Finally - Permanent Site and Internet

March 7th - Wednesday 82 degrees w/ beautiful breeze

We got back from Lazydays yesterday about 4:30 pm and enjoyed a glass of wine. I was so glad to have that ordeal over. I told Lou I felt like I could now begin my vacation, as I knew that was hanging over my head and now it is over I am going to enjoy the rest of our stay here in Florida, but the time is almost gone. We are planning on leaving for home on the 26th of March.

We had just finished breakfast and they called from the office and told us they had a permanent spot for us, number six, so we have a great view from our from window, this is very close to where we were last winter. I did not take a picture today, but will tomorrow. We had to wait until 1:00 to move, as we needed to fill our butane tank, as by dry camping we had used up all of our fuel, so had to await the stations opening to fill up before parking. Lou knows how much I love going to Seascapes to have lunch, so we drove up to the beach and had lunch and I do love it there, we ate outside and enjoyed the sun and the wind and the birds. I am in hopes to spend an entire afternoon there again this year. I was always going to do that last year and never got back there. It is a beautiful area, and all within walking distance of our RV.

So tomorrow, officially, my vacation begins, I want to walk daily as does Lou, there are lovely places to walk here and we both love to walk. This year, Estee is so much better to leave here by herself, so we can do that.

Kris, I got my new 'Mifi' today and I love it; however, I can't bring it home, they are having problems with the ones that leave the base, they have to keep re-booting them, so they have to stay here, but I sure will love it while I am here, can do everything securely on line and not have any concerns. Will have to do some checking when I get home, but hate to give up the cost of Indigo's plan and the freedom I have with their plan. I really have better coverage than Lou has for much much less.

RV Driving Class

Campsite at Lazydays

March 6th - Tuesday - Beautiful day - 82 degrees w/ great breeze

Last night was spent at Lazydays RV Park in Tampa. We arrived at our campsite around 3:00 pm, and got set up on a lovely site; however, we were very close to our neighbors. The sites were very nicely manicured with green grass and beautiful trees and shrubbery.

Once we were settled, Lou and I walked to Cracker Barrel for our dinner, which was lovely. We each ordered our favorite southern foods. I chose country ham with fried apples and green beans and Lou ordered a sampler platter which consisted of country ham, meatloaf and chicken and dumplings, fried okra, turnip greens and a shredded potato casserole. For dessert I had my favorite, blackberry cobbler and Lou had the biggest strawberry shortcake I have ever seen. After all of that was eaten, we needed the long walk back home. It had really cooled down after the sun went down, so we hurried back home, which was about a thirty minute walk.

We decided we would shower and enjoy our books last evening and get a good nights sleep in preparation for class the next morning. With our campsite came a complementary breakfast and lunch and we knew my class started promptly at 9:00 am and we had the same walk to do over again.

We arrived at the huge cafeteria at 8:00 am, where we met up with our neighbors, that we had recently met at Lazydays. We ate breakfast which consisted of scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee. We enjoyed chatting with our new friends from Arizona until it was time for me to get to my class.

Upon arrival to my class we found that Lou could join me in my class. The class was taught by Barney Alexander who has devised a Dot System to make driving a RV easier. I think he even made a believer out of Lou. The classroom work was a review of all of the work I had done on line in preparation for the class with many other items added to it.

We adjourned for lunch and walked back to the RV and quickly packed up everything and walked Estee and drove the RV back to the parking lot and made Estee comfortable while we returned to the cafeteria for lunch of a huge chef salad and rolls and iced tea.

After lunch we went to the driving course to do the part that I had dreaded for months…… We used the RV that belonged to Lazydays, which was a 39 foot Fleetwood Diesel. It was an obstacle course with cones and many other NEW RV’s in the lots to drive around, a little on the scary side. There were 10 of us to drive. Well, I didn’t hit anyone or anything and I have a feel for pulling out and making turns to the right and to the left and how to back into a site. I am really amazed at how much we both learned in the eight hours of instruction. I feel really confident and know that I can handle the task at hand. I was very surprised to find out if you have a blow out, you accelerate at the time of the blow out. That was just one of the many things I learned. Time very well spent and I got my certificate!! Praise God!!

Now Lou tells me that he wished I had signed him up for the course also, so next year that will be on our list of things to do. He now wants to put the dot system to use on our motor home, so Barney did make a believer of Lou.

As you can see we didn’t have internet service at Lazydays, so tomorrow I am going to purchase the “MyFi” from MacDill, enough of this stuff.

A New Site At MacDill

March 5th - Monday 46 degrees - Cold

We certainly had a change in our weather, from weather breaking highs on Friday to thundershowers on Sunday to 46 degrees this morning to a very bright sunny morning. We are very thankful that we have not had any of the severe weather that we have seen in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Our prayers go out to those people as they try to pick up their lives and go on with life.

We did get to move into a temporary spot on Saturday, so we now have water and electricity and that was sheer joy for both of us. We were able to go to the dump station before we went to our new site and therefore, we both enjoyed a shower and the air conditioner on Saturday evening. We have a lovely view from the rear of our RV and great neighbors, a relatively young couple, a marine and his wife that has recently retired from Camp Jejune. They are originally from Oregon and this is their first time to be at MacDill. We have enjoyed becoming acquainted with them.

Saturday afternoon, I took advantage of the beautiful day and did our laundry, I love doing laundry here, they have great HE washers with a pre-wash cycle on all washers and great clotheslines, so I hang most all the clothes on the lines and always a great breeze, so the sheets, towels are wonderfully soft when I bring them in, I love it just like being at home. Washing is only $1.00 a load, which is cheap for most laundries. Most are $1.50.

