HANGING AROUND…

On Sunday….
there was a lot of hanging around….like all this moss on the Live Oak trees in the deep south…(Florida)…

I could walk around and look at all day…someone told me that it killed the trees…but have found out that it is an air living plant and not really attached to the trees…

And then there was this kind of hanging around…that is what we did all day at the L&S Resort…and Soos came by to visit before heading off to mow yard at her son’s place…Soos on left, Sarah and Sandy in back ground…

Some BBQ’ing …..
was also a good hanging around activity…Sandy below the BBQ master…

On the grill , hamburger, hot dog, sausage … to go along with that Linda made deviled eggs,I made some mac salad…if you look at the table we had plenty…in fact we no room for desert and had to eat that later…while we attempted to have a camp fire…

And the rest of the story….
I am really enjoying my stay with Linda and Sandy at their home…Sarah and I spent time in Melbourne then she went over to St Cloud to Linda/Sandy Resort and I followed the next day….it sure is relaxing out in the country…we can tool around doing stuff and then return to the cozy country retreat…my kind of life…anyway there is more to come…so thanks for looking and come back soon
blessings to all G&M

L & S RESORT …ST. CLOUD FL

Parked at …..
Linda and Sandy’s sisters from the WomenRV forum…Sarah is staying with them until they all leave for Rainbow Springs at the end of the week…they invited me to come and visit also..my rig in the foreground and Sarah’s in the back of pic below….
 The woods out back that I have looking out my door…just like a ST. Park!

On the side is what looks like a Christmas tree farm…not sure will have to ask..

And the rest of the story…
I got here in the afternoon on Friday…beautiful day as the next five or so days are to also be…up to 80 by Sun. They have have some hook ups for RV’s so not totally boondocking…we just hung around yesterday Linda had to work and Sandy had some paper work to do…we ate dinner together except Linda worked late…then was an early night I was tired…Today Sat. not sure what will go on Soos is going to try and come over for awhile..and tonight we hope to check out  the Dark Sky Festival…I will get a link for that and post next or you can Google it…it has something to do with star gazing… and saving the night sky from the light pollution…they have speakers…set up telescopes and a bunch of other stuff happening…sounds interesting to me…So will let you know later what it was all about…thanks for looking and come back soon..
blessings to all G&M

FOR THE BIRDS BLOG

This is the first pelican I have seen at the Home Park since I got back in Sept…A Brown Pelican …I think…

This Great Egret seems to be a permanent resident at the Home Park I see him every time I go there.

Friends at the beach…I met them the other day while walking at the dog beach with Maggie….

I seen this Great Blue Heron fishing while I was on one of my kayaking trips…I think this one was on the Silver Springs River…in Oct.

And again at the Home Park there are these Wood Storks…there are anywhere between 3  to 9 of then hanging around waiting on a hand out from the fisher people…mostly those with casting nets getting mullet for their bait fish…

My first ever in flight picture of a flying bird….taken the other day at the Home Park….

Close up of one Wood Stork…

Great Blue Heron fishing  at the Home Park…there are 2 of these that hang around all the time…a third was there the other day and there was some chasing around the park of Herons  …guess he was a intruder …I wonder if my family in PA are impressed with my bird watching and with all the new birds I have been seeing…

Really not much going on for me right now…made cookies and sent to son’s family …spent a couple days at Wickham …waiting for it to stop raining for a day or two so I can work on my leak…My daughter and hubby are coming for Christmas…they will be here only over night and then they want to go to the west coast of Fl and explore some…I might take the rig and go with them…they only have 10 days and have a lot of driving to do…that’s it for today thanks for  looking and come back soon
blessings to all  ….G&M

A LITTLE MORE SILVER SPRINGS….

Seen this “Halloween tree” one day on the river..

Big turtle…

Liz… river looks like glass but there is an under current…

Spider lily…

Another very old huge tree…

Nans site…don’t see her little red toad ….

Margie and Rogers site…

Me using Liz’s kayak…She has this for sale and I almost bought it….but decided it was not for me…my legs are just a tad to long for it…and about my getting a new camera …as you see me sitting here…I have my camera under my chin on the life jacket…so I could grab it fast…well I forgot it was there and went to push myself up in the seat and heard a plunk…luckily it was attached to my water bottle holder …and I grabbed it right up and started shaking the water out of it…clicking it on and off so the lens would go in and out…when I got back I took every thing out and blew it dry…in the morning it was working ok…so no new camera for me… 

I miss being at Silver Springs…hope some of us Florida girls can do a few mini GTG’ers before the big one in Jan…I know I am ready…my pocket book might not be yet…guess I will do a few day trips here..see what I can drum up…all for now thanks for looking and come back soon …blessings to all G&M

TUES…3RD DAY….

