RV-Dreams Journal

Points To Ponder - (Welaka, FL)

It was kind of a dreary day today.  The sky was gray and it never quite reached 50 degrees.

But since we didn't have much activity, I thought I'd write about a couple of things I've been pondering lately.

I finished out the month of January doing lots of analytical stuff for the website.  That's when the left side of my brain takes over.

Left Brain, Right Brain (Head vs Heart)

The brain has two sides or hemispheres.  And each side processes information differently.

• The left side is logical while the right side is intuitive.
• The left side is linear while the right side is holistic.
• The left side is reality-based while the right side is fantasy-based.
• The left side is sequential while the right side is random.
• The left side is verbal while the right side is nonverbal.
• The left side processes symbols while the right side needs the real thing.

Almost everyone has a dominent side.  We all use both sides, but one side is dominant.  We tend to be either "left-brained" or "right-brained".  There are numerous "Hemispheric Dominance" tests on the web.

Now, for me, there was no question.  I'm a "left-brained" guy.  However, what I found surprising is that I'm not as "left-brained" dominant as I suspected.  And much of that, I believe, has to do with living the full-time lifestyle.

You can sort of see where you will end up by answering all the test questions.  The thing is, I would have answered a lot of them differently before we went on the road.

Another surprising thing to me is that Linda, the intuitive dreamer who is very creative, is not as "right-brained" as I thought.  But she is definitely "right-brained".

It's probably good that we are both closer to the middle.  :)  Where I get in trouble is when I float too much to the left end of the brain scale.

You see, rather than "left-brained" - "right-brained", over the years, we've come to think of  this in terms of "head vs. heart".  Before full-timing, I lived in "left-brained" land with no vacations, stuck in my head, while Linda has always lived in "right-brained" land, with occasional  visits to my world.  When we both get in our heads, it can be really bad.  :)

Now, with the freedom of full-timing, I get to visit Linda's world more often, and the best times are when I'm able to "cross over" the wall between the hemispheres - a particularly tall wall in my brain.  :)  I don't have that constant pressure that seemed to keep me pinned up against the "left-brained" side of my skull. 

I can go back and forth fairly easily now, but there are periods, like the days when I get bogged down in financials and the website, when my heart, my "right-brained" thinking gets neglected.  My opinion is that full-time RVing is best for those that can spend most of their time in "right-brained" world and live with their hearts. 

That leads me to a couple of recent emails.

Happiness & Stress

One email was from a reader who said he and his wife are in their 50s.  He's trying to figure out if they can do what we do.  He said he can't imagine living on $3,000 a month or less and wanted to know, as many others do, if we are truly happy, whether the lack of money causes us stress, and if we have plans to re-join the workforce.

The answers are:

Yes, we are truly happy.  Sure, the initial euphoria of living on the road wears off.  And, sometimes, we have to consciously do the comparison of where we are now to where we were with the big jobs, big salaries, big house and big obligations.  But, in the end, the reason we are doing this is because the "bigness" of our prior lives wasn't providing the deeper happiness we have now.

Yes, the lack of money does cause some stress.  Well, it does for me anyway, you know, as the "left-brained" guy.  The only stress for Linda is when I stay in my head about it too long.  :)  But, you know, it's not so much the lack of money and needing to earn the money to live.  With our meticulous tracking of our expenses, we can get the money we need.  No, the stress comes from me wanting to do it my way and fighting  the need to work for someone else, especially in an office, to get the money.  :)  That sort of leads to the answer for the last question.

No, we have no plans to re-join the "traditional" workforce.  We'll try our combination of steady growth via entrepreneurship and workamping.  Then, if that is not enough, we may get traditional jobs while living in the RV for just long enough to sock away some funds and get back on the road.

I ended my reply to that email with the usual "full-timing is not for everyone".  And I added something like "But you may not actually know if it's for you until you do it.  It really can't be judged from the outside looking in.  Also, full-timing for folks in our position with no fixed stream of income is a risky proposition.  It takes either a lot of guts and optimism or a complete lack of sense."  :)

If We Didn't Need Money, Would We Still Workamp/Volunteer?

