AGAIN A DAY LATE WITH PICTURES

aggain yesterday when i wnt to put pictures on the blog they wouldn't go ao i am trying again today...they are off camaoy road-a typical house on the canopy road-the florida state football stadium-the gouvernor and her spouse-and outside her capital building....

whoopie they all went and i put in a couple of extras...

FLORIDA HISTORY

first we stared off to visit an old country store not to far from the campground thinking that it might be like some of the anmish stores back home...well it wasn't it was an old country store and it wouldn't take much wind to blow it down...most of the items on the shelves wer rather dusty and who knows how long they had been sitting on them...they also had a meat market and said they were famous for their sausage we did not buy any..

then we drove on some canopy roads which reminded us of savannah but not as much spanish moss hanging from them but they were very pretty very narrow roads but we made it back to tallahassee..

lar had noticed a parking lot the day before and thought maybe we could get into it and we did but at the gate we could not get a ticket..so in the library we went only to find out that that lady working the ticket booth ws off and we could prk for FREE we thought we hit the jackpot...so park we did and took off on feetwe then went to the visitors center to get more info..the lady st us to the new capital building and up to the 22 floor where there was on abservation deck and you could see the whole city...we saw the football stadium of florida state which we drove around the day before..had lunch with all the congressmen-lawyers-and who ever else works at the capital building..

then it was across the plaza to the old capital building and their museum we did not think we'd be in there long but 3 hrs later we left..so we are now on overload abourt florida history..most interesting..we had thought that maybe we would go to a different museumm abour florida history but after the capital we thought that what more could we learn and besides our minds were already boggled (maybe they are anyway ahhaha)...it has been a good visit here the only thing we thought we might do and wanted to do was go bike riding but that didn't happen as i guess we are fair weather riders and didn't have any spandex with us (besides we don't own any )to help keep us toasty warm..

today we move on..stopping by to pick up our forwarded mail as we go right by the place...then maybe end us in the mobile area not sure...

YESTERDAYS PICTURES

yesterday i tried to put some pictures on my blog but for some reason they just wouldn't go so i am ging to try agsin today..the internet seems to be faster this moring...

these are from the mission..lunch is being served-insides the chursh where sunday services lasted 2-3 hrs and no benches to sit on ..everyone had to stand..and there were about 2,000 people attending..if a town person didn't attend the then friar went to their house to find out why..one one person didn't have a good excuse and was beaten to death..guess i'd go to church...

TALLAHASSEE

yesterday we left perry, fl in rain and by the time we got to tallahassee it was really pouring and for the most part of the day it rain and rained so we got set up and then kinda held out in the rig...it was not a day to do much except maybe watch a movie (not one we 'd watch again) play some dice and just relax a bit..

today we struck off to the city to go to the florida museum but the parking around it isn't non..excpet for a parking garage with a height limit of 7 ft and can you believe we are higher than 7 ft..so we had to regroup and decided to go to a misssion near by..we are glad we did it was very interesting..it is a mission that they have only been digging in for the last 20 yrs and there is alot more to do..

of course the spanish were here and had an affect..the indians that were here were the apalachee and now there are only about less than a couple of hundred..and the spainard moved them out of florida a few hundered yrs ago and the ones that are left live in lousianna..with no plans of moving back...

we also drove thru the florida university again NO parking so we couldn't get out to walk around just like cornell back home...but swe saw th efootball stadium that we have seen on tv watching their games

the weather has been on the cool side and windyso far we haven't gotten the bikes out for a ride yet but hope to soon...not sure what we might do tomorrow...

GUESS WHERE WE WENT???

yesterday we decided to take the day off as it was saturday and felt it was time to do some sightseeing...too cold to get out the bikes for a ride ..so we just headed out and ended up in plant city the STRAWBERRY CAPITAL of the usa...so what do you do in plant city but eat strawberry shortcake at a place called parkdale..they have several different ways to order it..just plain strawberries -with ice cream-with icecream and cake-milkshake- and i think there is another way but i forget...and the prices are reasonable...so my guess is most of you know who ordered what...i of course had just icecream and strawberries but lar had the big order...then we bought some fruit as it also has a fruit stane..but when we got there i saw one of the bus drivers from my days of working..so you just never know when you might run into someone you know...a small world..

oh i forgot to mention in the last blog about the cookies..christine made those cookies for all of us..she loves to cook-bake-quilt-knit and all sots of handy things/stuff...if you have a question regarding any of those topics just ask her and she knows tha answer..she is also one the original habitat group...

also i forgot to mention the cookies in the last blog also dumping in one of the favorite things we rv'ers do as you can see...beth and don were the second to pull out of here and wanted to dump before leaving...

today we are heading down to chris and tom's rig to watch the first football game...green bay plays and they are from wisconsin so we all know who they will be cheering...go bears.....

