Driveway
Clayton, NC
We left the RV Resort in Roanoke Rapids and arrived in our driveway on Sunday. It felt really odd to pull in to the old subdivision again. We have said our final goodbyes to our neighbors twice already but have returned after the house didn't close each time. Really, really odd.
Another odd thing happened on Friday while sitting outside at the park in RoRap. A couple was out for their evening stroll and the woman asked if I had a blog. Well I said yes and she said that she was a follower although more of a lurker. Bonnie and Richard have their house in NJ on the market and they are on their way to Texas to go to the RV Dreams Rally. Another small world moment in the rv lifestyle. We chatted for a while and enjoyed their company. Hope their Mifi is doing well now.
Yesterday we sold our kayaks. Let me back track a bit. Gin checked Craigslist a few days ago to see how many were for sell and what would be a good price to ask. As it turned out, someone had posted a "want to buy" ad for our exact models and they lived only a couple of miles from our house. After emails were exchanged, Gayle came over and ended up buying both of them and our two hullavators. We plan to replace them with a Seaeagle Paddle Ski soon. It was so nice to get them off of the roof of the Suki. It looked so sleek. We took the opportunity to give it a full body spa treatment today (wash and wax and vacuum). I must admit though, it will be hard to find the car in the parking lot after shopping. :) Those kayaks on the roof kinda made it stick out in a crowd but now I can take it through a car wash whenever I want to. An end to an era but the Paddle Ski will suit our needs just fine.
Thanks for dropping by and enjoy each day of your life's journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.
Showing posts with label kayaks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kayaks. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Manatee and We’re Back
Lazy Days (site CD75)
Seffner, FL
Super Bowl Sunday started out so nicely. We relaxed a bit and then joined in with Sherry and David on a bike ride around the park. There’s lots of day use areas but that doesn’t keep the wildlife away. The Osprey like the tops of dead Palm trees, and Ibis populate the area like crows and pigeons do back in NC.
We saw a big lagoon with a floating flock of ducks so we stopped to watch. That’s when Gin saw something else in the water. What was it? It was so far away and none of us had binoculars. I zoomed in with my camera but couldn’t hold it steady enough to tell. We thought that it was Dolphin since they were jumping out of the water but we didn’t notice a dorsal fin. We hopped on our bikes and pedaled off road over to a picnic shelter that was closer to the swells in the water. That’s when we confirmed that it was Manatee frolicking in the water! It’s the first time that Gin and I had seen any so we didn’t expect them to come out of the water that much.
After watching them roll around some, we went back to camp since we were expecting Tricia and Dan to join us for some fun before the Super Bowl. They had just arrived. Sherry and David went back to relax at Winnona’s site while Tricia and Dan put their tandem kayak and our two boats in the back of their truck so that we could launch in nearer to the lagoon and hopefully paddle out to the Manatee. We all made it out there easily and locked oars around a “No Wake” marker and watched the show. I think there were about a half dozen or so Manatee. We did see at least three frolicking together at one time.
It was very hard to get photos because the water is not clear like it is up in some of the area springs. I loved the sound they made when they cleared the surface to breathe through their noses…snort! We each had our close encounters with these gentle giants but Dan and Tricia had the best. They are curious animals and one of them was curious enough to check out their SeaEagle. I didn’t try to take photos because I didn’t want to miss out on living the moment. This Manatee tried to suckle the boat right behind Dan and he put his hand in the water to touch it. He said that it had bad breath. We lingered out there for a couple of hours to just marvel the moment then went back to Tawanda where the six of us enjoyed some nibbles and watched a little bit of football.
Monday was a runaround day. Gin and I went to Walgreens to get her medications and over to Walmart to get tubes for some bike tires. Gin had a flat and so did Sherry. No more riding off road around here. Sherry and David joined us in the evening for some games on the XBOX 360 Kinect System. We had a fun track and field meet with Sherry bringing in the Gold.
Tuesday was travel day back to Lazydays and it was rainy. Yuck. Well at least we know that the wipers work well. We had called a few days ago to ask them to check out one of our slide toppers that was flapping excessively in the breeze so we had an appointment for Wednesday morning. A technician took a look at it and said that the material was stretched out in the middle so they are either going to order a new one or make one here on site. We told Tiffany that we need to leave here by the middle of next week to head back to NC. Hope the timing is right. Today looks like a good do-nothing day… well ok…I might make up the bed.
Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.
Seffner, FL
Super Bowl Sunday started out so nicely. We relaxed a bit and then joined in with Sherry and David on a bike ride around the park. There’s lots of day use areas but that doesn’t keep the wildlife away. The Osprey like the tops of dead Palm trees, and Ibis populate the area like crows and pigeons do back in NC.
We saw a big lagoon with a floating flock of ducks so we stopped to watch. That’s when Gin saw something else in the water. What was it? It was so far away and none of us had binoculars. I zoomed in with my camera but couldn’t hold it steady enough to tell. We thought that it was Dolphin since they were jumping out of the water but we didn’t notice a dorsal fin. We hopped on our bikes and pedaled off road over to a picnic shelter that was closer to the swells in the water. That’s when we confirmed that it was Manatee frolicking in the water! It’s the first time that Gin and I had seen any so we didn’t expect them to come out of the water that much.
After watching them roll around some, we went back to camp since we were expecting Tricia and Dan to join us for some fun before the Super Bowl. They had just arrived. Sherry and David went back to relax at Winnona’s site while Tricia and Dan put their tandem kayak and our two boats in the back of their truck so that we could launch in nearer to the lagoon and hopefully paddle out to the Manatee. We all made it out there easily and locked oars around a “No Wake” marker and watched the show. I think there were about a half dozen or so Manatee. We did see at least three frolicking together at one time.
It was very hard to get photos because the water is not clear like it is up in some of the area springs. I loved the sound they made when they cleared the surface to breathe through their noses…snort! We each had our close encounters with these gentle giants but Dan and Tricia had the best. They are curious animals and one of them was curious enough to check out their SeaEagle. I didn’t try to take photos because I didn’t want to miss out on living the moment. This Manatee tried to suckle the boat right behind Dan and he put his hand in the water to touch it. He said that it had bad breath. We lingered out there for a couple of hours to just marvel the moment then went back to Tawanda where the six of us enjoyed some nibbles and watched a little bit of football.
Monday was a runaround day. Gin and I went to Walgreens to get her medications and over to Walmart to get tubes for some bike tires. Gin had a flat and so did Sherry. No more riding off road around here. Sherry and David joined us in the evening for some games on the XBOX 360 Kinect System. We had a fun track and field meet with Sherry bringing in the Gold.
Tuesday was travel day back to Lazydays and it was rainy. Yuck. Well at least we know that the wipers work well. We had called a few days ago to ask them to check out one of our slide toppers that was flapping excessively in the breeze so we had an appointment for Wednesday morning. A technician took a look at it and said that the material was stretched out in the middle so they are either going to order a new one or make one here on site. We told Tiffany that we need to leave here by the middle of next week to head back to NC. Hope the timing is right. Today looks like a good do-nothing day… well ok…I might make up the bed.
Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Back to Nature
Tampa Bay Area (site #55)
On Thursday we got our release papers from Lazydays. While we enjoyed our stay there, we were ready to get back to a quieter more natural CG. We gave Don and Jinny a hug and told Tiffany that we were going to stay in the area a few days in case anything popped up. We hooked up and drove Tawanda for the first time. She is one smooth ride! It will take me a while to get used to her, but I like driving her. We got an email from our realtor and we have put the house back on the market. That changes things as for as our travels the next few months but it is what it is.
Friday was a very laid back day. We basically just went to the supermarket and hung out with Sherry and David back at camp. They are here too for a few days. It’s been great visiting with them again. We called Tricia and Dan who are staying at a nearby SP and invited them over for a paddle since we are waterfront on Tampa Bay.
We all got our boats out on Saturday and enjoyed a gentle breeze while we paddled amongst the mangrove.
We saw a lot of birds in the mangroves, but I’m sure that for each one that we spotted, there were probably a dozen more that we didn’t see. Here’s a Great Blue Heron, an immature Little Blue Heron, a Snowy Egret, and a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron.
On Thursday we got our release papers from Lazydays. While we enjoyed our stay there, we were ready to get back to a quieter more natural CG. We gave Don and Jinny a hug and told Tiffany that we were going to stay in the area a few days in case anything popped up. We hooked up and drove Tawanda for the first time. She is one smooth ride! It will take me a while to get used to her, but I like driving her. We got an email from our realtor and we have put the house back on the market. That changes things as for as our travels the next few months but it is what it is.
