Newly Coiffed Buddy

I grabbed this photo of Buddy before we went for our morning walk. He wasn't too impressed about being on the picnic table either. He's saying to himself," I hate this scarf!. Take the damn picture so I can empty my bladder already."

Managed a little swim this morning but decided to took a break from pickleball today. Nothing like a little variety. Supper is around the fire ring in the Outback area tonight. Beer, pop and hot dogs supplied by Tanglewood with the rest contributed by local residents.

Less than a week now before Chris arrives for another visit. We'll be having Christmas dinner with our good friends, Jim and Jane, in Peace River.

Tornado Watch

Tanglewood awoke to dark, ominous skies this morning with gusting winds. Definitely no pickleball or swimming on the agenda today. Buddy and I went for our morning stroll and saw several people taking down their awnings and storing outside things away. Local TV weather issued a tornando watch until about 2 pm, so I decided to take down our awnings and store everything. I even took my bike apart and put it in the back of the Vue. No point in leaving it outside to get soaked. The skies opened up around 10 am and it basically rained steady until mid afternoon. Buddy and I hunkered down and watched the local weather but thankfully, no actual tornados were reported.

While inside and cooped up, I took some pictures of Buddy at 6400 ISO with my new camera, just to see how the higher ISO settings worked. I think this shot worked out pretty well, all things considered. No flash was used, available light only.

Slim Pickins

No........not the old western movie star!

I'm referring to the amount of furniture left in the old place. Between what we have sold already, what Chris is keeping for her place and what friends and relatives have taken......there ain't much left!! All this is really great too because it "should" makes our packing, loading and moving days at the end of July go quite smoothly. I am reserving judgement on that one until all is said and done. More things going later today as well.

We recall a comedy routine by Jeff Foxworthy entitled "You know you're a Redneck when......" He gives a list of indicators that are quite funny. One of his endings referred to having lawn furniture set up in your family room. Well, we certainly have that and more besides!!! Or should that be less? We thought it was hilarious.

Anyway things are going well. My sister in law, Karen and her husband, John are in town for the weekend. They are sleeping on a queen size inflatable bed which we bought at Walmart. It has a motor that pumps it up in about 3 minutes and they both slept very well on it. The bed cost about $60 and comes in its own carry bag making for easy storage too. Great for company.

Karen and John have agreed to take Buddy for us, for a month to begin with. We can't keep him in the inlaw suite with us and it made no sense to set up the RV and maintain two residences, just so Buddy would have a place to sleep. They head home today with a load of our stuff in their van. Our son will run Buddy over to them at the end of the month when he moves to London, Ontario. Chris and I will head over to Hanover around August 10 for 5 days while she is on days off from CHEO. We'll be able to check on our things in storage and see some more family as well.

Still lots to do but we are getting there, one step at a time.

Fanshawe Friends

We packed up from Thousand Trails and headed back to Lazydays in Tampa. Our levellers still weren't working properly but we managed to disble the alarm buzzer before we left so at least the drive was quieter than it would have been otherwise. Our control panel is mistakenly reading our jacks to be in the down position when in fact they are fully retracted. As soon as I put our Bounder in gear, an alarm goes off. More of a nuisance than anything else. We parked in Lazydays' lot around 2 pm this afternoon and are to be first in the shop tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed.


We unhooked the Saturn and took a short drive over to Happy Traveller RV Park to see the gang we met up in London, Ontario last summer. They haven't changed much and are a really fun group. We gratefully accepted a completely unexpected invitation to stay for supper. We enjoyed a great afternoon chatting about all kinds of things. Buddy was getting a little hungry and we hadn't brought any of his food with us. He sat in my lap most of the afternoon and I decided to see if he would like one of those mini Ritz cheese cracker sandwiches. As you can see in the picture, it sat on his lip for more than a few minutes. Once I put him on the ground, he ate in right away. Nice picture, I thought.

