Mike And Terri Stop By

Rantoul, IL.

66 deg. clear, NW wind @ 9 mph.

Forecast =  Abundant sunshine. High 87F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.


Mike and Terri Young arrived here at Prairie Pines Campground about the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday. Jim waked over to the office and said "Hi" to Mike before Louise led Mike to their site, across the street and down nearer the road that goes in front of the park. Mike and Terri wanted a site where they could access the CG wi-fi and the access is much better down there.

We can get on the CG wi-fi here in site #23 most time, but not always. And, the further down the street you are from here, the weaker the signal gets.

Anyway, Mike and Terri got their rig into their site, and as soon as they finished setting up, they came over and visited for a couple hours. :-) While they were here visiting, it was decided that going out to eat was a good idea and then decided that they'd head over to Fisher, Il. to the Blue Star Restaurant.

After about 1/2 an hour, Jim and Linda took Big RED and picked Mike and Terri up at their site and then headed to the Blue Star where they had very nice meals and great conversations.

Upon returning here to the CG, Big RED dropped Mike and Terri off at their site and then brought Jim and Linda back here to our site.

Yesterday, Mike and Terri had laundry to do and errands to run, so we didn't see too much of them during the day. It was decided though, that they would again go out to eat for dinner, and that they would go to Monical's Pizza.

So, about 5:30 Big RED again took Jim and Linda down to Mike and Terri's, picked them up and took them to Monical's here in Rantoul. I know where Monical's is and it isn't that far from here, but they were gone quite a while, so I expect that there was a lot of talking going on before and after their meals. ;-)

Jim snapped this photo of Terri and Mike at the Restaurant.

Mike and Terri will be leaving here today. They're heading up to Freeport, IL. to see family and friends. It sure was good of them to stop by and visit for awhile and I hope we'll get to meet up with them again in the near future.

Did you know that a dragonfly flaps its wings 20 to 40 times a second, bees and houseflies 200 times, some mosquitoes 600 times, and a tiny gnat 1,000 times?

Safe travels, Mike and Terri!!!

Woof!!!

Catching Up and Getting Ready For The 4th

Rantoul, IL.

62 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.

We've dried out some since my last post. We've still had some rain from time to time, but it's been smaller amounts and the ground has pretty much soaked it up without getting too soggy. There seems to still be a few areas here in the CG but hopefully we won't get too much more rain so that those spots dry out for the "sold out" 4th of July holiday weekend.

Not a whole lot has happened since I've last posted. Jim and Linda went out to eat one evening at the Blue Star Restaurant over in Fisher. They've done laundry, gone grocery shopping and went to Thomasboro to pick up their mail, but other than than, just normal everyday stuff.

Oh, and Jim has been "dumpster diving" again. ;-)  This time he retrieved a nice looking water hose that had lost one of it's fittings. So, he went to ACE, bought a new fitting for $3.79 and now he has a nice 25' hose to use either while camping or back at the double-wide in Florida. It's a blue colored hose that has a white lining inside that was made for drinking water, but he'll probably just use it for general hose use, unless he decides to run some bleach through it, and then it will be safe for drinking water.  

Friday morning, Linda has an appointment with her retinaologist. She's already starting to worry about what he will find. She really doesn't like getting those injections and is hoping that they won't be necessary this time.

Then, Friday evening, Rantoul is having their 4th of July fireworks display. It's over at the airport area, so we should be able to see most of it from right here in the park.  No plans for the rest of the weekend, but there'll be lots of folks and probably quite a few kids to "people watch" here in the CG. :-)

Did you know that Illinois set new rainfall records for June this year?

The old record for June was 8.27 inches set in 1902.
The current 9.37 inches beats the old record by 1.10 inches.
The current 9.37 inches is 5.17 inches above the June average of 4.20 inches.
The current 9.37 inches make this the second wettest month in Illinois history.
Only September 1926 was a wetter month at 9.62 inches.

Woof!!!

Big RED's Recall

DeBary Fl.

39 deg. clear, N wind @ 12 mph.

Forecast =  Sunny, High 62F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.

Bright and early yesterday morning Jim took Big RED up to the Dodge Ram dealer in DeLand. It was about 7:25 when they left here so that they'd be in plenty of time for Big RED's 8:00 AM appointment. By about 8:10 the mechanic was taking him back to a stall in the shop to do the Air Bag recall procedure of replacing the inflator housings.

