YIKES

So here I am one year (well the clock is 50 seconds away from striking the midnight hour, so by the time I hit the post button it will be one year and one day but who's counting at this point!) later trying to do a blog post!  A lot on blogger.com seems to have changed in this year ~ what a surprise that is!

Several people have asked me over the last year what's up with the blog so let me try to explain.  For our first four and a half years on the road Sir Arlo was a HUGE part of our adventures as we traversed this great country north to south and east to west and around and around for some 40,000 or so miles.  When Arlo passed away just over a year ago my heart was just broken, the wind taken out of my sails to say the least, not sure if I posted about the total breakdown of our adventure as we tried to get back on the road the next day to fulfill a work camping adventure in VT for the summer, but that trip was a MESS, mishaps with the coach after far too many hours on the road (a better diversion that sitting in a campground crying), me ending up in the hospital etc.  Obviously, we did make it to our destination and fulfilled that commitment (that was where the last post was from!!).  Since Sir Arlo was such a BIG part of the posts I just couldn't do it with such a key player (character) missing I just didn't really see the point.  Besides that fact we really weren't traveling like we had been ~ we were in one place for four months so what was the point?  Oh do tell?  

This post will try to trace back the last twelve months and perhaps, just maybe, get me back to posting ... we shall see, we shall see..

While we were in VT we had some weekends off so we spent lots of time with family and friends away from our campsite.

Our friend Mia resting after playing ball with Rick

Two sisters creating a meal ... well one instructing one learning!
Me on the left (learning) while sister Candy (the gourmet amongst us)
is trying to instruct.

Dear friend and brother in law Jack (younger sister Kimberly's husband) being
photographed photographing!  A very tolerant man he was when the
Peck sisters got together

For the record, the sister doing bunny ears is the MOST serious of the
 three sisters ... a wild and crazy moment "baby sister" Kimmy!!

Not only did King Richard get to teach his granddaughter how to play baseball (AWESOME), he got to enjoy a game at Fenway Park with his son Patrick

We left our VT commitment just after labor day (2012) and went back to MA for a week or two to do MA doctors stuff and a final visit with family and friends before we headed to our house in FL (the one we'd bought two weeks prior to getting on the road heading north in the spring time, the one where Sir took his final romp around a yard etc.)  

While we were in MA I got to see Gillette Stadium (not for a game, still have never gone to a pro football game, still on the bucket list!), but I was so darned happy to see the stadium!

We had a couple great weekends with friends at the campground in MA

and granddaughter Paige displayed her newly found egg cracking talent ~ she was so so proud of this!

On our way south we went to Hershey PA, another one of those things I've longed to see.  Well suffice it to say glad I saw it but ... been there done that!  Love the streetlights 

and the amount of Reece's cups coming off that line was just insane for a chocoholic like me!

Next big stop ..... TAH DAH, North Carolina to son, daughter in law and grandson.  I thought it might be fun if grandson Connor helped us create a meal so Rick was overseeing the creation of homemade baked macaroni and cheese.  Not sure who made the menu decision but it was a good one I think!  Connor seemed to really enjoy being THE key player in meal preparation

The next day Rick got to be the homework watcher.  Connor is a VERY serious student (2nd grade).  He starts his homework as soon as he gets home, and he LOVES to read ... love love loves it which delights me to no end.

We continued south and stayed in the Myrtle Beach area (yet again) for a couple weeks.  When we are in the area we like to do a ride down to Georgetown an easy 50 or so miles down and a fun little town with nice restaurants and shops.  While there we spotted this boat from the outside dining are at a place we'd stopped.  Seriously how fun does this look!  Don't you just love the colors and the FUN attitude!

After we left Myrtle Beach we continued our south bound journey along route 17 (trying to avoid interstates as we sometimes do).  Along 17 there are many (like 50 plus along a maybe 20 mile stretch) of these stands selling sweetgrass baskets.  I remember seeing these stands when I was in SC in 1997 (??) when my oldest son graduated basic at USMC Paris Island and I've always been so intrigued by them (and certain I should own at least four or five of the baskets!) but it is very difficult to stop at these roadside stands when you are a 38' motorhome towing a 30' trailer (lots of things are challenging when you are that big!!)

