Arrived home - Friday 13

Made it home late this afternoon. It is good to be home. A nice trip. Home is a good thing.

Wednesday - Monroe

It rained most of the night and was really windy this morning. We stayed in Vicksburg until mid afternoon waiting for better weather. Got to Fred's at around 4:00. Fred's wife loved sewing and had quite a collection of sewing machines etc. Fred gave me 2 'sewing machines' which turned out to be Viking sergers, plus several Gingher sissors (still in the boxes)and numerous other things.
We made it to Monroe about 7:00. Got settled in and cooked hamburgers. Hopefully we will get to the Dallas area tomorrow night and home Friday.
BTW Charlie has become a terrible Rv'er. We got a rail for the back seat in the pickup so he wouldn't have to ride in the crate. Bad move...he is a barking terror.

Half way home

Last night we stayed near Pensacola. Went out to dinner at Texas Road House. Delish.
Today we made it to Vicksburg, MS. we plan to visit Calvin's friend Fred tomorrow in Winnsboro La. Good old Louisiana again. It has seemed like a long drive and we are only half way home.
Spent this evening watching TV and eating ice cream. Does it get any better than that?

Time in Jacksonville

Noel sleeping on PAPA's foot


Emily in her valentine party dress


Just love Florida.













waiting for the Morrisons to arrive


At the beach




Cosmic ball in the park





Charlie learning to love slides





A walk in the RV park









Madeleine giving Papa a tattoo



Sleepover in the RV




At the barn- (riding lessons) with friends and family

Sad day for the Morrisons

The Morrisons 15 year old family dog passed away today. Lucy was an important member of their family and has had failing health for a couple of years. This is a very sad time for them. Until Lucy's passing we had a good day. Calvin and I spent time together then went to the Morrison's in the afternoon. Madeleine and I made cinnamon rolls. George brought delish barbecue home for dinner. We left not long after dinner so they could have some time alone.
Tommorrow the girls will be spending the night with us in the trailer. Hopefully George and Terri will be able to spend some time with us on the beach in the afternoon and stay for a weiner roast. Hopefully they will all have a good time.

Emily posted the following.
Something very sad happened 2/6/09. We lost a dog, Sweetie lost a mentor, and I lost a friend. Lucy was one of the most amazing dog's i've ever met and im so happy i got the oppourtunity to have her as apart of my life. I knew Lucy's time was coming soon and i even called Ali crying telling her that Lucy's time was soon, but i didn't know how soon. Im not very sad now because honestly i'm not sure if i believe she's dead. it's impossible to believe that something that was always there always by your side is gone and never coming back. I thought it would be devastating to sleep or lie awake in a room with her empty cage but it helped to know she is still very much apart of my life, even in death. it was especially hard on Sweetie, i'm not sure she knows that Lucy is dead but she's been my constant shadow and i caught her looking for lucy, sniffing her cage and toys. I'm sure Sweetie is upset that there is no one to chase Noel off the couch. Lucy had arthritis, liver and kidney failure, was blind and deaf, but the worst thing of all was alheismers. when i'm a vet i hope to find a cure for alheismers and name the medication or procedure after her. Lucy was a great dog, she made me laugh, she licked my face when i cried, she ran next to me in the backyard and cantered next to my bike. she was so smart too. she would stand at the top of the bank of our pond and roll her ball down the bank to run a snatch it up just before it splashed into the water, and when she was unsuccessful i waded out there to get it.She even knew when i walked her withought a leash to stay by the side of the road to watch cars go by. When i found out she was dead and i would never see her again it was like someone telling me that i'd never see the sun again, but i will see the sun again because life goes on. I really don't think that death is the end but rather a new beggining. Im happy that Lucy dosen't have to suffer anymore, and if i could have said goodbye i would have told her how much i loved her and i would wished her well on whatever adventure comes next.
Lucy will never be forgotten. Please, if you where lucky enough to know Lucy before her age crippled her, when you think of her please think of the lively happy carefree trouble maker we all love.

Return to Jax

We spent several days getting back to Jacksonville. Spent Monday night in Loxahatchie again. One more night listening to the lions. Then Tuesday night we stayed in Titusville. We was on the Indian river and across from the Kennedy space center.
Surprise, we had an orange tree right by the trailer.



Calvin and Charlie on fishing pier.


The water was so clear we could see sting rays swimming along the sand.

Last day in the keys

Good day. We met Bob and Ann from Virgina for lunch at a Wreck Bar and Grill in Marathon. The buildings are a bit tacky looking from the outside (maybe because of the salt in the air) and then you are so surprised when you walk in the door. One place where we stopped to eat, I told Calvin that if it was as bad as it looked on the outside we were not even sitting down. We walk in the door and it is a really fancy smancy place. Some of the best food we've had here. Then went to a state park for a walk along the beach. Didn't see much of the beach as there were mangroves growing along part of the path. I don't know much about them but they are really cool looking. There was a broadwalk that went to the top of the trees. There is no way a person could walk under the mangroves. It is a tangled mess. We did find a small stretch of beach to stroll down. Charlie sure likes the beach.
This afternoon, after a nap, another walk around the park here (the water was so calm and and peacful at sunset) and then food at the cantina before coming back to the trailer to watch superbowl. If there was a superbowl party we didn't see it, but that is fine. The air is cold and damp. There were a lot of RV's coming in today from up north. Canada etc. In fact there are probably twice as many here as when we arrived four days ago. Good time to head out. We will go to Naples tomorrow.