Repair Work Takes Patience

Monday February 4- Cloudy day this morning. Jeff had to go to the hardware store to get a plug for the gas line that feeds the hot water heater. Right now we have the propane turned off. So when we plug it we can use our stove while waiting for our new hot water heater. I will be roughing it, using the shower house for a bit. When Jeff got back I took off. I needed to get prescriptions and run a few errands. I made supper and hung around here the rest of the day.

Tuesday February 5- Well its the start of our work week and it was a good day. No big problems and the campers were timely in leaving there sites. It's warming up and the sun was out today. While we were out today we invited Tom and Michelle over for a drink. They brought there friends Ken and Janna. We sat outside and visited a bit. Tom and Michelle are leaving tomorrow so we told them we would see them next year. They left to go out for dinner.

After our company left I left to walk up to the Pinegrove pavillion to our rock painting party. Oh did I mention that we all brought finger foods to share? Ranger Jane is the pro at this. She brought all her painting supplies. She had a lot of stuff...paint, markers, etc etc etc. We had a nice group show up. It was rather fun.

This was a fun time and I think we have some artists in the group. I think my grand daughter Hailey would really love to do this. So I will probably have to get some supplies for her and I.

Wednesday February 6- It was a real pretty morning. The winds are low and the temps are more seasonal. We had a good day at work again. I'm getting used to this.

After work we drove to the other side of the park. Down to the river area. We just went to look around and do some exploring. It is really pretty there. They have a concession area, bike, kayak and boat rentals. They have really nice picnic areas and lots of paths to roam around on. Miss Ruby came with and explored as well. Here are some pictures of what we saw.

We decided to head towards home. On the way we spotted a couple along the road with a big camera and binoculars. We stopped to see what they were looking at. There was a bald eagle nest. There is one baby and the mother or father was standing guard. I didn't have my camera just my phone. It was so far away that a picture didn't really work....I tried.

You can just barely see the huge nest in the dead tree. I will be back with my camera, that's for sure. Oh just a little update on our hot water heater...it is on the way, suppose to be here on Friday.

Thursday February 7- Last day of work. Jeffrey and Maren made it back to the park late last night. While we were working I received a text from Lynn. She and her husband stopped by a couple weeks ago while riding there bikes through the park. We got to talking and they had lots of questions about full time rving. Well we invited them in to look at our rig but asked them to excuse the crappy couch. Well she was texting me to see if we wanted her old love seat. They are getting something new and are going to give it away. She sent a picture and the measurements. Well after talking about it Jeff and I decided to take it and hope it would fit in the door. We got Jeffrey to come with after work to pick it up. Well when we got it back and brought it in we were both very pleased. It looks good, it matches, and Miss Ruby loves it too. What a deal. Things are starting to look up.

To celebrate we went for pizza with Jeffrey and Maren. They just got back but have to leave tomorrow. So we made our way to Crafty Crust for supper. But before that we made our way back down to the eagle nest to show them...I brought my camera but we didn't have much time. I will go back when I have more time.

A parent standing guard

look close....baby eagle in there

 We had a nice supper and caught up with Jeffrey and Maren. It was a nice evening.

Friday February 8- It's cleaning day around here. I walked down to do the laundry. We stayed around here most of the day. Jeff is waiting for the hot water heater, we also have a package from Amazon arriving today. While he was waiting for the packages, Jeff decided to get rid of our old love seat. He
 had quite the time tearing it apart for removal.

 When they finally got here it was very late in the day. We picked up our packages as we left the park. We went to get fuel and the fittings we will need to install the new hot water heater. Instead of coming home we stopped at Blue Point to get a bite to eat and to listen to some live music. Our dinner was good and as we were waiting for the music to start a group from Jonathan Dickinson showed up so we joined them for a bit. The music was really good. It was 2 guys, they even had a drum. That is kind of unusual. The singers name was Jason Colannino. They did a wonderful job.

