Blarney Castle

 July 28, 2024

Today was our first excursion. We set an alarm to get up at six, got ready and our breakfast was here at 6:30. We ordered breakfast sandwiches and coffee which was just right. We left to get to our station at 7:20.

We boarded tour buses in groups and we were one of the first groups. As soon as we were all in our seats, we headed off to Blarney Castle. We arrived there by 9:30, so we had two hours to tour the grounds and see what we wanted to see. 

We started with a walk up to Blarney Castle, home of the famous Blarney Stone which  a lot of people want to kiss. We were probably the first group to arrive, so we could have done that; but Sharon nor I had any desire to kiss the Blarney Stone which is said to bestow the “gift of gab” which neither one of us needs. LOL We walked around the outside of the castle and took our pictures next to the piper. Strolling along we saw the dungeons which were closed due to it being a habitat for the horseshoe bat. ‘Nuff said. Then we saw the Badgers’ Caves which were passageways used to evacuate the castle when it was being attacked. Victors would race in, intending to kill or take prisoners, only to find no one there.

As we were walking through the woodlands toward the Carnivorous Gardens, Sharon tripped and fell on the steps, which were dirt with wire on top. I heard something and when I looked back, Sharon was sprawled out and I was terrified she was badly hurt. But she wasn’t. She sat up and a very kind man behind us came to her aid. After a minute or two, he and I lifted her up. She had dirt on her face where she had smacked the ground and later I saw where she had a good size goose egg above her eye at the end of her eyebrow. When we got home she put ice on it.

We continued on to the Carnivorous Gardens which was interesting. Just past that, though, was the Poison Gardens and that was full of poisonous plants. Some plants have poisonous seeds and on others, everything about the plant was deadly. We took pictures, but didn’t sample anything! 

We continued on around the grounds and went to the Coach House and Stable gift shop. It was interesting and we bought some water. One section had been the stables with stalls and the stalls were all still intact, but had tables set up in the individual stalls for eating. Once we were refreshed, we walked out to the Blarney Woolen Mills and a large shop. There was so much to see, but we didn’t have much time to shop. That would be my biggest complaint with excursions. We just don’t have much time to visit the site, then do a little shopping.

We soon boarded the bus and made it back to the ship. We dropped our stuff at the room and went to lunch at the buffet. Now we are in the room and Sharon has iced down her eye. She said it doesn’t hurt but it looks nasty.

Later we went up to the Sky Walk and walked along the glass floor, which was eery.  We had an ice cream cone and then went back to the room and sat in the sun on the balcony. It felt really warm here in the sun, and we did have very nice weather today; but we were told many times that this was not the norm. Tomorrow is supposed to be another similar sunny day in Dublin. Hopefully it will be.

We went to dinner at our usual 5:20 time and Pam and Carol were going to arrive late after their excursion; but as luck would have it, they were just a few minutes behind us. So we again enjoyed a lovely dinner with the same waiters and servers we have every night. They are most pleasant and have all learned our names.

After dinner, Sharon went for a scheduled massage and I went to the theater with the other gals to watch a magic/music show. It was good, but not my favorite in entertainment; and, unfortunately, his act included balloons. Not good for someone with globaphobia.

We started sailing to Dublin while we were at dinner and we should arrive early tomorrow morning in time for us to disembark on the day’s excursions.

Till next time. . . 

Dale

Sea Day!

 

Today Sharon and I planned to join our friends for breakfast at the buffet at 9 a.m. We both slept well and when I awoke, I went to get my watch across the room (only plug-in). It was 8:34! Wow! I guess we slept well. LOL   I told Sharon we were late and we better get on the move. Shortly after that, Carol rapped on our balcony door (our balconies adjoining) and they had just awakened as well and were going to be late. Score! So after we all got ready, we walked down to the buffet breakfast. It was very good and we talked about what we were going to do. 

Sharon and I went to a “talk” about our ports of call coming up and the various excursions. At the very end, the speaker gave away two vouchers for $100 each. They used an IPad to shuffle the cabin numbers and they called OUR cabin number! Imagine my surprise . . . Then they called MY name! I was shocked! So when we left the theater, we went right to the proper desk and got the two $50 credits applied to our accounts. I shared it with Sharon!

We decided not to eat lunch because we were going to a “High Tea” at 3:00. We found a table in a lounge, ordered drinks and played Hand and Foot.  When it was time, we moved on to the Concerto Dining Room and were treated to finger sandwiches, pastries, desserts, and of course tea. We didn’t want to eat a lot because our dinner reservations were at 5:20. After tea, we retreated to our rooms for a little R&R. 