LAST NIGHT TOGETHER

firday night finds us in a mexican for our farewell dinner as a whole group..it was avery good and a plca we would return to ...again there was lots of laughs and stories told...it has been a very rewarding 2 weeks even with 2 days off due to rain..we feel like we got alot done..no the house isn't ready to move into but soon...our group is now trying to find some place to meet each other next year for another build...we have been in dade city for 3 yrs and feel that it is time to go to another place...oh we like it here and feel that alotf is going on with lots of building but for us it is also time for another adventure someplace ...

WEDNESDAY 1/19/11

on tues we had to sweep out the pool of water that had collected on the floor of the house we've been working on..due to the fact thayt on monday we had lots and lots of rain..some places near by got over 4 in and we aren't sure how much we got here in dade city but lots...the floor was almost like a a pool..so the first hr was spent trying to get rid of the water that was on the floor...

all this week i've been putting/nailing on hurricane clips..each clip has 10 holes and a nail has to be put into each and every hole...if you can't get one in a hoe then you have to make a new hole to put the nail in..then the u/clips have to be put on the rafters (i think that is what they are called hahaha) and again each one has 12 or 14 holes and each and every one hasd to have a nail in it..so you can see that it is a long tedious job...but has to be done...this has been a very busy week and so far lots has gotten done..tomorrw the plan is to start on the roof first by putting up the sheeting..the shingles are contracted out so we won't have to worry about doing that.(i don't anyway cause i don't go on the roof)...

these pasat 2 weeks has gone by rather quickly and on fri we will be going out to dinner as a fianl good-by to several of the couple that are leaving ..most on pulling out on sat but we have decided to stay till monday morning the we will start toward texas...it will be sad as the group are now like family and i guess in a way they are are habitat family...some of the couple we have worked with for 6 yrs and the rest this is the second build..there has been talk regarding next year and lar and i haven't really decided where we will head for next year..we would like to go to someplace different ...we don't want to wear out our welcome like an old penny...

WEEKEND

here it is nowsunday afternoon and it is football time...can you imagine...yesterday was a laid back day ..time to clean the rig do laundry due errands..then we all went out to dinner and a great seafood place called mainely seafood and yes of course we had seaafood..and lar and i said it was very good and would go back to eat...then after dinner we went over top the hounsell to watch some football green bay/atalanta and because chris and tom are from wisconsin you can guess who we all were cheering for and they won..

today sunday a bunch of us went to church with irma to a blcakc church..the pastor seems to know us by now as he mentioned habitat during his announcements and those who get houses ought to keep them up clean both inside oand outside a very inspiring missage on freedom...almost 2 hrs in church...

the lar and i went for a mile and half walk the to buy a few groceries and back to the rig for the afternoon football game...we are not working tomorrow as it is martin luther birthday celebration day...lar and i are going to go meet upwith a couplethat i graduated from 50 yrs ago..as this past year was my 50 anniversary from high school and did not attend the gathering to celebrate it...some of you may know them john and kathy newton...

it porobally is a good thing we aren't scheduled to work as rain is in the forecast 90% chance and even on tues...

all in all it has been a good week and we sure have seen some progress made...

WEEK 1 DONE

week one is now over and alot of progress has been made on the house we've been working on...we started with just a foundation now the house has outside walls up and the trusts on and ready for the sheeting..alots of the hurricane straps have been put on..

we have worked with a great bunch of kids this past week..high schoolersfrom a prep school in illinois..all of them really wanted to work and learn building skills...yesterday at lunch they presented the group with a thank-you card (no group has ever done that before) and some ofthe guys were presented with their own t-shirts from the school and lar was one of them who got the shirt..i also happen to get one as i had tried to learn the dance kim-chee with them that they did at lunch time one day...as cold as it has been the kids took a half day of on thursday to go to the beach and some of them went swimming not sure for how long but they did get all wet..most only put their feet in the say they put their feet in the ocean..right now they are on there way back to illinois...

all in all it has been a good week and lots got done on the house..now for a realaxing weekend hahahahah..tonight we are all gooing out to dinner and a mainly seafood place..tomorrow off to church to surprise irma..monday we are meeting up with some old high school classmates of mine who winter not to far from where we are...monday is martin luther king holiday so we are off....hopefully it will warm up a tad this nwext week...

the pictures are of putting up the trusts--lunch time and the whole group

ANOTHER DAY OF BUILDING

OUR SECOND DAY OF BUILDING HAS COME TO AN END..AND IT WS A GOOD DAY OOPS...the group lar and i were working with yesterday went back to he same house along with 5 of the high school students...our job today was to put up more walls...and we got a total of three walls up..so tomorrow the last wall will go up then not sure what the next project will be..not sure if we will start the roof r not...the home owner made us lunch and is real excited to seen walls and some progress being made on her house..

the sun finally came out this afternoon so tonight we will have a bon-fire--social hr..which will be good as some of the other care-a-vanners we don't see mjuch cause we are at different sites working..so it will be time to catch up..last night it rained so that kept us all inside...

the kids are from a prep school in illinois but maybe i've already said that.. it is the illinois math and science school...near chicago i think..so another day has gone by and we are exhausted...

