One Month To Go.....

Monday March 13- Still trying to adjust to the spring forward thing. We have been trying to get our kayaks in but we either have too much wind, or the tides aren't right. Jeff found a new spot someone told him about and so far we haven't made it there yet. There is still time. Today it looked like rain so we couldn't go today. We went for lunch at Five Guys. Then we drove on to LaMesa RV just to look around. It took forever to get there we took the long cut. The good news is we didn't see anything we wanted.

We finished up the night with some late night bowling, Well it's late night for us starting at 9 pm. There wasn't a lot of us but it was a fun evening. Jeff had quite a good first game until he fell apart. We played 3 games before heading home. It really is quite a good deal you rent your shoes for $4.50 and then you bowl for free. You can bowl until midnight but we haven't stayed that long yet.

We have lots of rain coming our way and we made it home just in time. We got the rain, we need it, it's super dry here.

Tuesday March 14- Back to work. It cooled off a bit outside. Our neighbor is having some surgery today so we took care of there really good dogs. Our day at work went really well, everyone left on time so we were able to get our work done in a timely matter. Since we were out so late last night tonight we didn't feel like doing much.

Wednesday March 15-Today it really cooled off, Had to put on some pants because the wind is really chilly. Didn't get a lot done today besides working. It seems the days just pass faster and faster. After supper I went to church for a women's meeting. I saw some people I knew and found my seat. Melissa the pastors wife did the speaking. The music and message was great. They had a special singer who was awesome and a bonus....Melissa talked about her special ministry. She and some other women explained what they do and shared some of there special memories. It was a great night.

Thursday March 16- I thought it was cold yesterday...we beat that this morning. Jeff even put on pants. The good news is the sun is out and before long it warmed up some. After finishing our work I got busy making sugar cookies for our volunteer dinner tomorrow. 

Friday March 17- Better be wearing green today. We started off the day with a morning campfire. Nothing better than coffee by the campfire. The wind even died down so it was perfect weather to enjoy. Even the dogs liked the fire.

After the campfire we went for breakfast and a trip to Trader Joe's. When we got back I sat outside in my new hammock which is awesome. Then at 5:30 we made our way up volunteer road to Leon and Geri's. She made an Irish feast with everyone else bringing desserts. We had a good turn out. The weather cooperated too. We even had a campfire. It was fun visiting with everyone. We really have a good group of people here this year.

Saturday March 18- We both were slow getting started today. We decided to get on our bikes and go do a couple geocaches. It is a really pretty day out there. While we were looking for our first one someone stopped by on a ATV. He just happens to maintain all the geocaches in this park. He gave us a suggestion on what one we should look for next. Jeff found the first one and then we moved on to the 2nd one. I found it and it was really clever.

Then we received a phone call from Kip and Amanda. We are heading to the nautical flea market. We went back and changed. They came and picked us up. We headed to Stuart and the flea market. We did some looking around. We found some kettle corn which just happen to be the best on the planet.

After looking around the market we found another store where we met this awesome alligator. After we had our fill of this place we moved on to find a place for a late lunch. They had been to the Manatee Island Bar & Grill and recommended it. So that's what we did. It is located right on the water and we got right in. We had a nice lunch with wonderful conversation. Our view was pretty nice too.

After eating we headed back to Jonathan Dickinson SP. They dropped us off but came in for a cup of Jeff's new coffee. We did more talking and then they went back to there home at Trapper Nelson's. They are volunteers here too and give the tours at Trappers. It was a great day for sure.

Sunday March 19- It was a wonderful day at church today, we had Deb our neighbor ride with us. We also had another volunteer follow us there. It was a guest speaker today and boy was he good. After leaving we made a quick stop at Walmart, it really was quick and not very crowded. That makes it a bit more enjoyable. We also started a puzzle that we found at the book exchange here.


Monday March 20- Big day today....I am going on a horseback ride. Didn't get that done last year and Jeff wasn't to enthused about the idea. I went with our neighbor Deb. We went down to the stables about 9:45. They are located here in the park. We watched them feed, water and stretch the horses before we got on. I was on a horse named Belle. She was rather large. It was a really nice calm beautiful ride. Even though it was a slow steady ride I still was ready to get off when it was over. How can just sitting on a horse make you so sore?