After helping clean up dishes, we headed back to Lazydays for another night camped in their parking lot. We had lots of room this time and parked with all our slides out. May as well be comfortable, right?

Weather and Worms!!!

We spent yesterday around the preserve waiting for the mobile repair service to come back and finish the job on our front air conditioner. By lunch time we still hadn't heard anything so I called them. The replacement capacitor was to be ordered last Friday and here to install on Monday or Tuesday of this week. Turns out the part won't even be here until next Monday. I told the service that I was very displeased with that but there was nothing they could do about it. We'll wait to see if it shows up next Monday. I also called Lazydays in Tampa and had them add the front air conditioner to our list of service items scheduled for March 6th. They have the part in stock.

Weather warnings were the issue of the day yesterday. We swam in the morning because severe thunderstorms and heavy rain were forecasted for late in the afternoon and overnight as well. We packed up most of our outside items and also retracted our awnings waiting for the storms. Things started around 6 pm with some spectacular lightning shows well past midnight. We are not under any trees where we are, so there was no danger of a tree falling on us. Yesterday, temps were in the mid 80Fs. Today and tomorrow, we'll be lucky if we get to 60F! Think this will be a good day to do a little shopping.

We also found that Buddy does in fact have worms. Saw them in his stool yesterday morning. We managed to get him into a local vet who diagnosed tape worms. Buddy is on Front Line and Avantage now which will protect him from any further worms, ticks, fleas, etc and also help expel the tape worm over time. The vet thinks Buddy likely ingested a flea which had a tape worm in it. But there is nothing to worry about. He still has plenty of energy and does his nice little dance at meal time.

Swimming

Chris went for a power walk around the inside of TTN Orlando yesterday morning while I swam 2500 metres. It was a little overcast but the water was fine and I had the pool to myself except for about the last 10 minutes of my swim. First time in the water in almost a month and it felt pretty good. Chris came in for a swim afterwards and then we both enjoyed the hot tub for a few minutes.

After a bit of lunch, we joined Travis and Dee Dee, some friends we met in Peace River, for some fun doubles matches in pickle ball. Dee Dee is just learning the game and doing very well. Travis has been playing for years and is a fountain of information on anything related to pickle ball. We played for just over an hour. They had to start packing up for their trip back to Peace River this morning. We sat outside for a bit in the afternoon and then I went back to play pickle ball again with the usual 3-6 pm crowd. Chris decided that once a day was plenty of pickle ball for her.

The pickle ball schedules in Peace River is a little different than here in Orlando. Peace River has two slots every day beginning at 9 am and 4 pm. Anyone can play during these times. There is also a beginner time slot on the schedule for those who have never picked up a paddle and ball before. Orlando has separate time slots for beginner, intermediate and advanced caliber players. Players are left to self assess their own abilities and slot themselves accordingly. In our experience, the Peace River schedule lends itself towards a more social atmosphere, while Orlando, on the other hand, leans more towards the competitive side of the game.

We took a nice stroll with Buddy around the preserve this morning and stopped in to see his groomer. I had examined his stool several times over the last few days since being told he had worms, and could not see any sign of worms in it. Turns out the groomer said he had worms on his skin while she brushed him out. I checked him out thoroughly and could not find any signs of worms. I'll have to keep a close eye on him for the next few days. He is is usual energetic self, so I suspect we are looking at a false alarm.

Clear, blue skies here today and about 82F. We put out our awning with our new sun shade this morning and are enjoying a relaxing day outside reading and computing. No sign of snow just yet but it is supposed to get colder for two days laser this week.

Rain in Florida???? Say It Isn't So!!!

Yes, it is true! 80F today, but it has been raining heavily off and on all day so far. Well, at least we don't have to shovel the rain.


