I'd Be Lost Without You.....

February, 2014

We are heading west.  Our next stops, crossing Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana will be to see Emily Norris in New Orleans....

where we had a nice visit and dinner out.  Emily is grown now and is quite a nice young woman.  It was great having a few hours and really getting to know her.

While in New Orleans we took a walking tour and saw Sandra Bullocks house and a house owned by Nicholous Cage and Ann Rice.  It was a spooky house.  Not a surprise I guess.

We headed to Bossier/Shreveport, LA from New Orleans for a quick couple of days with Chrissy, Jason, John and Jacy.  We had to move fast cuz it was 25 deg. at night there and a cold front was moving in.  Two days after we left a huge storm hit and Chrissy had to go stay with friends because of a long power outage at her house.

John is quite the karate master now.  We were able to go to one of his classes.  I would like to add that he is now playing checkers (like his Grandpa Joe)  He played Mark when we were babysitting the first night and he won!

I am embarrassed to say that the baby carrier behind Chrissy and Jason has Jacy in it and that is the only picture I got of her.  I was holding her most of the time at the house and failed to get a picture.  Rats!

This is the "Cajun" Pawn Stars shop.  Mark remembered it on our way to Chrissy's so we stopped and walked around.  Our trip these last 6 months has taken us to many, many, pawn shops.  Mark is always on the lookout for Marlin rifles.  So, when we drive through towns if either of us sees a pawn shop we pull over if there is someplace within a block that will accommodate the motorhome and Mark runs in while I idle the engine.  We haven't made a purchase yet.  Still looking......

This is the card Mark gave me for Valentines Day.  I think it has been so appropriate throughout this trip.  Our motto is "It takes Two, baby!"

Damm I'm starting to get flabby arms!  Just saying.......

Anyway, I am installing the last three states.  Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.  These are the last three "new" states I will get on this trip.  Maybe this fall we will get that big empty hole in the middle of that map.

On to Texas and Craig and Wendy's house.

We will be having an extended stay here.  Craig is taking vacation to build a shed on his new property which is about 20 miles out of town.  Mark jumped at the opportunity to help.

Wendy and Craig's grandson, Kallen had his third birthday while we were here so he came over one afternoon and spend some quality time with his grandmas.

During the building project I hang out in the motorhome and enjoy playing candy crush, reading, motorhome chores and fixing dinner for everyone when they get home.  Wendy has been involved in the building project too but she is the photographer sending pictures to my phone so I haven't been able to get a picture with her in it.

January in Florida

January, 2014

We started the month in the Keys.  Everything was going great and then I shattered one of my crowns so we had to head north so I could find one of those endodontists that make a same-day crown.  I found one in Naples, Florida so we headed north.

Turns out they have Dog Tracks down here in Florida.  So, off to the greyhound races we go.  My first  race I picked the winner.  The Flying Apostle.  I picked it for my mother.

My next 6 picks, starting with Fuzzys Jay Leno were all losers.  So much for my picks.

This is my silk paper.  They had craft day and this was the project.  Have no idea what I will do with them but maybe frame them and give them as a gift!  Watch out, everyone, you may be the recipient of Angie's Art.  We also played bingo.  I was a bingo winner on bing night.  Mark went down to card night and played poker with the guys.  He came home with an extra ten bucks.  We like this place.  We missed the horse races.  The Seahawks were playing so I didn't want to miss anything.  We may be having some horse races up at the lake this year.  It sounded fun.

 We went to three movies while we are here in Naples.  After one of (our movie we went to a restaurant with Chilean food.  Mark was a good sport about trying some different food and we had a good meal.

Headed for Sarasota after Naples and this little restaurant (the Turtle Beach Pub) was across the street from our campground.  They had a mean Mojito!  The happy hour at this restaurant and the one next to it were good and we walked across the street several times during our stay for 2 for 1 drinks and half price appetizers.  What a life.

There was an art show in Sarasota at St. Armand's Circle.  High end stuff.  These little cuties were sitting on the bench in front of their "mommies" boutique for dogs.  Their "daddy" had them out enjoying the people and posing.  They did like having their picture taken, I think.

The parkway had this statue which I just had to take a picture of.  It was 30 feet high.  Now, that's a big smooch!

We stayed at Turtle Beach Campground near Sarasota.  It was backed up right to the beach.  Mark wasn't catching a lot of fish.  As a matter of fact, I think this may be the only one but it was a doozie!  Shark!!!!

As you can see, we had some nice, sunny weather for several days.  Mark's friend there in the background would hang around, waiting for someone to throw away a little fish or pieces of useless bait.  He was very patient and not afraid of people.

Stayed in Sarasota til the end of January and them started the trek west.

Destination, Key West

Late December, 2013

On to Key Largo.   Point of View RV Resort has a beautiful view of the water.  Nice to be out of the city again.

This is a manatee and her baby.  The manatees will come up to a hose and take a drink.  There is one that does this at the shoreline of the rv park we are on.  This is at a restaurant we stopped at.  This is a mamma and her baby down at her tail.

Sugarloaf Key is the next stop, just outside of Key West.  Southernmost point in the US.