Well, come to find out, the only inflator housing that needed to be replaced was the one on the driver's side. I guess it depends on serial numbers or something to determine what actually needs to be done. So, instead of it taking 3 hours, it took just over an hour and by about 9:30, Jim was backing Big RED back into the carport. :-)

During the recall procedure, the dealership disconnected the batteries, (Big RED has 2 batteries for his diesel engine), to change the air bag parts and while they were disconnected, they did a load test on them. The service writer told Jim that one of the batteries was getting weak and that he should probably replace the batteries pretty soon. He asked Jim if he wanted a price on new batteries, but Jim told him that he's take care of it.

So, if the batteries are getting weak, (and who knows how long they've been in there or if they've been properly taken care of), that will mean that at least before our summer travels, Jim will need to purchase a couple batteries. He did a quick look-up on-line and it looks like batteries with enough CCA, (Cold Cranking Amps), for the diesel will be right around $125 to $150 each. :-(

Nothing much else to report. Jim hasn't felt very good the past few days, but seems to be feeling better now. The weather has been pretty chilly and windy, (by Florida standards), so not much has been done outside. Linda did do 3 loads of laundry the other day. That's the first time in over a year that she's been able to go out to the shed, where the washer and drier are, that many times one day to do that.

She still has days when she's "light headed", but those days are getting to be less and less all the time. :-)

Did you know that it was on this date in 1986, that the U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff? All seven of its crewmembers were killed.

Woof!!!

Finalizing Plans and Laundry Day

Rantoul, IL

57 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs around 81°F. East wind to 5 MPH.

Jim's been working on finalizing a plan for our upcoming trip. Of course, it still depends on the 2 eye doctor visits that Linda will have this coming week, but since Linda hasn't been experiencing any discomfort, vision problems  or anything else with her eyes, we should be able to leave here on the 6th of October as planned. :-)

One thing that Jim has found is that, at this time of the year, (especially in the Smoky Mountain area of Tennessee and North Carolina), there are a lot of "leaf peepers" out and about. In fact after doing some research, he found that many of the campgrounds in that area are booked up already. So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  even though he and Linda don't like to be tied to a schedule, he did make a reservation at one RV Park.

Yesterday, Jim and Linda finally did the laundry!!! They left here a little before noon and by about 1:30 they were back from the laundromat with clean clothes! :-)  Being that the machines there are quite large, they were able to get it all done in 3 loads and then by using one very large dryer and one regular sized one, they were able to get it all washed and dried fairly quickly.

No big plans for today. It's supposed to be real nice today, so Jim will probably be spending some time outside. Going over to the laundromat and doing the laundry yesterday kind of wore Linda out, so we'll have to see how she's feeling today. Sometime before long, she needs to go to Walgreen's to pick up some things, and I know she'd like to do a little shopping down in Champaign before we leave here.

Did you know that a Laundromat in Philadelphia that opened in 1947, is believed to be the first coin-operated laundromat in the United States?

Woof!!!

 

Laundry Day and A Cook-out With Hank, Selene, Mike And Terri

Rantoul, IL

64 deg. fog, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with isolated storms. Highs around 86°F. Heat index around 91°F. South wind 5 to 15 MPH, gusting to 17 MPH. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.

As soon as Linda was finished with breakfast yesterday morning, she and Jim dug out all of the dirty clothes and sorted them into loads of laundry to take to the laundromat. After sorting Jim took the bags out to Big RED and then he and Linda headed over there.

It's more expensive to use the laundromat than it is to do the laundry here at the Campground, but it takes much less time than it does here with only 2 washers and 2 dryers. In fact, Jim and Linda were only gone about an hour and 45 minutes before Big RED brought them back.

After they returned, Hank and Selene stopped by to ask Jim and Linda if they'd like to come to a cook-out around 6:00? Of course they said "Yes"!

During the afternoon, Jim and Linda put all the laundry away, took naps and then Linda cooked some green beans with bacon, (Thanks, Hank and Selene for picking up that can of green beans for Linda at the store),  :-)  Then, around 6:00 they headed next door.

Jim did remember his camera, so he did take a couple photos. (You can click on them to enlarge if you'd like).

Terri, Mike, Hank and Selene enjoying the meal and conversation.

Selene, Linda and Hank who was heading for more great food. 

I was watching out of the window and it sure looked like everyone had a great time, visiting and eating. After eating, Hank started a campfire in the fire ring between their MH and Nora and they all gathered around and talked and talked.

Jim and Linda came back here around 8:00 because the bugs were starting to bug them, but I think Mike and Terri stayed awhile longer.

The rest of the evening was spent watching TV, before going to bed after the news.

