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How to benefit from inflation…

January 23, 2013

Spokesman David Bicycling, Boating, Canada, Family, Fitness, Kayaking, Outdoor Activities, Roadtrek, RV travel, Sea Eagle inflatable kayak, Social 2 Comments

Not everyone is negatively affected by “Inflation…

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Marianne assembles the paddles – last items out of the van – and heads to the put-in

Marianne and Randy “Boondockerswelcome.com” asked if there were any paddling destinations near O.O.C. We told them “Yes indeed, Telegraph Creek is a wonderful place to visit by kayak.” Seeing no kayak on top of, or behind their Roadtrek, we offered them the use of two of ours. We also offered to transport the kayaks to the launch. “No worries” replied Marianne “We have our own.” “HUH? Where is it?” Marianne explained that after a good bit of research they had purchased a 380X Sea Eagle inflatable kayak. “Well I’ll be darned.” I responded…

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Lucy on her Salsa MUKLUK, heading to the launch

Lucy and I were very intrigued by the ability of carrying a kayak inside our little RV. We just had to see this Sea Eagle in action. We jumped on our trusty pedal powered steeds and headed to nearby Franklin Lock to watch them assemble, inflate and launch the inflatable boat. (I was somewhat skeptical)…

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Three small bags contain the entire Sea Eagle 380X

… In only a few minutes the busy couple had carried the various parts to the waters edge. Randy made short work of inflating the 12’6″ kayak. The seats were installed after the hulls were fully inflated. They explained that the cushy inflatable seats – complete with backrests – could be removed from the boat and used as camp or beach chairs. Marianne also explained that she often reverses her seat – while on the water – when they stop and enjoy their floating picnic linch. Very cool…

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“You need to Pump-it-up.” Instructs Lucy

“Looky Lucy” sat on one of the wooden benches and made sure they did it right…

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With a 650 pound carrying capacity, we barely made her settle on her lines.

It was a pleasant surprise when Randy turned to us and said “Why don’t you guys take it for a ride and see how you like it. It handled much better than I expected. Lucy fell in love with the cushy seats and decided we need to add one of the Sea Eagles to our O.O.C. Navy fleet…

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Always wear your PFD. Off they went…

In a matter of minutes the happy couple had paddled out of sight on their way to Telegraph Creek. When they returned ot O.O.C. that evening they both agreed it was one of the nicest water-based trips they had ever done…

You will find a link to purchase your own Sea Eagle on Marianne’s award winning website: http://www.frugal-rv-travel.com/Inflatable-boat.html

We thoroughly enjoyed having Randy and Marianne as our guests and our test ride in the Sea Eagle…

Paddle strong, Spokesman Dave

Land Rover “Lovers”

January 18, 2013

Spokesman David Bicycling, Camping, Cooking, Family, Kayaking, Land Rover, Outdoor Activities, Physical, Romantic, Social, Spiritual , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

1960 Land Rover Series and 1976 Boler travel trailer

1960 Land Rover Series and 1976 Boler travel trailer

Meeting “Tinkerbell”…

When I was a young boy, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell were two of my heroes. (I had a crush on Tink) Of course, at the time, I believed they were quite real. Having met Danielle and Drew my belief was confirmed. They are in fact – very real…

Last weekend…

Lucy and I were planning a ten day, tent based trip. We decided to leave “Voyageur” our Roadtrek at O.O.C. and do the trip in one of our Land Rover Discoveries. First thing we did was to call our good friend, Aldous Cosmo Gitles and ask him to join us. Fact of the matter is, we asked him to pick the location for our rendezvous. “Cosmo”, as his friends call him, was ready willing and able to meet us for another four wheeling off-road adventure. He offered a couple of alternative locations in central Florida and we chose “Holder Mine Campground” in the Withlacoochee Forest…

