Back in Sioux City

We left Hamilton, MO and drove to Sioux City on Sunday the 22nd. We have been busy here with Dr. Appointments, catching up with friends and family, and doing odd jobs around the house and motorhome. We passed some snow piles in the shady areas on the way here, but it looks like spring has arrived here finally. Normally we go to Saylorville Lake for a couple of months on our way here, so we aren't used to being here for spring. Our new granddaughter here is just a cute in person as she was in the pictures. She doesn't like us to hold her much yet but she is glad to smile at us when her mother holds her.

Hamilton, MO

We made it to Pittsburg, KS Tuesday afternoon and our friends from near there came by to visit and we went out to supper together. We went to a new restaurant that they hadn't been to yet and the food was plentiful and delicious. Wednesday we drove over to their house and spent most of the day with them. It was great to catch up with them and what they have been doing. Thursday we drove up to the Pony Express RV park near Maysville, MO. We parked the motorhome, hooked up the electric and headed over to Hamilton, MO.  Hamilton is the home of the Missouri Star Quilt Company which occupies several building on main street.

They even have a store called Man's Land with recliners, TVs, and a pool table for the men to rest while the rest are shopping.

 It worked out for us to be there the same day as our daughters who are having a sister retreat this weekend. They were all looking beautiful in their matching sister retreat sweatshirts!

It was really a special day for us to be back with them again and meet our newest granddaughter, Lucy!

Friday, Janice and I drove back over to spend time wandering in the shops and I had a short nap in Man's Land. We stopped at Baskin-Robbins on the way home for some ice cream. Today we spent a quiet day in the campground and went to Mass at 5:00. Tomorrow we should make it to Sioux City.

Heading to Pittsburg, KS

Wow, I'm a little behind with this blog. We arrived in Carrollton, Georgia on Friday, April 6. All of Janice's sisters came over on Saturday for a visit. We had a good visit with Mom and left the following Thursday and stopped in Gadsden and spent the weekend with Vic and Phil. As usual, we enjoyed our time there and it was too short as always. Janice and Vic had a good time quilting and Phil and I went to the Collinsville flea market on Saturday morning. Yesterday they had to go back to work and we drove to Trumann, Arkansas. It was a long drive for us and we overnighted in a Walmart parking lot. Today we hope to make it to Pittsburg, KS to visit some friends.

Our Last Week in Florida

Last Saturday the other volunteer couple, Bob and Pam, left for the season. The station had a nice pizza lunch for all of us on Thursday in appreciation of our help. They were great neighbors and I really enjoyed working with Bob. We hated to see them leave but hope to see them again someday.

I got a few pictures or us on Easter Sunday when we got home from Mass.

One of our favorite things to do here was to just drive around the station and enjoy the peacefulness.
Janice liked finding gopher tortoises and making them pose for the camera

One of the scenic lakes here on the property. We spotted a couple of alligators in this one.

There are a lot of flowers blooming around town here also. I'm not sure what these are but I liked them.

These bushes have an interesting flower like a bottle brush.

I found this bright copper colored bug on the back of my neck the other day.

Yesterday was my last day of work here. One of my tasks was to drive a Polaris Ranger fire unit out to where they were cleaning up after a prescribed burn and bring back a four wheeler to the maintenance shed. Tough job out riding the trails in this nice weather!

We had a great winter here, working with great people outdoors in a beautiful area. We hate to leave and will miss it but we hope to return someday. On Tuesday we stopped in to say goodbye to this couple. Truman took care of the property that the station is on plus another fifteen thousand acres that all belonged to Mr. Swisher before it became the research station. I first met him the when we were here three years ago when he was still working part time for the station. We would always stop to visit when we ran into each other. I treasured these visits as I always learned something. He gave me the opportunity to come down here in November and stay on some of his property near the station and work on removing trees with a backhoe while we were there. I truly enjoyed the work, but more importantly I was able to resume my visits with him each day. We were invited into their family for Thanksgiving day, a day of thanks to God, and family and food. I look forward to returning to see them again.

We left this morning and are headed north. Stopped for the night in the Albany RV Park in Albany, GA.

Ocala National Forest

The azalea bushes have been blooming around here for the last few weeks and the best ones that we spotted were in the Melrose cemetery up the road from us.

Pink is the most common but there were several other colors too.

One day I spotted this unusual moth down in the swamp here.

Off to work to move some downed trees to make room for a fence.

This dead tree near our campsite looks like a piece of modern art to me.

On Friday we drove down to the Ocala National Forest to drive on some of their Jeep trails. Janice liked the slogan on this sign.

Much of the National Forest was similar to what we see here at Ordway.

The young long leaf pine trees look like giant bottle brushes.

A gopher tortoise in the road!

He pulls in his head and covers it with his front legs.

We stopped at one last lake and then headed home.

Micanopy

Saturday, we drove down to Micanopy (pronounced Mick-ah-no-pee).

 It is a small town about a half an hour from here with a lot of antique, art, flea market type shops on the main street. They said that the film Doc Hollywood was filmed there. We hadn't been there before and we really enjoyed our day. We got there at lunch time so we had lunch at an outside table at The Old Florida Cafe.

They had a really good musician playing guitar, harmonica, and singing while we ate.

And of course no classy outdoor restaurant is complete without a large flamingo.

Flamingos seem to be common there.

I had to include a picture of this sign.

As usual, we were a couple of angels.

For many year, I have admired this tool box built by Gerstner & Sons in Dayton, Ohio, but at $1,895 for a new one it is a little out of my price range. (Actually a long way out of my price range.}

What does this have to do with Micanopy you might be asking. Well, sitting in front of one of the flea market type shops was this little gem. Older model, made by the same company and waiting for me to come along and snap it up.

With some new felt lining and some finish restoration, it should be as good as new.

Usually about once a week on one of my days off from Ordway-Swisher here, I go back over to the property where I was working before we moved over to here and do some more tree clearing with the backhoe. It starts out looking like this picture.

And ends up looking like this.

This is how we refuel the backhoe there when it needs it. Hand pumping it out of the barrel.