Pictures and more pictures

This is a cast iron picture used in the 1840's to show the fire brigade that the house was insured.  If you did not have a fireman's mark on your home they may not stop to put  out the fire, as they would not get paid.  We found this at the Plant City Flea Market and bought it for a friend from Mobile, Alabama.  They are interesting pieces and usually command a price of $40 and upward.  The vendor did not know  this and had told us $15.  When we came back after calling our friend in Alabama the vendor said $45.  Wait a minute, you just told us $15.  So I did.  You  may have it for $15.  Someone told me after you left I should ask $45. A good buy for the day.

Linda and Larry from Yorktown, IN.  They were driving through and just had to have a strawberry sundae.  No problem for us to show them how to get there, even though we had already been there in the morning.  We split the sundae and so we did have a whole one on Wednesday.  Just 1/2 twice.  Parksdale has gone to their winter prices and so no more parfaits.  Just sundaes, shortcake, milkshakes, anything with strawberries and ice cream.   Goooood

The back of a 3 wheeled motorcycle.  Yes, it is a cycle.  We had to get out of the car to look at it.  And it has a steering wheel for driving it.  Two person, just like a regular cycle.  More pictures of it on the Pictures blog.

Some more of the stilt walkers from Jungala.  They are fascinating. 

We are now enjoying having Bruce and Beth here.  They are good friends from Indiana, we play cards with them and have good times together.  I had ham and beans for them the day after they  arrived.  Give them time to get settled and not worry about cooking.  Went out last night to  Sweet Tomatoes for supper. This is a restaurant that serves salads, pasta dishes, soups and breads.  With soft serve ice cream for dessert.  And they have a fruit section also.  Good food,, fresh from the garden.  Well, the delicious turkey soup might not have come from the garden.  Anyway, we had senior night tickets, $2. off the regular price.   We walked two miles today.  1 in am and 1 in pm.  Gotta keep walking.  I still do my arm exercises.  Must work on getting my arm in back of me, to scratch my back.                                                       More people are starting to talk with us, they have seen us  here now for 3 years, so I guess we pass muster.  Or we are not just fly by night campers.  Which we used to do.  We, maybe, miss the sight seeing we did when we stayed in an area only a week or so, but we also now enjoy staying in one spot.  It is nice to make new friends and be a part of the park community.  

Enough for tonight, hope you enjoy the pictures.  I am sure there will be more.    Good night.   jkc

Christmas night

And all the decorations are put away until next year.  They were using up the space where I keep the toaster and small blender.  SO, put away!
Christmas eve we attended the Methodist/Native American Christmas Eve Service.  I enjoy hearing the drums and the singing. 
Today, I went to church and came home to cook our own Christmas dinner.
The small rib roast turned out great.  So was the dressing.  The potatoes were stuck to the bottom of the pan and black.  The beans were almost the same way, but I got to them in time to save them.  Guess I haven't cooked a bigger meal for while that I forgot to watch the various pots.  We are eating less than what we used to, so I need to watch more what is actually cooking.  Plus, I forget that gas and electric are just different.  Another excuse for poor cooking.   anyway, we survived and had a quiet day here in the RV.   83 degrees outside today.

Our friends have shown us how to get on to various coupons for eating out.
I now have 3 different sub-way sandwich shops where I can get a free cookie and get points on my card.  I have enough points that I can get a free drink.  So, since you  can get a 6 inch sub for $2.00, we can have a sandwich, drink and dessert for $4. plus tax.   I usually share!

We have enough points at TGFridays for a free appetizer or drink, and yesterday Bob Evans had e-mail coupons for dinner, 2pm to 5 pm, buy one
entree, get the second one free.  Tomorrow it is the  same for breakfast.
Taco Bell gives seniors free small soft drinks and Steak & Shake is still having happy hour half price on all drinks.  They make good milk shakes.
And Ernie is losing weight.  Slow, but it is going down.

Talked to both of our children today.  They sounded well and we enjoyed their conversations.   Nancy said her 3rd grade students have improved since the first of the year.  That is good.  I-Step testing is just a month away.  I like to hear about her students and when a struggling student catches on to a certain principle it is a delight to know you are getting through to some of the children that are so slow.  They can learn, I think it takes plenty of patience and ingenuity to teach so that children want to learn.

