New Years Eve and new friends

We moved from the Casino Del Sol into the Lazy Daze KOA where our friends Rowdy and Missy are staying.  I have been talking to Rowdy for a few years on RV Dreams Chat and we know all about each other.  We have gone through much the same process to get started with our full time RV living.  We both had to go through the process of selling our houses and we both have wives who are not eligible for pensions, so we had to figure out how to make the financial part work.  We talked lots about the RV's we were going to need and have done a lot of research on boondocking and solar systems.  So we have a lot in common.  But we have never met in person, so today was the day.  We are going to spend New Years Eve with them at the club house party and then stay a few days to get to know them.

I Won.... I Won!!!!

We got off to an early start this morning because we had close to 300 miles to go today.

As we pulled out of Las Cruces Walmart on to I-10 both Sue and I rubbed our eyes in disbelief.  A Rexhall Roseair was right in front of us as we merged into traffic.

Miles and Miles of Texas

Today was another travel day and a dreary one at that.  We didn't hit the road until almost 1:00 pm because we loved the spot by the lake where we spent the night.  We met a couple who had come out from Austin to photograph a loon which was swimming in the lake.  Apparently one of their fellow birders had called them to tell them that it was here.  Apparently seeing them around here is a rare sight.  They were impressed when I told them that we have them everywhere in Manitoba.

How to make money if you own a campground

We are on day 2 of our journey from Magnolia Beach Texas to Tucson Arizona.  We hope to be there on New Years Eve day. As of this morning we still had about 750 miles to travel.

Shave and a haircut....two bits!!!

Today we headed out even though it was quite foggy.  We guess correctly that the fog would only be near the ocean and we were heading inland so should run out of it.  A few mile up the road it lifted and we had clear sailing all day.

Guess what I got for Christmas?

Well with Christmas over for another year it is time to share my fun present with you on Boxing Day.  Guess what I got from Santa (Sue)?  Am I spoiled or what?

Jesus was a Boondocker

Christmas 2016 has come and gone.  This was the first time we have been away from family and with the help of face time we survived.  The family back in Manitoba were all storm stayed where ever they were and did not get together as planned.  They are expecting up to 15 inches of snow there in the next few hours while we basked in 24C weather today on the beach.  Sue and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Twas the day before Christmas

An Alligator warning

Today the sun shone so we spent the day just soaking it up.  We didn't do much other than sit in front of the Ponderosa and relax.  Sometimes when we opened our eyes there would be a ship going by.

Mustang and Padre Island tour

When we woke up this morning it was rainy and foggy so we had to make a plan.  We have wanted to tour Mustang Island and Padre Island and the weather looked like it might be better down that way so we decided today would be a tour day.

Oyster boats

Charlie and I went for a long walk this morning along the beach and down towards Indian Point.  There were a lot of fishing boats out today and I think they were catching oysters.

Ship watching again

Now that we are in one spot for a few days we are going to relax a bit.  This morning was devoted to watching the ships heading through the bay.  I am still amazed by how big they are and how they slither so silently through the water.  It will take this flat lander a while to get bored with ships.

Chasing Christmas Day 3

Today we will make it to our Christmas Destination.  Sue's bucket list included Christmas on the beach and this will be our chance.  Although we would rather be with our family for Christmas, being here will help make it a nice day for us.  Magnolia Beach here we come.

Chasing Christmas Day 2

We are traveling again today towards our Christmas destination Magnolia Beach Texas.  When we woke up it was quite cool so we checked our destination temperature.  Brrrrrr.

Chasing Christmas Day 1

Well we are off on our quest for Christmas.  We have decided that we must spend this Christmas on a white sand beach somewhere, so we have picked Magnolia Beach in Texas.  The beaches are made of crushed shells so they get really hard and you can park on them apparently, so we want to do that.  We figure it will take us 3 traveling days to get there so today is Day 1.

