DEDICATION

we are so glad that we came back for the dedication of the new house..it was very special because we had worked on the house and also along with the new home owner..her children were with her today as the other days they were in school and they sure seemed excited about being able to have a new house...there were some special words about habitat and what it means to each and every one of us the volunteers, the home owners and everyone involved in the building of a house..along with the ones for seek donations.....it is like we have never left --there have been several people ask us about working this next week but we aren't so sure...tomorrow we are going to go to church with IRMA then bike with lou..right now our plan is to leave on monday...

RETURN

we have returned back to dade city...we decided that there was to be a dedication of one of the houses we worked on and also got to know the new home owner and thought it would be special for us to attend...which we are glad we did..a rather touching ceremony..more later...we had a great time after leaving here ..as you know we spent several days in the sarasota area then we went on to the "SWAMP"...we are so very glad we did that...spent a couple of night in the BIG CYPRESS national park and did about 16 miles on the bike on a tram trail..it is shared by the tram and also bikes...also the way we saw lots of "GATORS" in different sizes and also lots and lots of birds..mostly water birds of some sort....we stayed at the national park and only had electric so we kinda dry camped...then on to the"GLADES" at the far end of the main land of the good old usa....again we stayed in the national park (that's the only place to camp) for several days and spent our time enjoying the sights and sounds of the glades...we biked/hiked/attend ranger talks/relax/biked/hiked/watched birds...it is a very interesting place and would we return ---yes some one of these days when we sure in the area....there is alot to do and we only did a very small bit of it...we did think about renting a canoe but didn't have time to do so...just a different part of florida that yu have to go to to enjoy and we are glad we did...we saw lots of nesting ospreys ...from here we aren't sure what we might do or go..we have thought about hanging around for the march 12 launch of the shuttle and tonight we are going to the hounsell's for dinner and it will be one of the things we will talk about with them...it sure is great to be retired and enjoy all and everything we have been able to do....

OUR DAY AT THE BEACH

we have not been to a real beach since arriving in florida and today was the day to do so...first we went to the desoto national park and saw where he landed and started his quest for gold...then on to the beach it is on the coooooooooool side today and very windy so all we did was walk the beach and watch the crazy surfers enjoying the surf but of course they were all in wet suits.....it sure is a different way of living her in florida with the beaches on both sides of the road and some very expensive homes all along the way...sure hope they can pay for them and we aren't going to half too with the new relief.....not much to report today..oh this campground has a nice feature outside the laundry are 2 sets of clothes lines and you can just hang your clothes rather then use the dryer and some of the residents even wash their clothes in their homes./rigs then come to the line the hang them..so today i did a load of wash and hung them out just like home...more campgrounds ought to have this feature...no one seems to bother the clothes and we have even noticed clothes hanging out all night...so i guess by having to have a secret code to get in you we are safer then some places that have an opened door policy..tomorrow last minute stuff to do then we are really going to head for the everglades on sunday...we may not have any available wi-fi there so don't be alarmed if you don't see anything written here...after tomorrow

HORSES

today we did go see the lipinzers horses do their training..we weren't sure if the show would go on as rain was in the forecast but we went anyway...bill and judy also got the e-mail that we were going so lucky we happen to check the e-mail before we left to see that they were coming and colleen and pat were in the middle of a project and going to go tomorrow....bill and judy arrived just in time as they had been at desota park checking it out and that is where we may go tomorrow...back to the show in the middle of the show it started to sprinkle and by the time the last act was going on it started to pour like a florida rain storm...didn't last long but long enough for everyone to leave the bleachers..so we went into the stables to met the riders and pet the horses..then after we stopped for a bite to eat and conservation..and good day was had by all....

