When I opened my blog to start this entry, I realized how lazy I had become. Either that, or I hadn't been doing anything worthy of documenting. However, every day should be treated as it's special, so I'll give a quick synopsis of what's been going on since our Valentine's Day bash. A lot of time was spent in the pool, a trip out to Colorado for a week to babysit, a couple of trips to see “The Mouse” with friend, Amanda, a couple of lunch dates with friend, Tricia andtoo many doctor and vet appointments filled most of my days. Friends Kristin and Rob flew down to FL a few times and during one of their trips the subject came up that I liked to make cards. Then, almost out of nowhere, Kristin "commissioned" me to make Thank You cards for her daughter's upcoming bridal shower. I hadn't made any cards in a long time and all of my supplies were up north, but the thought of tapping into my creative side sparked an interest, so I agreed with eager anticipation. I didn't realize how much I had missed crafting and this project catapulted me into creative heaven. A few trips to the craft store had me well-supplied and on the "production line." It felt good. It also helped to fill the days while George worked lots of hours at Lowe’s. His little part-time hobby has started to resemble a full-time job. Here is a sampling of the cards I've made:
Rainy days seem to have me making sympathy cards.
We arrived in NY the beginning of June and had plans to take a few weeks to explore some of upstate NY's treasures, including Niagara Falls, the beautiful Finger Lakes Region, Letchworth State Park and Lake George. I’ve lived all of my life in NYS and it dawned on me that in my 60+ years, I have traveled so little within the “Empire State.” While I have a lot of negative feelings towards NY – in particular, the taxes and Governor Andrew Cuomo, I had visited some very beautiful places over the years and wanted to visit and re-visit some this summer.
Croton Point Park is our NY home base, and it has changed very little since our last visit. It is still in desperate need of some TLC and better management. It is a beautiful location, situated on a peninsula that juts out into the majestic Hudson River and depending upon the time of year, you can view owls, eagles, red-tailed hawks and woodpeckers, along with a multitude of song birds, such as warblers, cardinals, robins, wrens and sparrows. The park is also host to coyotes, fox, rabbits, deer, squirrels and a group of feral cats of which I find myself getting too attached. We are in site 47, which has us nestled beneath two pine trees. After the blasting sun in Florida, the shade was a welcome respite. Although only 30 amps and low water pressure, we were enjoying our little piece of the park to the fullest. As time passed, pine needles and dripping sap made a mess of the roof of the RV and ground. We have plans to move to a different site, but can't do so until September 1st. The 2018 vacation began on August 1st when we hooked up in the parking lot on a day threatening heavy rains and storms. We headed out for Stop #1 of five: Cayuga State Park in Seneca Falls.
The photo speaks for itself......We're the little Blue Dot.
Stop #1, - Two nights at Cayuga Lake State
Park, in Seneca Falls. It was a lovely park and campground that provided us
with water, electric, nice showers and was conveniently located at the top of Seneca Lake, the longest of the Finger Lakes. It’s also smack dab in the center of
wine country – my favorite type of country.
Tents
Cabins
Little Miss parked at the end of the road
Dumpsters - Cayuga...vs..
Croton Point Park Dumpsters.....
Lake Seneca Welcome Center
Lake Seneca-very cloudy day, but a welcome break from the rain.
We still haven't mastered "The Selfie."
Very common site in our travels, but I never saw these in such perfect bloom before.
Welcome Center lunch - where you can even buy a glass of local wine!
Lunch along the lake.
One of the best photos I took on the trip...Driver's Ed car...must have been after the "Parking" instruction.
We were able to visit three vineyards while in the area: Ventosa, Fox Run and 3 Brothers Winery. I stocked up with at least a bottle or two from each one. I can't wait to sort out all the wines and my tasting notes.
Ventosa Vineyard-wish they gave you the glass....
3 Brothers Winery
To be continued...with Stop #2, Niagara Falls.
Deep thought for the day: Find JOY in the little things. I find I get too caught up on the trivial things. We all need to focus on the PRESENT.....the actual gift that is TODAY. ~vc
"Howwwww-dy" to all the dedicated followers of my blog. Yes, all seven of you. As you know, it's been FOREVER since my last entry, which was from way back in the spring of 2017. I'll eventually finish up my draft of our "Summer Sojourn," but for now, I'm feeling creative so I'll try to generate something worth reading now.
Yesterday was Valentine's Day and George and I hosted our first official, big bash, dinner party on our pretty little piece of heaven here in Florida. We started with a small list of tried-and-true friends and little by little my list grew to allow us to fill our lot with old, new, newer and newest friends who melded together ever-so-smoothly.