Planning on defrosting the refrig and finding the ham stock I have frozen in bags.  Will make a pot of ham and beans, so that when our friends get here from Indiana they will not have to cook that evening.  or lunch.  The freezer is small and it is packed, probably too much for proper freezing.  So, it will be good to get the ham stock out and find what is hiding in the corner of the freezer.  Does any one else have that problem.  In the refrig or the freezer?

A few more days and it will be 2012.  It will be an interesting year I am sure.
Take care, everyone.  Happy New Year.   jkc

The week of Christmas

Hi Everyone!

Merry Christmas.   

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the RV not a creature was stirring not even a ----oh!no!  there goes an ant!!   We have used a bag of ant
granules and then some.  All under the RV and around the tires and various hoses.  Little white or black ant traps inside.  We haven't seen one for awhile.
Since I am  writing about them, they will be back.  I am very careful about anything sweet and liquids.  One year I found an ant in the water holder of the coffee maker.  That poor ant traveled thru tubes and what ever to get water  and then could not get out. 

Back to Christmas-------Sunday evening the pastor and his wife give a Christmas dinner/theatre evening.  Bob Evans catered the meal and then the fun began.   We sang the Partridge in a Pear Tree carol.  Each table had a part.
My table were the calling birds.  Our leader would stop and correct us or ask where are the French Hens.  It got to be funny and all that getting up and down wore off the pumpkin pie.  We had to stand up each time our part came up.  Just think, the Partridge had to get up 12 times. 
then we had a theatre treat of the Christmas story.  I think the small angel and small shepherd boy stole the show at times.  They were the grandchildren of the Pastor.  The costumes were quite unique and original.  A star, the angels, (they all had wings of different materials and some were very pretty)  and the animals.  The cow and sheep talking about the blessed event.  Just a pleasant take on the special event, the birth of Christ.

Ernie and I have been walking around the park.  One round trip around the park is a half mile. Twice in the am and once in the pm.  On most days.  We have also found a Subway shop not far from here.  We now have a subway card and get their coupons.  We did try a strawberry sundae instead of a parfait.
Can get the parfait only thru Friday.  Then the winter schedule takes over and
we will split the strawberry boat.  I know, we probably should be walking more to walk off the subs and strawberries.  they are good!!!!

It was cool here this am.  Down to 48 degrees.  We got out the little electric heater for a few hours.  by noon it was in the high seventies.  Now it is down to 65 at 8 pm. 

 Saturday we went to a different flea market.  We found a very special spoon.  An individual cup tea leaf strainer.  In one of the grape patterns we try to collect.  LaVigne.   it is so pretty and Ernie has it polished to a shine. 
The flea market was the old Lakeland Farmers market.  And it was an old place.  Plenty of fruits and vegetables.  Not too many flea shops.   But as we were about to leave, we saw this one, rather several booths in one, shop.
books stacked high and behind the book shelves, shelves of dishes and glass ware.  Been there so long it was all dusty, dirty.  My I help you find something the African American heavy set lady said.  And then she brought out a tub of silver plate silver ware.  WOW  We were both digging through it.  We came out with 7 great pieces.  One of them being the tea strainer spoon.  One of our books said it was not impossible to be found anymore, but there were not many out there.  And she knew what she had, so her price was not the low price we usually pay.  But still within reason.   Ernie checks on e-bay and Replacements LTD.  for prices.  We did all right.  But will not sell that one piece.

We are still learning about our 3g I-phones.  I am taking more pictures.  Would you like to see my tomato plant.?  I have 2 tomatoes and 3 blossoms on it.  And the onions are starting to stand up and get green!.  Yeah!

Time to take a shower.  Have a Happy Holiday.
jkc

Dec 11, 11

This is the ice show at Busch Gardens.  It is held at the Moroccan Palace Theater.  comfortable seating.

Below is our place at Charlies Park.  It is mostly trailers, with a few park models and a few motor homes or 5th wheel RVs.  We are the transients and live in the ghetto of the park.  so we were told the first year we were here.  Now that person talks with us and we have become known to several of the people living here year around or come every year for the last 20 years or so.

So we are the newbies on the block.  Michigan, Indiana and New York are the states that are represented here.  Right at the back of the car, on the corner of our patio is my garden. (that white ring area) I have a poinsettia, two grapefruit trees about 6 inches tall, small aloe plant, two pansy plant and a tomato plant that now has two small tomatoes.  And I also have a flat of green onions planted.  They said it was to be a mild winter here, so we shall see if I get a ripe tomato or not.

