Oh La La.......We Love the Gulf Coast

We couldn't stand being around all of this good smelling salt water so we took off last Friday for Tampa. We made a stop over in Ocala and picked up our boat and dropped off the Razor. Had a great weekend visit with Marianne, Kevin and of course Jackson and returned to Panama City on Monday. We have spent the last two days out on East Bay fishing our little hearts out. Bruce went with us yesterday and we caught enough keeper trout for a good dinner. Didn't see one other fisherman the entire day out in East Bay. How peaceful to have the solitude on the water, and to be able to drive the boat by water to Bruce's house and our neighborhood to pick him up for a day on the water. Fran picked him up at the campground after she got off work and we had a great dinner of teriyaki meatballs, stir fry vegetables, homemade bread (of course) and rice. Yes, Life Is Good Today. The word in the Tyndall Fam Camp Campground every day is....did you see the bear last night? This bear comes into the campground every night to check the dumpster. The campground is quite populated and on the busy Highway 98. It is just a matter of time before this bear discovers the wonderful barbecue grills gracing his landscape. Somebody is going to get hurt and it is not going to be the bear's fault. These campers have bragged about being only 10 feet from him. That is too close. Oh well....certainly wish they would trap and transport to the poor fellow to a safer location. We are telling ourselves that we are going to complete our "chores" today before we fish again.

Tyndall Air Force Base Fam Camp, Panama City

We left Elijah Clark on Monday for long slow drive southwest to Panama City. We are back at the Tyndall Air Force Base Fam Camp where we used to visit at least 2 weekends a month when we still lived in Atlanta. It is still the same and as beautiful as it ever was. We enjoyed dinner last night at Rodeo's with our friends and neighbors, Bruce and Fran. It is so wonderful to be with them again laughing out loud at anything and everything. Billy is currently at the Bay County Municipal Building getting the required permits to put electricity on our new property. Seems we have to register an address first.......going through the process. I have gotten on this new kick that we are going to eat better, cheaper and healthier. After a few missteps I searched for and purchased a bread machine yesterday that makes EVERY type bread plus jams and preserves. That's what I am talking about..... The bread machine provides me with a portable oven big enough to cook a loaf of bread and it doesn't heat up my house so much while baking. My first loaf was a failure. I made a nutty whole wheat bread but it didn't taste so good because it needed salt. Currently, I am dicing it, baking it and making fresh croutons and bread crumbs. The croutons will taste great dipped in the hot pimento cheese dip that I made last week! It feels strange to be a paying customer in a campground. I feel like I need to "clean up" as I walk around the campground. It REALLY feels strange to have to pay to stay in a campground. I would so much rather be a HOST! Life Is Good Today. Thanks for stopping by......

Bluegrass Weekend at Elijah Clark State Park

Wow! Billy and I had an awful time last week fighting fevers. I think we have finally recovered. I had an appointment with my surgeon on Thurs. I was disappointed to be scolded to keep my arm in a sling for another month at least, not to exercise it at all, not to lift anything heavier than a coffee cup and not to pull it away from shoulder. Do I need to say that Billy as my hair stylist is very lacking? We started off with the three day bluegrass festival last night. Caroline, Sam, Phil and Lincoln came to enjoy the music and some barbecue topped off with a red velvet cake for Caroline's birthday. The boys thought it was great fun to take $5 each to the festival. They ended up buying Hawaiian Shaved Ice and nachos. I think Phil was anxious to see "Our" Hannah sing the National Anthem, and she certainly didn't disappoint us. A beautiful girl! We were disappointed that Brandon, Lori and the girls couldn't come visit but with the high state of alert Brandon is tied up with work. Billy and I have completed our 2 hours work today at the festival (just behind our motor home), so we plan to enjoy the music relaxing from our porch this evening. It's a difficult job, but somebody has to do it. LOL If all goes as planned we intend to break camp here early Monday morning and slowly make our way to Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City. I will be driving behind Billy and towing the razor so it will be a slow go with one arm. Life is Good Today. It broke my heart to say goodbye to those boys a moment ago. I had a weepy moment after we went to bed last night and Billy promised me that I could come see them any weekends I wanted.

Trying to Motivate my Lazy Self

After "entertaining" our full campground over the Labor Day weekend I had surgery on my left shoulder in hopes of preventing it from dislocating all the time. Wow! It surely does hurt!!!!!! I am thankful that I went to Rock Hill and spent the day with my brother and Mary Ann before the surgery. Surely wish I could have stayed longer. Billy came down with the flu on the second day after my surgery so we have been a sorry "mess" here. Feels like we are barely hanging in there! LOL! Also, prior to my shoulder surgery I was able to gather and burn piles of limbs that were scattered around the park. Having a burn pile in a State Park gives a whole new dimension to yard work. Sunday we went to visit with Caroline and the boys for the afternoon. We are certainly going to miss those sweet boys. Short blog......not much energy.....too much to get done.....But still......"Life is Good Today!"

Lincoln has got ATTITUDE. I love it!