Elks Lodge Brandon Florida - lakeland

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 54 degrees fog burning off to mostly sunny to 81 degrees for the high today and mostly sunny.

Bonnie and I drove silver sally to Tarpon Springs, FL great sunny day to go over by the water for lunch. I did not take any pictures as I left the camera in Buster.

Monday, January 28, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 61 degrees with light fog burning off to partly sunny to 82 degrees for the high today and partly sunny.

A little breezy today, nothing like a breezy out west, lower wind speed and no Buster rocking wind gusting.

Lakeland, Florida was our excursion today seeing the college our daughter Carole graduated from in eighty-eight.




 

Elks Lodge Brandon Florida - Spaghetti Factory

Thursday, January 24, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 39 degrees and partly cloudy to 74 degrees for the high today and mostly sunny. Goof off day.

Friday, January 25, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 45 degrees and fog burning off to 75 degrees for the high today and mostly sunny.

Bonnie and I had lunch at the Spaghetti Factory in Ybor City, an old Cuban section of Tampa with narrow old brick paved streets. Then we went to Camping World poking around there looking. We found another folding chair we liked but it did not stick to our fingers.

Saturday, January 26, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 43 degrees and partly cloudy to 76 degrees for the high today and mostly sunny.

 

Jose Gasparilla (Pirate) Parade, a yearly January event and we went the other way today headed for Lake Wales, FL. I do not like the crowds associated with the event.

 

 

Driving thru Winterhaven and Cypress Gardens area but Cypress Gardens gone in 2009 is now LegoLand Florida

I found this fish camp restaurant (Cherry Pocket) tucked away next to a lake in a orange grove.


 

Elks Lodge Brandon Florida - mon, tue & wed

Monday, January 21, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 63 degrees and mostly cloudy to 77 degrees for the high today and partly cloudy. The sun peeked out some in the afternoon.

A quite day here at Brandon, FL.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 54 degrees and mostly cloudy to 68 degrees for the high today and mostly cloudy.

Bonnie and I were out running an errands and saw the sun hiding behind the gray sky in the latter afternoon.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 43 degrees and mostly sunny to 70 degrees for the high today and mostly sunny.

Well I got it (me) in gear and went to the drivers licence office today. I down graded from my Florida class A CDL to a class E normal drivers licence to minimize complications at the department of motor vehicles as I am no longer driving big trucks. There are new Florida requirements to renew a drivers licence with social security, birth certificate and residency proof’s to bring to the department of motor vehicles office.

Elks Lodge Brandon Florida - Sat & sun

Saturday, January 19, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 55 degrees and mostly cloudy to 77 degrees for the high today and partly cloudy.

Bonnie and I took a drive to Venice checking out the beach on a cloudy afternoon and the beach air made us hungry. Driving back into town we were a little early so we were able to get one of the Florida "Early Bird Specials". The left Coast Seafood Co. offers "Early Bird Specials" until five o’clock, we ordered "Early Bird Specials" for dinner and had a great meal.

Sunday, January 20, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 59 degrees and mostly cloudy to 74 degrees for the high today and partly cloudy.

Today I had to "walk" Buster (empty the black water tank) the dump is at the other end of the camp area.

Buster parked at the Brandon Elks Lodge

The lodge camp is full and rigs are coming in looking for a site. Later Bonnie and I went to my sister Alice’s for visiting, NFL football and dinner.



 

Elks Lodge Brandon Florida

Thursday, January 17, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 59 degrees and fog burning off to mostly cloudy and a high of 71 degrees and rain.

The front moving across the country finally arrived in south Florida. A slow day staying out of the rain. Bonnie and I did go out for a drive in Silver Sally in the afternoon as we spent twelve years in the area and are "driving down memory lane" when out and about here. We started our full timing in Buster when we left here in 2008.


Friday, January 18, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 41 degrees and mostly cloudy to 69 degrees and partly sunny for the high today also a misty rain late this afternoon.

Bonnie and I drove Silver Sally to Plant City, florida today to check on the Strawberries. They are doing well the "strawberry fields" are doing fine. We stopped at Parksdale Farm Market for a strawberry shortcake. 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 55 degrees and fog burning off to partly sunny to 79 degrees and mostly sunny.
 

Buster at Brandon Elks Lodge camp

Bonnie needed vacuum cleaner bags so today we went into Tampa to acquire them at the place we purchased "Red rover". Silver Sally did not encounter any delays in getting around town but there is construction along interstate two-seventy-five and the Crosstown expressway that runs next to state road sixty.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 61 degrees and mostly sunny to 82 degrees and mostly sunny.

