Blood work, park pictures, and a lazy day....

Our Location: Magic River Rv Resort, Long Beach, Mississippi

(all pics taken with my phone yesterday)

Rain last night and a cooler morning today. Others seem to find it warmer than I do and I think it has something to do with the dampness here. I'm either sweating or freezing, I don't seem to have an in between. 

Some palm trees have survived better than others over the years

Up at the fire shortly after 6 a.m. this morning, listening to the BS getting deeper and deeper soon I'm going to need some chest waders, I don't think hipster will cut it. ~laugh~ Although a nice touch today, which actually happened yesterday, Butch took Mr. Budd to the Gulfport airport to see some vintage WWII planes and they ended up going for a ride in a B-24 bomber airplane. Apparently the mechanic that keeps this plane going lives where Mr. Budd was stationed during the war. Mr Budd was at one point leading the group as almost a tour guide since he seemed to know his way around the airplane pretty well.  Mr. Budd was a pilot during that war flying 160 missions. They flew over Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, and campground as well. A good time was had by all!!!!

A shot of the campground from near the roadway.

Riley came to the fire this morning. It was nice to see her interacting with the folks. A big smile graced her pretty face as she seemed to settle in and enjoy the recognition. 

Spring is in the air, water lilies are blooming.

Home around 8:30 a.m. we had breakfast and headed off to 1110 Broad Avenue in Gulfport for my blood work, which I forgot about last week. It took a while and of course my address wouldn't fit in the little boxes on the program and it was a learning experience for everyone. ~laugh~ I did however manage to get it taken and paid for. I doubt I'll get the results but at least Dr. Bobba will get them. 

Looking toward the roadway with the campground on the right of the pond.

We decided against walking today. Truth is I just don't feel like it and I think Riley is happy to just skip it as well. We can always do a few laps around the campground if necessary. 

Some of the trees are setting their pine cones already.

Miss Jeannie and Chuck left today. I am truly sorry to see them go. I enjoyed her company a great deal. Charles and Roberta are also scheduled to leave today. So the campground will be a bit different again with the loss of these people.

Some other Canadians here at the park.

After lunch I found myself wandering up to the fire to chat with my buddy Ron who seemed to be as lost as I was. ~laugh~ We chatted for a bit but were soon joined by others and before long the ring around the fire pit (without a fire) grew to include most of the morning crowd. Riley came along a bit later as well. It was 3 pm before we left the fire pit and came back home.

This chain has been secured to the tree by the tree itself.

Reading took up the rest of the afternoon and since we still had sausage soup left over I didn't have to cook dinner tonight. I wasn't hungry and so only Riley had a bowl of soup. Only ONE bowl left and I'll have to start cooking again.

Pretty white single water lily flower.

We stayed home this evening as I've found that night time fires often leave me cold and I wonder if that might be some of the cause of my pain these days as the night air is cool, damp and invading. I'll have to give that some better attention over the next few days.

So there you have it, nothing exciting or life altering but a nice quiet day all the same. Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed your visit. Until next time..be safe, take care. 

Busy Monday....

Our Location: Magic River Rv Resort, Long Beach, Mississippi

(all pics taken with my phone)

A much warmer night last night than it has been for a while. This morning was warmer as well and the day followed that lead!! We had no wind this morning, but it picked it up continuously throughout the day and died down a bit during the evening but still hasn't died out yet. A few rain drops tonight sent us all scurrying away from the fire and homeward bound but it stopped before it started. If ya know what I mean...

Rusty Pelican Parking Lot

Usual suspects up around the fire at about 6:15 a.m. and the new guy Jerry showed up as well. He's not new, he's been here many times before and I remember him from before. Mac, Buzz, Ron, Pete, Charles, Linda, Lisa, Jeannie, Jerry, Paige, and myself  were the morning crowd today. Mac baked cornbread and Jerry brought Zucchini Bread for the morning goodies today. 

 

Rusty Pelican Signage at the roadway.

 

Home around 8:15 a.m. and since it's Monday you know it's cleaning day. I try to keep things tidy thru the week and therefore it's not a major deal to actually clean the Igloo as I try to keep the drawers/closets/cupboards neat and often times clean up one or two a day during the week which basically leaves the vacuuming, dusting, washing floors, cleaning bathrooms to Mondays. Of course this morning we had dishes to handle as well and once again tonight I'm leaving the dinner dishes until tomorrow. Strange how I'm able to do that these past couple of nights. 