Okay, so that leads to the second email.  It was from a reader planning to full-time in five years when he'll be 62 and who is hoping to not have to workcamp.  He asked:

Knowing what you do now, from all of your unique experiences and all the
interesting people you've met (and helped) along the way, would you continue to
do some workcamping if you no longer needed the income?

If so, for how long and under what circumstances?

If not, would you substitute volunteering?  I know that was one of your
interests.

My gut feeling is that these experiences have enriched your fulltiming
experiences overall.  I know that I've enjoyed reading your journal every day
for the past two years.

Interesting questions.  Well, if we didn't need the money (or the reduced expenses), we certainly would not workamp as "employees" of a business.  It takes too much of a time commitment, too much scheduling of our travels, and too much "obligation".  We would prefer to spend our time slowly seeing the country without a schedule that includes having to be in a particular place at a particular time for a particular period.

Would we still do volunteer workamping?  Probably not, for the same reasons.  At least we probably wouldn't until we felt like we had covered North America sufficiently.  After that, it is likely we would do some volunteering for a campsite as the vibe is sufficiently better than being an "employee".

Now, if the question is "Would we do other volunteering that didn't require such a lengthy time commitment?", the answer is "Yes".  With, no need for funds and no schedule, we would be much more likely to do community volunteer work during our longer stays in some areas.

It is correct that our workamping experiences have enriched our full-timing.  No doubt about it.  But it takes away from the overall freedom of travel and may be enriching at the expense of other enriching experiences.

I'll take it a step further.  If we didn't need the income and didn't need to keep costs down, there probably wouldn't be an RV-Dreams.com.  But, it seems to me that we are supposed to be in our current situation, and there is supposed to be an RV-Dreams.com, and we are supposed to have some mission that supercedes our simple enjoyment of full-time RVing.  :)

Are RVers Just Good People Or Are They Good People Because Of RVing?

One more point to ponder.  It's sort of an RVing "Chicken or the Egg".  :)

In our travels and through this website, we've met the most wonderful people on the road.  Two of those people are Bob & Molly who we spent some time with in Tampa a couple of weeks ago.

In our discussion, Bob raised the question that they have undertaken with other RVers.  "Are the great interactions we have on the road because, deep down, we all have the same basic internal make-up OR is it because we have somehow become friendlier people via the RVing lifestyle?" 

In other words, is it only a certain type of person that undertakes and enjoys an RVing lifestyle?  Or, does the lifestyle change people?  How is it that we can make such fast, genuine friendships in such short periods?

With my constant reminder that "Full-timing is not for everyone", I have to believe that there is some trait or set of traits that most RVers have.  However, is it those traits that make everyone so nice?  We've met all sorts of people with so many different backgrounds and beliefs, but could it be that we all have something in our genetics in common?

Or is it the RVing and the sense of freedom that causes us, or allows us, to be more open-hearted?  As I mentioned at the beginning, I am sure that I am different because we live this lifestyle.  That's not to say I wasn't a good person before, but I do feel I'm a better person now.  But what about everyone else?  Does everyone change when they undertake living in an RV?  Or am I an exception, and do most RVers already have more of an open-hearted love of life and sense of kindness and caring before they get started?

In the overall scheme of things, it doesn't really matter.  But, I think it is an interesting point for those contemplating an RV lifestyle.  Could it be that you just aren't genetically cut out for RVing?  Could it be that you are?  Could it be that the act of actually living in an RV will change you for the better?  For the worse?

The problem is, as I stated before, that you can't really judge the lifestyle until you've lived it.  Sure, many people make judgements, especially those that could never see themselves doing it.  And many people, like us, just automatically know that it will work.

But, if you are on the fence about living in a box or about finances or about any other part of it, you probably will never know for sure until you do it.  And then, if you just aren't sure and you give it a try, you probably should have a plan to reverse the process just in case.  Of course, that fear and need for an "out" is what keeps lots of people on the fence or, ironically, in a different kind of box.  :)

Here's one thing I can tell you.  If you try an RVing lifestyle, whether you like it or not, whether you stick with it or not, you will at least have felt something - you will know that you are alive.  :)

Well, thus ends my points to ponder.  I suppose it depends on whether you are "left-brained" or "right-brained" as to how you do the pondering.  :) 

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January Financial Summary

January 2010 Results

Campground Fees $465.91 (15.03 per day) - Budget $450.00

With a cold January, we used a lot of electric heat and our metered electric bill was over $100.

