Sunday Newspaper

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 75 degrees, high 98 degrees, partly cloudy skies

See what the weather was today? That's typical of spring and summer in Florida, with the occasional rain shower. Why do I include spring with summer? Because there's no difference in the two seasons in Florida.

Years ago, I got my daily news and sports fix like most people - by reading the daily newspaper. Over the last ten years or so, I hardly ever buy a newspaper, getting the news over the Internet. Occasionally, I'll go pick up a Sunday paper because there may be something in it that I want to see, or I just want to experience holding a newspaper in my hands again. Today, I wanted to hold a newspaper, and here's the result.



Hold on a minute. Carolyn's telling me to get my mess off the floor.

Okay, I'm back. Part of the fun of reading a physical newspaper is holding it. Even better is dropping the sections on the floor as I finish reading it. When Terri and Lori were kids, we would all read the newspaper on Sunday morning, and then a free for all would take place when we would make up newspaper bats and start hitting each other. Of course, I always got the worse end of the game as everyone would gang up on me. It was great fun that I still think of from time to time.

Because of people like me that get their news and sports from the Internet or television, the old style newspaper is going away. Many of the newspapers have gone out of business or cut back, and some have even started selling their services via the Internet. There has been some lobbying by the more liberal folks to have Congress (read that to mean the taxpayers) subsidize the newspapers so they don't go out of business. I think that if they can't adapt to a new way of business, they should go away. That's the model our economy has operated on for many, many years. Those who change, survive. Those who can't or won't change, disappear.

Wow, I didn't think reading the Sunday newspaper for the first time in several years would bring back the memories that it has, or the strong feelings I have about the way our economy is going.

Since it was Sunday and I spent a good part of the day reading the newspaper, we didn't do much today except visit Carolyn's mother. I had more respiratory problems last night and most of today, finally feeling better late in the day. I hope I feel better tonight. It seems like my problems wait until it's time to go to bed.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Port Clinton, Ohio: Walleye Capital Of The World

Not all who wander are lost.

Hot Flea Market

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 75 degrees, high 98 degrees, partly cloudy skies

I was hoping I would feel better today, and I did, but not until late in the afternoon. Last night was bad for me, as my respiratory issues really jumped up and grabbed hold of me. I was only able to get about three hours of sleep, and stayed in the bed until about 1000 hours, when I finally started being able to breathe better. About 1500 hours, I was feeling good enough that I decided to drive over to a nearby flea market. Carolyn fussed at me for getting out. She thinks I should have taken it easy all day, but I was starting to get stir crazy.



The weather was so hot that the number of vendors outnumbered the buyers.



It looked like many of the vendors went home early. I don't blame them with the heat as bad as it was.



The only thing I bought was a nice watermelon. Alongside the watermelon in the picture below are some of the tomatoes that Roger gave us earlier this week.



After I came back from the flea market and cooled off some, we visited Carolyn's mother for about two hours. She had a pot of freshly picked zipper cream peas cooking on the stove. Now that's some good eating. We endured the aroma of the good food cooking as long as we could before we headed home to leftover Publix fired chicken and all the trimmings, along with some of those fresh tomatoes that Roger gave us. I would say that we ate pretty good.

I've got my fingers crossed that my respiratory problems stay away tonight. I need some sleep!

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Cincinnati, Ohio: Strength In Unity

Not all who wander are lost.

Yo, Vinnie!

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 74 degrees, high 98 degrees, partly cloudy skies

I still felt under the weather today, after feeling bad yesterday. I'm ready for feeling good to come back! Since I felt so bad, we didn't do much today. I did get up enough gumption to take Carolyn over to visit her mother. I tried to visit, but felt so bad that I went back home and laid around until Carolyn was ready to come home.

On our way home, we stopped at the local Publix store and picked up some fried chicken for supper. I didn't feel like eating much, but what I did eat was good. Maybe that's a good sign.

There are a lot of well known people who have homes in the Ocala area. One of them is John Travolta, the well-known movie star and pilot. He has a home in the Jumbolair subdivision, located about five miles north of Ocala. He has five airplanes, and people who live here seem to know his airplanes when they see them flying. The subdivision is a gated community (makes sense), and is centered around a runway that can handle large jet airplanes. John routinely flies a Boeing 707 in and out of the field, and can taxi right up to his front door. Here's the sign at the entrance to the subdivision. Yo, Vinnie!



Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow and can get out and about again. Till then,

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Welaka, Florida: The Bass Capital Of The World

Not all who wander are lost.

Not Feeling Good

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 73 degrees, high 97 degrees, partly cloudy skies

I must have overdone my outdoor stuff yesterday, as I've felt under the weather all day. I felt like I had a temperature, but I didn't. My stomach was a little unsettled, and I had a slight headache. On top of all that, I'm sore all over, and my appetite is not good. Hmmm. Maybe I'm getting a summer bug.

It's hard to keep us down when we don't feel good, and today was no exception. We still went out and explored for a couple of hours as we continue to reacquaint ourselves with this area that we spent so many years in. Today's trip took us down to the Silver Springs Shores and Belleview areas, and then back to Ocala by the back roads and through some beautiful horse farm country.

Speaking of horse farms, this area has had many well known horses that were bred and trained here. Some of the more famous ones were Carryback, Needles, Affirmed, and many others. Apparently, the climate and soil combine to make perfect conditions for raising horses, and there are probably in excess of 200 horse farms in the county. In recent years, some of the farms close to Ocala have been sold off for residential land. That still leaves plenty of beautiful farms for us to admire on our drives through the countryside.

The leak repairs I performed yesterday seem to be holding, and there haven't been any new ones jump up. I'm glad, because I didn't feel like messing with water leaks today.

We want to make sure we use the great tasting tomatoes that Roger gave us yesterday, so supper was ham and tomato sandwiches. Umm, umm, good!

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Anniston, Alabama: The Model City

Not all who wander are lost.

Plumbing Leaks And Repairs

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 72 degrees, high 96 degrees, partly cloudy skies

The water heater leak repair was the most important item on the agenda today. When I checked how the leak was doing this morning, I found about a gallon of water on the rubber liner that wasn't there last night. Whoa! It was time to get serious about repairing the leak.