Friday was a very laid back day. We basically just went to the supermarket and hung out with Sherry and David back at camp. They are here too for a few days. It’s been great visiting with them again. We called Tricia and Dan who are staying at a nearby SP and invited them over for a paddle since we are waterfront on Tampa Bay.
We all got our boats out on Saturday and enjoyed a gentle breeze while we paddled amongst the mangrove.
We saw a lot of birds in the mangroves, but I’m sure that for each one that we spotted, there were probably a dozen more that we didn’t see. Here’s a Great Blue Heron, an immature Little Blue Heron, a Snowy Egret, and a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron.
We paddled around a point and there were a few of these American Oystercatchers.
Further on down a canal, I heard some splashes in the water. It was just under this Pelican. He had just relieved himself so that he could get comfy in the top of the tree.
Wildlife, calm waters to paddle, and great friends to share it with. It just doesn’t get much better! Today we plan to pedal around the park some with Sherry and David. Dan and Tricia plan to come over with their bicycles too and we’ll all relax and watch the Super Bowl commercials. Who knows what all we’ll get into.
Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Meeting Tawanda and a River Paddle
Hillsborough River SP (site #35)
Thonotosassa Fl
Monday morning we finally met TAWANDA. She’s beautiful and I think she likes us, at least by our first impression. Lazydays is huge!! There are over 500 employees and we were welcomed nicely. Our salesman Joe Coupas showed us around in a golf cart. Since we are buying a nice DP, we will be in their Crown Club for 3 years. We might be a little out of our element because we ain’t fancy folks, but I’m gonna enjoy the highlife for a few days anyway. Of course, I forgot the camera but I’ll get some shots next week. Back at camp, one of our furry neighbors was checking out Wanda.
In the afternoon we went for a paddle on the Hillsborough River with Howard and Linda. I did remember the camera for that. It was so peaceful!! It was definitely time in Sylville.
We heard that there were some alligators sunning themselves in the other direction so we paddled downstream and found them. Don’t worry. We kept our distance, but Howard wanted to get close…Linda, not so much.
Thonotosassa Fl
Monday morning we finally met TAWANDA. She’s beautiful and I think she likes us, at least by our first impression. Lazydays is huge!! There are over 500 employees and we were welcomed nicely. Our salesman Joe Coupas showed us around in a golf cart. Since we are buying a nice DP, we will be in their Crown Club for 3 years. We might be a little out of our element because we ain’t fancy folks, but I’m gonna enjoy the highlife for a few days anyway. Of course, I forgot the camera but I’ll get some shots next week. Back at camp, one of our furry neighbors was checking out Wanda.
In the afternoon we went for a paddle on the Hillsborough River with Howard and Linda. I did remember the camera for that. It was so peaceful!! It was definitely time in Sylville.
We heard that there were some alligators sunning themselves in the other direction so we paddled downstream and found them. Don’t worry. We kept our distance, but Howard wanted to get close…Linda, not so much.
After getting the boats put away, H&L came over to join us for a nice steak dinner. We realize that going to a couple of their Rallies was the best thing we’ve ever done. We had planned on full-timing before we ran across their website, but we have gleaned a lot of information from it. The rallies gave us the opportunity to meet some of the best lifelong friends that we’ll ever have. Life doesn’t get much better.
Life is what you make of it…enjoy the little things in each day.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Causeway Birds
Huntington Beach State Park (site #21)
Murrell’s Inlet, SC
I just had to get some more pictures from the causeway to share with everyone. There are so many migratory birds here but the easiest to catch are the Egrets. They love to pose.
I had not noticed this heron before. It’s a Tricolored Heron and he was looking for lunch.
There are lots of different ducks that I can’t figure out one from the other. I had a blurred picture of a Bufflehead but I think this shot of a pair of Hooded Mergansers came out pretty good.
We all got together with Bill and Nancy on Thursday and went for another paddle. We were on the Waccamaw River again using a boat landing at Highway 9 near Longs, SC. It was more traffic noise but it was a pretty day meandering along in the kayaks.
On Friday evening, Gin and I along with Dan and Tricia again gathered at Bill and Nancy’s house and we went out for dinner at Capriz in the Broadway on the Beach shopping center in Myrtle Beach. Afterwards, we walked around to see the shops and lights. It was delicious food and great company.