Two of the animal keepers with Kasi the cheetah and Mtani, a mixed breed dog
acquired at an animal shelter as a companion for Kasi.  Cheetah's will bond with their siblings, but Kasi was brought to Busch Gardens as an orphaned baby Cheetah.  They thought at first the Mtani was mostly a lab mix dog.  But now that he has grown more they are not so sure there is much lab in him.  But the two have formed a great companionship.  they run and play and live together.  they have not put either of them with the other cheetahs.  We figure the dog would not last.  so for the time being the dog and the cheetah are kept separate from the rest of the pack.  The keepers were petting the dog and the cheetah as if they were both dogs.  How long will they be able to do that?

These two elves wore their legs off working for Santa and so are in the boxes.

They greet you as you come into the Gardens.   These pictures were taken with our new cell phones.  We are learning how to use them and finally found the correct web site for info on how to  use them.

A few persons living in the park have flown home for the holidays.

Most of us stay here, no one wants to go home to cold weather.  We bought some Ruskin tomatoes the other day.  almost as good as Indiana tomatoes.

or is that blasphemy!    We stopped Sunday and had a strawberry parfait.  they will be available only until Dec. 24.  the 26 you have to get the strawberry boat.   We split that, it is big.  but the parfaits are so good.  Parksdale now has Duncan grapefruit.  It is a sweet grapefruit.  Its fault is that there are many seeds in it.  5 grapefruit for $1.00  so we can scoop the seeds out for that price.

It is getting late.  Have a good day.  jkc

 

Busch Gardens

Different and the same.  Busch Gardens. Ernie has some good pictures of the dog and cheetah.  Will write more about those when he gets some pictures on the blog.

The ice show has been moved to a different building.  Nice, seats are more comfortable.  the show is pretty, very similar to the past two years.  It is a small skating surface for an ice show.  The costumes are pretty and they have a new skater.  She cannot be more than 4 or 5.  She does very well.

We did not go far at the Gardens.  need to take the sky ride to see how the new Cheetah ride looks from the air.  No, I well not ride it, It is a roller coaster.

We got the neighbors moved.  They did most of it, but we added a little help.
So nice to be able to have family over and have room to enjoy them.  They may stay longer than the first of April.

Tonight Thonotosassa had a "Christmas in the Park" night.  Santa arrived in the local ambulance.  There were free hot dogs and dessert, with canned pop for all.  Free will donation or some canned food.  Popcorn also.
The grade school choral group sang.  Well done.  A few games for the children and oranges in bags of 6 to the bag.  All of this free.   I enjoyed.  I think our RV park was well represented.

Just had a little rain.  We hear the rain on our roof.  When it just starts to
sprinkle I can hear it.  I wait to see how hard and fast it is hitting on the roof to find out if it is just a light sprinkle or a real rain.

Enough for now.  Will  continue this tomorrow.   jkc
Ernie now has the pictures on a page and so this will be read after you see them.

Moving Day

Moving day for our neighbors, that is.  Sunday morning our neighbors informed us that they were going to look for bigger living quarters.  That night they thought they had found the right one.  Monnday, after looking at the trailer in daylight, they decided no.  By 10 am they had two more possibilities.  One, they really liked, but it was not ready until spring.  Nix on that one.
By Monday noon they had a buy, or rather a trade.  So we helped move a few things and Tuesday will be the big moving day.  We cannot believe they moved so fast.  Those of you who know us, know it takes us t i m e. to find what we want when it comes to spending the big bucks.  We will get to see the inside tomorrow.  But all indications it is a nice trailer and they made a good deal.  This will be so nice for them as their 3 children live in Florida now, instead of Indiana.  They will be able to have them at their home for together time.  Their Avion trailer was just a shade small for very many people.

No, we are not selling our  RV.  We like living in it during the winter.  With the living room slide we are fine.  could use more closet space, but that goes for a lot of regular homes, also.

The weather is still in the 70 and 80's.  I do have Christmas decoration up,  and I am getting used to not having snow for Christmas.  Bah-- hum-bug!!

We did miss out on our Great Niece's wedding Dec. 3rd.  We heard it was a fine wedding.  The  "cousins" were invited, 9 of the 15 were there and a picture was taken.  I am enjoying that and will be nice to see pictures of the bride and groom also.  My parents have 15 grandchildren,  and the grandchildren are the cousins.
Their parents, my brothers and sisters are the adults.  Well, we have to separate ourselves somehow.  I think all the cousins are now over 45 years of age.
And now the cousins children are getting married and having babies and my---
goodness, I guess the adults are getting older.  Considering the fact that I am the youngest of the 6.  and our son is the youngest of the cousins.