I took everything out of the basement and started mopping. Once everything was out, I was able to do some contortions that I thought I was unable to do any more, and managed to remove the plastic nipple that was leaking. The nipple was the cold water inlet to the water heater. I went down to the plumbing store and bought a galvanized nipple to replace the plastic one with. Why do the RV manufacturers use such shoddy materials? I know the answer (cheap!), but it's still frustrating that the shoddy materials fail so soon.

Making sure that no other leaks were present, I waited about an hour to see if the repair worked. Imagine my surprise when I found that I still had a leak, but not from the part that I had replaced. Checking further, I finally found that the hot water outlet on the water heater was also leaking. It was a slow leak, which seeped between the water heater tank and styrofoam insulation and down to the rubber liner. Drat!

Now, when a repair is performed like I was doing today, the power and water have to be turned off to the water heater. Then the water heater is drained. So, that was twice I had to drain the water heater for repairs.

Another trip was made to the parts store, then back home where the additional repairs were made. Another wait was performed to see if the repairs were successful. While I was waiting, I was doing some minor cleaning inside the utility docking station when I noticed water leaking down the wall of the utility compartment. Now what? I found that the outside shower hose had a cracked fitting where the shower head fits onto the hose. My, my, my. What's going to happen next?

A trip was then in order to the RV parts store about three miles away, where the replacement hose was bought. The new hose was installed, and no more leak, at least there.

At the time this post is being written tonight, it appears the repairs are holding, and no other leaks have popped up. I'll check again tomorrow morning.

The whole day was not spent repairing leaks, although it felt like it. In the late afternoon, we went to Doris's house for a nice visit. After that, we went to my brother Roger's house to visit him and his wife Willa. When we were getting ready to leave there, they gave us some home grown heirloom tomatoes fresh from their garden. We had some for supper and they are fantastic!

It was a busy day for us, and the leaks were aggravating, but I would rather find them early so there is no damage. In addition, I like to think I use better materials and do a better job than the manufacturer did.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Tampa, Florida: Cigar City

Not all who wander are lost.

Live Oak Trees

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 73 degrees, high 95 degrees, partly cloudy skies

The first part of our day was spent taking care of some chores. When that work was finished, we went out for a ride in places that we were familiar with from our time living here. The most impressive trees we have ever seen are the huge, ancient redwood trees on the west coast. Those trees have no equals that we have seen. Running second on our list of impressive trees are the old oak trees that are so common here in north central Florida. A unique feature of the ones that grow here is that they shed their leaves in the spring. We have enjoyed seeing all the different shapes of these beautiful trees since we've been here. This picture was found on Wikipedia. The moss is an added touch that brings a little of the old south back.



Before we came home, we stopped and visited with Carolyn's mother. We are so glad that Doris's general health is still good. She will be 86 years old next month.

When we got home, I was doing something in the basement, and noticed a little water on the rubber liner that covers the floor. Looking for where the water came from, I discovered that a plastic fitting on the water heater that lets cold water into the bottom of the tank was leaking. I couldn't tighten the fitting any more, and since it is plastic, I decided to wait until tomorrow, when I'll drain the water heater tank, remove the fitting, and go get a brass fitting to replace it with. I would have finished the repair today, but it was too late to get the part I need.

One of our favorite meals is breakfast, whether it's for breakfast or supper. We hadn't eaten any eggs in awhile, so tonight it was eggs, grits, sausage, toast, and strawberry jam. That was so good!! Question: has anyone ever seen a grit tree?

Remember what happened yesterday with Carolyn being in the shower, soaped up, and the shower tank being full? Well, that didn't happen today, but she made sure to let me know that the black water tank needed to be dumped. Now, why would she think she has to remind me to dump tanks? I never forget stuff like that. Usually.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Bartlett, Texas: Preserving Our Heritage, Growing Our Future

Not all who wander are lost.

Shampoo In The Hair

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 73 degrees, high 95 degrees, afternoon clouds, heavy rain

The pattern of afternoon showers continued again today, as it was hot early, then cloudy, heavy rain showers, and then a steady light rain until late in the evening. As much as four inches of rain fell where we are. We were away from home when the rain started, and the rain was so heavy that we could hardly see. This rain was what is commonly called a frog strangler. One big advantage to the rain is that the temperature cooled off. At the time I'm writing the blog post, it is only 73 degrees. Great!

When we were visiting with family yesterday, I neglected to take any pictures. Fortunately, other people took plenty, and here's one of my baby sister Janie and me. Note how short my hair is. It's been about three weeks since I had it cut, but I can't tell that it's growing. It needs to grow out some so I don't have a reflection that blinds people. Oh, by the way: I only wear the glasses when reading.



We visited with Carolyn's mother for a good part of the morning. Also there were her brothers Billy and Bobby, as well as her sister Teresa. They got a good laugh out of Carolyn telling them her experience about the shower water holding tank running over and backing up into the shower this morning while she was taking a bath. The valve was closed, so there's a reason for that happening. It happened while I was out for my morning walk, and she was just a little ticked off when I got back. RVers know about using shower and kitchen water to rinse the sewer hose after dumping the black water tank. Obviously, I was going to use the shower water to rinse the sewer hose when I dumped the black water. So, I miscalculated a little on how much capacity was still left in the shower water tank. It's not like I was trying to catch Carolyn with a full shower tank when she had shampoo in her hair. Sheesh, can't she take a joke?

The story about the full shower tank and my explanation didn't impress Carolyn, but her family seemed to think it was funny.

When we left Doris' house, we decided to take a drive south of Ocala to the area of Summerfield and the crossroad of Pedro. The last time we were in the area was at least 35 years ago, and we were unprepared for the change that has taken place. Houses, subdivisions, horse farms.... We remember the area being mostly wooded and fields, with few people living there. Now, the Villages, one of the fastest growing areas in the state has taken over much of the area, as well as parts of several other counties. We continue to be amazed at the changes that have taken place in Marion County.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - The Villages, Florida: Florida’s Friendliest Hometown

Not all who wander are lost.

Little Family Get Together

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 73 degrees, high 94 degrees, cloudy in the afternoon

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. My dad passed away almost 18 years ago, and I think of him every day. I wish I could tell him one more time that I love him.