Thanks, Hank and Selene for having the Cook-out. Jim and Linda had a great time. ;-)

No big plans, so far, for today. Jim has an item ordered at Ace Hardware that needs to be picked up and there should be mail waiting at the post office. They're forecasting possible rain and T-Storms later, so he'll probably do those things this morning.

Did you know that today is 'Black Cow' Root Beer Float Day?

Woof!!!

2 Days And Counting

DeBary, FL.

73 deg. partly cloudy, no wind, humidity 88%
Forecast =  Partly cloudy with scattered storms. Highs around 91°F. Heat index around 102°F. South southeast wind 2 to 9 MPH. Chance of precipitation near 35%.

2 days and counting!!!!  ;-)

Not a whole lot to report. Jim and Linda have been packing up "stuff" to take over to the trailer, getting rid of things that will not keep or that will not be needed, and trying to figure out what they'll need and won't need for the next 4 months.

Thursday, Jim and Linda took a bunch of stuff over to the trailer, packed it away and then went to the post office and filled out a temporary change of address card so that the little mail that they do get here in Florida gets sent to their mail forwarding service in Sioux Falls. Then, they went to Gram's Kitchen and had breakfast for lunch. ;-)

The rest of the day was spent going through clothes to try to determine what will be needed. That's kind of difficult because we could get into some pretty chilly weather up North before we return in November.

Yesterday was laundry day. There wasn't a huge amount, but everything possible needs to be laundered before we leave. Jim also pumped up the tires on Big RED and gave him a quick once-over to make sure he's ready to travel.

One of the most difficult things about this whole getting-ready procedure has been the heat and humidity here in FL. By nine or ten o'clock, it's already in the mid 80's with very high humidity, and it make it very difficult for Jim and Linda to do anything that involves being outside.

Take yesterday for example. Around 9:00 Jim got out the air compressor to pump up Big RED's tires. Well, by the time he found the extension cord to plug it in, got it plugged in and then filled the tires, he was soaking wet with sweat and by the time he got everything put away again and came into the house, he was really beat and just collapsed in his recliner. :-(

Now, I know that there are lots of people who work and play every day down here in FL, but neither Jim or Linda seem to  be able to cope with the weather. Maybe they're just not used to it, but you would think that by this time they would be. At least somewhat.

Today, Jim will be taking more "stuff" over to the trailer and pump up it's tires. He already has most of the stuff loaded in Big RED and will probably go over there around 7:00 or 7:30 to try to beat the heat as much as possible. He probably won't get most of the stuff put away, but he and Linda can go back over there later and do that.

A Point to Ponder : Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
--T.S. Eliot

Friday The 13th, A Full Moon, The Spare, Linda's Last Treatment and Happy Birthday Laura

DeBary, FL.

70 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms becoming likely this afternoon. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

Whoooooo!!! Whoooooooo!!!!! Whoooo oo o o oo ooo o o o!!!!!!!!!!!

OH!!! Sorry about that. I just can't control myself when that big old moon is full and especially when it's on Friday the 13th!!!!

I'll try really hard to control myself.

Tuesday, Big RED took Jim over to Winn Dixie so that he could buy some much needed groceries. They weren't gone too long but Jim did manage to purchase quite a few items. He and Linda thought about doing a load of laundry, but that didn't get done.

Wednesday morning, Jim called LaMesa RV, (where he and Linda bought the trailer), and asked about the spare tire and wheel that they were supposed to order from Heartland. If you remember, Jim found out that the spare was the wrong size and the wheel wouldn't even fit on the trailer. Well, the parts girl had told Jim that she would call as soon as it came in, but guess what? She didn't and Jim found out that it had been there since the 5th of June!!!

So, after Linda got up and had her breakfast, Big RED took them over there and the spare tire exchange was made without a hitch. :-)

One thing that Jim and Linda have learned about this RV place is that they almost never call you back when they're supposed to. The only person who ever called when they said they would was the salesman, to let Jim and Linda know that the trailer was ready to be picked up.

Yesterday, Linda had her final Chemo treatment. Dr. Saferali said that by her blood test, she was doing well and was pleased with Linda's progress.

While Linda was getting her treatment, Jim and Big RED took the new spare trailer tire over to Highbanks and mounted it on the trailer. After that, they stopped by Auto Zone and picked up some spare fuses for Big RED and some Leather Cleaner to use on Big RED's seats and on Jim's Barcalounger, (which is getting pretty dirty).  From there, they went up to DeLand and to the DeLand Truck Center where Jim bought some diesel fuel system conditioner. On the way back here to the house, they stopped by Gram's Kitchen where Jim had breakfast for lunch. ;-)

About 1:30, Linda called from the Chemo place and told Jim that she was just about done with her treatment, so he and Big RED headed over there to pick her up. Everything went well with the treatment and by about 2:30 Big RED was backing into the driveway.  