A trip down Memory Lane

Today we planned a trip to Panama City Beach to see the place where Sues parents used to come for their winter retreat.  Sue and I have been down to visit them a couple times and our uncle Terry and aunt Diane still come here ever year right after Christmas to spend 3 months.  Sorry we missed them this year.  Panama City Beach is a popular Spring Break destination so it has lots of beach shops and high rise hotels.  The pier is a popular spot for all the fishermen.

Sunset on the Gulf

Today was to be a relaxing day.  We went down to the beach for a bit but it was chilly so we decided to head back and kick around the campground.  A few days ago I mentioned that we bought a little red wagon.  Well today we used it to haul all our stuff to the beach and back.

Another friend

We have the pleasure of meeting an old friend for the first time.  As you know we glean a lot of our RVing knowledge from a group of people who meet often on a chat site called RV Dreams Chat.   About 4 years ago we started chatting with Kris.  Her and her husband Dan were entertaining full time RV living and so we talked lots about our futures.  They have been full time for about 3 years now and we have never had the pleasure of meeting them.  Well today we did or at least we met Kris because Dan was feeling sick today.

Meeting friends in Destin Florida

We left Crawfordville Walmart in good time this morning so we could take our time traveling and still get to Destin in good time.  It was foggy for the first part of the drive.  Almost an eerie fog with the mossy trees and knowing the ocean was right on the other side of the trees.

Generator Fixed

Today we got the right starter put on the Ponderosa and hit the start button.  It whirled over better than it ever has.  So happy to have it back on line.  I would like to thank Mid Florida Diesel in Bartow FL for all of their work tracking down the problem and getting us back up and running so quickly.  When I went to pay the bill, I was surprised at how fair they were with their charges.  We were there 5 different times off and on trying to track down the problem.  They only charged us for 6 hrs labour and they had two guys working on it every time.   Bottom line is, if you ever need generator work done, go to these guys.  They are very knowledgeable and professional and make you feel good about the work they do.  And to top it off the ladies in the office are awesome at tracking down parts and have infectious smiles as well.

Project Day

Today was project day.  First up was to hang the fruit hammock that Sue bought somewhere when I wasn't looking.  I was going to buy her one for Christmas but now I can't.

Organ donation

Sue some news today that made her smile.  As you know her mother passed away earlier this year from cancer and no one thought there was anything good about the whole situation.  Today she got a picture from her sister of a certificate that says that Kathy's gave the gift of sight to someone by donating her eyes.  What a great thing to do.  We had not given any thought to the fact that Kathy had made sure that she would be an organ donor after she passed away.  That was so typical of the woman she was.  There were a few happy tears here today.

Another visit with RV friends

Just a run of the mill day today with few pictures.  We spent the first part of the day heading over to Tampa to pick up the correct starter for the generator.  We were supposed to meet Dee and Jim for lunch but the part didn't come in until 2 pm so we met them at Hog Heaven in Winterhaven for supper.  It is a nice BBQ place and they have the best peach cobbler.

Jeep code

Today started out with a walk with Charlie out on the par 3 golf course.  We have been here 5 days and I have never seen anyone play a round.  Come to think of it no one ever swims in the pool either except us.  There is a nice little lake on the side of the golf course but no trail down to it.  We didn't want to hike through the weeds in case we meet Mr. Alligator.

We are officially Old Geezers

It is another warm humid day.  The heat is lovely but the humidity is something we are not used to.  You sweat just doing things.  Mid Florida Diesel called and our part won't be here till Thursday.  We decided to extend our stay here and it is just as cheap to pay a weekly rate than to stay 4 nights, so we are staying until next Monday.

Circuit board fixed.

Today is another repair day.  Our circuit board is being shipped this afternoon air freight and we will see if it helps.  We have a spot in the Good Life RV park which is a snowbird park just 5 miles from the repair facility.  It is an awesome place with a swimming pool and electrical hookups which we need until our generator is fixed.  The swimming pool is almost a necessity with temperatures in the mid 80s and the humidity ranging around 92%.   These are the times we have no problem paying for a site in a park.

