WEDNESDAY Things are going well here, Except for flying bugs.

 Picture of the day

 

This was my pet Moorhen when we lived on lake Dora. She built n the boat first, but I moved her to this little house on the pier. She finally settled here, had her puppies and raised them there.

BUT for now:

AS most folks know, we do not homestead when we move. About 4 years is our average stay at an address.  Floridia is a great state, especially weather wise, but we do have our BUG season.

                            Capt. Jack

The Fungus Gnat and the Aphid come in swarms and love to be close to water.  This happens to be Lake County and it is FULL of lakes. Here in the park we are about 3/4 mile from a lake.  Mark is about 100 YARDS from LAKE Eustis.

Therefore, they are worse at his house where we are working.

WE lived in Tavares right on lake Dora for a few years, there the bugs were called Non biting Mosquitos. They about drove us up the walls during bug seasons.

                        Days it was just us on the boat, me 'n my sweetie.

BUT living on Lake Dora we ate fish 2-3 times a week we caught off the pier.  WE had a pontoon boat but seldom caught fish when fishing from the boat. However, we bordered on the Dora Canal, a very picturesque canal connecting Lake Dora and Lake Eustis.  Most folks who visited us got a tour of the canal. LOL

I cannot find one picture from the Dora Canal. I hope this is not a bad bug!

WE would have kept the place there, but that was my FIRST personal contact with a (HOA) Home Owners Association. I wanted to install a boat lift. NO! The rules were: NO LIFTS. (boat can be damaged tied up at a pier in bad weather, and it was.) Also there were no pets allowed, and the property could not be rented out.  WE had no pets, but wanted to rent the house out and hit the road for a few more years, NO!

 So we sold the place. And became Gypsies again. LOL

So, we are very familiar with this area since Tavares actually lies between our RV site and Mark’s place.

Nite Shipslog

PS. 

Tuesday.. Surprise, OUCH! But then what about the UNICORN

 Picture of the day

                     The Unicorn

BUT for now:

HappyK from up Maryland way gave me some very surprising news.  That PRETTY Bug I had on Yesterday is a bad one.  It snuck into our country from the Orient.  It is invasive and NOT GOOD for crops.

Invasive?  Amazing what someone or something can introduce into our country.  The Tilapia Fish is native to Africa and the Middle East.  It is now common to catch that fish in Florida.  Someone introduced that here. The Tilapia is a delicious fish, bug so is our Perch. LOL

 

The Python on a tree in Florida, You would see this dude in your  back yard, up to 16ft long and 90 pounds.

The Burmese Python, native of SE Asia, a Large Constrictor snake introduced in Florida as exotic pets has become the most invasive in the Glades. It has caused ecological havoc by preying on native wildlife.

I haven’t noticed in the last few years, but at one time they sold baby alligators as pets here in Florida. People as far north as Virginia bought them and the either escaped homes or were loosed into the wild when they got too big to handle.  Fortunately the gator doesn’t do well in cold weather and have not propagated.

People not understanding the BIG POSSIILITY of problems that can be caused, have increased population of invasive characters.

So I should have killed that Spotted Lanternfly, it sure was pretty though. (Much prettier than a roach) before it laid more eggs.

We have so many laws, rules and regulations, but it is hard to search every box and package imported.  Truly impossible to discover insect eggs, etc.

Y'all be good And do not try to sneak any Unicorns into the country, they would mix with our horses and no telling where or how many horns would be. WE might discover a Porcupine horse one day.

Nite Shipslog

PS:  Thanks so much for taking time to read this mess. Life is good, we are here for 3 week to assist Son Mark in selling a motor home.  Want one?

Monday..... Georgia on my Mind

Picture of  the Day:

On our last trip to Pennsylvania, I saw this pretty little bug, it is about 1/2 inch in size, but the pink color caught my mind. I have no idea what it is. I know there is an app that would tell me, but I don't have that app.  I meant to ask Dallas or Marian if they knew but I forgot!

BUT for now:

Right off, I wish I had painted that rock, Mav and Jack are on in the last post, BUT I didn’t do that.  There is an artist in our town who paints rocks. Coulda been her.

And Yes, Myra that stinking little girl has so many GREAT looks and faces.. When you talk to her, she looks at you like she is listening…

Now for the aggravating things, to start with, Sunday morn when we started, one of our three slide outs refused to close.  Son Jack Jr helped me urge it in as Sherry worked the controls.  It is a problem that hung in my mind as I drove down the road.

There was one smile, as all of you know, gas is expensive. We pulled into Flying J at Brunswick, Georgia it took over a hundred dollars for about 50 gals. It was $2.31 a gallon.  It is not unusual for that cost and more at times, this sucker gets only 6 miles to a gallon. That is the least we have paid for gas in a LLLLONG time!