Earlier this week, we made a date to meet with my sister Janie and her family, as well as my brother Roger and his wife Willa for lunch today. It was decided by all that we would meet at Sonny's Bar-b-que Restaurant, and everyone was there on time. Well, Carolyn and I were a couple of minutes late, but we're usually the first to show up for this type of function. It's a good thing we decided to meet at 1100 hours, because the restaurant was covered up with people.

This was the first time we had seen Janie since June of last year. She has had some health problems, but is doing better, and looks good. Her husband Wayne is suffering from a sore shoulder, caused by a fall off a boat dock. Their daughter Heather and her children were there, visiting from Hawaii. Her husband is currently in Afghanistan, so we hope he comes home safely.

There's something about eating with family that makes food taste better. Especially when you haven't seen them for a year. With all the catching up and picture taking, the meal lasted for about 90 minutes. The time passed too quickly, and before we knew it, it was time for Janie and family to head back to Lakeland. It was a great visit, and we're looking forward to the next one.

In the afternoon, both our girls called to wish me a happy day. Lori is going to San Antonio this next week on business, so she should have a good time. We'll be seeing Terri in about a week when we go to Tuscaloosa.

We watched the US Open golf tournament late in the afternoon, and that turned out to be survival of the fittest. The superstars couldn't get anything going, and a long shot from Ireland won by one shot. The most interesting thing about the tournament to us was the scenery, which reminded us of what we saw when we were on the west coast in 2004. We've got to get our act together so we can go back out there!

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Dothan, Alabama: The Circle City

Not all who wander are lost.

Dunnellon

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 73 degrees, high 93 degrees, scattered clouds

We didn't get the rain showers today, but the late afternoon clouds helped cool the temperature to bearable levels again.

Carolyn's back problems continued today, and she rested her back as much as she could stand it. She's been using a heating pad, but it malfunctioned to the point that it was giving her tiny little shocks. Okay, time to get another one.

Carolyn talked to her mother on the phone to let her know that she wouldn't be over to see her today because of the back, but we hope to go tomorrow. At this time, I'm wondering whether she will be able to go see my sister Janie tomorrow.

Now, having said everything about how much trouble Carolyn's back is giving her, she got cabin fever, or is it RV fever, late in the afternoon. She decided she wanted to get out for a ride to some of the places we used to go when we lived here. We started driving toward Dunnellon, which has experienced a lot of growth. On the way, we passed by Rainbow Springs State Park, which was a nice springs area with a swimming area back in the day, with no improvements. Now, it is a full fledged state park with about 1,500 acres. The volume of flow of the springs is 400 to 600 million gallons a day of crystal clear water, and the water flows into the Withlacoochee River. There is a campground downstream from the springs that we would like to stay in someday. In addition, a couple more interesting areas along the Rainbow River that we swam in are K. P. Hole and Blue Cove. Just a little taste of Florida. This does bring back the memories.

Here's a sketch of the Rainbow River, with the points that I listed above.



About the time we finished driving through Dunnellon and crossed the Withlacoochee River, it was time to head home. Speaking of the Withlacoochee River, this river is only about 85 miles long, but is one of the prettiest little rivers you could ever want to see. It's name is probably derived from the Creek Indian language, and means "little river". Beautiful river.

By this time, Carolyn was getting a little antsy, so we headed home. I hope we didn't overdo things. Based on the previous episodes with her back, it will probably be Monday before she starts feeling better.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Eustis, Florida: The City of Bright Tomorrows

Not all who wander are lost.

Carolyn's Sore Back

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 72 degrees, high 98 degrees, cloudy with showers in the afternoon

We had high temperatures and humidity again today (what's new?), but just like the last couple of days, we had afternoon showers and clouds that cooled the temperature and made things bearable. Can you imagine how bad the high temperatures would be if we didn't have these showers?

Carolyn has been suffering with a sore and stiff back the last three days. If we go by past history, she still has at least two more days before she'll feel better. We went to visit her mother today, but couldn't stay long because her back gave her so much pain. Since we got home, she has been using a heating pad in an attempt to get the pain to ease. Hopefully, she'll feel better tomorrow.

I talked to my sister Janie this evening, and we made a date to get together on Sunday for lunch. Janie and her husband Wayne live in Lakeland, and we were going to go down to visit. Since they will be here in Ocala over the weekend, that will save us a trip to Lakeland. Also, there will be my niece and Janie and Wayne's daughter Heather, along with Heather's two children. They moved to Hawaii about 18 months ago, and this is their first visit back to Florida since then. It will be interesting to hear their impressions of Hawaii.

Today seemed to be the day for telephone calls, as I also talked to my brother Terrell. He and his wife Kathy were on the road back to Tennessee from Bay City, Texas, where he has been working for a few days and Kathy was undergoing periodic medical tests in her ongoing battle with cancer. The latest report is that she continues to hold her own. They are looking forward to getting home to what they hope will be some cooler weather.

When I'm out and about, I usually have the camera with me so I can take pictures that catch my fancy. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I had a camera moment right here in the RV park. In our travels, we see all manner of RVs and tow vehicles and toads. I saw something today that was unique, which consisted of a heavy duty truck modified to pull RVs, a nice heavy RV, and their car. There's nothing unique about having all three of these vehicles, but what is unique is the type of car they use and they way they transport it when moving.



The car is a Smart, which is what I would consider a suicide car. The owner uses a winch system to take the car off and put it on the truck. The owner told me that at one time, they only had the big truck to get around in. That became a little inconvenient, and they decided to go this way. I guess it works, but I don't think I would care for something that small. Note the name on the truck: Overkill.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Dodge City: Queen Of The Cowtowns

Not all who wander are lost.

Houses And Roads

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 72 degrees, high 98 degrees, afternoon showers all around, but none here

For the second day in a row, we were out exploring some of the changes that have taken place in Marion County since we left about 30 years ago. Today's trip took us down to the Santos area and west across I-75. We think the biggest changes down there have taken place in and around the Marion Oaks area.

When we left here, that area was just woods and fields, with hardly any roads. Not any more, as the roads are running everywhere, and houses are in places we would never have imagined. There's only one problem with all this growth: the recession has hit hard and there are more than 1,000 homes that are in foreclosure. Many of the houses have been abandoned, which has affected property values for the people who still live there.

