fussing and moaning very well although she wasn't around much. Humm wonder why she is running around all day. She did check the drops and one bottle expired in 2013 but still seemed to work.  I just don't want to have to back to the urgent care facility.

Friday 15 January 2020

   Just finished morning ear drops when Ernest rolled up.  Poor Rudy had the worst morning of his little life(excluding castration).  Two guys washing the Moho making noise washing the windows etc.  He flew up to the windshield barking hair standing up trying to chase that guy away when someone else showed up at the side window, he flew back through the camper hair standing up, barking for all he was worth.  And so it went for a hour occasionally he would stop and just pant.  We felt so bad we packed him up and went to town.  Had lunch at Cedar River restaurant while we were saving the dog. We returned to the Moho which glistened in the sunlight, looks sharp. Rudy sniffed around the place and has been sleeping ever since.  Diane went to the office picked up some packages including the new gas detector.

Saturday 16 January 2020

   True to the instruction, the gas detector starting beeping at 2:45 am 36 hours after the reset.  Now they program this thing to beep 7yrs after manufacture you think they could make for daytime hours.  I guess I'll replace it today.  Anyway, a sunny but cool day and very windy.  Wind speeds to be over 20mph this afternoon.  I cooked breakfast on the grill after the morning ear treatment.  We have now used up the 2013 batch  and moved on to 2020(expired) batch so they should be full strength yet.  Ears are feeling a little better.  Diane went to the grocery store, wine store and drug store trying to get stocked up for the visit with Buddy and Teresa.  When she returned we went to pick a spot in Lawtey to meet Buddy and Teresa and bring them back to the base.  Bake haddock for dinner 

  

Parked for a month

 Tuesday 5 January 2021

   We are here for a month nice time to clean, fix, and recover.  Diane took her prescription to the drug store, picked up some wine, stopped at the grocery store and took Rudy's shot record to the office before they kicked him out. I went for a bike ride first in almost three months, boy did I feel that.  We had our first camp fire in almost as long.  Homemade chili, a campfire, wine what a great evening.

Our Campsite for the month.

Wednesday 6 January 2021

   The fire rings they have here are huge and high you need a bunch of wood and still can't see the fire.  So this morning(ish) we headed out to buy one.  Walked around Lowes trying to find one and we did, 

Our View from 
our patio.  

they only had one and it still took us a hour to decide.  And while we were thinking I found an electric pressure washer.  Lunch at Chick-a-fil and home with our purchases.  I started putting together the fire pit while Diane went for a walk.  When she came back we pulled the base of the fire pit out of the box and you will never guess.... the whole one side is smashed.  The box was not damaged at all so it must have been put in the box smashed.  We re-boxed it and loaded it back in the truck.  I got the pressure washer out, put it altogether but it was wine time before I got to test it out.  A glass of wine and we sat by the campfire for awhile.  Lovely evening.

Thursday 7 January 2021

   Breakfast on the grill and then Diane was off to return the firepit and shop for another.  I tested the pressure washer before Diane headed out shopping.  It works fine, Yeah.  I tore the grill apart and gave it a thorough and much needed cleaning.  That took almost two hours but it looks almost new.  Diane came back without a firepit after hours of searching nearby stores.  She did however score some firewood. I finished the grill went for a bike ride.  It was a nice day so we finished it off with steak, bake potato, and mushrooms for dinner. Yum.

Friday 8 January 2021

   Last night had an interesting twist, after enjoying a great meal while relaxing before bed I spilled my wine.  Not to bad mostly on the table and just a few drops on my chair we were laughing as we finished cleaning it up when Diane turned around and swatted her cup off the table onto the chair and finally the floor. Another half roll of paper towels and we were all cleaned up.  Anyway, we didn't give up on the firepit.  Diane spent a hour searching and ordering one on the internet.  Just hope it gets here before our  time is up.  Cloudy and cool today and for next several days, we even have a night or two in the 30's.  I won't complain to much it still recovers into the sixty's.  We took a drive toward Jacksonville stopping at several antique/junk stores and lastly at the General RV for parts.  No parts, no RV's to look at so we just headed home.  

Goodbye 2020 - Hello 2021

 Thursday 31 December 2020 New Years Eve

   Well here I am again over a week behind in the blog.  I'm sure I will miss a lot but here goes.  We went up to Shari's with some goodies from PA scrapple a whole pan, a couple bags of  chips, a few pounds of deer meat and some Christmas gifts we forgot.  All the brides maids and other female wedding member were there doing nails and sipping mimosas'.  We didn't stay long, a quick chat with Shari and we were on our way. Stopped at camping world and picked up a piston to hold basement door open.  That took over a hour lots of workers standing around and only one actually helping customers.  I despise the place(except to look at Mohos).  We didn't go anywhere for New Years Eve just ordered wings and stayed home.

