Last Day 2008

Boy,its hard to believe another year has come and gone. I hope this year has been good to you and the next will be better.
This day is always special for Nancy and myself,because this day is our anniversary,52 years we have been married. Time sure does fly by and waits on no one. We are going to have a quite as possible dinner out at the Sioux City Steak House. We haven't eaten here in quite awhile so this will be a nice time for us. After dinner we will come home and start making the cabbage rolls for tomorrow. Then once again I will eat and watch ballgames all day long.

Just Another Day

Well still nothing exciting happening around here. We had good weather again yesterday. Went to Walmart and bought a bunch of stuff to make cabbage rolls for the new year. I started to not make any this year but,we've been doing it so long that it just wouldn't seem like new year day without eating a bunch of cabbage rolls. So tonight we will be making around 50 cabbage rolls and giving some to the neighbors.

Beach

Sherry and Mark were down for the week end to visit. It was nice having them down and we enjoyed their company very much. Sherry likes the beach so we went out to Green Key beach to watch the sunset,which is alway beautiful to watch.

Of course every where we go in Florida there are wildflowers growing.

A Very Good Christmas Day

Yesterday was a very good day. Nancy had a very good dinner,she had a roasted chicken and all the trimmings. Of course we both ate more than we should have,oh but it tasted so good.

After dinner we began sitting around and getting lazy so we decided we needed to get out to walk. We thought it would be good to go to Chestnut Park again. I sure go a surprise pulling out onto Little Road. There was hardly any traffic. Everyone must have wanted to spend the day indoors. As we were getting close to the park it started to rain,but we went on anyway. After a short time it did stop raining.

As we walked on the boardwalk we saw these two deer and like the one we saw the last time these weren't afraid.

On the way back home we saw this beautiful rainbow. When we got back home we had coffee and home made pecan pie. After that we sat around the rest of the evening watching the tv. A good ending to a very good day.

Merry Christmas

Its that time of year again. I hope you got some of the things that you have been wanting for

christmas.

Yesterday was spent doing the around the house things getting ready for Christmas. Taking some gifts for the neighbors. Cranking up the sound on the tv listens to the sounds of Christmas.

We listen to xm radio on the tv.

Today I will be eating and snacking while I watch games on the tv. Getting more full then I should and then wondering why I'm feeling so stuffed.

Another Good Day

Yesterday was kind of another slow day. Nancy made some home made nut rolls and we took some to our friends.



We did take a little time to go down to Green Key Beach. There were kids playing in the playground.
The wind was blowing pretty strong making the flags flap and snap in the breeze.

We took the boardwalk out to see the gulf waters.

I always like to look at the gulf. Here is a small island out in the water. Also you can see one of 4 or 5 of the stilt houses out on the water. These houses have been there a long time and they do not allow anymore to be built in the water.

I went to Harbor Freight to get a few things and we also went to Walmart.

Around 3:00 the wind quit blowing and the temp came up to 71* to make it a very nice day.

The Same

Yesterday was the same as other sundays. We went to church and heard a good sermon from the pastor. Then we went to "Inn on the Gulf" with our friends Lee and Hazel. We had a good meal and then we had our good convesations with them which is always good and interesting. These are two fine people.
We came home and I think both of us fell asleep for a good nap.

Christmas Tree

We've had our Christmas tree up for around a week. No presents under the tree,the presents are in the closet. This is our first large tree since 1999 because we went fulltime in 2000 and there is not enough room in a motor home for a large tree.

Yesterday evening I went to the Sweetbay market and bought a nice sirlion steak for the grill. Nancy prepared all the trimmings and the steak was grilled to perfection so the meal was a real treat which tasted great.

Just Living

Nothing new happening around here. Walking in the park and we did some walking in the mall yesterday. Also did a little early Christmas shopping. Other then that just living the normal lifestyle here in Florida. Enjoying the warm weather and feel sorry for the people up north in the snow. Sure hope the people that is without electric will soon get it turned back on. Its no fun being without electric in the cold.

John Chestnut Park

We went to the John Chestnut Park yesterday to do our walking. This is another one of the many places that we enjoy walking.

The wild flowers were out all along the path and the colors were beautufil. I don't know the names of the flowers but here are some yellow ones.

Then some really deep red ones.

Then there were the pale lavender ones.

