Orlando, Jeremie and Brennan

Brennan seems to have fond memories of Bob Evans so it was off to get some turkey with all the trimmings and those world famous Bob Evans biscuits. While they are good both of my sisters and Lee make much better. Jer seems to be taking the tough cop stance while you can't get Kathy out of her sweatshirt even when the temp in well into the 70s.

A few shots around Jeremie's hotel pool.

Yesterday went to Lowe's and got a new "Q" Barbecue. We've been wanting one of those for years. Fortunately had Brennan and Jeremie here to do the assembly part.

Florida!

Arrived in Orlando last night about 9 o'clock. Not a good day of driving with a driving hard rain that at times had traffic down to 30 on the I95. Plus too many kms, over 800. Took us the rest of the night to set up and then get to bed. We both had a beautiful sleep.

Today I should have had a few pics but forgot the camera. Instead you will get a glimspe of our 2011 Christmas in South Carolina.

Joan and Kathy of course. We were in George and Monique's A Class motorhome for the festivities.

The gift pile seems to be taking on a life of it's own. We are not talking mega dollars here. Monique has quite the eye for a bargain and after listening to her describe discount after discount we all were left wondering how much the store paid her to take the stuff off their hands.

This is the motley crew. We have brothers Ron and George, Monique who is George's wife and the bargain hunter of the group and then we find Joan beside husband Ron and my dear wife Kathy in the back. We were just sitting down to our Christmas feast expertly prepared by Monique with some assistance from George. I understand he helped remove the dressing from the bird. Just kidding on the last part, George did a fantastic job with the turkey!

Not only did we celebrate the birth of Jesus on this day but Ron also had a cake for his. A great way to end the day! Happy Birthday Ron.

Getting ready for Christmas

We were out and about doing a bit of Christmas shopping in Myrtle Beach today. Found Joan and Kathy horse'n around on the farm. Good looking pair of farm girls I'd say.

Kathy did a bit of decorating in the Big Sky.

Ron and I started wearing our gifts right away. Ron bargined for these authentic Tilley hats. First he got 10% off if he bought one. He decided to think about while we had coffee. As he was telling me about his deal I mentioned how I too always wanted a Tilley hat but could never pull the trigger. He decided to go back and see if he could get 20% off two hats. The deal was made and we both returned to the store and got our hats. Kathy and Joan decided those were our Christmas presents and then decided to throw in the birthday gift too. So we are out of presents for a while.

It was a nice beach day in Myrtle Beach so Maggie and Lilly took a little run.

All in all a great day. Had lunch at an all you can eat Chinese buffet with Ron and Joan then home with a fine lasgna supper prepared by Kathy for the same crew plus Ron's brother George and his wife Monique.

Made it to SC

Got in to Myrtle Beach yesterday, last night. Not without some adventure from Ms. GPS. As someone told me, a GPS is a great tool if you know where you are going. Gave me a wrong turn in Myrtle Beach and arrived at some sort of sanctuary. I don't know, maybe that was on purpose but it wasn't where we wanted to be. Parked on the side of a very busy city street while I pondered this most unwelcomed turn of events. Decided to give my GPS gal one more shot at it. Let's face it, did I have a choice? Punched in an address and was instructed to now make a U turn on this very busy street and head back. I settled to enter a busy shopping mall filled with Christmas shoppers and perform a similar U turn on a narrow mall roadway and head back out. My everlasting thanks to some very, very kind and patient South Carolina drivers who cleared a path for some 60 feet of truck and trailer to execute this manouver needing every inch of the alloted space. GPS gal recalculated, humed and hawed and did finally lead me to the promised land. Did I say it was pitch black out?
Now we have settled in for about a week to spend some time with Joan and Ron, Kathy's sister and husband. Will spend Christmas before continuing on to Orlando to hook up with Jeremie and Brennan. Nice day today, low 70s and sunny skies.

Day 3

Started the day in Connecticut and headed West to Pennsylvania, then South thru Maryland, West Virginia and finally to Winchester, Virginia. Settled in a campground called Candy Hill and got our home all set up for the next few months.
Had a good drive today for the most part. A bit of snow, a bit of rain but warmed up nicely by the time we stopped for the day. Tomorrow it is on to South Carolina to meet up with Joan and Ron, Kathy's sister and her husband. Will be there for a few days so I will try to get some pics up.

Day 2

What a difference a day makes!

Took the Black Beast to the doctor in Houlton this morning, 7am sharp. To make a long story short she was re-energized and ready for travel in about an hour. Just had a new turbo installed recently and turns out our problems yesterday were related to that. The computed just needed to be updated with new files or whatever and she is as good as new. They did a flash to the computer and problems gone. Really booted her along today. Well, for me she was really moving. Kept her at 70 mph facing a pretty good headwind and paid the price in fuel. Running at about 9 to 10 mpg.