Before we left home this morning, we took care of some housekeeping, including the laundry. While the clothes were washing, I talked to a man visiting here from Iowa who has been here about six months. His observation about the state of the economy here is that about the only thing selling is plywood used for sealing up houses and buildings that have been repossessed.

Florida has always been subject to booms and busts as the economy goes up and down periodically. People in construction and tourism related businesses are especially hard hit, and now is not any different, except for the fact that a lot more people live here. Carolyn has relatives in construction down here, and we feel for them as they try to survive until things get better. With the economy in the shape it is, who knows when that will be?

I apologize for the nature of this post. It's just that we would like to see our politicians get their acts together and do something meaningful to get the economy going again, instead of bailing out businesses that are "too big to fail", and getting ready to raise our taxes.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Tallahassee, Florida: The Other Florida

Not all who wander are lost.

Salt Springs

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 79 degrees, high 98 degrees, clear skies and high humidity early, then late afternoon showers

The humidity was awful again this morning, and was so bad it affected my respiratory problem to the point that I had to cut my morning walk short. At least we're getting the afternoon showers, which is helping keep things bearable later in the evening.

We had planned to do our laundry today, but decided to put it off another day or two. Instead, we decided to drive out to see how Salt Springs has changed since we were last there about 35 years ago. The route we took out to Salt Springs went through the little spot in the road in the Ocala National Forest where I was born a long time ago. Just to prove that there is a Scrambletown, here's a picture of the sign by the road.



Salt Springs is about 35 miles from Ocala, and is located in the Ocala National Forest. Before we moved away from Ocala, my family, including the extended family of uncles, aunts, and cousins used to have family get togethers at the springs in the summer. The last year we got together at that location was 1975 (wow, has it been that long?). Little did we know that the family would start scattering as they followed jobs and careers. Those were good times that we still remember with fondness.

Over the years, the Forest Service has upgraded Salt Springs, which is a flowing spring that puts out about 52,000,000 gallons of water a day. The water is clear and cold, and there are several species of fish that can be seen, including bass, mullet, bream, catfish, and others. When water is present in Florida, there's a good chance that alligators are there, also, and this area is no different.

The last time we were there, there were not any improvements at all. Now, there are primitive camping areas, as well as an RV campground with about 100 sites. A boat can be launched and paddled downstream to Lake George, about four miles away.

Outside the park, there is a small grocery store, as well as a convenience store. A small shopping area has a hardware store and a small restaurant, as well as a laundry. The businesses I'm talking about are not very big, but keep in mind that 35 years ago, there were not any businesses except for a small convenience store. If you didn't bring what you wanted when visiting, you couldn't buy it.

Just another blast from the past, and in this case, all of the change is not bad.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Miami, Florida: Cocaine Capital Of America

Not all who wander are lost.

Girls Lunch Out

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 78 degrees, high 97 degrees, scattered rain showers late in the afternoon

The humidity hit 100% again this morning, and again it happened when there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I imagine there are a lot of bad hair days around here these days. I wouldn't know, since all my hair was cut off about two weeks ago.

Whenever we come to Ocala to visit family, Carolyn takes her mother and as many of her sisters as are available to Sonny's Bar-B-Que for lunch. Today was the day for that little lunch date, as she went with her mother and two of her sisters, Teresa and Jeanette. I usually choose to do something else when these things happen because I feel out of place with all those women. Besides, they need some together time.

While Carolyn was out with her folks, I went back to the library and did another check on books that they had for sale. I found five this time, which gives us a total of nine from here. That should hold us a few days.

Recently, I have been having muscle cramps in my legs, which tend to occur when I'm asleep at night. I talked to our doctor about it when we saw him the last time, and he suggested eating more bananas. Then, if I was still having problems, take potassium tablets for awhile until the cramps are under control. Well, I'm eaten enough bananas that I'm starting to make strange monkey motions and sounds, but still have the cramps. I stopped at the drug store this morning and bought some potassium tablets. The weather has been so hot that even though I drink a lot of liquids, with all the sweating I do when I'm working outside, the potassium levels are not coming up fast enough. Maybe the bananas and tablets together will do the trick.

After I picked Carolyn up from her girls lunch out, we took a ride to one of our favorite places around, the York area. Marion County has designated the road that goes through York as a scenic route, and it certainly meets that designation. Many years ago, the county gained fame as a great place to breed and raise thoroughbred horses, with the result that a lot of beautiful horse farms were developed here. Some of the most beautiful horse farms are in the York area, and even though we're seeing fewer horse farms because of the property being developed for other uses, it was nice to see that York was as we remembered. Majestic oak trees with moss hanging out of them, palm trees, training tracks, beautiful horses, green pastures that look like lawns..... I could go on and on about the beauty we saw. We know that it's probably only a matter of time until all the beauty is gone, but it was sure nice to see it's still there for now.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Astatula, Florida: Land Of Sunbeams

Not all who wander are lost.

High Heat Index

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 79 degrees, high 98 degrees, mostly clear skies

We've got to change the time of year that we visit Florida. June is probably the most miserable month of the year in Florida with respect to the weather. High temperatures, high humidity, blazing sun. This June is not any different, as the heat index today hit about 114 degrees. That's just too hot!

Along with visiting Carolyn's mother today, I had the truck serviced. For the second time in about two weeks, I found a WalMart Mall that didn't have what I needed, which was an oil change for the truck. The Mall at Silver Springs doesn't have a car service department. What is the world coming to? Anyway, I went over to the other WalMart Mall on the west side of Ocala, and they had what I needed. There was a little wait, but that was fine.

The next stop was at the public library to check out their used book store, where I found several paperback books that I bought for $.50 each. Not bad for books that cost up to $10.00 each when they were new.

By the time I was finished and had gone back to Doris's house, Carolyn was ready to go home. On our way to the RV, we decided to drive through one of the dozens of new subdivisions that were started when the economy was good, but are now dead in the water. The subdivision we drove through was a beautiful horse farm at one time, and was then subdivided into lots of about one acre. It appears the intent was to have an upper scale housing development, but they seem to have fallen on hard times. There are only about ten houses in a development of about 300 acres, and only two of those are occupied. This project appears to have been caught with houses that are too big and too expensive for the people who still have jobs. Earlier today, I heard that there are close to 1,000 houses here that have been foreclosed on or are owned by the banks. Ouch! That is going to take some time to sell off.