We even saw a deer this time and it wasn't bashful at all. The little thing just stood there and gave me all kinds of poses. His coat had turned to a nice gray for the winter season. Not much of a winter here but the deer still turn just like they do up in the northern states.

We walked a couple of trails.

Light in Bedroom

Yesterday it was more of the same. Doing more things to the little place. It was getting an overhead light in the bedroom. With the walls and the wiring this wasn't going to be an easy job. Running wires in and old house is always a pain. So I took the easy way out. I went to Home Depot to see all the things they had That I could find to make my work easy. Well long story short,Nancy has an overhead light in the bedroom now. I put up one of those swag lights but,I did it a little different. I ran the wire down the wall to the plug in where I put another little contraption. Well it is actually a remote control light. Much like the remote you would use to open a garage door except this one turns the light on and off. It costs a little more to do it this way but saves time and work,so I chose this route this time. Now on to the next project.

Tarpon Springs

Yesterday was a very nice day. The temp up to 80* so it was time to get out and walk around.

We went down to Tarpon Springs and took the sidewalk that goes around the lagoon.

We walked all the way from one end to the other. It was a short distance on 3/4 mile all the way around. We like to come down to this place.

The community has a lot of old houses and we love to walk and look at them. Anytime we travel through a new town we take the side streets to see the houses. This house is Nancy's favorite in this town.

Bob Evans

We went to church yesteday and as usuall the pastor had a good sermon. After church we went out to dinner with our good friends Jane and Dick. We all decided Bob Evans would be a good place for dinner. After a good meal and better chatting with Jane and Dick we said our goodbyes and came home.
After doing a few things we again went back to church to see the Christmas program.
Another good day.

Big Moon

Did you see the moon last night? I went out the back door last night,it was so bright I thought they had put up a new light. I went around the house and saw it was the moon shining so bright. Later on the 11:00 news called it some kind of moon that only happens every so often.
To night there is suppose to be a large meteor shower. I always enjoy seeing these.
The temps are still low for us here being 41 this morning. When is this place going to start feeling like Florida is suppose be? I don't know,don't ask me. Well it is still better than being up north with all the snow.
The sun is shining nice and bright so maybe it will warm up today. I will spend most of the day inside watching ballgames anyway.

More Repairs

Another slow day yesterday. I did get around to repairing the light and fan on the range hood. It was not working when we moved in and I have looked at it several times with no luck in finding what was wrong. So yesterday I let in to working on it again,well what do you know I found where it had a short in the wiring. So now it will be on to another of the many project I have around the old place. Yesterday it was windy and raining most of the day and even into the night. This morning we still have some wind and low temps of 52 degrees. The weather report says we will get to around 67 today but it sure dosen't look and feel like it.

Sights and Sounds of Christmas

Yesterday the wind was blowing all day. I think it is going to blow in some cold weather.

We did get to go to the Word of Life Bible Insitute for the Christmas play.

This is a very large 500 acre complex complete with a RV Resort. They have 2900 students enrolled.

They outside of the theater was decorated up with many things,some were antimated.

The play was a 3 act play that lasted 2 1/2 hours. Here is a scene from the 40's with costume and snow falling. We expected it to snow but what we didn't know the snow fell on the audience also. It was such real snow that it started melting when it hit on us. The singing was a real treat.

After the play we stopped to eat at Golden Corral where I "pigged out" once again. This was a great day.

Word of Life

Nothing unusual has been going on so that is why I have had not posted in the last few days. Sometimes that they way it goes. Well maybe a couple of things. I got myself an early Christmas present on "black friday",it was a garmin gps unit. So to google search I go to find out about gps and what you can do with it. I find out you can load up things on it from the computer. One of the things I found was "off beat tourist attractions. After putting that on the gps I clicked on it to see where some of the things were. Giant prospector,now that sounded interesting and only 1 1/2 miles from the house,so off we go only to find its not there any more. Monday looked like a good day to see Solomons castle. After driving north 25 miles north to find this interest place once again another empty place. I don't know where they get they information for these gps uploads,but one thing for sure it must be old information. It was fun though.

Now for the "Word of Life". We know that it is there and they put on musical "Sights and Sounds of Christmas". This is a big production in the Tampa area. So we have our tickets and we are going to see it today.