Buddy had his day at the groomer's this morning. Fran Davis is an RVer in this park who has owned 4 Bichons herself and also used to have her own grooming salon at one time. Fran did an excellent job on coiffing Buddy while we both ducked out for a little shopping. He looks like a million bucks now. Unfortunately though, we found out from Fran that Buddy has worms and that is despite the once a month Sentinel medication we received from our vet in Ottawa before heading south last November. Fran recommended a good vet nearby, so we will contact them on Monday and see if we can get Buddy in for an appointment. He is still full of energy and certainly has not lost any of his appetite.


I have placed a "Call Me" button in the right margin. The idea here is that readers can click the button, input their name and number and the call will be directed to my cell phone. I have set it so all calls go directly to voicemail. Voicemails can then be pasted into the blog if need be. This could be used as a verbal comment system instead of having to type comments. Just thought I would try it out and see how it works. GrandCentral which is owned by Google is betatesting this feature at the moment.


So it is a dull and wet day here. Chris is baking chocolate chip cookies in our convection oven. Looks like I shall be the guinea pig.....again....its a tough life!

Busch Gardens

The four of us took in Busch Gardens on Friday. A very interesting park with some awesome rollercoaster rides including Sheikra. The picture here shows the cars hanging over a drop off at the top of the ride. We were in the front car when we did it and you are 160 feet up in the air. They stop the car right at the edge and let you hang for about 5 seconds, contemplating your fate, before they let you go. Your feet are hanging free as well because there is no floor. Just a shoulder harness to hold you in place. The ride only lasts about 40 seconds but we were hitting speeds of 65 mph with all the drops and turns. Lots of screaming on this ride!

We spent the entire day at BG and I think we hit most of the rides including an old wooden rollercoaster. Chris and I found that one the hardest on our bodies. Lots of bumps and jarring of the neck. We were glad that ride was over. We spent some time on a 3/4 scale steam train touring the park and seeing all the wild animals as well. Lots of elephants, rhinoceros, flamingos, giraffe, water buffalo, gorillas, etc.

This is a photo of our ride. I decided to take a picture of a picture instead of paying $20. Note the relaxed expression on my face. Not sure how that happened! The kids did Sheikra again later in the day, but once was enough for us.

We bought tickets that are good for a year at no extra charge, so Chris and I will likely return to BG again at the end of March when we return to Tampa to have some work done on the motorhome.

There is also a skyride which offers an aerial view on the park. Gondolas on a cable take you over just about everything. We saw these rhinos from the air. The was a rhino rally offered as well, which is a off road vehicle ride through the animal habitats but unfortunately the lines were too long for us to do it. Perhaps next time.

We brought Buddy with us and boarded him right at the kennel at BG. It cost $6 which we thought was quite reasonable.

Yesterday, the kids went back to Disney, downtown area and spent the day. There were tornado warnings last night beginning around supper time which made for an interesting time. No funnel clouds materialized anywhere but temps have dropped from high 70s yesterday afternoon, to only 60F today. But at least the sun is out.

Looks like we are headed for Universal Studios today.

Pickleball in Orlando

It rained last night and on and off most of today.

We took a drive to the Nike Outlet Mall on Vineland Drive about 30 minutes from here this morning. The skies looked like they were going to clear, so we dropped Matt and Sarah at Disney MGM around noon while we headed back to the campground. We'll pick them up at Epcot later tonight.

Chris and I had a great afternoon playing pickleball with Charlotte and Larry. Nothing too strenuous as the footing was a little slippery on the wet courts, but lots of fun none the less. We played for two hours, alternating partners as we went. Lots of time to practice shots and strategy. The courts here are actually lined in red paint on the tennis court surface and offer quite a bit of traction even when wet, unlike the courts at Peace River which are smooth concrete.

We saw this little guy sitting on the sidewall of our right front tire when we got home. It is a "stick" bug. I saw this on National Geographic Channel awhile back. It is similar to a Preying Mantis but bigger and its skin looks like a tree branch. It sits on a branch, blending in, awaiting its prey. Also known as a bug!

