Feb 2007

Give us our journal, our daily journal….I find that if I don’t write daily that I get lazy so will try to put something down everyday. Today I purchased some handmade wooden jigsaw figures from one of our neighbors, he says it keeps him out of the bars. They are whimisical things like fish and clowns and a really cute flamingo. The pieces don’t fit exactly right so you know it is handmade but they are 95% right and so the flaws release you from the gods anger. It is a beautiful day here. Our new campsite is the nicest in the park. We are right on the water and our picnic table overlooks the lock. Mark said yesterday he got to watch a 100’ yacht go through and it was spectacular. I was with Mariah downtown so she could get her schooling done. I knew if I didn’t type everyday I would be in trouble and sure enough…You would think that people acting retired would have lots of time but it seems to slip away like grains of sand in an hourglass. We are really enjoying Ortuna because the people are so nice. They have this musical (as in musical chairs) campground routine that they do where they stay at each of 3 Corp of Engineer parks for 2 weeks because there is a limit on the time you can stay at any one park. One of the other parks is about 40 minutes away and some of the people who were at Ortuna set up a potluck at WP Franklin and they asked us if we would come and eat and play music. How can you say no? Potlucks always make me think of home and it was really nice, despite the pouring rain. I got to see my new friend Elton who I played to outside his RV window and lots of others I become acquainted with. During our stay at Ortuna we met a couple who had a gorgeous RV called a Vogue. All wood interior, a built in bar and very handsome design all around. We got to tour new Airstreams – also very nice. We ran into a man we had met at Salt Springs who told us even more about Florida, he has been coming here for 30+ years.

We were sad to leave Ortuna but we knew we were going to see our new friend Becky and go riding. We spent the weekend at a great camp area known as Picayune State Forest which is 35,000 acres of Everglades and it is very lush. We saw cypress trees starting to come out for the expectation of spring and glades of ferns. It was quite a contrast from the manicured lawns and neatly placed landscaping. It was one of the coldest nights we had since we have been here. On Saturday we went out for 6 hours. At camp that evening, we managed to get some other riders over who also played music and had a jamboree for all the campers, it was great fun. We will be spending the next few days with Becky who we met at Alafia State park. She is letting us leave the Airstream at her place while we go to the Keys. We spent a day with my Uncle John and had so much fun. We went his place in Naples and then to lunch and then he gave us a first rate tour of Naples. Talk about the ritzy neighborhoods, my goodness. There was a house there that was 60,000 square feet. Mariah and I were wondering if they just have it to rollerblade around, I mean what else could you use all that space for? We also got to see my cousin Johnny and Olivia went swimming in their heated pool. It is not quite warm here but close.

Tomorrow is Mariah’s birthday so we are going to some fancy mall and then play putt putt golf or something. I can’t believe 14 years ago I was getting ready to have a baby. If anyone would have told me I would have been here now, I am not sure I would have believed it. Olivia will be half Mariah’s age soon…makes me wonder where I will be 7 years from now.
If you have never spent a day at a mall with a budding teenager you are missing one great experience or else I am missing some brain cells. The morning started off with Mariah bouncing out of bed (your first clue to extraordinary day) and rousing everybody with “Come on guys, we are burning daylight!”. A quick breakfast and off we go into the traffic bound yonder. Coconut Point is currently the world’s largest outdoor mall or at least in Florida where competition for concrete pads is taken very seriously. Mark disappeared into the Barnes and Noble (chicken!) and the girls and I went off in search of the latest fashions. Mariah, to her credit, shopped wisely and found some cute things that didn’t warrant my pulling out a second Visa card. We had a lovely lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen, nice décor and good food. After another couple of hours bouncing in and out of stores we went off to find Putt Putt golf. I love this game because everyone can play. Olivia needs some work on how to hold the club and how to not bounce it off the cars passing on the road next to us but other than that we did great. Becky had dinner ready for us when we returned (bless her heart) and we ate the birthday cake I made in the middle of last night. We didn’t have any birthday candles so I tried to use Q-tips, yes your imagination will paint the picture just fine. She got to blow out one anyway without setting the cake on fire.

Mark gets a day. In the middle of Florida there is a place called Flywheeler Park which is a tractor man’s heaven. 35 acres of land set aside for antique equipment. Three times a year they have shows and people from as far away as California bring their tractors, steam shovels and hit and miss engines to Fl. The permanent exhibits includes a 1914 Snow Engine which is fueled by natural gas, has 400 HP, 4 cylinders, 4 stroke engine, 36” stroke, 20 inch bore and has a flywheel with a diameter of 12 feet, 6 inches and weigh 12 tons. The whole machine weighs 100 tons. It is quite a machine. Activities for the day include a tractor pull (it is like watching golf), Model T put together (they put a completely disassembled one together in less than 10 minutes), a kids pedal tractor pull, a fully operational steam saw mill, parade, more tractors than you have ever seen or may even want to see and 1500 booths that sell everything from magneto parts to stuff your own teddy bears. In the evening there is an open jam and of course we showed up but were a little late. They had a stage and they invited us up to play. Mariah got a standing ovation for Angel Band and was asked up to play solo’s for everyone else’s song after that. Mark said he almost cried when she got her ovation.