We are just outside Hartford, Conn. tonight. Tomorrow hoping to be in West Virginia and hoping it is mild enough to pull into an RV park and dewinterize. Wednesday in South Carolina if all goes well. Stopping there for a few days to spend some time with Kathy's sister Joan.

1st Day of the 2012 Florida Trip

Wellsir, wellsir, wellsir. Talk about your bad days. It started about 4:17 am when I first noticed the fresh fallen snow. You can't imagine bringing the Big Sky down Cottage road with a covering of snow. Down I went to spread the sand as best I could. With heart in throat we headed down, the gravel worked and we made it to the highway.
That was only the beginning of what has been a miserable day. The truck started acting up before we reached the airport. A warning came on and a pic of a wrench and a notification that power is being reduced. Apparently that can be one of many things. A tranny problem, electronic problem and other stuff. Anyway found that if I turned the truck off and restarted it would run normally for anywhere from 10 minutes to a couple of hours before having to repeat this procedure. It made for a very trying day. Never knew when you had traveled the last kilometre or who was going to tow you to who knows where.

So tomorrow will begin with a visit to the local Ford doctor who happens to be just up the street. Take it from there.

At least we are this far, alive and well. Could have been worse.

I had a pic of the truck in the yard ready to go but too tired to try and upload it now.

Forgot to mention, we made it to Houlton, Maine

Lazy Mothers Day

This is the future home of the Big Sky. A little 2 acre lot off Windsor road near Chester. 7km North of the 103. Doesn't look like much right now.

Another view.

Our friends Bill and Jan out for a Sunday drive. They are from Pinehurst, near Bridgewater. We also see them in Florida. They are Snowbirds like us. They like the Gulf Coast while we prefer the Atlantic.

Kathy and I in front of the Lake behind our lot.

Another shot of the lake. What a beautiful place and just a nice easy walk away. The girls, Maggie, Gabby and Lilly will love it here. Think we might get a canoe now.

Had a great day with friends in Wolfville. It was our first chance to get together since our return from Florida. These are for the most part fellow campers who we spend a lot of time with in the summer at the various campgrounds around Nova Scotia. In the winter we get together at our homes or eateries around the Province. Today's gathering was at Joe's something or other in Wolfville, NS. Great to see everyone again. In a couple of months we will be back at the campgrounds.

Our day at Sea World began with the Pink Flamingos. Must have been tired because almost all were sleeping.

Brennan wanted someone to ride this roller coaster with him but he got no takers. Seems you are upside down most of the time and going by the screams of either fright or delight I decided it wasn't going to be me on that thing.

Kathy got a kick out of feeding the Stingrays. Can't see them here but they swim by and you are suppose to have your hand in the water and they take the food as they swim by. Just keep in mind they can kill you with one good poke from their spiney tail. They have a nice soft skin.

This was looking into the dolphin tank from below.

This may have been the Manatee aquarium. There is Brennan, Jeremie and Mom.

There were flying dolphins...

Flying ladies...

More flying dolphins...

Parrots...

Leaping whales...

And one last whale.













We had a great day at Sea World. There are lots more pics but I'm sure you get the idea. We also survived the tornado warnings of the day before. There was one funnel cloud reported but it never touched down. Lots of rain, wind and lightening.

That's it for Jeremie and Brennan's visit too. They are off to the Great White North today. Next we get ready for Joan, Kathy's sister, who comes in next Tuesday.

It's been a slow few days. Have been working out and cleaning things up a bit. I'm down another pound and a half while Kathy has lost 3 pounds. Kathy is up in Orlando with Jeremie and Brennan. I go up tomorrow for the day and I hope to have some pics for the blog. Tonight is a bit unnerving as we are in the midst of a tornado watch. That's one thing we don't have and don't want in NS - tornado warnings. It's hot and steamy tonight as we all await our fate. My neighbour says don't worry about it.

Another sunny, hot day and so another trip to the beach. Tried a different one today, a State Park up river from Fort Pierce.

The sand was hot too so we wasted no time getting into the water











We started the day at the gym as has become our usual way. Kathy took to the scales and has lost 2 pounds. Hoo ray! I lost 4 early and nothing since. Not great but this time last year I was talking about the 10 pounds I had added to the already robust waistline. So you could say I'm 14 pounds ahead.

Wendy, you would be reminded of Rissers tonight with the big, fiery red moon rising over the ocean. What a sight! We had a great walk tonight around the park and met a nice couple from South Carolina. Under the beautiful moonlight. Great way to end the day.

Up this morning to a beautiful bright sky and the promise of a 27C day. We decided to alter the exercise routine a bit and start our walk not at the gym but across this bridge that leads to Hwy. 1A1 that runs along the Atlantic coast. It's a beautiful walk as you can clearly see.

This is looking north from Fort Pierce.

This is looking South from the bridge, at Fort Pierce.

This path leads you along the Fort Pierce waterfront. We walked about a half mile along here before heading back to the bridge.

I'm a sucker for pelicans.

And these guys are waiting while the fisherman cleans his catch of the day. They know they will get their share.

