Thomson, Georgia: Saturday March 29, 2008:

Last night Patrice sent me a picture of a group of former HP'ers now at Cisco. Seems they and spouses had won a trip to New Orleans and decided to take a group shot which Patrice was nice enough to share it with me. Great seeing so many old friends (they are not old; I've just known them for some time).



A lazy, slightly rainy day in camp this am followed by an afternoon in the nearby town of Thomson for our Internet 'fix'. That means we are camped out in the local Taco Bell, enjoying it's free wi-fi and a burrito.



Went to the McDonald's except they want you to pay for Internet access. They just don't get it. Here's a great way to increase traffic in their stores and then they ruin it by charging for access. Oh well, McDonald's seems to have lost some of the business acumen which made them a leader for so many years.



Joined the video store in order to rent a video for tonight. No TV and no Internet for the last two weeks has MLA in need of a video fix. She choose "Enchanted", a chick flick if there ever was one. I got "Into The Wild", a story about a young man who wanted to escape the everyday world and seek a life of adventure. I've know what happens but heard the movie is good; I'll let you know.



It's amazing once you get out of the movie going/watching business. So many video titles at the video store and I hardly recognized any of them. AT home, my kids bring home a video and keep me informed of what's out there and what's good. Although our definition of good is not always the same.



On Monday we leave for Charleston, where we'll be staying at the Oaks Plantation Campground for a week. And they have wi-fi. YES! I'll be back in the blog business.



When we leave Mistletoe we have to go through Augusta, which hosts the Masters Golf Tournament, also starting on Monday. Sooo, I took time to plot a course on back roads around Augusta. Let's hope I didn't choose any roads with low overpasses, low tree branches, or streets too narrow for the RV to turn with the toad. It should be fun. An adventure if you will. Better than sitting in traffic on the Interstate.



Sure was good talking to Patrice and Skip today; sounds like they (and others) are doing great at Cisco. Patrice also mentioned about getting some of our mutual friends together when MLA & I get back. Right now my best guess is mid-April; just in time to write a check for the ^%@ tax man.



See YA!

Thursday, 3/27 2008 Winfield, Georgia: Mistletoe State Park

This week at Mistletoe State Park in Appling, Georgia has been great. Spent all day Thursday in the park. Took a nice little hike around a portion of the park. Read a number of books, cleaned out the refrigerator, did some paperwork, and discussed whether or not we should go to Alaska this year or next. I lived in Alaska when I was a young boy and have always wanted to go back.

Alaska is a big trip. No that’s not right.
ALASKA IS A BIG TRIP. There, that’s better.

We would go on a caravan with about 15 other RVers. This caravan takes 41 days to travel around and through Alaska. These caravans move at a pretty good clip, especially compared to our current method of staying in each location for about a week. Usually the caravans stay in an area just 1-3 days before 'moving on' since there is so much ground to cover (4000 miles) in only 41 days.

OK, the mileage during these 41 days is ~4000 miles. Then you figure its about 5000 miles just to get to the caravan’s starting point of Dawson’s Creek. Plus back home again. Altogether I figure 14,000 miles or 1400 gallons of diesel at ~$5/gallon and you get ~$7000 in fuel costs plus the cost of the caravan, and then food and campground costs going/returning from Alaska.

While expensive, it’s not really the money. We are going to be traveling in our RV; if not Alaska then somewhere else. Probably drive a little less but would still have the campground and living costs, so money is not the only consideration…. (my financial planner would disagree with that statement).

Time is an issue but not in the conventional sense. We have the time to take the trip. Our issue is being away from family for so long. This trip would take at least 4 months, possibly longer as we would take our time coming back. On the plus side we would get a chance to visit other friends and family across the US.

We had been thinking about putting the house back on the market again this spring. However, if the house sold while we where away we would not be able/willing to come back. Settlement could be handled with power of attorney however the logistics of disposing and/or packing everything up could only be handled by MLA and I.

Right now we are leaning towards taking the trip. After last year’s health challenges you realize there are no promises of longevity (or any other promises) for any of us. Who knows what (Health, Family, Politics/World Events) might occur between now and next year that might limit our ability to take this trip. (OK - hard to imagine politics/world events precluding a chance to go to Alaska but you never know -- maybe the US will sell Alaska back to the Russians or more likely to the Chinese).

In any case, today has been a beautiful relaxing day here in the park topped off with a dinner of steak and salad while watching another great sunset. Gotta love that….

See Ya!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008: Washington, Georgia: The South Is Still Alive!

Some people here in the South still take the War Between the States and the Confederacy very seriously. All I'll say is some people have still not forgiven the North for it's behaviour during the Civil War. Actually, that's why they call it the war between the states; there was nothing civil about the war and how it was fought. Truth is there are many examples of both sides behaving poorly during the war but here in the South, a small but vocal group is convinced only the North behaved poorly. Just something I need to keep in mind before opening my mouth.

We spent the day exploring the town of Washington Georgia and it’s huge collection of old houses/mansions. It is a very small town with a lot of history. I won‘t bore you with all of the history although they are very proud the town was the first in the United States to be named after George Washington.