We attended church at the Fam Camp church yesterday, as we usually do while we are at MacDill. The same retired Lutheran pastor is still here and he does a tremendous job bringing an inspiring message each Sunday. Yesterday message was on Jesus visiting to the well of Jacob’s with the woman of Samaria, he had a bit of a different slant on the old familiar story. On how the Good Word had been in Samaria for seven years prior to the arrival Peter ? I need to do some extra reading on this, and he didn’t give any scripture for this. Will make a good Bible study for Lou and me, as we had been looking for a challenge and this will be a good one. Lou and I still talk about two years ago and how we really dug into the book of Mark and learned many hidden details that we didn’t know, so now this will be fun.

After church, Lou and I usually go out to breakfast, but had not been fortunate in finding a place here that had a good breakfast, but decided we would try once again, and we did find a place, it was called Mamma’s and for once, there was something on the breakfast menu besides eggs, for those of you that know me, know I do not like eggs, they had chip beef gravy on biscuits, along with sausage gravy, and corned beef hash, grits, fried potatoes, Greek omelets among their vast array of other things. I decided on chip beef and gravy on a home biscuits, it was huge and delicious and more than I could eat. Lou decided on a Greek Omelet with fried potatoes and rye toast and the coffee was delicious. We had to wait in line, outside in the sunshine on comfortable benches, for a few minutes, but it certainly was worth every minute.

After we ate our breakfast, we asked if we could see the lunch and dinner menu and I do believe we will be going back. Prices were very reasonable for homemade food.

Today is the day we pick up and move to Lazy Days in preparation for Driving School for me tomorrow. I had hoped to review some of my studies prior to going, but we have not had any internet coverage and limited telephone, so that has not been an option.

Guess, that brings us up to date on the happenings on us. I have recently learned about “my-fi” here at MacDill and will have to check into it, from what I understand, you pay for it and use it while you are here, so perhaps that will be the answer for getting on line here. They have “hot spots” here, but with so many phone, I-pods, I-books, etc using the “hot-spots” there is never room to hop in a spot. I am hoping I can post these items while at Lazy Day

Arrival at MacDill Air Force Base

Sunshine Bridge

March 1st - Thursday Hot - Breaking Heat Records 86 degrees

We arrived at MacDill Air Force Base on the 28th of February. As Estee and I sat in the RV, awaiting Lou’s return from the office to tell us where we would be assigned, I prayed that I would have the grace to accept the assignment that we would receive. Knowing that there was a very good chance we would have to dry camp for a few days. I had made sure all of the laundry was done us along with the ironing and the RV had been cleaned, so I was prepared for the worst, I thought.

Lou returned with the news, it would be six days of dry camping in an open field with no shade and we had made the joint decision before leaving Pennsylvania that we would not spend the extra money and purchase a generator as we wouldn’t dry camp this year. We left the office towing the car and found a spot that was close to a paved street that we could pull into and then disconnect the car, it would be close, but our awning would nearly touch the 5th wheeler next to us. When we camp with our friends Lew and Joanne, we park that way intentionally, that way giving each other shade and protection.

We started to disconnect the car and a lovely lady in the next row came over and introduced herself to us and offered to help us, she is from Columbus, Ohio. We all chatted and lou and I continued the process of setting up and eventually took Estee outside along with our chairs. Lou and I always sit facing each other when we sit and read and it wasn’t long before our neighbors in the 5th wheeler returned home. We spoke to them and “Mr. and Mrs. Bear” grunted to us, as they went into their unit. In a few minutes “Mr. Bear” came out and growled that we were pretty close to them and then “ Mrs. Bear” approached us and told us we HAD to move immediately. Lou and I looked at each other and neither of us said a word, too stunned to speak. “Mr. and Mrs.” Bear got in their truck and left…… Lou and I got up and walked around and finally decided we would go to the back row near the storage of the boats and RV’s and the dirt roads and park there, so we packed up again and moved. So here we are.

Now I tell you that really upset me to think that an elderly, military couple would be that nasty to another elderly, military couple. We talked about it during the evening and neither of us slept well that evening and we prayed for the couple that evening at dinner. Today, God let us know that He still has his sense of humor, as “Mr. and Mrs. Bear’s” number to transfer to a site with water and electricity came up guess where they where put? Yep, back row (dirt) across from us. When I saw them pull in, I couldn’t help it, I was sitting in the sun reading, and I threw my hands in the air and said “God’s sense of humor is alive and well”. The first thing “Mrs. Bear” did was get the hose out and water down the dirt road!!

It hasn’t been all that bad, except we can’t go anyplace, because it is so terribly hot and we can’t leave Estee inside. There is a breeze, so we sit outside with her and she enjoys that, and we love to sit and read.

We have each gotten our hair cut and we got our groceries early in the morning, before it starts to get hot. Lou got water added to all of the batteries today. He also went to the office to make arrangements for while we are gone to driving school so we don’t lose our number in rotation. When we return we should have a space with full hookups.

Internet access is very limited. I thought I would do posts and take them with me to Lazy Days and post them while we are there. So they may all appear at one time. We only turn on the generator for Lou to see the news in the morning and to cook our dinner in the evening and for the evening news. We did get to enjoy NCIS on Tuesday evening and will watch our favorite programs on Friday evening.

By the way gasoline on the base is $3.62.9 which seemed pretty good compared to what we had been paying, we paid $3.84 prior to getting