This big Heron was doing a bit of fishing of his own along the waterfront.

After all that work it's time for a bit of fun and what could be better than a hot day at the beach.

Everytime I get to the beach I think of my good friend and brother in law Lee. This past summer we found ourselves more than once at a beach during our camping weekends. The question was always would the water be warm enough to get into. At Caribou I usually give it a go, inch by inch until finally I get up to my neck. At Raddall, Lee made it in where I wouldn't even consider it. Just to let you know Lee, there is no inching in here. The water is so warm you just rush head long into it and never feel a chill. What a great day we spent suning and swimming.


Had supper at a new spot for us, recommended by a couple of nice people we met from Ohio, the Buckeye State. Norris was the name of the place. Kathy enjoyed her white fish and I my baked ham and beans. From there it was off to the gym for a bit of a workout and home to enjoy a warm summer, ah, winter evening out under the canopy.

 Well here's a peek at the new stroller with most of the cargo. I won't lie to you and say it was a hit, but maybe it will grow on them.

Gabby saw an opening and made a break for it. She certainly will need an adjustment period.

In other news, we have spent the past couple of days trying to install our new privacy screen. (Pics on a later day) We got it at the Tampa RV show but are just now putting it up. We had problems getting  it into the track but a call to the manufacturer solved that problem. Then it was off to Wal Mart for bungee cords and tent pegs. Installed a set of lights and we are now in business.

Of course we have been starting our days at the gym. Can't remember if I mentioned it but I have lost four pounds. Yesterday after gym I think I just had a coffee but today I added a donut to that. I had banked 200 calories and besides, I had fruit and yogurt the rest of the day. Tonight we enjoyed a nice time sitting in the warm southern air before walking the dogs.

 Had our usual good workout at the gym first thing this morning. Proceeded directly to McDonalds from there to replenish the calorie loss. Kathy informs me that was just a coffee stop and not to eat a meal. In future I guess it's just coffee following the workout. Jeremie and Brennan are returning from Orlando today so to fill in a bit of time Kathy decided to hit the pool for a while. To the left she is on the way followed by a couple of pics of the pool. If you look closely you can see Kathy swimming. The water was 86F, so temp was not an issue.

 Once the guys arrived we put on the grill and had a fine supper. kathy did a really great job and Jer made a great Greek salad.

The guys are off to Miami in the morning to catch a cruise to several places, the names escape me now. They are gone a week then back to Orlando for a final few days.

Wonder how Gabby will like the new ride? Had a great day at the RV show in Tampa. Hooked up with some fine folks from NS, Bill & Jan Corkum from the metropolis of Pleasantville, Lunenburg County. Fellow Montana owners who recently sold their home and now spend 5 or more months a year in Florida. I intended to have pics but of course carried the camera around all day and didn't shoot a thing until the end when we photoed the Girls new stroller.

Enjoyed our visit to Tampa and the RV show. For the second year made it to the Montana display where we met up with a lot of members of the Montana Owners Club and had our second annual photo with the group. Good bunch of guys and gals.

Bid farewell to our friends and headed East from the Gulf to the Atlantic coast. Stopped by a Perkins for din din somewhere along the way and arrived home by 9:00 pm. Tired and looking forward to a good night sleep.

Yesterday we had our workout at the gym before meeting up with Jeremie and Brennan to do a bit of touring and, what else, shopping. Hit a mall we like in Tradition and ended up eating at the Golden Corral, the all you can eat buffet. Back home to a campfire on a rather cool evening.

Today the guys left for Orlando to take in the scene up there. Kathy and I headed to the gym this afternoon but didn't have our usual spunk. Too late to go I think.

Tomorrow it's off to Tampa to take in the RV super show. Hooking up with Bill & Jan Corkum, a couple from NS we met a few years ago but have never had the chance to get together with until now.

A busy few days with the boys arrival. We met Jeremie and Brennan in Orlando on Sunday and we all made our way to Fort Pierce. Yesterday Kathy and the guys went to the outlet malls in Vero Beach. Today They ventured down to the African Lion Safari and from there to the Sawgrass Mills mall. That was one trip I would like to have made but didn't get with the program in time. From all accounts they are having a great day. I headed to the beach and had a great time in the warm water. I should mention I have been spending a bit of time waxing the black beast.

On our way to the Farmers Market we passed by the Fort Pierce City Marina. Nice place to browse. While we were there a dolphin swam around a bit and a pelican or two drifted by.

 What really took my eye was this little beauty for my sister Sherryl and husband John. This would be a great upgrade and I don't think John would need to crew it.

 Then it was off to the market. I think we were a bit late for the best selection of food however we did get some nice strawberries fresh in from Plant City. They use that much the same as we say our berries are from the Valley.





 

 

 A nice man took our pic as we left the market.

On our way home we stopped into this aquarium. Observed beautiful fish and a real coral reef.










Tomorrow it's off to Orlando to pick up Jeremie and Brennan. Should be a great week with them.