RV Clubs $0.00 - Budget $0.00

RV Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Propane $28.00 - Budget $30.00

Cell Phones $80.74 - Budget $90.00

Satellite Internet $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Note:  Satellite internet is not included in our regular expenses.  We classify it as a business expense.  It runs us about $800 per year ($67 per month). 

RV Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Satellite TV $89.60 - Budget $85.00

RV Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $50.00

Diesel $0.00 - Budget $0.00

The truck sat the entire month of January.

Gas $147.20 - Budget $200.00

We drove the Jeep 1,084 miles in January.  Most of that, 600 miles, was for Linda to attend a bead show in Kissimmee and for us to go to the Florida RV Supershow in Tampa. 

Truck Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $35.00

Jeep Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $35.00

Truck Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Jeep Insurance $329.26 - Budget $350.00

Truck Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Jeep Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Groceries & Dining Out $621.23 ($20.04 per day) - Budget $450.00

Our Groceries & Dining Out budget for 2010 is the same as for 2009.  It's based on $12 per day per month for groceries PLUS $90 for dining out.

In January, we went a little crazy in this category.  We spent almost our entire budget on groceries and then another $200 on dining out.  That happens occasionally and then we settle back in and spend a lot less.  We've only spent $600 in a month five times in four and half years.  

Laundry, Clothing, Hair Care $33.00 - Budget $75.00

We only had laundry January at about $8 per week.

Entertainment $256.24 - Budget $200.00

I played a few rounds of golf and we took a boat tour here at Welaka Lodge.  But the biggest expense was an annual Florida fishing license for me and Linda at $112.  Perhaps I should have spread that over the three months we'll be here in Welaka, FL.

Insurance - Health, Life, Umbrella, Etc. $154.66 - Budget $160.00

Monthly health insurance for both of us.  It's an Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield Lumenos PPO plan with a $10,000 deductible and a Health Savings Account (HSA) feature.

Medical & Dental Expenses $2.79 - Budget $50.00

In January, I started reducing the low dose blood pressure medicine I started taking last October.  When I discontinued it during the month, I had a reaction that caused a trip to a nearby emergency room.  Everything checked out fine, but it was a little scary.

The first bill arrived this month.  However, since it was sort of an emergency expense rather than a periodic maintenance expense, we included it in the Emergencies/Budget Cushion Category below.

We have the Medical & Dental Expenses category more for more routine expenses like over-the-counter medicines, physicals, office visits, and routine dental work.

Miscellaneous $261.21 - Budget $150.00

We went over in this category because it was time to renew our passports - $75 each.

Emergencies/Budget Cushion $563.92 - Budget $600.00

I have $600 a month budgeted each month in this category to cover replacing our trailer brakes and upgrading our suspension later this year.  There is a little extra cushion in that, and we're using it quick with my January emergency room visit mentioned above.

Totals $2,469.84 ($79.67 per day) for normal living expenses - Budget $2,395.00

Totals with Emergencies/Budget Cushion $3,033.76 - Budget $2,995.00.

Well, it was a decent month for our normal living expenses.  We were $80 over budget - not too bad considering the passport renewals and the fishing licenses.  Fortunately, the under budget categories offset the Groceries & Dining overage.

I certainly wasn't expecting another emergency room trip, but that's why I put a little extra cushion in the Emergencie/Budget Cushion. 

For a look at the numbers through January 2010, go to Our 2010 Actual Expenses. To see our budget month-by-month click on Our 2010 Budget.

On the business side, we had net profit of $152.  You can see the breakdown on the 2010 Business Financial Summary page.

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Damp, But Not Cold - (Welaka, FL)

Not much to tell today.  It rained all day, but the temps remained in the 60s.  Much better than many areas in the country.  :)

We watched TV and worked on our computers until basketball came on.  Then it was basketball and website work for me, and basketball and beading for Linda.  She was a bit less interested in the basketball, but she paid some attention during the Louisville game and the Kentucky game.  :)

She's getting quite an inventory of bracelets for the Welaka SpringFest in a few weeks.

