Happy New Year - Setting the Tone

Welcome to 2015

Since I've decided to really try to blog more this year, I thought I'd start by wishing you Happy New Year... even though I just told you about Christmas yesterday :-)  Thank you for following along, I really appreciate you taking the time to read this!  If you are so inclined, leave me a comment sometime.  I'm like a kid at Christmas when I get one (or Sally Fields at the oscars if you remember that one).

Back in a previous life, my friends and I would always ride on New Year's day.  Believing that our activity on New Year's day would set the tone for what we would do the rest of the year, we would saddle up and ride.  Sun or rain or sleet or one time even snow, we would ride.  Sometimes it would just be a quick jog on the trails across the street from the farm and sometimes it would be a planned week long camping trip.  But however it manifested itself that particular year, New Year's day always included a trail ride.  I don't know if it 'set the tone' for the rest of the year but it was the very best way to start the year with good friends.  I have some wonderful memories of those rides, even the short ones.

Keeping with that tradition, I spent the morning hanging out with Breezin' and getting some organizing done before our trip next week.  I really hope that 2015 contains lots of time traveling and camping!  We received (or gifted ourselves) a plethora of "red" for Christmas.

A new Keurig mini - no more waiting for the percolator when we have electric!
Thank you family

New skillet - I'm good with the love & peace, not
so sure about the taco grease though

My favorite - these are magnetic on the top and stick together - take almost no room
includes spatula, spoon, pasta server, slotted spoon and they sit in the ladle.

New knives - red polka dots!  And they even work well :-)

Walkie-talkies for the next caravan so Sue doesn't have to call me on the cell phone to tell me to pass the dang car in front of me and catch up!

For the rest of the day, I hope to take in a movie and maybe settle in with a book and a glass of wine. If that sets the tone for the rest of the year, I couldn't be happier!

Hope your start to 2015 is exactly what you wish for!

Happy Birthday Breezin'!

Earlier this week, I took a trip to JD Sanders RV in Gainesville

to have annual service done on Breezin'.  It's hard to believe that I've owned her for a year already.

Though we got off to a slow start, we traveled  48 nights and 4,200 miles during the past twelve months.  We visited a couple of local campgrounds (Silver River and Gold Head Branch in FL); Visited Cumberland Island National Seashore and had Thanksgiving in Savannah; Took a trip to visit friends and family near Nashville, Hit the Blue Ridge Rally with T@B friends in Jefferson, NC; watched the fireflies at Elkmont Campground in the Smokey Mountains; Spent a few nights in Kinard, SC working when project deadlines loomed on the way home; and rounded out the year back in SC with a visit to Hunting Island, and a few days on Jekyll Island.

It was a great year - and hopefully a small sampling of the next twelve months!

A blustery day headed to Cumberland Island

Sunrise at the KOA near Nashville

Gold Head Branch (FL) our first outing

Crooked River State Park

Skidaway Island

Hunting Island SC

Elkmont, GSMNP, Tennessee

Raccoon Holler, NC

A Belated Fourth of July Greeting

Hope all of you had a safe and relaxing 4th of July holiday!

I didn't do much celebrating this year, but I did spend more time than usual reflecting on all the men and women who have sacrificed to keep our country's independence and give us a reason to celebrate this day each year.  Thank you.

After my last weather post, a friend chided me about scaring everyone away from Florida :-)  Although it IS hurricane season and we do have some weather to contend with ... I want to point out that there are another 265 days that are beautiful, without the cold winters of the north, or the spring tornados of the midwest.

This year for the 4th, there was a parade along A1A in the morning,

Along with an art festival on the square and the Friday Farmer's market.  About 1pm the outer bands of Arthur came ashore for a wild afternoon of weather and enough rip currents to keep everyone out of the water.  Today's afternoon was the worst of what Florida got, and my thoughts are with everyone in North Carolina and further up the coast where Arthur was more active.  

photos courtesy of Wunderground - The Weather Underground

The skies cleared about 7pm, just in time for what I hear was a spectacular fireworks display.  I skipped the fireworks and headed home to sit with Grace, who is thunder phobic and has a hard time on the 4th of July.  My normally brave and adventurous Aussie becomes a 50lb. lapdog who shakes and cowers.  I've tried all the distraction tips, tried crating her and finally gave up and let her sit in my lap until the fireworks and thunder were over (not very comfortable for either of us).

I'm ordering a Thunder Shirt to try.  If anyone has any experience with one, please post me a comment and let me know how it worked for you.  I really don't want to resort to drugs but the older she gets, the worse it gets.

Today, it's 80 (which feels cool) and glorious... we are off for a walk!

Hope your holiday weekend was spectacular!

Goodbye Friend... Ruby has a new home

I know it's silly to be sad over an inanimate object, even one as cool as Ruby.  But it was bittersweet when she pulled out of the storage facility on the way to her new home this week.

Ruby the T@B parked at her new home!

When I moved to Florida, I thought I was done with camping...  I had just sold the farm and the horses; and the dually and horse trailer.