I'm my own worst critic, but even I have to admit the night was totally enjoyable, made possible by the food, the friends and fun. Can't beat that combo.
Thanks to Charlie, one of the "old" (Webster Dictionary Definition: adjective - long-time) friends, a photo documentary of the evening follows. Today, I had a less-busy day than he, therefore the publishing of my blog entry will beat out his, however, it's his photos that will tell the actual story in the end. A huge thank you, Charlie, the longest-known friend of the bunch.
This first group of photos consists of the appetizers. I came to find out that, in the future, I need to instruct my friends to NOT make spectacular "main course" appetizers.
Veggie "Pizza"
Spinach Dip
Dungeness Crab Dip
Uh, just a little Italian Antipasti....
Picured left, Amanda. Not pictured: Amanda's delicious appetizer - just simple rounds of Polenta topped with caramelized onions, cranberry jam and goat cheese. OMG - simple, yeah. The caramelized onions alone took 8 hours in a crock pot and the homemade cranberry jam...yummmmm Remember folks, we're living out of RVs. There were leftovers of this app, but I ate those before composing this entry.
George, Tricia, Me, Connie, Randy and back of Rob's head.
Randy and Alonzo
Kristin, Connie, Ray and Leona
Bob, Rob, and Randy-not a musical trio, but entertaining, nonetheless
Tricia and Leona
Dinner followed just as the sun set. I failed to realize that it would be difficult to see the food on the black tablecloth. A handy-dandy flashlight saved us from having to feel our way down the table of food.
Meat sizzling on the monster grill
Surf....
and turf.
Healthy sides: Green and yellow squash, mushrooms and onions.
Craig, The "Great Grill Master." I heard a comment that he resembled Mark Wahlbergh and that he smelled good.
Kristin and Connie
Leona, Bob, Kristin, Alonzo and the back of Amanda's head.
"Fair Weather" friends. Me, Tricia and Charlie.
Last, but not least, Kathy!
Tricia's Crumb Cake
Tricia's back-up cake, just in case the crumb cake was a flop - it wasn't
Recreation of the bride cutting the cake. PS: Husband waiting for a piece - of cake!!!
Kathy's Healthy and Tasty Fruit Salad
Connie's "Cupcake Lover's Heaven."
Lucy, the only one happy to see the night come to an end.
At the end of our official "first big bash," we got the site cleaned up with "a little help from our friends." Miss Priss (AKA Lucy) was the only one happy to see the night come to a close. She was hankering pretty badly for her daddy's lap.
Now to start planning the next.....
Deep thought for the day: It's the friends we meet along the way that helps us appreciate the journey. ~ Unknown source.
Springtime in Florida is very different from those I've experienced in New York. This past winter and beginning of spring has found us with very warm temperatures (85+) and lots of pollen in the air. The lack of rain doesn't help our allergies either.
Up north, we would witness blooming flowers, such as crocus, tulips and daffodils. The forsythia and flowering pear tree would be splashing yellow and white across the deepening green lawn. There is a true sense of "re-birth" and "cleansing" after a cold and dreary winter.
During this time, you see more people venturing outside for longer periods of time and neighborhood friendships are rekindled and renewed. Opening windows and doors to let in the fresh crisp air is a welcome relief after the always-too-long hibernation period.
In Florida, I discovered the opposite to be true. During the winter and early spring, flowers and trees bloom, people are out and about at all times. Windows and doors are flung open to accept the welcome breezes, that is, UNTIL springtime arrives in full force.
With the shift in weather and the approaching holidays,most of the residents at our resort begin to head north around April, north towards their summer homes in Canada, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Connecticut or New York. Most will return in the fall once the putrid heat begins to wane. Until then, windows and doors are closed against the oppressive heatand neighbors hibernate when not in the 88 degree swimming pool. Let's just say it's a different world down south in springtime.
Good thing we had the Jeep.
With a beautiful day in store today, George and I decided to experience a "first." We went blueberry picking at Southern Hill Farms, about 15 minutes north of us. Due to major construction in the area, we needed to take a detour down a long, dusty, unpaved road to reach the farm. We spent about two hours walking up and down about a dozen perfectly straight rows of blueberry bushes, pulling off the sweet fruit and placing them into our buckets (when not in our mouths). I never knew there were so many different types of blueberries! The berry picking became an obsession and I wanted to fill my bucket to the tippity-top.