We spent a lot of our time at another Georgia State Historical Site, the home of Robert Toombs, who was a uniquely disagreeable man.
- Strike One: He was a lawyer -- 'nuf said.
- Strike Two: He was rich -- he was making $40,000 to $50,000 per year in the 1840‘s & 1850’s; an unheard of sum in those days.
- Strike Three: Like any number of rich lawyers he became a politician, serving in Congress for 16 years.
- Strike Four: He was a heavy drinker.

Ok, Ok, that last ‘strike’ could be a plus or a minus. According to many reports, Toombs ‘drank like a fish’ which, combined with his strong convictions and outspoken ways made him most unlikable. Did I mention he was also exceptionally smart?

When Lincoln was elected President, Toombs was very outspoken about the need for the South to succeed from the Union. Many thought he would be elected the President of the Confederacy instead of the more moderate Jefferson Davis.

Toombs’ house in Washington Georgia was pretty special. The original house was built by a Dr Joel Abbott (no relation that I know of) originally from Connecticut. The house had several additions over the years, some by Abbott and later by Toombs.

During the war, Toombs was a Brigadier General in the Army of Northern Virginia where he led troops in a number of actions including a critical battle at Antietam. He resigned his commission after Lee refused to promote him to Major General and returned home to sulk. Actually he became the Secretary of State for the Confederacy although he once again became upset when the Confederate leadership did not follow his plans for taking the war deep into the North.

After the war, Toombs was in the men’s parlor of his home when Union troops marched up to the front door to arrest him. While his wife kept the Union troops engaged at the front of the house he fled out the back. He went into self-imposed exile in Paris by way of New Orleans, Cuba, England, and then France.

Eventually he returned to Washington, Georgia where he resided until his death in his mid 70’s. He was noted for refusing to accept a pardon for his Civil War Acts and was labeled ‘an unreconstructed rebel’. And he was noted for his last words that he would not blot out a single act from my life”.

The hotel in Washington has been restored and the woodwork is spectacular. Right on the town square with many other buildings from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Great food too.

All in all, a great day in a pretty little town out in the middle of that famous ‘red Georgia clay’ that was home to a crotchety old mam…

Also, after a long evening of fishing, you have my personal assurance “there are no fish in this 72000 acre Clark Hill Lake….”.

See Ya!

Appling, Georgia: New State Park: Mistletoe

On Monday we moved from Savannah to Mistletoe State Park which is about 30 miles north of Augusta, Georgia. It's a great location (pictures coming soon) and we are located right on the banks of Clarks Hill Lake, a 72,000 acre lake. Supposedly one of the top bass fishing lakes in the country. I broke down and bought a fishing rod and fishing license last night. Will have to try my hand at drowning bait.

Mistletoe is another State Park without Wi-Fi. In fact, it lacks TV reception (analog or digital) and has pretty poor cell phone coverage. All-in-all, just about perfect!

Seriously, not a big deal to lack TV since we rarely use it except to catch the weather forecast. And poor cell phone coverage is usually not an issue. However, MLA and I have been going through withdrawal without wi-fi; we use it for our news, weather forecasts, e-mail, paying bills, etc. None last week and none this week.

Next week we'll be in Charleston SC at a campground that has free wi-fi. In the meantime we'll take an occasional foray into the town about 15 minutes away and utilize one of the hot spots located there. In fact, since the coffee shop had closed early, we are at Taco Bell using their hot spot. It looks like we've moved in with two laptops, bills to be paid, and various notes/to do lists we've been making while waiting for our next 'fix'.

Not a lot to do in this area, especially at this time of year. The lake season doesn't really get started for another 4-5 weeks.

We're planning to drive into Augusta to see the sights and there are a couple of Georgia State Historical Sites within and hour's drive or so.

The nights are pretty cool (low 40's) and last night the stars were bursting from the sky -- nice and bright since we are petty far from any major population centers. Not quite western state bright but pretty bright. I made MLA go out last night around midnight to do a little star gazing -- she wasn't happy but the dog had to go out anyway, so she agreed. It was a beautiful night.

The lake is down about ten feet in depth so the water is quite a ways from the bank. Normally the water would be lapping at our doorstep -- well twenty feet from our doorstep. Instead it's about 100 feet out from the 'normal' lake bank. We walked down to the lake's edge last night and its was incredibly peaceful. Campground is about 20% full and will stay that way until Friday when most sites will fill up before emptying out again Sunday.

Well, until the next time we 'feel the need for (wi-fi) speed': See Ya!

Richmond Hill, GA

We are staying at Fort McAllister State Park in Richmond Hill, Georgia, which is located about 20 miles south of Savannah GA. They have no wi-fi and pretty poor cell phone coverage. Explains the lack of posts recently. I'm currently at a coffee shop using accessing the Internet for e-mail, blog, news, finance. Feels so good to get to the Internet after several days absence.

We left Key West early on Monday with the plan to drive as far North as (reasonably) possible. Ended up just below St Augustine, FL. Stayed at a small park in the woods that, once the sun went down, was incredibly quiet.