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We began planing, organizing and loading our gear for an exciting adventure with some great old friends. From there, it just got better and better. Cosmo called us back a couple of times and said the group was getting larger. In fact he said we would love the new people that were meeting us and that a couple other members of the Florida Land Rover Club would also be joining us for some trail riding. Fantastic! The more the merrier. For this BLOG I am going to speak about one couple, Drew and Danielle. Lucy and I chose to call this couple “Tinkerbell and Peter Pan”. Their fun BLOG is “The Wild Rovers”…

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Their kind, loving, spirit was evident from the first moment we met them…

Drew and Danielle were set-up on their campsite when Lucy and I arrived. Everything looked as “neat as a pin”. We were looking forward to meeting them, because we had viewed their blog and immediately felt a kinship with this amazing young couple. So many memories flooded my mind. I immediately thought of my Lucy as a young spouse, complete with honey-sweet voice and gently strumming guitar. Even their smiles radiated the same joyful, unassuming innocence. We as couples were alike in so many ways. I am not going to do a lot of “Splaining” (Ricky Ricardo’s voice) because they have all the details on their blog. What I want to talk about is how impressed I was by their attitude about life. Best part was, it didn’t come from books, seminars, or self-help tapes. They just “Get it”. Having graduated from college with degrees in Journalism (Danielle) and Mechanical Engineering (Drew) they were tired of the day to day constraints of excessive order, disciplined study and schedule driven academic lives. They are not running away from something they are moving closer to something. They both love and miss their homes and family in Nova Scotia. Each of them spoke of the wonderful people, scenery and energy that they left behind in their homeland. Both Drew and Danielle maintain close contact with family and friends while they are on the road. I believe they just want to make sure that what they think – Nova Scotia is the best place to live – is accurate. For the entire time we were sharing the woods with this marvelous couple, I never heard a “discouraging word”. even as they spoke of little setbacks and challenges they had encountered, they were grinning from ear-to-ear as they explained their inventive and sometimes comical solutions. The only sad part for me was the realization that none of our – now all grown up daughters – ever got to enjoy such a freeing adventure…

Saturday, January 12th. Happy Birthday Danielle

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As luck would have it, we got to celebrate Danielle’s 23rd birthday with her. She and Drew participated in our first off-road trail ride in their very own “Ole Yeller”. The venerable old Land Rover was shod with standard tread street tires, but managed to handle every obstacle in it’s path with a pronounced British “Stiff upper lip”. Many of the other trucks had oversize, heavily lugged, trail tires and extensive modifications. They put nothing over on the rugged, leaf sprung, Rover. Drew proved he had “Bad Ass” driving skills and Danielle maintained her stately place in the procession, regardless of the severity of the trail. If the happy occupants would have been enjoying ice-cold “GnT’s”, they wouldn’t have sloshed a drop… In celebration her special day, “Kaz”, a member of the Florida Land Rover Club, offered her the pilot-seat in his extreme, off-road monster, a huge Discovery powered by a beefed up V8,  rolling on huge, nobby tires. Never you mind it was her first time running an off-road trail truck. Seeing the tiny blonde lass piloting the massive rig was a joy to behold. They say you “Never forget your first time.” How bout that Danielle?

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with these traveling troubadours…

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Danielle and Drew share a love for music. They are a wonderfully talented duet carrying a full arsenal of stringed instruments with them, writing new songs en-route. We were gifted a copy of their first album “Honey Hill” by The Harts. D n D co-wrote the excellent songs commemorating their travels and often perform at various open-mikes and other venues along the way. Drew serenaded Daniele with a fine rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” on his newly acquired fiddle.  They voices – like their lives – are in perfect harmony…

“We’ve got all we need for where we’re going.”

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The young couple do a wonderful job of living a GIANT life in a diminutive space. Their tiny rolling home, includes everything they need for housekeeping and living comfortably, with nothing added to compromise their enjoyment of whatever space they are in. The skill they exhibit in keeping it all together extends way beyond their time in years. We could all learn a lesson about the joys of living simply. “All we need is love” the Beatles…

Well and truly missed…

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You can teach old dogs new tricks. The time Lucy and I spent with Drew and Danielle renewed our faith in the younger generation. They taught us a lot about; humility, love, contentment and the joy of appreciating every moment of life. We will never forget them. So often in the past we have been fortunate to spend time with really incredible people. These two folks will certainly occupy a niche very near the top of the list. If I got to live my life over again, I would hope I to be a lot more like Drew… Happy trails to “The Harts”.