The rest of the day was spent trying to stay cool, and thinking about where we might be able to find some cooler weather without having to drive 1500 miles.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Palm Bay, Florida: A Perfect Place To Grow

Not all who wander are lost.

100% Humidity

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 72 degrees, high 98 degrees, clear skies

I've mentioned the humidity that's present in the summer in the south, but I saw something today that I don't remember before. At 0700 hours, the humidity was 100%, and that was with clear skies. Now, that's real humidity.

We're still tired from the trip down to Florida, but are slowly getting our wind back. A couple more days like today, and we should be okay. We didn't do anything or go anywhere until after lunch, when we went over to Carolyn's mother's house for a visit. After visiting for awhile, I decided to go back home and do some chores around the RV, as well as try to get some meditation in. The work outside didn't last long with the heat as bad as it was, and neither did the meditation. My respiratory issue is trying to rear it's head again, so I'm trying to stay ahead of it by taking things easy. This humidity doesn't help.

When I went back to pick up Carolyn, we decided to take a short ride around the area to see how things have changed since we were here last year. We drove north toward the Citra area and took state road 318 east for several miles, and guess what we found? There is an area along this road that is so reminiscent of what we remember Florida as being like 25 years ago or more. Huge oak trees, tall palm trees, swamp cabbage, bay trees, orange trees, beautiful pastures..... It was a blast from the past that caused Carolyn to get a little melancholy.

Both of us love the old Florida that is harder and harder to find. The ongoing economic recession has slowed down the pace of development here, which helps save the old Florida, but it comes at a price for the people who depend on construction for their livelihoods. Unemployment is high in the area and the state has a rate of 12%. So it's a double edged sword: we hate to see the old Florida disappear, but we also feel for all the people who are unemployed.

That's about it from here. We'll trying to stay cool and dry, and enjoying family.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Citra, Florida: Home Of The Pineapple Orange

Not all who wander are lost.

Olive Garden

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 77 degrees, high 97 degrees, clear skies

Carolyn spent a good part of the day visiting with her mother while I was taking care of some shopping we needed to get done. The first stop for me was at the WalMart Mall, where I picked up a few groceries. Driving away from the Mall, I noticed one of the roadside vegetable stands that are so prevalent here. I stopped to see what they had, and by the time I left, I had bought two nice cantaloupes.

I took the groceries home and put them away, and then cut up one of the cantaloupes so it could be cooled down in the refrigerator. Of course, I had to try the fruit to see if it was any good, and it passed the taste test. In fact, it tasted fine.

After I rested a few minutes, I went to Sam's Club to pick up a few things we needed from there. While I was at Sam's, I just happened to get there while they were handing out taste samples of some of their food items, so I browsed through the selection. That took care of lunch.

Returning home again, I did some more resting and reading. Carolyn called and said my brother Roger had called and wanted to know if we wanted to go out to eat tonight. Well, we're always ready for eating out with family, so I called Roger back and we made plans to meet at Olive Garden. I picked up Carolyn at her mother's house and brought her home so she could freshen up.

Whew! Do you get the sense that I did a lot of driving today?

We met Roger and his wife Willa at 1800 hours at Olive Garden, and the place was covered up with people waiting to eat. Fortunately, Roger and Willa arrived a few minutes before us and got their names on the waiting list. Within about ten minutes, our name was called and we were shown to a table. As usual at Olive Garden, the food was excellent, as was the service. We enjoy being with family, and there's something about eating with them that is really special for us.

After eating, we went over to Roger and Willa's house and continued our visit for a couple more hours. Roger and I solved the political and economic problems that the country is going through, even though the solutions won't be put in place. When we left after a great visit, we promised to get back together before we leave here. Great visit.

The last day or so has brought news of floods that hit a campground in Arkansas, killing at least 17 people. This caught our eye, since we spend a lot of time in campgrounds similar to this. The loss of life is regrettable. This event will certainly cause us to be aware of our surroundings, including the terrain, even more than we have in the past.

More later, be safe.

Today's State - Arkansas: The Land Of Opportunity

Not all who wander are lost.

Family Visits

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 78 degrees, high 98 degrees, clear skies

Texas does not have a corner on the hot weather. It is plenty hot here, and it will last just as long as it does in the Lone Star State. Our hope is that the rain holds off until we leave, because there's nothing like it raining in the middle of the afternoon and watching the steam rise from the ground. There is no humidity like the Florida humidity.

We spent most of the day visiting family, starting with spending a good part of the day at Carolyn's mother's house. Doris is 86 years old, and is doing great for her age. Oh, that thing about not telling a lady's age? Doris is proud of her age, and doesn't try to cover it up. When a person gets to be that age, there's not much that can be said other than she's glad she's made it this long. And we're hoping for many more.

While we were at Doris's house, we saw Billy, Bobby, and Teresa, three of Carolyn's siblings. It was great catching up, but eventually the long trip caught up to us, so we went home to rest. Late in the afternoon, we went over to my brother Roger's house and visited for a couple of hours. Another good visit was enjoyed, and we are getting together later on for supper one night before we leave.

On our way home from Roger's, we stopped at Cracker Barrel for a meal that is about as close to home cooked as you can get away from home. The food was as expected, and I had the meatloaf, fried okra, cole slaw, and fried apples. Carolyn had chicken tenderloins (strips), carrots, and corn. Of course, we also had the corn muffins. Not as good as Carolyn's cooking, but passable.

As we were at the cash register getting ready to leave Cracker Barrel, Bruce, another of Carolyn's brothers, was noticed waiting on a table with his family, and we visited with them a few minutes until their table was ready. So, more family members seen today. Neat!