Well, that's about it.  Not even a sunset today.  :)

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Rally Update, More Webpages, Sunset, & Cafe Bleuu - (Welaka, FL)

Rally Registration Deadline

The 2010 RV-Dreams Rally registration deadline is almost here.  January 31 is the last day to register and be guaranteed an RV site.

As of now, we are approaching 100 people and 50 registrations!  We have quite a few RV sites available since many attendees don't have RVs or aren't bringing them.  But we have to turn all the leftover sites in to the resort on Monday, Feb. 1.

Once we turn the sites back in to Willow Tree, you can still register and attend the Rally.  However, if you want to stay at Willow Tree, you'll have to pay their regular prices ... assuming they have sites available when you call.

Of course, you can still register with us and stay somewhere else, but, if you have an RV, it just won't be the same.  The absolute, final registration deadline is March 15 when we have to have our final headcounts for the caterer.

We do have to order some other supplies long before that March 15 date, so we'd sure appreciate it if all late registrations get in as soon as possible.  :)

Rally Information Update

Okay, now for some additional Rally info.

I've been massaging the itinerary.  We've got even more seminars than either of our first two rallies.

In addition to the ones Linda & I will do, we have 1) Bill Napier doing a seminar on "TV Options For RVers", 2) Walter Cannon (RV Safety Education Foundation - RVSEF) doing a seminar on "RV Weight Safety", and 3) Jim & Chris Guld (Geeks On Tour) doing seminars on "High Speed Internet For RVers", "Managing Digital Photos With Picasa 2", and "Every RVer Needs A Blog".

AND Jim & Chris are also going to do a Post-Rally Computer Boot Camp.  On the Monday & Tuesday after the Rally, they are holding their two-day, hands-on, essential computer skills course for laptop users.  This "Basic Training" is limited to 20 computers, and we'll give you sign-up and fee information shortly.

Oh, and don't forget that Walter will also be doing wheel-by-wheel rig weighing.  That's a very valuable, hard-to-find, service that RVSEF does for a very reasonable price.  We'll get more details out about that soon.

As for the fun stuff, we can't have a Rally in South Carolina without having some good "Low Country" cookin'.  Our caterer will start us off on Wednesday night with a nice spread including "chicken bog" and BBQ.

Then, on Thursday night, it's going to be an experiment.  Linda will be asking for volunteers to help with a "Low Country Boil" to feed everyone.  That's a big stew of shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn, onions, and spices.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  :)  More on that later.

After dinner Thursday night, we'll reprise the Show & Tell we did in Kerrville where folks brough their favorite RV gadgets, tools, and ideas.  And like the last Rally, we want a mixture of the serious and the silly.  :)

Friday night, we will have a traditional Potluck.  Linda will be asking for volunteers to help coordinate that.

We haven't settled on our group activity for after dinner Friday night.  It'll be a surprise.  :)

On Saturday night, our caterer will be back with another great meal including shrimp and steak.  That'll get us good and ready for Saturday night's entertainment.

After dinner, the premier DJ Musical Party Hosting company in Myrtle Beach, Music On The Strand, will be putting on our "Golden Oldies Sock Hop".  It'll be an interactive party with music, dancing, and games getting everyone involved.  So be sure to bring your fifties/sixties outfits (jeans and t-shirts will do) and join in on the fun!  :)

Sunday morning, the caterer will be back one last time with a delicious, full breakfast.  After that, we will have some closing words as say our "see you laters".  :)

Check in on our 2010 Rally topic on the Forum to sign up as coordinators and volunteers.  We'll need Potluck coordinators, Low Country Boil coordinators, and clean-up coordinators.  Linda will get some info posted shortly.

For those arriving Monday or before, you can sign up on the Forum for golf on Tuesday.  Also, there is a thread for anyone wishing to join Linda's Pre-Rally beading class.

Okay, I think that is all of the Rally information for today.  I can't do any more to encourage you to come.  :)

New & Updated Webpages

Now, I finally got that new webpage posted.  It's called Our Major One-Time Expenses.  It shows all of our big expenses that are not necessarily included in our Basic Living Expense pages.  They are largely discretionary expenses that were mostly to enhance our lifestyle.  We report them separately, because most of them could have been avoided and weren't "necessities".  Still, we try to show everything just in case any of them may be important in your own budgeting process.