Slept with the windows open and listened to the quiet night and enjoyed a delightful breeze. Arrived around 6pm, set-up camp and took our evening walk only to find them serving a corned beef & cabbage meal in the ecreation hall. Quickly took Dobbie back to the RV and went back up the the rec hall only to find out they had run out of corned beef. Wow, I had really been anticipating that meal. No biggie since MLA had a crock-pot full of meatballs cooking all day so we simply went back to the RV and ate what we originally planned.

I was excited to set up camp in a pull-thru site which means we can keep the toad attached. So excited I forgot to turn off the Toad's ignition and the next moring as we prepared to leave found the toad battery dead. Campground maintenance guy provided a quick jump start and we were back on the road.

Drove thru Jacksonville, FL across one increadibly beautiful bridge, called the Dame Point Bridge, which opened in 1989. Never seen it peviously or I would have remembered.

Left Florida and arrived at this State Park on Tuesday. Great place in the woods, reasonably priced plus MLA signed us up for a Georgia Park System Family Plan and we received two nights free, plus 15% off of all other nights, free train ride for one a plus free admission to Georgia Historical Sites throughout the state. Such a good deal they may owe us money before we are all done! Well, maybe not, but a good deal none the less. You know MLA: she is the ultimate bargain hunter.

We will stay here through Sunday night and then go to Mistletoe State Park (Gotta get those free nights) just above Augusta GA, located on the J Strom Thurmond Lake. SUppossed to be one of Georgia's best state parks. We'll see.

So if you cjeck the blog and there are a few days between posts, don't worry. We'll post more once we get ack in the (wi-fi) zone.

We'll be staying in a campground with wi-fi in Charleston, SC starting on Monday 3/31 so at a minimum we'll have regular posts after that.

See Ya!

Key West, FL: Sunset Celebration

Went to Mallory Square to see the Sunset Celebration this evening. Lots of street entertainers, some of which are pretty good, some with little/no talent except a shameless ability to pursue tips. A fun celebration none the less.

MLA still feeling under the weather from food poisoning earlier in the week so we waited to go into Key West until about 5, just so we could catch the sunset.

Every seaplane company we called to book a flight to the Dry Tortugas National Park is completely sold out for next three weeks. Bummer. Boats have limited availability too, however with MLA not feeling her best, no way we can risk a two hours over and two hours back late in the day. Soooo, we'll have to put this one on hold until our next Key West trip. Despite the high cost of Key West relative to other beach towns, I know we'll be back. I'll book the seaplane well in advance next time.

Well, until next time, See Ya!

Key West, FL: National Parks

A good friend of mine is an avid hiker and has been to almost all of this country's National Parks. In fact it was John who introduced me to Zion National Park in Utah, one of my favorite places in the whole world and one I can't wait to show to show MLA.

John, my friend Peter and I took two days off during a business trip to explore Zion N.P. The trip was a hectic whirlwind tour trying to convince our company to grow it's Government Sales Team in order to help satisfy our government's insatiable appetite for PC's, Printers, Supplies, etc.

We arrived at Zion N.P. in late afternoon and, before doing anything else, John had us hike a trail to the top of a huge rock formation called Angel's Landing. This 5 mile hike was incredible and included a series of switchbacks that took you higher and higher, eventaully bringing you out on top of this bluff. From there you crossed over a narrow (and I mean narrow) trail on top of a rock 'fin'. On one side it dropped 1200 feet and it dropped 800 feet on the other. You could literally hold a rock in both hands and drop the rocks to the canyon floor simultaneously!

One guide book described the last 1/2mile of the Angel's Landing hike as follows:

"Sheer cliffs at high elevations while hiking on a narrow fin. Not suggested for children or those with a fear of heights. Avoid standing near the edge at all times! Do not hike the trail when it is wet, storming, or when high winds are present."

No kidding, that narrow fin was like walking on a rocky sidewalk, only 1200 feet in the air with no fence, rail, wall... nothing but air & gravity to hold you on the trail.

This narrow 'fin' brought you to a great wall that had chains for you to hold onto as you scaled the wall to finally arrive at the top of Angel's Landing.

Once on top of Angel's Landing you had an unimpeded view of the much of Zion and the canyon floor some 1500 feet below. The views all along the hike were impressive however from the top of Angel's Landing the view was spectacular, especially since we were arriving late in the afternoon.

The next day we followed the river into a 'slot canyon'. The walls on either side rose hundreds of feet straight up and you walked along side and in the river itself. At one point we veered off the main trail into an even narrower slot canyon that required climbing up a small waterfall. It was hilarious to watch someone struggling to overcome the force of the water on slippery rocks and teh way the water pulled at your head and chest, soaking every inch of your body with very cold water. Hilarious that is until it was your turn to use every ounce of your strength to pull yourself up and over this waterfall. That slot canyon was nearly deserted and we hiked for miles; many times the walls on either side seemed impossibly close together; the sun only directly visible later when it was directly overhead.

I kept a picture of the three of us on top of Angel's Landing on my desk at work for years to remind me of that time. All in all, it was a an incredible trip, and Zion N.P. is one place I can't wait to show to MLA.

In any case, John suggested flying over to the Dry Tortugas from Key West instead of taking a boat. On the flight out you see a sunken ships, sharks, rays, and of course the incredible variety of colors of the water. Plus you arrive at Fort Jefferson before anyone else and get to explore mostly by youself. MLA and I will make some calls today and see if we can get a reservation. Can't wait. Might even share a picture or two with you.