Back to Church

We went to church yesterday and that was good. It was the first time in a couple of weeks that both of us felt pretty good and I think the old virus is finaly leaving our bodies. The sun was shining but the wind was cool.
After church we went out to eat with our friends and it sure did feel good to be out with them again. After that Nancy and I just sat around the rest of the day,she was reading and I was on the computer.

Through The Woods

Yesterday we went to walk out in the woods. We went to the James Grey Preserve to do our walking. We saw the gopher turtle when we got out of the car. The big "fella" was eating the blades of grass.

The leaves were with a nice color in the forest. We saw different colors of red,green and yellow.

We walked along the river bank and across the bridges and got nice views of the water.

Bird Feeder

I built a bird feeder the other day and put it behind the house next to the woods in hope of attracting the birds. We like to see how many different birds will come and eat.

Well this is not a bird,but this little fella comes and is the first one each morning to get its share of the food.

We do though have the birds to come. This one has a peanut in its beak. The squirrel isn't going to like that.

This bird likes to eat alone. He chases all the other ones away.

It is still unusually cool here for this time of year,getting into the high 30's at night and then into the high 60's of the day.

Storm?

As the black clouds moved in yesterday it looked as though we were going to have a large storm.
We did have a storm but it really wasn't that bad. A lot of rain and wind at times but nothing major. Yesterday was the usual day since we couldn't get out,I watched more games on the tube and Nancy did her usual reading. We were sitting around like two old folks.
The sun is shining nice and bright this morning so maybe we can get out and do something.

No I Didn't

You better believe it that I didn't eat as much yesterday. The day was me feeling bad with my stomach from the days of eating. I didn't even eat my big saturday morning breakfast as I always do. I mean it was that bad. I just kinda sat around and half heartly watch my ballgames.
I'm feeling some better today. We are suppose to get some nasty storms today,the wind has really been blowing strong this morning. I hope it won't be too bad.

It Happened

Yes it did. I over ate big time and now I'm paying for it. Some how I'm going to have to slow down eating.
Did you get up early yesterday for the Black Friday Sales? I did last year but,no way was I going to fight the crowd this time. I got out a little later in the morning and went by the mall. The parking lot was still full. So hope that helps the economy a little.
I did as I had planned yesterday watching the ballgames and that plan will remain in effect for today. Of course I won't be eating as much as I did yesterday.

Happy Thanksgiving

Yes its that time again,to eat the turkey or ham. We have a lot to be thankful for in this country. I know the everything is down and businesses out closing up but it is still the best country around.

You will be able to travel a little cheaper since the price of gas is down.

Nancy and I are staying home this year. She baked some nut rolls last night,that plus a pumpkin pie for dessert after we eat the ham,sweet potatoes,green beans,diveled eggs and more. Afterwards I will watch ballgames and snack all day long.

Almost Finished

Yesterday was a hard days work. I spent all day on the back wall. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. I tool out the rotten wood and replace it with new,added more insulation and put in a new piece of paneling. I still have a couple pieces of corner molding then that will finish that little project. Its now 9:20am with the temp 63* and just starting to rain. Hopefully it won't last long I have some things I've got to do outside.

Work Today

Not very much happened yesterday. Well maybe it was pretty much,in as we felt good enough to go to church so that was real good. Afterwards we went out to eat at Christo's. Came home sat around for a while then took a walk around the park. Then we jst sat some more. Boy we must be getting old.
Today I will start to do some more work on the old place. I have to replace a wall in the back where there was a leak at one time,so that not very good for wood. I just hope it isn't in very bad shape.

Walking

Yesterday we took a walk around the park and then we went out to J B Starkey Park and did some more walking. This is the most we've walked in a long time. I think both of us are finally getting over with what ever we had. This is the place we walked,it is a bike trail but a lot of people walk here. There are flowers and bushes of all kinds.

Even little yellow ones.

Out Today

Yesterday was nice and sunny but still cool (66*). We walked out and around the grounds where the gulf waters come in and there is a small bay. This is a nice place with houses close to the water with their boats anchoring along side of the houses.

There were several types of butterflies out dancing from one wild flower to another.

We also stopped by a couple of stores to do some shopping for Christmas decorations.

Can you believe?