The time for us to leave is drawing near but we have really enjoyed our time at a great campground and time with great friends. If anyone is travelling anywhere near this area, take the time to spend a few days here. We love the beach and the causeway birds.
We will go back to NC to spend time with our families for Christmas and then get the paperwork done on the house. We can hardly wait to get that straight so that we can go to Florida to get a new MH!
Life is what you make of it…today is tomorrow’s yesterday.
Murrell’s Inlet, SC
I just had to get some more pictures from the causeway to share with everyone. There are so many migratory birds here but the easiest to catch are the Egrets. They love to pose.
I had not noticed this heron before. It’s a Tricolored Heron and he was looking for lunch.
There are lots of different ducks that I can’t figure out one from the other. I had a blurred picture of a Bufflehead but I think this shot of a pair of Hooded Mergansers came out pretty good.
We all got together with Bill and Nancy on Thursday and went for another paddle. We were on the Waccamaw River again using a boat landing at Highway 9 near Longs, SC. It was more traffic noise but it was a pretty day meandering along in the kayaks.
On Friday evening, Gin and I along with Dan and Tricia again gathered at Bill and Nancy’s house and we went out for dinner at Capriz in the Broadway on the Beach shopping center in Myrtle Beach. Afterwards, we walked around to see the shops and lights. It was delicious food and great company.
The time for us to leave is drawing near but we have really enjoyed our time at a great campground and time with great friends. If anyone is travelling anywhere near this area, take the time to spend a few days here. We love the beach and the causeway birds.
We will go back to NC to spend time with our families for Christmas and then get the paperwork done on the house. We can hardly wait to get that straight so that we can go to Florida to get a new MH!
Life is what you make of it…today is tomorrow’s yesterday.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Huntington Beach State Park
Huntington Beach State Park (site #21)
Murrells Inlet, SC
I have been lazy and just living in the moment, but I said that I would share some pictures of this beautiful cg. This is the site that we are on. It would be a great place to have a Carolina Clan get together.
Notice the Santa hat on Wanda. We copied Jim and Linda on that one.
I love the wildlife here. When you drive over the causeway to get to the park, you will see all kinds of birds and often times see an alligator. There are a couple of sandbar islands that are popular places for the birds to preen and just show off their beauty.
There is another causeway leading to Atalaya, (the Moorish style castle that was the winter home for the Huntington’s) that is not open to vehicle traffic. It is harder to see the water around it due to the bushes and trees, but the alligators like it here better. Flocks of ducks and other migratory birds use this area as a good stop over.
On Sunday, we got together with Nancy and Bill and Tricia and Dan to do a bit of kayaking on the Waccamaw River Intracoastal Waterway. It was a great afternoon with great friends!
The Enterprise Boat Landing is surrounded by a Wildlife Refuge so it is a beautiful natural setting. We saw several of these huge old trees all around and kept looking for gators along the shore.
We did finally see an Osprey with his fish dinner (click on the photos to enlarge) thanks to Nancy’s sharp eyes.
As I said in the beginning of this post, we have enjoyed living in the moment. I think that we can handle this lifestyle once the house sale is finalized. Speaking of which, we went back to Clayton for 24 hours to take care of some of the items listed by the inspector. I had a dental appointment too so that worked out ok but, it was a long drive there and back. We’re planning to relax around camp again today…
Life is what you make of it... don’t stress out on the little things.
Murrells Inlet, SC
I have been lazy and just living in the moment, but I said that I would share some pictures of this beautiful cg. This is the site that we are on. It would be a great place to have a Carolina Clan get together.
Notice the Santa hat on Wanda. We copied Jim and Linda on that one.
I love the wildlife here. When you drive over the causeway to get to the park, you will see all kinds of birds and often times see an alligator. There are a couple of sandbar islands that are popular places for the birds to preen and just show off their beauty.
There is another causeway leading to Atalaya, (the Moorish style castle that was the winter home for the Huntington’s) that is not open to vehicle traffic. It is harder to see the water around it due to the bushes and trees, but the alligators like it here better. Flocks of ducks and other migratory birds use this area as a good stop over.
On Sunday, we got together with Nancy and Bill and Tricia and Dan to do a bit of kayaking on the Waccamaw River Intracoastal Waterway. It was a great afternoon with great friends!