HAPPY NEW YEAR                                

Good-by 2020 Hello 2021

Friday 1 January 2021

   No hangover for us I was in bed at 10 and Diane came in around 11pm.  Are we party people or what.  Shari needed a ride to the airport to pick up a rental car for the happy couple.  We meet her at 9am and we were off.  The short version of the story.  We drove around the airport looking for the Alamo car rental including two or three trips through the parking garage. Finally Shari got out to talk to a car return person... third one spoke enough English to tell her she had to go into the airport. We went looking for the cell phone parking lot to make sure she got a car. Once again two trips around the airport in and out of several parking lots before finding the right one.  Shari texted she was 21st person in line, so we waited.  She finally picked up her car and we went home. That was the short version!  Luckily Diane had the pork and sauerkraut in the crock pot.  Diane went over to the wedding venue to help decorate, came back to get me about 4 and we both went over.  The place is really nice, large parking area with inside and outside facilities.  Big day tomorrow.

Saturday 2 January 2021

The Wedding

   We had breakfast and got ready for the wedding.  Diane wouldn't let me put on my dress shirt until we were ready to walk out the door, she says my reputation for staining a shirt is to great.  Off to wedding at 1pm.  What a lovely day sunny 75 degrees just perfect.  Len, and kids were there and everyone enjoyed being together again.  The first(I think) since Shawna's services.  A really good time was had by one and all.  It was after 8pm until we returned poor Rudy was worried I think.

Sunday 3 January 2021

   No time to lollygag .  We are leaving tomorrow as are most of the wedding attendees.  We started packing Diane did her usual grocery store run.  Remember the piston I bought at camping world, the one where I waited forever in line for, the one they looked up... doesn't fit. And I lost one of the clips that hold it on.  It may just go back missing a part.  Shari called she couldn't make it down to see us but suggested we have breakfast before we all leave tomorrow.

Monday 4 January 2021 

   All packed up and rolling by ten.  We went down to a restaurant in Bushnell.  As we pull up we notice no cars around, yep our luck, closed for maintenance.  Back to the truck, called Shari to pick a new spot.  We have the Moho and they are towing a uhaul trailer so we need a BIG parking lot.  We finally sat down at about 11 o'clock.   But we  had a nice breakfast talked quite a bit, even out in the parking lot.  After several goodbyes we were gone well after 1pm.  Good thing we are only driving 100 miles to Camp Blanding in Starke Fl.  An uneventful trip, arrived at 3:30pm set up everything before enjoying burgers on the grill with a glass of wine and just unwinding a bit.

Warming up in Florida!!

 Saturday 26 December 2020

Our site at the 
Country Side CG

   Last night we decided to stay one more night here so this was a nice relaxing hot breakfast morning.  Then the phone rang, it was the office and we could stay one more night but we had to change sites. I don't think so if we pack up we are leaving.  So as Diane swallowed her last bite of breakfast I was packing up.  We had 2 hours until check out.  It wasn't fun but we rolled out at 10:45 with 15 minutes to spare.  We headed toward Lake Panasoffkee, a nice drive, sunny, warm and traffic wasn't bad until we hit I-75 at Ocala and then just rolling traffic jams.  We arrived at the Countryside Campground around 3:30.  We got to our site, no one was is the office to pay until Monday.   I hooked up the satellite and poof the receiver died, the lights lit dimly and the unit made some strange humming sound.  No satellite Diane switched to antenna and no channels at all. She looked at me and I looked at her, we had to talk to each other all evening.

Sunday 27 December 2020

    This morning we decided our number one goal was to get tv reception for tonight.  Off to Marion flea market to get an antenna.  We spent two and half hours there, had lunch for 20 bucks but no antenna.  We did get some fresh veggies so the trip wasn't wasted.  Now you will never believe this, we pulled out onto route 27  got in the left lane to stop at Camping World when the people ahead of us started waving and yelling at us.  It was Shari and crew coming in from Colorado.  The odds of that happening have got to be worse than winning the lottery, but it happened.  We followed them to their Airbnb, chatted for awhile planning for a cooked breakfast at their place.  Just impossible to think we meet there on the highway.  Anyway we still needed an antenna so we stopped at Walmart found one and headed home.  I hooked up the antenna while Diane hit the grocery store.  Breakfast for 15 WOW.  30 eggs, 2lb bacon, 2lb of sausages, a whole large pan of Pennsylvania scrapple and of course a gal of fresh squeezed OJ.  We barely fit the stuff in the refrigerator.  Finally got the antenna situated and tied down now receiving 12 channels. A good day and good the see Shari and crew.