We have seen many people begging for money here in the Ocala area since we arrived. They tend to congregate at intersections, holding up signs with some sort of message written on them. We didn't see anyone giving money to any of the beggars, and it may be that people are suffering from too much exposure to the beggars. That brings me to a panhandler stopping us at Cracker Barrel as we were walking to our truck. He recited a story about his mother being in the hospital in Gainesville in bad shape, he had to stop in Ocala to buy a tire that took all his money, and he didn't have enough gas to get to Gainesville. Could I help him out with enough money for three gallons of gas? Well, no. I could smell alcohol on his breath, and the same scam with some variations has been tried on me all over the country. I don't mind helping someone with a legitimate need, but giving a person enough money to go buy the next bottle doesn't quite qualify as being smart on my part.

That's about it from here today. More beggar stories as they happen.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Chattanooga, Tennessee: The Scenic City

Not all who wander are lost.

Finally Arrived

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 79 degrees in Bonifay, Florida, high 93 degrees in Ocala, Florida, clear skies

We were still tired when we woke this morning, and didn't get our usual timely departure, as we were slow getting ready to leave Bonifay. Eventually, we got our stuff together and hit the road. It was another good day for traveling, and would have been enjoyable if we hadn't been so tired. As it was, we just hunkered down and made the best of the last 300 miles to Ocala.

We made it to the RV park we're staying in while in Ocala later in the day than we would have liked, but that serves us right for not getting ourselves together in a timely manner this morning. Now that we're traveling more, we're getting faster about setting up the RV, which helps us start relaxing sooner. We always use a checklist to make sure we don't make a mistake, and the list is even more important when we're tired. It was important to use the list today, because I shudder to think what kind of mistakes we could make if we didn't use a reminder.

I was unsuccessful in setting up the satellite dish, and it was probably because I was tired. We have a dish that has to collect the signals from two different satellites, and if I don't do everything right, I might have trouble with getting one of the satellites. After several attempts today, I gave up on it until tomorrow, when I should be more rested.

Once we had rested and cooled off a little, we started getting hungry for some Sonny's bar-b-que, which is probably the best we have had outside Texas. The food was just as good as we expected, and we have enough left for lunch tomorrow. When we got back home, I called my brother Roger and let him know we were in town. We made plans to get together tomorrow evening to do some catch up.

It's going to be a busy week, but we're looking forward to seeing everyone.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Ocala, Florida: Horse Capital Of The World

Not all who wander are lost.

Hard Day Traveling

Bonifay, Florida

Weather: low 80 degrees in Livingston, Louisiana, high 95 degrees in Bonifay, Florida, partly cloudy skies

Summer has arrived! Even though it's still officially the spring season, the weather here is typical of full fledged summer in the south. Only about five months of hot weather to go.

We slept like logs last night because we were so tired. Tonight should be even better for sleeping, as we traveled until I couldn't stand to be in the truck anymore. We stopped for the night in the little Florida panhandle town of Bonifay, which is a quiet, sleepy little town about one mile from I-10.

Bonifay reminds us of many of the little towns we see in our travels in Texas. About the only thing we didn't see was the county courthouse. We drove down the main street of town, checking out what was there, and decided that the primary industry is farming and ranching. We took a ride through one of the older residential areas of town, and were impressed by the neatness of the homes and the way the yards were kept. Pine and oak trees are the major trees, and many of them are probably over one hundred years old. The yards are covered with azaleas and roses, and we think this would be a beautiful place to see in the spring when everything is blooming.

I looked the town up on the Internet, and was surprised to see that between the years 2000 and 2008, the population decreased from about 4,000 people to about 2,800 people. There are probably a number of reasons for that, with the remoteness of the town being the major reason, along with lack of jobs. That's a shame, because Bonifay appears to be a good place to raise a family, or even retire to.

We moved away from Florida about 30 years ago as we followed jobs and careers. Since then, we usually return about once a year to visit family, and we always talk about whether we would ever want to return to Florida. The conversation usually follows the same pattern, with us deciding we probably wouldn't want to move back to the Ocala area, but the panhandle area might be interesting to look into. It reminds us of what Florida used to be like before it became so crowded and changed so much from what we remembered.

We should arrive in Ocala tomorrow, and we're ready for this trip to end. It is a long drive.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Toledo, Ohio: Detroit’s Right Hand

Not all who wander are lost.

Traveling

Livingston, Texas

Weather: low 75 degrees in Bay City, Texas, high 95 degrees in Livingston, Louisiana, partly cloudy skies, rain early

Yesterday, I did as much as I could on our departure preparations so that I would not have to walk in the wet grass as much, and get as sweaty. Well, the best laid plans.... We had a heavy rain shower pass through Bay City about 0700 hours, and the humidity was awful once the rain was gone. We waited as long as we could before going outside in an attempt to let things dry out, but finally had to get busy so we could leave.

We left Bay City about 0800 hours, and had an uneventful trip to where we're spending the night in Livingston, Louisiana. There was road construction in two areas that slowed us down a little. One other thing slowed us down, and that brings up one of my pet peeves. Just east of Baton Rouge on I-12, traffic almost came to a standstill for several miles. Eventually, we saw what caused the slowdown. A car had left the road and wrecked, coming to rest on it's roof. The injured had been removed from the area, and there were a few cop cars as well as a wrecker there, all well off the road and not doing anything to slow traffic down. The way people were craning their necks, you would have thought that they were seeing a blood bath. Why is it that people seem to want to see blood and gore? It would have been much safer if they had traveled at the speed limit. As it was, people were cutting traffic and trying to jump ahead of the traffic jam. Come on, people, move it!

We've made many trips on I-10 and I-12 between Texas and Florida. At one time, I used to dread driving in Louisiana because the roads were so bad. I am glad to say that most of the route in Louisiana is fairly decent now, with the exception of about 15 miles between Lafayette and the Atchafalaya Swamp bridge. I wonder what the oil well spill in the gulf will do to their tax money and road construction?

We expect to get to Ocala, Florida about Thursday afternoon, unless we decide to spend some time in transit. I know that means we will be taking at least three days to get there, but it is about 960 miles, after all. We're not used to driving as many miles a day as we are to get to Ocala.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Lafayette, Louisiana: Hub City

Not all who wander are lost.

New Cooking Pot

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 75 degrees, high 90 degrees, partly cloudy skies, showers in the morning hours

I thought yesterday was about as bad as the humidity gets here. Nope, I was wrong, it was worse today. I struggled through my morning walk and burrowed into the air conditioning for most of the day. Well, a good part of the day, anyway.

