Thanks On The Beach

It was a great way and a great place to give thanks on the official day of Thanksgiving- on the beach at Ft Myers Beach with a few of our former neighbors and their family and friends. The day started off a bit on the overcast side, but that didn't deter anyone and in short order the clouds blew away and the sun came out strong.

Carl brought his mean green beach caddy machine, made from recycled materials to resemble a John Deere piece of equipment. It carried among everything else, a long seine which was placed into service right off the bat. The fish and crabs we hauled in drew a crowd in a big hurry and the beach party was off and running. The only thing missing- Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon and truthfully, we didn't miss them all that much.

The fish we caught were used for bait for the surf fishing poles. And for feeding the gulls and pelicans. And for putting in the sand buckets of kids who filled them with water so they could have a fish for a short time before returning them to the sea. And for an appetizer for Bruce Elliot, who never met a sushi he didn't love.

Now if you are thinking he just posed for the shot and didn't really consume the still quivering sardine, then you simply MUST watch the slide show today VERY carefully....

Meanwhile, Bruce, THE fishing fashion plate of the entire beach, rigged his pole with a bobber that perfectly matched his shirt. Coincidence? No way! He's the Man!

In Alaska by now they are fishing through the ice (inland) or in and among the ice (salt water), but it's still open water here in Florida. But there are those among us who can't decide whether this is summer weather or winter weather, hence the combo clothing used by our surf fisher-persons:

The master sand sculpture practitioner took time out from his team's creation to try some boogie boarding. "Dude, You missed the Boogie Board!"


Our "Netmaster", Bruce, took some time to give some cast netting lessons to a young boy and his dad who were clearly interested in all our fishing activities. The teacher and the student both did well and yes, fish were caught!

I'm usually behind the camera, but I stepped in front of it just this once to document that I was in fact there, having an absolutely great day....

L to R: Trace, Michelle, Bruce and Bruce Elliot- The Waddells, our former next door neighbors in Cape Coral and now, at least for this week, our neighbors on Fort Myers Beach.


We played all day, had an amazing group effort Thanksgiving extravaganza (with the Waddells as the group hosts and main kitchen staff) then hit the beach again for sunset and photo ops. Today's slide show will expand on these still pictures and give you a full look at our Thanksgiving Day at the beach. A wonderful day. A busy day. But not too busy for giving thanks......THANKS ON THE BEACH.

A Rainy Day Instead

It didn't bother us to have a rainy day at all. We SHOULD have been at the eye doctor and had those final checkups, eye drops, etc. where bright lights are best to avoid anyhow. Only much to our surprise, when we arrived at the office, a very surprised receptionist apologized profusely as she informed us that the doctor was out for an appointment of his own, and although they THOUGHT they had already informed us...in fact they had not. So back to the beach and stroll in the drizzle. Unlike the other day, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. That's nice too.. So just a few pics to document the day "that wasn't." A friend answered my Facebook posting to say "So...the eye doctor couldn't see you today?" yea, well!

Things You See At Ft Myers Beach

There's a lot to see at the beach. Some of it is expected, but some of it is not. Same is true of people in bathing suits- some expected and some most assuredly not. But all of it's good. Well, sort of.......
you see not every body belongs in every suit. But if your attitude fits the situation, well then, that's pretty much what the beach is all about. I think. I mean even the birds are into Sweet and Low these days. Seems a bit extreme, yes?

So consider the beach:
A penny (from deep in the sand) for your thoughts....
some red coconuts as promised on the sign
a lifeguard heron
a laid back watch dog, kites carrying cargo
past a bird on a wire-
the hot tin roof
with big ideas and little fish
tight jeans and tinier swim suits
that call for cameras, tattoos, window shopping.
Funky beach chairs large and small
palms, hibiscus, frangipani flowers
with a Geico gecko hanging out of a plastic pipe...
smiley faces and sunbrellas,
tikis with beer bottles and sun painted silhouettes
over dancing waves rolling in.

It's all at the beach,
and it's all in the slide show if you watch close enough.....

