Spent a second night in bay 12 because the after market tray they looked at putting in my second pull thru storage bay would not fit. Apparently, even though the actual tray itself is the same size as the OEM tray in the first storage bay, the two rails holding it to the floor are each 2 inches wider (4 inches total), ergo....it no fitty! My solution, which Lazydays has agreed to do, remove an OEM slide from another Tiffin model on the lot and install on my coach. I explained that Chris arrives tomorrow afternoon and I want our new coach set up at Rally Park before that. No problem was the answer. Guess we will shall see today. The bay is still pretty comfortable, though not much of a view.Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Lazydays...Bay 12.....Day 2
Spent a second night in bay 12 because the after market tray they looked at putting in my second pull thru storage bay would not fit. Apparently, even though the actual tray itself is the same size as the OEM tray in the first storage bay, the two rails holding it to the floor are each 2 inches wider (4 inches total), ergo....it no fitty! My solution, which Lazydays has agreed to do, remove an OEM slide from another Tiffin model on the lot and install on my coach. I explained that Chris arrives tomorrow afternoon and I want our new coach set up at Rally Park before that. No problem was the answer. Guess we will shall see today. The bay is still pretty comfortable, though not much of a view.Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Lazydays...Bay 12
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Lazydays.........Still!

We got back into Rallypark around 6 pm and quickly set things up again. While putting out the dining room slide I noticed something stuck to the side of it just above the bottom edge. Turned out to be a little frog. Look how well he camouflages and matches the colour of our slide. An unexpected hitchhiker.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Great Blue Herons
Had a chance to have a look through some more photos from the Venice Rookery yesterday. This pair of herons were busy adding twigs to their nest and going through the usual mating rituals. Neither seemed at all phased by the 3 or 4 photographers poking huge lenses towards them throughout the morning. The fellow below just sat and posed like a good fellow.
Tomorrow, I'm hoping to head up to Lake Wales to get my awning sunshade cut back in size just a little. The sunshade is a two piece model made by J+J Sunshade with the smaller top piece channeling into the furrow of the main awning roller. It hangs down about 2 feet from the awning when it is extended. I'd like to cut that back to about a foot if possible so that it can be rolled up inside the awning when retracted. Forgot to check if J+J will be open with the Easter weekend pending, so I'll have to call them first. Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Water Heater and Photography Connection
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Highland Hammocks State Park
We played pickleball again this morning. The Peace River gang came over to play, so Travis and I got to play a few games together before we partner up for the Tanglewood tournament. Some great games even in the wind and cold. Stan and Sally also came over for the first time. It was really great to see all the old gang again.
After lunch, I headed out to Hammond Hammocks State Park which is not far from Tanglewood. I walked a number of the trails over a 3 hour period. This is a very nice park and includes a campground. Some of the highlights of the park include a 1000 yr old live oak tree and several boardwalks over swamp area. Didn't see much in the way of wildlife, likely because of the time of day, early afternoon. Next time, I'll try early morning or just before dusk. The base of the oak tree is pictured above. It measures 36 ft around at the base. Note the brick reinforcement on the left side of the tree. Similar reinforcement is also present on the opposite side of the tree.This evening we had a fire ring in the Outback area of Tanglewood. The park provided refreshments, hot dogs and music. Residents brought their own condiments and snacks. Apparently, this fire wasn't as well attended as usual, likely because of the cool weather. We all had a great time though.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Water Heater
Friday, November 7, 2008
Settling In
Our water heater has been acting up since we left Canada. Propane works fine to heat the water but the electric option is not working. I called a local RV repair place and they came over around noon today to have a look at it. The tech found a burnt wire on the element at the rear of the tank which is very odd. The 15 amp circuit breaker protecting the heater has not tripped so something is definitely not right. The tech repaired the wiring but now we can't figure why there is no power past the breaker. He called Fleetwood and obtained a bunch of information from them. The tech will come back on Monday to sort the problem for good hopefully.
We'll be up for more pickleball tomorrow morning. Bob and Cathy Hughes took Rich, Donna and both of us over to the tennis courts last night and gave us some lessons. It was a lot of fun but will definitely take some time to get the hang of it. Hoping to try out the pool tomorrow as well.
Weather has improved over the last two days. Temps have been in the high 80s under clear blue skies.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Getting Ready.....Still

Thursday, October 9, 2008
Bounder Prepping
Managed a quick trip to Mer Bleu bog this morning after dropping Chris at work. Skies were pretty overcast, so most of the autumn colours near the bog were quite muted. I snapped on the 100mm macro lens I got last week and went walking on a nearby trail instead, looking for leaves with character! Lots of yellows and greens but not too much in the way of red leaves. I managed this shot with my macro lens from about 12 inches with a tripod.Sunday, October 5, 2008
Bounder in for Service
We wandered around Mer Bleu early this morning. Unfortunately, the sunrise was less than spectacular. The walk around the bog was very enjoyable though. I wanted to try out a used Canon 100mm, F2.8, macro lens I bought locally. You can see part of the boardwalk above. I will play around with the macro feature and post some closeups in the coming weeks.Saturday, June 28, 2008
Busy Times
We have had a lot of activity on our For Sale ads on http://ottawa.kijiji.ca and things are starting to disappear. Our dining room set, living room love seat and two wing back chairs, digital piano and a double pedestal computer desk are gone. They all went Friday evening right at supper time. Oh well, at least they are gone. Receiving some calls on our master bedroom suite as well now. There is still lots left to sell though. Perhaps some of our local Ottawa readers might be interested. Hint, Hint!!