We have dinner reservations every night in the same dining room, same table and same waiters. They are getting to know us and we chat with them. It’s been a very good time. Tonight I had the halibut which is my favorite fish. I turned down dessert. It would have been good, but I was just too full. The food has been wonderful!

After dinner, we walked to the theater, where the cast was putting on a show titled, “Bravo!” A wonderful orchestra accompanied various singers as they sang and danced to many different show tunes. They had one opera singer who was exceptional, but they were all very talented. We are now back in our rooms and ready for bed. Tomorrow is a big day with our first excursion being “Cork, Ireland.” Sharon and I are on a four-hour tour to Blarney Castle (home of the famous Blarney Stone), then we will come back to the boat.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Boarding the Ship, the Regal Princess, July 26, 2024

After a wonderfully long night’s sleep, we awoke, put our luggage in the hall for Princess to collect, and went down to a buffet breakfast in our hotel. It was very good and we met up with Carol and Pam to eat. After breakfast, we went back to our rooms and relaxed for an hour till it was time to gather for the motorcoach ride to Southampton. They told us it was a two-hour ride to the boat, but it ended up being just over three hours. We had about a 45-foot coach on a Mercedes chassis. It was a very new bus and very comfortable with a very smooth ride.  

We arrived at Southampton and there were a few cruise ships in the harbor. We were directed to the Regal Princess and we actually breezed right through check-in. Once on board, we found our rooms on the 9th deck. We have balcony rooms and since we are next door to each other, they opened the divider on the balcony so we can all sit outside and visit. It was actually a bit on the cool side today, so that didn’t really happen. We went and got afternoon cocktails and at 3:30 we attended the “Sail Away” party. They played some good music and got the crowd riled up and ready to go. We left the dock promptly at 4. Afterward we went back to our rooms to freshen up and then went to dinner. Dinner was really good. I had the New York strip, but there were many good things on the menu. We all got something different and none of us were disappointed. After dinner we went back to our rooms and met later for a nightcap. 

Tomorrow is a “sea day” and we will be sailing all day to Cork, Ireland. Sharon and I have an excursion planned there on Sunday. Today was a fun day and we are finally settled in and the stress of traveling, catching planes, etc., is behind us.

Till next time. . .

Dale

British Isles Trip, July/August 2024

I have been busy packing for the trip to Europe next week. A flight on Monday will take me to Norfolk, Virginia, where Tom will pick me up from the airport. I got in shortly before 11 a.m. Tom, Sharon and I visited that day and I helped Sharon pack. Tuesday we spent running some errands and in the evening we went to a birthday party for the daughter of friends of Tom and Sharon.

Wednesday morning at 11 a.m., Carol and Pam picked Sharon and I up at the house and we drove FOUR hours to Dulles airport. Actually we parked the car at the Fairfield Inn where we plan to spend the night when we return in 12 days. We walked next door to the Cracker Barrel for dinner. Afterwards, with luggage in tow, we waited on the airport shuttle which was soon there. It was mid-afternoon, having planned to get there early as you never know what problems you may run into.

We got to the airport and checked in and sent our big luggage on its way. Then we passed through security, which was a bit tedious, but it helped that we had Global Entry/TSA precheck. Then we walked and took the train out to our gate. We learned on the way there that our flight had been delayed an hour. The plane actually did get there but it took them about an hour to clean it for the new passengers. It was an Omnibus with and upper and main decks. We were on the main deck. 

We started boarding just before 11 p.m. and we were leaving the gate at midnight. I had planned on sleeping as I was dead tired, but that was not to be. The seats were really cramped. They had TV screens in the back of the seats in front of us, but when the people in front of us pushed their seats back, the screens were too close for us to really see much. We could listen to music. Shortly after takeoff, they came around with snacks and drinks. Then at 1:30 a.m., they served us a meal. Not much to write home about and I really didn’t think a meal at that time was necessary. I didn’t eat much of it. It was a 6 hour flight and when we were about 45 minutes from landing, they came around with bacon sandwiches. The bacon was decent, but the roll around it was awful. More drinks as well.