 Yesterday, was also Laura's birthday, so Inez, (Lindsey's mother) had a party for her last night. Ashley was there as well as Lindsey's brother, Danny. Everyone had a good time and Big RED said that he could hear them singing "Happy Birthday" to Laura way out by the street. :-)

Today some laundry has to be done and then this afternoon, Linda goes back to the Chemo place for that Injection. Then, we'll just have to wait and see what the side effects are going to be like this time. :-(

Did you know that the next time that there will be a full moon on Friday the 13th will be August 13th 2049?

Whoooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo!!!!!!!!!!!

Spare Tires, More Chemo, A Close Shave and Remember Those Who Served

DeBary, FL.

71 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy. High near 90F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph, 20% chance of rain.

By 8:45 Thursday morning, Big RED had taken Linda and Jim over to the Chemo Therapy place and soon after, they had taken Linda into the treatment room and Big RED and Jim were on their way back here to the house.

I don't think I mentioned it, but when we were at the trailer last week, Jim decided that it would be a good idea to check the tires on the trailer. Well, can you imagine his surprise when he removed the cover off of the spare tire and found out that it was the wrong size??? Not only was it the wrong size, but it was a 14 inch tire instead of a 15 inch tire, but the wheel had only 5 lugs instead of the 6 lugs that the trailer has!!!!

So, even in an emergency, there would be absolutely no way to mount the wheel on the trailer!!!!

Anyway, after having another cup of coffee, Jim took Big RED and headed over to Highbanks to get the spare off of the trailer. From there they went to LaMesa RV where Jim talked to Shane, (the service adviser). After checking, Shane said that it would not be a problem and he had the parts person order and new spare tire and wheel for the trailer. When Jim asked, she told him that they should receive it in about 2 weeks.

It sure is a good thing that we're not traveling right now. I don't know how we'd get the new tire and wheel if we were on the road.

On the way back from LaMesa, Jim stopped by at the 4 B's Restaurant for breakfast before coming back here to the house.

It was around 3:00 when Linda called from the chemo place to have Jim come and pick her up.

Friday, not much went on around here until around 3:30 when Linda and Jim headed over to the Chemo place to get her injection. After finishing there, they went over to Steak & Shake and had a couple of burgers for dinner.

By Saturday, Linda's bones were starting to ache from that injection so other than helping Jim do a couple loads of laundry and visiting with Laura when she stopped by for awhile, not much else was accomplished.

Yesterday morning, Ashley, Anna and Laura stopped by for awhile. Ashley has a new sewing machine and is wanting to learn how to use it, so Linda is going to help her. They're planning on making a blouse or something for Ashley so the first step was to measure Ashley so that they can get a pattern one of these days.

Another reason for Ashley coming was to shave Linda's head again. You see, Linda's hair had started to grow back and it was probably about an inch and a half to 2 inches long, but since she is getting the chemo treatments again, the hair has started to fall out once more. :-(

Thanks Ashley!!! ;-)

After Laura, Ashley and Anna left, Jim and Linda watched the Indy 500 race on TV, took naps and then watched most of the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 race, after that.

I guess that pretty well brings this blog up-to-date. Linda's getting many of the Chemo side effects back again, but there's only 1 more Chemo Treatment to go!!! It'll be on June 12th, (Laura's Birthday), and then after the injection on the 13th, all of the treatments for the cancer should be completed!! :-) Then, it will be time for the recovery process to begin.

Please take some time today to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day. So many gave so much so that we could be free.

“Your silent tents of green
We deck with fragrant flowers;
Yours has the suffering been,
The memory shall be ours.”
–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Woof!!!

Everything's OK

DeBary, FL.

81 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast = Abundant sunshine. High 78F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight = Partly cloudy. Low 63F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.

Just a note to let you know that everything is well here in DeBary. Linda just finished up with her 4th week of her Radiation treatments and just has 4 more to go. Her dizziness seems to be getting even better and now she only gets dizzy if she overdoes it.

Other than that, its been normal everyday things like laundry, cleaning, groceries and going to radiation treatments every weekday. One night Big RED took Jim and Linda out to eat, and today, after the radiation treatments they went to the 4 B's restaurant for breakfast at lunchtime.