Love to you all,

Spokesman Dave

I’m Baccccccck… Long time, no BLOG

November 23, 2012

Spokesman David Bicycling, Family, Outdoor Activities, Roadtrek, RV travel, Social, Spiritual 1 Comment

Isn’t it amazing how many, many, things can get us off our BLOG schedule…

 

It sounded so easy when I first had a BLOG explained to me. “Every day just log in to your BLOG and type in some of your thoughts. A few photos would be nice too.” Turns out, as in many other cases, that is not as easy as it sounds.  Actually, I have no excuse. I thought of a few: Too busy at my job – NOPE – I am retired. Children take up too much of my time – NOPE – They are all grown-up and on their own. Health problems prevented me from accessing the web – NOPE – my health has not changed. Hmmmmm… That only leaves one possible reason why I have not continued to improve or post to our blog – YEP – laziness! Damn Nation! I hate admitting that. After a while, I just ran out of reasons to explain why I was not posting. I started thinking (telling myself) nobody reads my blog anyway… That is not true. Several of my followers and friends have written asking me “Why” I stopped updating Fivespokewheel. Once again, I had no proper answer. I figured “Black Friday” was a good day to resume my installments. I don’t like shopping and I don’t watch televised sports. At first I thought I should go back and post a whole bunch of updates covering all the stuff that has been going on since July. That ain’t gonna happen… (For those who may be curious as to the “goings-on” from the last 120 days, check out my Facebook page by clicking here) I am just going to start again and TRY to keep it up. (That’s what she said)…

Thanksgiving Day 2012

I am typing this at the little table in “Voyageur” our comfy little Roadtrek RV. Once again we are parked under the giant Grandfather Oak tree in Alicia’s front yard. We arrived here last Wednesday in preparation for a four-day Thanksgiving holiday. We were invited to have Thanksgiving dinner with Jo and Tom Polch, rapidly becoming a very pleasant holiday tradition with Lucy and I….

 

When it came time to drive to the Polch residence, less than five miles away, Lucy asked “Hey David. How about if we just ride our bikes?” It was perfect weather for a bike ride and we wouldn’t have to unhook the RV to make the short drive. “Lets do it.” I agreed and minutes later we were on our way. Turned out to be a fantastic idea. We had a wonderful ride through some very pretty neighborhoods and even received some shouts of “Happy Thanksgiving!” along the way. We arrived with great big smiles on our g faces, flushed pink with the exertion of the fast paced ride. Lucy does not understand the term “Leisure ride”…

 

Just arrived at the “Polch Palace”. Lucy looks as fresh as she did before the ride. Thankful for her excellent health…

We ride our bikes a good bit. So many benefits to our bodies, our psyche and the planet… What’s not to like. It really does roar us back to our childhood. So much fun to just jump on and ride. We always race, we always laugh our butts off and we always feel like kids again…

Everybody brings a dish to share. The good-eats are all set up buffet style in the cozy kitchen and the dinner is enjoyed inside at one of the many tables, or dining alfresco, poolside. Lucy and I opted for the fresh air…

Seems some of the cousins always wind up on the bank of the lake, feeding the abundant fish. Later they were back with fishing rods, reducing the population of the hungry inhabitants. They actually caught a couple of two-pound Large-mouth Bass. I love watching these boys and reminiscing about the times my brothers and sister and I did exactly the same thing…

Granddaughter Abigail kept a close watch from her tree top spy location. Said it was her “Branch office”…

Granddaughter Alana had to keep her feet firmly on the ground. She spent a good bit of her time running after her little sister Lucy Jo. Alana is a very protective big sister and the love between them is obvious…

MiMi Lucy decided she wanted to be a spy too. Next thing I knew she had joined SPY Abby in the SPY tree…. Careful Lucy. Sure don’t want any broken bones.  ;O) I am very proud of Lucy for continuing to enjoy her “Little girl” side.