We deplaned at about 6:30 USA time, but about 11:30 a.m. their time. We passed through immigration which was a breeze. . . Just had to scan your passport. But we did walk about a mile and a half, plus rode a train to get to the front of the airport. We finally found the representative for Princess Cruises who loaded our luggage and drove us the LONG way to our hotel. I don’t know if he didn’t know where it was or what the problem was but we must have taken about every street in London to get here. We passed the London Eye, the Chard, Parliament, Big Ben, etc., but all a bit far away to get good pictures. We drove across Tower Bridge and could see the Tower of London, but again, it was fleeting.

We arrived at our hotel, the Tower Bridge Leonardo, finally and got checked in. We went to the dining room and had a bite of lunch till our rooms were ready, then moved our stuff in. Sharon and I laid down for a bit as we didn’t get any sleep on the plane. But we didn’t get any sleep then either. We met up with Carol and Pam at 6 p.m. and walked to Jack the Chipper’s (fish and chips) for dinner. It is on White Chapel road, which is the road Jack the Ripper was famous for. We walked back home and we are ready for bed. In the morning after breakfast here we will board a motorcoach along with 200+ other people staying here and drive the couple hours to Southampton, where we board the Regal Princess for our 12 day cruise of the British Isles. More later!

Till next time. . .

Da

Thanksgiving Plans

Yesterday Brendon and I loaded up and drove over to Brandon's on the Atlantic side of the state. Two hours and 15 minutes to go 90 miles. It's called DISNEY traffic. There was a pretty horrific wreck on I-4 around the Disney exits, but it was west bound and I was east bound, so it didn't slow me up. There was considerable traffic though even after I got off of I-4. I only have to take it for 22 miles, but it took an hour. It was good to see the kids, grandkid and doggie. 

Tonight Brandon and I are going to see Mannheim Steamroller live at the King Center here in Melbourne. They are one of my favorites and Terry would always buy me their new Christmas album every year. Their music is timeless and much more than the traditional holiday tunes. They make it magical. I'm looking forward to it tonight.

Tomorrow Brendon and I are leaving and heading to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with Jocelyn and her family at her in-law's house in Chesapeake. Tom and Sharon are good friends and it will be a fun time. Since I don't plan on going to Indiana in the spring as usual (no graduations this year), I wasn't sure when I would see them again. We are driving the car this time as the weather in Virginia this time of year can be kind of iffy. And I can't park my motorhome at Tom and Sharon's. They have a large enough house; there will be room for Brendon and I.

I have been busy the last couple weeks. I hired the guy (the wrong guy it turns out) to do some work around the house. He got some stuff done satisfactorily, but he really messed up on some things. My new full view storm doors were not installed completely and there is no trim around them. He just left one inch gaps all around and air was getting in/out. I friend helped me seal them up to keep out the weather and I am going to try and find someone to help get them functional. I don't want the guy that did it back in my house. I'm hoping to get that taken care of when I get back.

Brendon has to see a specialist when we get back. His liver enzymes are high and getting higher with every blood test. High liver enzymes are the bane (one of them) of the Scottish Terrier breed and not always troublesome, but when they appear suddenly and continue an upward trend, they need to be investigated. He doesn't show any signs or symptoms of anything more sinister, so I am hoping nothing is seriously amiss. He continues to be my rock. 

Till next time. . .

Dale

Never Say Never!!!

I have decided to revitalize my blog. Many factors have led to this. One is that I often refer to my old blog to look up places I’ve been or to check dates, etc. I find the blog a real source when it comes to checking events in my life. So I have decided to keep it going. Another reason is that next summer I am flying to England and embarking from there on a 12-day cruise of the British Isles and Ireland. I am going with friends and I want a way to record the trip and include pictures. I hope to blog daily and create a travel-log much like I did for our Alaska trip (see 2013, May, June, July, August). Then I had to decide if I wanted to start a new blog or extend the old one. For the present, I am going to add on to the existing blog known as “Skoolzout forever” as it is still an apt title for this former schoolteacher.

 Even though I thought my life was over when Terry died, I found it just changed. Rather dramatically and suddenly, but life does go on. I managed to sell my big motor home quite quickly and had some updates done on my little one, MinnieMee. I drove her for the next two summers, traveling to Virginia and Indiana to visit family every summer. And my new travel buddy, Brendon, travels very well with me. He doesn’t like sitting up front in his car seat, though. He prefers sleeping in his travel crate on the floor behind the passenger seat. He can see me from there so he feels very safe and secure. So that’s how we roll. He particularly enjoys visiting my sister Nita because of her three dogs, Albert loves Brendon and they play non-stop. So much so that he lost a pound (which is a lot for a little dog) over the summer.