Life's A Beach or...... Bird "Flew"

No swine flu here. But lots of birds "flew" as we arrived in Ft Myers Beach, Florida, and took our first stroll down the beach. It's way early in the season, so for now it is not crowded. The weather is delightful. Bare footin' is the order of the day...and on the white sugar fine sands of Ft Myers Beach it is a very easy and pleasant beach to walk on. No oooooos and ouches here. We set up camp at the Red Coconut right on the beach. The sea breeze was delightful. November has always been our favorite month in this state, and so far we see no reason to re-evaluate that opinion.



After sunset we strolled across the street to an old hangout of ours from the days when we had a house nearby in Cape Coral, Junkanoo- a beach bar downstairs with a rather elegant outside beach dining restaurant, Anthony's, upstairs overlooking the white beach sands and the gentle, for now, surf. We had a long casual dinner and just enjoyed unwinding seaside. It's a Sunday. That means it's a Marilyn-does-dessert day and we wrapped up the day with a hot coffee and a tiramisu. Just perfect. Full, full. Tomorrow is a day to relax and enjoy, then full steam into the dentist chair and the eye exams the next couple days. Is that any way to get ready for Thanksgiving?

Here's a little slide show to share the day with all of you....

A Thru F

So if A is for Alaska and F is for Florida- Game, Set, Match,.... to Gundyville. Another round trip in the books!

93 degrees in the sun. 75 in the shade. Spanish Moss hanging from the Live Oaks. Bug guts on my windshield. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Florida!

Last several times we returned here from adventures out and about it felt OK but not like a homecoming. A vacation in Vacationland. This feels different in some way yet undefined. We are excited (not necessarily to deal with docs and dentists and the like) to be back and see good friends much missed, but hanging in there with us all the way and all the time. The sun drenched landscape is welcoming. Feels good. Water is clear. Sky is blue. Storm is gone. Air is warm. Body is relaxed. Music good on the surround sound- Reggae! Prepare for Florida, the (left) West Coast, the Keys, the Friends, the Surf, the Fish, the Gators.


I once found gold in the parking slips in Orlando Thousand Trails Park models gravel while giving Cosmic Bob a panning lesson- not expected, against all odds. Real gold is the friends who stayed put when we went off seeking gold and adventure as best we could find it. What joy comes to heart being back to share some time with them all ...again. The miles roll on, the states come and fade in the rear view mirror, but the faces of friends stay in the mind's eye...and are always up ahead somewhere.

Florida Bound

Moving south, in and out of bad weather, then in and out of good weather. Nothing to speak too much of either way. Ida be gone!

Keeping the promise, here's some follow up on Vein Mountain stay, like the leaves and "balls" clinging to the Sycamore Trees while most of the rest of the leaves were dropped by wind and rain... the moon helped to set the mood down by the old settling pond.

That was the nice thing to keep an eye on. Interesting, but not so nice- the bee hive that produced stings repeatedly throughout the stay. Stings. Itching. A little swelling- no biggie!

We added a "porta storage" unit to our camping repertoire. A tent. A garage. A shelter from the storm. Just some extra space that can be closed up and placed out of sight for those things that have no other place to go, especially on a cold night.

A unique log hauled from the creek made for a neat campfire....

We finally made a side trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's a lovely drive, even with most of the leaves down for the season. It won't surprise anyone to see the color of the distant hills, hence the name. The slide show ends with a map that is displayed in the crafts visitor center. High end, great quality crafts, very unique- no photos allowed, with the exception of the map itself.