MLA had a case of food poisoning Tuesday evening. We where up most of Tuesday night and just relaxed in camp on Wednesday to let her recover. Hopefully she will have her strength back today.

Looks like another spectacular day in the Keys. I started writing this well before sunrise. It's getting light outside right now so I'm taking a break to enjoy daybreak....

Well, not as spectacular as yesterday's sunrise but pretty cool just the same.

Somehow it's sweeter getting up early enough to enjoy the sunrise when you know you don't have to rush off to work. I can't tell you the number of times I left the house in the dark to go to work only to return home later that day, also in the dark, and rarely took the time to enjoy or even notice the sunrise or sunset.

And now of course there's always the option, after catching the sunrise, of going back to bed for a nap. What a life!

See ya! I hear a pillow calling....

Key West, FL: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay

Ah, the Florida Keys.

Just saying "Florida Keys" and/or "Key West" out loud causes your blood pressure to lower a few points; your mind immediately anticipates spectacular sunrises (above taken this am from our site) & sunsets in various hues of orange, red and purple; a picture of incredibly clear blue water, white sand, & lots of colorful fish develops in your minds eye and then, slowly, unmistakably, your hand begins to curl into the perfect position to hold an icy cold beverage.

We made the trek from Alva, Florida to Key West, Florida early on Monday. Well, I think it was early, what with daylight savings time changes occurring over the weekend and all. In any case, the trip here was about 6 hours, including stopping for lunch and supplies at the Homestead Wal-Mart.

MLA & I shared the driving duties. She's getting quite good at driving the RV and spent time on a variety of roads including two lanes with little or no shoulder, some Interstate roads, and a toll road with the associated toll plaza. Always a fun experience with concrete 'Jersey walls' on either side to help you keep your vehicle 'between the lines'. I mean, haven't these people heard about something a little softer than concrete, like plastic?

MLA did great, as always, despite the state's best efforts to intimidate.

A drive through the Keys is almost always beautiful and this trip was no exception. The incredible variety of the water's colors & hues always gets your attention. The succession of bridges and causeways gives you an up close and personal view of the Keys and associated waterways, nicely enhanced when viewed from the higher driving/riding position you have in an RV.

Funny how the colors are enhanced when viewed through polarized sunglasses. The camera does not begin to capture just how beautiful it really is here. I guess I need a better camera that allows me to put on a polarized lens to better capture that beauty.

The Keys are as quirky as ever, with its ~150 mile length divided into 4 geographic/government sections. Lots of new road construction in the various sections that appear to have little coordination or overall plan. In some places they are building new roads/bridges that are two lanes in each direction; in other section they are building new roads/bridges that are only one lane in each direction.

Everyone knows when roads go from two lanes to one lane the resulting back-ups are incredible. We hit one of those two-lanes-into-one-lane sections on the way down and trying to merge a 65 foot RV + Toad package was fun. A nice Jeep driver finally blocked other traffic and let us in -- hats off to courteous drivers! Hope to see better coordination in the traffic planning departments in the Keys and across America -- hoping however not really expecting to see it anytime soon.

Our site (#54) here at Blue Water Key RV Park is really nice, complete with great view of the channel on the Atlantic Ocean side as opposed to a view of the Gulf of Mexico on the other side of this small Key. In addition to a great view from our own small private dock, we have a Casita, which is an open air Tiki Hut with a thatched roof, that provides great views and lots of blessed, comforting shade.

Temps have ranged in the low 70's to around 80, although with the wind it has not seemed hot. As expected, it rained Tuesday morning and early afternoon before turning to sunny and clear this afternoon around 3pm. Calling for sunny and chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon for most of this week and then a sunny weekend. .

We explored north of our campground (mile marker 14) on Tuesday, scouting out a great beach at the Bahia Honda State Park. Lots of trails, great snorkeling and a world class beach. They said it's ranked #6 beach world wide. No clue on who does this ranking however it appears to be a spectacular beach no matter who is doing the ratings. There's also RV camping; the ranger told us to start calling 11 months in advance and to do so starting at 8 am 11 months in advance. Apparently getting into this RV park is pretty difficult.

How do I explain to the the ranger that we have no idea where we'll be 11 days from now, yet alone 11 months from now?

I guess we'll have to deal with a calendar at some point however at this point we're just looking to stay a week here and a week there. Stay longer if we like the place and move on once we've explored and seen what interests us.

On our list for this stop: the Bahia Honda State Park, Key West's many sites, a Great Crane Refuge, and maybe take the trip to the Dry Tortuga's. That's a place where they built a Fort that turned into a prison that turned into a National Refuge located ~70 miles from Key West. That translates into a ~ 2 hour boat ride going and coming. Since MLA has some issues with motion sickness we'll have to see if we can find a day of 'smooth sailing'. Or maybe take the seaplane over.

Would love to see it as it's a very special place that has had very little impact from mankind. Or womankind. Or ..., well, you get the point. It's basically an unspoiled vision of this part of the world; how it's appeared for thousands of years. The Fort/prison proved to be too remote to be an effective Fort or prison, so it has returned to its natural state.