2013 Florida RV SuperShow - nice eighty degree and mostly sunny weather today. Plenty of walking never did attempt to take a tram to get around as we had no destination to arrive at. Plenty of manufacturers and dealers displaying 2013 RV’s. An abundance of RV destinations and Rv park chains offering memberships. Light on the Rv vendors associated with the Quartzsite RV show. We attended with the intention to only look and came home to Buster the same way, glad to have looked and not buy anything. There was a large attendance (good crowd) of lookers, ok the best weather forecast was for today also.

Elks Lodge - Brandon, Florida

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Elks Lodge - Brandon, Florida 64 degrees and mostly sunny to 82 degrees and mostly sunny.

Bonnie and I drove Silver Sally over to see my sister Alice and her family today. Great visit and picture showing for Alice and Joe. The only other activity was NFL football weekend.

Monday, January 14, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 59 degrees and partly sunny to 80 degrees and mostly sunny.

Buster does not have a dump connection at the camp site here there is one for the camp so we are limiting our waist water generation by not using our onboard washing machine. Today we went into Brandon to a Laundromat too get caught up on that issue.

Wednesday we will go to the Florida RV Show at the state Fair grounds south of interstate four and west of US 301.

 

 

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 64 degrees and mostly sunny to 86 degrees and mostly sunny.

This morning I saw on television the forecast for Arizona and freezing weather this weekend, we made the right decision to come to Florida this year as you can see the day’s high and low temperatures are much better than the forecast for the southwest this winter.

The top picture is where Bonnie and I took Buster in 2012 and the general route. Forty-three hundred miles compared to ninety-four hundred miles in 2011. We started the year in Apache Junction, AZ and ended the year in Holly Springs, NC.



Elks Lodge - Brandon Florida - Tarpon Springs

Thursday, January 10, 2013
Elks Lodge - Brandon Florida 67 degrees and mostly sunny to 86 degrees and mostly sunny.

Bonnie and I poked around the camping area did some maintenance and then drove to Campingworld at Lzydays RV dealer on interstate four. I drove the back roads to avoid the interstate highways as the traffic and construction during the late afternoon is bad.

Dodecanese Blvd Tarpon Springs, F

Friday, January 11, 2013
Elks Lodge Brandon Florida 63 degrees and mostly sunny to 84 degrees and mostly sunny.

After finishing the maintenance this morning Bonnie and I drove to Tarpon Springs, FL sponge docks. Going we drove thru on interstate four and the junction with interstate two-seventy-five "mal-function junction"is still there.

Then up past the west side of the airport and west on Hillsborough avenue to US 19. There is growth over the last four years. Had a nice seafood lunch at Rusty Bellies at the west end of Dodecanese Blvd.

We drove back via state road fifty-four thru Land O Lakes to I 75, again the growth is very noticeable after four years being away from the area.  While having lunch we saw the boats coming in from Dolphin watching and sponge diving for tourist’s.

 

SUNNY DAY Jan.10

Got a few housekeeping things done that needed to be done.
Then went on a quest to find a valve for the showerhead tried two camping worlds,then my old Wal Mart no success.
Enjoyed sitting outside tonight love the no bugs in the winter here.
from the best half of this duo Bonnie

Escapees Sumpter Oaks RV Park, in Bushnell, FL

Monday, January 7, 2013
Escapees Sumpter Oaks RV Park, in Bushnell, FL 52 degrees and partly sunny to 69 degrees and mostly sunny.

Bonnie and I took our time and went out latter in the morning to Webster Flea Market not far from here and poked around for a while, nothing exciting there either. We met Karen and Mark today members of the ranch in Lakewood, NM they pulled into Sumpter Oaks RV Park today.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Escapees Sumpter Oaks RV Park, in Bushnell, FL 57 degrees and cloudy to 81 degrees and mostly sunny. There was rain after dark last night and foggy this morning.

Outside a Wal-Mart in The Villages

It cleared to a nice day for a ride. Bonnie and I went over to Leesburg, Fl to where my father and mother had a retirement place in the nineteen seventy's.

That is a Wal-Mart

Now it is a gated community so we did not go in there. Then it was up to see The Villages, by Lady Lake, FL on US 27 we see it advertized on the television and wanted to see the area.

Outside  a Publix Market in another shopping center

Sumpter Oaks RV Park, in Bushnell, FL

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Kingsland, Georgia Kiki RV Park 55 degrees and mostly cloudy. Forecast is for rain in Florida. One hundred eighty-one miles to Escapees Sumpter Oaks RV Park, in Bushnell, FL. We got off about eleven and there was lighter traffic compared to the previous days on interstate ninety-five also less trucks. US 301 was light traffic then interstate seventy-five the traffic picked up again.

Kiki RV park

After setting up Buster it was football for me and Bonnie cleaned inside Silver Sally. While she was doing that there was a rain shower and she just worked thru it.