Saturday February 9- Today is the day....we are going to tackle installing the new hot water heater. Well the fittings we got yesterday were the wrong thread. So we had to go back and get them replaced before starting. Well this simple project turned into a little more than that. The problem here was the little bitty space we are working in. It was nearly impossible to get in there to do anything. Well after getting the right size fittings we put it in. It is a really tight fit. Then Jeff went to fill it up and it leaks. He watched to see where it was leaking from. We had to drain it and pull it out to work on the fittings. I think we did that 2 times. Then he wanted me to reach in and get the electrical box....well guess what, its wedged in and can't stay like that. So again we drain it and try to reach it....I got it. Then filled it up and it looks like it is not leaking. Jeff went outside to put the board on and the trim piece. Well it moved somewhere in the process. So one more time we will have to drain it. We are going to wait til tomorrow. On a positive note, I took a shower here and could do the dishes without boiling water first. It was wonderful.

While Jeff was working on the hot water heater I cleaned out the car. Then I had a visitor come across our driveway. Sorry, I don't like snakes.

We had planned to meet some of the volunteers down at the concession area for happy hour at 2. With all of our set backs we were a bit late. Better late than never.

Sunday February 10- Up and off to church. Some of our visiting campers came today. Rita and Frank were there. We told them about the service but we had already sat down when they arrived. After church came home and I made breakfast. Then back to the hot water heater. We got it in and turned it on with electric. It didn't leak, it heated the water, we was thinking success. Then Jeff went to put the frame around the outside. It had moved and he couldn't get everything lined up. So guess what? We had to drain it so we could move it in to proper position. The only thing we haven't done is try it using propane. We are on a happy note so we thought we would wait and do it tomorrow. We had a surprise visit. Don and Debbie Reach stopped by for a visit. They were our neighbors on volunteer road a couple times. They aren't here this year but it was nice catching up with them. Hailey, our grand daughter had a gymnastics meet today in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Katie, he mom kept us up on her scores. She also sent some videos so we could watch her. She really improved this time on the bars. We are very proud of her. We have really watched her improve. It so fun to watch.



Monday February 11- Well today we finished up the hot water heater. It works on propane too. We are so over this project. I did a load of laundry and ran to Aldi's. We went for a walk with Ruby and we stopped by to talk to Priscilla and Peter. They frequent the park. We invited them over for coffee later on this afternoon. We had some rain on and off this afternoon and evening. Our friends showed up and we had a nice visit.

Peter and Priscilla

Tuesday February 12- Back to work. It was suppose to rain but it held off. Don't think we will be that lucky tomorrow. I made some valentine cookies for the volunteer potluck tomorrow.

Wednesday February 13- Well it is suppose to rain all day. We looked at the radar and there is no way we will miss this rain. We decided to drive our car today, instead of our electric cart. We didn't want to get  wet. In between work and breaks I made cheesy hash browns for the potluck. We came back home for a coffee break and Miss Ruby decided to join in on the coffee break.

The rain continued all day and didn't stop for our steak and shrimp potluck. We had a good crowd and the food was good. I was surprised with the crowd. It is always fun to get together.

Thursday February 14- Happy Valentines Day!! We worked today and boy you can always tell when it has rained all day here. The next day everyone comes out of there rigs and are ready to visit. Another bonus was it was so bad yesterday that nobody came out to use the shower houses. They were the cleanest I've ever seen. We were just finishing up the last shower house and came out to see a guy walking with a bird on each shoulder. Well we definitely had to ask about that. So we met Chico and Prince. Chico is not crazy about girls but Prince was very friendly.

After work we stopped by Ken and Mary's. We are going to Carlin Park amphitheater tonight to watch a Chicago tribute band. We got there early but so had a whole bunch of others. It was really quite full already. We saw Ron and Ann, they are volunteers at the park too. We sat our chairs down by them and watched more and more people come in. It was crazy busy. The band was really good. The weather was really good too. It was a perfect night...a lot of fun.

The show started at 7 and went to 9. They have strict noise ordinances here so they need to stop right at 9. We left a bit early to avoid the traffic. We got out of there with no problem.