Regardless, lots to see and do here in the Keys, especially when you include the ever popular viewing of the world drifting by while 'sitting on the dock of the bay'. It's a tough commute for watching sunrises and sunsets since our site's dock sits about 20 feet in front of the RV.

Have to go now, my hand is starting to curl into the shape perfect for holding an icy cold beverage... See Ya!

Alva, FL: It's A Dog's Life

Beautiful if windy outside today. Every time we thought it nice enough to go to the pool the wind picked up and it felt too cool for swimming.

Went to the book exchange library here at the campground this afternoon; found a few good books and left a few good books in their place.

Found a book about a couple sailing a 69 foot boat around the world; well actually, rebuilding it around the world. Just when we thought what we are doing was 'out there', you find a true story about a family that's lifestyle is really 'out there'.

Somehow today, MLA and I never got on the same page. She wanted to do/go several places and I just didn't hear/understand. At the end of the day (perfect in my view: lots of reading and relaxing), MLA let me know how disappointed she is that we didn't go somewhere. Ouch! Felt like having to go to the principle's office when you didn't know exactly what you did wrong but you knew it wasn't going to turn out well....

Told MLA we need to work on our communications; men don't do subtle. Slap me upside the head and then tell me what you want to do; then I'll know it's important to you. Instead of "Do you want to ...." say "I want to ...., I'll be in the car waiting". Then I'll know. Nothing subtle for men.


Yesterday, while touring the Edison Ford Winter Estates, I heard a story about how Edison, after working all night would sleep in one of the guest house bedrooms rather than risk the wrath of his wife for once again, not taking proper care of himself and/or getting enough sleep. His wife reportedly said "It's his dog house for when he's in trouble; Every man should have one".

Told MLA I'd like to make it up to her. I was thinking maybe take her out to dinner or, if she is upset, I'll go to my 'doghouse' on the couch. She told me to buy her a golf cart like the one in the picture's.

See, we are still not on the same page...

Tomorrow we pull up stakes and head to the Blue Water Key RV Resort just outside of Key West. Can't wait to pull into that ocean front site, pull out the lounge chairs, pop open an adult beverage, and then carefully listen to MLA's response to my question "What do you want to do?".... Yep, I'll be listening very carefully.

See Ya.

Fort Myers, FL: Edison Ford Winter Estates

Cooked a great dinner tonight on the grill. Found some sausages made from chicken, hot peppers, and cheese -- awesome. Bought some fresh tomatoes -- real, vine-ripened tomatoes with great taste. Added a big salad to the sausage and viola -- a great meal. Finally found some strawberries that taste really good so desert was delicious. So much of the strawberry crop has great color and shape however the taste is just not there. Buying from roadside stands is the only way to go.

Today was an incredibly windy, blustery day and the temperature was noticeably lower. Spent the better part of the day at the Edison - Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers today. Edison was born in 1847, well before the Civil War, and lived until 1931. He was/is America's most prolific inventor as measured by patents: just over 1040 patents. Right up until he died he was focused on inventing.

Turns out Ford worked for Edison in Detroit and in his spare time he played with motors, eventually leading to his first vehicle, a quadricycle. Basically a motorized sled with four bicycle tires. Caused so much disruption when he drove into the city, scaring horses and people, he had to have someone precede him with a flag to wave others out of the way.

After Ford started his own company he and Edison met again, and over time Edison became a mentor for Ford. Later, another legendary member to join this group was Harvey Firestone, of Firestone Tires fame. They would go camping using Ford Model T's as tent campers -- some of the first RV's, initially in the Everglades.

Yesterday I said it was President Roosevelt who joined them on some camping trips when in fact it was President Harding. Hope you didn't lose any Jeopardy contests as a result of my misinformation.

Overall the tour was OK, not great. You could look into the houses via the windows however you couldn't go in to any of the Edison estate and only two rooms of the Ford estate. You could go into Edison's lab for his Botanical Research Company.

Around the First World War, which was towards the end of Edison's life, he was convinced there would be a shortage of the raw materials to make rubber. He spent a lot of time and resources investigating plants that produce latex that could be grown in the US. Didn't happen however he did advance botanical research and his notes were turned over to the Department of Agriculture. The estate is covered with all kinds of exotic plants, palms, and trees. Above is an Fig tree that has grown to cover almost an acre, but one of several impressive tree's found here.

My overall impression? Ford seems a bitter and unhappy man. Not a lot of nice things to say himself about others nor were there many nice things said about him. Maybe I just caught him on a bad day....

Edison however was a driven, incredibly focused, self-educated man. I plan to spend more time reading about him and his accomplishments. An amazing individual. MLA bought me a book of quotes from Edison and Ford so don't be surprised if I throw some of those into the blog. You had to love Edison. He did not believe in any form of exercise or aerobic activity. He was famous for saying his body's only purpose was to transport his brain. And he used power naps for inspiration and felt that many of his best ideas came to him during these naps.

The fact that he worked non-stop 24/7 and when working on a problem was notorious for being able to focus 100% of his attention on that topic until progress was made, well, might have had something to do with his success too.

I think I'll go take a power nap and see what my mind comes up with...

See Ya!

