Also, as mentioned, I find it difficult, sometimes, to carve out that window of opportunity to sit here at the computer. For anyone else, blogging about adventures would be a piece of cake. It seems it takes me forever to get my thoughts together to blog, and then, don't you know those thoughts fly right out the window once I position myself here, ready to type away.
Monday Morning, we did enjoy the doughnut breakfast at the clubhouse. Frankly, we were surprised at the number of people having coffee and doughnuts. A full house! And, the doughnuts, good old plain doughnuts, doughnuts with sprinkles, icing, and cream filled doughnuts. Of course, I went for the surprise, cream filled, hoping it would be chocolate filled (as it had chocolate topping) although not really disappointed when I bite into the doughnut and raspberry flowed out, down my mouth and across my fingers.
After dougnuts, we left the campground to go by the Lee's house and do our grocery shopping. No one was home, Hillary didn't have a list for us, projects to do, so we talked with Hillary by phone, she was running errands, and lucky for me, we ran into her at Publix.
Chip's Christmas Present - the Publix Gift Certificate was used for our groceries. Fabulous!!!
As Hillary was doing errands for home as well as the Conch House, and had a couple more stops to make, we just drove back up to the campground.
As time flies by, it was 1:00 Horseshoe Time before we knew it. Jim's partner was drawn and Sandy and Jim were a team.
Horseshoes generally last all Monday Afternoon. There are playoff games for the ultimate winners and the ultimate losers, each team gets to play at least three times, with each turn waiting for the pits.
At doughnuts this morning, Chuck announced that a tortilla truck was going to be here for anyone wanting tacos, burritos, etc. There would be no Lazy Lakes table at Happy Hour KOA, rather, maybe hang around here, have a Taco and celebrate Sally's Birthday.
Sally and her husband, Dale live her year round. Sally works at Murray's Food Mart, up Highway 1 about 5 miles.
When Chuck announced the tortilla truck, Frisbee said "oh yeah, a roach coach." Everyone laughed - I guess all of us have heard this term at some point in time in our lives.
I did enjoy the tortilla truck (trying not to think about Frisbee's remark.) We had our dinner of soft taco/burrito after horseshoes.
A dessert offered by the tortilla truck was "nutella" with bananas on a soft taco shell. The girls were talking about nutella during the horseshoe game and low and behold, there it was on the tortilla truck. Everyone went crazy for it and Jim bought one as well. I have never heard of 'nutella' (and maybe am not even spelling it right.)
For Sally's birthday, the Lazy Lakes Trailer Trash Band was going to entertain. This band's primary players are Charlie with vocal/guitar and Jerry with his banjo. Other instruments played are Sandy on the harmonica, Carolyn on the bass (a washtub with a flamingo designed stick and heavy cord to 'pull' for the bass sound) and, on this night, Karen was playing the washboard. Lots, lots of fun.
Jim and I wound up our night about 8:30 - as the evening and cocktail had started early, I was ready for bed.
Tuesday was the designated day to visit with our friend Bill at Fiesta Key. We left here just after 9:00 a.m. and found Bill up and ready for us when we got to his trailer. Bill is a late sleeper and we didn't want to get there too early.
The wind was blowing like 90 - just a phrase, not actual! We, all three, decided to try our hands at fishing anyway. We loaded up with our rods and reels, buckets and fishing tackle boxes, as well as chairs for us all to sit in and while away the morning fishing.
Well, when we got to the bridge, the wind was whipping around us, the only way to keep the chairs from blowing away was to sit in them or fold them back up. We fought this wind for a while and decided we were all too uncomfortable to stay on the bridge any longer.
Bill had mentioned a Tarpon Area. This is a spot just off the Hwy. 1 called Robbie's. I have seen this sign, many times on our trips to Key West. At Robbie's there is a patio area, a restaurant and lots of little shopping tents, featuring handmade jewelry, sunglasses, etc.
The primary draw to Robbie's, I think is the tarpon. You can pay $1.00 to walk out on the docks, feed the tarpon or simply look at them. As the wind was so brisk, we were told we didn't have to pay, you may not could see the tarpon anyway in the cloudy, windswept water. So, we strolled on out and saw lots of big, big tarpon. There were people laying on the docks, hanging fish down for the tarpon and they would, in fact, jump out of the water to retrieve their fish meal.
Walking through the building to the docks, there was an entire wall of cell phones, cameras and sunglasses, all encrusted with debri from the water. It was obvious to see that these hundreds of items were things that had fallen from people's pockets or, in the case of sunglasses, heads, while they were feeding the tarpon. I regret I did not take a picture of these items.
After this adventure, we went back to Bill's camper. We had our lunch of sandwiches and snacks - as well as some wonderful ice tea that Bill had fixed the night before - and then Jim went on top of the camper to try to get a direction for the satellite. And, he got Bill up and running with the satellite. Bill mentioned that he, often times, just runs out of patience, trying to get something like this going. I assured Bill that this getting a satellite 'on the right bead' was just the kind of thing Jim loved, especially if he was able to solve the problem.
Bill and I left Jim to his satellite work and we took a walkabout around Fiesta Key Campground. Bill introduced me to several friends he has made since he has been in Fiesta Key. The walk was fun and the conversation was, as always, delightful, because Bill always has a great story to tell.
