Last 2 Weeks.......in JD

Monday April 1- Today we started the day off by going to the beach. We went to Carlin Park Beach. There weren't many people there, which was good. It was a warm one but the breeze picked up a bit. We hung around here a couple hours just enjoying the water, sun and sand. Well the sand isn't quite as enjoyable.

We left the beach around noon, so we decided to go give Blaze Pizza another shot. The last time we went here they lost my pizza. We were hoping for a better outcome this time.

Well our pizza's were great and they didn't loose mine or anything. We had a wonderful lunch. There pizza's are really good and you can build your own with so many toppings to pick from. They have different sauces, cheeses, and meat toppings. They have tons of different veggies too. I also love the blood orange lemonade.  After eating we made a couple more stops before coming home. We have to go back to work tomorrow.


Tuesday April 2- Back to work. It was a warm day today. We are down to 6 more work days left. Today went really well. We are noticing that the park isn't full every night like it was before. The snowbirds have started migrating back north. The other volunteer had a really busy weekend, with lots of campers leaving everyday. We didn't have those big numbers. I'm not complaining but I feel a bit guilty. We had some rain roll in later. Followed by this......If you look close you can see both rainbows.

Wednesday April 3- Not a lot to talk about today. We basically went to work, came home, cleaned up and hung around here. We are definitely ready to head north. It just feels different around here. A lot of the volunteers we have been with have already left. We have some new ones showing up too. This year they have had a lot of people cancel out on there volunteer positions. I hope they can get those positions covered.


Thursday April 4- Last day for the week, only 3 days left to work before making our way north. We had another fairly easy day finishing by 1 o'clock. It's a warm day and when we finished working I came home and sat outside in my swing chair. Before I knew it I had company, my 2 tortoise friends showed up to have a bite to eat. I will miss my critter neighbors when we go.

We went to Manatee Island to get supper and listen to Mikey B. They have the best specials there. They have happy hour from 3-6. During that time they have a section of the menu that is half price. Not only is it inexpensive, it is good. Did I mention the drinks are reduced too...win win. The service has been really good the times we've come too.

Friday April 5- Cleaning day, first started the laundry, then got cleaning the rig. I needed to clean the tops of the slides inside and the ceiling fan. You know cleaning those places you try to avoid.....I also cleaned the bathroom, mopping all the floors. It looks good for a minute anyway. I also ran to town to pick up a few groceries for things that are going on this weekend. We decided to go out to eat supper tonight. We decided to try The Catfish House. It's just up the road a bit. We arrived early and got a table right away. Right after we sat that's when the people really arrived. It filled up fast. We both ordered the sweet potato encrusted grouper. The meal included hush puppies, salad and another side. We both got a baked potato. Everything was real good. The service was good, the place was clean and everyone was pleasant. We will go back. While we were eating the rain rolled in and it just poured. It slowed a bit when we left. That was good since I left the umbrella in the car. Then we drove down the road to Harry And The Natives. We are meeting some of the volunteers here. Jodi Gaines is playing here tonight and we love listening to her. She was great as always. It was a fun night, even with the crappy weather.

Saturday April 6- This morning we hung around here. We had made plans to meet Ron and Ann at Jensen Beach today. They are volunteers here that have already left. They went to there condo at Jensen Beach. Well they called and asked if we wanted to meet them in Port Salerno and go to meet Horace and Quagmire? Well we said sure.....they gave us the address and we met them at 1. Well Horace and Quagmire are Galapagos tortoises. When we arrived Jeff and I was a bit confused. The guys live at a house. They are somebodies pets....who would have thought it. We went in the fenced in area and they came right up to ya. They loved that you would touch them and rub then necks. It was a hoot.

We couldn't believe how friendly and attentive they are. Then Ann tells us they have a couple young ones across the street so we went to see them. We met Sea Biscuit and Secretariat. They were pretty big but not a big as the parents. Ann hadn't seen them for awhile and she said they have grown since she last saw them.

Well I felt like that was a worthwhile stop. Then Ann tells us to come with her. She went into this 2 story garage like room. It was no garage it was a giant bird cage for there big birds. I have never seen a setup quite like that. Those birds got it made. They were beautiful to see as well.