The Enterprise Boat Landing is surrounded by a Wildlife Refuge so it is a beautiful natural setting. We saw several of these huge old trees all around and kept looking for gators along the shore.
We did finally see an Osprey with his fish dinner (click on the photos to enlarge) thanks to Nancy’s sharp eyes.
As I said in the beginning of this post, we have enjoyed living in the moment. I think that we can handle this lifestyle once the house sale is finalized. Speaking of which, we went back to Clayton for 24 hours to take care of some of the items listed by the inspector. I had a dental appointment too so that worked out ok but, it was a long drive there and back. We’re planning to relax around camp again today…
Life is what you make of it... don’t stress out on the little things.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
More CC Fun and Leaving
Cheraw State Park (site#15)
Cheraw, SC
The rest of the Carolina Clan arrived to play on Friday including Laura and Bruce, and Nancy and Bill, and Steve and Evin. They didn’t waste any time getting their boats wet.
Gin and I were still sore from our first paddle so we rested while just about everyone else went out. Group shot…
We enjoyed a potluck dinner at Bill and Nancy’s site and some ice cream by the campfire and of course, a ton of laughter. My abs felt like I had done 50 sit ups. No wonder why they say laughter is the best medicine.
Tricia’s son and DiL, Brandon and Amanda, and her sister and Bil, Cathy and Bruce, joined in for the fun weekend. I’m just glad that they were warned about how silly this group can be. For instance, there is a George Foreman grill that hasn’t found a home yet. Check Gail's post of the weekend for a great wrap up.
Saturday morning, a lot of folks took a hike but I didn’t join in. We had washed and waxed Wanda last week so I had gone up and down the ladder too much for my crunchy knees to handle. We all went on a moonlit paddle led by a Park Ranger. There were over 20 boats and we had glow sticks attached to the front and rear of each boat. It was very neat, especially when a beaver slapped it’s tail right beside Gin’s boat. It even hit her paddle.
Sunday was departure day for Bruce and Laura, and Ray and Kris. They had to return to work. Hang in there guys. Retirement income certainly makes fulltiming a lot less stressful. We had our last group campfire at Bill and Nancy’s site and enjoyed some roasted marsh mallows.
Monday was departure day for Bill and Nancy and today was Gail and Rick’s departure day. It’s much quieter here and we are about caught up on our naps. Dan and Tricia, and Paul and Jill plan to leave tomorrow and we plan to have one more day before we hit the road. We may even take one more paddle around the lake. Needless to say, this has been a wonderful gathering.
Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.
Cheraw, SC
The rest of the Carolina Clan arrived to play on Friday including Laura and Bruce, and Nancy and Bill, and Steve and Evin. They didn’t waste any time getting their boats wet.
Gin and I were still sore from our first paddle so we rested while just about everyone else went out. Group shot…
We enjoyed a potluck dinner at Bill and Nancy’s site and some ice cream by the campfire and of course, a ton of laughter. My abs felt like I had done 50 sit ups. No wonder why they say laughter is the best medicine.
Tricia’s son and DiL, Brandon and Amanda, and her sister and Bil, Cathy and Bruce, joined in for the fun weekend. I’m just glad that they were warned about how silly this group can be. For instance, there is a George Foreman grill that hasn’t found a home yet. Check Gail's post of the weekend for a great wrap up.
Saturday morning, a lot of folks took a hike but I didn’t join in. We had washed and waxed Wanda last week so I had gone up and down the ladder too much for my crunchy knees to handle. We all went on a moonlit paddle led by a Park Ranger. There were over 20 boats and we had glow sticks attached to the front and rear of each boat. It was very neat, especially when a beaver slapped it’s tail right beside Gin’s boat. It even hit her paddle.
Sunday was departure day for Bruce and Laura, and Ray and Kris. They had to return to work. Hang in there guys. Retirement income certainly makes fulltiming a lot less stressful. We had our last group campfire at Bill and Nancy’s site and enjoyed some roasted marsh mallows.
Monday was departure day for Bill and Nancy and today was Gail and Rick’s departure day. It’s much quieter here and we are about caught up on our naps. Dan and Tricia, and Paul and Jill plan to leave tomorrow and we plan to have one more day before we hit the road. We may even take one more paddle around the lake. Needless to say, this has been a wonderful gathering.
Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)