Just to update, ten months after Terry died, my Mom died In September 2021. She was 96 and still living on her own in her trailer at my sister’s woods. She had a stroke and after being hospitalized and starting rehab in a nursing home, she had another which was devastating. She made the decision to allow only comfort measures and she died a few days later.

In November, 2021 right after Thanksgiving, my daughter Jocelyn, drove down from

  Virginia and we hitched the trailer on to MinnieMee and we drove to Mission, Texas, to my place Terry and I had in an RV Park. We cleaned out the shed and the Texas Room and put a For Sale sign in the yard. It sold in two hours! We loaded the trailer up with as much as we could carry, including the golf cart, and started back to Florida. We arrived back to my home in 15 days from when we left. A fast and productive journey. In that time I had emptied the place of everything I wanted, sold it and got back home. I would never have believe that possible. Jocelyn got back home and still had a week before Christmas!

In July 2022, I was finally able to have Terry’s ashes interred in Indiana. Covid interfered with a service and getting a columbarium built, but it all came together finally and we had a nice service with family and a few close friends in attendance. 

In November 2022, I found my “dream coach” and managed to buy it. Fortunately it was just two miles up the road. It is a 2021 Coach House Platinum III, one of two models on my list and it has all the bells/whistles I want/need! I was able to sell MinnieMee quickly. Good small motor homes are in high demand.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I published my blog. It ended up being seven volumes and over 1500 pages! I also have digital files that I can load onto usb storage devices.

Till next time. . . 

Dale

Our time here has come to an end. . .

This will be my last post on Skool'z Out Forever. . . As you all know, my traveling companion is gone and while I do still intend to do some traveling. . . it will be different.

Phaeton Place has been sold. Bittersweet, but I'm glad I was able to get that done and get a good price for her. She is living in South Carolina now and her new owner is very happy with her.

I intend to keep MinnieMee for the time being, but I plan to trade/sell her and get a Class B, van-type RV to travel in. I'm looking at Coach House and Leisure Travel Vans.

I have a new buddy, a 5-year old Scottish Terrier named Brendon. He is a cutie and I hope he takes to traveling!

I am keeping my place in Polk City, Florida, and beginning to do some of the upgrades Terry and I had planned. My plan is to stay here most of the winter and do some traveling to see family in the summer, once Covid is gone.

I am publishing my blog in several volumes. I plan to keep it for my grandchildren so that one day they will read about their grandparents' adventures fulltiming!

I wish you readers all the best. It's been a great 15 years!

Dale

Signs

When Terry died, I prayed for some sign that he was okay. I remember all the tales of signs when my sister died and stories others have of when their loved ones passed on. A common theme among all those stories is the cardinal. A beautiful red bird, my favorite of all, and one that seems to show up during these times.

As the days after his death wore on, I resumed my normal activities in the motorhome, sitting in my chair and spending time on my computer. It was usually dark when I would arrive back at the camp from my daughter's house and as I sat in my chair I would hear "clunks" and "thunks" from outside somewhere. Sounds like that are very common in a campground and I was in relative close proximity to other campers and thought nothing of it. It was dark outside and I couldn't see anything outside anyway.

  One morning as I was sitting and enjoying   coffee I heard the noise again, as I had several different times. On impulse, I put my blind up and looked out the window next to me. To my surprise, there was a cardinal staring right back at me! He was on the sideview mirror at the front of the motorhome, not but a few feet away from me! The thunking noise I had been hearing for the past couple days was his pecking at the mirror! And this noise all started after I had asked for a sign! Imagine that! It was several days before I would leave for our home in Florida, and that cardinal stayed with me until I left, sometimes perching briefly on my window frame. I eventually started putting out some sunflower seeds for him and he eagerly ate them up! daughter's mother-in-law, Sharon, spent a night with me and she even got to see the cardinal! 

Later she sent me a lovely plaque to hang in my house. My son's mother-in-law also gifted me a pillow she had made. 

Dale

Terry's Obituary

Terry Allen Pace

APRIL 15, 1950 – OCTOBER 11, 2020

Terry Pace, age 70, died Sunday, October 11, 2020, at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, after a short illness. He was born April 15, 1950, in Booneville, Mississippi to Henry W. Pace and Valera Tennison Pace.