Well then we got in the cars and drove to Jensen Beach. First we got to look at there condo, which is right on the beach. A beautiful view for sure. Then we walked up the beach to a restaurant called Shuckers. We had to wait for a table but we did it with style and with a drink in our hands.

We had a nice late lunch. We had better conversation, and the view well it was great. They had a band playing but we sat far enough from it that we could visit. Well then I heard the band playing uptown funk so Ann and I went up to dance. That was fun. It was a really wonderful day. We got to know Ron and Ann a bit better. We also got to celebrate Ann's birthday a day late with cupcakes. When they were at the park there volunteer position was at Trapper's and we didn't get to see them much. So next year we will get to know them even better. Thanks for inviting us over.

Sunday April 7- Off to Generation Church, it is our last Sunday here. We were greeters today. We said our good byes before we left. We are going to miss our Florida Church and especially our Florida Church family. After church we headed home. I needed to make my Italian dish for our small group lunch. I tried a new recipe and I think it turned out OK. We had quite the turn out today. Lots of people showed up. You never know how many will come. We had quite the feast. There was a lot of variety.

After eating and visiting everyone packed up there stuff and headed home. We took our leftovers home, took out the dogs and then left again. We went to The Square Grouper. The String Assassins are playing down there and let me tell you that place was packed. There was a whole lot of happy going on. We really had to look for a parking spot. We didn't find a place to sit because there wasn't one. We did find a pole to lean on though. Let me tell you this band is quite interesting and so much fun to watch. They definitely love what they are doing.

We stayed for a while then we went on home to tend to the pups. We had a very busy day. We are trying to end this gig on a high note.....One more week.....

Monday April 8- It looked like it was going to be a cloudy kind of a day. I took advantage of the washing machine today. Washing the quilts and sheets. We didn't want to be in the camper all day so we hit the road, making our first stop at the Hobe Sound Wildlife Sanctuary. It is free and has some critters on display. They had a very friendly volunteer manning the front desk that gave us plenty of information.

After looking around inside we stopped at the gift shop which was an excellent one. We made some purchases for the grand kids. Then we went outside and took the trail to the water to take a look. It was a very pretty view.

After leaving the beach we drove in to Stuart, stopping at Outback for lunch. Jeff thought that it sounded good. Well we ordered and our food was mediocre at best. The service was horrible. After we got our food we couldn't find our waitress. The manager went by and we asked him if we could get our check. I don't think we will be going back to that one again. We made one more stop at Aldi's before heading home. We spent the rest of the evening here with our pups. Took them for a walk after dinner. Back to work tomorrow for our last week.


Tuesday April 9- Hi ho hi ho it's off to work we go. It sounds like we have rain coming our way. We got busy cleaning the shower houses before that happened. When we came back to our rig for a break we see that there is something going on behind our camper. They are shooting a commercial about water filters for RV's. It was going on most of the day. The good news is the rain held off most of the day. When we finished our duties as hosts I started putting away some of our outside stuff. We also made some kabobs for supper, which were delicious. After dinner we went up to the Pine Grove Pavilion to play LRC....(left, right, center). We are meeting up with some volunteers. The last time we did this it was a blast and this time it was just as fun. We met some of the new volunteers and visited with those that we already knew.

It was a great evening, even though we didn't win.


Wednesday April 10- Back to work and today was a hot humid one. I didn't even have on a sweatshirt to start. Our work day went smooth and we finished by 1:30. When I got home I took apart my swing chair. Did some more cleaning. Just had leftovers for supper. One more work day.......

Thursday April 11- It was another warm one. Our last work day of the season. We had a lot of campers leaving today. We also had heat and plenty of sunshine. We came in the camper to cool off and take a break when I heard a thump on the back window. I looked up and saw some feathers flying. I went outside and found a little bird on the ground. He didn't look very good. I went to get Jeff and he picked him up and moved him out of the sun. At first he wouldn't lift his head, and his beak stayed open. We left him in the shade and come back to check on him later. When we came back his eyes looked better, he was holding up his head, and his beak was closed. I think he might be ok.

After we finished with work we cleaned up and left to go get a late lunch. We went to CG's for burgers and fries. We have heard good things about this place. We had a single burger, garlic parmesan fries, and a chocolate shake. All were so good. We should have tries this place earlier. We will be back for sure. They have all different sizes or burgers and many different fries. They have other sandwiches too. We were impressed.

