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.