Snowbirds

If there is anyone out there who actually reads these updates, we’re sorry for the lapse in communication.

After finally arriving December 13, we settled in to enjoy the warm Florida weather.  I guess we’ve officially joined the ranks of “snowbirds” who arrive between Nov & Jan.

Brian flew in on Christmas Day and we went straight to Jimmie & Ed’s to celebrate.  The following day Ed, Brian and I played golf while Jane and Jimmie went shopping. 

We hung our stockings by the chimney with care.

No matter how small our space is, Jane can find a way to decorate for Christmas, it's what she does.
 

Weather in Dallas caused Brian’s flight to be cancelled, which gave us an extra day together and an opportunity to introduce him to Pickleball.  It didn't take long before he was whipping the old man.  We also had a chance to play mini golf here at the park.

 

We’ve gotten into the swing of things here at the RV park.  Jane goes to line dancing classes, I work and play Pickleball when I can.  I’ve played golf with Ed a couple times and played with the guys from the RV park once.

The park has a large hall where they hold dances every other Saturday night.  On New Year's Eve they had a big party.

We’ve been going to those and now Jane has gotten me to go to the couples line dancing class.

  Every other Friday night is Cornhole.  Partners are randomly assigned and tonight my partner (Dave) and I were the undefeated champions. 

                                                                        What form!  (What form?)

There are pot luck dinners and ladies luncheons and next week there is a “ladies night”, the poster for which says “just bring a fun attitude”.  That should be interesting.  We haven’t been in the pool yet.  It is heated but the air outside the pool hasn’t been.  It has been a bit chilly for swimming.

The El Nino weather has brought more rain than normal for this time of year and we’ve had some pretty chilly weather, relatively speaking.

I signed up to play in two Pickleball tournaments, one outdoor and one indoor, but 3 days before the first tournament, I pulled a calf muscle practicing.  It takes a while to recover from a muscle pull and I’ll probably miss the second tournament which is in 4 days.  So, the official start to my Pickleball career is on hold.  (Yep, missed 'em both)

Jim can walk now without limping, but he has to take small steps and he looks like the character Tim Conway used to play who would shuffle his feet and call for "Misses-a-Wiggins" on the Carol Burnet show.

We went with Jimmie & Ed to the Sarasota Circus and had quite a good time.  I liked the 4 Italian "brothers" who did some pretty amazing displays of strength and balance.  Like this:

There are so many great people at this park.  The park is not like the corporately owned parks where we have stayed.  It is owned by a guy who named the streets after family members and who comes to some of the functions and stays involved.  In fact, we just went to a ceremony for 5 couples in the park who are celebrating their 50^th Wedding Anniversary this year and he was there. 

The 5 couples having their 50th Anniversary this year.

Our friends Del & Lani  Lampert - Grand Junction, CO

(One of the couples being celebrated)

 

It was really nice.   It seems more like a small town than an RV park.  We like that and have made some good friends with whom we play cards and dominoes and stop and talk to on our walks.   They are nice people even if they do come from north of the Mason Dixon Line. haha!

Today we took a Segway Tour of Sarasota with Jimmie and had a really fun time.  Jane was afraid she'd fall off and break something, but within a couple minutes, she was a Segway superstar.

                                                               Look Ma, no hands!!!

Last night we had a dance with a Kentucky Derby theme.  (We have to do some things early before the "Season" ends and everyone goes back up north)  The ladies wore their Kentucky Derby style hats and I'm biased, but I thought Jane was the belle of the ball.  Our line dancing teacher and her husband said Jane looked "saucy".

My "saucy" date for the Kentucky Derby dance.

Where are the Mint Juleps?

("I had me about 15 Dr. Peppers")

Bonnie, Jane and Margie, more wonderful people and great friends we've made here at Manatee RV Park.

I’ve laid out an aggressive travel schedule this year and if the good Lord is willing and the creek don’t rise, as Tennessee Ernie Ford used to say, we’ll visit 11 major league baseball parks this year.  There’s a chance we might be in a city near you, so here’s our schedule in case you want to say howdy.

April 2 – 15 Kissimmee, FL (Trade Show) I still have that job thing. (Thank goodness!)

April 16 -22 Walterboro, SC (just because we’ve never been to SC)

April 23 – Arrive in Durham, NC (as above)

April 25 – May 10 Go to London to see the grandbabies – haven’t seen them since September- yikes!

May 11 – 15 I’ll fly to Las Vegas for a trade show while Jane stays in Durham.

May 16 – 24 Jackson, NJ (Mets, Phillies, Yankees)

May 25 – 30 York, PA (Nationals, Orioles)

May 31 – June 3 Lake Milton, OH (Indians, Pirates)

June 4 – 8 Niles, MI (White Sox)

June 9 – 10 Stoughton, WI (Brewers)

June 11 – 13 Savage, MN (Twins)

We haven’t decided yet where we’re going from Minneapolis.  We have 3 weeks before we need to be in Arkansas.

July 5 – Aug 13 Mountain Home, AR, Lake Norfork, quality time with the boat and family.

Aug 14 – Sep 9 D/FW See Brian and as many long-time friends as possible, along with Dr. and dentist appointments, truck registration, etc.  (Gotta get to an Astros game sometime in there)

Sep 11 – 18 Santa Fe?

Oct – Tucson, AZ

Nov – Feb ‘17  El Centro, CA

Mar – Phoenix for Rangers Spring Training

April – May- West Coast Baseball Parks- That will complete our quest, almost.  We haven’t been to Fenway Park.  Jane has and she rubs it in whenever we watch the Rangers play the Red Sox in Boston.  She’ll elbow me and say, “I’ve been there.”  And, oddly enough, we haven't been to the Astros park in Houston.