Because it's hard to keep track of the classification of everything we spend, I put up another new page called Understanding Our Full-Timing Costs.  Hopefully, it will help some of the newer readers understand and navigate.  Maybe, maybe not.  :)

Those pages, along with the need to update our What's New page, our Financial Information page, our FAQs page, and our Site Map, have kept me pretty busy the last couple of days.

While I've been doing all of that, Linda has been a beading fiend.  She's knocked out several bracelets the last few days.

Sunset 

But of course we usually find time to go watch the sunset.  :)  It was pretty cloudy tonight and we didn't get the colors we'd hope for, however, it was still lovely.  :)

After the sunset, we walked to dinner.

Cafe' Bleuu

When we went to Cafe' Bleuu last weekend and had such a wonderful meal, Roxy told us she was preparing lasagna for tonight.  I love lasagna, so we promised we'd be there.  :)

We tried some sausage bite appetizers that were wonderful as were the hot rolls with garlic butter.  But when those big platters of lasagna came out, it was on.  Roxy called it "Sky High Lasagna" and it was about 3 inches thick.  We were not disappointed.  It was not only delicious, but also light for such big portions.  Still, we both had leftovers and had to get a box to take them home.

We skipped dessert because we still had some Italian Cream Cake at home.  Ooooo, it was even better tonight.  We'll get the recipe posted soon.  :)

Well, that's enough for today.   Until tomorrow.  :)

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Sunset, Cake, Sunset - (Welaka, FL)

Yesterday, while working on year-end financials, I did escape with Linda long enough to go down to the dock for the sunset.

One of the many float planes that we see around here passed over the sun shortly after our arrival.

We sat and talked with Jim & Judy from Ithaca, New York.  They have been staying in a cottage for several days, and the four of us have met frequently for sunset.

We watched as a sailboat, with sails down, puttered through our view.

After that, the cool night air sent us toward our respective abodes.

Today, it was more work for me.  I still don't have some of the pages I'm working on quite where I want them.  And I worked on re-configuring some of ads on our sites.

While I was doing that, Linda went to the grocery and turned in her registration forms for the Welaka SpringFest next month.  She is going to have a craft booth and she entered the Cake/Pie contest.

When she returned, she started work on a sample cake.  She had never made a three-layer cake in her oven since we've been on the road, so she wanted to make sure her Italian Cream Cake came out okay.

One of her excuses for not making a layer cake has been that she didn't bring a tall "cake taker" on our journey.  So, she fixed that issue by ordering a Collapsible Cupcake and Cake Carrier.

What she didn't realize is, although the cake taker collapses to half of its height, it is huge with its 16" diameter.  A large pizza is usually only 14".  :)

Not only does it look like an old, home hair dryer, this cake taker dwarfs her cake.  But it works and she does have room for it up in one of our high cabinets - you know, the ones you can't reach where all the little used, light weight stuff goes.  :)

It took her four hours to make her cake from scratch.  Then we took it down to the dock for a sunset taste-test.

The four other happy guinea pigs were quite complimentary, so it appears that the Italian Cream Cake will be entered in the contest.  :)

And, with that, we watched another gorgeous sunset.

Nope.  Still haven't gotten tired of that routine.  :)

We returned home for the evening where I continued working on re-configuring some of our Google Adsense ads.  It seems some of the ads on the Journal and the Forum were causing our computers to lock up.  Google doesn't always notify us when they make changes.  :)

I think I have most of the issues corrected for now.  Anyway, that gives me an opportunity to remind our readers to please check out our "sponsors". 

Purchases and inquiries through the ads that interest you are what help keep RV-Dreams.com up and running.  And don't forget to click on the little arrows "< >" on the Google ads to easily find more products/services that might interest you.  :)

Well, that's all I've got for today.  If you happen to be in the area, come on by and have a piece of cake while taking in a sunset.  :)

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Financial Stuff & Website Updates - (Welaka, FL)

Well, while Linda has been doing major beading and keeping the household going the last couple of days, I've been in deep concentration preparing financial summaries and website updates.

I finally got the December 2009 Financial Summary posted.  And I got the very, very detailed 2009 Year-End Financial Recap posted.