 

Colourful houses on US 90 West

 

After cleaning the Igloo we both had some breakfast and made plans for the day which included first thing...our walk. We climbed into the Dogsled and headed off to the Sports Complex for our daily couple of mile trek. We started at 10 a.m. and made 2 laps by 10:40 a.m. but Riley opted to call it a day. I took another 20 minutes and walked a third lap before calling it done. 

 

Back home we had about 15 minutes in which to do something before heading out to pick up our friends Ron & Sharon. We all headed to the Rusty Pelican for the Monday special, Red Beans and Rice. Not that everyone got Red Beans & Rice but that's the special today. Along with the four of us there was also Lisa, Buzz, Jerry, Carol, and Mac. I think only Buzz and I managed the special today. 

 

Angel Tree in Bay St Louis

 

On the way to the restaurant the Dogsled seemed to be shifting funny so I convinced Ron that he should drive on the way back home to get a feel for what it might be. He managed to get the thing to do the herky jerky a time or two but didn't think there was much to worry about. However calling the dealership was first on my list when I walked thru the door. The local dealership said this transmission is not the smoothest one and often times the drop from 2nd gear to 1st gear is not smooth. Said I could bring it in and they'd look at it but it's normal. Also told me the warranty is good to 100,000 miles and good for all of North America, so even if I decide to have it looked at I can do that back home in Canada. Good to know!!! 

 

 

Cold, dull and almost ominous 

 

Home after lunch, got my truck seat all back to 'right' for me after a guest driver had moved everything. ~laugh~ Riley and I headed off for a drive shortly after getting home since we needed milk and bagels anyway. US 90 West thru Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis left us with the impression of cold, murky waters that promised to be make a body shiver if they got too close. Taking US 90 East we returned to Walmart to do some groceries!! While we only needed two things we did manage to grab about a half dozen other things as well, our motto is always be prepared. No wait, that's the boy scout motto, our motto is always have lots of food on hand. ~laugh~ 

 

Bay St Louis bridge to Pass Christiam

 

Back home once again we unloaded the groceries and put things away. We had some time to read our books and I started prepping dinner about 4:30 pm. In fact I even BBQ'd dinner early  so we could go up to enjoy the fire with our friends and dinner would be ready to just warm up in the microwave later.  Dinner was Italian Potatoes, Orange Zest Veggies and JD Smoke House BBQ chicken breast. Riley enjoyed it, but I wasn't hungry when I got back from the fire, so mine is in the fridge, one of us will have it tomorrow. 

 

It's not a nice looking body of water.

As you've guessed we also wandered up to the evening fire tonight. Although on my way I stopped a few doors down and chatted with Donna & Malcolm, a very nice couple from Collingwood, Ontario. Leaving the fellow Canucks I made my way to the evening fire. A smaller crowd with just Ron, Charles, Jerry, Mac, Riley and myself for a while and then the deck shuffled with Charles, Mac and Jerry leaving but Lisa, Pat, Pete and Sharon coming to the party. Interesting conversations to be certain. Riley left before I did as she was hungry and came home for her dinner. Chatted with Ron as he noticed Riley has been chatting more the last few days then she did when we first arrived. Riley is becoming much more comfortable with most of the people here and enjoys being more independent and confident within this new lifestyle. I'm so very proud of her for making such enormous strides, it is my hope that she continues to hold such confidence and independence when we return to Canada. I suppose time will tell. 

 

Leaving the fire pit due to rain drops falling on my head I was certain the rain would pick up and we'd have a good downpour but alas by the time I got to the Igloo it was over. ~laugh~ A quick visit with Lisa to thank her for her assistance today and I was back home before 9 pm. Not hungry so I just readied myself for bed and writing this blog. I'm not sure I'll get it finished and posted tonight as I'm tired and having a hard time keeping my eyes open. I may just finish it in the morning. 

So there you have it, our Monday excitement. Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed your stay. Until next time...be safe, take care.....

Overcast, warmish Sunday....

Our Location: Magic River Rv Resort, Long Beach, Mississippi

(all pics taken with my phone)

A much warmer overnight last night with a warmer day following in it's wake today. The wind wasn't as chilly and while we had little or no sun, along with a few rain drops there was a warmer hint to the air today. 