Status Report

Just checking in with everyone. We arrived at Vein Mountain LDMA camp amidst some heavy rain a couple weeks ago. Sunshine and fair skies and temps took over in short order and the ground we were parked on firmed up nicely. Always a good thing- firm ground. But wouldn't ya know it, someone must have told the weather channel that we were headed back to Florida...which of course reactivated the hurricane season, even this late in November, and sent tropical Ida winds and rain storming up the coast in welcome home fashion! Humbug. We were scheduled to pull out of camp Thursday morning but heavy rains, a rapidly rising to flood stage Muddy Creek and soggy soil sent us out a day early in semi-panic mode, headed for the higher ground and paved parking of a nearby campground at a local RV dealership. After two weeks of dry camping, full hookup is nice, I admit it, even though the roughing it in comfort style of camping we often do is real nice too. We already had two floods to deal with this year- one in South Dakota en route to Alaska and the other- the antifreeze pouring out the basement compartments when the antifreeze line went bust on us. They say when it rains, it pours. I know that's a Morton Salt thingamajig, but this rain and potential flood out also saw us dealing with a leaking fuel line on the van for two days running, which meant driving back and forth to Hickory and the Chevy dealer there to get that fixed in the heavy rain and low visibility naturally. Our time at Vein Mountain was excellent. Too bad it ended with a flash of trouble, but that's the way it goes, isn't it. Without valleys, no mountains!

And speaking of mountains, we did manage to get in a ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but I'll hold those shots until next time because Picasa is giving me fits at the moment and I need to get some sack time before driving through the rest of Ida tomorrow. You remember Ida? Knock, knock. Who's there? Ida. Ida who? Ida been here sooner but the car broke down...... I never really thought that would happen, but here it is.......

Rain drops on the lens, but you should still be able to see that the camp road is now part of the stream. Never a good thing when the coach is parked just off the road and under the trees.

Spooking Time at Vein Mountain

Working our way to warmer “climes” for the winter months, we stopped along the eastern corridor route at one of our favorite haunts (that’s a Halloween thing, don’t ya see?)- at Vein Mountain LDMA gold camp just in time for the Halloween festivities and the local outing. We’ve made lots of good friends here and it’s always fun to see them, work with them, and of course dig in the dirt with them. On this occasion, we were extra blessed to be joined by quite a few of the crew team from the GPAA Motherlode Expedition and the Nome Alaska 6 week summer outing. It was a great opportunity to ask questions and learn more from those that have attended before, some many times before. And any time you can talk Alaska with “them that know her well”- that’s a good time for sure. We used the opportunity to compare and contrast our Chicken Alaska (Chicken Gold Camp) experience and while the two are very different in many ways, they also have a lot in common and both are experiences that, given the chance, you surely wouldn’t want to miss.

Because I have covered outings here at Vein Mountain before, I’m just focusing on the end of outing auction that is always held right before the gold draw. Every body loves an auction, and these auctions are not only good, they are darn funny to boot. And the North Carolina flair that is attached to this one is just precious. A southern drawl and a mountain humor makes for some amazing one liners!

People always ask if there is really gold in North Carolina. Yes there is. Quite a bit of it actually. But while you may, if both luck and hard work are on your side, find a nugget or two, most of the gold is extremely fine, like a dust. Still gold is gold and we have always maintained that the fun is in the finding, while the real gold is the friendships. This camp now has a wifi (small fee attached) set up for use by members. That is a big help for those among us who need the computer connection to the outside world for any of a dozen reasons. Some prospectors don’t want it and don’t need it. Good for them. Life more simple can be a good thing. I try to keep one foot in that camp and one in the fast lane of technology- not always easy, but always interesting.

Here’s a look at the auction:

Bull's Eye(s)

Two days on the road, one in terrible weather and one in gorgeous weather and we landed at the Van Hoy Farm Campground in North Carolina. We had been here previously for Cinco de Mayo and found the twice monthly Mexican Community festivals held here are a good time, and have some great eats! REAL Mexican food- no re-fried beans from a can here. It was late in the season, even for this far south, so the pool was closed. I got a kick out of a "must shower" sign on a pool that was closed for the season, but full of dead leaves and algae rich green water still waiting to be drained. Gotta love signs! This is a beautiful property so don't take anything from this image other than an amusing seasonal shot.