In addition to those Journal entries, I updated the page that shows our Basic Living Expense Averages over the four and a half years we've been on the road.  On that page, Our 2005 - 2009 Full-Time RVing Expense Averages, you can see not only our overall averages during our time on the road, but you can also see the differences in those averages between the months we workamp and the months we don't workamp (travel months).

I'm also working on a page that shows the big, one-time expenses we've had since we've been on the road.  The purpose is to 1) explain why we incurred those expenses in addition to the Basic Living Expenses, 2) show some of the types of big expenses full-timers may not have considered, and 3) to show that the unexpected does happen and that it helps to have a cushion in the budget for those unexpected things that come up.  That page is "Coming Soon".  :)

With the new year rolling over, I had to also go in and update some webpages.

I updated the Medicare section at the bottom of our Health Insurance For Full-Timers page.  In addition to updating the 2010 Medicare premiums for Part A & Part B, I also added a short (very short) discussion about Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage), Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage), and Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance).

I also updated the 2010 information at the top of the Health Savings Account page.

And there was one little update on the Social Security Overview page.

With the new year comes website updates, new webpages, new spreadsheets, prior year summaries, and tax preparation.  Thankfully, I've been able to concentrate and get much of that knocked out over the last couple of days.

It doesn't make for very exciting reading, but it sure makes me feel better to get it out of the way.  :) 

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Paddle To Welaka Springs - (Welaka, FL)

Steve had promised Esther that he would show her the manatees at Welaka Springs.  So we made a plan.

Notwithstanding the forecast of gusty winds, we decided to paddle to the springs this morning from Welaka Lodge.  We figured we would be okay if we went early enough and didn't try to paddle upstream back to the campground against the wind.

We carried our Sea Eagle SE330 & SE370 down to the dock around 8:00 a.m.  Somewhere around 8:30 we had both boats pumped up and we were in the water.

We insisted Esther & Steve take the longer SE370 ....

while Linda & I took the SE330.

We hadn't gotten very far when the wind picked up and the water got a bit choppy.  Fortunately, the wind was at our back.  However, the current was very slow, so we still had to do some work.

As we paddled past the homes in Sportsman's Harbor, the dogs at this corner home ran out onto the dock and sounded the alarm.  :)

Once we got past that corner, we were more sheltered from the wind and it was an easy paddle for the last half mile or so.

We paddled around into the hidden cove where the springs are located.

We were on the lookout for the "swirls" in the water caused by a manatee's broad, flat tail.  But we didn't see any.  Linda & I paddled on up into the spring.

Still nothing.

As we paddled around the cove a little more, a boater told us that some manatees were around the boat docks near the the entrance to the cove.  We paddled over that way and, sure enough, they were hanging out next to some pipes running from shore into the water that were surrounded by a wooden barrier.

Apparently, that was a warmer spot than the springs themselves.  :)

They came out from their sheltered area and swam around us a little.  But mostly, they just huddled up together.  Esther got the best photos of them.

In the tannic water, they aren't very easy to photograph.

For those that like manatees, we have some really good photos from our visit to Blue Springs State Park where the water is clear (just in case you missed it).  :)

But, for today, we were happy to spend some quiet time with these magnificent creatures.  Well, at least Esther looked happy and Steve looked quite comfortable.  :)

According to this photo from Esther, Linda & I seemed to be quite relaxed as well.  :)

After floating around a little while longer admiring the manatees, we ended our trip.  Rather than fighting the wind and the current to paddle back to the campground, we opted to take out near the springs.

Steve and I had scouted the other day, so we took the boats out on an empty lot in the cove. 

Steve jogged the two miles back to Welaka Lodge and brought their Jeep back while the rest of us wiped down the boats and got them ready to load.

Before we deflated them, Linda took a couple of shots of the boats side-by-side to show the size comparison.

The SE370 is about a foot longer and a little wider across the center of the hull.

As usual, for information on the many Sea Eagle inflatable boat models available, contact our friends Tim & Crystal at InflatableBoats4Less.com.  Inflatables are great for RVers, but Tim can help narrow down the options for your needs and their prices are the best.  Tell them Howard sent you.  :)

Back home, we had a relaxing afternoon.  Linda & I watched a couple of TV movies until the NFL playoffs came on.  She got quite a bit of beading done in preparation for SpringFest here in Welaka next month.