Snowbirds for a couple days

Today we got up and headed to Bartow Fl to Mid Florida Diesel to talk to them about looking at our Generator problem.  I knew after a couple minutes that these guys knew what they were doing and they said to go get the Motor home and they would look at it after lunch.  I found out that these guys do all the generator work for Camping World and also do repair and maintenance for NASA in central Florida.

Somebody's ship has sailed.

Today we headed out after lunch to check out the ships in the Port of Tampa Harbour. There was a cruise liner there named the Norwegian Jade. It was getting ready to depart for Cozomel Mexico and a few other ports.  That is one of the things on our bucket lists.

The Tortoise and the Hare (turtle and the racetrack)

Today we headed out to see if we could get some satisfactory information on the generator problem.  We headed to General RV in Tampa.  On the road out of the park we came across a turtle on the road so stopped to take some pictures.  When Sue went up to him he retracted into his shell very quickly but after a bit he decided to move on.

Lithia Springs Park

We decided that we would move on today without the generator fixed.  I will find an RV shop in the next few days to look at my problem.  I think it is bigger than just the generator and may have something to do with the whole charging system.  So Sue found us a spot in Hillsborough County Park about 90 miles north of Cape Coral.  The 160-acre park, located on the Alafia River, offers varied plant communities, river cypress swamps, hardwood hammocks.  The park’s major attraction is the natural spring that provides an excellent swimming experience since the water temperature remains at 72 degrees year around.  We will try the pool tomorrow.  In addition to swimming, there is a bath house, playground and picnic facilities as well as a great campground. 

Frustrating Diagnosis

Well today we had the service tech show up at 8 am.  First thing he tried to do was accuse me of a bunch of things that I did yesterday as being the problem today.  Each time he did, I shot down his accusation by qualifying what I had done.  5 minutes into this diagnostic I pretty much figured out that I was not going to get any satisfying results.

Cops and Robbers

Yesterday we thought we had some problems with our batteries so we boosted them and then I left them to see if the charger would bring them up to normal levels.  It seemed through the evening that the batteries were not gaining anything.  They hovered between 11.7V and 12.0V all evening.  I was pleasantly surprised when I woke up this morning and they showed a good steady level of 13.2V.  I believe that the charger is made so it has to have a minimum level before it will kick in and charge to the top level.

Battery problems

Today we slept in to make up for getting up at 2:30 yesterday morning.  We had to go pick up Charlie from the doggy hotel after 10 because he had an appointment for a bath and a pedicure.  He was pretty fluffy when we picked him up, and quite excited to see us.

Alligator hunting

Today started early.  Our shuttle picked us up at 3:00 am at our hotel room and by 3:30 we were on our way to Cancun.  We had an excellent bus driver who talked the whole way there.  Of course at that time of day we were the only ones on it.  When we arrived the airport was quite empty and dark.  It didn't take long to get through security and immigration and then we sat at our gate for an hour and a half.  There wasn't even anywhere to get a coffee for a long time.

Last day in Mexico

Today we say goodbye to Mexico for a while.  We decided to spend our day at the ocean and poolside today.

Castro dead at 90

Former President Fidel Castro, who led a rebel army to improbable victory in Cuba, embraced Soviet-style communism and defied the power of 10 U.S. presidents during his half century rule, has died at age 90.

Beach Day

Today was a beach day.  After the shuttle dropped us off after a late breakfast we got ready and headed to the beach for the day.  It is quite a long walk so they have awesome shuttle service between the lobby and our resort building.  Our building is quite close to the beach though so we are happy.

Wedding Day

The real reason we are here in Mexico is to witness the wedding of Kara Plewes and Kyle Grier at a ceremony on the beach of the Gulf of Mexico.  The day was sunny and warm as is normal for this part of the world.  The vivid blue skys and puffy white clouds are normal for this part of paradise.

Visit to the Mexican Market

It was a cloudy rainy day today in Playa Del Carmen.  On our way down to breakfast we came across the Bride to Be.  She is getting quite excited for the big event.