In 1971 he married Dale Ann Schrock who survives. He is also survived by his daughter, Jocelyn Pace (Tom Lynch) of Charlottesville, Virginia, and his son Brandon Pace (Megan) of Melbourne, Florida. He loved his three grandchildren Ronan Lynch, Aenea Lynch and Brynlee Pace. Also surviving is an uncle, Dan Nichols, of Goshen, Indiana. He was 

preceded in death by his parents.

Terry was a 1968 graduate of Concord High School in Dunlap, Indiana, and Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He taught school for five years at Tri High School near New Castle and then entered the business world eventually working in sales for a garage door manufacturer. He and his wife raised their family while living in Mooreland in central Indiana. After retirement, Terry and Dale traveled for 15 years in their motorhome. They had recently moved to Florida.

Terry requested cremation and there will be no public service. He is being cared for by the Cremation Society of Virginia. At a later date, his ashes will be interred at Brown Cemetery in Millersburg, Indiana.

Contributions in Terry's memory may be made to the American Heart Association or a local animal rescue/shelter.

Last evening, my loving husband of 49 years, Terry, passed away from complications of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, which contributed to septic shock.

He had been in Methodist Hospital in Indy for a week, released on October 5, and we then traveled to Virginia to see our daughter Jocelyn and family before we headed back to Florida. But he developed more problems on the way to Virginia and when we arrived, I took him to the ER at UVA. They were extremely diligent and we thought the care they were giving was working. However, yesterday things started to turn for the worse and his body/heart could not maintain necessary blood pressure. They put him on 3 aggressive meds to counter this, but it still was dropping. They told me it was not likely he would live through the night even with treatment. So in accordance with his wishes, we withdrew support and continued to administer pain meds to maintain comfort. He said all he wanted to do was sleep, which he had not really done for days.  His passing was peaceful just about 45 minutes later with Jocelyn and I there. Brandon flies in today.

Terry wished to be cremated, so that will be done. With Covid still looming, I don't believe a service would be appropriate and he himself hated the entire funeral process. So he will get one last ride in Phaeton Place when I take his ashes back to Florida. My plan then is to return to Indiana next summer with the kids/grandkids to inter his ashes in Brown Cemetery, where my family is all buried. I will publish that when the time comes, but it will be next summer.

Our hearts are broken, but we are thankful we had Terry for 22 years after his heart attacks at which point they gave him 72 hours to live. It was a good life even then.

Terry Pace, 1950-2020

The best of times, the worst of times. . . , part 3

Our visits over, we made our way to central Indiana to have our final doctor appointments in Indiana, as we are changing over to Florida doctors, since we have a house there. At this point it was becoming more clear that Terry was in trouble. . . brain fog, slurring/stuttering and shuffling his feet, tremors. Long story short after setting up camp, I drove him to Methodist ER in Indianapolis, a 60 mile drive. He was admitted. It's been a roller coaster week, but really have mostly good news. He thought he may have had a stroke, but that wasn't it. They ran every test there was. The problem was that he has taken so many heart meds over the years, they have started affecting his other organs. So he was there for almost a week while they "detoxed" his body. They have changed some meds, dropped several, added one. Today he got his ICD changed out to a new improved model and he was discharged later today. Whew. I was tired of driving back and forth to Indy.

We see our GP tomorrow for the last time, then heading to Charlottesville to see our daughter and family, then home to Florida. We are following up with the heart doctor via telehealth and the liver doctor in Indy is setting up a follow up with a colleague in Tampa. So all is good. Terry is better, albeit tired, than he has been in a long time. These meds have been working on him a long time. . . like slowly being poisoned. Some he cannot take anymore. Hoping it all works out.

Hopefully with living in Florida 8-10 miles from our doctors, it will be easy to get the care he/we need quickly. We still plan to travel but that will probably be mostly in the summer. 

All things considered, we've got a lot done since we left Florida. Visited with Brandon's, lost our toad, found our toad--continued on, drove to Indiana, windshield replaced, refrigerator replaced, visited with Mom twice, visited Uncle Dan, spent a week in the hospital with Terry, but he got detoxed and on the road to recovery, got his ICD replaced and saw our internist for the last time. Busy couple weeks.

Till next time. . .

Dale

The best of times, the worst of times. . . , part 2

 We continued on our way to Indiana and made it to Duncan Glass, now Gerber, on Thursday afternoon, a day early. We had an appointment for Friday which had been made some time ago. They were to replace our windshield, 

As we were setting up, a fellow strolled out and apologized that he would not have enough manpower to replace the windshield on Friday, but since we were here early (2 p.m.) they could do it right now. Whoo hoo! So we cleared off the dash and went in search of something to eat since we had skipped lunch.

