November 2010

Nov 22nd well we just finished up several busy days. We got back from Disney Wednesday morning and unpacked the MH and put it back into storage. We then went and picked up the blinds that we had ordered and started to install them. On Thursday Jon golfed and when he returned he had the foursome help move the furniture out of the rooms to have the new carpet installed on Friday, and after that we attended the pot luck at the club house here in the park. On Friday prior to the carpet installers coming, Jon installed the rest of the blinds as the rooms were bare and had unlimited access. Kathleen met with the weekly knitting/crochet group here and handed in an afghan she has been working on for two winters. The group supports “Project Linus” which provides blankets for hospitalized children. She came home and promptly started another one which she hopes will not take so long to complete! After the carpet was installed we had our friends come in and help move the furniture back. With this finished we then went to the American Legion for their monthly fish fry, we were not disappointed as we did this last winter and it is still just as good. On Saturday Jon was in a golf tournament held by the Legion, and as it happened with being at the right place at the right time we had our picture taken and it was put in the local paper. Since this tournament starts with a Bloody –Mary and your cup is refilled after a few holes we had a great time. We did have it set up as Jon drove the foursome that morning and Jane picked up Kathleen and the ladies drove the men to the Legion for a lunch and the results of the tournament. We finished with a 1 over and the winners had a 6 under, we were really happy about the way we played. That evening we attended the dance at the club house and finished off a great day. Sunday we went to church and after that did a little shopping, wanted to buy a canister sweeper for the new rug. After that we relaxed in the afternoon. Sunday evening we went to a combined church service with two other churches in Sebring. It was a great time for all in attendance. On Monday we went bowling and Jon really doesn’t want to talk about it as he had a really bad day, on the other hand Kathleen had a great day and beat Jon two out of three games, Jon was happy for her. We play cards on Monday nights and the people were talking about “Dancing with the Stars” and since we never really watched it when we came back we did vote several times for Bristol, since we hope that she wins and gets a little retribution for the crap her and her family had to go through with the liberal biased media. As you can see we had a very busy time, but still great to be in a camping resort.

Nov 17th we just got back from three great days in Disney World. We took the motor home and stayed in Ft. Wilderness. There were several other couples from Jon’s campground in Pa. that were there also and we all had such a good time. It was a little different this time as we didn’t have any big dinner’s together but we just ate at the smaller café’s that are around the park. Also we rode more of the rides that are for all ages, whereas before we mainly rode the more thrill seeking ones. As we said before this is the number one entertainment capital in the world bar none, and we enjoyed it. We returned to our Avon Park home and unloaded the camper, filled it with fuel and stored it away for the winter at a storage place we have in the area. Also on Wednesday morning we got the call that our blinds were finished and we picked the up and plan to have them installed before the new carpet is installed on Friday, as we said before we are helping the economy in the area. Good to be back at the resort and once again it’s great to be at a campground.

Nov. 5th what a two weeks we had, as we got to our Florida home everything was good, we opened the door and it was just as we left it. Then we had to get to work as the sod that was new and we hadn’t seen was over growing the new sidewalks that we had installed. So it was off to stimulate the economy, as we bought an edger and also a pressure washer to clean the siding. After Jon edged the lawn, we needed two new sprinkler heads since he cut two off with the edger. It didn’t stop there as we wanted to replace several panes of glass, and also strip all of the windows and repaint them. Then we went and bought new carpet and furniture, the carpet will be installed before Thanksgiving and the furniture is supposed to be here around the beginning of December. We also bought new blinds for 8 windows and they should be here in two weeks. During this time Jon ran a new receptacle to the rear of our house for the sprinkler system and also to add an additional receptacle for outside use. Beside all of this Jon went to get new glasses to replace the ones he lost this summer, and wound up buying two pair, one for reading and general inside use and a as second pair of sunglasses that have a small area for bifocals to be used on the golf course and just general outside use. So as you can see we are doing our share to help the area economy. We did get back to our church and met up with a lot of friends we left in the spring. It’s another great Florida day and a great day in a CG (Resort).

October 2010

Oct. 23rd twas a sleep-in day as we didn’t plan on going anywhere till after noon. So during the morning we started to stow things away and made ready for an early start tomorrow morning. We went to Wal-Mart to buy a few items and then we went to Stone Mountain Park, once there the first thing we did was to climb up the mountain. Great views from there as we are not sure how far you could see but it was forever and we were somewhat fortunate that it was a clear day. We don’t know how high it is but it is a mile walk to the top. After that we selected a spot on the Mall to watch the laser light show that was to start at 8:00 PM, which it did. The show was fantastic and the audience was large, it is something that we would advise anyone to see. When we first got to the parking lot we were parked pretty far away and it was some what lucky that Jon forgot the camera, because when he went back to get it he improved our parking spot and after the show we drove right out. And for that size of a crowd we had figured we would be in traffic for an hour or so. On the way home we stopped at the Wal-Mart gas station and filled up as it was about 10 cents a gallon less then we had seen, also we scoped it out to see if we could get through to fill up the motor home as it is about 15 cents cheaper there, as we will fill up in the morning. Another good day of campground life.

Oct. 22nd we arose this morning and got ready for a day of seeing Atlanta. We went in to Atlanta during rush traffic so you can imagine that drive. First we toured the CNN Atlanta Office which is their home office. It was a 55 min. tour and we got to see the workings of this news agency, although we have to admit that we probably saw more of this network today then we have watched them in the past 4 years. Just give us our FOX NEWS!! After that we went to tour the Coca-Cola world headquarters and had another enjoyable tour. It was great to see all the artifacts and memorabilia that was acquired by them, also had our pictures taken with the Polar Bear. Here again as Jon stated “I can’t remember the last time I drank a Coca-Cola” and he didn’t drink one today but we both did try several different drinks from around the world made by this company. On our way back to the parking garage, which was never more then 8 blocks from either of these places and only cost $6 for the day, we walked through the Olympic Centennial Park. While walking through here we thought about the dearly departed Richard Jewel who alerted the people about a bomb, and then went to a zero as he was falsely charged with setting the bomb in place and finally being cleared on all charges. All the agony that this man went through because of his heroic actions. We left Atlanta to go back to the campground but made a wrong turn and went a different way to get there, and of course it was the afternoon rush hour, but we did fine. We then stopped to get a few items and had a nice dinner at Chili’s, before returning to our camper. Another great day in a campground.

