Getting Into the Flow

We used the weekend to rest up and get the motor home organized. We are about "foot balled-out". After so many college bowl games, the pro playoffs have been less interesting. Maybe the Super Bowl will re-energize us for football.

Sunday morning was special as we went to our church and Bible study class. We have anxiously anticipated returning to First Baptist Church Naples. We were not disappointed. We met old friends and had a terrific worship service and Bible study. One surprise was that our Care Group of the Bible and Life Group (BLG) is being reorganized (split). The plan is to make the care groups smaller and expand them with new members. This Friday night we have a pot-luck dinner for the BLG, about 150 folks.

One activity that is slow in developing is swimming. The 8:00 AM temperature today is 39 degrees. For the five days we have been here, we have not seen anyone in the pool. We know this is temporary, but even the "heartiest" among us have not braved the cool weather and the strong winds.

Ladies Bible study meets today. The group began several weeks ago and Janice looks forward to catching up with friends with whom she has studied for several years.

Tonight is "Rib Dinner" at the clubhouse; one of many excellent meals provided by the Social Rec Committee. We will be back at the clubhous4e Saturday morning for "Bountiful Breakfast". This is always a treat with more food than anyone should eat.

One sad note: Our friend Al was admitted to the hospital Sunday. We are told he is improving daily, and we hope to visit him this afternoon. When we asked what his problem is, we were told, "He has many problems, and they are all of concern".

The presidential inauguration is over, and January is nearing its end. This has been a wild and active month for us, and we hope February will be calmer. Some warmer weather will also be welcome. Ralph has been wearing shorts most days with a heavy sweatshirt or jacket. He seems to think shorts are appropriate in Florida regardless of the temperature; or, maybe he is just stubborn!

Party, Party, Party

The birthday party on Saturday was a huge success! At least 200 guests came to honor Mrs. Dozier, Janice's mother, on her 100th birthday. Her grand daughters Karen and Amy entertained: Karen sang several songs and Amy accompanied her on the piano. The highlight of the party was when Mrs. Dozier told the guests what it was like to attain her age. In a brief yet powerful testimony, she explained how her relationship with God through His Son Jesus has sustained and strengthened her since she was a young girl, that He not she deserved all credit for her reaching 100 years, and that everyone can have the relationship she has had by accepting and following Jesus.

The celebration continued Sunday as our family attended church together. Mrs. Dozier was recognized by the pastor at the beginning of the service. Many church members had attended Saturday's party. Those and others came by to offer congratulations and best wishes. The excitement of the weekend carried over. By Wednesday, the actual birthday, the last celebration event took place at the local Marriott Hotel. We gathered for lunch with balloons, gifts,and family. We had a great time and good food. Later that afternoon we said our good byes, as we were leaving early Thursday morning.

Temperatures were between 10-15 degrees Thursday morning. Disconnecting water, sewer and electric was hand-numbing. One window awning refused to lock in place because of ice; only the sun could free it for travel. Hooking up the car to the coach was not much better. We set out much later than expected.

Our destination for Thursday was a Flying J travel center in San Antonio, FL. This is near Dade City and had RV overnight parking. We arrived about 5:00 PM to find the RV spaces were too small for our rig and the truck spaces were full. We took on fuel and headed south to Zypherhills and found a spot for the night at Quail Run RV Park in Wesley Chapel, FL. We had been here before, and recommend it.

Friday was another sunny day and perfect travel weather. The trip from Georgia was smooth all the way until the last few miles. There was a wreck about 11:30 AM on I-75 south. When we reached Estero at 2:30 PM, traffic was backed up over 10-miles. We crept along until we reached our exit about 45-minutes later.

Crystal Lake sure looks good. As soon as we drove in, neighbors came to greet us. It is good to be back among good friends. We look forward to getting into activities and enjoying winter in Florida. Tonight we are too tired to do anything. Our "party" begins tomorrow; tonight we rest.

A Special Event

We are in Columbus, GA to celebrate Janice’s mother’s 100th birthday. The party is Saturday, and the actual birthday is next Wednesday, January 14th. This is a special day for a very special lady.

Those of you living in the east from Virginia north know that Tuesday and Wednesday this week were foul weather days. We had planned to pack the coach Tuesday, but the rain was too heavy for that option. Rain continued into Wednesday morning, and we considered delaying departure until late Thursday. Showers ended about 11:00 AM Wednesday and we rushed to get “everything” loaded, so we could get on the road that evening. Everything for a four month trip is a lot.

By 4:00 PM we were exhausted yet happy to drive away and begin another adventure in the motor home. We knew our timing was poor because we would be in rush-hour traffic from the beginning and more so when we reached Richmond an hour later. The old adage, “Pick a lane and stay in it” proved true again. Our objective was to get south of Richmond before stopping for the night. The drive was pleasant enough that we continued to North Carolina and stopped at a Flying J just outside of Durham. For you Rvers, this is a great stop: Exit 150 on I-85. The RV parking area is easy to access and was wide open when we arrived about 9:00 PM.

Thursday morning came early and chilly. A buffet breakfast at the restaurant was heavy on carbohydrates, typical trucker fare, and fortified us well for the day ahead. We used roadside rest areas for breaks along the way, and the miles sped by without any unusual happenings. Somewhere in South Carolina, we realized we would get to Atlanta in the very middle of rush-hour. Talk about bad timing!

Radio traffic reports were alarming: downtown Atlanta was in grid-lock and there were accidents east and west on the Perimeter Interstate with traffic backed up. We opted to the Perimeter I-285 East. This was a good choice. It was longer in distance, but traffic moved slowly. We never stopped for very long. This was not true on the other routes. The sun set while we were on the Perimeter. We went from bright sunshine in our eyes to deep darkness ever so quickly. Traffic thinned when we exited I-285 and returned to I-85 south of Atlanta’s airport. Sadly, road conditions deteriorated rapidly. Work on this section of I-85 has been ongoing for at least three years. Lanes are narrow and defined by concrete Jersey Barriers. Speeds are ridiculous and some drivers must be insane. This is a twenty-five mile stretch of white-knuckle driving at night. Our preference is to transit Atlanta on I-85 early on a clear, sunny Sunday morning not during rush-hour, darkness, or foul weather.

We arrived at Lake Pines Campground about 8:00 PM Thursday. Our camp site is a back-in that we negotiated with some difficulty. Fortunately, everyone else was inside their rig; we had no audience. The campground is full. We saw one other empty site. We will be here until January 15th when we leave for Florida.

Southward Bound

It is a new year and time to head south to warmer temperatures. December was a terrific month with all the fun and excitement of the Christmas season. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with our children and grandchildren. The new year is underway, and we look forward to new travel and new experiences. Several of our traveling friends are on the road or have already reached their winter destinations. We plan to depart sometime tomorrow depending on weather. Today, we are under a winter advisory. It is wet, but we have no snow or ice.

Our first destination is Columbus, GA where we will celebrate Janice's mother's 100th birthday on January 10th. The party will be at her assisted living facility, and we expect about 200 guests, including grandchildren and great grandchildren. The actual birthday is January 14, and we will stay in Columbus for that.

We plan to arrive at Crystal Lake in Naples, FL January 16th. We look forward to the warm temperatures that friends have been telling us we are missing. Hopefully, travel will be uneventful and the trip will go as planned. We will post our experiences during the trip, as Internet service is available.