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Tomorrow should be a little more interesting

Woke up to blue skies and sunshine. This weather remained throughout the day with the temperature climbing to 24°C.

After breakfast Lyn settled down to some quilting, and I settled down to get the last of my e-Bay shopping done, after yesterdays deep thinking about tidying up the electronic wiring in the trailer, I ordered a few things to achieve that. I also ordered some new headlight parts for the car. One more set of ordering to do, and that is for some geocaching stuff. Once we get home I want to put together a few caches of my own in the local area.

Once that was done I went outside to enjoy the warmth and sun, as usual I get bored doing nothing so I decided to clean some of the chrome up on the truck.

After lunch we headed out to do some walking and geocaching. We went about 5 miles East of here towards Graham Creek Nature Reserve. We picked up a few geocaches on the way, and in the end we were 7 for 7.

As we walked around the reserve we saw some signs that said things like Par 3 290ft, which suggested a (very) small golf course. However there were no greens and holes, just these:

Turns out there is a game called disk golf, where the “ball” is a Frisbee like disk that is thrown with the intent of getting into the basket above.

Back at the resort we picked up the mail then sat outside for a while enjoying the warmth. One of the items in the mail was a new air filter for the truck so I spent a few minutes installing that.

Hopefully the warm weather continues, but I think the forecast has liquid snow as the featured item.

An even warmer wake-up call at 18°C, and partly cloudy. After breakfast we were sitting around when I looked at my watch. Somehow we had lost an hour, then the light went on (figuratively). We had forgotten to spring forward, we only found out because my new super-duper eBay watch had automagically changed to DST. This put the pressure on Lyn as she had planned to head over to the laundry first thing (our definition). She was now an hour late! Anyway she found the place empty when she got there, so maybe there were a few more forgetful people around. While Lyn was away I put together our home made drying device that hangs from the ladder at the back of the trailer. Once that was done I finally got around to debugging the trailer. Debugging in this case is not a software term, it refers to removing all the flying things that were inconsiderate enough to kill themselves by flying into the trailer while it was traveling down the interstate.

Once lunch was finished I started tidying up “my corner” of the trailer. I’ve done pretty well in the tidyness department, but occasionally it gets away from me. As usual I start on one thing and finish up doing many other things instead. This time as I was tidying I started thinking how I could reduce the clutter of electronics and their associated wires. I now have a plan! This should reduce the gizmos on the counter top down to the PVR, the box that hosts our movies / TV programmes from the web and the telephone. All the rest of the stuff, including all the power supplies will shortly take up residence in a cupboard, and hopefully the satellite cables will connect to newly installed connectors outside rather than being poked through a small gap by the slider and run across the floor.

We decide to stay here today, so we just walked around the resort. We still managed just over a mile. Once back from the walk we sat outside and enjoyed the warmth for a while, before trying to Skype with Paul, Amanda and Noah. Unfortunately the internet here is not as good as it was in Georgia, and the connection was not really good enough to continue. We did manage to connect a couple of hours later though. Evidently Noah has discovered the word “why”!

We woke up to a cloudy day and about 10°C. After breakfast Lyn headed up to Johnny’s, the campground we stayed at last year, as there was a crafts sale up there. While she was away I decided to tackle an electrical project that I had been putting off for a while.

We are leaving the trailer at the resort this year, and the staff here will move the trailer into storage and then put it back on the site when we return in October. To allow them to do this the battery needs to remain connected so that the legs at the front of the trailer can be raised and lowered. The problem is that there are a number of things in the trailer that will slowly drain the battery if it is left connected. I installed a disconnect switch on the battery that would allow me to disconnect all circuits except for the motor that drives the legs.

Lyn came back from the crafts sales, after making a few stops on the way at charity stores / thrift stores. Let’s just say that she didn’t come back empty handed.

After lunch we headed out to…….. an Arts (and crafts) Fair down at Orange Beach. We had been there a couple of years ago and decided it warranted another visit. Again we didn’t come back empty handed.

We headed back to the resort along the edge of a canal, the canal forms part of the intra-coastal waterway. This waterway stretches from New Jersey down the east coast and across the Gulf of Mexico to Texas. It runs through canals, small bays and behind barrier islands to provide  safe passage for smaller boats, and as we saw today, barges. In this case it was a boat pushing 4 barges of coal.

We also looked for two caches on the way home, unfortunately we only found one. We must be losing our touch. At least the temperature is on the up, we hit 19°C.

The rain finally cleared out, and the sun made a desperate attempt to break through this morning. The temperature was also climbing higher than it has done for the last few days.

The usual morning activities after breakfast followed by a visit to the office to pick up the mail. It was just like Christmas, there were 5 packages for us. Really need to get back home and kick this eBay habit!

After we had lunch we decided it was warm enough to head down to the beach for the first time. March break / Spring break is kicking off down here so the student population is building. At the beach there were a few people around but it wasn’t the warmest of the days with a stiff breeze. There were groups of students who were determined to be on the beach in swimsuits because that is what they do at spring break regardless of the temperature. Not more than a hundred metres away was a group of people sitting on beach chairs wrapped in sleeping bags!

But I am sure all the people on the beach felt safe as the US military were patrolling the area.

We managed just under 1.5 miles walk on the beach and even picked up a geocache in the process. On the way back to the resort we managed to find a couple more caches. Unfortunately we are in more of a built up area here and the caches seem to be hidden in very easy and mundane spots. We need to head off into the country.

A warmer wake-up temperature of 12°C. We appeared to have had a fair bit of rain overnight judging by the ponds, but I guess we slept right through it. For the eagle eyed among you, this opening sentence is almost a copy of yesterday’s with the exception of the temperature and the size of water deposits on the ground! We had a thunder storm round about bed time last night, and rain throughout the night.

