Back in Lake Pan

 Another catch up post.  I don't know where the time goes.

 

    We left Camp Blanding on the 4th and stopped at Steve's RV Repair around 11 and still managed to be parked in the Stagecoach Campground by 2 pm.  Now don't get to excited about how far we went.  Steve's was only 42 miles from Camp Blanding and the Campground was less than a mile from Steve's so all total it was a 43 mile day.  Steve was very nice we thought he would look at the camper and schedule an appointment for March but to our surprise he fixed the three big items right there in the parking lot.  I was impressed.  Over to the Stagecoach Campground for the night and of course burgers on the grill.  The campground was nice enough.  If you ever want to visit St. Augustine this would be the place to camp $65 a night but very convenient and they have a trolley stop right there. 

    Friday the 5th we headed over to Lake Panasoffkee  to the Countryside Campground.  Diane was navigating and found a "short cut" and kept us off the big highways.  It did save some mileage!  First we were stuck in road construction for 20/30 minutes just parked in a line of traffic.  We turned and turned and went through some very small towns that have very small roads.  After a quick lunch break we completed our 117 mile trip to arrive at 3:30.  Five hours to go 177 mile averaging 23 mile per hour.  It  was really a nice trip and a fairly nice day.

   I know I just finished complaining about the cold weather but now it is warming up to fast.  Saturday was perfect day temps in the low 70's, barely a breeze and clear blue skies.  After picking up a saw from Len's I took a nice bike ride, Diane went for a walk and we had steaks on the grill for dinner. A great day. 

Diane found this guy on
her walk, in a telephone
pole, what the heck.

  By Sunday the 7th it was hot and sticky.  I worked on making extra shelves for our bedroom closets, sawed boards to length and stained them.  Next I went back over to Len's to borrow a ladder and that almost wore we out just getting hot.   Had a nice talk with Len and made arrangements for him to come over Tuesday evening for dinner.

   

     Monday I worked on staining and polyurethaneing the closet shelves had to keep moving them out of the direct sunshine.  We went out for lunch over to the Fisherman's Cove and the food was great.  We took the long way home checking on some campgrounds and antique stores nothing of interest though.  Back to the Moho salad for dinner and sat in the shade with a glass of wine.

   Tuesday we cleaned out the slide topper cover.  Unbeknown to us leaves, pine needles, sticks and other debris have been gathering under the cover.  It was gross half rotten crap stuck in there for years.  We got it all done but what a job.  It was hot Diane mopped sweat off of me each time I moved the ladder.  I had gloves on and had to dig the crap out with my hands.  But we made it in time to be cleaned up and dinner prepared by the time Len arrived.  We had jalapeno  stuffed venison wrapped in bacon.  Len gave Rudy his shots first because Rudy doesn't like him that much.  It seems he holds a grudge after after being "fixed by Len" years ago.  We had a wonderful evening ate and talked until almost 10pm.

                                             Cleaning the Awning cover, yuk!

Wednesday 10 Feb 2021

   Another warm day temp's in 80's and little wind.  We hung out this morning morning Diane had a hair cut appointment and I cleaned up around the camper.  Out for lunch to Catfish Johnny's, food was good service was not.  They just didn't have enough servers to handle the crowd and the food was a little on the cool side.  Down to Floral City to pick up flowers for Shawna and then over to the cemetery.  Back to the Moho .... for dinner and we started to clean up for the trip to Lazy Days on Friday. 

A visit to Shawna.  I was a beautiful day!!

Here comes the cold front!!

 Friday 29 January 2021

   I forgot one exciting thing last blog.  We were here enjoying lunch when Diane looked out and saw our local hawk thrashing around about 20 feet from the camper.  He has been around all month and likes to sit on the roof of vehicles.  Finally when he was still we could see he had a good sized snake he was trying to subdue.  It took awhile but he eventually flew off carrying he thing.  I would say a two footer anyway.  It was neat to watch.  Just kind of a nice Florida day.  We hung around the campground Diane did some laundry, I went for a bike ride.  Hamburgers on the grill then sat by the fire with a glass of wine.

      

Enjoying the view
from the campfire!

Saturday 30 January 2021

   Another nice sunny day.  We had breakfast and drove down the road to check out a campground we always thought would be nice to stay at.  It sits right on the banks of a nice lake and we pass by every trip, so today we checked it out.  My heavens it was a disaster!  We could hardly get through with the truck. I'm certainly glad we didn't make reservations there for a month or even a night.  But the day wasn't wasted we stopped for lunch(surprised are you)at The Wrap Shack.  Diane had a bang'n shrimp wrap and I had a grouper sandwich with eloutes (mexican grilled corn), it was all very good.  Next was a junk store just got a stop sometimes.  And we hit a roadside vegetable  stand got the best strawberries we have ever had and none  of them made it to the refrig. 

                

               Brad's lunch in Hawthorne, FL.

               Nice day for a drive.

Sunday 31 January 2021

   Today was a planned work day. The shower was draining slow and getting slower each day and Diane has been wanting me to remove the shower door for a good cleaning.  Today was that day.  Diane cleaned the remaining windows and window screens while I got started.  As normal the tearing apart went really well and in short order I had the shower door outside.  I started right in on the shower with the plunger putting just enough water in to help seal the plunger.  That is when thing started to go south.  After a vigorous plunging I stopped and looked,  there is now no water draining at all!  Hit with the plunger again, nothing except for gross stinking brown water bubbling up from the shower drain.  I started to sweat and was trying to come up with a new idea.  I repeated plunging several more times until it became apparent to me it was not clearing.  Diane was starting to worry!  I needed my fish tape(for cleaning drains) I couldn't find it.  Finally I found it in the my plumbing items.  Had the shower draining in no time.  By now Diane had finished the windows, cleaned the door panels, and went to town and back 'til I got finished. We started to reinstall the door and I'm missing a very small screw that holds the door in place. We looked, and looked, and looked no screw it probably went down the drain.  Back to my tool boxes found a screw but it was to long, found the hacksaw with no blade in it,  found another blade, cut the screw and in no time had the door reinstalled.   Sitting here eating dinner Diane looks at me and says we should clean the door once a year.  I Don't Think So!

Monday 1 February 2021

   Woke up it was fairly warm 59 degrees but that turned out to the high for the day.  The wind was blowing quite briskly but Diane looked out window and decided it was decent enough to cook outside. By the time I was done cooking bacon, eggs and home fries the temps had dropped almost 10 degrees and wind blew the grill flame out once.  Breakfast was good fried taters tasted more like potato chips and Diane did do most of the work preparing the food and getting everything ready inside.   But I was outside the whole time!  I forgot to mention a light drizzle settled in toward the end.  We stayed inside worked/played on the computer most of the day. No sun at all today and a strong wind all day long.

  Chicken(rotisserie) on salad for dinner and we are huddled in front of the fireplace. 

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.