I also received good news from the federal government. My former employer of 32 years has agreed to extend the window for my retirement move until the end of 2008. That basically means that the federal government will cover the costs of a mover, as well as all costs related to the sale of our old residence and the purchase/renting of a new home. The best part for us is that we don't have to pack anything! I contacted the movers yesterday. They will come over next week to see what they will do.
Chris's first two weeks at CHEO went very well. She is now off for a week before starting a regular shift rotation. Guess what we will be doing during her week off.....nope.......packing! Oh yeah.........apparently she does not cook on days after working a 12 hour shift. She dropped that one on us the other day. Now she tells us! We had a good laugh over that one! We pretty much share all the chores already anyway. Somebody has birthday next week as well.......hmmm.
I also sent in our registration and deposit for our spot at Tanglewood RV Resort in Sebring, FL this winter. Really looking forward to another fun winter in Florida.
I spoke with Robert Lowe from http://rv-partsplus.com/home/index.php about the problem I had with my left turn signal and brake light on the toad not working when connected to the motorhome. He confirmed that it is likely a blown 20 amp fuse. Apparently, the fuse block is indeed located in the electrical bay on our Bounder Diesel. I will check that out when we bring the motorhome out of storage and set it up at Recreation Land, http://www.rec-land.com/, east of Ottawa later next month.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
House For Sale
Well our house is officially for sale! I am having mixed feelings about the sale. This has been my home for the last 10 years but it is definitely time to move on. Kids are gone. Full-timing here we come!
Had to spend a lot of time getting the yard and house into shape. The winter here was really long and spring has been slow in arriving, so the yard isn't where it should be quite yet. Getting there though. I brought in a painter to repaint the second storey dormers and also the garage and main entry way. We have used him before and he has always done a great job for us. The listing hits the Internet and local papers tomorrow and we will likely have an open house this weekend. Picture quality from my cellphone wasn't the greatest unfortunately.
Chris has been very busy in Halifax. She is enjoying the visit with her daughter. She spent time straightening up her old place and retrieving some personal items. She will spend a few days visiting her parents and then return to Ottawa on the weekend.
Our motorhome is in fine shape at our storage site in Sarsfield. I am thinking of just leaving it outside instead of putting it in a quanset as we initially planned. Friends have said they stored their motorhome inside over a few months in the summer and wound up with a lot of rust on the chassis as a result. Apparently the dampness comes up from the ground unless it is stored on a concrete slab which resulted in their having to replace a fair number of hoses and clamps, etc. If any readers have any advice on inside versus outside storage, I'd be grateful if you could please share any insight in the comment area of this blog entry.
Lastly, I updated the operating system on my HTC TYTN 2 smartphone to Windows Mobile V6.1 today. It wasn't exactly a painless procedure but done now after 3 hours of installs and reboots. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, or saw I thought.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Cold in Ontario
Weather has been pretty cool and wet since we crossed the border. Don't think we have seen one day over 70F yet! Next year we figure on staying south until the end of May. We are still wearing shorts and sandals most of the time, but every now and then we have to throw on socks and runners. Warmer weather forecasted for this weekend though.
We have been out regularly running and walking along the Ottawa River. With warmer weather this weekend, we shall have our tandem bicycle out for sure.
Been doing lots of chores around the house getting it ready to sell. Housing market is quite good here and our CDN$ seems to be on a bit of a roll as well. This week we are both spending time at the dentist and also getting new eye glasses. Thought we would try the transition lenses this time.
Chris has been out to several hospitals with her resume. I don't expect she will be waiting long. We are also going to stop in at the US embassy to see what the correct steps to follow are in order for her to work in the USA this winter. There is lots of work in the USA for Canadian nurses. It is just a matter of jumping through the right hoops.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Niagara Lazy Lakes
So yesterday's route took us west along I-70 toward Pittsburgh, then north on I-79 to Erie before turning east on I-90 to Buffalo, NY. Not much traffic anywhere along the way until we hit Niagara Falls. Another sunny day until we got near our campground and then the rain started. This map will give you an idea where we are camped. Lazy Lakes is a very nice and well maintained campground. Sites are wide with a gravel pads and at first glance all sites are flat. We hardly needed any adjustments when we auto levelled. Partial hookups only though.