Oct. 21th we took our time in moving out of the Talladega area as we only had about a 2 ½ hour drive plus we were going back into the Eastern Time zone, so we gained an hour. We got into Atlanta and got into our site which is about a mile from Stone Mt. We also picked up some brochures of things to do in the local area, and did a little shopping. Jon made some more rods to hold our cabinets closed, we have had some for years but we needed some extra ones. We have found out that they work great while we are on the move, and keep the cabinets secured. This all came about as years ago we had the cabinets come open and the results were broken dinnerware and silverware all over the floor. We got set up and have a new view for the next three days, and once again it’s great to be in a campground.

Oct. 20th we really got a good night’s sleep as it was well past 7 am before Jon got up, (he is usually up well before 5). We guess our bodies needed this extra rest time and we enjoyed it. We got ready to tour the Talladega superspeedway and the adjoining museum that includes the Racing Hall of Fame. It was a great tour and we fully enjoyed it as this is the fastest track on the Nascar circuit and also the largest; details to numerous to mention. After that we drove into Anniston to see the town and their Historic district but somehow it is still in need of repair. We stopped to shop and eat out which is a rarity for us. We then returned to a relaxing night in our summer home which is in a camp ground and it is great to be here.

Oct. 19th we took a slow start today as we only had a 5 hour drive plus we were going across a time line into central time and gained an hour. We arrived in the Talladega area and got set up and then went to the track to get some information as to times that they are open. Getting back to the camper we set up our satellite dish so we could view TV. We just had a relaxing evening and turned in early. New scenery and it is still great to be at a campground.

Oct. 18th we arose early and were on the road by 7:25. Since the road we had planned to take out of the valley has a lot of bridge repair going on we took a different route. We went through the Sherman’s Valley and over the Mountain into Path Valley. As we went over the pass we saw several deer and it was also good as they saw us. Path valley which at best in some places is less than 10 miles wide is such a beautiful area and the leaves are changing and were a very spectacular sight. We followed this down into Maryland and crossed the Mason-Dixon Line before getting on Rt. 81. We followed Rt. 81 through the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and it was a very gorgeous sight, as the leaves are starting to change. We continued into Tennessee, and stopped at Knoxville for the night. We went into Wal-Mart to buy some items and pick up a sandwich from Subway. It was a long day, all in daylight and we traveled about 540 miles, more then we like, but we also like to get a major part of the drive on the first day. Even though we are not in a camp ground, it was a great day.

Oct. 17th well, yesterday we finished up our job here at Paradise Stream and we attended the Monster Mash Dance and had a great time, as we were some of the few that had costumes on. In the past two weeks Jon’s cousin and her husband came up to visit at the camp and we had a nice evening. Today we left early and went to church and then visited Jon’s mother and bade farewell till next spring. After that Kathleen spent the afternoon with Sammie and also went to Donnie’s place for a visit. Meanwhile Jon went to spend the afternoon with his two granddaughters and they also had a good time and all were told that we would see them next spring. After that we had supper with Jeff & Shirley and had a good time. We then went back to the campsite and loaded up the car and connected it to the motor home, while we were doing this Jim and Pam visited with us and we bid a fond farewell to them. They hope to make it down to Florida and visit us over the winter, as well as Jeff and Shirley will be down in February. It was a good day but, hard at times to say good-by and see you later.

Sept, 2010

Sept 22nd Wow, it has been so long since we updated our journal and so many things did happen. As usual we were plenty busy doing our work here at the campground and this does take up so much of our time, as we say we came here to work so that we can play all winter. We attended a baby shower for Kathleen’s step daughter that was quite unique in that just prior to the opening of the gifts the baby’s parents got married there; it was so good to see this. We also attended Jon’s family reunion held in Lickdale. This was the first time he was there since the mid nineties, he had a great time and met up with some family members he hadn’t met before. We also spent a weekend with Kathleen’s brother in his Delaware weekend hide away. We had a great time there and we also did some shopping for our pier display we are making up for our Florida home. While in Delaware we visited with Fox & Linda and since it has been a while it was a cherished time that we were together. At the present time we are getting ready to make our move to Florida and we are getting supplies together. Hopefully it won’t be a gap of this size between postings, but time flies by when living in a campground.

August 2010

August 1st usually we do not write about our work and our usual routine, the last several weeks where a regular routine but today Jon did something different. We arose, went to church and then stopped to get a quick bite. Kathleen went to visit her son, at that time Jon went to his daughters place and spent time with his granddaughters. When he got there, Alexis was not feeling too well. He just visited for a while and she started to feel a lot better. They then went to look for two geocaches to no avail but said they would try another time. They went bowling and had a great time and the girls had some good scores. The girls behaved very well as they sat at the bowling alley and did not disturb those around them. They got several complements from the people next to them for their bowling technique and style, looks like their mom and dad are teaching them good bowling as well as good manners. Jon had a great time and the grand’s did as well.

July 2010

July 20th last evening we attended the viewing of Jon’s uncle and today we went to the funeral. As most families it is a time get together and renew times with family members we haven’t seen in a while and to meet family that we hadn’t met before. Jon’s uncle was a hard working person and he was a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and also at a time was Chairman of the Board of the Keystone Region Rolls-Royce Owners' Club. He had a Bentley and a Rolls-Royce, now both of these were quite older and by no way were they the cost of a new one, but they were in excellent shape and highly appealing. After his retirement, he had a unique hobby of driving many important officials and celebrities in parades throughout the East Coast. Some of his riders were Willard Scott, Pat Sajak, Gary Sinise , and even Mickey Mouse. These facts were very minor in his life as he was the head of a wonderful household that opened their doors to many wayward children and continually were involved in the Student Exchange Program. These exchange students were given many opportunities throughout their stay with the family. Two of his children gave wonderful testimonies as to their father, about a family that never had a argument or even raised words with each other. We wish the best to Jon’s aunt and to the family in the coming years. And to Frantz, we know that you are in a better place and we hope to see you once again.