Canoeing on Tues….
Liz loading her new Kayoo on the wheeled cart at the launch parking lot…that I think is so awesome..you can pick it up with one hand..it feels about as heavy as a large cardboard box…only 12lbs I think… made of carbon fiber…the best of both worlds kayak and canoe….  

I have no pics but I went in a canoe with Soos at the helm…what a wild ride lol… anyway here are some pics I was able to take..

Again my camera is the pitts…but you can get the idea of how clear the water is…

A lot of green under water plants…all different shades of green….

Liz with her new kayoo…part canoe and kayak…light as a feather…

We seen a ton of turtles…this was one of the largest ….seen birds,my first Green Heron, alligator x2…we were looking for the monkeys that were left after they discontinued the Jungle Cruse but did not see them…some peeps coming down the river said they seen them but they were gone by the time we got to that place..

And when we got to the head water of the river we ran into this glass bottom boat tour..and a bunch of other kayaks and canoes I think we are all going to take a ride on the boat sometime this week…

And at the head water is a huge spring feeding the river…you can see it here in this pic the aqua blue color…in another post I mentioned that the crystal clear water caused me a slight problem…well I have said many time about being afraid of high places…well when looking down into this crystal clear water I have that same feeling of terror …but I went on,…each time in the shallow part of the river l looked down it got a little better and I could tolerate it some…so that was ok…THEN when we got to the head water it was very deep ..hundreds of feet deep?? I don’t know but it was more that I could take…so I did not get to see the statues that are sunk there form various movie sets …there were tons of movies filmed on the Silver Springs River…this place has a most interesting history dating back to the 1500’s…I will try and remember some of what the man at the boat launch area told us…So this is it for now I will publish this tonight as we are about to go kayaking again …thanks for looking and come back soon ..blessings to all G&M
The spring at the head water in pic below…aqua blue…

MORE THINGS WE SEE…..

More things…
When we watch at the home park..we see many things and people…last weekend they  had a regatta… a ton of sail boats of all shapes and sizes ..I was sitting at the RV by the boat ramp …our usual spot and these one man boats were getting ready to launch in the grass across the boat ramp from me…besides these …there were about 1/2 doz. on my side of the boat ramp getting ready..

While the boats on shore  were getting their sails up and ready a larger boat was towing this line of boats over to join the rest…they had sails down so had to be towed..

and in between all these sail boats were the kids from a local high school out practicing in the long boats…I forget what you call them…but they race them and practice here every Sat. there were  4 boat loads of them that day..they came very early and by the time they got back the place was filled with the sail boats and they had a hard time finding a  landing place. They have a locked fenced in place where they store the boats and I think they are shared by other schools and collages…

And to add a little more to the mix….before any of the above descended on the park…this young man had his mom drop him and his kayak and fishing gear off…I think (I am not a good judge of age of young people they all look so young)…he was somewhere between 12 and maybe 15…anyway he spent the whole day fishing up and down the rivers…he had very good equipment and was very organized knew what he was doing…I had to admire him for being out doors and doing things not sitting around in front of a screen…sometimes he would get out and come on shore to fish and talk with other fishermen…

And then there was this….

and this impressed me very much !…Maggie and I were inside the rig taking a rest…when we all of a sudden here this awful roar …like ear splitting noise…we both jumped up to see what was going on…well this is what we saw…it was not in the water yet they had just unloaded off the trailer and started it up…yikes…never heard anything like it …so of course I went out too take a look….me and everyone else that was around…had their cameras out and clicking away…you all know what a nasty camera I have so the pics are not the best…so do click and open to get a good look…

Right click to open and see bigger pic…

Checking out that jet engine …. I think they were just doing some testing running it up and down the river a couple times…now I want to go and see one of these races…seen these on TV…but it was a whole different thing seeing up close and personal…wow…

They had it on idle the whole way out into the Indian River…and around the corner…I could hear it after that but not see it for awhile..then it came down river past us…but it was clear over on the other side of the river going probably 100 miles an hr…faster than any boat I have seen…cool beans  !!! Maggie and I are getting ready for our camping trip to Silver Springs ST. Park…have clean the rig and put in supplies…get oil changed and take a ride over to Wickham Park to dump the tanks...not sure if I will spend the night or not...it cost $15 to dump and for a couple buck more I can stay...so just might do that...Maybe Wed. after oil change I will go over there....well that's it for now thanks for looking and come back soon...blessings to all...G&M
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WHAT’S UP…..