Up around the fire this morning shortly after 6 a.m. with the usual faces there to greet me and more of the usual crowd following at various intervals, the morning meet and greet was nice and I stayed late, until almost 9 am. I don't usually stay that long but we were all chattering and laughing, enjoying ourselves. 

One of the many things you can purchase at the flea market..

 

Home to make pancakes, have showers and do the dishes before starting the day. I will admit we didn't walk much today, just a short stroll but oh well, it was just one of those days. Just about 10:30 a.m. we headed out to the Dogsled, picking up our friends Ron & Sharon before heading off to the Long Beach Flea Market. While we weren't looking for, nor did we buy any fleas, we did manage to find a few other things to carry home with us. Just entering the market area we were in the produce/fruit section which of course held our attention. We chatted with the Mexican gentleman that runs the stand, he explained various kinds of fruits and veggies to us, gave us some samples to taste and was extremely helpful as well as knowledgeable about his goods. We bought something that is like a zucchini but is called something else, some tomatoes, a fresh pineapple and potatoes from his stand on our way out. Earlier on while wandering around we found a half dozen books we wanted to read and so for a few dollars we have many hours of entertainment in one small bag. ~laugh~  We all enjoyed the musician that entertained the crowd, he had a nice voice and a large variety of songs in his repertoire. A one man band with the help of a 'band' in a box while he played lead guitar. We dropped Ron & Sharon off before heading back home around noon. 

 

Need a cap? Many to choose from.

 

After that we kind of just relaxed the rest of the day, even managing a short nap this afternoon. The skies threatened but didn't really carry thru with it. The wind was still blowing but didn't manage to blow away the clouds nor blow in the rain, so I'm not certain if it was a productive wind or not. ~laugh~ 

 

 

More goodies to buy...

One of the long rows of vendors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Called Dad shortly after 6 p.m. our time, chatted for a bit, got caught up on the gossip and the news from the Great White North and the rock in the middle of Lake Huron. It was dark at his house but still light here at Long Beach when I made the call. The difference a few hundred miles makes is amazing, isn't it? 

 

 

More stuff....

 

Up around the evening fire we enjoyed the usual laughter, the stories and of course the fantastic people. Ron told us about Howard the Pot Bellied Pig, while Jeannie was comparing her running ability to that of Forrest Gump. ~laugh~  Jeannie also brought out her Rodent Repellent which she referred as to Sniff and Go but ended up being something else. ~laugh~  Lisa was quiet which is unusual for her, Buzz even put in an appearance. Charles and Roberta dropped by for a bit, Billy and Charlene were also there, as was Linda and of course Miss Sharon too. Riley and I completed the crowd.  As the evening started to wind down Ron & Sharon invited Riley and I over to bring home some pizza for tomorrow. Very generous of them to do so. Riley came away with a number of slices for her breakfast!! 

 

Wonder about those eggs...

 

The local black cat, whom Sharon has nicknamed Black Magic has been making their motorhome almost like her home. She enters when they open the door, climbs up on the furniture and just enjoys herself greatly. She goes to the door  yowls to be let out and follows them around like a puppy. She's a beautiful cat but will miss them when they leave, I think they'll miss her too!! 

 

I was looking at this bag of goodies but left it there...

 

After Riley collected her pizza we headed back home to have some dinner. I just snacked on some crackers while Riley had more chicken, veggies, and potatoes left over from last night's dinner. We're lazy tonight, we didn't even do the dishes. ~laugh~ I wonder how that happened? 

 

So there you have it, that was our day! We had a great day, enjoyed the time we spent with Ron & Sharon, as well as those around the fire pit. Thanks for stopping by, until next time...be safe, take care....

 

Lazy Day, Cold, and Friends.....

Our Location: Magic River Rv Resort, Long Beach, Mississippi

(pics taken with my phone)

Last night's short but heavy downpours served to cool things off here as the temps dipped overnight and this morning leaving us around the 50F/10C mark with a cold wind today. Truly it didn't seem to warm up much throughout the day with the wind seeming to take any of the sun's heat and blow it away. 