July 8th we were quite delighted today as Jack Gallagher stopped in for a quick visit. We met Jack and his wife Nancy at Scenic View Campground in New Hampshire where they are seasonal campers. Jack was on his way back from Ft. Campbell, Ky. After picking up his granddaughter who is going to visit them for a while. We gave him a tour of the campground while Sammie and Ashton went to the playground and had a good time. He was only here for about an hour but it was a great visit. It was another hot day as the temperature hit 104 today and we try to stay hydrated and cool. Another good day in the campground.

July 7th what a wonderful day we had yesterday, as we had some visitors from Jon’s old campground. Mike & Sharon and Randy & Lynn came for a visit. We sort of planned to cook some sausage and hot dogs over a fire, but the afternoon temperature was at 104 degrees and it was too hot to be outside so we stayed indoors and had cold cuts and fruit. It was a very enjoyable visit and we all had a great time. We took them for a tour of the campground and to say they liked it is probably an understatement. Later in the evening Dave and Missy brought Sammie up to the campground as she will be staying for the next 4 nights. We also took them for a tour of the campground. It was a real good day and at the end of the day we were all quite tired.

July 6th so much has happened since we last made an entry to our journal as we have been quite busy with the jobs around the campground. We spent a lot of time getting ready for the July 4th weekend and when it did come we were busy with all of the activities and work in the store. In the last couple of weeks we did our work and on our days off we would visit Jon’s mom and also watch Sammie, got to say that she really likes coming and spending time at the campground. One job that Jon has coming up soon is the installation of Wi-Fi in the campground, and he is looking into several different ways of doing this. In the past several weeks we finished burying the electrical conduit and water lines in the mini golf course that is being built here. When it is finished it will be quite nice, most likely it will be next year. Hopefully when we have the Wi-Fi installed we can keep more update on the journal as now we have to tear down the laptop and take it up to the office to get on line. Kathleen does check our mail while she is working, on the office computer and tries to keep up some that way. Just wanted to say that it has been terribly hot and dry here. Yesterday we had temps of 104, as for the rain we didn’t have any good rain since the day we arrived here in May. Still though it is great to be at a campground .

June 2010

June 17th we had the day off and we journeyed down to Lebanon and area as we had several things to do today. First we stopped at a local cemetery to get a paper that Kathleen had a space there; this comes from a division of property from her divorce of four years ago. We didn’t realize that we would have to sit through an hour plus of sales pitch to buy caskets, vaults, opening and closing and markers. After saying “NO” many times we were able to leave. After that we went and picked up our Heater core for the motor home. We had it repaired in Maine last year and at that time Jon was leery of the job, and his fears came true on the drive up from Florida. This time it is a good job and Jon can see the difference, the job in Maine was bad but we probably can’t expect anything else from there. We did a little shopping and then we went to Donnie’s place as Mel is in from Washington visiting and we wanted to get to see her before she went back. Between their schedule and ours we were happy to spend an afternoon with her. Later in the day Dave and his family arrived and we had a cook out, and as always the food and family get together were just fantastic. We had a safe drive home and again it was a wonderful day.

June 13th Jon went to work for a few hours as he cleaned the pool and finish up repairing the mower that has been broken down, we had just received the parts and now it is fixed. Kathleen and Shirley then went to Harrisburg to pick up Sammie and we are going to watch her overnight and take her home tomorrow. While they were gone Jeff and Jon had set up a tee time for a course in Carlisle which is about 30 minutes away. They thought it was a great course and that it was very golfer friendly, wide open and didn’t penalize you for slightly poor shots. When Shirley, Kathleen and Sammie returned they went to the pool for the afternoon. When the golfers returned a fire was going and we cooked over the fire and had a nice visit. It was a great day and all of us had a great time.

June 12th we worked today and did our normal duties. Later in the evening our friends Jeff and Shirley checked in to camp here. They just came up from Tennessee where they vacationed for a week in the Great Smokey Mountains. We were looking forward to seeing them and as Kathleen was working Jon gave them a tour of the campground. We did get to sit around the campfire and have some adult drinks for a while as we all were worn out for the day.

June 8th back at work for the day as Jon started by doing the pool cleaning and testing, while Kathleen was in the office and store for the day as the owners were away for most of the day. After cleaning the pool area Jon pressure washed the deck around the store, trying to get up the old ice cream stains. During the course of the day a neighboring Amish farmer came in to bale some of the hay that he has cut several days ago and we took some pictures of him and his wife as they baled the hay. Hope that you enjoy the pictures. We also had the chance to get a deck for our site but in the end we decided it was not in our best interests to get it. We then came home to start a camp fire to cook our food in the open and as you all know food cooked over a campfire is hard to beat. Just another good day at the campground.

June 6th (D-Day) throughout the past several days we worked at the campground and did our normal duties. Today we arose and went to church and had a good time being around the people there. After that we stopped for a bite to eat and then took off for the Raystown Lake area as Kathleen had never been there. We didn’t know if we wanted to go or not as the weather was changing and we hit rain and saw the effects of high winds that went through the area. Luckily we got to Raystown Lake as the front had moved through and it was a beautiful day and the wind and rain were settled. Must swear that the area has a high population of house boats and we saw hundreds if not thousands of pontoon boats on the water. We picked up several brochures as in the future we might do an overnight pontoon boat rental; at least it is wishful thinking. As we returned home we stopped at the dam breast overlook and just marveled at the beauty of all of the area. We had a safe journey and it was another great day.