No special plans for this weekend. Just everyday living.

Did you know that today is "National Common Courtesy Day?"

Woof!!!!

A Few Photos

DeBary, FL.

61 deg. overcast, N. wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast = Cloudy with showers. High 59F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Jim got out his camera and took a few photos of the new truck yesterday. This first one shows how it fills up the carport.

He took me out there with him so I thought I'd give it a good close inspection. ;-)

You know, I think I could drive this thing if I could get someone to work the pedals!!

What do you think? Would I look good as a hood ornament?

Wow!!! The bed of this truck is Huge!!!!!

Not a whole lot else to report today. Linda has an appointment this morning at the Chemo place to get a blood test and to talk to the doctor. She and Jim never did get to the laundry yesterday, so I'm sure they'll be doing some of that this afternoon.

Did you know that more athletes than spectators attended the 1900 Paris Olympic Games?

Woof!!!!

A Great Visit With Good Friends

DeBary, FL.

43 deg. light fog, no wind.
Forecast = Foggy early, becoming sunny this afternoon. High near 70F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday morning, Linda and Jim did that last load of laundry and then kicked back and relaxed for awhile. About 1:30 or so, Roland and Louise arrived and after h and h, (hugs and handshakes), they talked and talked the afternoon away. :-)

Roland and Louise were one of our first RVing friends. We met them way back in 2002 in a little CG in the panhandle of Florida. Jim and Roland hit it off right away and soon after, Linda and Louise became very good friends too. They weren't full-timers at that time, but soon after hearing about Jim and Linda's adventures, hit the road soon afterwards.

And, as they say, "The rest is history"!!! ;-)

After a nice afternoon of visiting, Jim and Roland headed over to Gentile's and picked up a couple small pizzas. After an enjoyable meal and more conversation they decided that it was time for them to head back home to their double-wide home in Frostproof.

So, after more h and h, they headed for home. :-(

It sure was great to see them again. Both Jim and Linda always enjoy visiting with them. Hopefully we'll get to see them again sometime soon.

Did you know that the average person only has only 4 or 5 "close friends"?

Woof!!!

Laundry and Company Coming?

DeBary, FL.

38 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 67F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Yep!!! Just like I thought, Linda and Jim did laundry yesterday. They did 3 loads and there's still another one to do!! (I told you that the hamper was bulging at the seams)!  ;-)

So, today, they'll probably do that last load and then spend the afternoon visiting with our company.

Oh!!! Didn't I tell you?  - - - - - - - Louise called yesterday afternoon and asked if it would be OK for her and Roland to come visit today! Of course, Linda and Jim said that they'd really like to see them, so the plan is for them to come sometime early this afternoon and spend the afternoon and possibly the early evening.

Roland and Louise have been such good friends over the years and it's always great to see them and catch up on what's been happening.

I really don't have much else to write about. It's been pretty slow around here, so I guess I'll end this post. Hope all of you are well and staying warm during this latest cold snap that most of the U.S. is experiencing.

A Point to Ponder : Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.

Woof!!!

A Trip To The Used Bookstore, Laundry and We're Proud

DeBary, FL.

58 deg. overcast, NW wind @ 15mph with 25 mph gusts.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 68F. Breezy. Winds from the NNE at 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Chance of rain 20%.

Not a whole lot to report. Linda and Laura went to a used book store in Orange City Monday. By the time they returned, Linda was really tired, but said that she enjoyed the outing and ended up buying a few paperbacks. ;-)

Because the laundry hamper was overflowing, Linda and Jim did a couple loads of laundry yesterday. Actually, Jim took the laundry out to the storage shed and put the clothes into the machines while Linda talked him through some of the settings for the washer and dryer, from the kitchen doorway.

Yeah, I know, ,  ,  ,  you'd think that Jim would know how to do the laundry, but that is one of those things that Linda always took care of. He would carry the baskets of dirty clothes for her and bring the washed items back, but he never really "did" the laundry.

Well, you can't say that he hasn't now!! I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!!!!! ;-)

Jim didn't think that Linda was up to making dinner or going out to eat yesterday so he volunteered to go out and get something, but Linda said that she thought it would be good for her if they went out to eat. So, they ended up going to Steak 'n Shake for a Steakburger.

After they returned, the evening was spent watching TV.

You know, Jim and I are really proud of Linda. She's still pretty sore and gets tired quickly, but she has been pushing herself and trying to do something active each day. She has quite a list of things that she's not supposed to do, so some days it's hard to find something she can do.