Last night, we buzzed into St Catharines to see my daughter, Lindsay for supper. That is only a 30 minute drive. The border crossing was painless, going and coming back. We enjoyed a great meal at one of her favourite restaurants, Dad's treat of course. After a quick tour of St Catharines, to see where she worked, we said our goodbyes and headed back to our campground.
Needless to say, we were both exhausted after a very long day. Oh yeah.....its still raining..........
Friday, April 25, 2008
King George RV Resort
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Busch Gardens
We made it into Lazydays by 8:30 am yesterday morning and dealt with Shawn Paul, our service advisor. He has won Best Service Advisor at Lazydays for the last two years and he was certainly a pleasure to deal with. He is easily the best of the advisers we have dealt with so far. We explained our problems to him and we promised a telephone call once he knew more. We were on our way to Busch Gardens quickly.
I've attached a couple of short video clips of Sheikra. Pretty neat ride. Lots of screaming going on as you hang over the precipice.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Lazydays Again!
We are headed back to Lazydays again in about an hour in order to make a 9:30 am appointment. Hoping rush hour traffic into Tampa isn't too bad.
Our rear a/c unit was pushing out lots of water the other day. The water then channeled along the right edge of our roofline following our patio awning mount forward before eventually falling off the roof between the door and patio awnings. Looked like a mini waterfall at times. I climbed up on the roof and found a wire hanging out of the a/c's grill. The air conditioner still works but all that water coming off isn't right. It doesn't happen all the time either.
Wasn't counting on another trip to Lazydays but our one year warranty is almost up and we everything running properly before we head for home on Friday.
Yesterday was just one of those days. The pressure fitting above the trap on the kitchen sink drain pipe slid off the pipe last night while Chris was washing vegetables for our supper. We had a bit of water on the floor but I quickly found the problem and reattached the trap to the drain pipe. Something else for Lazydays to look at this morning.
Chris had her hair done in the morning while I played pickleball. Then after a bit of lunch, we headed to Downtown Disney to catch Al Pacino's new movie, 88 Minutes which was showing at AMC Cinema 24. We enjoyed the movie and would recommend seeing it.
So our coach is packed up. We are leaving a few things on our site instead of hauling everything with us. Hoping we are back from Lazydays later today. Yeah right...............:)
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Another Day
We have settled in to TTN Orlando for our last time this spring. In fact, most of the Peace River crowd is now here as well. Seems the northward migration has started in ernest. All we are missing are Jim and Jane! They are taking a cruise back to Jolly Old England soon. Pickleball sessions are just about all Peace River players who have arrived here in the last day or two.
Chris and I have started back swimming and running here in Orlando. There are two large 25m pools that are pretty quiet at 9 am, perfect for some laps. We did a run/walk around the preserve this morning which took about 45 minutes. Felt good to get the heart rate up again. Pickleball is great for hand eye coordination but is not exactly an aerobic sport. We played pickleball for 2 hours after getting back from our run.
All is well with our motorhome. We arrived here and found our washer/dryer was not drying clothes well at all. I checked the exhaust vent outside and it appeared to be stuck shut. Upon further examination, the bodyshop at Lazydays must have gotten clear coat on the vent while repairing my little faut pas. Anyway, it was stuck shut, so the dryer could not vent properly, ergo the reason for freshly washed, hot, yet damp clothes coming out of the dryer. I managed to us an exacto knife to break the seal caused by the clear coat, freeing the vent cap and all is now well in our laundry world. We love having a washer/dryer in our motorhome. We use it almost everyday to wash our workout clothes. Chris would live at the laundromat otherwise.
We have a birthday supper to attend tonight. Stan 'the man' is turning 65! And he is one of the younger guys here!
Tomorrow, we are heading over to Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic coast to do a little beachcombing and to also visit Ron Jon's. Barb and Dennis have agreed to dogsit Buddy for us. Yay!
88F here today!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Orlando - For the Last Time
Last night, we joined a group of our friends in Peace River at the Meeting Room for a linguine supper. Barb and Julie did all the cooking for about 18 people. Red or white sauce with seafood on pasta with caesar salad. Fruit salad and/or cheesecake for dessert. And all that while it absolutely poured rain outside. Of course, we were all dry inside the meeting room.
We packed up our things this morning. We were out of our park model by 11 am. After saying goodbyes to Jim and Jane, we managed to get on the road for Tampa. Other folks would be heading for Orlando in the next few days and we would see them there, so no need for goodbyes all around. We left for Lazydays not knowing whether our Bounder would in fact be ready today or not. It was a chance, but 6 days in a park model were long enough for both of us. It was time to get back into our home.
Our Bounder was done by 5 pm and we were soon on our way to Orlando. We were the last ones to check in and also got one of the last 50 amp sites available in the whole park. Nice level site in G loop. This was a long day. Once we set up, we managed a light supper and then called it a night. Looking forward to seeing our pickleball friends tomorrow. It will also be nice to get back in the pool again.