June 2nd we had off yesterday and today. Yesterday we spent a lot of time around the camper fixing things up and ordering parts, we needed spare parts for the heater since we put in a new filter and nozzle, also removed the diagnostic center to ship back to the factory and replace some of the gas lift cylinders on our basement doors. Today we went back to our home area and visited with Jon’s mom, did some shopping, babysat Sammie and also met up with Jeff and Shirley for dinner and had an enjoyable time. We had a safe journey and returned to our little spot here at the campground.

May 2010

May 31st well the last day of the Memorial Day weekend and it was a busy day at the store for a while as ice cream was dipped, slush puppies were made and reservations were made for next year. Jon worked mostly outside but did come to the store to help for a time or two, while Kathleen was inside all of the time, except to come out to look for Jon. Later in the day Jon and Bob went to wrap wood as a lot was sold over the weekend. Today was Jon’s birthday. Jon also got a call from his cousin who lives in California and they had a good talk and exchanged a lot of family information, it is sort of funny how if you talk 3000 miles away you can learn stuff. Once again it was a good day and great to be at a campground.

May 30th we are catching up on our journal as the past several days we were getting ready for the Memorial Day weekend as we went from an almost empty campground to every site filled and long hours of work throughout the weekend. Jon did get to talk to both his sisters and mother the other day as they were finishing up on their pajama party. Jon’s one sister came up from Florida and his other sister who is still recovering from her operation picked up mom and took her to a Hotel for the night and they had a great time. We would of liked to see them but that was not possible, as we were quite busy here. His sister from Florida flew up on Friday and returned Sunday, so we know that she had a busy weekend to say the least. Jon drove the hay ride on Saturday and that went from 2 to 6 pm, as after going through the campground they go to a local farm and get to see the animals there, and some great scenery along the way.

May 24th we left early to go down to Lancaster County. Our first stop we picked up two 55 gal drums of fire wood, this comes from a planning mill and makes great starter wood as it is hard and dry, best was the cost of .50 cents per barrel. We loaded this in the back of the car and it filled it up. From there we visited Jon’s mom and had a nice visit and got an update on all that is happening in the family, and a lot is happening that is for sure. We then went to Kathleen’s son’s home as she is going to babysit Sammy for the afternoon and Jon is going out for a round of golf. Kathleen bought some PENNSYLVANIA STRAWBERRIES, something she has been craving for the past several years. They are indeed the best! We then returned home in time to unload the car, stack the wood and reload the car with everything we took out yesterday. Kathleen cleaned the strawberries and made shortcake, which we practically gobbled up. We got all of that done in time to sit down and watch the final episode of “24” which is one of the few TV shows we watch with any regularity, we are saddened that this was the last of the series, but at least Jack wasn’t killed! Another great day and the Lord was with us during the day.

May 23rd as we got up we drove the hour to get to the church that we attend while we are usually in the area. We hadn’t been there since we were in Pa. as for the first several weeks we were in the Lancaster area and the drive was just too far, so we went to a local church in that area. After church we sat around and caught up with a lot of friends and had some nice chats. We then went and did some shopping, buying some tomato plants and zucchini that we can plant in a small area that is on our site. After shopping we went out to get a bite to eat and used some of the gift cards we got from Kathleen’s family for Mother’s day and for helping them do some spring cleaning. We then returned home and weeded our very small garden. Jon plans to grow his tomatoes in a pot that is 2 feet off the ground and hopefully protected from the animals in the area. The other day Jon found a double sheppard’s hook and Kathleen is putting some flowers in that. We then unloaded the car as we are going to visit tomorrow. Another great day to be at a camp ground.



May 22nd today was the day we had worked for the last several days and that was to complete the solar panel we made to heat the pool water. It is about 8ft by 16ft and has about 600 ft. on poly tubing inside, painted black and a plastic covering on it. After getting it out of the shop with much fan fare we got it on the skid loader and moved it to the pool house and set it on the roof, put it into position and secured it. We than drilled two holes through the wall for the piping and will connect it another day. While inside the office Kathleen is making a lot of progress in the computerized reservation system, as it takes a while to set up and make all of the data input. We had a good day and found out that we would have the next two days off.



May 17th we awoke to another day off and we had planned to drive to Lebanon for the day, and wouldn’t you know it we got lost less than 10 miles from the campground, as we are still learning the area and we paid for it, Ha-ha . Then when we were about 5 miles from our first stop Jon discovered that he left his wallet back at the camper and had .73 cents with him, so it was Kathleen to the rescue to pay for the day. Our first stop was Millers Restaurant where a cup of coffee is still a dime, we had breakfast there and as usual it was more than you can eat and the price is quite low. We then went to Kathleen’s brothers home for a short visit and then to see Jon’s mother and had a nice visit there as well. After that we did a short stop to do some internet work as we still can’t get it at the campground. We arrived at Kathleen’s son’s place as she was going to babysit Sammy for the afternoon; Jon decided that he would get in a round of golf and hopefully make it before the rains came. He finished up and went back and picked up Kathleen and then we started to drive back to the campground. We didn’t get far till the rains came and we drove home in the rain, made it back alright and were all snuggled in for the night and got ready to watch “24”. Just another great day.



May 16th we arose this morning with the day off. Even though we had off Jon went up and did work on the pool as we are getting it ready for opening on Memorial Day weekend which is quickly coming. We also decided that we needed to do some work around the camper, as we never really got set up as it was raining when we got here and we were working ever since. In the afternoon we traveled to Carlisle to do some shopping and one was to buy parts for our leaking hot water base board system. When we came home we started a fire so that we could cook our dinner, it is so great to be able to cook over an open fire.



May 13th the day dawned better then the last few and it was somewhat warmer. Jon started out by working on a road roller to repair the vibration feature of the roller, after doing some basic checks he found that the switches were bad and he fixed them and then made a cover for them so they are protected from the weather. After that he worked on one of the skid loaders to secure the hydraulic lines from becoming cut while being operated. He then helped to cut wood to make a solar heater for the pool, which we hope to have in the near future. Kathleen was in the office and was working on the new reservation system and working out some of the bugs, as well as learning the way the office works and to become knowledgeable in its operation. After that we went to Newport to get supplies which is about a 20 mile drive, and while there we even treated ourselves to a stop at Subway. It was another good day and we are feeling the pains of getting back to work, after a 6 month layoff, it does feel good.