One little bit of comic relief today. Well, I thought it was funny..... We had left Buddy at home while out with the kids this morning. Upon our return to the motorhome, we saw that Buddy had found Sarah's candy she purchased at Disney yesterday. I think he ate two pieces. Chris was not amused. Buddy is still in dog house......and we don't have one! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink............ Bad dog!

Still at Bee's........ Until Tomorrow

We are still in the overflow site which is not really that bad and for only $8 a night, one really shouldn't complain. We have met two of our neighbours. Both are from Illinois and are also in overflow and paying over $20 a night! I think I would have some issues with that arrangement but that is their affair and not mine.

Yesterday, we took a run south to Kissimee to get haircuts. After all, we have to look presentable for the arrival of our guests on Monday. We went back to the same salon we tried before during our last stay in Orlando. We also stopped in at Thousand Trails to pick up some mail that was waiting for us. I finally got my new cell phone back from repair at HTC. It had quit working the day before we left Ottawa to head south. I think they just sent me a new phone. I also received a new remote sensor and circuit board for our Progressive Industries surge protector. Basically, the surge protector checks the quality of electricity drawn from the campground electrical post. If it is not satisfactory, the protector will not let the power through into our motorhome. The unit was over $500 but is good insurance against having all our electronics zapped by lightning or a bad post. So far we have encountered no bad posts in any of the campgrounds we have stayed. The remote sensor actually gives me a read out of how many amps, hertz, etc we are drawing at any one time. Certainly better than frying $8000 worth of electronics like I have heard happening on various RV wes sites.

We returned to Bee's yesterday afternoon in time for the all-you-can-eat fish fry dinner at the Honey Pot Restaurant. We dined with the Crawleys from California who were our neighbours in Peace River for two of our three weeks there. The Honey Pot is located right at Bee's RV Resort so we didn't have to drive anywhere. People come from all over to eat here as well.

This morning started with a nice walk with Buddy. Then we left his Highness in the motorhome while we went for a nice run on the natural trail running around the perimeter of Bee's. He seems to be settling in to life in the motorhome and is not barking as much as he used to when we started. I think he knows when the bark collar is on and just decides to keep quiet. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

We then headed over to The Groves at Winter Garden Village for a little shopping. We picked up a set of queen size sheets for the sofa bed as well as a few bits of linen and towels. Car wash on the way back to Clermont. Best car wash I have ever seen. It had about 20 angled parking stalls with free vacuuming stations. There was even a vacuum machine that cleaned your floor mats. Worked like a computer printer, only instead of paper being fed in one end and out the other end, you feed the floor mats in one at a time. Pretty slick!

Once we got to Bee's, we lazed around under our awning and watched the world go by. Chris kept busy practicing her newly learned hobby of making pine needle baskets. It is a native American art form she learned at Peace River. Nothing fancy yet, but she is getting quite good at it. I read some RV magazines until the skies opened up and we both moved back inside for the evening.

Tomorrow, we head for Thousand Trails in Orlando for 3 weeks. We hope to be on the road by 11:30 am after we fill up our propane tanks before leaving here. If all goes well, we'll be set up in lots of time and ready to play pickleball tomorrow evening.

Around Peace River

Yesterday was spent running errands and getting things set for Christmas. I must admit that it is very strange to see Christmas decorations, hear carols, etc. with no snow on the ground anywhere. Finding it a bit difficult getting into the Christmas spirit too. We blitzed into the Super Walmart up the road from us and bought enough groceries to get us past the big day. Once back at the campground we also paid a visit to the vegetable man who visits twice a week. His produce is great and so are his prices.

Yesterday afternoon, we tried pickleball for the first time. It is played on a court much like a tennis court with a net across the middle. Paddles are made of wood or some kind of acrylic polymer and about the size of a racket ball or squash racket. The wiffle ball is the size of a tennis ball but made of hard plastic with holes and a hollow core. We batted the ball around for a bit by ourselves as we were the only ones there. Then another couple showed up to give us a few pointers as far as rules, strategy and technique are concerned. We had a lot of fun and got a very good workout at the same time. I don't think it will take too long to get the hang of it.

