Happy New Year

The close of 2008 finds us once again in Bonita Springs.

We left home on Dec 26th, dropped Rachel at the Kansas City airport and drove as far as Manchester, TN. The next day was a long one as we drove the remaining 815 miles to Bonita Springs with an hour time change and very heavy traffic. We arrived 'home' about 10:45 pm.

The weather is great -- sunny, light breeze and currently 72 degrees.

We'll attend the New Year's Eve dinner & dance in the park tonight.

We wish everyone a Happy & Healthy 2009.

Family Christmas

Today we celebrated Christmas with a dinner at the Horton Christian Church. This is for the Sullivan family and extended family. I counted 90 in attendance (wouldn't be surprised if I missed counting someone).

The first photo is our immediate family and the second photo is Walt with 10 of his brothers & sisters. The oldest brother and youngest sister were not in attendance this year.

Lots of babies and small children this year -- what fun.

It was a great day, good meal and the weather wasn't too bad -- just cold.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!

We have been busy since arriving home -- mostly catching up on doctor and dentist appointments.

Walt had carpal tunnel surgery on his right hand on Dec 5th. He is doing well and the stitches will be removed tomorrow afternoon.

I had a broken tooth crowned. That process was finished yesterday.

It has been cold here and we have had some snow. The snowfall yesterday was so pretty - dry and soft. The yard is beautiful and we are especially enjoying the view out the window!

Thanks to dear freinds in Bonita Springs who call to let us know that it is "seven zero" in SW Florida. Well, it is "zero point seven" here!

The last photo here shows our little '98 Buick (aka Mrs. Grimaldi) in the snow. After a cushy life in Florida, she is very cold here. Mrs. Grimaldi got new tires and windshield wiper blades for the trip to Kansas. In return, she gave us almost 30 mpg on the road. She now has over 12,000 actual miles on her odometer. She's just about finished her break-in period.

Home for the Holidays

We arrived home late last night. Tonight our kids stopped by after returning from their western Kansas Thanksgiving.

Rachel will spend the night and we take her to the airport EARLY tomorrow morning.

I only snapped a photo of Sir Caden on his trusty stead -- dirty face & all.

Happy Thanksgiving

We are enjoying the sunshine of our last day in Florida until heading home.

The park is having a potluck Thanksgiving Dinner tonight. I have fresh green beans cooking.

Walt is packing away our sunscreen, grill, chairs, etc into the shed. I am packing the clothes and pet items that we will need on the way home. It seems very different to travel home by car and not RV.

We hope to start early tomorrow and arrive home by Sunday afternoon. We will enjoy the cooler weather in Kansas for most of December.

Looking forward to seeing family and friends for the holidays.

The Old Marco Inn

It was a cool, windy day today. We drove to Goodland and ate at the Old Marco Inn. It was toasty warm sitting in the sun and protected from the wind.

What a beautiful view and the food was great.

Dinner Report

By the way, the Stone Crab Claws were delicious last night. We ate and laughed until our bellies ached!!

Stone Crab Feast

This is 15 pounds of Stone Crab Claws waiting to be cracked.

When they trap Stone Crab, only one claw can be removed. The crab is then returned to the gulf where it will grow a claw to replace the one removed.

Tonight 10 of us will share these delicious claws with sides of butter, bread, coleslaw, cheesy potatoes, relish and wine. Yum.

Removing a Pine Tree

Just when we thought there was nothing to do this morning, tree service trucks pulled onto our street and started removing a tall pine on our block.

Mike & Nancy had been worried about this tree causing damage so decided that was a good time to remove it.

The pines are so messy as they drop needles and cones over the rooftops and into the gutters.

It was interesting to watch the crew place ropes and cut limbs. Everything was shredded and removed when they finished.

My camera battery died so I didn't get the final limb as it came down.

Flowers in the Park

It is a treat to be in Florida at this time of year. So many flowers are in bloom that we don't see in January, February & March time period.

This is just a sample of the flowers in the Bonita Beach Trailer Park.

The Great Wall

Paul's wall is finished and looks great.

He decided to add a lower level wall and it makes a nice border for Maggie's pretty plants.

The long stretch of wall surrounds the Plumbago. It was beautiful, full and loaded with blooms but taking over the side of the house. Paul trimmed it back and the way plants grow here it will be bushy & blooming again in a short time.

I think the guys have all their wish list projects done. Now for relaxing and enjoying the sunshine.

Settled In

It's been a busy week. We are feeling settled in and ready to sit back and enjoy the great weather.

Walt has been working on lots of clean-up projects and has helped other residents get set-up for the winter.

I have been cleaning & organizing cupboards. Hope to get the carpet shampooed tomorrow.

I wanted to get photos of the back of our lot as it will soon be obscured. The lots directly behind us are owned by the Co-op and are rented out for the winter. Being here early has allowed us to enjoy the great view out our rear window.

We have our 'stuff' unpacked from the shed and have table and seating areas set-up. Also have the Green Egg smoker/grill out and fixed a pork roast the other night.

This morning is 62 degrees and very humid. I had to wipe heavy dew from the tables and chairs before taking photos. The forecast is for the temperature to reach 80 today. The sun is already burning off the light haze.

Another beautiful day in paradise.

The Great Slusser Wall of Pain

Well, Paul's retaining wall is basically set in place.

Paul tore out an old wall of landscape timbers around the flower bed.

True to his profession in masonry & concrete, Paul's wall is straight and square. Even though the wall is only two blocks high, the footing is substantial enough to hold an elephant. Walt thinks they mixed enough concrete by hand to make a nice basement.

There is some finish work and a cap but the hardest part is finished and the guys have the weekend OFF!

Settling into our Winter Home

RVers say that home is 'where you park it'. But I just didn't feel at home the last 2 1/2 weeks parked directly behind our lot.

Yesterday afternoon, we moved the RV to our own lot and it immediately felt like home.

I have gotten to unpack lots of the 'winter necessities' -- mostly party goods! We have done some cleaning on the shed but still have to unpack the grill & table.

Walt has been helping Paul build a concrete block retaining wall along the east side of their house. It is moving pretty fast but Paul, Walt and Barney are pretty tired (and sore) at the end of the day. That project should be finished today or tomorrow.

Our lot looks really slick and I think it will be if there is moisture on it.

I included a photo of the new water hook-up. A water line just west of us broke and Walt was able to buy his own fittings and have the plumber install them -- three water hook-ups got fixed and securely mounted against posts. Our post is tall enough to allow for a hose holder which will be handy.

The last photo shows just how much the pavers in back improved our walkway and hook-ups. The pot of petunias likes its spot and will help keep people from tripping on the little wall that had to be built in that corner.

More winter residents are arriving daily. It's fun to everyone as they return.

It's Dry

The sealer has dried and we are moving the RV this afternoon. It will be nice to be settled into our own site.

Sealer

Walt is sealing the concrete and patio blocks today. It will need to dry for a day or so.

It's really perking up the color of the blocks.