Down at the arena, they were getting ready for some rodeo style bull riding. One bull in particular had some serious objections to being photographed and he actually charged me a couple times. Classic: head down, hoof scratching, nose snorting, horns waggering back and forth. I was grateful for the iron fence rail between us, but the charge still made me jump back a bit. It wasn't til I put the shot I took of him in the computer that I saw those devilish Halloween eyes. Bull's Eyes! Focused on me!


I decided that if they asked the Gringo (that would be me) to ride a bull, I would pick this one. Then I promptly left the arena before anyone had the chance to do just that.....

On the way back to the coach, we stopped for some Mexican style "carne" tacos, fresh shaved off the roast, grilled, toasted, hot peppers, pineapple, toppings added...yum. I had two, but found that two demanded that I eat one more before walking back. Oh man that was good! It's hard to find good Mexican food, but there is nothing better when you are able to find it.


There was an important soccer match in the state so the usual crowd that converges for these festividades was late to arrive on this occasion. Plenty of time for the little caballeros to hone their skills with the ropes.

Tomorrow morning we'll head out for a short hop, skip and a jump over to Vein Mountain and the LDMA Gold Camp there for the annual local outing. That camp is one of our favorites and the people there are super. Cell phone service is weak there and computer hookups? Maybe, maybe not. So we'll have to see just how regularly we can keep up with postings. We'll be at the camp for 17 days if the plan stays the plan. So for tonight..., adios, amigos.

What Next?

I've told you a few of our current woes. i shall continue that in this post. but should you discover a lack of capital letters and correct punctuation in this post- it is because now even my keyboard has decided to give me a rash of crap. oh joy! I'm tempted to leave the numeral 1 wherever it pops up for now because since the cap (shift) key became problematic there are no exclamation points- case in point11111.

after nearly three weeks sitting it out while repairs to the coach and quigley van were carried out, the weather was horrid. rain 3.9 days out of every 4. So when the clouds broke and the sun appeared, the geese took to flight and the fall colors hit the trees fast and furious. It felt good. positive energy. encouraging. enlightening. energizing.




so I was a happy camper pulling out of camp and heading back to Tom Schaeffer's RV Superstore for the final piece of the puzzle- the replacement of the cracked windshield which was scheduled for a two day stay....and then onward. Driving was easy. gauges looked good. peace to the world1 it came as a bit of a shock that I couldn't get heat to the dash as the morning temps were a tad on the chilly side. maybe a few more minutes to warm up. then Marilyn smelled something a little funny1 Not me! through the intersection in Ephrata we went. but then the temp gauge shot up to the red zone and the dash alarms started to scream. Without hesitation we pulled over- forget that we were blocking traffic and on a double yellow line representing somewhat of a traffic hazard. call the police; let them know. An inspection quickly showed antifreeze pouring out of every basement compartment. a tsunami of coolant, a tidal wave of terror came over my otherwise happy morning moment. this was a problem. call the insurance company, the auto club, the tow truck, the rv center where we were NOT going to make our scheduled appointment- no matter what.

45 minutes later the tow truck turned up, hooked us up (that was another story in itself) and off we went. whatever was to be was now out of our hands. we followed the tow in to the dealer. way too fast for comfort- also another story. but get there we did and unhooked. Whatever had busted and caused the rapid coolant loss was now complicated by a cracked and damaged front end where the coach had bounced on the boom of the tow truck all the way from the point of the problem to the parking lot of the dealer. stay calm. deal with it....



The sight of the drive axle laying on the parking lot next to the disabled coach made for a sinking feeling in the head and the stomach. But not to worry. Tom Schaeffer RV to the rescue...and another three days and some few more bucks got things back under control. negotiations with the tower eased the concerns and so now we are about ready to head out once again.

can't say enough about Tom Schaeffer RV service. Phenomenal! over and above. anything and everything you need- provided by a fleet of master mechanics and a support staff second to none. fair. always fair! i hope not to have more problems, but if i do have them, i hope i have them VERY close to them. if everyone ran their business like they do- then no businesses would ever have any trouble staying in business and being a profitable and thriving entity. kudos to all you guys (and gals)... and thanks for everything1111! hey i got at least one exclamation point1