Lyn decided that it was window cleaning (inside) day, so I took all the screens out and Lyn did the cleaning. I went over to the office to leave one of our empty propane tanks to be filled, and also pick up the mail. After that was done we did our usual morning stuff. The rain continued on and off for most of the day, so it was not an outdoor day.

By mid afternoon we both decided it was time to get out, so we headed out to Sears. There was a reason for this destination; in the mail this morning I received 2 batteries from Sears for my electric drill. As the correct size wasn’t known when I ordered the battery, two different ones were sent and then the incorrect one could be returned “Hassle Free” to the local Sears store. At the Sears store I gave them the battery and asked for a refund, no problem, can we have your drivers licence number? Gave it to them, computer wouldn’t accept it, computer only accepts american drivers licence, sorry can’t give you a refund. I explained I didn’t need a drivers licence to buy a battery, so why would I need one to return it? Essentially the answer was “Because the computer says so”, we went round and round with this until one of the girls in the store said “Use my driving licence”, this got us to the next step. “What gift card would you like the money refunded to?” I didn’t want a gift card, I don’t shop at Sears USA that often, I wanted the money back on my  credit card, as per their “Hassle Free Return Policy”. “No can do” was the response, “Why not” was the retort, “Because the computer says so”. “Forget it” say I, and I gathered up the battery and my receipt and headed to the door. The look on the clerks face was saying “but you can’t do that, I’ve got all this stuff in the computer”, tough! Time for an e-mail to Sears Hassle Free Returns department methinks.

When we got back from the adventure the rain had let up, so headed out for a walk around the resort, guess what happened when we got to the furthest point from the trailer….. answers on a postcard please.

A warmer wake-up temperature of 8°C. We appeared to have had a fair bit of rain overnight judging by the puddles, but I guess we slept right through it.

As usual the morning was spent in and around the trailer, nothing ever seems to be achieved, at least by me, but time doesn’t drag either. Lyn on the other hand is busy churning out quilts and the like.

After lunch the temperature had made it up to 16°C, warm enough to head out. We wanted a few things for the trailer so we headed up the road a few miles to Camping World, a large RV and parts dealer. While we were there we took a look around a few motor homes, the smaller ones aka Class C, were way too small to ever be considered. The  Class A motor homes (the ones that look like coaches) were better, but they start at around $125,000 so until the lottery win comes along we’ll stick with the 5th wheel.

Of course geocaching was also involved, we found one cache close to Camping World and then headed north to a small town called Robertsdale and spent some time finding 3 more caches there.

Despite the cool (cold?) weather down here, the bushes and trees have started blooming. I’ll try to get some pictures in the next few days.

Woke up to a warmer temperature than it was when we went to bed last night, 2.1°C. It remained a cold, blustery day climbing up to 5°C by late afternoon, together with the wind we had rain and sleet, those a few miles further north got freezing rain and snow.

Given the lousy weather we brought our weekly shopping day forward and headed up into Folely. Not too much had changed, there was some new construction in the retail area, so maybe they are recovering from the financial meltdown that seemed to hit the south quite hard.

Today is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) down here,I always knew it as Shrove Tuesday, a day for pancakes, lemon juice and sugar when we were kids. It seems to be a big thing as the kids get two days off school for it. There are plenty of parades to mark the event, but we decided to leave them all to freeze their butts off this year!

After lunch Lyn headed over to crafts and got a warm welcome from people she met last year. I hung around in the trailer working on electronic, computers and model aircraft.

Tomorrow’s temperature is forecast to be 62°F, hopefully the forecasters will get it right.

Happy Birthday Barbara!!!!!!

Woke up to a pleasant 19°C, overcast and a little blowy. After putting the awning out yesterday I’m glad I took it back in late last night. The wind has been gusting around 30 MPH throughout the day.

As the day wore on, the temperate dropped, getting down to around 7°C in the early evening. That isn’t meant to happen, damn cold fronts.

After breakfast Lyn did some more quilting, and I did a bit of work on the truck as it keeps giving me a “Change Fuel Filter” message. Finally worked out what fuel and air filters I need and ordered them from the web. Got to look after the truck, it’s going to have some serious miles (kMs) put on it in the next few years and the warranty ran out last week!

After lunch we headed out for a walk and some more geocaching in the local area. We were 3 for 3 today and spotted a miniature frog in the process. One of the caches was hidden under the “skirt” of a lamp post in a parking lot.

The cache is actually the 35mm film container. On the right side of the picture you can see a nut and a “blob” to the left of it, that is the frog… about one inch long.

By the time we got back to the resort we had covered just on 2 miles.

A view from the picture window at the back of trailer, open space and a bit of privacy. We don’t need to keep the blinds closed!

A clear and warm morning, around 17°C to start with. As usual after we have traveled for a couple of days we hung around the resort today. A few things still needed doing around the trailer, the wind seemed less blowy around here so we decided to put the awning out and see how it went. Now Lyn can hang out all the “twirly” things.

One thing that has bugged me with the trailer is the mass of wires that accumulate with all the electronic toys, so I am trying to work out how I can change the setup so that most of the boxes and wires can be hidden. I should have a solution by this time next year.

After lunch Lyn headed over to the laundry and I pottered around the trailer doing….. not very much. After the laundry was done we headed out for our walk. Of course we also had to try some geocaching, luckily there was a cache within walking distance. We finished up walking just under 2 miles and managed to find the cache as well. Unfortunately walking around the resort is not going to be too interesting as the local road is dead flat and straight with a couple of houses and a few unused fields.