Parasailing

Day number 2 started out with a little walk on the beach before breakfast.  It is very quiet on the beach at that time of day.

And we are off to Cancun

We have a 3:45 flight to catch today out of Miami International Airport.  First we had to drop Charlie off at a doggy hotel in Fort Meyers and then a 3 hour drive to Miami.  Miami is a large city with crazy drivers, even at noon on a Monday.  They will scrape your bumper changing lanes and smile at you.  Sometimes I long for the quiet country roads of home where you don't even attempt to pass if you can see a car on the horizon.

Getting ready for Mexico

We were up early to see the Stickles and friends head off to Miami to the Sprint Cup Series Championship.  Because there were 9 of them going they went in a limo.  It arrived and they loaded up and off they went.

Travel to Cape Coral Florida

We were up and rolling by 8:30 and first job was to get fuel just up the road from the park.  I was busy fueling and Sue spotted a McDonalds beside the service station so headed over to get us a couple breakfast sandwiches for the road.  She got back about the same time I finished fueling so she headed in to pay while I cleaned the windows.  When she came back out this is what she found.

A Lazy Days RV visit

Today we had an appointment to view a new home in the park.  It was part of the reason we got to stay in the park for free.  We had agreed to look at some properties they had for sale to see if there was anything we liked.  There sure are a variety of floor plans.

Off to visit friends

This morning the hibiscus tree in our campsite was covered in very beautiful red and yellow flowers.  The foliage on this tree is so thick that we didn't have to put out our awning at all.

We finally need Air Conditioning

Another day around this pretty campground.  Lots of smaller boats going in and out of the harbour.  A big Coast Guard cutter came in around 9 am.  There were lots of people on board.  I guess it takes a few people to do the job they are doing.

Watching Cruise Ships

Today we stayed around the Campground and watched some ships go out to sea.  This was the first day I could actually put shorts on and I hope they stay on until next fall.  I love the warmth in the air.

Florida bound

Today we left Brunswick GA and headed down the road to Port Canaveral Florida.

Tour of Brunswick Georgia

Today Ed and Lessie took us on a tour of the area. They knew of some historical things in the area.  We went over to pick them up and spent some time with them first.

Visit with Friends

Well Walmart stop in Savannah Georgia was quite an experience.  When we stop at most Walmarts, there is a protocol that is normally followed.  No slides out, no jacks down, no chairs out, no BBQs.  Its just supposed to be a place to catch a few winks before moving on.  Well I guess in Savannah Georgia, they must have missed that memo.

A Jellyfish

Thanks to everyone for all of the comments.  Now I know who is following us and I can fine tune what I think you might like to see.

Charlie and I went for another walk on the beach this morning before we left.  There were lots of horses on the beach this morning.  Charlie doesn't even pay any attention to them so that makes it easier if they are around.

Its all about the Title

So I have been doing a little checking on which posts are getting the most views and have been trying to figure out what brings people to my blog.  It is very obvious to me that my readers are an inquisitive bunch and they are not sure what I will post from day to day.  The post that got the most views, almost 3 times as many as the rest was the one titled "X Rated Post".

The sun came up this morning

We got up this morning and noticed that the sun had already come up.  I think some people thought it might not.

Bridge and Tunnel today

Because it was dark when we set up camp last night I will include our view from the window in todays post.

A Ferry Ride

Today we left Walmart and headed south toward the Cape May to Lewes Ferry.

Atlantic City Boardwalk

We left the forest this morning and made a 45 minute drive to the Walmart in Atlantic City.  This is the first time I have been to the Atlantic Ocean and Sue has not been here since she was young.  Our goal today was to see the Casino's and Boardwalk here.

Cranberry Fields

We decided to just hang around this lovely little campground for another day, and wait until tomorrow to visit Atlantic City.

X rated post

Today was a relaxing day.  No miles planned for today.