Well as I said…
I am back in Florida…and it is still way to hot for me…I have to do what ever I want out side or in the rig early in the morning then spend the rest of the day in the house…I am not a happy camper spending the day in a house…but that said…it isn’t so bad right now as I have been have a big problem with my back and right leg…spending a lot of time resting my leg…and it is getting better…it is most bothersome when sitting…not good for some one that has an RV..driving is the worst..that is what started the whole thing to begin with…but I feel I am on the mend now…
A cool tree we seen on our hike…

Looked out my craft/art room…
this morning and saw this…

Ibis in the back yard

So I slipped out the door hoping to get a better look…


I followed them around the yard….
I have found that you never know what you will find in your yard here in Florida…Remember the Pelican that came for a drink of water I posted about …funny things happen…Well my leg is getting much better…glad for that…I think it was all from my back..Also I booked a site at Silver River ST. Park here in Florida for a week at the end of Oct…some of my Women RV friends are going to be there for a mini GTG before the big one in Jan…and on the Fantasy Football scene …Grammy kicked bu**…lol, lol, I beat them all this week…So on that note I will see ya later…have a great day and stay safe…thanks for looking and come back soon..
blessing G&M

THURS. HAPPENINGS

Did one last load of laundry…
on Thurs…and hung them out to dry..Maggie loves her toys and plays with them everyday..and they really get kinda dirty..so they get washed often..some of them have no stuffing left but she still wants them and plays with them…check out her “purse” lol..cute…

My son came to help me also..he unhooked the new hot water tank and drained it..we will be moving it next summer…then we moved out the two pieces of furniture to the RV…the ones I am taking with me to FL…

Then he helped me wash the RV..I have a problem with high places and can not do the roof..so he checked it out for me and washed it….and when the dirty water flowed over the sides…well that meant we had to wash the rest of it..I was planning on doing that anyway…took this pic from the bathroom window…

The other day I was…
arranging things in the rig for our trip…I moved Maggie's bed and toys..up between the seats…where it and she will ride…when ever you do anything to her “stuff” she has to immediately  go over and check it all out…make sure it is ok I guess..lol…anyway here she is checking it all out after I moved it…

Another thing that my son..
helped me with …he explained about my electrical system in the RV…I have been struggling with this since I got it…as we went around the rig he explained it simply so this old lady could understand …he is an electrician so that made it easy for me…one thing that has been bugging me is the “invertor” thing…I could not find anything in my manual about it..could not find any 12 volt outlets…well he showed me where it was…but he called it a “conversion pack” when he said that …I had an ah ah moment and ask a few other questions…and knew what he was showing me was the invertor thing…then we went looking for 12volt outlets..I have been searching all over for one…found one in the bed room by where the TV goes…but a few days before this…I figured out that there was one on my dash…long story spanning over the last year…but there it was I found it..he also explained about breakers and fusses…so that I knew what did what…anyway I am so very grateful to my son for all this info.. knowledge gives you confidence..and makes you feel better about what your are doing.. So Maggie and I are off on our way south in the morning…first stop Winchester VA….so will keep you posted…about our adventures…thanks for looking and come back soon …blessings G&M

TOOK A DAY TRIP…..

It started here….
I went to Meadville Pa. where my son works at the local Home Depot. Stopped at Subway got a couple subs and met him in the parking lot for lunch…that’s what is nice about the RV…park and eat in parking lot..not even aware you are even in the lot…when I went in to get the subs…was not paying much attention…until I heard a voice …coming from behind the counter…”hello Grandma”…looked up and there was my grandson :) :)…(sons oldest) I guess this was just his second day at the job..he works as a cook in another diner…this is a second job…

And then….
This was the another reason for the day trip…across the road (US 322) is a Road Side America attraction…PennDot Road Sign Sculpture Garden I think when it first started it was mostly flowers…it has grown…lol..sorry could not resist…
Large murals and colorful sculptures made from official Pennsylvania road signs by Allegheny college students and State Dept. of Transportation employees….these sculptures are just awesome…

This one is called ‘Signs & Flowers" and consists of a bouquet  "road sign flowers" each 10'-12' feet high. They are all  made from used road signs really  clever and spectacular…If you are in this area it is worth a stop and see…this is the best pic I could get…stopped at a red light..the parking lot was full as this is a working PennDot depot…rig was too big to park..

Directions:

On the northeast corner of US 322/19/6 and Mercer Rd, just east of I-79 exit 147A. Giant Eagle & Home Depot are right across the road…Only one min. from the I-79..you really cant miss it…the signs are reflective so it would be really cool night sight…

Also on the agenda….
was picking up a few Geocaches…there were a few that I could easily get driving the rig…located near big parking lots…I have missed caching…so wanted to add these to my fun day…and I forgot to take pics …all but one below…this was in the HD parking lot…

All in all it was a fun day for Maggie and me…just wish it wasn’t so hot…I did fire up the genny and A/C ..for Maggie while I went shopping at WM on the way home…needed to do a genny run anyway…it was due the first of the month a few days early wont hurt…all for now thanks for looking and come back soon…blessings G&M