We had a little excitement...my horse Belle decided to bite the horse in front of us right on the butt. She wasn't very good, it made that other horse do a little giddy up. Hung around here the rest of the afternoon. We had plans this evening to go out for dinner with some other volunteers. Ken and Mary are leaving tomorrow so we wanted to give them a proper send off.

We went to Miller's Ale House, it was wonderful. The food was great, the service was great, and the company was wonderful. The dessert was the best....Oh yeah and that puzzle I started yesterday...it's done. I haven't worked on a puzzle since I was a kid and I think I could get used to doing these...kind of addicting.

Tuesday March 21- We have 4 weeks left here to work. Can't believe how fast our time is going here. We went back to work but took a break to say good bye to Ken and Mary. It is spring break in this area which means the children are out of school and there parents are bringing them camping. We only had a few sites that were extra dirty. I don't think the messes were made by the kids though. 

Thursday March 23- We woke up to thunder....but we got really lucky, we got 2 shower houses cleaned and some sites checked before the first down pour. We waited and when it stopped we went back out to do the second part of our cleaning. We had just finished when round 2 of the rain arrived. We were so lucky because it really poured. 

Friday March 24- Our days off begin. The weather was still a bit rainy so we headed into town. Jeff went to Best Buy to look at computers and ended up getting a new one. Now he has a lot of work ahead of him to transfer his life from the old one to the new one. I happen to spot The Container Store. I have never been in one but I wish I would have found this when we first started this full time thing. They have some wonderful products to keep you very organized. I took some pictures to take with me to measure what I need to go back and purchase. I was in there so long that we missed the movie we were thinking about going to. Ooops. We stopped at Jimmy Johns for a sandwich before coming back home. We didn't have to make supper because the church was having a dinner for there Dream Team...we greet at the church so we qualify....We felt a bit weird going but after we went both of us were glad we went. We always leave with a blessing.


Saturday March 25- I wanted to get the laundry done, Jeff did some washing of the rig. Then we went back to the Flea Market in Stuart. This time we brought our scissors, they have a guy that can sharpen them. We dropped them off first thing. Then we went to see what we could find. It's funny because Jeff is not a big fan of flea markets but today he was quite the shopper. We even found a replacement for our WII that was fried in our power surge. It was a good day. We didn't stay too long and after picking up our freshly sharpened scissors we came home. Oh did I say we got the best strawberries there?...we did only $1.00 a pint and they are so good. When we got home we had to install our Wii system. Of course it's not going to be easy we had to take the TV off so we could run the cords behind it. Well we got it all done and it works! To finish off the evening we jumped on our bikes and rode into Tiki 52 to listen to some music..It is always a nice time there and the music is so you can actually listen and visit at the same time.




















We rode our bikes home, fixed supper and then got out the Wii and played...that was fun, we haven't played that for quite awhile. Going to have to make that a weekly thing.


Sunday March 26- Church day...we have to greet so we need to get there early but we don't mind. Everyone there is so friendly and really appreciate everything you do. The message today was given by Melissa, Pastor Ben's wife. She did an awesome job. We were so happy that we was able to be there today. When we left both of us felt very happy. When we got home I fixed a brunch. Then we got ambitious and did some cleaning out. Went through the basement compartments and got rid of more stuff. Then at 4:30 we headed to The Kitchen Creek Pavillion for a volunteer appreciation picnic. They had a really good turn out. The food was crazy...fish with lots of fixings. The food was really good and the company was wonderful. It was a good time for sure.

These are just some of the volunteers we have worked with this year. So much fun...we will miss them all. After eating they had some speeches and some awards. Lots of volunteer hours here tonight. We visited with everyone, watched some play some games. Then Kip talked me into going for a ride on his Harley. I'm not really a motorcycle gal. I even had a dress on but he and his wife Amanda assured me it would be fine. So I went. I managed to get on the thing OK, but when it came to getting off it wasn't as easy....so I just came up with my own exit strategy.

Well I don't think we will be purchasing a motorcycle anytime soon. It was fun for a quick ride around the park, but on the real road, I would be so scared. We had a wonderful day today. Our time here is running out, but most of the people are leaving at the end of March...We we look forward to seeing them all again next year.

