Tennessee

We have left Orlando and traveled to just north of Chattanooga, TN to spend some time with friends Jackie and Jerry. We did a lot of eating, drinking, and having a good time. Nancy and Gary are building a new house (Caryn designed the floorplan) just up the hill. It's off to a good start.

We left between storms and missed the tornados that peppered southern Tennessee between Chattanoogo and Knoxville.





We safely arrived in Sevierville for our Online Campers Rally and have had a great time since we got here. Don and Jackie from New Orleans brought the "just off the boat" shrimp for the shrimp boil the second night for dinner and guess who showed up? What a pleasant surprise! Our niece Mindi, and kids Masayda, Cassian, and Joakim who live in the Knoxville area and came over to visit Mom and Dad (Dan and Cari) who are also at the rally. Gunnar even showed up a little late after a hard day at med school.

Orlando Wild Life

You saw our backyard turtle, meet the front yard sand hill crane and baby. We've watched the little guy for the last three weeks when he started out with fluffy fluffy yellow feathers.











These are the wild pickleball players. We have had a lot of fun playing.











The pickleball players cleaned up pretty well! Matt organized an evening out. We went to Capone's Dinner Theater for a little 1930s Speakeasy comedy, a buffet dinner, and all the coke and rum I could drink.










Miss Jewel chose Matt to help her onstage, and he played his part very well!!











We spent our last day in Orlando visiting the hotels and resort areas of Disney, riding the monorail, the buses, and the ferries--and it didn't cost a cent! A fun afternoon.

TT Orlando Update!

We are still having fun!

Pickleball friends Kim and Mike (they left before I got their picture!) gave us a bag of fresh Florida grapefruit that made the best grapefruit juice. Thanks, Kim!

Each day we play more pickleball, Mitch had to buy a new paddle, and usually hit the pool. The weather has been in the 90s so it is plenty warm.

We had a great farewell dinner for Judy and Dennis (the red boots gal) that they made: grilled mahi mahi on a fresh grilled pineapple round, herbed sauted green beans, a beautiful lettuce salad, and a wild rice sidedish. Yum, yum, yum. Of course, we had wine with the scallop appetizer that Mitch made, and wine with dinner and for dessert we had frozen White Russians, and then some more frozen White Russians while we played Eucher. We all enjoyed the evening very much!!


We share our campsite with this guy. He has a hole in the ground close to the back of our coach and he comes out every other day or so to munch on the grass--and to take a walk.

Thousand Trails Orlando

There are always a bunch of things here in Orlando to keep us busy. Judy and Dennis are parked across from us and besides the pickleball, they have us playing Eucher and Court Whist. We miss the 500 Club from Elk River so it's fun to play cards again.








Judy has these gorgeous red boots (that look like they are made for more than walking!). The park had a Willie Nelson night (no, not the real Willie Nelson). I've decided to line dance three morning a week and play pickleball three mornings, and with water aerobics every day I'm glad the "house" is little and I don't have much to clean.

Happy Birthday, Rylan!

This is the real birthday boy! It seems Brayden said Rylan wanted a Thomas the Train cake (wouldn't a big brother know?!) so Caryn got into the decorating.
















It seems Rylan wasn't quite sure what to do with a whole cake, but eventually decided he liked the Oreo wheels the best!

Happy First Birthday, Rylan!!!

Here's our cutie--one year old!

Happy Birthday, Rylan! We love you!

March--at a glance and Happy Birthday, Caryn!

We began March with a Monaco Pre-Rally in Moultrie, GA. Although the weather was a bit chilly, the trees were in bloom and it looked like spring.












The rally is always fun because we get together with friends from around the country. The rally theme was Mardi Gras and we dressed for the occasion.











After the rally we spent three weeks at Peace River TT. The first week, friends Carol and Jim from Minnesota came for some fun in the sun. The weather was great and so was the company. We had a great time as usual. This is Solomon's Castle, somewhere in the hinterlands near Wauchula, FL.













Our last hurrah with the boys--Caryn and Jason came to Peace River so Brayden could have a hot dog cook out and look for shark's teeth in the Peace River. The kids pitched their tent in our yard and Brayden got to sleep outside in the tent with Mom and Dad. This was some real camping!!!








We celebrated Caryn's birthday with a dinner of pot stickers, hot and sour soup, and Peking duck--her choice. I must say it was pretty tasty. Even Rylan enjoyed it!

Happy Birthday, Caryn!







Besides shark's teeth and alligators, the Peace River is just right for a canoe ride.

The ride was great and Brayden had a great time. The end of the ride was a little slick and Brayden ended up making a trip to the ER--a bruised leg bone, but no fracture. It's taken a few days, but he's walking on it now with just a little limp.

All in all, it was a great visit with the kids.