Wednesday, October 31, 2012

park repairs/crane/tortoise







This is the best jack-o-lantern ever!!!!

Today I was out and about and saw the work they are doing here at the park.  They are working on the rv sites.  They are adding fill, leveling and packing it down on some of the sites here.  They are looking really good.
You can see a red mower, in the background running around keeping the grass clipped too. 
Our local Sand Crane spreading his wing.
They eat insects.  They are constantly drilling their long beaks into the sand looking for those yummy bugs.
I guess this witch was flying without lights or drinking a bit much. lol
This is a tortoise nest.  They fence them off in the park so we know where they are and will not to disturb them.  I was watching him travel across the grass and he was in the hole before I could get my camera and out the door.  I'm saying he is really fast, not that I am really slow. lol
Look really close and you can see him inside in the dark.

I must get my Halloween jokes in tonight
 


 






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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

new day

We are up and at it this morning.  We do not have anything planned and will probably just stay home. 

I enjoy doing my blog, but sometimes it is a drag because I do not have pics to post or things to say.  This started as a family and friends blog, but it is nice that others are enjoying my ramblings.  lol   I have around 50 readers everyday.  I have had readers from 7 different counties. 

I am a , as my daughter who is a teacher says, recovering teacher.  lol I am a retired teacher and when possible I like to pass on information that I think is interesting or just plain fun.  With that said I like to post the truth.  So I got a message from my daughter that said the photo of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was not taken during Sandy, but during Irene. 
 
What ever the circumstances or time it shows the dedication and honor of our brave young men and women in the service and the sacrifices they make each and every day.  And let us not forget the families.  I know my son's family has been without their husband and father for almost 2 years now and they really miss him.   I talk with him through Skype and I know he would love to be home too. 

It has been very windy, 25 to 30 mile an hour gusts,  here today because of Sandy up North.  That is one big storm!  We did not break any records for cold here last night, but we were very close.  I know that Daytona Beach broke theirs by one degree.  We do not have any clouds today and the temperature got up to 68.  We are hoping this wind will die down tomorrow so we can go out without having to worry about where I might blow to.  

I am using my Crook Pot more these days.  I am trying a beef stew today.  I do not know if it tastes good, but the smell is driving me crazy.  You let it slowly cook for hours and that whole time it is smelling sensational.  

We did see our friends from last year the Sand Hill Cranes.  They are a very graceful beautiful bird.  We have not seen any babies, but we are a bit early for that I think.   







 
    They have very beautiful heads with the little patch of red. 

 How many horses do you see.  Very interesting pic.


Will I Live to see 80 something?

Here's something to think about.

I recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive Lab tests, he said I was doing 'fairly well' for my age. (I just turned sixty-two).

A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist asking him, 'Do you think I'll live to be 80?'

He asked, 'Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer, wine or hard liquor?

'Oh no,' I replied. 'I'm not doing drugs, either!'

Then he asked, 'Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued Ribs?

'I said, 'Not much... my former doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!'

'Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, boating, sailing, hiking, or bicycling?'

'No, I don't,' I said.

He asked, 'Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or have a lot of sex?'

'No,' I said...

He looked at me and said,.. 'Then, why do you even give a darn?
 

Monday, October 29, 2012

Sandy




This pic was taken this morning when Sandy came shore.  
TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Interesting Facts)

TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
Interesting facts about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Sentinels of the Third United States Infantry Regiment "Old Guard"
Q: How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?
A: 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
Q: How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?
A: 21 seconds, for the same reason as answer number 1.
Q: Why are his gloves wet?
A: His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.
Q: Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time, and if not, why not?
A: No, he carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.
Q: How often are the guards changed?
A: Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
Q: What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?
A: For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30".
Other requirements of the Guard:
They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. They cannot swear in public FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way.
After TWO YEARS, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.
The first SIX MONTHS of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends FIVE HOURS A DAY getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.
The Sentinels Creed:
My dedication to this sacred duty is total and wholehearted. In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I falter. And with dignity and perseverance my standard will remain perfection. Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability. It is he who commands the respect I protect. His bravery that made us so proud. Surrounded by well meaning crowds by day alone in the thoughtful peace of night, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance.
More Interesting facts about the Tomb of the Unknowns itself:
The marble for the Tomb of the Unknowns was furnished by the Vermont Marble Company of Danby, Vt. The marble is the finest and whitest of American marble, quarried from the Yule Marble Quarry located near Marble, Colorado and is called Yule Marble. The Marble for the Lincoln memorial and other famous buildings was also quarried there.
The Tomb consists of seven pieces of rectangular marble: Four pieces in sub base; weight Â- 15 tons;
One piece in base or plinth; weight Â- 16 tons;
One piece in die; weight Â- 36 tons;
One piece in cap; weight Â- 12 tons;
Carved on the East side (the front of the Tomb, which faces Washington, D.C.) is a composite of three figures, commemorative of the spirit of the Allies of World War I.
In the center of the panel stands Victory (female).
On the right side, a male figure symbolizes Valor.
On the left side stands Peace, with her palm branch to reward the devotion and sacrifice that went with courage to make the cause of righteousness triumphant.
The north and south sides are divided into three panels by Doric pilasters. In each panel is an inverted wreath.
On the west, or rear, panel (facing the Amphitheater) is inscribed:
HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD
The first Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was a sub base and a base or plinth. It was slightly smaller than the present base. This was torn away when the present Tomb was started Aug. 27, 1931. The Tomb was completed and the area opened to the public 9:15 a.m. April 9, 1932, without any ceremony.
Cost of the Tomb: $48,000
Sculptor: Thomas Hudson Jones
Architect: Lorimer Rich
Contractors: Hagerman & Harris, New York City
Inscription: Author Unknown
(Interesting Commentary)
The Third Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer has the responsibility for providing ceremonial units and honor guards for state occasions, White House social functions, public celebrations and interments at Arlington National Cemetery and standing a very formal sentry watch at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
The public is familiar with the precision of what is called "walking post" at the Tomb. There are roped off galleries where visitors can form to observe the troopers and their measured step and almost mechanically, silent rifle shoulder changes. They are relieved every hour in a very formal drill that has to be seen to be believed.
Some people think that when the Cemetery is closed to the public in the evening that this show stops. First, to the men who are dedicated to this work, it is no show. It is a "charge of honor." The formality and precision continues uninterrupted all night. During the nighttime, the drill of relief and the measured step of the on-duty sentry remain unchanged from the daylight hours. To these men, these special men, the continuity of this post is the key to the honor and respect shown to these honored dead, symbolic of all unaccounted for American combat dead. The steady rhythmic step in rain, sleet, snow, hail, heat and cold must be uninterrupted. Uninterrupted is the important part of the honor shown.
Recently, while you were sleeping, the teeth of hurricane Isabel came through this area and tore hell out of everything. We had thousands of trees down, power outages, traffic signals out, roads filled with downed limbs and "gear adrift" debris. We had flooding and the place looked like it had been the impact area of an off-shore bombardment.
The Regimental Commander of the U.S. Third Infantry sent word to the nighttime Sentry Detail to secure the post and seek shelter from the high winds, to ensure their personal safety.
THEY DISOBEYED THE ORDER!
During winds that turned over vehicles and turned debris into projectiles, the measured step continued. One fellow said "I've got buddies getting shot at in Iraq who would kick my butt if word got to them that we let them down. I sure as hell have no intention of spending my Army career being known as the damned idiot who couldn't stand a little light breeze and shirked his duty." Then he said something in response to a female reporters question regarding silly purposeless personal risk... "I wouldn't expect you to understand. It's an enlisted man's thing." God bless the rascal... In a time in our nation's history when spin and total b.s. seem to have become the accepted coin-of-the-realm, there beat hearts - the enlisted hearts we all knew and were so damn proud to be a part of - that fully understand that devotion to duty is not a part-time occupation. While we slept, we were represented by some damn fine men who fully understood their post orders and proudly went about their assigned responsibilities unseen, unrecognized and in the finest tradition of the American Enlisted Man. Folks, there's hope. The spirit that George S. Patton, Arliegh Burke and Jimmy Doolittle left us ... survives.
On the ABC evening news, it was reported recently that, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabel approaching Washington, DC, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They refused. "No way, Sir!"
Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment; it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
Very, very proud of our soldiers in uniform
This is our new home for three whole weeks.  This will be fun for us.  We are really looking forward to staying in one spot for a while.

Rog is taking the kayaks down from the car.  We are not putting the trailer together this time.  We need to take them down because it is noisy when we are going down the road and it also cuts into the gas mileage.



We saw this guy speeding across the grass when we came home from eating out.  We ate out at the restaurant we went to all the time when we were here last November.  They still had the wonderful food with the wonderful 2 for $16 with drinks for cheep too.  I am now full and happy.  

We must keep the people in the path of Sandy in our thoughts.  



 
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Sunday, October 28, 2012

cleaning and tour guide


Today we stayed close to home and did some needed deep cleaning in the kitchen.  I will work my way around the rig.  I am retired you know so I can take, oh maybe a year to deep clean the rest or maybe not do it at all.  lol

There are no pics from me on this blog today.  Letting that camera get a well deserved break.

My daughter and her son are coming out this Christmas to visit.  We have determined that they want to see the Miami, the Keys, and Everglades areas of the state.  So we will relocate our home to that area for a while.  My next job is to get together some things for us to see and do while they are there.  I am a tour guide person now.  I am not sure I like that title or job.  That is why I like to book RV caravan tours, they do all the work and we just drive and enjoy.  