Since we're leaving here tomorrow, I dumped our black water tank, which presented a problem. Normally, we don't smell our black water tank. It was smelling today, and the smell was working overtime. That meant it was time for me to treat the tank, which hasn't been done for about six months. I use advice I see on the RV discussion pages, and the advice on cleaning the tank came from a fellow blogger. The treatment consists of water softener mixed with water, detergent, and some bleach. Within an hour of pouring the mixture in the toilet after dumping, the smell was gone. I don't expect to smell anything again unless something goes wrong.

We ordered a cooking pot for Carolyn last week to replace one that she lost track of during our move from the house to the RV. It was an eight quart pot, which is a perfect size for us. We had been looking for something similar since losing the other one, and I finally had the brain storm to check with the manufacturer that made our other pots. The pot arrived here today, and was exactly what we were looking for. I wonder if that means Carolyn will cook more now that she has the new pot?

Late in the afternoon, we went over to visit Lori and her family, and ended up going out for supper with them. After a lot of discussion on where to go, we decided to go to one of the family owned Mexican restaurants, Las Fuentes. Personally, I like the family owned Mexican places, but it is almost impossible to get Carolyn to go to them. She tends to like the chains, which I would rather not go to. I guess you know that means we go to the chains most of the time, right?

Las Fuentes was exactly what I expected: good, hearty food, at a decent price. And, for a change, Carolyn said she really liked it. Does that mean she'll take more chances in the future? I can only hope.

We leave here tomorrow on our way to Florida. I don't know how long the trip will take, but we're not in a hurry. We'll be in Florida for 7 to 10 days, then go up to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to visit Terri and Thomas. No plans have been made beyond Tuscaloosa, but we want to find some cooler weather for the rest of the summer.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Calera, Alabama: The Heart Of The Heart Of Dixie

Not all who wander are lost.

Wet Blanket

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 75 degrees, high 94 degrees, partly cloudy skies

When I stepped outside this morning for my walk, the humidity was so bad it felt like someone had thrown a wet blanket over me. Yuck! I don't like this humidity.

With the humidity as bad as it was, I thought about not walking today, but sucked it up and did the right thing. More than once during the walk, I had second thoughts, but kept telling myself one more block, just one more block. By the time I turned around and started back home, I had walked the usual distance. My pace was a little slower than normal, and I was soaked when I got back to the RV. I peeled my clothes off and jumped in the shower, using the cold water to cool off. That felt good!

After I recovered from the walk and being so hot, I took our laundry and washed it in preparation for leaving here on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the laundry I went to was not air conditioned (note to self: don't go there again when it's hot), but at least I didn't get as hot as I did when walking. While I was at the laundry, one of my friends from several past jobs happened to bring his clothes in, so we had a good talk catching up with what's been going on with each other.

By the time I got home, it was time for lunch and rest. In fact, I got so lazy that I didn't stir out of my chair for about two hours. When I finally got up enough gumption, I went to the WalMart Mall to pick up a few things that we needed. Carolyn was the smart one, as she said it was too hot to go anywhere, so she stayed at home.

Today was one of the few times that I was unable to find something I was looking for at the Mall. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm looking for some wax to put on the RV. The Mall didn't have what I was looking for, so I'll keep my eyes open for it elsewhere.

Not much was done beyond what I've talked about. I can remember when I would have reveled in the hot weather, but not anymore. Give me 60-80 degrees in the daytime and mid-40s at night. We need to find a place like that for the summer after the family visits are done.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Boaz, Alabama: City Of Possibilities

Not all who wander are lost.

No Wax Yet

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 73 degrees, high 93 degrees, humid, partly cloudy skies

Today was a typical day on the Texas golf coast, with hot, humid weather making life miserable when outside. I still worked outside long enough to get the RV cleaned up, with the idea of finally being able to put some wax on it. Once the washing was finished, I went inside to take a break, and didn't get back outside until later in the day. In the meantime, we went over to visit with Lori's family, along with John's mother and sister, still visiting from Alabama.

When we arrived home after the visit, I was getting ready to go back outside to smear some wax on the RV when we received a telephone call inviting us to supper at K-2. We couldn't turn down a supper invitation, so we met Lori and family and the Alabama folks at K-2 for a good meal and conversation. Before we knew it, we had been at the restaurant almost two hours. Wow! The time flew by. I would say we had a good time.

By the time we got back home, it was getting cooler, which was good for me and putting wax on the RV. Big problem: the wax doesn't seem to be doing the job that I expected, so I stopped. I'll pick up more wax tomorrow after doing some research on what would be the best to use. I would like for the wax I put on to last for a decent amount of time, and also restore the shine in the places where it has disappeared. Is that too much to ask for?

Since I couldn't use the wax I had, I used a little time to do some straightening and other little chores outside. I didn't get any of the RV waxed, but did get it washed. Now, if I can get some wax tomorrow, maybe I'll finally get some waxing done.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Holland, Texas: The Friendly Community

Not all who wander are lost.

High School Graduation

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 72 degrees, high 91 degrees, partly cloudy skies

Our grandson Julian graduated high school tonight, and it was quite an affair. At least it was to all the parents, other relatives, and friends of the graduating seniors that were there. I have the feeling that the seniors were glad it was all over, and that they would rather have skipped the whole thing. That's a typical feeling, and I remember the same thoughts when I graduated high school many years ago. Julian didn't want to go, but I reminded him that he had gone through 12 years of school with most of the people who were graduating, and that he would never see most of them again. That wasn't enough to sway him, and as his mom said, he starts making his own decisions today. So, we all met at Victoria's Mexican Restaurant for a good get together and to celebrate Julian finishing high school.

In addition to Julian's immediate family being there, Carolyn and I were, as well as his paternal grandmother and an aunt, who had come in from north Alabama for the event.

The ceremony that Julian chose to miss was held in the football stadium, which means it was outside with the heat and bugs. There was a big crowd there for a graduating class of about 200 seniors. The activities didn't start until 2000 hours and weren't finished until almost 2300 hours. It's too bad the area doesn't have a place inside that could be used for activities like this.