We left Bill and Fiesta Key about 4:00.
Once back, I logged on to the computer and found a couple of 'situations' I needed to address. When I am confronted with a small obstacle, Jim knows that I have tunnel vision. He fixed himself some dinner, a salad, and went up to the clubhouse to play in a marbles tournament. I stayed here, trying to iron out my concerns, finally going to bed. Jim came in before I went to sleep. He said he had won the points in the marbles game, winning a couple of dollars. Winnings are spread widely among the players, winners, runnersup, losers, etc., so everyone can feel a part of the game. Jim fixed himself a drink and said they were going to play a game just for fun. I immediately went to sleep and found out on Wednesday Morning that Jim got back around 11:30. I was at nappy's house, in sleepy town, and didn't even know when he got back into the camper.
A heavy rain greeted us early on Wednesday Morning. Leaks!! Leaks!! Leak!! Although Jim has been working on the leaks, there is one that persists in the area over the kitchen counter. The slider was pulled back in, the sun came out, hot and humid, and checking for the leak spot was the order of the morning.
Mid-morning, Terry came by to let Jim know there would be a marbles game at 1:00. She called herself the 'town crier' when I asked her into the camper and said she must be on her way to let others know about the game. Terry stopped by again, on her return trip through the campground as the town crier, and suggested that I come up, they would set up a beginner's marbles game and I could play.
So, that is what we did on Wednesday Afternoon. Jim sat at the big table with about nine players. I called this table the 'big boys.' Terry, Sandy and John Bush were at a separate table for me so we could play a foursome. I enjoyed playing, and will play again if there is another beginner's table. The big boys just intimidate me and although there is a lot of friendly banter going on at their table, the banter would probably just hurt my feelings and then I wouldn't be able to play at all. My problem, not theirs.....
We were playing outside the clubhouse, under the roof, and the cool front came in with a flourish. Terry and John pulled down the plastic canvassing to help protect us from the wind. And, during a break in both games, everyone went back to their respective campers to get long sleeve shirts, sweaters, etc.
Last night was very cool. I worn my 'winter p.j.'s and certainly got out that extra blanket again. The only heat we are using, primarily, in the camper, is the tiny little space heater and Jim did not turn it on last night. So, after Diane Sawyer, I just got off the couch and got under the bed covers!
This morning, Jim has been working on the leak, yet again. The drip is over the microwave area, and drips down onto the counter top that covers the stove top. The fabric ceiling was soaked and Jim filled up the wet vac again with water than he vaccumed from the ceiling. This is a thought process for Jim to figure it all out. He even mentioned that the leak may have to be professionally corrected by pulling the slide out off the camper entirely. And, he said maybe he could rearrange the jacks to tilt the camper so water would not collect in that particular area of the roof/slideout. You can be sure Jim will continue to tinker and work for a solution.
One solution, for me, he came up with....there is no good reading light in this camper except the one over the bed. (Thus, I read in bed a lot when it is too cool to sit outside.) He has turned the lamps that hang on the wall over the sofa, so the light shines down. Previously, the globe was facing up, creating a nice glow to the ceiling and really serving no particular purpose except for that nice glow. The bulbs in these lamps are tee-tiny, but they do help some in reading.
Tonight, is the camp dinner, ribs, with 'bring a dish to pass.' Jim and I thought we would just take another Key Lime Pie as that idea seemed to be a good one a couple of weeks ago.
At the Doughnut Breakfast on Monday, Chuck was making announcements for the coming week, and said there were a lot of people signed up to bring desserts, and not enough people signed up for rice. So, Jim and I made a corporate decision, crossed through the dessert line and checked that we would bring rice (we found at Publix that rice that Gabby enjoyed so much - rice with vegetables.)
And, tomorrow, Friday, we are going to get to go to the Conch House for our overnight stay, a Christmas Present from the Rummages and the Lee's. Hopefully, during our time in Key West, I'll find lots of picture taking opportunities.
The Lazy Lakes Trailer Trash Band - Karen on washboard, Carolyn on bass, Sandy on Harmonica, Jerry on Banjo and Charlie, Vocal and Guitar
Sandy on Harmonica, Jerry on Banjo, Sally the Birthday Girl helping sing, and Charlie with the guitar
Joanne, watching her husband Charlie, play the guitar and sing. To her left is Marty and then John Bush. John is watchiing his wife, Sandy on the Harmonica.
Chuck and Ray enjoying the music. The bass that Carolyn is playing belongs to Ray and he evidentially gave Carolyn a break and took over the bass. That is Marty in the red shirt.
Terry taking a little smoke from her husband, Floyd's cigar. Very out of character for Terry so I had to capture the moment!
Jim and Bill getting the lines ready. Bill is working on getting my line ready. We were on the 'fishing bridge' that runs alongside Hwy 1 and just up from Fiesta Key.
Jim's line is in and Bill is about ready! He was getting two lines ready. You can see we had to weigh down the chairs less they blow away - they did blow over before we weighed them down.
Jim and Bill after our short fishing expedition. The fishing bridge is directly behind them and that is the bridge for hwy. 1 on their left.
Karen and Bill - no fish, but good times with friends.
Jim tinkering with the satellite on Bill's camper.
Jim getting his directions! Atop Bill's camper.
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