Time Fly's At JD

Monday February 27-We hung around the campground today. Jeff started the day off on the roof of the rig. Our A.C. has been tripping the breaker and Jeff did some research. He learned of a few things he should check before calling someone. Well when he took off the cover he spotted some burnt wires. He fixed them and we did some cleaning of the unit as well. Hoping that we fixed it, I guess we'll see. It was a pretty view.......

We did some laundry, cleaning and some hammock laying. Then after supper we headed into Jupiter and went to the bowling alley. This bowling sure is fun but the time, well it's not so good. The good thing is I finally broke 100...in all 3 games. I'm showing a bit of improvement....a very little bit.

Tuesday February 28-Woke up to rain. It was pouring...sideways. We waited for it to slow down before going to work. We got very lucky because it stopped early in the morning, when it was suppose to rain all day. It's not bad cleaning the shower house in the rain, but cleaning the sites and driving that cart...not so good. We got done fairly early today. I ran into town to do a Walmart run. It's not our favorite thing to do but today I got an ultimate red velvet cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. They have them at Walmart...kind of cashy but worth it. It was really good, for a special treat. 

Wednesday March 1- Wow we can't believe we have been here for 2 months already. We worked again today. We had a very pleasant surprise today. Just as we were finishing up the last shower house, we saw a car slow down right by us. That isn't that unusual but we hear, are you the Marlin's? They looked familiar..then we remembered. It was Lee and Katie Martin. We met them our first year on the road. It was at Ortonna South, located close to LaBelle Florida. He and Jeff had quite a bit in common. Both retired firefighters and both like sailing. That gave them a lot to talk about. We saw them a couple more times that first year but not since. That's one of the great things about staying put here for an extended amount of time. You get to see a lot of the campers you have met through the years. They were only here 1 night so we got together and did a quick catch up. They now know where they can find us. It was really good getting together.

Friday March 3- It was super cloudy with crazy wind. We did some changing of our plans. I'm not going out in a boat with this wind. Went out for breakfast, at Time To Eat. They have really good breakfast there and it's reasonable. Next stop the store, we went for milk and bread but came out with much more than that. Since the weather hasn't improved Jeff took me to Marshalls to do a bit of shopping. Jeff even joined in on the fun. We went home for awhile then back out to see a movie. We went to see The Shack. It was really good but I did have an encounter with a grouchy lady that was sitting next to me. You see you have to pick your seats when you buy your ticket. There was a mix up in the seats and instead of asking nice she was just downright grumpy. The movie was still good.

Saturday March 4- We didn't really have much planned for today. The wind just won't quit. We still have some sun but the wind is wicked. I stayed in and started cleaning out every cabinet and closet. I have a lot to donate. Jeff had heard something about a new restaurant/bar. It is called the Square Grouper. We had planned to go early before it got too busy and listen to there live music. Well when we arrived the place was packed. Not a table or bar stool to be found. The guy playing the music you couldn't even hear. The place is right on the waterway. Way to busy and loud for us. We were going to eat there but you have to order at the bar and pick it up when it's done. Not that I mind that but you where on your own to find a table. We decided we would maybe try another time not on the weekend. We left there and went to Tiki 52, we know what to expect there. It's a nice place to gather without too much noise but always have good live entertainment.

Well we are sitting there listening to the music and these 2 gals walk in. I said to Jeff, doesn't that look like Amanda, the volunteer from Trappers? Well it was and she had a gal named Olive with her. Jeff went over and brought them over. Amanda introduced us and later Kip joined us. He is Amanda's husband. We have talked before at the volunteer get together's. Well they were going out for supper and invited us to join them. Well since we skipped out of the other place we didn't have any other plans so we took them up on there invite. We headed to Juno Beach and found the restaurant. It was called The Reef Grill. We had about a 30 minute wait but when you are with fun folk the time passes fast. We sat down and took a look at the huge menu. Everybody's food was great and for a bonus...they had creme brulee. I got one of those. The evening started with a disappointment but ended with a wonderful surprise with great people.