A Lesson learned

We headed out of Jersey City about noon today.  Although it cost us $100 a night to park in a parking lot, the close proximity to everything saved us lots of time and transportation costs.  The train cost us 2.75 a trip to Times square.  So all in all it served as place for us to come back to and sleep, and remember that the average no frills hotel room goes for about $300 bucks a night.

Last day in New York

Today we woke up to a strange sight for a pair of country bumpkins.  A boat going by our motor home.  Oh wait, we are parked at a marina.

Visiting the 911 Memorial

Today was our first full day of touring NYC.  As I mentioned yesterday we have Charlie in a doggy hotel because we are out late and they are closed by the time we get back.  But in the morning I go and rescue him for a couple hours while we are getting ready to go again.  Then we drop him of at Club Barks for the day.  He loves it there and the people are fantastic.

New York City

We finally arrived in NYC.  We are actually staying in an RV park (parking lot) in Jersey City very close to Manhattan.  I'm not sure how we got here because we went on some pretty narrow and winding streets and bridges.

Scranton Pennsylvania

Today we headed out around 9 am because we wanted to get within striking distance of New York City today.

Off to the Big Apple

We had to mail some Christmas presents home to the kids today so Sue got them all wrapped and we took them to Shoppers Drug Mart to send them.  This is probably the earliest we have ever had our Christmas shopping done.

An Amazon order

Last night when we went to bed it was around 8C.   When we woke up this morning it was about 16C.  That was totally unexpected.

A rainy day

Today we got up to rain and it rained all day.  The view out our window was very bleak.

Exploring the Welland Canal

The Welland Canal is something I have always wanted to see, so today was the day for a tour.

Moving down the road.

It started out as another cool damp day as we packed up and headed east toward Niagara Falls.  We decided to take the closest road to the lake all the way across which meant lots of meandering through little touristy port towns and down some nice country roads.

Fishermen

Today was a bit brisk in the morning.  Although it was about 6C it was very damp from the lake.  Charlie and I did some walking today and checked out this fishing town.  I went to the library to borrow Wi-Fi and post the blog and ended up just sitting and reading other blogs in the quiet warm surroundings. 

I love watching ships

Today we got a big surprise.  When we parked last night at Home Depot I didn’t get time to talk to the manager about staying the night.  By the time we got back from the hospital, it was after 7 pm and the store was closed up tight.  Not a car in the lot.  Only store in town still open was Walmart.

Don't panic, its only a small Emergency.

Because the Dark Sky preserve was so nice we stuck around until noon before moving out.

Susan is under the weather

Well we finally got on the road.  Susan has been feeling poorly after a round of the flu.

Last Day in North Bay

We are finally getting ready to move down the road.  Sue and I cleaned and organized the basement in the Motor Home and got filled with water.  We got the Jeep packed up and Sue made some travel plans.

Pizza for supper

Short story today.  I am slowly getting my walking legs back and I went for a 2 mile walk today.  I have found that walking makes me feel so much better.

Rainy Day

I have had a pair of new windshield wipers hidden away in the basement and today was the day to change them. Normally I wouldn't change wipers this time of year because in Canada they always freeze to the windshield and in the process of scraping windows when they are frosty I generally rip one or both.  However now with our chasing the warm weather lifestyle, that won't happen.

Another Slow day

Today I took the MH water heater to G & P Welding and Millworks in North Bay.  This is a family owned business and they do a lot of work for big mines and also lots of bridge girders for Ontario highways.

About our Blog page

We both agree that we need to move on soon.  We need to get away from all of the family meals.

There's a hole in the bucket

Today Sue spent the day with her sister just doing nothing.  They watched some movies and had some snacks and that was their day.

Kids have gone home

Yesterday Karalee headed back to Manitoba on the plane and today we said goodbye to Kaitlyn and Gracie.  We dropped them off at the North Bay airport at around 9 am and left her there to wait for her flight.

A beautiful spot to live

I promised to share a couple pictures of the place we have the motor home parked right now.  We love the fact that we can live in these beautiful places for a while before moving on.

