Weekend with Scott and Family in North Port, FL

Scott and Sue



Coconut Shrimp
Seafood Pie
Sue and Aimee
Greg and Scott
Sue and Aimee
Tyler, Aimee and Melanie
Scott (burr)
Aimee and Greg
Sue, Melanie, and Aimee
Scott cooking, Greg sporting his broken arm and not able to ride his dirt bike

February 27th Monday - Hot and humid 84 degrees - showers off and on

It certainly is typical Florida weather - Saturday when we went to the Hare Scramble it was cold, and we huddled around Scott's smoker grill and tarps that he had put up to keep warm while we ate his wonderful meal. He smoked an eight pound boneless pork roast, sweet potatoes and his famous head cabbage. Lou states that cabbage is worth his trip to Florida. Everything tasted so good. I think Scott told us that he cooked/smoked the roast for six hours, the cabbage for four hours and the potatoes for two hours. Everything was so tender and moist and a delight to eat. We all cleaned the platters clean. Once we had cleaned up after the meal, we gathered up our belongings and Scott and Greg got on the four-wheeler and guided our two cars back to the highway so we could travel back home. There were six hundred registered people attending the Hare Scramble and it was an experience in its self and I did not get pictures to post. Sorry. It was a very dusty dirty area. Actually it all took place in a huge cow pasture and when the little kids came in and took off their helmets their faces were black from the dust and dirt.

Tonight Scott and Sue took Lou and I out for dinner in Englewood, FL and a fascinating place it was, we went early and we were glad we did, as when we left the restaurant at 7:00 pm, there was a line out to the parking lot of folks waiting to get into be seated. I do not know the name of the place, I do know that we tried to eat there one other time, and there was over an hour wait and Scott and Sue have eaten there several times since and have become friends with the owner so wanted to make sure we had a chance to eat there. Sue and Scott have a time share in St. Croit and many of the recipes that are prepared here are also prepared on the Island I had to take pictures of the food that Lou and I ordered along with the desserts that we all had. The food was wonderful and it was a great evening.

I am amazed at the change in both of my grandkids, Greg has grown up so much since we saw him last year, his voice has matured and he is so enjoyable to talk to, just wish I had more time to spend with him. Melanie has a new baby that is nine months old and being a new mommy has made a new person in her also, no longer the troubled teenager, now a loving and caring mother with goals in mind for herself. God indeed does answer prayers and guides us in trying times.

After a very nice weekend, it will be time to move on to MacDill Air Force Base tomorrow. Lou called today and we were told, we were welcomed to drycamp until an opening was available. Thankfully, I was able to get all laundry caught up and the RV cleaned. I remember from last year internet service will be very very limited there, so I probably will not be posting on a regular basis from here on.

Traveling to Fort Myers

Orange groves

Kathy and Doris
Lou and Doris
Sand Cranes outside our RV

February 25th - Saturday - Cloudy and Cooler 70 degrees

Change in the weather, yesterday when we drove into Fort Myers to visit with Doris Swenson it was a lovely 86 degrees and this morning a cold front moved through, it is overcast, no rain, but much cooler.

We had a lovely day with Doris and her sister Joyce. Doris fixed a lovely lunch for us at her home and we chatted the afternoon away with her. She told us that her deceased husband, Alois was Lou's brother, that he never had, they had served together in the Air Force and had remained very close after they retired from the service as had their families. Many fond memories were shared as were pictures.

Around 5:00 pm we said a sad goodby and promised to return next winter, God willing, and made the journey back to our campsite 5o miles away. Estee was glad for our return, although she does really well with us being away.

We talked with Scott and made plans for meeting him today at his Hare Scramble today and we are soon off to that endeavor, and will post on that tomorrow.

Oak Haven RV Park - Fort Ogden, FL

Clubhouse w/ swimming pool
New office
Peace River w/ Houseboats
Some activity on the river

Our campsite - Just getting set up

February 23rd - Beautiful Florida weather - 82 degrees - low humidity and a lovely breeze

I had to wait to take pictures, my SD card was full, had to make a rush trip to the local Walmart. Thankfully, there was one six miles from our campsite. This is really a great location. Scott was afraid that it would be a bit too rural for us, but it is really a nice spot. Located within walking distance to the Peace River. Lou and I walked over this afternoon and it is an active area and we enjoyed watching all of the "goings on". Scott has always talked about the River so I was glad to see it close up.

Tomorrow we are going into Fort Myers to have lunch with Doris Swenson and her sister. Saturday we will meet up with Scott and Gregory at the dirt track and have dinner with them in the country. Poor Greg had the misfortune to break his arm last weekend, so his riding will be limited this weekend. Monday afternoon we will drive to Scott's house for the afternoon and then go out to dinner with he and his family and Tuesday we will be off to MacDill. Seems like our time is going very quickly.