So we continued on our way, the further south we got the less tired Rick got driving so we completed our journey in FL at a campground about ten miles from the house.  We didn't plan to pull into our property with the coach and trailer right away ... we wanted to "survey" the situation and see what shape the yard was in after our five and a half month absence!  As it turned out things were fine ... some fallen limbs/branches and tall grass but nothing major so we kept the coach at the campground but slept at the house for three or four nights then brought the coach/trailer here.  Not an easy task trying to back the trailer into it's parking spot but thankfully a neighbor helped us out with that.

We've spent a great deal of the winter back and forth (flying) to New England.  It has been a very very bittersweet winter to say the least.  We said good by to our dear brother in law Jack and we were blessed with a new granddaughter in February ....

Big sister Paige welcomes sister Claire to the world!

I was particularly proud and happy how baby Claire's quilt turned out ~ I like to think I don't usually brag about my creations, but I am really happy with this one!!

We were back in New England again in April for Jack's memorial service and to watch my younger son Chad run the Boston Marathon.  Chad was 1/2 mile from the finish line when disaster struck, we were on the same block where the second bomb went off (we'd been leaning on the mailbox where that bomb was only 1/2 hour prior to the explosion).  Chad had the emotional strength and fortitude to go back a few weeks later to complete the marathon and vows that he will run again next year!  I am still overwhelmed with the hatred involved in the event and find myself "lost in space and just zoning out" with the reality of the situation at times.

So life in FL for us looks like this ....

Below are photos of our friend (and non rent paying tenant) whom we refer to as "Tubby".  Tubby is a gopher tortoise (an endangered species here in FL) who lives on our property, as well as three other of his relatives.  We are so intrigued with him and his friends.  I wish I knew how to post videos because I've taken many!!!  Although I'm not sure how exciting it would be for anyone else to watch my tortoise videos, so perhaps it's a good thing I don't know how to post them huh!!  BUT here is a link to a very interesting video about a gopher tortoise relocation ... Cousin Bonnie Bennett I think you might enjoy this!!!

Rick went on a poker run the other day (his first in a I don't remember how many years, but I'm guessing at least six!!)  These used to be nearly weekly events for us before we retired.  This one was a fundraiser for "Boots on the Ground".  

On a brighter, much brighter, happier note .... we found out a couple months ago that ...... Connor will be a big brother (after eight and a half years!!) ... his baby brother is due mid September!!!  Congratulations Joshua (GSgt), Trisha and Connor ....

If I remember correctly, I used to close the blog posts with .... stay tuned!  It's really late (1:55 am at this point) so I'll do a quick, really quick spell check and hit the post button.

By the way, we are back on the road next week!!!  YIPPEEE......

stay tuned.........

wild(??)life at North Hartland Lake

Still waiting to see the deer, bear and moose that reportedly inhabit the area.  In the meantime we have two of these nasty looking spiders (which by the way are about two inches from tip to tip).  The summer ranger told us they are "wolf spiders" - I will take his word for it.

This tiny squirrel decided he needed a rest with my sad looking gerbera  daisy and even sadder $1.49 geranium.  Maybe he thought he had a green enough thumb to get those plants in better shape than I'm able to do.  He was so funny to watch, when I spoke to him through my open window he froze, as if thinking if I don't move perhaps she won't know I'm here!

I got rather silly the other day as I was once again putting on my boots to schlep through the wet path to the tiny booth.  This is how I dress for "work" on these seemingly never ending rainy days here

and this is how I spend my hours in the tiny booth on rainy days when no one comes to the beach or to enjoy the lake in a canoe or kayak!  I completed five crib quilt tops in three days!  Finally the rain has stopped and we've had a couple gorgeous days, clear blue skies with temperatures in the mid 80's!  