Once they were finished with the windshield, we drove over to Elkhart Campground and spent the weekend there. We used that as a base and went to visit Mom and sister Nita down near Warsaw and also Terry's Uncle Dan in Goshen. We enjoyed visiting with friends, Andie and Roger at the campground as well.

Monday we were out of there early and on our way to Shipshewana and National Refrigeration. We were scheduled to have a new 4-door Norcold Refrigerator installed to replace our aging and "working poorly" Norcold. Leon Hershberger has sold the business and although he was there, it was the new owner, Glen Miller, who did the changeout for us. He was very good and did an excellent job and it works very well. For the time being, Glen will continue to operate at Leon's service center which is at his house, but by next year, he hopes to have a business location north on 120.

Once we finished up there, we hooked back up and drove to the Warsaw fairgrounds to visit with Mom one more time before leaving the state. 

Till next time. . . 

Dale

The best of times, the worst of times. . . , part 1.

We made ready to leave Florida to see our doctors in Indiana for one last visit. Since we have moved to Florida, we are lining up doctors here so we can doctor in the winter months when we are living here and then travel during the summer months when it's so hot in Florida. Sounds like a plan anyway.

Terry was having some problems while we were getting ready to go and had to take his time to get much done. He continued to be plagued with tremors and was starting to have some speech difficulties. So we were hopeful the doctors could find the problem and treat it. He was also scheduled to get his ICD changed out.

We started out our trip by camping over near Brandon and spending time visiting with them on the weekend. Always a good time. He fixed us a tenderloin on the Big Green Egg and, as usual, it was great!

We left his place on Monday, the 21st of September.I wish I could say the first day of our trip from Florida to Indiana was uneventful, but nothing could be further from the truth. After 30 years of towing a toad, ours broke loose from the motorhome.
I saw it probably almost immediately as one towbar pulled out from the sleeve in the baseplate. Running 62 mph on I-95 around Titus. I eased off the throttle and turned on the flashers as I eased toward the shoulder, not too fast or braking too hard, either of which would spell disaster. I got Phaeton Place stopped and had to pull up and adjust to get the toad off the roadway as it had drifted toward the travel lane. We both got out and rushed back. The towbars, one of which was completely loose, the other intact, but they were folded together like when they are stowed. I had to back the toad up so Terry could get between the coach and car as the car was "kissing" the back of the motorhome. Fortunately, no damage there, but some scratches in the gel coat which can be rubbed out. We got the toad loose and decided to drive both separately to the next rest area a short ways away and try to regroup.

We got a tech from Demco, the towbar manufacturer, (on the phone) who after requesting a dozen or so pictures, determined the tow bar to not be damaged. The parts on it that were bent are aids for stowing and would not interfere with the normal operation of the tow bar. What happened was that one of the bars that is inserted into the baseplate on the car and locked in plate by a spring clip had come out. This is a standard part and is used to convert a Blue Ox base plate to a Demco towbar. Thousands of us use these and we have been trouble free with towing this way for years. But somehow it came undone. How? Well, suprisingly, the part was still functional even though it had suffered some dragging and grinding on the road. But Terry has extras of these and removed the old one and put another on. The Demco rep thought we would be good to go although he didn't care for that system and wishes Blue Ox would find a better solution. We continued on our way another 250 miles without incident.

Terry thinks, and we have all heard this but don't think it could happen to us, that someone at the truck stop where we had just fueled up may have pulled that locking pin on that part. Just pulling it a tad bit would have done it. We had so much wind that a good jerk on the loose pin could have done it. There just seems to be no way it could fail by itself. I think surely no one would do such a thing that could result in a serious and perhaps fatal accident, but then I look at what has been going on around the country and think. . . . oh yes it could.

Fortunately we had a good ending. Arrived at our predetermined place for the night, albeit a couple hours late, but got a good night's sleep.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Tail of the Dragon

We have three trips from Florida to Indiana planned for this summer in order to get all of our household stuff here at our new home in Florida. This second trip was to fetch Li'l Red, the Miata, and drive her back. Terry thought it would be fun to take her on the "Tail of the Dragon." The Tail is a mountain road in southern Tennessee, northern North Carolina which encompasses 318 turns in 11 miles. 