However the Honda we are towing did not use a pint. LOL  It gets great mileage when the engine isn’t running. ;-)

In the early 1900s my daddy and mama were Georgia P-nut Farmers.

In Georgia for a night, just above the Florida state line. The puzzle of the kitchen slide-out is still hanging over our heads. So it was not extended for the night since JJ was not here to help me push it in. ;-)

But all in all the trip was good. Traffic is very heavy and again there were several wrecks slowing traffic to a stop at times.  But most of the time just slowing us down to a crawl for 10-15 minutes.

Nite Shipslog

PS. 

One thing that NEVER fails to happen.  When we see the Georgia state line, we start singing, “Georgia on My Mind.”  Of course I am about as good as Ray Charles, although I only know 1 or 2 lines of the whole song. LOL.  For years the state signs read, “WE are Glad Georgia is on your Mind!.  

YOUR TIME IS APPRECIATED at the Shipslog, THANKS FOR STOPPING BY

Sunday and we are on the road

 Publishing Sat night, ....

… .. And if you are here Sunday AM we are on the road

Picture of the day

 

The painted rock for Great great son Maverick on his 8th birthday. This rok is in front of his school.

BUT for now:

Well, we should be on the road.  Our plans are to leave Belmont before 9AM.  Most of our trip, only about 500 miles, will be on the interstates.

Our plan is to take two days to get to our campground in Florida.  WE could easily get there in a day, but we do not like going in and setting up late.

Oh yes, we had visitors. Palmer brought her parents, Luke and Jena over to see us.  They were headed over to see Dillon, our families latest ggranddaughter, and her mama and dad, Kiersten and Matthew.  Luke and Matthew are our grandsons from Mark and Corrine.

Jenna and Luke proud parents and we were thrilled to see that Palmer (Palmy) had brought them.
Palmy smiled for Sherry, she is a doll.

I finally had the nerve to hold Palmy, and got some sugar.  Not sure she wanted to let me have a little sugar  BUT she is a pleasure and delight to hold.

Be back once set up in Florida.

 Hope you too have a great day, we plan one. ON THE ROAD.

Nite Shipslog

PS. 

YOUR TIME IS APPRECIATED, THANKS FOR STOPPING BY.

Saturday, one more day, then we hit the road.

 Picture of the day

 
The condos above our side has garage door open

The rental condo on the left. You can see one was taken in summer the other in winter See our trees.

BUT for now:

One thing we will miss after moving is the fire-ring and swing. I have plenty of woods here to gather fallen limbs for great fires.  Sherry and I both enjoyed the fire. It is a spot to reminisce and look forward or just to talk. I hope to find a good place for a fire ring at our new home.

Something else we will miss is solitude and a restful place. When I bought this land (about 4 acres) 35 years ago to build on, even in town, it was all woods. The one thing that I tell folks: The twins, Josh, Stephen and I were walking thru the woods just after purchasing the land,. As we walked thru ducking limbs, looking at trees, etc, I heard, “WE love being in the forest Grandpa!”

I also bought the road ending & it’s connection to the next street.  Making this a dead end street. Therefore we are in town but get no traffic.  I built only 3 houses and these two condos here. The condos are still ours. Builders now in this town, would put at least 8 to 12 units here.

Funny that, our next house is NOT in the city but has much less privacy. LOL WE have owned this next house before. WE bought it for our ‘RETIREMENT Home’. WE put an RV shelter behind the home. Parked the coach behind and remodeled the home. WE enjoy the RV so much we never moved into the house. Our Granddaughter Sherece bought it and has lived there 5 or 6 years. SOOO now we are getting the house back and Sherece is moving into this condo.  The other condo we will keep as a rental.

This is the house we are getting. It is an older home added on a few times. LOL

This is an old pic of the back yard to the home.  When this pic was taken we were living in the RV and remodeling the  home. But this RV port is what I am anxious to get back. LOL

All that aside, once the ‘fussle’ of moving is done I am sure we will be happy.  Well at least for 4-6 years, that has proven to be our limit. This is the longest we have ever kept a home. Sherry says it has been about 25-30 years, but it was rented out at least 22 years of that, while we lived on-the-road in an RV.

I guess we ARE pretty much Gypsies, we travel like wealthy folk, on average citizens income.

Nite Shipslog

PS. 

When I think of what I said about living in the next house 4-6 years, maybe I should reconsider that, WE will be in our 90s then. WE will have to quit then, right?  LOL Thanks for stopping by the Shipslog.   Your TIME IS APPRECIATED

Friday.. Unusual Lifestyle or different life living

Picture of the Hobo cooking in a tin can!