Today after our walk, Lou and I took advantage of the great weather and we put on our sun bathing clothes and sat in the sun and enjoyed our books and did the sunshine ever feel good to our skin. We enjoyed a huge salad and a glass of wine for our dinner. A real welcome to "summer". Krista tells us that winter in Pennsylvania is pretty darn good also.

Bok Tower - Lake Wales, FL

Rain Shelter showing a squirrel feeder w/ copper roof

Pinewood Estate
Unnamed butterfly


Base of the Tower Sun DialFebruary 20th - Monday - Cooler -w/ low humidity 68 degrees

After taking care of some book work and making reservations for the next week, Lou and I set out for Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL. This has been a dream for me since I was a little girl. My grandparents traveled to Florida each winter to visit my aunt that lived in New Smyrna Beach. Grandma brought me a postcard that showed Bok Tower and told me that music came from the tower. I couldn't imagine such a thing. Grandma told me that she could actually hear the music from the bells inside the tower. You see, my Grandma was deaf and wore a hearing aid, so I thought for her to be able to hear the music it must be a real experience, so when Lou told me we would be close to this National Landmark, I asked if we could go. Those of you that know my husband, know he was only too happy to please me and today was the day.

It was the perfect day for the visit, not to cold and not to hot, and for me the humidity was low, so walking the many paths and enjoying the flowers was just perfect. The choice of the day was also perfect, as the concert, in honor of the U.S. Presidents was all patriotic music, starting with the National Anthem, including America, the Beautiful, Yankee Doodle and other familiar songs. The concert lasted for 30 minutes. We listened while being surrounded in the beauty of flowers in bloom and beautifully manicured bed as you can see from the pictures.

The tower that houses the carillon was built in 1927-1929 and is 205 feet high and I thought it was interesting to find that the architect was Milton B. Medary came from Philadelphia, PA. The carillon contains 60 bronze bells that weigh a total of 63 plus tons.

It was a wonderful afternoon and Lou explained to me that it looked a little different when my grandparents viewed it in the 1950's; however, I am glad that I finally got to see it for myself and got to hear the bells the same bells that Grandma heard.

We arrived home in time to hurry to the Clubhouse to hear the "Jam Session" that is held here each Monday night. All of the musicians gather together and each play a song and they play as a group, wow, we were blown away with the "concert". There were at least 25 men and women that played all kinds of instruments and you talk about talent. Joanne, one man played a guitar and sang Gene Watson's song of the Porch Swing, it was wonderful. Losing You, Sunday Coming Down, Orange Blossom Special, Tennessee Waltz, and some polka numbers. They started at 6:00 and quit at 9:30 it was wonderful.

During the break, the couple in front of us turned around and the lady said, Kathy Rice, and darn if it wasn't a couple from home. The Broughts and in a few minutes another couple Pat and Cliff Simonds came up to us, so here were two families from home, that had been here for the winter, and we are to leave in the morning. We had a chance to chat and catch up after the program. Small world.

Tomorrow is moving day and we are off to Arcadia, FL.

Trip to Disneyworld

United Kingdom - Epcot
Butterflies - pansies planted to make butterflies
Waiting for the fireworks to begin
Main Street at dusk Magic Kingdom
Inside ride at Buzz Lightyear (I think)

Riding the race cars
Show at the Castle

The Parade

Climbing up the Treehouse Animal Kingdon
Windmill on Tom Sawyer Island
Haunted House - Magic Kingdom
Steam River Boat
Germany - Epcot - We ate here - Wonderful meal w/ black forest cake
Japan - Epcot
Some of the flower beds
Mexico - Epcot
Spaceship Earth - Epcot - One of our favorite rides

Main Street - Magic Kingdom - Fantasyland

February 19th - Sunday 80 degrees

As you can see from the pictures, we spent four very full days at Disneyworld. We were in the parking lot every morning by 9:00 am and one evening we didn't get home until after 11:00 pm. I think we walked over 100 miles. We rode many rides including everything from the Muppets 3-D in Hollywood Studios to the Expedition Everest (high-speed rollercoster) in Animal Kingdom.

I was amazed at the total complex. It was absolutely huge. We spent more time at Epcot and Magic Kingdom than the other two areas, ie Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Epcot itself takes up 300 acres so that gives you an idea of just how imminence it is in size.

Out camp ground is about eleven miles from Disney, so that has been nice. It costs $14.00 a day to park, so we parked at Epcot and then rode the tram or the Disney bus to got from one park to another.

I won't go into detail about the parks, I will just say I would do it all again in a heart beat, I was sad to have the four days come to an end, but my hips and legs were glad to have a day off and it took a day to get rested up. Lou asked me if I wanted to go for a walk yesterday and I didn't even answer him.

Today I did get all of our laundry for the week done up and tomorrow we are going to drive to Bok Tower tomorrow and we want to make reservations for the next week near Scott's, then the first of March we will be heading for MacDill Air Force Base.