Joan on the Road...of Life

We couldn't pass by this lovely fruit stand in Homosassa FL where we replenished our stock of grapefruit and oranges.

We've been busy just living at Sumter Oaks RV Park in FL. We finally have the warm Florida weather that people up north dream of...75ish, blue skies, light breeze and lazy days.

I attended my first artsy-fartsy class since being on the road and made some origami folded Christmas trees. It was just fun...lots of laughing and who cared if you could do it or not. Of course, being the artist that I am :_) I did 3 trees!!!

Tonight is the New Year's party that we'll attend. I hear there's lots of good entertainment ;). We'll take our champagne and our special Perrier Joet glasses that have helped us ring in many new years.

As we end 2004 we are thankful that our Zacky is a cancer survivor! We're happy we could be with Harry to get his new knee. We spent wonderful time with family and friends over the year, travelling about 8000 miles. We're looking forward to another great year and wish you the very same!

Posted by Joan at 08:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We moved to Central Florida a few days ago and settled in at an Escapees Park on a nice warm day....around 82 degrees. No sooner did we arrive than it rained and turned cooler. Today there is a frost warning for all of of the Tampa/Orlando area! Average temps here for this month are 71 high and 60 low!! Oh well, I'm camped out inside working on the family calendar project so since the sun is shining, I'm happy.

This park, Sumter Oaks, is part of our Escapees membership. Overnight stay is $11 plus electric. Huge live oaks dripping with spanish moss cover this area. On the back of the property is a swampy area that I swear has alligators slinking through it. Our doggie, Adrienne, is dying to explore this place..but I'm not!

We went to a potluck dinner on Saturday and met some nice RVers. Most people here are either snowbirds or fulltimers so we get to share lots of ideas and thoughts about this life. As Christmas draws near many of the gals, including me, are getting nostalgic about not being with family. We did all agree that our kids "could open their own presents" but weren't sure if we could do the same.

We'll be going to a Christmas Day dinner and I'm sure that will help our holiday spirits. We have a really cute little fiber optic tree in the window and lots of colored racing rope lights strung around. Lots of people in the park have decorations out so it's pretty festive. We'll stay here at least through Christmas, maybe New Year. We can do lots of exploring from this park because the Gulf Coast is only about 30 miles and the Atlantic Coast about 100. Maybe we'll go to Epcot for a holiday treat!

Posted by Joan at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We toured the USS Alabama, docked in Mobile Bay, for about 3 hours. We climbed up about 6 decks and went 2 decks below. I am in awe of those who choose to serve our country and live on these ships. Typically there would be 2500 sailors and marines on this ship.T he quarters are more spacious on this class ship than what we saw on the USS Texas last year, but still....can you imagine walking the deck in a rolling sea, manning the guns under fire from the enemy.

This ship served in WWII earning battle stars in many Pacific battles. The guns below can fire accurately for 21 miles!

Ships like this are not built anymore as missiles have replaced the long guns. Once again we walked in historical footprints and heard the echoes of battle.

Posted by Joan at 07:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We drove along the beach highway in Gulf Shore, AL thinking to check out several campgrounds and forgetting that hurricane Ivan came ashore here. Devastation!! Every business, hotel and house along several miles of the highway are absolute wrecks. A park ranger at Gulf Shore State Park told us that an ocean surge of 8 feet did a lot of the damage that we saw. That took the water at least a mile inland. In addition, there is extensive tornado damage here and all along the highways back to our own campground, about 20 miles.

Funny thing, at the state park, which is really a mess, I noticed a road side sign...PLEASE DON'T FEED OR AGGRAVATE THE ALLIGATORS!! OK!!! I'm sure I won't do that. Kept me from getting out of the car to investigate the black water and the trees that look like a mixmaster came through them.

Incidentally, the campgrounds along the ocean are either closed totally or housing displaced people in FEMA motorhomes.

Posted by Joan at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)