Alva, FL: Winter Olympics

South Florida is still under water use restrictions; at this campground it meant I could only wash the RV & car on Thursday. So yesterday I checked with the office to make sure Thursday was 'my' day. Sure enough it was, plus they sent a power washer to my site; it wastes less water than using a hose. And by the way, they make water on-site via a reverse osmosis process, so you end up with water that tastes fresh and is soft. Pretty nice.


In any case, I spent three hours washing the RV, risking life & limb not to mention sunburn. Sun was out in force and skies were clear. It was incredibly hot and humid, very little breeze.

Finished washing the vehicles and putting away the equipment, came and inside (ah, I can still remember how incredibly good the AC felt) and after getting some water to drink, I headed for the shower. About halfway through my shower I hear the unmistakable sound of rain on the roof of the coach.


MLA comes in like a kid at Christmas and couldn't stop laughing. Now, she's been laughing a lot on this trip however yesterday she was in hysterics! When we looked outside it was still sunny but raining to beat the band. Kept raining for all of 3 minutes and then stopped. Oh well, it least it rained on a clean RV. Actually, later in the afternoon it did start raining and didn't stop until sunset.

Maybe I can travel to drought stricken areas and get the locals to pay me to wash my RV. I know I can end their streak of rainless days.

Coach still looks great even after the rain however I now know why so many people pay an RV washing service to come on-site and wash the coach. I might pay someone to wax it (it's a huge job) however I'll keep washing it myself.


Not as much to do right around here so tomorrow MLA & I will head over to Ft Myers to see Henry Ford & Thomas Edison's winter homes. I remember reading a long time ago they were good friends. In fact I remember they went camping together, brought along a couple of buddies: Harvey Firestone & President Warren Harding -- Must have been a lot of fun.

After visiting their winter homes & gardens, we'll head over to a museum/exhibit called The Imaginarium. Sounds good based on the local literature, we'll see.

Tonight was the opening ceremony for this campground's "Winter Olympics". It was dusk so the pictures most of the pictures didn't turn out well. It started with someone carrying the 'Olympic Torch', in this case a Tiki Torch. This was followed by a parade of floats, in this case a small fleet of rubber dinghy’s pulled by golf carts. An then more golf carts, motorcycles, scooters, etc. Clearly this group has put their happy hour time to good use.


Tomorrow, the games/competitions begin. Can't wait to see what variations these folks have introduced into that part of the Olympics. Regardless, everyone is having a good time, with and without adult beverages.

See Ya!

Alva, FL: Our First Gator Sighting

Saw our first alligator today sunning himself (maybe herself, didn't get close enough to tell) on the large sprinkler head directly in front of our RV; maybe 30 yards away. Looked to be about 5' foot in length but again, I didn't get close enough to exactly measure the durn thing.

Sure, I've seen plenty on TV, many of which were larger than our 5 foot friend, but seeing one "in the wild" without a fence or any other barrier between him and my front door is a whole lot different.

Not sure how long he was on the sprinkler however he was kind enough to stay there for another 20 minutes or so after I first spotted him. Should have seen MLA and I running around to go outside and take a few pictures. We had just started to get ready to go to the pool when I noticed him out the front of the RV. It was like the Keystone Cops, us wanting to gather our pool survival gear and get outside to take the gator's picture.

Gonna have to start packing a emergency pool evacuation kit, loaded with everything you need to get to the pool quickly, and keep it by the door. Who knew retirement could be so demanding.

Not to mention the fact that I had to eat crow with MLA. I had assured her that any alligator would not be too big given the size of the lake and the number of people around. MLA insisted they would be big enough to eat Dobbie. While not huge , at least one of them is a lot bigger than I promised her it would be, and certainly capable of eating a 9lb. miniature Dachshund. Once again, she was right and I was 'less right'.

The folks next door have a brand new Prevost Bus RV. If you've ever seen any of those RV shows that those spectacular RV's that that go for $1.5 - 2.5M you have seen what is parked next to us. In fact, there are probably a dozen of those Prevost Bus RV's in this RV Resort. Many of the other sites are occupied by the high end units from other manufacturers. This is by far the most upscale park we've seen.

And, of course, there are lots of those custom golf carts flying around in here.

There are water restrictions in this part of Florida and tomorrow is the day I am allowed to wash the RV. Spent today just scraping the bugs off of the windshield followed by a good coating of Rain-X. Rain-X causes water to run off your windshield, usually without using the wipers. Took the better part of two hours however you have to subtract some of that time due to the neighbor discussion factor.

Never fails, you end up in conversation with people pretty easily in a campground and of course it takes a while. Interestingly, with RVers the first question is not "What do you do?" or "What did you do before you retired?". The first question is almost always "Where have you been?" or "What have you seen?". Then it's finding out if they stayed at any good campgrounds they would recommend. Always searching for a great campground, preferably with spectacular surroundings/view. And a good price is always welcome.

In any case, the view out the front is much improved without all of the bug splatter. Warm weather locations are a lot of fun as far as insects go. Nothing like trying to identify what type of bug it was before it tried to fly through an invisible wall of glass. Couldn't stop singing (to myself) that song by (I think) Mary Chapin Carpenter with the line (the only lyric I remember) "Sometimes your the windshield, Sometimes your the bug". That's all I remember of the song although I can tell you it's always better to be the windshield than to be the bug.