Although Carolyn and I would have been there for the ceremony, neither of us feel like we missed anything except mosquitoes and heat. Julian is a good person and we are proud of him. We told Julian the only limits he has are the ones he places on himself. Never accept the limits that someone else places on you.

Carolyn needed a haircut, but wasn't up to doing it herself. She doesn't like to go to a beauty salon because she's seldom happy with the results. Today was typical, as she fumed about the quality of the cut most of the afternoon until she trimmed it a little. I, on the other hand, got exactly what I asked for. The only thing is that I didn't expect it to be so short. That barber put me in a choke hold, and by the time I was dumped out of the chair, I had hardly any hair left. It has been many years since my hair was so short (when I was in the Navy), but Carolyn said she liked it. I guess I do, too. I might as well, since it's too late to do anything about it. At least Carolyn should be able to cut it from now on. That is if I decide to keep it this short. If anyone thinks I'm exaggerating, try a length of about 1/4 inch all over. I don't think I asked for it to be that short. Of course, it will be cooler, and easier to take care of. I can get rid of my comb.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Brunswick, Georgia: Shrimp Capitol Of The World

Not all who wander are lost.

Rain Showers, Cooler Temperatures

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 70 degrees, high 80 degrees, cloudy, intermittent rain showers

We were jarred awake by thunder and lightning about midnight, followed shortly by rain that lasted most of the night. It wasn't hard rain, but since we are parked under some trees, it sounded louder than it was. The rain continued off and on today, which wasn't all bad, since it helped keep the temperatures lower than normal. Most of the time, I can do without the rain, but it was nice having lower temperatures for a change.

The humidity is worse here than in Glen Rose, which causes me some issues with my recent respiratory problems. I took my usual morning walk, but didn't push myself as hard as normal. Even with not walking as hard as normal, I could feel the effect from the higher humidity. We're hopeful that when the family visiting is finished in the southeast that we can find a place with lower temperatures and humidity. We know we can go west and find the conditions we're looking for, but we don't know if it will be too late in the year.

I was planning to put some wax on the RV today, but that got sidetracked by the weather. Instead, I took care of some computer stuff that needed to be finished. When I was done with the computer, I visited the library to pick up some new books and a couple of movies to watch. While I was at the library, I looked at the books they were selling and found four paperback books for $1.00. After we leave here, we'll have more books to read.

Our grandson Julian graduates high school tomorrow night at 2000 hours. The ceremony will be held outside in the football stadium. I haven't looked to see what the weather forecast will be, but the fact the ceremony is being held outside will change the way I will dress. Normally, I would wear a nice pair of slacks with a dress shirt and tie. Since the temperature will probably be near 90 degrees, and the ceremony will drag on, I'll probably wear walking shorts and a golf shirt. I wonder how many people will be dressed the same way.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Reno, Nevada: The Neon Babylon

Not all who wander are lost.

Feeling Better

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low in Glen Rose 72 degrees, high in Bay City 91 degrees, clear to partly cloudy skies

I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and we were prepared to stay in the Glen Rose area for as long as it took to get my respiratory problem under control. Guess what? The doctor was pleased with the progress I have made in the last week (and so was I). He gave me one more prescription, with more advice on how best to handle the problem I have, and said he would see me in the fall. All right!! I'm feeling much better, with most of the improvement coming over the last three days. If I continue on this path, I may be looking for another job. Not!! If I did that, Carolyn would be ready to scream.

Since we were finished with doctors, we decided to leave Glen Rose and move back to Bay City for our grandson Julian's high school graduation, which takes place Friday. By the time we were ready to leave, it was 1000 hours, which wasn't too bad, considering that we hadn't made any preparations earlier.

We've made the trip between Bay City and Glen Rose several times, and this one was typical of all the rest: long and boring. We were parked and set up by 1630 hours, and the satellite dish was set up after resting. Why set the dish up that quickly, even though we have cable TV where we're at? We're used to where the shows are on the dish, and the picture is better than cable. About the only thing we use the cable for is local weather.

So, here we are in Bay City, and we will be here four to seven days. When we leave, we'll be heading to Florida to visit family. We may take as long as a couple of weeks to get to Florida, since we're not on a time table. New adventures waiting on the road.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Bay City, Oregon: Pearl Of Tillamook Bay

Not all who wander are lost.

Big Circle

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 72 degrees, high 97 degrees, clear skies

We didn't have much to do around the RV today, so we took a drive over to the Weatherford area to see what kind of change has taken place since we were last there. The drive to Weatherford took us through Granbury, which wasn't as busy as it was last Friday. That was fine with us, since we like the slower pace. On the outskirts of Granbury, we passed the city cemetery where the famous outlaw Jesse James is buried, plus other lesser known historical figures.

The road to Weatherford is Texas 51, and there hasn't been much change on that road. The real change was in Weatherford, which is growing like crazy. The traffic was terrible, and there was a lot of road construction ongoing. We started out trying to go to the downtown area, but soon got tired of the traffic and construction. As soon as we could, we took a road to the southwest and followed it out to an I-20 interchange. From there, we headed southwest on I-20 for about 20 miles until we got tired of seeing the same old empty countryside. Then we turned onto US 281 toward Stephenville. At Texas 4, we took another turn and went through the little town of Lipan, named after the Lipan Apache Indian tribe, which used to live in this area.

In about 20 miles. we made it into Granbury and headed back to the RV. We made a big circle, seeing a lot of country that we used to travel. There is change, especially in Weatherford. It's like I have said before. The recession the country is going through doesn't seem to be affecting this area or Texas in general like it is the rest of the country.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to find out whether I need to see a specialist for my respiratory problems. I think there has been some improvement in my symptoms, but I still have the problem. I guess I'll find out if the improvement has been enough, or if I need to see the specialist. Regardless of what is decided, we'll be leaving here tomorrow. We have a couple plans ready for whatever happens. One thing is certain: our grandson Julian graduates high school on Friday night, and we plan to be there, even if we have to leave the RV here and spend the night in a hotel. Yuck!!!

It looks like it's going to start getting hot here.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Bastrop, Texas: The Most Historic Small Town In Texas

Not all who wander are lost.