How can a mother and father have 2 days where you want to cry? Have 2 incredible daughters! Olivia got to participate in the kid’s pedal tractor pull and afterwards got a free homemade ice cream and t-shirt. Mariah told us that she was going to play at 2:30 so we went to watch. It turned out to be like the evening before – an open jam. Olivia says to me, “ Mom, can I sing Big Rock Candy Mountain?”. You bet if you are ready. Olivia and Mariah sang the whole song and Olivia sang several verses by herself. I was in tears. Now I can sit back and relax and wait for the …..oh wait I like to play! A great day was had by all.

Upon our return my Uncle John called and said he hoped we would visit again so we did. It is nice when people want you to come back. After another day of family fun where I met my cousin David who I hadn’t seen since I was knee high to a grasshopper, we got our stuff together to travel down to the keys. The Florida Keys are along a 2 lane road that crosses over outlaying islands and they are considered by many people to be paradise which means everybody and their cousins are there so for that reason we left our beloved Airstream in Naples and the four of us are traveling in the camper. Yes it is now the Sir “Lance”alot the cramper. Actually if you don’t mind the rearranging ritual every night, it is not to bad. We spent a night in the Everglades after a beautiful drive through Big Cypress National Park. Talk about ‘gators, I saw hundreds along the canals and I was driving so I could only get quick glances. After our night in the mosquito capital of the world, we went on a short foray into Key Largo and checked out John Pennekamp. We are now at Agnes’s house in North Miami where last night we drank French champagne into the wee hours of the morning and talked about all subjects under the sun. So, aurevoir for now. We love and miss you all and hope to keep in touch.

Long time, no write…Sometimes it seems that life does not inspire you to write so you don’t. As it turns out, funny things do happen and they are worth sharing but you are not sure whether they have the “guess you had to be there” rating. First and foremost we are so happy to be back with Mark. I am so blessed because I get to live the motto of successful relationship numero uno : half the work, twice the fun. We did get to meet the families that started a web site called RVfamilyfun. It was great for the girls. They both made new friends and we got to see how people figure out how to do this and make a living. Sponsorships for RV suppliers…they reminded me of the movie RV, two families, two RV’s for two years. Very nice people traveling in very nice RV’s. The next park we stayed at was Highland Hammocks in the center of Florida near Sebring. It was bit of natural untouched raw Florida. At the time we were there, they were having a Scamp (a type of pull trailer type RV) convention and there were about a 100 of them there. Seabring is the home of the 12 hour endurance car race, kind of like Le Mons in France. We found a great wireless internet cafe there. Olivia and Dad went to the CCC museum and I heard all about what they did and when later that day.

We are staying in mid Florida now at a Corp of Engineers park on a river by a lock. Everyday we get to see beautiful boats go by and there are tons of birds. The people seem to be very relaxed and very friendly. The night we arrived, our neighbor was in his RV playing a guitar so I went over outside his window and strummed after he did. I could hear him asking his wife in a deep southern drawl if she had heard anything. He strummed again and I strummed again. Hmmm he says. He comes out and looks around on my side and there I am, smiling and holding my guitar. He was very nice and we played some more together that evening. The next evening he put together a jam session at one of the sites and tells the story about the first time a woman serenaded him outside his window…a little tall tale but a great story. Mariah and I had fun playing music with campers, none of which are younger in age than 70 but very young at heart. Not much else happening here.

Mariah is doing her schoolwork faithfully and Olivia is practicing her banjo. ( Roger please send me a summary of the work needed to go through Shoo Fly Shoo, thanks). I did have a great mom moment the other day. Olivia has grown very fond of all the “gray beards” and makes friends all over the park. Yesterday she asked me for my song book and I said I would bring it wherever she wanted but couldn’t just let her have it. She took me, my guitar and the book to a woman who played the dulcimer and there were a group of people sitting there chatting. Olivia said “Mom, would you play this? (Big Rock Candy Mntn). So I started to play and she sang the whole song and then sang about 10 more for the group. I was stunned, pleased, proud, excited and overwhelmed. Not only did she sing on key with perfect rhythm but she had style. A great mom moment and the best part was the woman, whose name is Naomi, taped it. To me, that is better than brass baby shoes! We will be heading to Naples to stay with the wonderful woman who we went horseback riding in Alafia with. We look forward to seeing her and doing some riding. Miss everyone near and far.

Mark’s funny for the day: Our children are becoming “Road Scholars”.
Pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/fdeters