Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
A lot has gone on lately!
Scott:
The last three months we spent in Jacksonville, FL, from mid October to mid January. It was warm enough for swimming when we got there, but soon turned much colder!
The campground was very nice, and we started out with a quiet spot at the far end by a fountain. However, after a month of driving up to the office and back, up to the laundry and back, up to the cafe and back, we asked to switch. They found us a site directly across from the laundry and the office - much more convenient!
We switched sites at Thanksgiving, when we went to Atlanta to camp with my relatives. My son Pat had just moved out of an apartment, so he went with us. Thanksgiving was great, and we had so much fun seeing everyone! Lots of food, talking, campfires, and magic shows. Theresa and I did hop in the lake on Thanksgiving day, but that was quick and very cold! Pat got to go kayaking one afternoon.
After we returned, we spent a while helping Pat find a new apartment, while he slept on our couch. There were three apartments available near his work, but of course the best one wasn't quite ready yet, so it was mid-December before he could move in. That made for some tight quarters for a month. But what a place he got! Around 1800 square feet, two baths, two bedrooms - one overlooking the downstairs, a nice kitchen, a huge, airy living room, and very low rent. He found a couch and other furniture at Salvation Army, and we bought him some necessary dishes and small appliances and an air mattress to sleep on.
Meanwhile, Theresa had gotten a job doing evening security at our campground. She got to ride around in a golf cart, checking in late arrivals, and watching for trouble. On very cold nights (and there were many) she used the truck to keep warm. She had a wonderful time.
We spent a nice night on Dec 21 watching the lunar eclipse, at a dark spot northeast of Jax, sitting in our lawn chairs on the bank of a marsh. That was from about 1AM to 4AM. No marsh critters bothered us - they probably decided that strange humans should be avoided.
We also visited the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) in Jax. Highly recommended! The exhibits were fun for kids and adults, but the best was the newly renovated planetarium. 60 feet in diameter, and fully digital imaging. Not the same as Portland's planetarium, but not bad, either. :)
We did have a spot of bad luck. A huge windstorm one night ripped the awning stakes out of the ground, flipped the awning over the top of the camper, smashed the air vent, and broke two poles. We got new poles and a new vent, but the poles turned out to be the wrong size, so we had to wait for the proper ones. Delivery was delayed by snow in Atlanta, so we didn't get to install them until the day before we left Jax. And there were further problems, so we called a local RV repairman, who helped us complete the job late that afternoon. Kudos to him!
So, finally, we got on the road and headed south. We are currently in the Keys, about mid-way down near Marathon. The temperature is so much warmer here!
Later!
The last three months we spent in Jacksonville, FL, from mid October to mid January. It was warm enough for swimming when we got there, but soon turned much colder!
The campground was very nice, and we started out with a quiet spot at the far end by a fountain. However, after a month of driving up to the office and back, up to the laundry and back, up to the cafe and back, we asked to switch. They found us a site directly across from the laundry and the office - much more convenient!
We switched sites at Thanksgiving, when we went to Atlanta to camp with my relatives. My son Pat had just moved out of an apartment, so he went with us. Thanksgiving was great, and we had so much fun seeing everyone! Lots of food, talking, campfires, and magic shows. Theresa and I did hop in the lake on Thanksgiving day, but that was quick and very cold! Pat got to go kayaking one afternoon.
After we returned, we spent a while helping Pat find a new apartment, while he slept on our couch. There were three apartments available near his work, but of course the best one wasn't quite ready yet, so it was mid-December before he could move in. That made for some tight quarters for a month. But what a place he got! Around 1800 square feet, two baths, two bedrooms - one overlooking the downstairs, a nice kitchen, a huge, airy living room, and very low rent. He found a couch and other furniture at Salvation Army, and we bought him some necessary dishes and small appliances and an air mattress to sleep on.
Meanwhile, Theresa had gotten a job doing evening security at our campground. She got to ride around in a golf cart, checking in late arrivals, and watching for trouble. On very cold nights (and there were many) she used the truck to keep warm. She had a wonderful time.
We spent a nice night on Dec 21 watching the lunar eclipse, at a dark spot northeast of Jax, sitting in our lawn chairs on the bank of a marsh. That was from about 1AM to 4AM. No marsh critters bothered us - they probably decided that strange humans should be avoided.
We also visited the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) in Jax. Highly recommended! The exhibits were fun for kids and adults, but the best was the newly renovated planetarium. 60 feet in diameter, and fully digital imaging. Not the same as Portland's planetarium, but not bad, either. :)
We did have a spot of bad luck. A huge windstorm one night ripped the awning stakes out of the ground, flipped the awning over the top of the camper, smashed the air vent, and broke two poles. We got new poles and a new vent, but the poles turned out to be the wrong size, so we had to wait for the proper ones. Delivery was delayed by snow in Atlanta, so we didn't get to install them until the day before we left Jax. And there were further problems, so we called a local RV repairman, who helped us complete the job late that afternoon. Kudos to him!
So, finally, we got on the road and headed south. We are currently in the Keys, about mid-way down near Marathon. The temperature is so much warmer here!
Later!
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