We have found the end of the road.  Now it's time to turn around and head home.

Check these pants out.  Lowest crotch line that I have ever seen.  She must be an up and coming new clothing designer.

This is the bar Ernest Hemingway used to hang out in.  Big controversy over that in town but, whatever.

A little fun at the Tiki Hut/bar in our KOA.  Coconut bowling.  What a hoot!  Those things don't roll straight.  There is live music three nights a week at this outdoor tiki hut/bar and lots of activities.  These old people are looking for fun.

They have an endangered species down here in the keys.  The "Key" deer.  We saw this little guy out on Big Pine Key Deer Preserve.  The speed limit on this key at night is 35 mph.  They have signs all over to slow down so you don't hit a deer.  I understand this because we have already hit a deer on this trip.  It is almost impossible to stop if they dart out in front of you.

I just ran into this picture.  Shout out to Lindsey for sending us Christmas cookies.  It was our only taste of Christmas this year.

And here is the sign directing us north.

Funky Town.....Jensen Beach

December 15, 2013

We arrive in Jensen Beach to find we are in a small trailer/rv park.  Ninety nine percent of the residents are here forever or for the winter.  We are a little put out at first but after looking around we decide we are in a great location.  I can sit on the couch at night and look across the street at a little restaurant/bar that plays live music some nights and has Christmas lights all over it.  We are just across from the street where a sidewalk goes for miles along the water.  The small historical downtown area which is a quarter mile down the street had "A Taste of Jensen" on Tuesday night which we attended and on every Thursday night they have an outdoor artist showcase.

The highlight of Jensen was the Wednesday night Crab Races at "Conchy Joes", which was across the street about 40 yards down.  We walked down on Wednesday night.

This was the fish tank full of racing hermit crabs.

You had to pick a crab and give it a name.  I named my crab, "Carl".  He is the green butterfly crab on the right side.

This is my prize for Carl streaking to the finish line during the 5th heat.  He fell asleep during the final race but that is all right.  I did learn one important lesson.  When the  race "master" says "don't point at the crabs" he isn't joking around.  As I stood around the race table, I got excited and pointed at the crabs.  The race "master" squirted me with his water bottle, designed specifically for "pointers".  He sprays the crabs during the race to get them going but apparently if you stick your arm out to point at the crabs, it startles them and they stop.   He told the spectators that but I thought he was joking.  He wasn't.  What a fun night.

Mark is cleaning the windshield.  That is the small neighborhood bar/restaurant that is all lit up with Christmas lights every night.

December 23rd takes us to Homestead, Florida.  Not a very good choice of RV parks but who knew?  Experience is a good teacher.  Our park is mostly a trailer park with about a third of it filled with winter Canadians, all speaking French.  Our neighbors couldn't speak English.  They were good partiers, though.  This picture is me waiting for the Christmas parade that the Canadians put on every Christmas Eve.

The parade finally came by and Mark and I were able to sit on Santa's lap.  Great fun.

Merry Christmas!

We did make it to the Everglades while we were in Homestead.  In the parking lot of the visitors center there was a big tub of blue tarps that visitors could cover their car with.  Apparently the vultures (see above) will eat your windshield wipers or rubber around the windows!  Wow.  This guy was not afraid of people.  He asked me which car was mine so he could have a little snack.

Stopped at a local fruit stand.  Even I couldnt' bring myself to buy one of these dudes for a try.

The Best Spot of our Trip, Beverly Beach, Florida

Dec. 3, 2013

We tried this beach based on talking to a guy on our trip.  What a find!

We are parked right up against the seawall/sidewalk with a spectacular view of the beach.

Eighty degrees and shorts at last.

I finally put on the Florida State sticker.

Daytona next.  We took the tour and it was quite interesting.  We are now standing where all the champions have stood.  Somehow it wasn't quite as exciting as I thought it would be.  I guess that tram ride we took wasn't quite long enough.  We needed another 499 miles under our belt.

Cape Canaveral Beach.  We are staying at Jetty Park.  Right next to the port where all the cruise ships, freighters, shrimping boats, charter fishing boats and nuclear subs pass by.  We have seen them all.  It is great.

 Mark watching a cruise ship.

Me watching a nuclear sub enter the military port right across the channel.

Cruise ship leaving in the evening.  This one came by as we were eating dinner.

I took this picture from the casino cruise ship.  Five hour cruise every afternoon and evening designed for us gamblers.  No, I did not win.  That is our motorhome on the right hand side.  Mark is in front waving goodbye.

Mark couldn't resist this prop outside the visitor's center.  Maybe it's time for surfing lessons.

 On one of our walks we ran into a feral cat colony along one of the trails between the palmettos.  There were two women feeding them.  There were about 10 cats and a raccoon in getting fed.  Ladies said they introduced the cats to get rid of the rodents.  They may have another problem sometime in the future.  They had feeding stations with no less than 15 bowls containing food and water.

That little red dot at the bottom is me looking up at the bottom of the Atlantis Shuttle.  We visited the Kennedy Space Center.

Me in front of Space Shuttle Atlantis.