There's a mouse in the house

So I have to tell a little story today.  Last week when we were coming through Northern Ontario we were tucked in bed and all was quiet.

A drive down memory lane

Today our daughter Kaitlyn and Sue wanted to take a trip down memory lane.  Sue was born and raised in Pembroke Ontario and her mom and dad

Thanksgiving Monday

Today was Thanksgiving in Canada.  Every store in North Bay was closed.  It was really eerie walking by Walmart and not seeing a car there. We spent the day at Sues Uncles enjoying the company of family once again.

Celebration of Life

Saturday we held a Celebration of Life or a Memorial for Susan's mom Kathy Chirgwin.  Kathy passed away in June after a long battle with Cancer.  Today we spent the day talking and thinking of her and Andy.

Kathy Chirgwin and Susan

Facts about North Bay

Yesterday we spent the day in preparation for Sues moms memorial tomorrow.  Sues sister and her husband live on top of the hill overlooking North Bay

A Cold day

Thursday was a down day for me.  I contacted a nasty "Man Cold" so spent the whole day in bed.  To give a little comparison you ladies can relate to

Arrive at North Bay

This was our final leg of our trip to North Bay Ontario.  We took our time getting going this morning and spent some time saying our goodbyes to Kevin and Ruth. Before leaving

Nipigon to Matheson Ontario

 It was a beautiful morning when we woke up.  About 13C which is warm for this time of year.  Charlie and I went for a little walk on the beach at our overnight spot.  The beach reminds me of what you would

Vermilion Bay to Nipigon Ontario

I was thinking about this blog and realized that this will always be written in past tense.  The stuff I post today will have actually happened yesterday so

Ontario finally

We got up early and packed the MH.  We were on the road by 8:00 am.

Abby waving goodbye

We headed to Winnipeg to meet our daughter Kaitlyn and her husband Greg and Gregs mom Elaine and sister Stacy.   We all had tickets to watch "The Book of Mormon".  Its a musical spoof of the Mormon religion. The show is quite questionable in some of the content and some might find it offensive, but on the whole, it was very entertaining.

no pictures allowed while show was on

After the show Sue and I and Kaitlyn and Grace returned to the motorhome which we left at the Deacons Corner truck stop and headed east.

We felt rather small in the line up

We even followed a beer truck for a while.

We bent the rules of RV travel and drove for about an hour in the dark.  That is something I don't like to do because the road has a lot of hills and curves.  To top it off we ran into a little rain which made the windshield glare bad.  We won't do that again unless we have to.

We are parked at the Vermilion Bay airport parking lot for the night.

Ironically this is the same spot our friends Kevin and Ruth parked a few days ago.  Hope to get an early start tomorrow.

Last day in Reston

Today was another family day with our son Derek his wife Nichole and our grandkids.  I spent time cleaning and filling water in the motorhome.
Derek showed me his drone and flew it for a while.  It is just a small one but reacts very well, except in the wind. He said he paid about 80 bucks for it but it doesn't have a camera.

Derek and his drone

After lunch Derek, Abby, Charlie and I went for a walk on a local walking trail.  It was a beautiful day so the walk was very enjoyable.  I need to get walking again like I did last winter so this was a good start.

About 72 F.

Pipestone Creek

Along the way we saw lots of sunflower fields.

We picked one and you can see the size of it compared to Abby's hand.

I forgot to post a picture of the map of our travels on Friday so here it is.  

Tomorrow we will leave Reston around 8 am and head to Winnipeg on the first leg of our journey east.  We have a fun day planned with more of our family so meet us back here tomorrow to hear about it.

Relaxing in Reston Manitoba

Today we walked our grand daughter to school.

The Adventure begins....

Today we closed up Cj's and began our winter adventure.

First stop Derek and Nicole's for some long overdue family time. The trip to Reston takes about 1.75 hrs and is quite relaxed with one stop at ? you guessed it, Tims !!!

Tomorrow is "fun fair" day at Abby's school so we will be off to see her grade #1 accomplishments thus far...