Sunday March 5- Its church day and since finding Generation Church we can't wait for Sunday. We go to the the first service which starts at 8:30. The wind is still going strong. We went for lunch at Grimaldi's. They have great coal fired pizza. It was really good. When we came out and was heading for the truck we could see the smoke from a wild fire in Palm Beach Gardens. This wind is so bad the thought of those fires are super scarey.





















Monday March 6- Will this wild wind ever stop?.....not today. We aren't going to stay inside today. We have a list of things we still want to get done before we leave. There is so much to do here it's hard to get it all in. We started off the day with a drive to Carlin Park. Again we have heard people talk about this beach so we thought we would go by and see it. It was so windy the water looked like a boiling pot. There was one brave soul out there on a wind surfer...I thought he had to be crazy.

After the beach we went to the Loggerhead Turtle Rescue. We got to see the turtles that they have rescued and nursed back to health. Who doesn't love a turtle?

We arrived there right after they opened. It didn't take long for this place to get busy. So we moved on to our next adventure. Back in the truck and off to Busch Wildlife Rescue. We have been here before too but it's free to get in and they have lots of animals to enjoy. You can't go wrong with that. I brought my camera here and spent a lot of time getting the perfect shot. So I will share some of them with you. Believe me I took plenty.

Bobcat

Bald Eagle

Turtle with a moss coat

Smiling Alligator

We sure had a great time wondering the grounds and enjoying all the critters. We recommend this place for sure...it's a great time with plenty to see.


Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday- These are our work days. Usually we start around 7:30 am, and normally are finished at 1 or 1:30 depending one when the campers leave. It's been different this year. seems we have more people leaving more often. That or there stays are shorter. We did finally get a break from the wind. It seemed really weird walking out and it seemed so calm. I had a weird dizzy spell on Wednesday but it didn't last long. We have really got in to a nice schedule. It is nice that everyone does there job and everyone gets along. We have great volunteers here.

Friday March 10- We had a big day planned out. First we went for breakfast at Time To Eat. We both love this place. It's got anything you could want, it's reasonable, and the service is good. Then we headed out to Trapper Nelson's. It is part of the park but to drive to it you have to leave the park. You can take a boat to it from the park. We are going out to see the volunteers there, Kip and Amanda. They promised to give us a behind the scene tour. It is kind of a interesting drive to get there. The last leg you have to have keys to open the gate, and drive on primitive road, kind of a path.

Then in the distance we spotted it the Starship Enterprise...that' what another volunteer named there HUGE rig. We knew we were in the right place. They gave us a tour of there home and we met there dogs. Then we loaded up on there golf cart for our tour of this wonderful place.

They drove us around and showed us all the neat hidden little areas that most never get to see. It was a wonderful way to see everything.

After touring the area that most don't see we went back to the area where most do get to see and looked there. It was a pretty day and we enjoyed ourselves a lot. We even had a visit from a manatee.

To our surprise when we got back to there rig they said they were going to start lunch. We hadn't planned on that.  It was so good. We really thanked them for the hospitality and the amazing tour. We will be back. Thanks again Kip and Amanda.

We didn't expect to be gone that long but it was great. We made our way back home to tend to our dogs.

Saturday March 11- Today was a beauty of a day. The wind is back to normal, but it is pretty warm. I did the laundry and Jeff washed the truck. We had company over for a visit. Don and Karen came over about 3:30. Then we loaded up and went to Tiki 52. Went for drinks and live music. It seems like everyone had the same idea. Parking was hard to find. When we went in it wasn't packed like we thought. It seems the weather is perfect for boating today and this place is located in the Blowing Rocks Marina. It still was busier than we had seen it. We lingered there a bit than on to get supper. We went to Crafty Crust Pizza. This place is small and last time we waited 30 minutes for a table. Not this time we walked right in and found a booth. It was good and so was our company.

It was an early night but we have to spring forward tonight. We made sure to change the clocks before going to bed.


Sunday March 12- Boy morning sure rolled around quick. We had to be at church early today to greet. We made it with time to spare. So glad we went always leave way happier than you arrive. The rest of the day was spent hanging around here. We got a little rain in the afternoon. Haven't seen much of that this winter. Til next time.........