Can you believe how the price of gas keeps going down? This was the price yesterday. We went out to eat at the Chinese Buffet. It was pretty good if you like the food. We got there before 4:00pm so the price was $5.75 which was good also. From there we went to Target and got a couple of things,then over to Circuit City to get a converter box for the old tv we have. The next stop was the Salvation Army store where Nancy bought a few books and I got a paper shredder. After we got home I covered the flowers and the tomato plants.

Shopping

Yesterday we went to the .99 cent store to see what they had in. This store deals in items that are overstock or new items and off brand items. Sometimes you may find good deals and other times maybe not.

The temperature and the gas prices are coming down in Florida. Gas by no means is cheap but lower. We have freeze warning for tonight in our area. This means I will have to cover my flowers and tomato plants.

Cool Last Night

Yesterday was a good football game day as not very much else to do feeling the way we do. Hopeflly this week we will get back to our old self. Not very good reading material on the blog and less good feeling that way. But this is what the blog is about,the things we are doing exciting or not it goes down for reading.

This morning is sunny and cool. It was 56* when we woke up and is not warming up very fast. 65* at 11:00am and not much warmer predicted for the day. So another day of mostly staying inside.

"Lift Off"

Yesterday was much like the other days. I did get a new part for the roll out window. Now it will roll out and close. Then we went shopping down to Walmart.

Last night we watched the night launch of the shuttle. The photo shows the orange glow as the shuttle was going up into orbit. It wasn't as clear of a night as it was the last time,but still a sight to see from the Gulf side of the state.

Oh Boy

We are still battling the "whatever we have". One day we feel a little better the next day a little down again. We will just have to wait it out. We did take out the garbage and a little walk around the parkYesterday. It was one of those hot do nothing days anyway. The temp got up to 85* so it was better to stay inside under the ac. I did settle in and watch a college football game last night.

Getting Better

Yesterday morning was beautiful. It started with a little noise,looking out the window I saw it was Lou cleaning up one of the park models. This old guy stays busy most of the day.

On my way out of the park this Red Tail Hawk flew across in front of me and landed on top of the fifth wheel trailer. You can click on the picture and see that he had his eye on me.

Nancy and I got to feeling better so we went to this park to do a little walking.

This is a nice short walk along the river,with many camera shots along the way.

They have the pathway cleared nice and wide. We saw a raccoon but by the time I got to my camera and turned it on it was gone. It felt good to get out and walk in the wild again.

Yesterday was just a dull day with Nancy and me both trying to get along with this,whatever it is. We did manage to get out and walk a very little around the park but the rest of the time we just sat around sniffing and coughing.

Thank you Vets

Veterans Day-It seems as though the veterans don't get as much respect as they use to years ago. This is a shame because some are giving their lives as they did years ago. If you see a man or woman that is a vet today be sure to thank them and may this flag continue to fly high and proud.

Yesterday Nancy and I went to the doctor,we had scheduled a regular appointment but as it turned out both of use have come down with a virus of some kind. Nancy has had it for a week and I have had it for a few days,so we have to take the z-tab antibiotics for a week. This cough and sore throat is not much fun.

Another Beautiful Day

Yesterday was another slow day as usual. Nancy still dosen't feel well so we're not doing any running around. I did the things that I do and that is looking around for something to do. I did put an electrical receptacle so Now I don't have to run an extension cord to the inside. Also this gives me a place for an outside light in the back. Then there was watering the flowers and tomato plants.
Looking out from the carport up 1st street it looks like another beautiful day. It is now close to 80* and the time is 11:20 am.

Gas still getting lower.

As I was going down to WalMart yesterday to pick up our medicine I saw this sign the gas is still slowly coming down. I went down to the mall at the park and found another basket to put on my bike,also got another front wheel and tire. A very good place to pick up things without costing anything. People are always checking to see what the people here in the park are sitting down what they don't want that other people can use.

Nancy is still feeling down,hopefully she will start feeling better soon.

A Little More Work

Yesterday I bought some white square patio stones and put them in where at one time I think there were flowers. It had been so long ago that there was nothing but dirt and old pine bark chips that didn't look to good. The square stones look a lot better and now I have a place to sit another chair or whatever.

This morning it was time to clean out the flower bed along side of the florida room. More pine bark,weeds and dirt to remove. All this was above the floor of the florida room and I was afraid that maybe water would come in with a big rain. I had to remove quite a bit of dirt,I think this stuff grows.