I 10 Westbound

I 75 southbound

Kingsland, Georgia Kiki RV Park

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Kingsland, Georgia Kiki RV Park 43 degrees and partly sunny to 66 degrees and mostly sunny.

No driving for Buster today, we are moving around the area, actually into Florida.

First we went to Anheuser-Busch Jacksonville and did the tour there and Bonnie had her picture taken with "Clyde".

Bonnie and "Clyde"

　
　
After some lunch we went to Pecan Park flea market and purchased new floor mats for Silver Sally. Then we went to Fernandina Beach to see the Atlantic Ocean. I think the last time we saw the Atlantic ocean was spring of twenty-ten.

Then football Saturday.

"Clyde" and George

 

Kingsland, Georgia Kiki RV Park

Friday, January 4, 2013

Saint George, South Carolina 34 degrees and mostly cloudy, fog. Well it was five degrees warmer this morning than our last location and there is a cold front in the southeast. In Lakewood, NM there is "SNOW" shower forecast, no thank you I will take my current location as it moves south again today.

I 95 south in SC

Kingsland, Georgia Kiki RV Park 59 degrees and partly sunny. One hundred and eighty-seven miles for Buster traveling south on interstate ninety-five with Georgia on his mind. First was on the way out of the RV stop to fill the Diesel ($3.829) tank and then the propane gas tank at Flying J time consuming but convenient, then all travel. The traffic was easier in Georgia as the road opened to three lanes.

Merry (our cat 18 yrs) worried about traffic

I 95 south in GA

 

 

Saint George, South Carolina

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Holly Springs, North Carolina 40 degrees and mostly cloudy, rain expected today.

Buster starts moving south today. I put Buster into the wind just before ten o’clock today headed south for warmer temperatures. Two hundred and twenty-four miles and four hours later Bonnie and I are in Saint George, South Carolina 54 degrees and drizzling rain.

Zane

The day started cloudy and changed to a light rain for part of the trip. Mostly heavy traffic on interstate ninety-five after light traffic on the local roads getting to the interstate highway in North Carolina.

Ariana

Some of the vehicles passing Buster were covered with salt spray and from all the northeastern states. It was like someone had turned out the lights and heading south.

 

Holly Springs, North Carolina

Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Holly Springs, North Carolina 44 degrees and rain to 50 degrees and mostly cloudy.

Buster is getting ready to travel tomorrow, a slow day today resting up for the drive south and warmer weather.

Snow road in the Guadalupe’s

Last year was different type of year for Bonnie and I as I was president of the co-op board of directors and I stayed close to the ranch. The term of the office was one year starting in November first Wednesday. We took our winter trip, but shorter time leaving the ranch later in December, getting snow going over the mountains in Texas, The Guadalupe’s at six thousand feet a wet snow falling for twenty miles, I just held a slow steady speed weaving around some stopped vehicles, the windshield fogging up but not stopping.

Apachie Junction

Avery, George, Jackie and Carole

After that just cold and rain most of the way to Deming, NM where we stopped for the next two nights. Then we continued on to Arizona spending the remainder of the trip there. Carole, Jackie and Avery stopped in Mesa for a few nights before continuing on to Oakland, California. We went to Yuma, a couple of times and Quartzsite and back to Phoenix area before heading back to the ranch.

Superbowl Sunday

 
We traveled to Austin, Texas for the first time in may for a week and another week of travel time, other than that we (Buster) were at the ranch Lakewood, NM. Twelve hundred and twenty six miles to Arizona trip and nine hundred and eighty eight miles for Austin.

The summer was spent building out a shed for the ranch laundry room. The shell was purchased and we the ranch members finished the inside.

Avery in Austin

Then the long way to get here to North Carolina. Back thru Austin staying awhile there and slowly moving across to Memphis and detouring into Kentucky and down to Raccoon Valley Escapees RV park above Knoxville, TN. Then slowly on to Holly Springs. Forty three hundred and forty-two miles for the year less than half the miles of the year before that was over ninety-five hundred miles.

Unfinished shed

Finished Laundry room

 

Boone North Carolina - Happy New Year

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Boone North Carolina La Quinta Inn 37 degrees and rain. Departure day all heading to the four winds. More of a misty rain light today with light winds.

Zane

Bonnie and I got Silver Sally packed up after breakfast and slowly headed southeast to Christine’s house where Buster is parked. They headed out just ahead of us and Cindy left about six-thirty. Carole Jackie and Avery were off about five o’clock this morning. We did not stay up for the new years celebration too tired after a long game of Mexican Train last night.

　

bonnie and Avery

Holly Springs, North Carolina 50 degrees and rain. Two hundred and seven miles for the return trip a different way and a couple of stops along the way.

Then the unloading of Silver Sally after our trip and a couple of nights in a hotel. Rv-ing is the way to go. No packing or loading and unloading.