May 12th in the morning we met with the owners, and got started; mainly Kathleen in the office/store complex and Jon was shown all of the utilities layout. We both jumped right in as Jon was driving the dump truck in the cleanup of an old building. It was a cool damp day and you needed to be dressed warm. After that Jon was taken to the local building supply store and was introduced to them and that he had authority to made charges for the business. It was a good day.



May 11th Jon arose early this morning and drove up to Jonestown to get a haircut from his brother in law, and catch up on all of the gossip in the area as Jonestown is a small community and the barber usually gets all of the information in town, probably more informed than even the mayor. After that he went to breakfast at Miller’s Restaurant, still the home of the 10cent coffee, where each and every cup is 10cents, they also prepare some monster meals at very reasonable prices. Now this is not gourmet food but just great good down home cooking. He then returned as Kathleen was getting the inside ready to be moved, after all of the prep work we moved out at about 10:45 am, we traveled the scenic back roads and had an nice easy drive. About three miles from our destination it started to rain and even after an hour of talking to the owners and other staff we decided to unhook the car and start to set up, even in the rain. We are level, have water, electric, sewer and even set up the dish for TV. After that we just sat in for the night and watched it rain. It was still a good day in a campground and now we have new scenery.



May 10th this is our last full day in Stevens, Pa and we have truly enjoyed being here. We got a start on packing up for our short 2 hour journey tomorrow, always good to get an unrushed time to make sure everything is done. After that Kathleen went to baby sit Sammy after she came home from kindergarten and they had a great time at her house. They played in the basement and kicked the soccer ball around outside as Sammy’s mother slept, as she works the midnight shift. This has been a great help to her over the past several weeks. Jon went out in the wind and played a round of golf. When he had last checked there were no golf courses in the area were we will be working this summer. It worked out that Kathleen’s son brought her home as she would have had to wait well over 2 hours for Jon to pick her up. Jon did get home later and also did some relaxing from the day.



May 9th “Happy Mother’s Day” what a great time we had today as Kathleen’s two sons had a nice Mother’s day feast. Actually it took several people to bring it all together as all kicked in a little bit. Her oldest son had it at his place and his wife’s dad supplied the meat, which was filet minion thinly sliced that took about 4 minutes to grill. It melted in your mouth as well as the rest of the dinner. We just truly loved being with the family and being that we are nearby this summer we hope that we can make even more gatherings. We want to send out our wishes to all that they had a Happy Mother’s Day.



May 8th as usual this morning Sammy woke up starving. We all managed to eat and get the day started. Sammy and Kathleen went to the playground after the rain stopped and Jon did some e-mails and caught up on some internet stuff. We have to go to the camp office to get on the ‘net’. Dave came to get Sammy and we made a camp fire and roasted some hot dogs and even had some s’mores. After that Dave loaded up Sammy’s toys and bicycle to be taken home as she wouldn’t be here anymore as we are leaving in a few days. We then went to visit Jon’s mom at the home as they were having a Mother’s day event a day early, it was very nice and we got to spend some quality with her, always great to be with family. In the last several weeks that we are in the local area we have had a lot of talks with her and it is wonderful, we won’t be that far away this summer so we can stop in for a visit when we are near. She will be 93 this July and we are so happy that she is in good health. We came back to the MH and went to a Saturday night service at church as we have plans for tomorrow. Another great day of camping.



May 7th this morning we went to Sammy’s school where her class, along with the rest of the school, had a “Race for Education” and each class had sold pledges and then had to run for ½ hour around the baseball field. It was probably 250 yards or more per lap and we are thinking that she did this for a least 5 or 6 times. Not bad for a kindergarten student. After that we went to Dave & Missy’s place and helped them do some spring cleaning, Kathleen trimmed a lot of bushes and trees while Jon looked at an air conditioner unit that was beyond repair, so they replaced it instead. The new unit was slightly larger and took a little time to get in place. After that we went to Elmer’s place and had a pork and sauerkraut dinner and just had a great visit. Sammy was a little nervous about going but that lasted about 5 seconds. They had just returned from a western trip and they saw many of the same sights that we had in 2008 and it was nice to talk about them. After that we came home and Sammy stayed for the night.



May 6th as we awoke, we had a lot to do today first we went to visit with Jon’s mom, and a delightful time we had. After that Jon dropped Kathleen off to babysit Sammy and Jon went to play a round of golf. It was good that the day was nice, even though windy because Jon’s golf game was not all that good. Actually it was the putting that really left him down. He played with Jeff and two other men from Jeff’s workplace. Playing golf in the area as opposed to playing in Florida is quite different as the grass is a lot lusher here and it does make a difference. He then went back and picked up Kathleen as she was tired out from babysitting. Kathleen had taken Sammy to two different playgrounds and just plain tired her out, not to tell you there is a lot of play in Sammy. We did a little bit of shopping and came back to the MH to prepare a later than usual dinner. Another good day here at the campground.



May 5th another beautiful day as we awoke this morning. After the morning chores Kathleen went to babysit Sammy, but today she took her to the campground that we stayed at in the past. Sammy has some friends there and it was great to watch her play with them, after that they had ice cream at the camp store. Kathleen then took her to a playground in her home town and she met several friends there, hopefully she was one tired girl after that and Daddy and Mommy had a relaxing night. During this Jon stayed around the camper and did some internet work catching up on e-mails and the like. He also lit a campfire so that we could cook our dinner for the night. Sure is a shame that he can’t have his granddaughter’s as we know that they would like the playground and enjoy the campground setting. It was another great day.