Amanda and Dave were a happy couple of  “Thanksgivinger’s”. Here they are watching Kevin trying his fishing skills on the resident school. Amanda brought a delicious squash casserole and refused to give me her “Secret Recipe”. I had three helpings… ;O) Dave Parcells played his first-time-ever game of “Corn Hole” and decided to stick to golf.  ;O)

Once again, Grandmother Lucy dominated the corn-hole court and swept the field with her super accurate tosses and always-fun-to-watch, “Body English”… We were all spared further embarrassment, by the sudden, welcome, ringing of the dinner bell…

Brian Giles from Fort Valley, Georgia, was a welcome member of the festivities. He semed to enjoy the perfect weather and lakeside activities as much as his much younger cousins…

All in all a wonderful day, the first of our four day holiday excursion to Bradenton… More later.

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!

Purely Physical…

July 8, 2012

Spokesman David Bicycling, Camping, Family, Outdoor Activities, Physical, Roadtrek, Romantic, RV travel, Social, Spiritual 4 Comments

“Object of my affection”

Lucy is in Bradenton visiting two of our daughters, so I am alone. When I am by myself… strange, random thoughts, occupy my diminutive brain.

When I first asked Lucy to marry me, I had never heard her voice, seen her in the daylight, or knew her name. She walked in front of my car, late one night, on her way to the “ladies room”. My little brother and I were sitting in my car in the parking lot of the local “Steak and Shake” drive-in restaurant. In those days – 1967 – all of the carhops were on roller skates. Steve and I had hoped to meet some “Babes” and I had no idea that the one woman would alter my life forever…

My mom always told me not to “Judge a book by it’s cover.” She also told me that beauty is just “skin deep.” Well on this particular night “skin deep” was deep enough… When Lucy walked by, she was the perfect vision of poise and confidence. She appeared totally unaware of the beauty that she was. I instantly loved the way she walked, the way she looked and the shy smile she cast my way as she glided confidently by. That one look, changed me forever. When she was on her way back to her car, I approached her. She was quite shocked when I looked her in the eyes and said “I am going to marry you”. Even in this awkward moment, she was the perfect lady. She stepped slightly away and pointed to the engagement ring on her finger. “Thank you, but I am already engaged.” Even in the face of my bizarre statement of affection, she was kind and polite. Hearing her voice for the first time was like a warm spring breeze covering my entire body. I never felt so totally in love before. My mind was racing. I couldn’t think of anything to say to further my chances of making her my wife and in fact, ever seeing her again…

Later, when she and her girlfriends drove out of the parking lot, my dedicated quest began. I told my brother – “I am going to find her and marry her.” That was forty four years ago.

I love her now… more than ever.

We had a wonderful bike ride on the Withlacoochee rails-to-trails bike path that ended in a gentle rain. It amazes me that Lucy looks gorgeous, even in a bike helmet. Thank you Lord.
 

I did eventually find her. It was a one-in-a-million chance. I won’t tell you the mushy story of my search and eventual engagement – unless you ask me to.

As Rod Stewart said “The attraction was purely physical…”

Best wishes, Spokesman Dave

$12.50 a can!

June 19, 2012

Spokesman David Bicycling, Camping, Canoeing, Cooking, Family, Fitness, Kayaking, Outdoor Activities, Physical, Romantic, Social 3 Comments

One little tip I would offer about camping anywhere – don’t shop at the concession

Even though we packed very, very, carefully we did overlook two critical items; marshmallows and MOZZIE SPRAY. “No worries” I thought “I’ll just cycle over to the little campground store and buy some.” Well… they had no marshmallows, but the did have repellent. Twelve fifty a can seemed quite pricey, but I think the park had made a deal with the mozzies. “You keep biting the campers and we will split the profit on the spray.”… I bet I won’t forget that item on future trips…

We had a great nights sleep – no mosquito bites – and we arose early, for coffee, breakfast and a bike ride to the springs. The temperature was unusually cool, but her “Majesty” still enjoyed our thrift store fan….