Monday 28 December 2020

   A lot of phone calls and other paper work are the things to do today.  It always takes forever and is boring.  Everyone we called is the same, press 1 for English, 2 for bah, bah, bah all morning the same crap.  We did take a few walks around the park and met some of the other campers.  Most of them have permanent homes/campers here and just drive back and forth for the winter.  The Canadian's are not here this year due to COVID leaving a lot of campsites open.  We talked with Shari and decided on breakfast at nine at her place tomorrow.

Tuesday 29 December 2020

Moon light through
the trees

  We were on the road to Shari's by 8:30 with the truck full of food.  Diane cooked breakfast bacon in the oven, sausage on the stove top, eggs in the electric skillet and I did the scrapple on the grill, the place was a hopping.  It was Matt and Shari, their 5 kids, plus three friends, plus the prospective in-laws and their daughter and Diane and I.  We talked, cooked, ate and cleaned the place and left warn out.  We were all from cold weather states so the warm sunshine was a major topic of conversation.  Back home for a little rest then we washed the truck before dinner (grilled chicken on a salad).  

Wednesday 30 December 2020

    The weather has been getting nicer every day, especially in the morning, 55 this morning and a nice walk for Rudy.  Diane had a hair appointment in Sumterville to fix up the one she got in Dillsburg so she was off at 10am.  Temperatures are to be in the 80's  today, just waiting to soak up some warm sunshine.  Diane finally got home and I must say her hair looked so much better.  We had a little lunch then off to finish the truck.  We swept the inside and scrubbed all the door jams and the whole inside, the only thing that didn't get finished was the windshield.  A nice dinner of baked haddock and a veggie.  After that a little TV and then off to bed.  

Merry Christmas one and all!!

 Tuesday 22 December 2020

   Up and moving slowly. We went back and forth about spending one more night or leaving not quite ready.  Leaving eventually won out with a twist.  We packed up and I left in the Moho heading to Ashland VA.  Diane took the truck and did our last minute things we didn't get done like the butcher shop, storage unit, grocery store, Mel's, drug store and the credit union. Traffic was about normal for a work day, on and off slow downs, two accidents but I parked the Moho at 3:30pm at the Americamp in Ashland.  Diane finished her stops and pulled in just after me at 4:30.  It was good to be traveling again.  Our usual travel day burgers on the grill.  There was a fire still burning so we threw on some wood.  The neighbor came over we talked by the fire while the burgers cooked.  Just a one night stop and a planned 278 mile drive tomorrow so when dinner was over I put everything outside  away including water and sewer stuff.

Wednesday 23 December 2020

       We got up on time but it was still 10 am before we were on the road.  We had a quick stop for lunch at a rest area and a stop for diesel and rolled into South of the Border campground at 4:15.  Temp's were very mild in the high 60's we had to put on shorts even if it was for just for a few hours.  Second day of travel we are tiring out quickly.  Sausages on the grill and again cleaned up as soon as we were done eating.  They are calling for 20mph wind and rain for tomorrow afternoon so the smart thing is to leave early. I didn't even hook up cable.

Thursday 24 December 2020

Decoration in the CG

   Probably a record setting departure today.  We pulled out at 8:45AM.  The rain had already started poor Diane got soaked while getting the truck set up for travel.  We pushed fairly hard driving with just a few quick stops for lunch and bathroom breaks.  The rain was on and off luckily more off than on.  We did the 287 mile in good time and pulled into the Coastal Georgia RV Park at 3pm.  Three days in a row of traveling wore us down(Rudy too)and so we are staying here three days. We wanted to get to warmer weather and it is warmer than PA but still down to the low 30's at night.  We did get parked and situated before the heavy storms rolled in.  I had just put the burgers on the grill when the rain and wind hit I just grabbed everything and ran inside.  We had to finish cooking the burgers inside, Diane wasn't happy.  The storm was intense, wind was well over 20mph and a driving rain with some lighting.  So we ate inside while the Moho rocked back and forth.  But we survived.

Friday 25 December 2020    MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL 

   Woke up just as Santa was leaving the camper, campgrounds must be last on his list.  The temperature was down to 33 degrees so breakfast was inside.  After opening our cards, coffee and cookies, and breakfast we drove over to Brunswick to checking out the historic district for a possible jaunt over there tomorrow.  Diane made us a Christmas ham for dinner complete with dinner rolls. The temp's are to drop into the 20's tonight so I guess I will unhook and drain the water lines(hopefully last time) this winter.

Merry Christmas!!