Tampa Bound - MacDill Air Force Base

Feb. 9 - Tuesday Rainy 53 degrees

We are Tampa bound, driving in a continual car wash!! We traveled route 10 to route 75 and south to Tampa. We did see some long horned steers, wild turkeys and lots of bee hives along route 10 and after that it has been continual down pour. The forecast was 60% chance. We both got wet hooking up this morning, and changed into warm and dry clothes as we started off, but both agreed it was much better than having a wet tent!! Both of us have bad memories of that!!

We arrived at McDill Air Force Base around 5:00 pm and found all 385 sites full, so we had to park in the Overflow camp area, so that means we do not have electric, water or sewer. Thankfully, we have a generator and will have electricity until 11:00 when we have to shut it off according to park rules.

I fixed homemade Chili and homemade biscuits with sharp cheese rolled up in them. Has not been the best of evenings, we found that the microwave has decided to take a leave of absence, door won’t close, therefore it doesn’t operate. Lou also found out that the A/C isn’t working either, so hopefully tomorrow we can find a place to camp with internet service so I can search out a Camping World so we can get a couple repair orders scheduled.

I called Scott this evening and surprised him, by letting him know we were here already, and we are going to his house for dinner tomorrow evening. We are in hopes we can find a RV camping place near his home and stay a couple of days before heading to Key West.

Quilts and more Quilts

Feb 8th Monday SUNNY 60 degrees

We awoke to Florida sunshine, giving each of us a feeling of needing to accomplish something. After having our usual breakfast, I headed for the laundry, which was in a beautifully kept room at the rear our site. I was able to get our laundry all caught up. Much to my delight we even had a clothes line, and

those of you that know me, know I took full advantage of that.

Lou worked on some of the bolts of the car hitch, as they were imbedded with salt and sand, and had made it difficult for them to work properly, both of us agreed it was much easier to do those things in the warmer weather. I even got the windows on the car washed before having a light lunch and shaking the sand out of all the rugs and running the sweeper throughout the house. Finally we were ready to drive back to my sister’s house.

I am absolutely amazed at how Estee has taken to traveling, she seems happy to go where ever we go and just makes herself at home and curls up where ever Lou lands and stays there until he moves. We have noted if he goes outside and doesn’t take her with him, she sits at the door and doesn’t move until he returns. For those of you that have asked about her tongue, it has healed, but when you look it is easy to see where the piece was cut away on her tongue.

Today was about Quilts and more Quilts Lou and I just sat and looked on in amazement as they brought one after another for us to look at. The two that really caught our attention was the one that Cheryl is making called FIRE which depicts a volcano and the destruction it causes. The other one is one that Daisy and Cheryl did together that used velvet and beaded organza with each square depicting a member of the family with embellishments representing something special about that family member. They were working on the square representing my father, adding a chicken, Ford tractor, and still looking for a Holstein cow, and will embroidery on a pitch fork and a bale of hay.

Cheryl works on family history and is the “keeper of the files”, so it was fun to read information that she had acquired of our ancestries. Some rather interesting folks. Seems like each time we talk, we remember different things we can add to her notes.

We enjoyed a chicken dinner and a very special treat from Tina, Daisy’s youngest daughter. She brought fresh Florida strawberries, so Daisy and I had to make fresh shortcake for desert. Wonderful and so tasty, as Lou says!

We looked at more pictures of school mates and family after we did the dishes and all too soon, it was time for us to leave to get back to the campgrounds. Daisy made us a beautiful quilted table topper for our table in the RV Lou and I had to use it when we got back to the park, as we enjoyed a cup of tea before bed. The colors are perfect for our RV.

Live Oak, Florida

Feb 7th - Sunday 44 degrees - Suwannee Florida State Park

We arrived here around 4:00, got settled in and called my sister, and programmed the GPS for her home and set off. DH doesn’t have a lot of faith in the new instrument; however, I remembered it was very difficult to find her, so he humored me and we used it, and probably was a good thing, we were on many different sandy roads. We arrived and enjoyed a delicious roast pork dinner with fresh peach cobbler for desert.

My niece had also arrived, so we had a good time catching up on all of the family news since we last saw each other in October of 2008,when they had all traveled to Wellsboro via the train and car. My sister’s family are all sewers and great creative ladies with more imagination than I can begin to think of. My niece is nearly deaf and has been since a young child. She does read lips, and I have to remember to talk directly to her, but think I did better this year. We both enjoyed our visit.

They had not met Lou, but found my sister and Lou went to the same school and were a few years apart, but knew many of the same people. In fact, Lou had dated many of Daisy’s girlfriends. She had a photo album of school mates, so she and Lou enjoyed talking about the ones they had knowledge of.

FLORIDA - WE ARE HERE

Have just a minute to post something. I am at a Welcome Center with Wi=Fi so am taking advantage of it.

We are just about two hours from my sister's place in Live Oak. We are staying at a State Park there for two nights, and hopefully,will be able to post some pictures. All is fine, great weather, put the cashmere coat away and only a sweater. Green Grass!!