Friday, she has an appointment with the surgeon, (Dr. Molpus), for the follow up to here surgery and to find out what further treatments he thinks will be necessary. She's not looking forward to going at all! She says that she's more worried about the procedures that he may recommend than she was about the surgery itself.

Did you know that Steak ‘n Shake was founded in February, 1934 in Normal, Illinois? Gus Belt, Steak ‘n Shake’s founder, pioneered the concept of premium burgers and milk shakes.

Woof!!! 

Getting Ready For Company

DeBary, FL.

64 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Clear. High of 88F. Winds from the North at 5 to 15 mph.

After cleaning up the Florida room, Jim spent quite a bit of the morning out in the storage shed/shop, yesterday morning.

I'm having a little trouble deciding what I want to call it. Up to now, it's definitely just been a storage shed, but now since Jim has been working on it, it's starting to look more like a small workshop. But, the washer and dryer are out there too, so maybe it should be the laundry room.

Decisions!!! Decisions!!!

The afternoon was spent with Jim and Linda cleaning/straightening up the house, doing a load of laundry and taking naps. ;-) Then for dinner, they took CLT and headed over to the Perkins Restaurant in Orange City.

This morning, Jim will do some final vacuuming so the house looks presentable when Mike, Gina and the kids get here this afternoon.

I don't know for sure, but the other day, Linda mentioned that she thought that Gina's mother, Susan, may be coming along on this trip too. I don't remember meeting her but I'll be sure to welcome her and behave if she is along with them. ;-)

I don't want to make a bad impression!!

Did you know that on this date in 1792, the cornerstone of the Executive Mansion was laid in Washington, DC. The building became known as the White House in 1818.

Woof!!!

Tests And Procedures and Company Coming?

DeBary, FL.

63 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Clear in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 86F. Winds from the North at 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday, Laura swung by and picked up Linda and took her over to the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach for her chest x-ray, EKG and blood test. It took all afternoon and they didn't get back here until dinner time.

Linda said that the tests weren't too bad, but the waiting between them was not much fun.

On the way back, they stopped and picked up a couple burgers from Burger King so that Linda and Jim would have something to eat with out a bunch of preparation.

While Linda and Laura were gone, Jim took CLT and headed over to the storage yard to check on Bobbie T.  I feel kind of sorry for her. It was so crazy when we came down here that she was just parked over in the storage area without being cleaned up inside or out. CLT says that she still has some bug spatters on the front of her and I know that nothing inside was cleaned.   She seems to be doing fine though and Jim spent a couple of hours over there, exercising the generator and doing some cleaning inside of her.

Hopefully Jim will be able to get back over there soon and do more cleaning.

Yesterday, Linda did some laundry and Jim tried to stay busy by doing some re-organizing out in the shop/storage shed.

Today, Linda has to go to the Florida Hospital in Orange City for that PET Scan. Her appointment is for 10:15, but was asked to be there by 9:45, (probably to fill out paperwork). Other than that, I don't think there are any other plans.

Oh, we may be getting company! Jim and Linda's son Mike, Gina and the kids may be stopping by this weekend. They're heading down to the "attractions" (Disney World etc.) in Orlando for a vacation and when Jim last talked to Mike, he said that they'd like to stop by to see Linda and Jim and see the house.

I hope they can, since we couldn't make it to their place in North Carolina this fall.

A Point to Ponder: Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.

Woof!!!

Dinner With Laura And Lindsey and A Surprise

DeBary, FL.

68 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecasts = Partly cloudy. High of 93F. Winds from the SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Not much happened during the day yesterday. Jim's been fine tuning the temperatures in the new refrigerator, getting both the fridge and the freezer set the way he wants them. Linda did a load of laundry and they both took naps in the afternoon.

Then, about 4:40 Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over to the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant for dinner, getting there a couple minutes before 5:00. About 15 minutes later, Laura and Lindsey arrived. Friday night probably wasn't the best night to go there because even though it was fairly early, the place was packed and very noisy!!!

Eventually they were seated and I was told that everyone enjoyed very good dinners. :-)

After dinner, they all came back here to the house, since plans had been made for Laura and Lindsey to stop by and visit for awhile. Well, when Jim walked into the house, one of the first things he saw was a birthday cake sitting on the kitchen table!!!

You see, just after Jim and Linda left to go to the restaurant, Laura and Lindsey stopped by and dropped off the cake and some ice cream. Of course I was in on the plan because Linda didn't want me raising a fuss when Laura and Lindsey came in. ;-)

Laura took this photo of Jim and Linda with Jim's camera.