Later, we joined Esther & Steve at their Elite Suites fifth wheel.  Esther made us a wonderful meal that we enjoyed between football games.

For dessert, after a discussion at dinner last night, Esther proved she could make crepes.  Delicious!  :)

It was our last day with Esther & Steve as they are packing up and heading west tomorrow.  We sure had a good time with them while they were here.  Safe travels friends.  :)

It's hard to believe we've been here in Welaka over a month already.  Our winter stay is going by quickly.  Before you know it, we will be in South Carolina for the Rally and then in Michigan for the summer.  But we still have a couple of months to enjoy here first.  :)

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Golf, Dinner, & A Campfire - (Welaka, FL)

Another lovely day here in Welaka with blue skies and temps in the 70s.

I made 6:00 dinner reservations at Cafe' Bleuu which is two or three blocks down the road.  We hadn't eaten there yet. 

Around 11:00, Steve and I headed to the golf course again while Esther recuperated from yesterday's flight from Ottawa.

As usual, we had a good time on the course, but boy we were inconsistent.  That back nine is tight and unforgiving if you don't hit it straight.  :)

I had a back-to-back birdies but way too many penalty strokes for it to make a difference as I limped to an 89.

While we were gone, Esther relaxed and then joined Linda on a trip to the grocery.  They got back just before we did.

Then it was down to the dock to relax before dinner.  We were a little early for sunset, but the rays of light through the clouds were pretty.

By the time the sun got to the bottom of the clouds and peeked through, it was time for us to go to dinner.

The four of us walked to Cafe' Bleuu, a tiny restaurant on the river that is only open Thursday through Sunday.

It's owned by a couple named Roxy & Bleuu.  They are quite the characters and certainly stand out in this little village.  :)

We were the first folks to arrive for the evening and we got the prime table right by the French doors that open out onto the deck.

Soon, the small place filled up and we saw why reservations were necessary.

We started off by sharing some homemade potato puffs and crab rangoon.  Both appetizers were delicious.

For entrees, Linda and Steve ordered crabcakes with lump blue crab and shrimp with a key lime sauce.  Esther and I ordered parmesan encrusted grouper.  Both items were evening specials.  Kevin, at Welaka Lodge, told us to order the specials rather than off the menu to get the freshest selections.

Wow!  Cafe' Bleuu is a little pricey for the little town of Welaka, but it is well worth it.  Our dinners were excellent!

We shared with our spouses, and both meals far exceeded anything else we've had in town.  At $18.95 per dinner, we would have considered those meals a bargain in our prior life.  We may not be able to go to Cafe' Bleuu often, but we've certainly found a place to go when we are ready for some really good food.  :)

During dinner, Esther and I experimented taking evening shots of the town fishing pier from the restaurant deck.

A Great Egret was hanging out under one of the lights on the pier.

For dessert, the ladies had creme brulee while the guys had a triple chocolate cognac cake.  I always worry that dessert after a fine meal won't live up to the entrees, but tonight that wasn't a problem.  :)

We finished up and thanked Roxy & Bleuu for our wonderful meals.

Back home, Steve and I chopped up some wood and we built a fire in the community firepit down by the river.  The wood here is very hard and a bit damp, so it is always a challenge to get the fire going.

It took persistance and teamwork, but we were able to enjoy sitting around the fire chatting for about three hours.

Ah, twas another great day in our little rural paradise.  :)

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A Fishing Attempt - (Welaka, FL)

We were easing into the day when Steve came by.  One thing led to another, and we decided to put the Sea Eagle Foldcat in the water and go fishing.

The only problem was that we hadn't used the battery for the electric motor in quite sometime, and it needed to be charged.  I plugged the charger in to get as much charge into the battery as we could while we prepared to go out.

Steve & I hauled the boat, accessories, and our fishing gear down to the dock.  He had been talking about wanting to get an inflatable boat, so it was a good opportunity for him to see how to set up the Foldcat.

Note:  For those interested, we talk about our inflatable boats and our favorite boat trips on this Journal entry:  Four Years On The Road - Favorite Boat Excursions.

About 1:30, we were loaded up and ready to go.

I had the electric motor at high power to get us across the wide St. John's River.  We had hoped to get up into the Ocklawaha.