MYAKKA RIVER STATE PARK

first off we had planned on leaving tomorrow and heading for the everglades but guess what we have changed our minds...there is way too much to see and do around here we decided to wait till after the weekend and hopefully those who are camped in the national park will leave this weekend and there will be room for us...not sure how many campers had this past week off to celebrate presidents day we just rethought our plans..(i guess being retired and NO reservations we can do such a thing)...so today we headed to the state park for some biking only did 12...alot of stop and go biking as there were sights to see like 60 plus wild pigs/a few gators/shore birds/at least 3 ospreys----we have not had time to go to any of the beaches in the area--and there are several more museums we could go to and we also found out about more biking that we may do....so needless to say we aren't bored yet haha...tomorrow we plan on goingto the LIPIZZERS HORSES winter training camp where they do there show for a donation from the public...guess they can't charge because they would loose there non profit status so i guess it is a deal..and we like deals....in one of the pictures you have to look close and mayber even enlarge it but there are wild pigs in it...honest!!!!

CIRCUS

today was spent at the ringling museum...wewere surprised on how big it was and also that most of if was art...there weremulti buildings around and only 2 devoted to circus stuff...on building had a great display of a minature circus that one man had devoted his life to create...if you didn't know better you"d have thought you were at the circus--he had created almost everything...then on to the other circus building...we were kinda disappointed in that building expecting to sere more circus stuff.. we both think we saw more this past fall in wisconsin...more colorful circus wagons and thing that went along with the circus..the other building were their home and mansion..and a large art museum..over all we had a good day...long but good...

WALK

at the campground we are at now has a nice nature walk...so of course we took a little stroll...along the way we saw an osprey sitting in a dead tree so if you look close you might see it in one of the inclosed pictures....thre are signs all over along the walk way mentioning about manatees so i appears that they come up into the water around the park...we did not see any tonight..hopefully we may see some before we move on.....

PRESIDENT'S DAY

we slept in this morning and were glad we were up before the guys started pounding on the houses...we stayed around till coffee break at 10 and by then we had everything ready to go so after coffee and saying good-by to our new friends we pulled heading to sarasota ...when we got to the campground we were heading to we found out they were full...silly us for not making a reservation but we didn't know when we would arrive so we found a place to stop and have lunch and dragged out our camping books...had lunch and lar made a couple of phone calls to find us a place for 3 nights...so we are now in bradenton a nice park and we got a deal saved us 20$ PER NIGHT...tomorrow we plan on doing the circus thing and the ringling museum...we are finding out that there is alot to see and do in the area...so we will have a couple of busy days before heading on down the coast....

SUN COAST TRAIL

today is sunday and our last full day here in dade city and what do we do but go on a bike ride>>>>> we did part of th sun coast trail and 27.5 miles it was...5 weeks ago we thought we had done good after 20 but today we just pushed ourselves to go further..another great trail and we sure wish we had these at home...there seems to be trails all around it is just a matter of finding them....after the ride we all went out to lunch at a great mexican restaurant that had been recommended to us by several people and lou who was riding with us also said it was good..so we decided that is where we need to go...it has been a good 5 weeks here and it is in our plan to return maybe next year but not for 5 weeks maybe 2 then go on to mississippi for another build....in a way it will be sad to leave here we have made some good friends but we are ready for something different and do some sightseeing of places we haven't been before...nt sure about wi-fi but when we have you will hear from us...

VALENTINE'S DAY

i sure hope you'all are treating your valentines a-ok today cause it is that day ...for us we are just hanging out enjoying a laid back day...we are trying to ready the "rig" for travel as on monday we sre heading south..planning on the everglades and who knows we may even end up at key west...no real plan as of yet that i know...i am including some before and after pictures..

LAST DAY

this is the HABITAT WAY OF LEVELING/PLUMMING up a wall..the house was started by the local ROTARY club and they haven't been back since the saturday they started it....also today was a day like in july at home.....we arrived 5 weeks ago and have seen alot done so therefore we are very pleased that we have been apart of helping build a housse for the new home owners...we have worked along beside some of them and there are a couple that we have not met...we are ready to move on...