Back to my job.  I have five days to fill.  I am thinking they will not be here with me ever again so I need to really do it up good.  So in the Miami area we are booking a power boat (aka speed boat) to tour Miami.  I think it will be fun and it does go to most of the places that are listed as must sees.  Head for the beach and catch some rays.  Then we will go to the Keys for a day.  Go to Pine Key and see the tiny key deer.  And then go to the porpoise or sea turtle rescue places.  We are planning on going to the end, of course.  Take a glass bottom boat to the coral reef.  Must check with grandson to see if ok because of seasickness.  Tour Key Largo and see the sights and drink a tropical drink of some kind.  Head for the beach and catch some rays.  We are also planning a day to the Everglades.  There we are planning on an air-boat ride and a visit to an alligator farm.  Then into the national park and see the sights.  In my mind that is only 3 days so I will need some input so I can get the two other days figured out. 

All this planning takes a lot of time and I am still not sure if this is what those two want to do.  I will submit my plans and see what they say and then we will do what I planned. hee hee hee







 This is not only a cute story, but who wouldn't love this absolutely beautiful rooster, "Old Butch."  This story is for my brother, Greg.  He has just started raising chickens.  There is a message for all of you other readers too.


Old Butch
John was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called 'pullets,' and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs.. He kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced. This took a lot of time, so he bought some tiny bells and attached them to his roosters. Each bell had a different tone, so he could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing. Now, he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells.

John's favorite rooster, old Butch, was a very fine specimen, but this morning he noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all! When he went to investigate, he saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover. To John's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one.

John was so proud of old Butch, he entered him in the Saint Lawrence County Fair and he became an overnight sensation among the judges.

The result was the judges not only awarded old Butch the "No Bell Piece Prize," but they also awarded him the "Pulletsurprise" as well.

Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the unsuspecting populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention.

Vote carefully this fall, as the bells are not always audible.


We need to get the feds out of education and get in the hands of the parents and teachers. 
 

Saturday, October 27, 2012

fuel

 We did not go anywhere or do anything of interest so I have no pics of interest either.  lol  But, while we are traveling along we are noticing the high gas prices and the even higher diesel prices.  This difference in price is between 40 and 60 cents per gallon.  This could really start cutting into our lives soon.  So I was wondering out loud while on the road if we should look into trading our diesel for a gas motorhome.   Rog knew the answer right away because he researched this kind of question before we purchased our diesel rig.  Well I was thinking maybe the price difference had reached critical mass and it was time to rethink stuff.  

So today I went online and googled  it and came up with the following information.

I think by now most realize that the basic diesel engine is a more efficient power plant that the conventional gasoline engine. I won't go into the technical details here, but suffice it to say that just buying a motorhome or an RV with a diesel engine can boost your rv gas mileage by 10% - 20%. How many miles per gallon can you expect from diesel motorhomes? For a mid-sized diesel motorhome you can reasonably expect 10 - 15 miles per gallon.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6475565



So now that I know we did right and there is no new RV in my future I thought I would get information on saving as much fuel as we can.
 
You have probably heard the first way to save on your RV fuel costs already. It is the same thing that you can do to save on fuel for your car. Slow down. By lowering your speed limit only 10 mph from 65 to 55, you can get around 40 percent better RV fuel economy. To put it in number terms-if you are getting 8 miles per gallon going 65 miles per hour, then you can get 12 miles per gallon going 55 miles per hour. Is that kind of RV fuel savings worth it to you? Just stay in the slower far right lane and pull to the side when traffic backs up behind you if possible and you will avoid upsetting other drivers as well.
Diesel fuel used to be a less expensive alternative to regular fuel, but this is no longer the case. However, the engine on a diesel pusher is more efficient so it may get better fuel economy than a gas powered RV of the same size.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/287431

http://iliketowastemytime.com/sites/default/files/most-expensive-luxury-rv-state-3.jpg
Expensive RV Marchi
The Most Expensive RV in the World.

An Austrian based company Marchi Mobile GmbH, makes what appears to be one of the most expensive motor homes in the world. $3,000,000 gets you the latest in automotive technologies and creature comforts.



 Anything that increases airflow through the engine of a modern, turbocharged diesel engine also improves its fuel economy. Some diesel RV owners have cotton fiber air filters installed for this reason. Check tire pressure prior to taking trips, as the correct pressure will improve fuel economy. Using cruise control can also increase the number of miles per gallon of diesel burned.

Read more: Diesel Motorhome Fuel Economy | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_7692828_diesel-motorhome-fuel-economy.html#ixzz2AWvvBYED


So there is information for you to ponder.  
Now that fuel is not the reason for a new RV I was thinking we are not big enough.  So I will google bigger and better and see what I get.  LOL  

No new are RV here. 