Unfortunately, we didn't have nearly enough charge in the battery (it usually has to charge overnight).  As we went against the current and into the breeze, the battery started to die.

Disappointed at not being able to get to the more sheltered Ocklawaha, we ducked into an area along the St. John's where we were protected by a large section of aquatic plants.

It still looked like it might be a good place to fish.  But, after tossing a variety of baits and lures for over an hour, we never even got a bite.

Of course the Great Blue Heron nearby snatched a huge fish.  We weren't sure how it was going to swallow it, but it managed.  :)

It was a beautiful warm day with temps reaching the 80s.  I know Steve really wanted to catch a fish, but I was perfectly content just sitting out in the sun on the water.  :)

Eventually, we left our cove.  The breeze had died down a little, so we made one more attempt to get to the Ocklawaha.  Linda was beading on the dock and could see us.  She got the other camera and took a few shots.

We saw some fish jumping out in the middle of the St. John's, so we spent a little time out there.  Still no luck.

There was a little juice left in the battery, so we headed toward Welaka Lodge.  On the way, we spotted a Bald Eagle in a tree along the river.  So we made a slight detour to see if we could get some pictures.  Of course, it flew as we got within camera range.  :)

After that, we ran out of battery power completely and had to paddle the rest of the way with the oars.

Fortunately, it was a short trip.  :)

We got back to the dock with no fish, but we had a nice float.  And we had plenty of time to get the Foldcat wiped down, broken down, and packed up before Steve had to drive to Jacksonville to pick up Esther at the airport.

A little later, Linda & I went down to the dock for the almost-daily sunset ritual.

A few boats were returning to other docks around us.

I hope they had a little better luck than Steve and me.  :)

Once the sun was gone, the mosquitoes started to buzz, and it got cooler, Linda & I headed home.  The smell of her bean soup cooking in the crockpot was wafting throughout the campground and almost all the way to the dock.  :)

It was another lovely, laid back day in Welaka.  But I'll have that battery fully charged and ready the next time we want to get out the Foldcat.  :)

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Golf & Beading - (Welaka, FL)

I was up early.  It was cloudy but warm.

Linda got up and started her two-hour coffee session.  But by then, it was just about time for me to go.  I grabbed my golf clubs and walked over to Steve's rig at 9:00.

We were on the course before 9:30 trying to beat the rain.  We didn't have a tee time which the pro shop encouraged.  But when we told them we were walking, they lightened up a bit.  Apparently, they don't have enough carts for those that want to ride to just show up.  :)

As we were walking down the first fairway, a ranger pulled up to make sure we knew where we were going.  He said "We don't get many walkers, especially ones carrying their clubs."  :)

From tee to green, I actually hit the ball better than on Tuesday.  But I didn't "scramble" as well, had a couple of bad holes, and scored one shot worse - 84.  Steve was more consistent than Tuesday, but also had a couple of bad holes.

Except for a brief shower on the third hole, we managed to avoid the rain.  Between the fourth and fifth hole, there was a Red-shouldered hawk sitting on a post.  It was probably eight feet away from us, about waist high, and never moved.  Of course, neither of us had a camera - it was beautiful.  :)

While we were on our boat tour yesterday, Kevin mentioned Welaka SpringFest.  He said there would be craft booths, so Linda decided to check it out.

I've never heard of a Spring festival in February, but it is Feb 19 & 20.  The cost to have a booth is a $10 donation, and Linda thought she might like to set up and sell some jewelry.

After we got back from golf, she mailed off a couple of bracelets that she made while we were gone.  While she was out, she went to the town hall to get more information on SpringFest.  It seems pretty laid back and there is also a "Cake & Pie Contest" that she wants to enter.  After the tasting, the baked goods are auctioned off for charity.  :)

After she returned home, the rains came and it continued to rain most of the evening.  No sunset tonight.  :)

So, it was more beading for her as she is working on building up her inventory.  And I watched TV in between the satellite outages from the heavy rain and light storms.

Oh, by the way, there are only TEN days left to register and be guaranteed a site for the 2010 RV-Dreams Rally.  Click on the link to register.  Willow Tree RV Resort is holding sites for us, but we have to release any un-reserved sites back to them on February 1.  Don't wait much longer!  :)

Well, that was about it for another laid back day.  Until tomorrow.  :)

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