During our four decades of camping, we have tried many, many, different ways of producing our morning brew. We tried all of the “tips” for making simple “Cowboy Coffee” and it sucked. We went from fancy – Coleman stove top drip coffee maker to a paper cone sitting on top of our mug. Nothing we have previously tried makes better coffee or is easier to store and clean-up than our  Aerobie, “Aero Press” coffee maker. This light weight little brewer just never fails to please… I might nickname it “Lucy”.

Since I unfortunately suffer from the “Big 3”; Type II Diabetes, chronic kidney disease and ultra high Triglycerides we eat very healthy meals. I enjoy the “new vs old” combination of cooking gear. On the one hand our Primus “EtaPower” stove is the latest and best in fuel saving efficiency, but we choose to cook our vittles in our, 50 year old, “Wagner”, cast-iron skillet… Everything seems to taste better when prepared and consumed outdoors…

We enjoyed our coffee and breakfast of turkey bacon and O.O.C. eggs and then we loaded up the bikes for a leisurely ride to the cooling Wekiwa Spring. Of course, we cleaned up and organized our campsite, before we departed. The ride is basically a two mile nature trail. Tons of birds, squirrels and even a couple of browsing deer. We arrived early and had no problem scoring a ringside seat on one of the many comfortable benches, located around the perimeter of the crystal clear spring. The entire park was spotless and free of any type of litter. As many of the novel writers say.. “The water was gin clear”…

Lucy was anxious to get in the water, but she found it a little colder than she anticipated. “I can’t feel my body.” she yelled “I am numb all over.” Bad news for me. The springs is large enough to accommodate a large number of people and never felt crowded. People of all ages and many nationalities were enjoying Mother Nature’s swimming pool…

My Pentax “Optio WG2” underwater camera, had no problem capturing Lucy’s floating image. We can’t wait to return to this pristine place with our grandchildren…

The “Swimmin Hole” is huge. Definitely room for everyone. Shady parts for people like us and lots of sun exposure for the “thong clad” sun worshipers.

Do not leave your bikes at home. Two-wheel travel is the best way to get around on the smooth pavement of the park roads. Traffic is light and motorists were careful. There are nine miles of off-road trails for those wishing to explore the natural world – off the beaten path…

To be continued on day three.

All the best from,

Spokesman Dave

Kayak Delivery and tenting at Wekiwa Springs

June 18, 2012

Spokesman David Bicycling, Boating, Camping, Canoeing, Cooking, Kayaking, Outdoor Activities, Physical, Romantic Leave a comment

When we recently sold “Stillwater” our twenty foot long, three cockpit kayak the owner said “Will you deliver it to my grandfather’s house, if I pay for your gas?”… Thought for a minute and replied “Heck yes.” I just figured Lucy and I would make it a fun road-trip with a couple of stops along the way…

Packing complete the night before… we were up with the morning sun…

Set the Garmin GPS on “Back Roads” and with full cups of coffee we were on our way.

Road conditions were perfect and traffic was nonexistent. We drove for a while on the “Florida Cracker Trail”. The recent rains had everything looking like the “Emerald City”. We love the low and slow byways that take us through quaint towns and offer constantly changing points of interest. I find the Interstate Highway a path of last resort. Lower speeds equate to less fuel consumed and less stress on our brains…

I thought Sierra – our cute little American Eskimo Dog – was growling in the backseat. I listened carefully and heard it again several times and then realized it was not Sierra. Turned out it was Lucy’s stomach. “Are you hungry?” I inquired… Receiving a positive response we started looking for an appropriate lunch spot. Just over the next hill the perfect spot appeared. A shady parking spot for the Land Rover and a cool, shady, outside deck that was dog friendly…