Coming to you from the land of alligators and exotic bugs, here's to being neither the bug nor gator bait.

See ya!

Alva, FL: Bingo!

One of those lazy, clouds overhead type of days where you figure you might as well get some of your chores done so you can enjoy the sunny & beautiful weather when it happens. That's what today was and that's what we did.

A little shopping at Sam' Club & a Super-Walmart; those stores appear to be just about everywhere we have gone so far. Can't be as many of them out West but we'll find out later this year I guess. We moved all of our medications to Walmart so we can get them re-filled whenever & where ever. Even though Walmart's pharmacies are notoriously slow and crowded, they do all use the same prescription tracking system.

Also hit the Post Office to send some stuff we don't need or have finished with back home. Have to stay on top of the stuff or you'll be paying good money to cart around a lot of stuff you don't need. MLA's getting real good at programming the GPS to find these types of stores and services and the GPS usually gets us there without too many problems.

Spoke with my sister Kim today. Her family along with my Aunt Joan and Uncle Wayne are headed to the Caribbean on a cruise. They are all so excited. My Uncle Wayne and Aunt Joan are a stitch and a lot of fun to be around. Can't wait to hear some of 'their' travel stories.

As for us, we are simply enjoying the warm, if cloudy, weather. And of course enjoying this special campground MLA found.

Campgrounds come in all shapes and sizes although there appears to be three basic types. Think of it as a triangle. You have your basic 'Camping' campground. Lots of people, in tents, campers, pop-ups, Class A's, Class B's, and Class C's enjoying nature and truly camping. That includes really living outside and having a campfire whenever it makes sense.

Another end of the triangle is the Motorcoach Resort. These usually only allow Motorcoaches (Class A's) and even then, the motorcoaches must be less than 10 years old. Lots of amenities: pools, spa's, shuffleboard, boccie (sp?) ball, and all types of classes: water aerobics, walking, bus tours/trips, cooking, etc. etc. etc.

The last point of the triangle is really a mixture of the two that can and usually does include long term park residents. People who make their living nearby and live & stay in the same park full-time. Plus some folks who work 'on the road', living in one campground after another. The mix of RV's is usually mostly Class A's, Class C's, some trailers, and lots of 5th wheelers. A 5th wheeler if a special trailer with a 'gooseneck' that requires a big truck to tow. Very spacious and a lot like a home, except of course, smaller.

We are currently in a motorcoach resort and trying to enjoy every last minute and sample all of the amenities. Not to mention what appears to be a contest by the long term resident on who has the most outlandish golf cart. We have seen golf carts with Mercedes front ends, Hot Rod front ends, Rolls Royce front ends, etc. Leather seats and wood dash. Of course all come with excellent air conditioning (just hit the gas/electricity pedal and feel the wind in your hair).

They are having Winter Olympics with lost of fun activities & a few sports competing for prizes. Of course there is an 'Opening Ceremony' this Friday with, you guessed it, and Olympic torch and Golf Cart Parade. Too much. I'll be sure to get pictures.

Oh, how could I forget Bingo as one of the amenities? One of MLA's favorite games and last night she won $22 while playing nine cards. Told you she is a pro. She paid $12 dollars for the cards so a net gain of $10 dollars.

Tonight, we ate at a small diner called the Alva Country Diner. Food was great and only cost $26 dollars including tip. This place was just what you would expect at a small out of the way diner that's been serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner for generations. With MLA's winnings it only cost us $16. Notice I have no problem using 'her' winnings for 'our' expenses; years of middle management taught me how to use other people's money without shame or embarrassment. A very handy skill to have. Now if I can only get her to win larger Bingo pots I can get those new place mats we need for the dining table .....

See Ya!

Orlando, FL: We Are: Moving On!

Director:"WE ARE".
Cast: "MOVING ON".

That's exactly what the director said and what we (the cast) shouted while on the set of Universal Studio's newest "Disaster" movie. MLA and I went to Universal's theme park yesterday and overall the park was a little disappointing. Maybe because we've been there before -- about ten years ago. Or maybe because we did not have the kids with us and everyone knows when you have kids you are able to see theme parks (& the rest of the world) through their eyes. Kids naturally view such events with a sense of wonder and excitement that adults rarely experience on their own. Too grown up I guess.

We did, of course, get our picture taken with the shark from "Jaws". Always fun.

We also enjoyed the "Disaster" movie, especially since MLA was selected to be one of the 'stars' in the movie. Lots of fun to see her 'acting debut' and to see her up on the big screen with a starring role in a film. When the film 'aired' you saw MLA for about ten seconds before a bolt of lightning (special effects lightning, not real lightning) fried her character to the bones. It was hilarious and (everyone said) the best part of the movie. She wouldn't take her sunglasses off the rest of the day and kept calling me her 'agent'.

So today I said "WE ARE" and MLA responded "MOVING ON". We pulled up stakes and moved to a new campsite. Moved from the Orlando area to the Riverbend Motorcoach Resort- www.riverbendflorida.com , which is a campground right on the Caloosahatchee River(pronounce it just like it is spelled). The Caloosahatchee is part of the Okeechobee Waterway . Big deal, right?