On our ride home we stopped to get Ruby some dog food. Then one more store run before we leave. Then we came home to see that our injured bird was gone. So we are taking it that he just needed time to recover and then away he went. We are done for this day. Suppose to be a rocket launch tonight so we will watch for that. The launch happened and we went out to watch. We couldn't see anything. Thanks to Jeff's tablet we got to see it launch and all 3 boosters land. Now that is impressive.


Friday April 12- Friday is laundry and cleaning day. Jeff went to work checking the tires, putting away the tire covers. We are getting most of our stuff outside loaded up. I also had to rearrange some stuff in side for traveling. Jeff called Blueberry Hill RV to see if they have any spots. Well they do but don't take Passport America until May. First hiccup, so he called another RV place right across the street from there. We got a spot there for 1/2 the price as the other. We have never been here so we are hoping that it will be as nice. We had to run a errand to town to get some beer, (Yuengling ) then we made a last stop at The Blue Point Bar and Grill. It was a beauty of a day. Jeff had the fish taco's and me I had the chicken strips. It was a wonderful lunch and the view, well you tell me.

Saturday April 13- It is a scorcher out there today. We put away the last rug, the bikes, and the chairs. We did that before it got to hot. Then I made a big breakfast. Next we got ready to finish off our stay here with a bang. First we went to The Square Grouper to listen to Jodi Gaines. We always enjoy them and we have made quite a few of there shows. This time we found a parking spot and a great table to sit and enjoy the tunes. They were great as always.

After leaving we went back to the rig. We had to get Ruby, a cooler, chairs and some snacks. We are going to Seabreeze Amphitheater. The Petty Hearts are playing there at 7-9. We had made plans to meet Ann and Ron there. We also invited some of the volunteer to come. We found a awesome parking spot. Went and found us a spot to call our own. It was out of the sun. Then we see Ron and Ann had a spot, it was in the sun so Jeff waited a bit to join us. We were set up for a great evening.

The show was one of the bests ones yet. It was a bit warm when we first arrived. Then the sun went down and it was a beauty of an evening. The music was awesome. It was a great way to end our time here. We have had a wonderful time this year. We have seen some changes at the park and there are more coming next year. We are sad to leave everyone here but are ready to be back with our family. We are definitely missing them. We just hope the weather is ready to warm up in Iowa.  Tomorrow we start our journey north.

Sunday April 14- We both were up early and ready to get going. Jeff wanted to be gone by 8 a.m. We were hooked up and our way out of the park at 8:01. The traffic started off decent but it wasn't long before it got a bit crowded on the road. We haven't done this for awhile so we will take a while to get adjusted. It went fairly smooth until about 15 miles away from our destination. Jeff gave me a call and asked me if the tires on the trailer looked ok? It seems the tire pressure sensors set off an alarm, at the same time the kayaks on the roof had a loose seat strap flopping. Well I went up on the left side to look at the tires, they looked alright. Then Jeff moved to the center lane and I looked at the tires on the right side. They looked ok. I also told Jeff the strap on the kayak was making the noise. He still kept the speed down a little until we could look a little closer. Let me tell you those last 10 miles took a long time. We pulled in to Red Oaks RV Park and it looks like a good place to stay. We found us a spot and set up. Let me tell you it is really hot out there today. Almost 90 degrees. It took a while for the rig to cool down. We are in site #45. It is a pull through, with sewer, water and 50 amp. This place is huge and has cable. There are lots of things to keep you busy here too. The people we have seen have all been really friendly.

We settled in and I ran to fill up the car and get some stuff at Walmart before the rain arrived. While I was getting fuel, which I never do. I put in my bank card, first mistake. It was declined. That freaked me out. Well I used another card. Then went to Walmart. As I was walking in my phone rings, it a fraud alert. Well I had a hard time hearing them and they were asking about a few purchases on my card. Well I couldn't hear that well and I couldn't remember from a week ago either. So now I am in panic mode. Well I thought maybe it was just a fluke so I tried using my card in Walmart......declined. Oh great another thing to deal with. I got home and called them and it was cleared up, well I think so I haven't tried to use my card yet. She said it would be ok to use in just a minute so we will see. Now the lesson I have learned is never use your bank card, use a charge card instead. I think I will remember that.....that's it for this time. More traveling adventures to come.