FIRST DAY OF WORK

monday morning and we are off to work...first there is a meeting with daily devotions and are ajob assignments...breakfast first ...we decided to go off with jerry and person we have worked with for the last 3 years and is good..besides it was putting up the walls on the house...when we got there there was alot of measuring that needed to be done to make sure everything going to be plum and square...

then the walls arrived and had to be unloaded by the high school kids for illinois that have come to work for the wrrk...that done and we started to put up the walls..the new home owner lives right now 2 houses down the street with her mother and has since august when the place she was living in burned down the the ground...they lost everything they had owned even the family dog...so they are thankful that their house is finally being started..

for the first day we have only worked a half a day...around lunch time it startred to thunder and lightening we we picked up the tools just in time as a storm is p[assing over us and is raining every hard...at least it isn;t snow...

also we are glad we are here and not on the way going thru georgia north and south carolina the weather people say it is not a good place to be...they just don't know how to dreive in the snow ..but we are of fthe road and happy...

pcitures the lone lady is the new home owner bobbire jo---getting instruction from jerry and lar with his lady friends christine and mem...hopefully tomorrow will be a full day...

GROUND BREAKING-DEDICATION

we have arrived in dade city and are all set to go...yesterday/saturday we attended a ground breaking of a young lady weho we worked with last year and already has her hours so weh is an anxious to be home owner...

then after that we went to a house dedicaton. which is now know os the vlounteer house...it has 2 baths-3 bedrooms and is going to be used for volunteers that come here to work such as when the college kids come...a grounp from wisconsin just left and there is another group arriving today for next week..the house has buck beds and hopefully all 21 will fit in it...kinda cramoed quarters for for young people it will be just fine for them for a week....

several of the care-a-vanners have pulled in and it is good to see the old faces and catch up on old times...tom and christine even came over..tom had a bowel resection around christmas time so won't be dong any hammering but he can give us lots of support if he is up to bringing his lawn chair and supervise...

watch the weather this monrnig and if appears that we got here at a good tome..ice-snow predicated for georgia and north carolina...rain may arrive here but we won't have to worry about hauling the rig and the traffic in some yucky weather...monday lar has an appointment for the truck that has had a malfunction on the way down..due to a diesel exhasut fuel thing that is new to the diesel trucks a EPA fed thing...hope to get the straigthen out and dosen't cause us any further problems...lar spent lots of time on ON STAR trying to figure this out on the way down and after we got here so off the the chevy dealer it goes...

sun is out right now but the clouds will be coming in soon or so they say...enjoy your day...

ON THE ROAD

yesterday we met up with our team leaders at the north carolina welcome station...we had talked to them while enroute and found out that they were about 1/2 hr ahead of us and so a plan was made to meet up at the welcome area...the nwe went on to south of the border in south carolina and spent the night in thier campground...we had 2 good days of driving but in the night it started to rainso most of yesterday was driving in the rain...just s drizzle most of the time..but we did see some sun..

we were heading to brunswick, ga as there is a build going on here and the leaders of the care-a-vanners was here and we were invited to spend the night...we were also glad to met them as wehave had many e-mails from them regarding signing up for builds etc...of course we got here just about time to set up and met outside for happy hour...interesting to met up with more volunteers who have been places we've been before and hear about all the different builds going on and what might be new...mary is gong to attend an affialite meeting and drum up more care-a-van builds...there are some out there that don't kow about us...so next winter there ought to be more builds to sign up for...she would like to get more in the south as that is where most of us go in the winter...morre that just florida...and we incouraged her to do so as next year we are wanting to go some place diffferent it is time to met more and go other places...oh we like dade city and the people there but we don't want to get in a rut...

today we will be in dade city as it is less than 300 miles from where we are now...on sat there is to be a dedication and ground breaking with a luncheon after that we have been invited too...we would like to be there for that as we have been to dedications but not a ground breaking...not knowing if where the ground breaking takes place will be where we will be building this year...haven't seen any snow in awhile but it is n't warm...hardly got to 50 yesterday but all is well..god bless...

DEPARTURE

the time has come for us to be on the road...spent yesterday doing last minute stuff and trying to remember it all..if we forgot something then we either don't need it or want it...but if it is important then we can always buy what ever...the weather looks good some snow flurries in the forecast but other than that it appears to be clear sailing...now it is time to put the new truck to it's test...we have checked the mileage when we used it to go to watertown and falconer and it figured out better than the old truck but now we will have the rig on and lets hope we get better mileage...especially when the prices keep going up and up....the plan is to be on the raod by 9 and we had ought too..unless something goes amiss..so you all have a great winter and see most of you in the spring...