I forgot to mention in my previous post describing this "park" that we have three picnic shelters for rent here!  They are gorgeous and have charcoal grills and electric outlets.  The first photo below is the small one which I believe can accommodate 5o(ish) people.  The second photo is one of the two large shelters which can accommodate 100 people.  There is one small shelter and two large ones.  The large one below is next to the rest rooms and the playground area.  Set in a large field.  I thought one of these would be a terrific setting for our "Annual Peck Family Christmas BBQ", but sadly that won't happen this year as they all ended up being rented on the weekends that we are off, before a decision could be made!  Oh well ....

Last weekend we were off on Sunday and Monday (as well as Tuesday) so we got on the bikes and headed to Laconia (NH) for the motorcycle rally.  Rick used to go every year when we were in MA, I'd go "occasionally".  It's only about a 60 mile ride from where we are now so we headed out with no specific plan, but our overnight bags "just in case".   We ended up staying the night and had planned on riding Monday and spending the night at a different place but rain was predicted for Tuesday and neither one of us wanted to ride home in the rain on Tuesday so we ended up nixing that plan and just headed home on Monday.  Rick did go back yesterday (Saturday) for the day to meet up with friends who he used to go with "back in the day".

I thought our Princess Paige would like the bike below - she's into Tiger and Tiger bouncing!

Here is a picture from one of the places we stopped (the event is on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee).  Loved this shot of the lake and the mountains.

While we were there a gaggle of ducks went by ...  mommies and babies all lined up and way way behind the daddies just chilling along at leisure without a care in the world, while the mommies kept those babies all under control!

Ending with a pretty sunset

Stay tuned

Not sure I remember

how to do a blog post, and since the days long ago when I posted regularly, blogger has totally changed .... Yup, I am the one that HATES change, so this should be very interesting, to say the least.

So here we are in North Harland Lake, in Vermont for the summer, at our latest volunteer position.  

It really is a lovely area, but three days on, three days off, sitting in our little booth gets very old very quickly when there is no one coming to enjoy the lake because it never seems to stop raining for more than a few hours.

There is a cute little "nature center" here, although we've never seen it open!  Hopefully when kids are out of school and we are inundated with people enjoying lovely summer days, perhaps it will open.

Nature Center

and a lovely playground for when Ms Princess Muffin Paigie Pie comes to visit Papa and T-T

The "cat walk" over the approach to the dam - damn you won't catch me out there tho!

Below, the furthest point out into the water on the left is the beach.  The Corps has spent the last ten months trying to clean this up and get the beach back up and running since the aftermath of Hurican Iren last August 28!  Just before the beach is the boat launch area that Sir loved to play at last year.

The photo below is looking across the recreation are to the hill beyond.  That is a random cloud, not smoke in the photo!

These two photos (above and below) were taken just down the road from where we are, looking out over the mountains to the north east on yet another cloudy evening.  The weather may be the pits most of the time, but the area is just so beautiful that one must try to over look the weather, and realize that in New England if you "stick around a while, the weather will change"!

One of my favorite past times seems to be watching "my" hummingbirds!  They are absolutely amazing to me.  The first time I ever saw one was about seven years ago at our house in Whitman - I was so excited.  So excited in fact that my youngest son bought me two beautiful hummingbird feeders for Mothers day or my birthday that year!  Now I can just sit in my chair (rocking away like a little old lady) and watch them only seven or eight feet away from me.  In fact yesterday, I was outside and one came to the feeder not two feet from me.  Often times it is indeed the little things in life!  Rick may be getting tired of hearing about "my" hummingbirds on an hourly basis though!

One evening we we "touring" the property and came across this huge turtle .... we thought it was a female laying eggs, but won't ever know, as a week or so later another load of gravel was dumped nearly on top of where she was, so if there were eggs there, I'm fairly certain they are destroyed.  