We picked over five pounds worth of four, out of the 10, varieties offered at the farm:
Flicker - large, firm and excellent flavor
Meadowlark - large, crisp, firm berry with excellent blush
Scintilla - very sweet, tastes like candy
Chickadee - medium sized, semi-sweet flavor
The mixed berries.
When all the berries are mixed up, the combination of flavors is amazing. My dinner this evening was blueberry pancakes topped with blueberries and tomorrow's breakfast will be oatmeal with blueberries and local raw honey. Three pounds have been packaged for the freezer and the remainder will be shared with friends and/or eaten right away.
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. We will be spending it quietly. Perhaps a swim in the pool for me, sleeping late for George, and a can of Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets for Lucy. A stop at friends' for dessert (I'll bring blueberries) will end our Sunday.
Speaking of Miss Lucy, she is hanging in. We're hoping to celebrate her 15th birthday here on June 15th. She constantly amazes us with frequent bouts of "kitten-like" behavior and continues to make us smile. My sweet little girl...her new "habit" is actually an old one. When I first got her, she used to get in the shower and lick the water. She just started doing that again after over 10 years.
Days are warm, sun is bright, breezes blow...life is good.
Deep thought for the day: No two people walk exactly the same path. One may look up, while one looks down. Each observes a different view and feeling. Life is unique. Enjoy each moment and don't forget to stop briefly to look, smell, listen and perhaps, pop a blueberry in your mouth. ~vc
Well, well, well....It's been quite a span of time since I sat down to compose a blog entry, which was mainly caused by my biggest obstacle - tortuously slow wi-fi here at Elite. After complaining and whining to George for over six weeks while watching my screen attempt to open up my browser, open an email, download or upload, I bit the bullet and ordered Internet from the local service provider, Spectrum. Now, I'm once more spoiled with dedicated, high-speed Internet connectivity! One of my tag lines reads, "Life is Beautiful," and now, it's beautifully FAST. Ahhh. The little things that make me smile.
We have spent the majority of our time here in Florida enjoying the bright sunshine, warm weather, listening to the mocking birds' endless impressions, continuing the upgrades to our lot and enjoying the company of friends - mostly New Yorkers!
Today finds us enjoying a much-welcomed rainy day. The grass is sucking it up faster than it can reach the ground due to continued drought conditions in Central Florida. All of the retention ponds are either dried up or look like small puddles, so you shouldn't hear too many complaints about the clouds and drizzle.
Since the conditions are so dry, the fire departments conduct regular "controlled burns" to eliminate, what they categorize as, "potential fuel," which is actually multiple acres of dead trees, branches and over-growth. While there is controversy about the practice, it does make sense to eliminate it prior to a lightening strike or human induced fire, but the smell can be disturbing when it's close to our vicinity.
To change to a prettier subject, the Mocking Birds are an interesting absurdity and distraction. Most people here complain about their constant daytime and nocturnal singing, but it is the only bird I ever hear in this area, so if I had to pick one bird, it might as well be one that can mimic dozens of birds.
Mocking Birds are about 7" long, mate for life and live about eight
years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. They are the State
bird of Florida and males do most of the singing. Amazingly, a male bird was once
observed to have a repertoire of over 200 different bird songs.
Click below to hear the Florida State Bird in action.
Our lot is coming along quite nicely thanks to the fact that George got a job at a local Lowe's store. We purchased a bunch of stuff utilizing his Employee Discount Card and ended up spending his first four paychecks even before receiving the first! Here are a few before and after shots...
"Before"
"After"
Better photo of "After"
Dim-able lights.
Not pictured on the lot, but our new Griddle Grill.....So far, loving it. Made some wicked bacon and eggs on it.
The new job at Lowe's is going well. George likes the fact of "having a reason to get up and get going," which he was beginning to actually miss since retiring. I've made it a point of setting an alarm and getting up earlier also. Today, the extra time and rain afforded me the opportunity to share this update.
Besides by beautiful metal crane depicted above, here are a couple of other "new additions" to the lot.
New Red Hibiscus and two wooden & metal birds.
George's choice: Yellow Hibiscus with red center along with a fern and Croton Plant.
That's it from beautiful, rainy, cloudy Florida. Hope all is well with whoever reads this entry and whatever you need is being provided to you this day.
Deep thought for the day: Credit goes to the talented David Ruffin of The Temptations, "You may find it hard to understand, how I wish it would rain."
PS: R.I.P: Kathy Merz's mom (whom I unfortunately never had the chance to meet) and Alfredo Tresgallo, a hard-working immigrant from Spain who should be the role model for all who enter this country seeking "The American Dream."