May 4th in the morning Jon repaired the heating system in the MH and as he finished up Kathleen went to pick up Sammy and brought her back to the campground. Sammy really enjoys coming here to play and she has a great time with the other children here. After returning her home we started a fire and cooked over it, isn’t it great to cook over a camp fire. Another great day and the weather is nice and drying everything up.



May 3rd yesterday we attended church and it was our first time at this church, and we totally enjoyed it. Jon kept saying that it was not your typical conservative Lancaster church service as it was quite lively. The rest of the day we just lounged around the campground. Today we awoke to the end of a rain storm were we had in the area of about 3 inches of rain. Jon was going to play golf this afternoon, but all of the area courses were closed because of the weather. Kathleen babysat for Sammy in the afternoon and Jon went to see his mom, trouble was she was not there as she had an eye exam and Jon’s sister had taken her to the Doctor. We the n met up with Jeff and Shirley for an enjoyable dinner. After that we came home and had a great day.





May 1st finally the day Jon was looking for and that is to say he is now on Medicare and has some insurance, the next thing is to try and find a doctor that will treat him. In the late morning Sammy called and said she would like to come out for a while and we went to get her. She has a lot of friends here at the camp and they were glad to see her. During that time Jon went back to his old campground and met up with Fox & Linda as it has been a while since we last saw them, he went out on Mike’s raft and they visited on it in the middle of the lake. Later in the day we met up with Kathleen’s two sons and their families at Pizza Hut for dinner and then we had reservations at the local bowling alley to bowl. We all had a great time and it was a lot of fun being with family enjoying the night together. Sammy had a few great games and we were happy to see her do so well. Another great time and a great day at a camp ground.

April 2010

April 30th a beautiful day dawned and before 8, Jon was out the door to a local Golf Course and played a round, his first since we got to Pa. When he returned we walked around the camp and watched as many people were enjoying the games and events that they have here. We got a call from Sammy, and she said she wanted to stay home today as she was tired. She had a field trip at school where she went to the Hershey Zoo and Chocolate World. With her decision we made plans for ourselves and decided to again visit Jon’s old campground, we had a great time meeting up with people that were not there last time we visited them. It was a great way to finish the day.

April 29th we finally arose to a nice day and we decided to get some chores caught up on today. Jon worked on the water system in that he put a bypass around the hearer core that we can drive the motor home to our job site without leaking any water; over the summer he can remove it and hope fully have it repaired correctly. He also cleaned all of the jacks from the accumulation of dirt that built up on them; also he found that the system needed fluid, so he got the necessary oil to fill it up. In the mean time Kathleen was preparing a meal that we will be taking to Dave & Missy’s home tonight to celebrate Dave’s birthday even though a bit belated. We had a great time and the evening went by so fast and the meal was just so good; it was fit for a king. We returned home knowing it was a great day.

April 28th after arising to a cool damp windy day and getting bundled up we went to see Jon’s mom and after looking around for her we found her in the beauty shop in the home. As she was getting her hair done and under a dryer we decided to cut short our visit, any way it would soon be her lunch time. Since we had a little time to spend we went looking for a crock pot for the motor home, we have a large one at the Florida home but we wanted a small one for here. We than went to pick up Sammy for the afternoon, and as well we took Missy to get their Jeep as it quit running on Monday. As always Sammy had a great time playing here at the campground and enjoyed the afternoon, we wanted to fix her something to eat so Jon started a camp fire and we roasted hot dogs and also some s’mores. Kathleen took Sammy back to meet up with her mother and Jon stayed back and cleaned up the dishes of the day. Oh, the rough life of living in a campground.

April 27th today we did some shopping, since Sammy was not going to be here today we thought it would be a good day to shop. It was a chilly damp day and she could not have gone to the playground anyway. The first place we went to was an Amish store; some call it a chip-n-dent store but they have great deals and we bought some items that will last for several months and some of the things we will use right away. They also deal in a lot of bulk items and we can get them at a fraction of the standard price. We then returned and stowed in all on board and our next place to go was Cabela’s where we had about $160.00 in credit, so it was a shopping excursion as we bought jackets, shirts and some camping supplies. We use the Cabelas credit card for everything and they give us a 1% credit on all items that we buy so once or twice a year we make a trip to their store and have a free day; can’t beat that. Later in the day we had a special friend visit us and just had a wonderful time as we related stories that happened to us over time gone by. Just another great day at a campground.

April 25th after arising and doing chores around the motor home on a rainy day we went to visit Jeff & Shirley. We were able to get on the net and we uploaded our journal from there as well as catching up on some e-mails. After that we retired to the family room and played several games of cards, Kathleen was victorious in all of the of the games, she just couldn’t be beat. They then fed us and we just had a great afternoon. We then drove back to the camp in the rain and turned in for the night.

April 24th we had breakfast and made sure that Sammy was full as when she got up she said “that she was starving” so we made sure she was fed. Kathleen than took her to the playground and Jon was watching the Canopy rope/ zip line here at the camp. They were training new guides and going through all of the stages, we are looking into doing this in the near future. Later in the day we went to Kathleen’s son’s place and along with her other son we had a great time together and we are planning some future events. After that we went to the campground that Jon had owned, were we met up with a lot of our friends and just had a great evening and caught up on a lot of things happening there. Just another reason to have a great day in a camp ground.

April 23rd in the morning we finished cleaning all of the windows on the inside as well as cleaning the screens. We then left to go visit Jon’s mom and had a nice visit, after that we picked up Sammy and brought her to camp. She is staying for the night and as always just enjoys it here. Later on Jeff & Shirley came to visit as we had a camp fire going, later on the five of us walked around the area with Sammy as our guide, since she camped here before. She knows the playground very well, also gave her a chance to ride her new bike. She met a lot of new friends while playing and just had a wonderful time. Here at the camp they have a zip line canopy ride that lasts over 2 hours and Jeff & Shirley and we are looking to do this before we leave. It was another great day, only it could be a lot better if Jon’s granddaughters were allowed to visit and stay with him, we are sure that they would have a great time.