So on June 20, we flew to Fort Wayne and picked up our rental car. We drove to Claypool to see Mom. Since we are still social distancing, we visited with her for about an hour on her porch. Well we were in the yard and Mom was on the porch. From there we drove to Nappanee where the Miata was stored. We reconnected the battery and she fired right up. So we each drove a vehicle back to Fort Wayne to the hotel. We decided to spend the night there because we needed to return the rental the next morning.

The next morning, we returned the rental, put the top down on the Miata, and took off for Florida. We took mostly red roads, the two-lane roads to enjoy a slower pace. Terry actually drove all day the first day! Yay! I had a break from all the driving I do. But he had a sore neck from putting together all the IKEA furniture we bought the week before, so I drove the rest of the way.

We spent the first night in Richmond, Kentucky, and the next night in Lenoir City, Tennessee. The Tail starts south of Maryville, Tennessee. We were pretty pumped to do the Tail. It is a destination for a lot of motorcycles and sports cars. Terry said some of the Miata groups do the Tail. It has 318 curves in 11 miles. Along the way are photographers who take pictures of your vehicle and then they put them on their website and you can purchase them. I got one from killboy.com and the other from 129slayer,com. You can go to those sites and look at all the picture of cars "doing the Tail."

We stopped at Punkin Center which is ten miles north of the Tail. We bought a few souvenirs. When we  entered the road, we saw a  officer who was writing a ticket to a car! Hahahaha Back up the hill on the curve were a couple motorcycle riders who were taking pictures of the scenario. I think they found it amusing that a car and not a motorcycle was getting a ticket. 

  The road was very curvy, with second and third gear getting the most attention. It wasn't a difficult drive and quite fun in the Miata. I kept my speed down and didn't tempt the motorcycle cops. It didn't take long, but my shifting limbs did get a workout. At the southern end is Deal's Gap and there is a store there and a camp of sorts. Very fun. Bought more souvenirs! 

When we were done there we headed to the Cherohala Skyway. It's a road not unlike the Blue Ridge Parkway that runs along a couple mountain ridges. It was recommended to me that we not miss it. It was very pretty, lots of beautiful scenery, but we probably should have passed. Terry's neck was really giving him fits and he didn't get to see any of the sites. I got out a time or two and it was worth it, but it was a long ride. Unlike the Blue Ridge, there are not any roads intersecting, so once you get on, you must ride it to the end. 

Once done sightseeing, we traveled around Atlanta through the mountains, rather than risk getting into a questionable area where demonstrations might be occurring. We had thought we would spend the night in Athens, Georgia, but the hotels there are downtown. As we were looking for them, we traveled through the town square and there was a demonstration going on there at 4:30 in the afternoon, so we kept going. We eventually, found a room south of Madison on I-20 and we spent an uneventful night there.

The next day we were up and I decided we were going to get home by evening. We actually got in before dark. Doesn't take long to unpack the Miata because the trunk is so small, we had to be careful to travel light!

So Li'l Red is spending most of the time under the canopy. She gets out occasionally, but we've been having rain most every day. She's waiting patiently for her next outing!

Till next time. . .

Dale

Quarantine!

We are counting down to Monday when we drive to the Tampa airport to pick up a rental car. We will come back home and pack it with all the gear we are taking north. Then later Monday or more likely Tuesday, we will leave Polk City and head to Indiana. It is time to break out of quarantine and go back to Indiana and pick up a trailer load of stuff and bring it back here.

We bought this place in December and made a trip to Texas to pick up some stuff there we wanted to have here. We will eventually get the Texas palace cleaned out of stuff we want and then we will put it up for sale. But until then we will keep it and probably spend a few weeks there every winter. . . or not. . . whatever strikes our fancy.

This first load we are bringing back includes MinnieMee, the little motorhome, and the enclosed cargo trailer. The trailer is currently stuffed full and in a storage unit in Nappanee, Indiana. It is there with the rest of the household stuff that is all boxed and waiting on a ride to Florida. Also in there is the Miata, my sweet little ride. We first have to get the Miata running and get some new tires on it. The ones on it are original and nine years old. Then we will return the rental car to the South Bend airport.

Then we head to the storage warehouse where MinnieMee is stored. We will get her running and take her to the Elkhart Campground near there. We will camp in her there, but we will first have to empty it into the storage locker in Nappanee. We put all our electronics in MinnieMee so they could be in climate controlled storage, but we need the stuff out so we can live in it. We also have to empty the cargo trailer because we are going to get my organ which is in a different climate controlled storage in Elkhart. We are going to go pick it up and then we will load the trailer with anything else we can fit in around the organ.