One of the things we older people talk about is being old.  Most of the time most of us do not feel our age.  and then I looked at my arm when I was exercising the other day and they were wrinkled like an old womans.  So in many peoples eyes I am an old women, just do not feel like it, most days.

I am still doing my arm exercises (that new ball and joint are stubborn in getting full movement, meaning I want to scratch by back with my left hand).
I go outside after dark to exercise.  The Rv is not quiet tall enough for full extension of my arm.  A neighbor across the way was outside while I was doing my exercises and I wondered what he thought this women was doing standing outside her Rv waving her arms around in all directions.  so today I told him what I was doing and why.  He didn't miss a beat,  Well, didn't you see me waving back to you?
we do have a good time here at Charlies.

we complain about Charlie sometimes and I am sure he may complain about his tenants.  But we cannot complain about the cost of living in this RV park.
so we just enjoy ourselves and each other.

We still have not made it to Busch Gardens.  We need to go soon, do not want to get into the vacation crowds later. 
Ernie spent two hours polishing the 1 and 1/2 wheels today.   And walked items down to the new home of our neighbors.  Ernie went to bed early and I am writing this and playing my games on the computer.

Have a good day.  or  night.   jkc

Tuesday.   the neighbors are all moved.   That is the stuff from one trailer has been moved to the other and vice versa.  We helped and this afternoon I helped put a few things away.  Mainly handing things to Linda to put away.  We ate out for lunch and supper.  too tired to cook.

the trailer is very nice.  2 bedrooms and bath and a half.  nice kitchen and living area.  and the patio room is enclosed with windows and screens.  Can also be heated or cooled if desired.  They made a great deal.

Hope this gets posted.  Ernie tried to post it earlier and it didn't go. 
jkc

Its December already

Yes, it is Christmas in the air! and I have decorations up in the RV.

In a previous blog I wrote about going to the Marietta Fish Market for our evening meal. And then someone ???? wanted to know how we got there as they would like to go there when they are in the area. Address is: 3185 Canaton Road, Marietta, Ga.
Oh, Boy, do I have directions. 3 different ways to get there, that I know of today. The easiest one is this. I-75 exit 278. go to Camp McKenny Campground. Talk to the campground hosts when you sign in, and if it is the gentleman and lady with nice southern accents, they will tell you how to get to the Fish Market. that makes 4 ways.
anyway,back to the easy one. Once you have found your campsite and are all set for the evening and are ready to go eat.
Go back to I-75. Turn south and go to exit 271, turn left onto Chastain Road. this turns in to New Chastain road. Take this to Canton road. Turn right onto Canton Road. Go past the CVS on the left and just past the Walgreen Store is the
MARIETTA FISH MARKET!!! Yeah! We turned in the first turn, but I think you can go past the Market and turn into a bigger parking lot. Delorme says that this is 14.96 miles from Camp McKenny. Now you may want to take the scenic route, two different ways, one 19 miles, the other 17 miles.
If you want directions for the scenic route send me an e-mail and I will send you the route via e-mail. OK Bob? The campground hosts know the scenic way.

this past week we have been to the flea markets again. Found our kettle corn people. They are from Canada and have a home here also. Enjoy talking with them. Christmas music is in the air at the markets. Have found a few more pieces of silver and a tea setting of Spode China, Christmas pattern. (cup, saucer and small plate) I had to have it, I have a few pieces from my Mother and Aunt. also found 2 more pieces of JJ jewelry. For 50 cents each. Fun!
Did get to church this past Sunday. Recognize a few of the people from last year. This year in the park we are being greeted by the regular winter (and year round)people, they recognize us.
We are learning their names also. Michigan, New York, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania are the states people hail from.

I've lost my blog spell check, hope I am not mis-spelling to many words.

We did get new cell phones. Yes, an I-phone 3G. I know it is a 2 year old phone, but we have to learn how to use this one before we go to a more complicated one. By the time we learn all about this phone, the newer ones will be old and less expensive also. We trust our young sales lady. She has been at the AT&T store for a few years and sold us our last cell phones. Patient,friendly, and knowledgeable about the phones. Nice. She is studying to be a nurse, so we had more to talk about. We wish her the best.

We have had rain and some cold weather. Well, cold for Florida. Put on the long pants and jackets. To be in the high 70's, maybe 80 by Monday.

That's all for tonight. My fingers are not spelling correctly. I get my letters turned around. So good night. jkc