Airboat ride and gaters

I wonder where this text will be compared to my pictures? How exciting this is to me! HA HA HA. Anyway.....we all went to Mobile for a night thanks to Randy's free rooms, a benefit of all his traveling! We had lunch at Felix's were he & Kristi were married 12/31/07. By the way...the pictures below are NOT at Felix's which is a very nice and $$$ place. Below we were at The Shed for BBQ on the way back to Biloxi. Anyway, again, after Felix's we went to the motel and D got to swim, swim and swim. She really enjoys the water....even if the hotel pool isn't heated! That evening some of the group went to Belingrath Gardens to view the Christmas lights. The next day we all went to the Gator Ranch for an air boat ride & to see some gators. We didn't see any on the air boat ride as it's winter and they are all snuggled into their winter homes somewhere. But we did see (and handle a baby) several there at the ranch home area. As you can also see D loved to play with Jody & Renato's two dogs (Gabby & Xena) at the beach in Biloxi, they were there every day. Randy also got a haircut......make that shave.....no more hair or beard.....for now.

HO HO HO....Merry Christmas one & all!

The day after Christmas Judy & I drove to Jody & Renato's for The family Christmas gathering. We picked Randy, Kristi & Devyn Tuesday evening, their flights from Detroit were delayed. We exchanged presents that evening. When I made the blog posting eveything lined up....after posting it just the opposite so I'll let you figure out what text goes with which picture!

And THE star of the show......Devyn!

Here's Judy in here nifty Christmas shirt & Renato doing a Walter imitation.

Judy has just opened a gift......a package of nice soft TP. You can ask her the story behind that. Randy & Jody are working on opening a gift.

Here's Renato, a Brazilian, with a taco Christmas bulb from Randy and Jody opening a shirt saying "My doctor says I need glasses". Hey Jody.....did you write the date on your Christmas tree decorations?

Here is Jody & Renato's Christmas tree in their living room. Randy & Kristi opening gifts.

Happy 2nd 68th birthday Clayton!

Tom & Kim immediately above. Pat & Clayton above (top) at the Reef restaurant. Notice the birthday boys halo!!!!!!

Above left is Mark & Paula who surprised Clayton & Pat when they flew in for his birthday. Clayton pulled his motor home out of storage & into his driveway for an additional bedroom for them Saturday night.

On Friday Clayton & I mixed up a half batch of lebkuchens and baked them Saturday morning.

On Thursday Judy and I rented a car and drove and drove and drove over to Clayton & Pats home in Elkton, FL just south of St Augustine. Friday morning we mixed up some cookies and Friday evening we went to Kim & Tom's for dinner and some poker playing. Thanks Kim & Tom! Saturday Clayton & I baked the cookies and the ladies did some errands & shopping Friday & Saturday. On Clayton's birthday Saturday Mark & Paula flew in from Atlanta to surprise them for his birthday. We all did some visiting and card playing. That evening Pat took all or us to the Reef for Clayton's birthday dinner, thanks Pat. Sunday morning Mark & Paula returned to Atlanta while Judy & I drove the 436 miles home to Gulf Shores. After a short rest we played euchre Sunday evening at the park....we won $7 as we tied for second place.

RV Parks Christmas program

Saturday evening was the annual Christmas program put on the the snowbirds of the park. We have gone to 2 or 3 of them and they are "cute". I am not a fan of singing and there was a lot of it, in groups and by individuals but I survived. The best part is the skit they put on.

Today Judy went to Biloxi on the bus with 50 or 60 others from the park. They went to the Hard Rock Casino but.....we are not rich, oh well, we are happy. I stayed home as I don't enjoy squeezing myself into a bus seat. Tomorrow we'll travel to St Augustine to spend some time with Clayton & Pat, Saturday is his birthday.

The weather is warming up, 68 today and a fair amount of sunshine. It will be in the 70s and lots of sun the next few days.

Living the RV life

We moved this week a block down the road to and area of the park where we have many friends. One is our neighbor "Corn" who is making turkey soup for a few friends. He used the turkey carcase' from the parks Thanksgiving dinner.

Judy and I spent and hour or two and make fruit cakes and they came out pretty good. Our picture was taken at the Shrimp Basket where we went with friends so dinner. Good news Don & Zola....we went to the one in Foley and it was REALLY good. Much better than the one in Gulf Shores. The weather has been so nice we ate outside but it is starting to cool down. What makes the cooler weather acceptable is all the blue skies & sunshine.

Now that we have moved we started our Christmas decorating as you can see.

Thanksgiving with Jody & Renato

We packed up Patches, who was guarding her stuff, & drove to Biloxi Wednesday afternoon after playing poker (I'm on a big loosing streak) and then the four of us went to Bonefish Grill for their Bang Bang Shrimp special.....lots of spicy fried shrimp for $5. On Thanksgiving Judy & Jody fixed the full boat turkey dinner with pumpkin, apple & pecan pies. Renato's family was over....his mother Dowage & boyfriend Ted, brothers Ivan & wife Larina plus Roger & wife Daniella and Nathan (Kimberly was with friends so didn't make it over) & Rogers mother in law Rosa. We all stuffed ourselves and the pies were outstanding. On Friday Renato started putting up Christmas decorations & we went to Five Guys Burgers & Fries. On Saturday Renato did a BBQ and the rest of us were busy baking cookies....sugar Christmas cookies and Lebkuchens. Sunday after lunch at Newks we drove home sweet home.

Weather wise since returning home we've had a cold spell, 60 daytime and high 30s at night, some rain & clouds but sunny & clear today.

Cell phone picture assortment

Here's some pictures from the last couple weeks on the cell phone.

Every year we come down here we buy 10 pounds of cracked pecans at the Broken Branch Farm....and here it is. We sit at our campsite and shell them the next several weeks.

Hey Zola.....we stopped at Papa Roccos for some warm beer and lousy pizza and IT WAS GOOD!

Here's a cotton field along AL59 &

Judy & Jody on the Gulf Shores Beach.

Patches doing what she does best......I taught her one of my favorite recreations and she practices it a lot.