Food was delicious and our waitress made me feel right at home…

The Butcher Shop – right across the street made us think about our daughter Aimee. She and her Fiance’ have opened “Heaps Meat Processing” in Hartsell, Alabama. They are already very busy providing meat cutting services to the local populace…

Bellies full we resumed our trip to drop off the boat as Sierra snored in her crate. The scenery just kept getting better and better. We both love central Florida…

In only a little longer we safely delivered our cargo. The Land Rover seemed happy to be free of the one hundred pound load on it’s roof rack. I know the new Owners will have many wonderful waterborne adventures in their new craft… Mission One accomplished we resumed our travels toward our reserved campsite at Wekiwa Springs State Park. We were really looking forward to setting up our brand new tent and heading for a swim in the seventy two degree, crystal clear spring…

Oops. One more stop on the way…

Lucy was hungry AGAIN sooooooo… another pit stop. This time for a large, chocolate malt milkshake. She made me get one too…

Finally…

New Kelty Green River Four all set up and gear stowed. Time for a bike ride to the spring. I was very happy to be finished driving. Seven hours behind the windshield…

“Mee Mee” Lucy spotted the wheelchair assist, for getting into the cool water and immediately thought of our incredible granddaughter, Alexis Jade Spencer. Alexis is wheelchair mobile due to cerebral palsy. She loves to swim and this convenient lift will be fun for her to try… Once in the water she swims like a Mermaid…

Even though the waters of the spring were beckoning, we were both so tired we decided to return to camp to prepare a healthy supper and enjoy our polar plunge first thing in the morning… We were lulled to sleep by a gentle rain falling on the roof of our tent and enjoyed the best nights sleep we had had in months… To be continued.

Part Seven: Voyageur’s foreplay…

June 12, 2012

Spokesman David Bicycling, Camping, Canoeing, Family, Kayaking, Outdoor Activities, Social, Spiritual 2 Comments

This morning I loaded up the reconditioned frame for the Roadtrek and delivered it to “Cobra Shop”

It is only a short drive from O.O.C. (Olga Outdoor Center) to the Cobra Shop. Full glass of ice-cold Sweetea (Truvia of course), climate control on 72 degrees, NPR on the stereo and my “Gypsy” (Garmin 276c – GPS) giving me directions in her soft, sexy, voice… As soon as I drove up, Mike and Tim greeted me with instructions to back my trailer right in the door “Be careful of that custom truck next to the door. We just painted her and that is a six thousand dollar job.” <gulp> I inched my way carefully through the tight passageway. Success. No scratches and I was safely inside the shop…

It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the relatively dark shop after coming in from the full Florida sun. At first I didn’t see Rusty Voyageur. Aha. There he is, way back in the corner. He was a little embarrassed at having me see him as his butt was sticking up in the air at a rather unnatural angle. Voyageur is kind of shy.

I felt as if I was visiting a beloved family member in pre-op. It sure is a wonderful thing, knowing Voyageur will soon be carrying Lucy and me safely down the winding back roads of the U.S.A. (Makes me think of Dinah Shore). I had a short visit with the crew and discussed some last minute details. I asked Tim how long it would be before I could pick Voyageur up. He replied “Less than two weeks.” Fantastic. Now I can head home and finish preparations for our Land Rover based – tent camping trip to Wekiwa Springs State Park. First project was to install Lucy’s anniversary gift.. a leather BROOKS – “B17 S” – saddle…

The “B17 S” is specially designed for a lady rider. I know it will provide a comfortable ride for Lucy for many, many miles…

Three day prep for a four day trip…

Tent camping anytime takes a lot of planning, purchasing and packing. Summertime tent camping takes even more preparation because of the fan and five-gallon water cooler that we carry. We freeze two large Tupperware bowls, full of filtered water, a couple of days before  our departure. Just before we leave we put the ice from the two bowls into our five gallon Igloo water – barrel and then fill it with more R.O. filtered water. We usually have ice as long as three days after we leave. It is important to set the cask in the shade…