Aren't computers wonderful.

 




This cartoon is funny not that I have been drunk and driven anywhere.

  

Friday, October 26, 2012

Bee

We moved to a new location today.  We are here because we came into Florida a couple of days ahead of the plans we made a couple three months ago.  No big deal you just stay other places and see other things for a while.  
 We traveled the road less traveled and you see some amazing things.  I can not remember the name of the small town we are driving through where I took this beautiful pic.  The road was slow going, but we do that anyway.  There was not much traffic at all and no big rigs wanting to move out because let's face it they are trying to make a living out there.  

 
This is our new home until Monday.  We are at Bee's RV Resort just north of the Thousand Trails resort we usually stay.  

  This is the site just across the road from us.  When you are members you get the prim-o sites.  As you can see they have a lake.  Well in Florida there are lakes everywhere.  I do mean everywhere.

We have never stayed here before.  When we stay in our resort,Thousand Trails, Clermont we hear people talking about places they stay on their out times and this is one of the places they go.  We are not members of this place so we go in on our Coast-to-Coast membership for a very reduced price.  Usually we go about 70 miles south to another Thousand Trails resort for our out time.  That is one of our parks and it costs us nothing to stay.  But, like I mentioned we are a little ahead of ourselves so we are here until Monday then we move to the Clermont resort for 3 weeks.  Wow, that will seem like forever to us.  

I needed to get my prescription filled and the last dr. renewed it for the last time without me seeing him again.  Well, I did not really like him, could not understand him because of his accent and did not want to see him again so I thought I would try urgent care and see what would happen.  Well, long story short I got me a new prescription.  Urgent care is the best and cost so much less and I can understand the doc!!!!! 

Wow!! what a novel idea.  Not wait until it is passed and then maybe read it.  In the mean time we are stuck with some really really bad laws and bullsh*t to quote our "presidential" president.  What a wonderful representative of our great country.???


 One has to wonder if this isn't how it is done.

 Hummmmm  I just can't get my head around this.

 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Sandy and Homosassa Park again

We headed out this morning and thought we would kayak in the Gulf of Mexico.  Well, the weather was a bit messy with hurricane Sandy out there.  The day has been overcast and windy and we even had some rain.  So we decided that we had no business being out in the open seas is a very small boat even though the hurricane was on the other side of a skinny state.    The pic above is the gulf.  We were watching the birds in the area and they were all standing along the beach.  It appeared they had decided that today was a no fly day.  So we decided they must know something and we headed home to try this another day.
We stopped off at a pier on the Crystal River which goes by the rv resort.  This is a bird that was fishing near the pier.
We are looking down the Crystal River.  

Thought I would give you some more information and pics on the wildlife park. 
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is a rehabilitation center for injured and orphaned West Indian manatees until they are returned to the wild. The park's centerpiece is a first-magnitude freshwater spring, which produces millions of gallons of crystal-clear water each hour with the spring outflow creating the Homosassa River. Visitors are given a rare opportunity to observe Florida's native wildlife in a natural setting and can stroll along the paved trails and boardwalks to see manatees and alligators, black bear and bobcats, and tiny Key deer and otters at close range. Many birds species, from colorful wood ducks and roseate spoonbills to majestic birds of prey and whooping cranes, also inhabit the park.
Swan


Some pretty birds. 
 

 

 Florida Steve.

Pelican nesting island in the park.  Notice the couple on the left.  He is bringing pretty nesting stuff and she is on the nest.  In the foreground you can see a wire basket thingy.  This is a sturdy frame for a future nest. 

A sleeping Florida panther.   They are smaller than a cougar of the West.  They have longer legs and smaller feetTheir coat is darker and shorter too.   

Resident Hippo
The hippopotamus named Lucifer first came to the Homosassa Springs Attraction in 1964 as part of Ivan Tors Animal Actors. Lucifer, or Lu for short, is now one of the park's longest residents. He celebrated his 52nd birthday in 2012.  The story we were told on the boat going into the park is that before it was a rehab place for manatees it was a wild animal park.  I mean exotic animals and they wanted to return it to a Florida wild animal park.  So they had to find homes for all the exotic animals.  Well long story short all animals found homes, but one huge hippo.  So a petition was signed and Lu became an honorary citizen of Florida so he could stay in the Florida wild animal park.





1940s Fish Bowl
Elmo Reed opened Nature's Giant Fish Bowl, the first attraction in Homosassa Springs, in the 1940s and this three-tiered observatory was built alongside the main spring. I tried to upload a pic or two on the fish bowl but the computer, and not me, is not going to do it right now, thank you.  So look at yesterdays and you can see it

Yucky, but cute???
 





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