Well actually it is; the Okeechobee Waterway connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico near Ft Myers. The river is beautiful and the campground is no ordinary campground. It is a pretty spectacular condominium campground that intermingles with its own lakes. And the lakes have cool fountains. You pull into your site and have a great view of the lake and in our case, we have one of the fountains directly in front of us. A condominium campground means the lots are for sale; you can own your very own piece of Florida real estate. The campground then handles renting your lot when you are not there/here.

It's night time now and the fountains are lit up plus they provide a very soothing sound while the windows are open. May need to close up the RV windows and turn on the AC as it is much warmer this far south, we'll see. We are in Everglades County so if we are not in the actual everglades we are pretty darn close.

They warned us about the alligators in the lake. MLA thinks the alligators are huge and will lunge out and eat Dobbie. I'm convinced they are relatively small however will still look at Dobbie as a snack. I'll get pictures and we'll see who's right. So far, all I've seen is snapping turtles and a snake. No gators yet. Meanwhile, Dobbie is looking very nervous.

Florida has an amazing variety on ecosystems. MLA and I can see why so many people come here to retire. Or live as snowbirds, spending the winter in Florida and then returning to their home state for the summer. Not saying that's what we want to do however I do see the appeal for many folks.

As for us, we are not ready to settle down in any one area any time soon. Too much to see yet. Currently I start to get the urge for 'Moving On' after 5-7 days. Today, I was more than ready to leave the Orlando area and head south.

BTW, Orlando theme parks are not as busy this year as they normally are according to my sources (little old lady at the theme park gift shop and you know they are 'in the know'.


Well, MLA went to play bingo and I'm going to fix a bite to eat. Love to all!

We Are: Moving On!

See Ya

Orlando, FL: That's My Story & I'm Sticking To It!

Passed our driving lessons with flying colors. Well, maybe not flying colors however our instructor did not take away our keys and/or licenses. Our Driving instructor, George, was first rate. Lots of experience driving trucks throughout various stages of his life plus a certified driving instructor for the state of Minnesota. At 68, he and his wife are traveling full time.

I’ve told you about how some people work while traveling full time, sometimes for the money, sometimes to stay busy (sometimes for both). George and his wife Valerie are currently working at Disney World for two months . Disney hires a lot of temporary workers for their peak season and loves husband & wife teams. Puts them through 3 days of instruction on how to treat Disney’s guests before letting them work directly with the public. George and Valerie work together in the same part of the park, have the same work hours, the same days off, etc. Disney makes it easy. In addition, they get free access to all of the parks -- a very nice perk!

George also told us he and Valerie have just taken a new job as the advance team for a traveling circus. They will verify everything is ready for when the circus arrives, mostly logistics and advertising. And get this, the circus pays them a salary plus pays all of their traveling expenses. They will get paid to travel around the US for, I think, 10 months without paying for fuel or campground fee’s. Told you there are lots of ways to ‘see the USA’, some more interesting and unique than others. Not to mention seeing all the circus acts 'up close & personal'.

In any case, George spent about 12 hours with us over two days, having us practice parking the rig, guiding each other into various parking situations using hand signals, how to execute square corner turns in tight places, proper use of the mirrors, lane changes, etc.

MLA did great although she was pretty nervous before hand. At one point George put us on a toll road and MLA had to drive between the concrete barriers and pay the toll. This RV is so big you initially struggle to put it exactly in the middle of the lane. George told MLA she was hugging the right hand side of the lane. She told me later she wanted to tell him "Dale did the same thing when he started" however she kept that little peice of news to herself.

Anyways, she did a great job and did most of the driving on day 2. She did such a good job I told her she gets to do most of the driving from now on and I get to sleep in the navigator’s seat. She replied with that special hand signal she has been working on….

Tomorrow we will either go to Universal Studios or to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is the only Disney park we have not been to yet.

I told you about the scrape I put on the coach in downtown Memphis. Well I had the bright idea of covering the scrape with one of those maps of states you have visited until I can get it re-painted. Brilliant eh? Only problem is, turn out the map is transparent, only the state outlines are visible until you put on the sticker for the state you have visited.

MLA offered the solution of putting on the sticker for any state where the scrape shows but I said no, you are not allowed to do that. I'm pretty sure it's illegal and there are severe penalties if you place a sticker over a state you have not visited in your RV. Everybody knows that. So now I have map of the US in an unusual place on the RV, a scrape that is still visible, and a wife whose mad at me and thinks I’m nuts. Actually she knows I’m nuts -- now she just has visible proof she can share with all the other RV’ers who stop by and ask why we put the "Visited States Map" so high up on the RV.

Actually, George, our driving instructor probably thinks I’m a little nuts too. When we were passing Disney World I saw the entrance to Disney’s NASCAR race course and suggested we cut a few high speed laps in the RV. George declined however I still think it would have been fun. Then I would have a much better story to go along with the scrape on my RV - trading paint with the wall on a NASCAR track in an RV. That would get people’s attention. For now, I'll have to stick with the truth: "Alien's Attacked Our RV In Memphis -- They Were Looking For Elvis".

Love to all.
See Ya!