Word has it there are deer, grouse, turkeys, moose and even a bear on the property - I'll let you know, for sure, when there are Whelan sitings for such critters, but for now it's hummingbirds and turtles!  Stay tuned ......

a sad sad day

RIP my dear dear DEAR friend ....

one of the most recent photos taken a month ago while we were volunteering at Osceola National Forest

taken March 2008 in Oceanside CA ...

April (or March) 2008 in CA (can't remember the name of the campground)

taken at Pensacola, FL Elks Lodge ... oh how he LOVED water 

oh such a look!!!  Don't remember what he was "focusing" on ... but it sure wasn't ME!

RIP my dear friend ....

busy busy and busier

Seriously busy since the last post - thank you Bonnie Jeanne for prodding me to get with the program, and Marsha for shaming me (your comment to my last post, however many weeks ago that may have been!).  

We've been in lovely (??) Lake City area for a month now.  There is a lovely mural on the side of a building in the downtown area (that's all I know about it ... lovely and downtown), but I DO love these murals ~ remember the post from LA and the frog capital of the world?  NOW those were some outstanding murals!

If we aren't in "lovely downtown" Lake City we are watching big huge bugs sauntering across our window ... well not exactly our window ~ this is one of the two window in front of which is my chair ... yup, where I sit as I create this literary masterpiece!  Thankfully this creature was on the outside - cause I sure as heck would NOT be capturing it on "film" (huh) if it were on the inside ...

I might have been capturing it in a vacuum cleaner or mashing it with a broom or something!  I did record a video, but once again I am video/blog challenged so you won't be seeing that sloooooooow moving video (consider yourself lucky is what I'd suggest)

And if we aren't watching bugs we might be taking a teeny tiny walk about the campground enjoying a sunset such as these (yes I did close the previous post with a sunset photo~my bad)

BUT, we do sometimes leave the area.  Indeed we do because ......

We've left Sir Arlo at "camp" to go house hunting!  

When we've been in this area before and have flown north from the "local" (Jacksonville) airport we've left Arlo here at Pet Paradise Resort, which we've referred to as "camp" when we mention it in his presence!!  Call us crazy for sure, but we are what we are, and we ain't what we ain't!  Upon our return we always quiz him about the new camp songs he learned and what crafts he did in our absence ... you know camp things, like Popsicle stick houses, leather belts or wallets, funky finger paintings ... you get the gist I'm sure ... Strangely enough Sir won't discuss it with us, in fact we get a glazed pissed off look if he will even look AT us ... mostly its just stare out the back window and totally 'dis us ... for a day or two or three ... 

As for the house hunting, well we've sort of been checking out properties in the areas where we've stayed the last year or so, but the major factors have always been that we need to be close to GREAT hospitals and a reasonably large airport that has Southwest Airlines and hopefully Jet Blue and probably the east coast, but that wasn't as key a factor as hospital/airport ... and Florida just seemed to be what kept coming up, and the Jacksonville area specifically ... 

 We have taken a bit of a break from all that, however, to put Papa on an aforementioned Southwest plane to head north to our Princess Paigie Pie Muffin Face (not to mention Patrick and Beth)

Lucky lucky lucky Papa got to be there for a tea party before our Princess headed off to "school" ... 

How great is it to have a tea party with an almost three year old grand princess and her special friends????  I do think, however that T~T (aka yours truly) should be making some fine and festive place mats for said tea parties.

While Papa was up north having tea parties and fun with his friends at his lodge and birthday celebrations with Beth's family I was hard at work ....

You know, earning our site here at this wonderful National Forest campground (one of the top three places we've been in four years on the road)

And, if I wasn't at my "work job" earning our site, I was home creating .....

Oh what great therapy my quilting is for me!!!  However, my six month old Singer had a mechanical failure the night before Rick returned ... Because Singer has ONE (seriously) authorized dealer here in the huge state of FL it's been a challenging  decision .... send it away for who knows how long or .......  but I can't be without my sewing machine, and I was just starting a project for my Princess ....  UGH .

So, stay tuned for the Singer status as well as house hunting travails .... or whatever might bring you back to  whelanswheels!