In the background you can see Lucy’s Land Rover. Hers is pouting because – again – she has to stay home. These vehicles are not large and their gear space is quite limited. Careful packing and utilization of space is crucial…

Lucy has chosen to ride “Grocery Getter” her Giant 870, a gift from JRA Cycles in Punta Gorda, Florida

First thing in the morning I will install our “Hollywood” bike rack and our two bikes. The loaded bikes make it difficult to open the rear door. We are really looking forward to our trip and getting to spend some time unwinding in the cool, clear spring water… It always takes me a full day just to “come-down” from all the get ready work. In this case, knowing our Roadtrek is well on the way to recovery will make relaxing even easier. We will post photos from our adventure…

Best wishes from,

“Spokes-model” Lucy and “Spokesman” Dave

Yellow Jacket attack…

May 16, 2012

Spokesman David Bicycling, Family, Fitness, RV travel 1 Comment

This morning we woke to a wonderful, drizzling rain. Just right for our thirsty lawn and landscaping. Our honeybees, however, do not like working in the rain. Guess you just can’t please everyone…

Lucy and I normally take a nice “exercise” bike ride in the morning and we didn’t want the wet weather conditions to stop us. She rode her hybrid “Giant ATX 870” “Grocery Getter” and I rode my full-suspension “Jamis Dakar”, .  I wanted the benefit of the disc brakes in the inclement conditions… We had originally planned to visit nearby Franklin Lock – one of the five on the Caloosahatchee River portion of the  ICW – and enjoy a healthy snack, while we watched some of the pleasure craft lock-through… It was even more enjoyable in the cooling rain.

Lucy’s Indian pose – “Chief Rain in Face Yellow Hood”

We made a brief stop for snacks at our famous “Olga Mall”. Cheese crackers and a couple containers of fruit juice to wash it down. Turned out there were several vessels lined up to transit the lock. It fascinates me to see all the different boats that people choose as their “Floating Homes”. The Shag Bark Sycamore trees were gorgeous. There were even some huge blooms on the Magnolia trees that were so perfect they looked like porcelain china…

We left our observation post at the park and set out to do some grocery shopping. Had a bit of a problem stuffing all of our purchases into our small trunk bags. In the end, “Bob’s your Uncle”…

On our return trip we stopped at Sherry’s “Full Belly Deli” and bought a couple of her delicious, freshly made, “Veggie Delight” sandwiches. Avacado, cucumber, Alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, lettuce and mozzarella cheese. She puts on a little Italian dressing to make the perfect combo. Deeelicious! We got back to O.O.C. just a few minutes ahead of Charlie, from Hawke Enterprises, LLC. He had come by to pull the generator out of our new (pre-owned) Roadtrek.

NEW Generation…

Charlie is an exceptional Generator service Technician and a licensed electrician. They do a lot of upscale, standby power stations, as well as all types of commercial, high-voltage, design, installation and repair. I have found that the work they do is always first rate, at a fair price. I truly believe they treat all customers, large and small, with the same polite, caring, attitude.

It only took Charlie a few minutes to have all the fittings unhooked, fuel line capped and the little 2.8kW, Onan “Microlite”generator removed.

We teamed up on getting it to his tailgate for the short ride to his machine shop. The little genny will receive a complete overhaul and a facelift. The generator case – like many of the components under the RV – has been negatively impacted by a severe case of “rust-itis”. She will be reinstalled looking like new running like a Rolex. We will think of Hawke Enterprises, every time we are “boondocking” and enjoying  the cool air conditioning. The little Microlite will provide all the AC power we need…

When Charlie left I joined Lucy in our spa. A wonderful climax to another fine day at O.O.C.

Some of our readers enjoy the occasional “Rainy Day” and other say, “Crap” bring back the sun. What’s your preference?

Warm wishes, Spokesman Dave

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