We noticed the campground is getting busier too. More people coming in throughout the day yesterday, but also some leaving this morning already. Still plenty of room though. We are trying to extend our stay here until January 10th if we can. We upgraded our Thousand Trails membership while in Orlando last week to the VIP level. That allows us 21days in all parks. Previously we were allowed 14 days in and then we had to stay out for 7 days before coming back into the system. Now, we can go 21 days at one park and then immediately into another park. Orlando and Peace River parks are classified as high use in the winter months though and all members are restricted to 14 days maximum. This is fair and enables more people to have a chance for a time slot as well.

The preserve is raising money to build a mini golf on the property and held a hotdog supper last night around the fire pit. We decided to support this effort and each got 2 hotdogs with chips and a soft drink for a grand total of $5.00. Can't beat that.

Buddy is settling in nicely at this park and has made many new friends, including another Bichon who is just a little younger than he is. He loves his walks and I am certain the warm weather is better on his old bones than the current and recent weather in Ottawa would have been had we wintered up there. While taking him for his walk this morning, I spotted these turkey vultures sitting in an dead tree covered in Spanish moss. There wasn't as many in the tree as we have seen. Hundreds of vultures flying around here in the afternoons most days too. Wonder if Buddy feels like a potential vulture snack?

Odd Visitor

The weather has been great since arrived in Florida in November. Rainfall is way down this year and some small ponds at the campground here have dried up. Shorts and T shirt is definitely the standard wear.

We enjoyed a great 4 mile run yesterday morning but the humidity was absolutely dreadful. I drank one bottle of water while running and finished another during our cool off walk. Daytime temps are around 80-83F, so the 2 A/C units in our Bounder have their work cut out for them for sure. In our experience, the Thousand Trail parks we have stayed in so far, all have 25m swimming pools which are not used that much this time of year. Great for some laps in the morning. Managed a 3000m swim the other day and then was invited to participate in some water aerobics with some senior ladies. They were wading in the same pool, moving to an aquasize instructional cassette playing on the deck. I politely declined, saying it was far too strenuous for me. We all got a laugh out of that.

You meet all kinds of great people in RV parks and many of them have pets. Dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, etc. Well this morning while out for a stroll, we were surprised to see the guy behind us put a ramp down his motorhome steps and then bring out a pot belly pig for it's morning nature call. At least 90 pounds on the hoof and he was a sweety. Seventeen years old and a little grumpy about having been awakened to go outside. Hmmm......, take 76 pounds off that and you have our bichon, Buddy, described to a tee. Hope you like the picture.

We've been following the Ottawa weather on our satellite and know about the storm warning presently in effect. Please drive safely everyone and we shall see you all again in the spring. For what it is worth, they are calling for rain and cold here tonight and tomorrow with daytime temps only in the 60s for the next few days. Hopefully we will still be in shorts!

Buddy the High Roller

Sunday was supposed to be our bike ride on the West Orange trail but we decided to put it off until Monday instead. Figured all the worker bees cycling on Sunday would be back to work on Monday, so less congestion on the trail. Besides, I had to put the Burley trailer together and then try it out with Buddy inside the campground, just to see if he was comfortable in it. The trailer went together easily. I hooked it up to the back of my mountain bike and did one loop of the campground with Buddy inside. He loved it!!! His bed is inside, so he has lots of padding and can lay down anytime he wants. Should be interesting to see how he likes it on the trail later today.





















We took another walk around the campground yesterday and checked out the nature trail again. This picture is of an interesting palm tree along the trail. I've never seen one quite like this before.

Then in the afternoon, we took a drive up Hwy 19 into Tavares and Leesburg which are about 10-12 miles away. Lots of orange groves along the way and lots of lakes too. Forgot the camera again!