After getting off work, Ashley also stopped by to join the party. This photo is of Ashley, Laura and Lindsey after everyone had their cake and ice cream.

So, as far as I could tell, the whole evening was a great success. Everyone had a nice dinner and Jim was pleasantly surprised when they returned here to the house.

Don't know of any plans for today. Probably just normal day to day stuff.

Did you know that more people celebrate their birthdays in August than in any other month? The two other months in which birthday rates are high is July and September.

Woof!!!

Linda And Laura Go To Daytona Beach and Jim Goes Shopping

DeBary, FL.

74 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. High of 95F with a heat index of 100F. Winds from the East at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20%.

Friday morning, Laura swung by and picked up Linda so that they could go over to the Doctor's office in Daytona Beach to sign the papers so that they would transfer all the test results and doctor's notes to the original doctor that Linda had contacted. There were no problems at all and by Monday, the files should be transferred.

After that little chore was out of the way, Laura took Linda to a little restaurant that she had heard about. Linda said that the food was good, but the best part of the meal was getting to spend time talking to Laura. ;-)

So, what was Jim doing while Linda and Laura were out and about?  Well, he took CLT and headed to ACE Hardware where he bought some supplies to use in the house, a new door latch for the shed and had a couple extra keys made for the lock on the shed. Then, when he got back here to Highland Estates, he went over to the storage yard to check on Bobbie T. and to get a few more items out of her that he and Linda need in the house.

Laura dropped Linda off around 2:00 or so and headed back home.

Thanks again, Laura!!! :-)

Oh, I don't think I told you, but the other day, Jim went over to the new Harbor Freight store and bought a small tool box to have in the house.

It's a neat looking box, but Jim says that it's not real sturdy and probably wouldn't stand up to a lot of beating and banging around. But for the purpose of just holding some tools to use around the house, it should be fine.

It has a nice lift-out tray and  at about 19" wide by 9" high and 8" deep, the box is large enough that it can accommodate the needed tools and still fit nicely at the bottom of one of the closets.

And, it was on sale when Jim bought it! ;-)

Linda did some laundry yesterday. Don't know what's happening today. They still have a few household items that they need, so maybe they'll go shopping.

Did you know that on this date in 1949 - "The Lone Ranger" premiered on ABC? Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels was Tonto.  

Dishes, Clouds and Butterflies

DeBary, FL.

74 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with thunderstorms and rain showers. High of 97F. Winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Long time readers will remember when Jim and Linda went up to Naperville, IL. to see Linda's sister, Nancy, and to pick up some dishes that Linda had left with her for safe keeping. Nancy e-mailed the other day and wondered if they had survived the trip down here in one piece?  Well, in the photo below, you can see that they all made it without even a chip, and that's something, taking in consideration that they had to have bounced around some in the back of CLT on some of those really rough roads that we traveled on the way down here.

Linda's dishes on display, on the shelves and in the cabinets. (metal tray in the middle is not part of the set).

Yesterday morning, as Jim was having his coffee out in the Florida Room, the sun was coming up and he noticed how it was illuminating some storm clouds up to the North of here, so he got out his camera and took this photo.

Morning sun illuminating storm clouds

The last few days, there has been a lot of activity around one of the bushes out in front of our house. It seems like every time I look out of the window, I see these butterflies flitting around the bush. Jim saw them too, so again, he grabbed the camera and took a few photos.

There's one in the photo below, (you can click on the photos to enlarge them) can you spot it?

Here's a close-up of the butterfly on one of the flowers.

Linda did some laundry yesterday, and both she and Jim have been working on getting more things put away and organized. 

Oh, and Jim called "The Antenna Guys" who put up one of the neighbor's TV antenna, across the street, when we were here in the spring. He's going to be here early Thursday morning, (before Linda has to go to the doctor), and talk to Jim, and then, if Jim agrees, he'll probably put up the antenna that same day, even though Jim and Linda won't be here. 

Then, he'll come back another day, and finish the installation. (Any inside stuff that needs to be done). 

Speaking of the doctor, Linda is getting very nervous about going on Thursday. Again, it's the fear of the unknown. Not knowing what the diagnosis will be and what will actually have to be done to fix her problem. :-(  I know that she wants to get all of this taken care of as soon as possible, but at the same time she's worrying about getting the house ready before she has any procedures. 

Hopefully, soon, questions will be answered and everything will get taken care of.

Did you know that there are about 24,000 species of butterflies?