Friday February 15- It was a busy morning. I needed to defrost the freezer because my ice maker is froze up. I also did some general cleaning. Really nice day so I sat outside a bit. We are suppose to meet a group of volunteers in Stuart for a sunset cruise on the Island Princess. We went a bit early because we didn't get our tickets ahead on line. We went to the tiki bar at the Marriott, that's where you depart from. We ran in to Mike and Pam, volunteers at Jonathan Dickinson.

We headed down the boat to meet up with the other volunteers. We had 14 of us. We boarded the boat and was ready to enjoy. It cost $28.00 per person. It was a sunset sail. We boarded at 4 and set sail at 4:30 with returning at 6:30. They did have some snacks available to purchase along with drinks. They also had some snacks for everyone to enjoy. The boat trip was narrated for the first part. It was a nice evening. Here are a few pictures of who went and what we saw.

We had a great evening. Jeff and I headed for home but we stopped at 5 Guys for a french fry to share on the way home. Best fry's in a really long time....we should have gotten a large fry.

Saturday February 16- Another busy day. We have had such weird weather that we haven't many chances to go to the beach. This morning the weather was perfect for that. So Jeff and I loaded up our chairs and headed to Coral Cove beach. We got there late morning. It wasn't really windy and not smoking hot. It was a great day. The water was pretty calm. I looked for more shells and even the water felt warm. It was a nice morning.

While we were there we waited to hear how Hailey did at her gymnastic meet. We were very excited that today she got her first, first place on the beam. She was very excited. She got 5th on the floor routine, and 6th all around. She was very proud and so were we. Way to go Hailey!!

Well that was a pretty big day but we still had one more event planned for the day. We are heading over to Wellington to listen to a Foreigner tribute band. We left early and had supper at Outback. It was a perfect dinner. Everything was cooked right and very tasty. We made our way over to the amphitheater. We had never been to this one before. It has a really nice set up. You bring your own chairs, coolers and snacks. If you don't want to they also have lots of food trucks you can enjoy. The band started a bit late. They actually did an hour of Bad Company music with a break then they did Foreigner music. I thought they were really good but the lead singer spent to much time talking.

We left this show a little early to avoid the traffic as well. It was super easy to get out of there and home.

Sunday February 17- Boy I think all this running is starting to catch up with us. Off to church this morning. We had to get there early because we are greeting. We had an extra special message today. It was brought to us by both Ben and Melissa Pierce. It was really good. We even had a couple friends from the park come today. After church we headed back to the park. We had to get stuff ready for our life group lunch. We are having taco Sunday. Everything there was super good. It was nice to visit with new folks. We came back home and hung around the park. We got together with Maren and Jeffrey because they just got back to the park today. Wow what a couple of weeks. I don't think I can keep up this pace. We will see what comes.......til next time......

Winter Arrived in Florida

Before I start with my next 2 weeks of fun, I thought I would share some of my pictures of this awesome moon. I usually don't stay up that late but I just happen to be up when it was suppose to get started. I would go out and take some pictures then back in to warm up. I used my camera instead of my usual picture taker, my phone. I was happy with some of the pictures. It was a good thing I took lots, that way I had some good ones to share.


Monday January 21- It was really cold this morning. Our thermometer said 39....now compared to what they are getting up north, not that bad. We aren't up north, we are in south Florida and that it cold. I usually get my cleaning and laundry done on Monday's. Today was no different. I did that and more. I cut fabric for my binding on my newest quilt. Jeff didn't want to stay in all day so we went out to a movie. We went and saw Stan & Ollie. I really liked it, Jeff thought it was interesting but slow. I never realized how there career actually went. I used to watch them when I was little with my grandma Dodie. Now I know the rest of the story.

Tuesday January 22- Back to work and it was a chilly morning. It did warm up some so that helped. Work went smooth. I got a hold of the bank today and they cleared it so I could deposit our check. It even went smooth. Usually we have to jump through hoops or argue to get things done...not this. It was nice to have a problem solved without a big hassle. We are having a volunteer potluck tomorrow so I went a head and made my soup and brownies.