We will visit mom while we are there, observing social distancing, but it will be good to see her and Nita. We plan to spend some time sorting through the household stuff in storage and visit with some friends in the camp. We have to get new tires on the Miata, so may do that at that time.

Eventually we will start the trek back to Florida with MinnieMee and the trailer in tow. We plan on going to Mississippi to the family reunion on the way back, if they are going to have it. Haven't heard from anyone if they plan on going. We have lost three more members of the family since last year. Only one still came regularly, but he was there last year and we knew he had some health challenges then. So it will be bittersweet if we are able to connect with the rest of the family.

We have been trying to get things ready for the trip. Getting packed and cleaned out the refrigerator/freezers in the motorhome. We have been raiding it regularly, but we didn't want to leave it running while we were gone, so we got it cleaned out today. It is thawing overnight, and I will get it cleaned up tomorrow.

We have found some people who want our furniture. We bought the house furnished, but didn't want the furniture. We have changed all the beds with new mattresses and foundations, but kept that furniture as it was suitable. They are bringing a truck this weekend some time and taking the rest of what they want. We have new furniture being delivered mid-June when we return back to Florida. That will be the living room furniture. Then the only thing left is the dining room furniture and some bookcases, etc. We intend to get that all from IKEA, but they are currently closed and aren't saying when they will reopen. We hope they will be open by the time we get back and then we can finish up the furniture in the house.

We have been staying home mostly during this quarantine time. Trying to follow instructions to keep us safe. We did our doctor visits by telehealth and will follow up in the fall. We have our masks and our antibacterial wipes to take with us to try and keep things clean, so I'm hoping all will go smoothly and we will stay safe on our trip.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Busy times!

We have been busy working on fixing up our house. We finally got our new furniture we ordered for the veranda room, which is like a sun room/Florida room, etc. It's on one end of the house away from the bedrooms and seems to be where we are spending a lot of time relaxing, etc. It has windows all the way around.

We went furniture shopping because there wasn't much furniture in there except for a couple chairs and they were not the best. We settled on a reclining loveseat and a reclining chair. They have an overstuffed looked to them and are extremely comfortable for both of us. We have no trouble sitting back and dozing off, that's for sure. So after working hard all day, it's nice to kick back and relax.

I had to make a quick trip to Melbourne this week to help with Brynlee. Megan had to take her Mom to a new hospital to take (kidney) transplant education and Brandon was facing multiple trips to Miami, so I went on Wednesday so I could take her and pick her up from school. As it turned out, Brandon didn't have to go, but I was still a big help to them. And I played "elf" and wrapped some of their Christmas presents for them. So that kept me busy. I had planned to stay over for Friday, but they didn't need me, so I came home Thursday night.

Friday morning I was up early and the new "starliner" was launched over at the Cape. Brandon had said I might be able to see the launches from our house. I went out once it launched on TV and sure enough! I was able to see it for quite a while right from our driveway! We did have clouds, so once it got to the clouds, I couldn't see much more, but it was pretty cool and I know I will be able to see other launches.

Yesterday we went shopping for food and anything else I needed for our holiday comfort. We are going to Brandon's again and he is doing prime rib, so we aren't going to be doing the traditional holiday dishes. We are taking a veggie tray and some salads, so it will be a great dinner.

We are slowly getting things finished up around the house that we wanted to do. We were to have the outside powerwashed last week, but the guy messed up his schedule, so we got moved back to the 30th. No problems and we hadn't moved the motorhome out, so we are good. We also were missing the bathroom fan lights and trim rings. We looked all over for them and couldn't find them, but did find what they looked like. So I ordered them online. They came yesterday and Terry put them up. They were perfect, fit well and look great. Now we don't have those ugly fans mechanisms exposed. We have had a leaking sprinkler head and Terry has wracked his brain trying to figure out how to get that stopped. He was going to have an irrigation guy stop by to look at it. But yesterday he opened up under the house and found the shut offs! So he got that taken care of. He will still have the leaking valve replaced, but it's not an urgent need anymore.

We have been emptying out the motorhome of stuff we don't need so that we have room to pack stuff we have in the Texas place that we want to keep.

The weather has been pleasant her and we are enjoying our new home.

Till next time. . .

Dale