April 22nd Jon got some wood in the morning and after that we cl
eaned all of the windows in the motor home. We then went and picked up Sammy, she has kindergarden in the morning and we get her after that. Kathleen bought her a new bike as she out grew the one she had and she can keep it here while we are in the area. We then visited Jon’s mom and had a nice time before returning to the camp site. While Sammy and Kathleen went to the playground Jon started a fire till they returned. We roasted hot dogs and made some s’mores, what a great meal and it has been so long since we cooked on a fire. After taking Sammy back home we retired for the night and that was the end of another great day.

April 21st after doing a few chores around the motor home we went to see Jon’s mom and had a nice visit and at that time Jon’s aunt and her son came to visit as well. Jon’s aunt and son were checking out the faculty as her husband has to be moved into a nursing home, because of some disabling problems he had over the course of the past month. After that we went and visited with Kathleen’s son and daughter in law and of course Sammy. We took Sammy for the afternoon and brought her back to the site as she just loves to play here at the campground. Where we are her family camps at during the year and she shows us where everything is at. We then returned to their home and had a great supper and a visit after that, it is great to get back to the family for a while.

April 20th we again left in the morning soon after sunrise and headed to Pa. which is our destination for the summer. We weren’t on the road no 30 minutes and we discovered that our heater core was leaking again. We had this repaired in Maine last summer and either it was a bad repair job or the core is just too bad to be repaired. Jon loosened the radiator cap to reduce the pressure in the system and we continued our journey with an eye on the temp gauge the rest of the way, it worked and we completed our trek with no problem. We settled in and set up our site and got everything going that we need for now, so once again it was a great day.
April 19th we awoke early and left on our journey north and at that time we decided that this would probably be the last day for shorts and sandals for a while. It was a good driving day and we didn’t have to stop for any construction, but in Georgia we went through several construction zones and the cattle chutes. We actually went a lot further than expected because of this, and even as we passed through states we never stepped foot in them as in a motor home we switch drivers in a rest area but never get out. It is great that we both drive and it gives each other a time to relax and maybe even catch a quick snooze. We made it to the Richmond area where we found a Wal-Mart off of the beaten path and had a quite night.

April 18th the reason that we are here in because we are invited to a baby shower for James and Katy. While we were playing yesterday they were busy decorating for the shower, but we did lend a small hand today to get ready for the event. It was a great shower as well over 40 people were in attendance, and we were surprised to see so many young men there, friends of both. We played several games and then the excited couple opened their presents, and they made out very well and we can tell that the baby will have a great start and will have a lot of love from the parents and family. After the shower we hooked up and took off and wanted to get a few hours in before night fall, we made it to Jacksonville at a Wal-Mart that we had stayed in last fall while in the area.

April 17th we met up with Mike and Kathy, friends we made two years ago at Disney World as we journeyed into The Magic Kingdom. They were never here before and we were sort of their guide. I hope that we did a good job. The place was full and we had planned on meeting at 10 am but it was closer to 11 am till we met up. We did get around the park and we saw everything that we were interested in, as a few of the more strenuous rides did not fit into our plan, and we have ridden them before. It was a great day and till we returned back to the motor home is was past 9:30 pm and a full day for all of us.

April 16th two days ago we started to load up the Motor home, we took two loads down to where we have it stored. In the afternoon Jon took the car for an oil change and then we were invited to a happy hour that lasted 4 hours and we had a great time with the other 9 people there. Jon took a break from the loading as he played golf yesterday morning. In the afternoon we went and pick up the motor home and brought it back to the resort to finish loading. Today as we finished with that chore and we can only hope that we didn’t forget anything. Also today we had to work around the workers at the park as they were putting in our new sod, we did get to see a little of it and hope that it will grow this summer into a new lawn for next year. After saying all of our good-bys we left and went to Camp Fountain in Orlando as we will be here for the next two nights. We had dinner with Jon’s sister and brother in law along with their son and daughter in law, after that we had a great time visiting. The trip was good and also short and we could just get the feel of being on the road.

April 13th well so much has happened since our last entry, as we look back on the 19 of March. We had our Golf banquet and it was again a great time and we ate way too much. March 20 Jon went out and played a round of golf with Dennis as he has been reluctant about playing, the next day we attended a very good church service as it was Palm Sunday, the theme being the anguish that Jesus went through on the cross for our sins. Then on the 22nd we had a fun day at the bowling outing and we had a 9-pin no tap tournament, and once again this year Jon has a 300 game (9 real strikes and 3 were 9 pin hits), later that day we had our bowling banquet at the local smorgasbord and filled up. From then on we have had nothing but block parties, appreciation diners, going away parties and any kind of food event you can think of. This is not a place to come to and diet. In the past few days we had concrete poured around our park model and new shirting installed, wow does it ever make a nice new appearance. While it was in the construction period Jon installed some new water valves and a new spigot near the front. We have a few days here and then we are returning to Pa. for our summer job, and we are looking forward to that. We will be close to family and hope to spend time with them. Sorry about the time between posts and hopefully it will be better this summer.

March 2010

March 17th well a month has go past so quickly that we didn’t get a chance to do any writing. During this period of time the weather was not that good and there were days when we just stayed indoors because of the rain and cold. We were busy as we had several friends visit during that time, first Randy & Lynn were down from Pa. and we had a great time as they were here several days and we did quite a lot together. It was a shame though that the weather did not cooperate as it was chilly and wet most of the time but we did manage to get a day in at Disney and we did as well do some other activities. Another day was spent with Al & Joann and we had a good time with them for a day along with several other people here in the park. Got to stop all of this eating and drinking as we will so have to buy new clothes and or start to go on a diet. We also had Mike & Kathy over for an afternoon and it was the same day as the park car show, and what a show it was as there were about 50+ cars at the park. Today we had the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at the park and the effort put forth by both of us won us 2nd place in our category and a nice gift.

