I have purposely not posted for a few days because I was hesitant to reactivate the War Between The States! On Monday I was to drive Marianne and Kevin's car which was parked in front of our motor home to the airport to meet their flight from Raleigh. It was necessary to have their vehicle because Jackson's car seat was inside. Billy was spending the day at the VA Hospital in Tampa and was unable to come to my rescue when I needed assistance. While vacuuming the motor home I heard a loud explosion outside and at the same moment saw Marianne and Kevin's car jump up and down. Sure enough the right front tire blew out right before my eyes. I called Marianne and Kevin who had not yet left Raleigh to inquire if they had road side assistance. Triple A had to have me meet them at the front gate of the military base, and I did not have a car. I went to the campground office to ask if they had a repairman I could phone. The gentleman at the office strongly suggested that I ask my fellow neighbors for assistance first. I immediately realized that I had a problem asking my neighbors for help - all of our neighbors are to put it mildly of the "Northern persuasion." With my best Southern accent I rapped on the neighbor's door who could clearly see my blown out tire when he opened his door. I explained with sugary sweetness that I was in "a pickle and had a flat tire." A good Southern boy would have said "let me get another swig of this iced tea and I'll change that tire for you m'amm." This neighbor looked at my sad car, looked at me and boldly asked "What do you want me to do?" Being of Southern heritage I was not accustomed to straightforward answers but I mustered up the courage and replied..."Well, I want you to change that tire for me puhlease sur." To give our kind neighbor credit he responded to my request and attempted to change the tire, but the hub caps were each locked, and we didn't have a key. To cut the now long story short Billy returned safely from the VA hospital and we transferred the baby car seat to his truck and picked Marianne's family up from the airport. Later the car was towed out to be repaired which brings us to another story on another day....
Billy was accompanying the wrecker driver to the front gate of the military base when the tornado sirens began blaring at their highest decimals. After hearing "take cover immediately" a few times I cradled Maggie up under my arms and ran as fast as I could in the wind blown debris and pouring rain to our truck. We drove around the corner to the laundry room to find almost every elderly camper (you see WE are young here) in the campground trying to find a place to park so they could take cover in the laundry room. I jumped a curb and parked the truck under a clothesline but others behind me were instructed to abandon their vehicles in the middle of the road and run for cover. From the TV in the laundry room we could see that the tornado was currently hovering over MacDill AFB so I telephoned Billy to take cover. He safely parked under the pharmacy pick up window. There was some minor damage to the site three away from ours, but we were fortunate. Next time there is a weather warning I will hesitate and consider the danger of blowing debris outside before I run for cover.
Yesterday we went to Lake Okeechobee (http://lakeokeechobee.org/) to explore our options of RV parks to stay in there for the month of February. We visited the Brighton Seminole RV campground (http://www.semtribe.com/TourismAndEnterprises/Brighton/Campground.aspx) and liked it; however, we were really impressed with Twin Palms RV in Lake Port (http://www.visitglades.com/lakeport), and we are currently attempting to secure reservations there for the month of Feb. We met Ray Freeman, a fellow retired Firearms Examiner, at Cheers and Beers for lunch. Afterwards, we went out behind the restaurant and observed a weekly game ritual of "Washers." The participants were having a good clean, laid back good time. Stopped off by Ray's house and saw his flats boat, air boat, alligator gigs, and all the men toys that accompany his outdoor lifestyle. I am really looking forward to fishing from Ray's air boat. The Brighton Seminole Casino (http://www.seminolebrightoncasino.com/) is just a few miles from Twin Palms RV campground, and I am looking forward to playing the slots again!
We returned to Tampa to pick up Marianne, Kevin and Jackson to retrieve their now fixed vehicle. They treated us to a wonderful dinner at Cracker Barrel, and we got to spend more time with Jackson. He just the sweetest. So for today and the coming days I think Billy and I will be busy catching up on Drs appointments, registrations, and prescriptions as we prepare to leave the "big city" for the isolation and minimalist lifestyle that we have come to enjoy. I know that I will have to find a fabric store to purchase material and notions so that I can sew for the grand babies. Certainly, as we look forward to more fishing in the Everglades and Billy will have to visit a tackle shop to shore up his fishing gear. Life is certainly Good Today.
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