 

So, for today:

Many years ago there were traveling evangelists, preachers who had no home. They would spend nites with Christians or ministers.  Also Daddy told me many of them would sleep in Barns overnight paying for their stay by chopping firewood or doing repairs.

In my dad’s family of 12 or 13 siblings, there was my Uncle Ralph. His mind never went past about 12 years old. He passed away in his 30s. After Granny Darnell passed away, Uncle Ralph moved from sibling to siblings’ homes when they had room or time to share his life.  He spent years total at our home. For me it was fun. Ralph was smart and we played together as little boys when he was in his 20s and I was 8-15. It was a level of cognizance that is hard to understand or explain. He could take care of himself, communicate, etc, but never attended school.

 

Above is Uncle Heisure the truck driver and Uncle Ralph

I am sure today he would be put into a ‘home’ for the handicapped.  Instead, Ralph had a good life with his family. As far as I remember the nieces and nephews loved Uncle Ralph, he could sure entertain us.

Uncle Ralph

Then as a youngster also, I got to see ‘The Goat Man’ at least two times in his 100,000 miles of travel.  He was a wanderer and sold things off his wagon.  I think he also sold goat milk. Hundreds of folks came out just to see him. He was Charles "Ches" McCartney (1901–1998), also known as the Goat Man,

And then there was the only Wayfarer I ever knew, Dugan.  That is the only name I ever heard in associated with him. In my years 6 thru 12 Dugan would be in our home for a night or two every year or so.  He paid his way with thread, pins and needles. That has always amazed me. If you sell pins and needles you can carry a BIG stock of supplies in a brief case.

I knew one ‘reformed Hobo.’ I was a kid when BIL Dick introduced me to him.  He was then reformed, a successful Farmer and a member of BIL’s church. At that time he still took a few weeks and jumped freight trains and ‘RODE the rails’ he said. He loved the life.

                                            The long term HOBO

What is the oddest life style you have seen?

Nite Shipslog

PS:

I sure appreciate you taking the time to visit the Shipslog.  Love, sent from our back yard.  Some folks say Sherry and I are Gypsies…

Thursday .... How long has it been?

Today’s picture:

 

 Ironing day, Sherry says it was Tuesday at her house.

BUT for today:

So, how long has it been Since you defrosted a refrigerator?

(This looks like mama's first refrigerator, before this we had an ice box)

Since you or hubby used shoe polish and brush to polish shoes?

How long since an ironing day?

How long has it been since you saw a car pushed to start it?

Did you ever have a Black & white TV?

Do you still take the paper, or read a newspaper?

Did you ever have an outhouse, or use one?

Did you ever draw water from a well, or carry water from a spring?

All this came about because today I defrosted our refrig here in the RV, it is NOT frost free!  LOL

Nite Shipslog

PS:  Thanks for stopping by…..Aren't many advancements just GREAT? Love from out back yard in North Carolina 

Wednesday…. More Odd things remembered

 Picture of the day 

            Stamp Collecting

BUT for now:

AS kid I started a stamp collection. Back then the standard letter postage was 3¢.

I ordered some stamps from the ads in comic books.. I once ordered a 150 used variety  for 50¢.

My Great grandpa in rural Georgia was a Judge. His office/court was about 10x12 feet; it sat beside a dirt road. When I was about 5 or six years old, he wasn’t judging anymore and it was falling down, records and books still inside. ODD to say the least. Sister Shirley and I played in the old building. I retrieved many samps there, I even had some of the first Airmail stamps. Airmail cost more than surface mail because it was faster for cross country mail.

I kept that collection until the 1970s. I stored it in the attic of the first house Sherry and I ever bought. That house cost was $3000.

I joined the USN and we rented the house out for $40 month to a lady with kids. She paid for a couple months then quit. I am no landlord, she got behind hundreds of dollars. I was transferred to GITMO and Sherry had the sheriff evict them.  My stamp collection went with them.

We had already learned the mother was a crook. Things like, at the A&P grocery store. AFTER her cartfull was rung up, she said she had left her money in the car would bring it back after she put the gro in the car. She did not come back. Many stories like that.

Her oldest son learned well from his mama. He pulled off the largest bank robbery in the USA. The Loomis/Fargo Heist in Charlotte, NC. Over $17 million. So much money (2000 lbs of bills) it had to be stored in barrels in a storage facility.  It was a year or so but he was caught and sent to prison, his mama was sent to prison also for money laundering.

NO! She never paid the back rent! :-(

So I figured my million dollar stamp collection was not enough.

ABOVE is a true story, except for the value of my stamps, I am sure they were worth MILLIONS!!!!  LOL

I am a firm believer there are MORE good folks in this world than crooks.

 

Nite Shipslog

PS. 

Thanks for stopping by the Shipslog.   WE are still in our back yard, living it up!