DAY OFF

yesteray we took the day of and went to the florida state fair...we don't hink that it is a big as the NY state fair but we enjoyed it...it was a long day and we wnted to stay to hear the imperials and little anthone sign so lar asked lou to wlk mitch in the afternoon..so we didn't have to worry about him...we were at the fair by 10..(lee's and hounsell's also were with us)...lar and tom said that they were going to eat their way thru the fair and for the most part they did starting with a funnel cake and it went on from there....not as many exhibits as NY and can i tell you io have never seen so many food vendors in my life...it was had to decided what to eat next hahaha...and NO gator on a stick..(lar was disappointed)..samples of oranges/grapefruit--we made home made butter--also a rodeo-all of these activited wer included in ur ticket--of course it was senior day so we got in cheaper 1/2 price..topday is our last day of work and it is kinda sad on one hand but we are ready to move on to see and do something different for awhile....there is a dedication on feb 28 off a house we have built on and also worked close with the new home owner and who knows we may even make our way back her for attent the ceremony....time to go back to work...

1/2 DAY

today we only worked a half a day not due to rain but we just kinda needed a half day and i was in desperate need of a hair cut..so wher tom and christine are now camped is a fellow camper who does hair cut resonable price so why not get a deal and besides we need to go to sam's/abc store (stock up on wine)/and dog food...we did all that..now tomorrow we are going to take the whole day off and go to the florida state fair with our friends...one of today's pictures is of JOE and he is working on his house..a nice young man who had a son and has been here working hard most veryday..he also worksd at wal-mart and comes here after working the night shift and his son works in the restokre so we think he has been a good choice for a house...we still plan on leaving this coming monday it was going to be on sun but one of the regular guys has talked us into stahying till monday so we can go on another bike ride on sunday...we figure why not cause we don't have any reservations and are just heading toward the everglades...besides we are retired hahahaha....

TUESDAY

today another busy day of working..lar worked on the roof again today and i helped out with the vinyl siding...after work the 6 of us who are still here from the original habitat group are still here...sooooo we all got together at the lee's and judy cooked a wonderful meal of salmon/salad a nice light meal and great conservation which we hadn't been able to do before this as we all have been busy...it was nice just to sit around and reminisce of old times...

MONDAY

there has been a cold/sinus thing going around the campground site and it is lar's turn to have it...he has been blowing his nose is like a leaky shive and has been popping pills he says he feel ok but his nose dosen't stop..so hopefully soon it will...today was spent re-nailing some of the house that bank of america put up on sat ...then when that was done and the hurricane strips were all put in place the trusses went up so tomorrow it will be plywood day again...this is the fourth house that we've done..or the guys have i stay on the ground...this afternoon i helped bill and judy with vinyl siding....so it was another busy day but the sun was out and it was very nice..no pictures today as i didn't take any....

A BUSY WEEKEND

it sure has been a busy weekend...yesterday we went kyaking with friends who brought 3 kyakas with them and one was for 2 so that is the one we used...had a great time we even were with the manatees...several of them were where we were..never got close enough to touch one but it sure was exciting...then we met some of the others for dinner...also some of the group have moved on ...today we did another 20 miler..finished the van fleet state park trail it is 30 miles long and it took us 3 days to complete it as we did 10 which turned in to 20 3 times..but it is a good feeloing to have finished thee trail...the sun was out and it was a perfect day for a bike ride we saw gators again this weekend..and one was a big one i did not see it but a couple of the others did...we were biking in a swamp that dosen't have much water in it...hear a bunch of sand hill cranes but never saw them..so tomorrow we start all over again with working...alls well...

FRIDAY NIGHT OUT

last night was night out..first we went to LEE ROY SELMON'S b-b-q where a nice young man waits table there and is gong to go to medical school and also spends time volunteering for H4H so we wanted to go on a night he was working..then christine and tom sun in law works for USF (university of southern florida) and there basketball team was playing marquette and both teams are part of the big east and polay syracuse...marquette is number 1 in the big east--he could get us tickets for 5 each ..why not go a fun thing to do..so we went and it was a darn good game the final score was USF won by 1 pt...an exciting game to seethe number one team upset...chris and sam left this mornign heading north we think,..whoi knows they just may change there minds and come back now that next week is suppose to warm up....in a wee bit we are going to go kyaking with bill and judy...tomorrow biking again...T