Big Bubba the truck and horse trailer

the barn

The farm house

 While I adjusted okay to not riding (I will always miss it), I had to have a way to get back outside. Enter the T@B trailer.  If I couldn't ride and camp, I could at least still camp!

We explored the Florida state parks, took in a rally, went back to Tennessee to visit family and even made our way to a couple of national parks.  I had a blast, I was back outside, I was hiking and camping and it made the move easier.

I loved the T@B, but with two big dogs I just needed a little bit more floor space.   So last fall I moved to the Airstream Sport.  Not much bigger, but just enough that I don't trip over the dogs trying to get to the door.  I love the airstream and I'm happy I made the switch, although I miss how easy the T@B was to manuever.  I've had to get better at lining up the hitch and I can't swing the 'stream around to capture the best view from the front door!  

Ruby has gone to a good home and it was time for someone else to enjoy her as much as I did.

Now, time to pack up Breezin' and get back on the road! 

A trip to the (RV) Doctor

I took Breezin' in for some minor warranty work this week - nothing serious, but I also wanted a couple of changes before the next trip.  My closest dealer is about 100 miles away - all on pretty county or state routes, a nice drive.

Someone (uh, me) made the appointment for 8AM!  The day started out early around 5am driving to the storage area and hooking up in the dark.

Two repairs required parts they didn't have -- I'll have to go back in a few weeks.  I've got a little bit of corrosion started on the grab handle by the door (the downside of living close to the beach) and the sensor on the gray water tank does not work (don't ask me how I know this!!)

I had them do a few minor mods - a new Oxygenics shower head and a clothesline in the wet bath.  And the more important one - an extra battery!  My next trip includes 4 days of dry camping in the Smokies so I'm happy about having the extra battery power.  I just have to save for some portable solar panels.!

I'm also looking for some of these LED bulbs, so if you know of a source less than the price of a new car, please let me know!

Had a great breakfast at The Flying Biscuit in Gainesville with a friend while I waited for all this to be done.  I highly recommend the Veggie Scramble!

Another week at the casa..

I love spring...but not necessarily the home ownership part of it!  Managed to get the hedges trimmed so you could tell I have windows in the front of the house again; put bug stuff on the lawn so I can walk outside without getting attacked and made an appointment for next week to take the airstream in for some minor warranty stuff and maybe a mod or two (I'd really like a second battery and a small inverter, oh and an Oxygenic's shower head) before her next trip.

Trying to start plowing through the inside of the house... I HATE housework so I either tend to ignore it or get into all out "toothbrush mode".  If you don't know what that means, feel blessed... it's an affliction.

It's been crazy hot and humid here until yesterday when it rained buckets.  A cool front moved in and it feels glorious outside!  No more excuses for not washing the outside of the truck and the airstream. That's my weekend plan, what's yours?

Travel Day

Sunday, May 4

Because I have some work obligations I'm making this a one day drive.  My least favorite type of travel - interstates and straight through.  10 hours to do about 580 miles.  The truck did great on the narrow mountain roads and steep grades and I loved the engine braking in tow/haul mode.  My overall mileage on the way back was 14.3 MPG, better than I expected.  It's been a great couple of weeks!

On the road again...

Rest stop with Judy and her T@B

Now to clean up the Airstream (you can tell she's been traveling with bugs and camped under trees) and the truck and get ready to go again...

Almost Spring

Sending some sunshine for my friends that are getting blasted by icy weather yet again.

A sunny (but windy) day at Washington Oaks; a few more plants were blooming this trip.  It's almost spring....no, really.... it is         

Click on the first picture to scan through larger images of them all  (or not )

Princess Place Reserve

Since Breezin is still sitting in her RV-port waiting for life to slow down enough to travel, I thought I'd take advantage of a beautiful day and visit a local park for some light hiking.

Located in the Palm Coast/Flagler Beach area is the Princess Place Reserve.  The 1,500 acres bordered by Matanzas River and Pellicer Creek was originally purchased in 1886 by Henry Cutting and known as Cherokee Grove.  It passed to his widow upon his death, who later married an exiled Russian prince and took the title of Princess.  Cherokee Grove was renamed  Princess Place in honor of her.

There is a lot to do at Princess Place.  You can hike, camp (primitive tent camping only), fish, bird watch, picnic, canoe or kayak, or just enjoy the scenery.  Best of all - it's free!

Matanzas River as seen from the trail

Walking along the salt marshes

There is a lodge with a porch facing the river

complete with rocking chairs to watch the sun set over the water...

The requisite live oaks dripping with spanish moss

a launch for canoe or kayakers

and a small dock for fishing...

There is a old livery stable to explore, along with Florida's oldest in ground pool, fed by an artesian well, and several other buildings.

The trails are short and packed sand at Princess Place, each about .5 to 1 mile, but you can connect to get in about 3-4 miles.  If you need more walking than that - Pellicer Creek Conservation Area is right next door with another 10 miles of marked trail.

On the way to or from these two preserves, you also pass the Florida Agricultural Museum.  Definitely worth a day trip if you are in the area.  I will be going back again to explore.