February 2010

Feb. 16th so much time has gone by since we last posted. What happens is that this was originally a travel journal and since we are not traveling and sort of involved with daily chores and events it gets forgotten. We ended the last entry with the phone call, we had stated that we went to the Snowbird Extravaganza and had signed up for a lot of stuff . Well, we were called and informed that we won a cruise. We did have to go to Orlando and listen to a 90 min. sales pitch. We made a full day out of it as in the morning we went to Disney World till about 2 and then went to the meeting and after that we met with Jon’s sister, niece and their families and had supper with them, it was a full day and an enjoyable one. The next day Jon went to play golf and his foursome were to tee off second on a par three and another foursome from the park teed off in front of them, as Jon was standing behind those teeing off he witnessed a “Hole in One” what an awesome sight. One Friday we had Jon’s Aunt over for a visit and it was as enjoyable time, after that we did a little shopping and Kathleen started to get a severe migraine headache. We wound up taking her to the hospital and they administered a shot and watched her vitals for 90 minutes after that sending her home. That next day we filled her prescriptions and she remained in bed for about 20 hours that day. The following day she was fine and we went to church, that was also super bowl Sunday and we were invited to our friends place to watch it. It was a great game and we really enjoyed it, all though our hosts probably didn’t as they are from Indiana. On Tuesday the 9th Jon went to play golf and got rained out after 3 holes and also on that day Kathleen had several friends over to make casserole carriers. Later in the week we spend some time working on our costumes for the ST. Patrick’s Day parade that is here at the park. This past Sunday we had a real treat, at our church we had Shelby Dressel sing. She is currently on American Idol, we do not know how she made out and even if she is going back to Hollywood. She has orders not to say anything about the show till it’s completion, as we don’t watch AI we don’t really understand the fuss. We do know that she is a Christian and has a very beautiful voice, and is a delightful person and is from Avon Park. We wish her well in whatever she does. Later in the day we went to Downtown Disney to meet up with Jeff and Shirley, we walked around there and then we went to Capone’s for the Dinner theater show. It was a great show and we were so entertained for the evening. It was a great way to spend Valentine’s Day, but just think that 81 years ago Valentine’s day was not to good for several of Al Capone’s thugs as they were gunned down.

January 2010

Jan. 31st what a great week we just had. Along with our regular schedule we did some exciting things this week and one being on Wednesday we along with Dennis, Pat and Kate went to the Snowbird Extravaganza that was held in Lakeland, about an hour’s drive from here. It is put on by the Canadian Snowbird Association, we not being Canadian called and found out it is open to all, and what a wonderful time we had. The doors opened just as we got there a 9 AM and we went through the vendor’s area picking up information and ideas, and also signing up for free prizes that cover a host of things, mostly to get you on a mailing list. At 10 AM we went to one of the three areas that were set up for entertainment and we didn’t have to move as every 30 minutes a new act came on stage. We did move between 2:30 and 3 PM to go to a different stage area to see a few acts that weren’t held in the area we were at. This went on till 4:00 when everything shut down, and all this was free and the only cost was $5 for parking. After the show we did some shopping and then went out for supper at a great little fish camp and had some great food. On Thursday evening we had a great Ham & Bean dinner soup here at the resort. Friday evening we went to a local YFC dinner and it was so refreshing to see and hear a lot of the stories of the youth in the area. Here in Highlands County the local YFC has access to the schools and it is a great way to introduce God to their lives. We have been going to our local church for over a year and during that time we knew our Director of Student Ministries, but it turns out we didn’t know him at all. He was involved with some of the events on the stage and we saw how the young people were drawn to him and he to them as well. We knew that he was a very good football player in college. We did a web search on him and we came to find out that he is the lead singer in a Christian Rock band that does concerts all over the country and that just last year they had a song that was number one on the charts in Christian Rock music. He really is a great fellow and we are happy to have him in our church. On Sunday after church we had Dennis, Pat and Kate come up to our place to play cards. Our original plan was to go bike riding but the weather didn’t really cooperate as it was cloudy and never got above 65 and the air was damp. We had a great time playing games as this afternoon we played Apples to Apples, around 4:30 we decided to go out to eat and went to another area eatery and enjoyed the food. There are so many places to dine out in the area we will probably never get to all of them. Oh, and by the way on the way to the restaurant Kathleen got the phone call, and as Jon is driving he couldn’t figure out why such a serious call on a Sunday afternoon, We will have to get back to you later about the call.

Jan. 24th wow does time fly or what, it has a month since we last wrote in this log. Let us start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year; we had a nice party here at the Resort, nothing like walking home after a party. We have been quite busy in our activities and also for the fact that Kathleen has come through her cataract surgery very well. She is still adjusting to not wearing glasses; she will be getting a pair that will be used mostly for reading. We have also been involved a lot with our church, in that we have been doing more with the members, and this is very good for us. Just the other day we were heading to Disney and by about 2 seconds we were in front of an accident, and because of some moves we did in the mile or two before this we know we would have been involved. As for the accident since we were in front of it and didn’t really see anything we kept going as there were a lot of cars behind it. Also in the past several weeks Jon didn’t miss any golf from the cold weather and as a matter of fact golfed a few extra times as we didn’t bowl because of Kathleen’s surgery. We did go to one of the gourmet diners here at the park and we had a great time as always For this dinner we had bought some wine down from Pa. that we were going to the Wine ‘n’ cheese event, but we double booked that day and we had the wine at the dinner. The event we had booked was to see the Calgary Fiddlers, and what a fine show they put on. They consisted of 14 fiddlers all from the ages of 14 to 18 and they knew how to play. Kathleen won a free CD by answering a question that was posed to the audience and that was “What’s the difference between a Violin and a Fiddle?” It is a great CD and we played it while we went to Okeechobee to meet up with fellow workampers and geocacher, we met along with Kate and had a nice lunch and then did several geocaches. They were just a few shy of 5000 caches and we hope that they got enough to get to that milestone. Hopefully it won’t be this long for our next entry and till then everyone have a good time. Oh!, Kathleen’s answer to the question was; “A violin has strings and a fiddle has straaannngs.”