Wednesday January 23- It's hump day. Before we could get started at work, we had a meeting with the other hosts, the volunteer coordinator and Ranger Jane. We already have our training on cleaning but the others had not. Now everyone is on the same page. That kind of got us off our schedule a bit. We still got done in a timely matter. We ran to the grocery store after work. Our volunteer soup and chili cook off was to start at 5:30. Went up a bit early to help set up. We had a really good turn out. It was a super windy day but the wind did calm some for our dinner. Everyone was asked to bring soup or chili and a dessert. Then we brought muffin tins and put little plastic cups in them to try all the different soups. There were lots of different flavors for sure. It was a nice evening.

Thursday January 24-It was a warm one today. We have rain on the way. We got the first 2 shower houses cleaned and went around to see if anyone left early....nope. So back to refill our coffee. When we went back out that's when it started...rain, rain, and more rain. It wouldn't stop the rest of the day. Well it did stop after we were done working. Needless to say we got soaked. We cleaned up and went out for supper. Jeff had got online to look up where Jodi Gaines would be playing and he came up with this place. He looked up the menu and he was really excited about going. All the reviews were excellent, that doesn't happen very often. The restaurant is called Leftovers. We got there early because they are always busy. We sat at the bar seating that faced the kitchen. I loved it there because we got to watch the chef's at work. It was really interesting. Let me tell you the place was clean, the service was friendly, and the food was great. We will come back. I talked to our waiter and next time I know what we are going to try. He was very helpful. Here are a few pictures of the place, the beverages, and the food.

This place is unique and not very big. When we arrived it wasn't that busy but when we left they were in line to get in.


Friday January 25- Off today so I made breakfast. It was really windy outside but I went ahead and laid out my quilt to pin together. I really want to get started on quilting it. I used all the dive weights I could find to hold it in place. I got it done. We had company coming for dinner but those plans changed. Our friends that just arrived have to leave for a family emergency. We did have time to visit a bit and have a quick happy hour.

Saturday January 26- Suppose to be a rainy day today. Jeff didn't want to stay here all day again. We decided to drive to Port St. Lucie. We went to La Mesa RV. We just wanted to look at 5th wheels. You need to know what is available in case something happens to yours. Then we looked at C-class units too. If we ever land in a home again we both know that we don't want to be in Iowa for the winters. It was fun looking and seeing what is out there.

We did leave without a new unit...now we were hungry so we stopped at Outback for lunch. We haven't been to this one and it was a good one. Our food was perfect.

When we got home we stayed in cause the weatherman was right. It was rainy and gray.
Hailey has a meet at 6 so we waited to hear from them on how she did. They sent me videos on each apparatus. She did really good. She got 4th on beam, 4th on the vault, tied for 3rd on floor and placed 4th overall. She just keeps getting better, yeah Sis!!

Sunday January 27- It started raining last night and I mean raining. When we got up it was pouring. We waited as long as we could to take out the dogs. It wouldn't quit. We ended up going to the second service at church. Still raining. We came home and stayed in all day long. It just rained and rained and rained. It was a super long day. It felt like winter so we had a winter meal. I made homemade chicken noodles. They tasted really good.

Monday January 28- We are filling in for Steve today so it is a work day for us. After all the gray and rain I actually saw the sun peek through this morning. We only had to do half the park so after cleaning our 2 shower houses I went back and made a cake. It's Mary's birthday and we are having burgers and hot dogs at Ken and Mary's with a side of cake. It was a chilly day. Went down to Ken and Mary's about 5, they had a fire going. Ken made burgers on the grill, I got my weinie stick our and did some cooking over the fire. Boy those hot dogs were good. It was a fun evening.....Happy Birthday Mary!

Tuesday January 29- Another day at work. It was cool again but the sun felt warm when it came out. The wind was really cool. After work I got to sit outside in my chair and enjoy the nicer weather. We just stayed in and had supper. When I took Miss Ruby outside tonight to go potty I heard the weirdest noises in the grass behind our rig. It was weird enough that I kept her far away from the grass.....definitely creepy


Wednesday January 30- Jeff had to try and make a reservation today for Jonathan Dickinson. We have a couple days in between a reservation and when we start volunteering here. Well it didn't go good. Maybe we can get on our volunteer site early????? Went to work and it looks to be a busy one. We have had it so good. Not only do we have more sites, but we have more campers shuffling around from site to site. When we finished work the clouds rolled in and the temperatures dropped. Oh the weird noises were loud again tonight.