Woof!!!

When They're Ready They Don't Mess Around

DeBary, FL'

73 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain. High of 97F. Winds from the WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

When Jim and Linda decide to go shopping for things for the house, they don't mess around!! ;-)

They took CLT and left here around 11:00 yesterday morning and headed over to the Target store in Orange City, which is just a few miles from here.

But wait!!! Let me back up a few hours!!! :-)

Before Linda even got up, Jim was on the computer researching TVs and microwaves, trying to find the best units for the money and also reading the many reviews that they had. He then went to the sale adds for this week and researched where the products that he was looking for were on sale as well as available in the stores. So, by the time Linda woke up, he had determined that Target had the items he thought they should  look at.

Well, the research paid off and after about an hour and a half or so, they came back with CLT's pickup bed full of items, like a TV, a microwave, a kitchen clock, a few small waste baskets, a milk crate type basket to put under the kitchen counter to put small items in and even some groceries that they picked up at the Winn Dixie Grocery store that they stopped at on the way back here!!  ;-)

After getting everything in the house and the groceries put away, Jim got the microwave set up on the kitchen counter and then tackled the TV. Getting the TV out of the box was the hardest part and soon he had it set up on the cabinet in the living room.

Now, there is no antenna or cable hookup yet, but they were able to watch a DVD and a VHS tape on the DVD/VHS recorder/player that they removed from Emrys before they traded him off for Bobbie T. ;-)

Today, I think Linda is planning on doing laundry. And, they still need to do a lot of reorganizing because it seems like everything they need, they have to hunt for. Just yesterday, when Jim was looking for batteries for the remote controls, he looked and looked before he finally found the box that they were in. And, it's been like that with many things. :-(

Jim and Linda are still struggling to cope with the high humidity and high temperatures down here in Florida. Everyone says that they'll get somewhat used to it as time goes by, but that doesn't really help right now when they need to get some things done.

Oh, I almost forgot!!! Last night for dinner, Linda heated up some leftovers in her brand new microwave oven!! ;-)  She says that it works great!!!!

Did you know that due to Florida's proximity to the equator, the state receives more than a hundred times the UV exposure that Maine does?

Woof!!!

A New Site

Thompson, MI.

62 deg. partly cloudy, SW wind @ 7 mph.
Forecast = High of 70F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

Although Jim and Linda both liked our site, the view of the lake wasn't the best, especially if you were sitting outside in a lawn chair. There were just too many bushes and tall grasses growing up on the shore to be able to see it well.

So,  ,  , ,  , being that there are no sewer hookups here in this park and Wednesday, we were going to have to go to the dump station to dump Bobbie T's tanks, Jim asked Bill if we could move to a different site for the rest of our stay here.

He checked, and found out that site #9 was available. Jim and Linda checked site #9 out and decided that even though it didn't have as much shade as site #1, we'd move over there.

So, Wednesday afternoon, we dumped and then moved into our new site. Jim took a few photos of it, shown below.

On the photo below, you can see where I marked our old site. Click on the photo to enlarge if you want.

This is now our view of the lake from site #9. There are a few trees, but the view is mostly unobstructed.

The view looking back from our new site. The building directly behind Bobbie T is the bathhouse/laundry building and the building just off to the left is the "lodge" where there are rooms that they rent out.

Yesterday, Linda took advantage of the laundry in the building behind us and did a couple loads. There's 2 washers, 2 dryers, a few chairs, a table for folding laundry and a hanging rack. It is very clean in there and you can tell that everything has been well taken care of.

Really can't complain because as you can see by the photos above, it's been pretty dry around here, but we had a pretty heavy rain storm go through here last night. Lots of rain and some lightning, but not too much wind. There's forecasting more rain for today, but right now, it's pretty nice out. ;-)

Don't know of any specific plans for today. I do know that Linda has more laundry to do, and I think that Jim would like to do a little sightseeing in the area, but a lot will depend on the weather.

Oh, by the way, I don't think I told you, but we'll be here until next Wednesday. At that time, we'll leave here and head over to see Linda's brother who lives over on the West side of Wisconsin. (Actually not too far from the Minneapolis / St. Paul area). We'll stay and visit with them for 3 or 4 days before heading South towards Rantoul.

The way it looks now, we should be getting back to Rantoul somewhere around to 10th 11th or 12th of August. (We may stop and see Linda's sister, who lives in the South Chicago suburbs, so I'm not real sure of the date).

Did you know that Michigan is the only state that touches four of the five Great Lakes?

Woof!!!