Peace River Florida

.
I saw my friend Jack's post at Shipslog about the Peace River,  We left New York with the Green Old Ford and our camper home, this was what we had to live in along with my camp up in Barnes Corners.  We went to bed with a cool evening but during the night it got cold and snowed, this picture is the morning we left for Florida.   The Old Ford needed a rear main bearing and used a bit of oil, we put in a quart of oil every 600 to 800 miles, she was a good old truck, we made it down and back and down and back to Florida several times, this was 1989.

.
We ended up in the Peace River Mobile Home Park at 29208 Snook Circle off Turbak Drive which is outside Punta Gorda on Highway 17.  We met John Turbak who was a Hillslboro County Deputy and nice man who always brought us oranges and grapefruit.
.

.
We sold our camper and bought this 10 X 55 Trailer, it was a beauty, Maple Cabinets, full bath with tub, closets, all furnished with 2 air units and a 10 X 30 Patio and well landscaped. 
.
The park was mostly people retired from up in Michigan, our neighbor was Bert, he had every tool, drill, bit, nut, bold and screw you would ever need,  he took us fishing every day and later on when he traded boats he GAVE us his trade in for us to use.     Every night he would bring Anna Mae over a fresh popped bag of PopCorn.
.
The fishing was excellant, the Peace River was Salt and farther up turned into Brackish water and then is was fresh water, there were some Indian Burial Grounds up in the fresh water section and it had some beautiful streches of white sandy beaches scattered about, all you had to look our for were Alligators and Sting Rays.  We caught a lot of little Sugar Trout and Catfish.   Even a few sting rays.    I helped a man in the Park with Crab Pots and we always had fresh crab to eat.
.
We left the park after a year or so and went back to New York to the Cold and Snow for some unknown reason.   Probably "Nuts" !!
.
A Hurricane came thru some years later and trashed this beautiful park, we checked in on it several times on our last trip down and it is a DUMP, beyond anything I would want to move into again.
.
We have had lots of cold, lots of snow and plenty of sickness but hope 2013 turns around for us, we might not make Florida due to funding caused by Medical Bills but are trying to at least get to Myrtle Beach hopefully in February.
.

 

 

 

.

We sure do have snow this year.

.

.

Never forget, Remember our Vets !!!

Closing out good old 2012.

HAPPY NEW YEAR  and Welcome 2013.

.

Well, we welcome another year and hope 2013 is "Great Year" !   Hoping everyone has an awsome New Year.

.

.

.
I shoveled out St. Francis under the fuet feeders amd gave the birds some food.
.

.
Anna Mae cleaned out the neighbors feeder for her.
.

.
Above we set and enjoyed a nice Christmas Dinner and some quiet time togeather.
.

.
Our Grandson Brent, our new Grandson Zack who married out Grandaughter Shannon and Anna Mae Christmas night after dinner sitting around, Zack and Shannon areout in South Dakota where Zack is a Crew Chief in the Air Force.
.

.
My Son in Law, Ed in green, in the back is our tree, and our new 42 inch television.  If I got to stay here this winter I am gonna have something to watch, and it takes up less room than the old klunker we had.
.

.
Above is 2 of Our Grand children.
.

.
I cooked a nice Large Pork Tenderloin for the residents here at West Side Terrace, we served it with Salt Potatoes and Green Beans and Apple Sause.
.

.
This is the table of the ones who helped me set up and serve the meal to help end 2012.
.

.

.

.

.

.
Everyone enjoyed the Meal, if you look behind us in the window you can see how high the snow had piled up.

.

Never Forget, Remember out Vets !

Summer Winter Day

Well, what a day, up early and off to Doctors to have this torn Rotary Cuff checked out, it is torn but a full tear, only hurts when I move it, it has to be taken care of soon, either with surgery, steroid shots or having the tendon cut,  I have to decide as due to my age and health conditions regarding the heart and past strokes I am not a prime candidate for surgery down the road as I get older.

.

.
Today the men here decorated the large spruce Christmas tree in our front yard.  Beautiful day today !
.

.
We rode around checking for Turkey and Deer, not bad when you can wear short sleeves in December and no snow opr cold.
.

.
Outside was great, 76 degrees, sunny and warm, green grass !
.

.
Out front having our picture with SANTA !!!!  "T-SHIRT" !!
.

.
I have grew my hair out as I was figuring on some cold temps and snow by now but it has not come yet, its supposed to get colder tomorrow,  this is like last winter.  Please no wise cracks about the Hair !!!
.


.

.
This was last year December 5th, I was in T-SHIRT and Shorts in Florida, I am in a T-Shirt taday here in New York.  Everyone says this was how it was last winter when we left for Florida, it snowed very little, not a lot of cold weather, hard to tell if it's going to be like last year or not.
.