Thursday January 31- Last day of the month. That's one month down. We are working again today, 4th day in a row for us. Its not the work but this cool, grey, wet weather making it long. It is a little warmer today with a slight chance of rain. Well we got 2 shower houses done before the slight chance of rain turned into a down pour that wouldn't stop. It made it very difficult to get everything done. After we finally finished we just stayed in and dried off the rest of the night.


Friday February 1- A brand new month and it looks like the rain is not going away. Jeff and I went out for breakfast at First Watch. It was just ok. Then we did some of our errands. Had to go to Walmart. Then I went to the quilt store to lift my spirits. Jeff dropped me off and ran to Home Depot. I found this fabric that I couldn't quit thinking about. I decided I needed to purchase it. I found a pattern and so now to purchase it. The lady was very helpful. I don't need to have any leftover fabric. So I left with this fabric and full of excitement. Ready to finish what I'm working on and get started on the next one.

We got a movie to watch before heading back. It rained hard most of the day. We decided to head up to Harry and the Natives for a bite of supper. They had music tonight, Jodi Gaines. I told Jeff these girls are going to think we are stalking them. Our food was ok at best. The music on the other had was really good. We ran into some campers there that we had met a previous year. They said hi and we visited with them a bit.

Ashton, our grandson is in Minnesota at a hockey tournament. His first game is tonight...10:30 our time....Let's go Blizzard!!!!

Saturday February 2- Well there game last night ended in a 1-1 tie. Katie said the boys seemed tired. Well after going to school during the day, a 3 hour car ride and a 9:30 game time, I get that. Today for me I started it off with laundry, and well a beauty of a sunrise. My best friend called too. Then Jeff went to make breakfast. When he was getting the pan he needed he noticed a weird smell. Then he heard a weird noise. Well under that cabinet is the hot water heater. He did some investigating, we have a problem. It looks like it is either a fitting that has come loose or we have a crack or pin hole in the water heater. Well it has been leaking for a while. So all the insulation under the rig is all wet. We just replaced the insulation up front from another leak. Jeff did a lot of researching to see what he needs to do next. More to come on that. The sun did come out today which was a great thing. I was sitting outside and noticed my turtle neighbors came out. I grabbed my camera and got some pictures. There were 2 of them. These critters look prehistoric. I love them.

Now back to the hockey update. Ashton had 2 games today. The first one was at 11:30. They won that one 4-2. Then they played again at 5:30. This one they took  4-3. Boy I wish I could watch them play. They will be playing for the championship tomorrow at 12:30.....Go Blizzard!!!


Sunday February 3-We greet at church this morning so we had to get there earlier than usual. It was warmer today. We were suppose to go to our small group lunch today but since our hot water heater is causing us such problems. Jeff wanted to get home and get that thing out and see if its got a leak or if it just in the fitting. Well lets just say that thing didn't just slide out. It was a very tight fit with wires and a gas line to deal with. Well as Jeff was working we were joined by some of the neighbors. They are also the volunteers here. It turned in to quite an event.

Well first he got the thing out of there. Then we had to make sure we had pictures so we will know how to put it back in. So we got the thing set up so he could test it to see if there was a crack or a pin hole in the tank. It would have been a lot cheaper if it was the fittings but it wasn't. It has a little hole in one of the welds. So now Jeff will have to get a new one ordered tomorrow. Now we will not have any hot water for a few days. We don't have the propane either. Jeff had to shut it off until he can get a plug for the gas line to the hot water heater.  So I guess we will be roughing it until we can everything fixed up. Sure am happy this park has wonderful shower houses. I sure hope we have as much help when we go to put it back together. Hopefully it will be a smooth process. Until next time....