YESTERDAY

END OF WEEK 4

amen we have finished working week 4..the dinner last night was very good and there was lots of wild game and wild men/women haha as a matter of fact i looked up to see a real wild women and man...it was chris and sam!!!!!..they are kinda heading home and they knew we were still here so why not stop by for an overnight and a days work...today lar and sam hung doors in the first house and --chris, chris and i made more headers and a sign for the house that is going to be built tomorrow by the bank of america...they put up the money to b uild it so they are also going to have a part of putting it together ..we have gotten everything laid out and marked so all they have to so it put it up...also there is suppose to be TV coverage-congress people-senator??-and lots of other people we don't know..so this place is going to be a circus for a few hours as they all need to find places to park etc.......this afternoon we also built more headers for house number 4 that is part way up and some havebeen working on the framing of it...4 weeks have sure gone by rather quickly...and just one more left before we move on for somethng different...T

THURSDAY

and another busy day it twas..kinda chilly all day and the wind keep blowing so it made it even chillier..but we still got some work done...lar was on the roof most of the day and Christine and I spend the day cutting plywood for headers and then nailing them...we became one of "JERRY'S SLAVES" or so we said...tonight is the wild game dinner and the wild pig is already on the cooker..has been since around noon or so...we are bringing some crock pot wild goose but then i think lar might has said that already...time sure has been going fast we have been here almost 3 weeks and then 1 more to go before we head out for some R&R....still [planning on the everglades.....T

All Thats Left

Yup, this is all thats left of the Hoggs

as we speak one of them is in the cooker/smoker

been simmering since noontime so it

should really be just right by 5:30 when we

plan to gather for dinner. Probably be

some pictures to follow do you know if you double click the pictures they will go to full screen?????

Skining The Hogs

How

The three Little Pigs

Last night three wild hogs were delivered to the campsite and Lar joined the butchering party. The hogs were strung from the boom of an excivator parked on the property. Larry, Lew, and Bob skinned, cleaned, and washed the
animals and put them in a cooler and filled it with ice. The hogs were all small sows aprox 60-70 pounds, cleaned weight aprox 45-50 pounds. Thursday the
group is getting together for a wild game dinner. There will be wild boar, gator,
venison, and wild goose (from NY state) possibly squirrel, bear and armadillo if all goes well.....doesnt that just make ya'll hungary?

HERE WE GO AGAIN

can you believe that today we spent the morning taking off plywood that was put on the roof of the third house. (good thing only part of it had been put on)..it rained a good part of yesterday but it had been noticed before the rain..but apparently we go a BAD batch of plywood and it had started delaminating...so be it..off it came and so we started all over again replacing it..and most of it got done today..i spent the day carring old /new plywood....christine finished the first can house by painting it with beautiful flower boxes (painted on) so number one is done..amen..now to get someone to put some sorta design on the second one so that one gets finished..talk around th camp fire tonight is to have a dish to pass WILD GAME dinner on thursday night...can you believe i have wild game in our freezer ..alligator is one thing on the menu...i wil let you know what else we have...

MONDAY

And here we sit in the rig can you believe another rain day..started at 8 like usually and the goal was to get the plywood on the house we've been working on...but around 10:30 the skies opened up and it started to rain as much ass florida needs it it just put the schedule behind but we get the afternoon off...tonight i am going with some of my frineds to a quilt meeting!!!! they make quilts for babies and also each house owner gets a quilt..not sure what i wil do tonight but visit with al of them...maybe iron that i can do...ought to be interesting...christine really thinks i'd ought to start sewing and i have asked her is she wants to see me cry...the boys are going out to dinner as the meeting is 5-7...

SUNDAY'S ADVENTURE

if you look close at the one picture you will see baby "gators" there was about 8 or so there..we never saw the mama but we are sure she was some where near...todays bike ride was another 20 miler...now it is time to go next door for a super bowl party...we were going to do a dish to pass dinner but after the ride we all went out for "soul food" so instead we will just do light snacks--veggies-fruit-popcorn...then after arriving back to the camp ground we were told that there is to be a b-b-q dnnner at 5:30 so now what to do...don't know right now but we may go over for 1/2 hr till kick off and excuse ourselves...not sure...a busy weekend

ICE CREAM

this is the easy way to make home made ice cream...hook up your ice cream makers to a motor and let do all the work...by the time lar found this place he was full and they weren't making kumquat ice cream only vanilla with toppings