DON'T FORGET OUR VETERANS THIS HOLIDAY !!!!
.



Tis the Season

.
Well, today it is in the 50's, tomorrow it is going to be up in the 60's, all SNOW we got is gone !!
.

.
We played at Country Manor Nursing Home for the residents and we enjoyed ourselves and the Residents enjoyed themselves too.
.

.
Anna Mae is getting the place filled with Holiday Cheer !
.

.
I put the top on our Christmas Tree, we like this tree, we have taken it to Myrtle beach and Florida for past Christmas.   If you look thru the window you will see we had about 3 inches of snow.
.

.
Sunday in Church we put on the "Hanging of the Greens" where we decorated the Church with evergreens, hung decorations on the Christmas Tree, Anna Mae was the Narrator for the service, I played one of the Maji,  It was enjoyable and a fun event.
.

.
On the right is our 11 year old Grandson, Brent playing a shepard in the play,  if you look at the woodwork in back of the chairs this was all painted off white, myself and others spent a year stripping all the paint off all this woodwork and also up in the choir loft and all away around the church returning the woodwork back to its original wooden look.  this took us about 2 years to do but was worth it.
.

.
The days cast, Simeon, Mary, Joseph, Shepard, me the Maji, another shepard, and Anna Mae the Narrator.
.

.
With all the news about the Policeman in New York City that bought the socks and boots for the shoeless man on the street,  lots of this is done by lots of unsung Hero's, I have bought coffee, lunches, mittens, given away my coat, given money,  bought a few bottles of wine for some poor souls going thru the stages of withdrawal due to lack of funds, given first aid, given rides, locked up some who refused shelter during nights of 30 below zero, just to mention a few, I commend this Officer for his act of kindness.
.

.
This is an Old Picture of me and under this outfit above is my badge, my gun and radio, it is just 35 below Zero, I am spending my shift on "Foot Patrol",  Jack from "SHIPSLOG" was talking about comfort Food a few posts back, comfort food for this day is HOT TEA and Crackers, no Coffee or Doughnuts  !!
.
As we approach this Holiday Season never forget our Vets !!
.

.

Winter is coming.........

.
Well, Old Man Winter is coming I think to the North Country.
.
.

.
The above picture was our yard  yesterday, today we got another 1 inch of SNOW, it is only 28 degrees outside, it's COLD !!
.

.
My Honey started putting up our Christmas Decorations.
.

.
I helped by putting on the Tree Top, trying to work off a couple days of eating turkey, turkey and more turkey and dressing.
.

.
We took a break from eating all that Turkey and went to Country Manor Nursing Home and playing for the Residents there who always enjoy our visit and it gives us great pleasure in being able to give them some enjoyment.
.

.
30 Years ago I lost my Father, John Ellsworth Wood, we buried him on Thanksgiving Day, deeply missed still today.
.

Lets not forget our Veterans  !

.

.

.

.

.

Moving Forward,

.
Election's are over, the people have told their Delates who to cast their Electoral Ballots for, The Popular Vote ment nothing, so now we have a President, As he is the President and Commander in Chief,. Let us move forward as we were trained to do,  Now if we could get both parties, BOTH of the Reds and BLUES to work for US the people it might not be a grueling, depressing 4 years but from reading it seems it is a "Lame Duck" period from now until the President is sworn in in January, and then the "IN-HOUSE" fighting and bickering will start!!
Please Pray this does not happen !!
.

.
Well, I spent a few days at home and then in the Hospital with severe Diverticulitus, it is a dasterdly disease and can bring you to your knees or flat on your back,  you can Google it and see what it is, I had surgery to correct it but it didn't, there is nothing left to remove so further surgery won't help, It is what it is!!!
.

.
Last night we played at Country Manor Nursing Home to a group of 32 residents, this was the first time I was able to join in with the "Friends of God" in our Musical Ministry.  It was fun and the residents enjoyed themselves anmd we did too.

.

.
Above picture shows me in the back, I found an old Train Whistle, when Karl and Travis and Roger started to do "Long Black Train" I gave the horn a blast, surprised them and after some laughter and applause from the audience we were able to do the song and received lots of applause and whoots.
.

.
Our time drew to a close, we finished with Amazing Grace, mingled with the residents and they all were smiling and telling us how much they appreciate us, but we get just as much enjoyment bringing in smiles, laughter, music and enjoyment and Prayer to these permanant residents.
.
On a sad note we lost 3 members of the United States Army from a near by village to an IED Explosion in Afghan !   How Sad !!

 

.

 

.

. Never forget, remember the Vet !!!