Mardi Gras Giraffe in Gulfport

Morning fire visit started around 6 a.m. this morning with Buzz, Mac and Ken, with Ron following along not much later. Then of course the others staggered along at various times. Swilly came by with a fistful of pictures to share with us all and was ever gracious in his explanations and our kidding him about his head of dark wild hair. Before long Robert showed up with Butch following shortly afterward. So a full compliment around the morning fire even though it wasn't the warmest morning. Lisa, Jeannie, Chuck, Charles, Pete, Linda and a new guy also managed to put in an appearance. 

Ken and Faye pulled out this morning heading to the area in which we recently left, Gulf Shores, Alabama while we were a few miles up the road at Foley, Alabama. That left two empty spots in the campground which were filled by 5 pm this evening. So once again all the regular spots are full but a few more folks will be leaving within the next week. It's that time of the year when folks start heading home and with the mild winter I'm willing to bet more folks go sooner than later. 

Her Royal Highness appears to be dead but isn't....~laugh~

It was a very lazy day today in which we basically did nothing but keep warm. ~laugh~ Yes I know, us being Canadians we should be used to the cold weather but it's not the same down here as it is back in Ontario. There its cold for long periods of time and not only the occasional day here and there like it is down here in the deep south. Honestly I think the occasional day here and there might be harder to take! Part of it is a mental thing I'm certain as we assume it will be much warmer here and while it is still much warmer than back home, it's not 'warm' like we expect so it seems colder. Did you follow all that? If not, go back and read it again, it'll come to you. ~laugh~ 

A surprise visit this afternoon from our good friends Ron & Sharon was very nice and quite enjoyable. We had a number of laughs and a few more serious moments as well. Ron replaced a light bulb for me in the bathroom that I just couldn't get to fit for some reason. It took two of us to get it though and I won't go into detail except to say Ron and I both ended up in the shower at the same time. A good time was had by all, I think!  ~laugh~  I always enjoy time spent with either or both of them, such nice people. 

A phone call from Linda at Bluegrass with an update on my mail situation kind of filled out the rest of the afternoon between pages in  my book.  I finished John Grisham's book The Brethren. It was a good read. I'm currently working on John Saul's novel Sleep Walking. 

Good stuff...

Dinner was cooked inside as I wasn't going outside to cook in this cold with a cold wind blowing. Honey Pecan Chicken breast with stuffing and garden rice was all very good and we enjoyed it. Cooked much faster inside than on the BBQ dinner was a very fast event this evening. ~laugh~ 

A quick clean up, some more reading and it was off to various parts of the Igloo as another day comes to an end. We already have decided our plans for tomorrow and we will be getting out doing some things for certain. So stay tuned....

Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoyed your stay, feel free to leave a comment. Until next time...be safe, take care...

A busy Monday....

Our Location: Magic River Rv Resort, Long Beach, Mississippi

(more pics of the parade at Pass Christian yesterday)

The overnight temps remained warm, leave the windows and vents open kind of warm but the day wasn't quite as warm as we'd like. Not complaining but well...a bit warmer would be nice. ~laugh~ Tonight's temps are about 67F/19.4C at 9 pm. The rain they forecast for today didn't arrive but it certainly clouded over a few times to make us believe it might start dripping. 

Interesting Police Vehicle, don't ya think?

Morning fire with the regular folks, Ron, Ken, Mac, Buzz and myself soon followed by a few other folks, even Riley came along for a while. 

Not the friendliest fellow I seen on the floats yesterday.....

Home to shower, clean the Igloo and have breakfast which we managed to do all before 10 a.m., fast aren't we? From cleaning we hopped in the Dogsled, headed out to the office to pay for another week. Butch (park owner) happened by as we were paying, we chit chatted for a bit, and we walked off with a Yeti mug cutesy of Butch for being a 'long' time regular here at Magic. 

 

He was a friendly fella though....

 

Back at the Igloo we read for a bit before climbing back into the Dogsled once again, this time bringing with us  our friends Ron & Sharon, we headed off to the Rusty Pelican for the Monday special of Red Beans and Rice, or whatever tickled your fancy. We managed to rearrange the restaurant as we had a large number from the campground all there for lunch. Chuck & Jeannie, Mac, Billy & Charlene, Ken & Faye, Buzz (Paul) & Lisa, Ron & Sharon, Riley & I. So that was 13, I don't think I forgot anyone but it's possible. Oh yes, I forgot Flat Stanley, Lisa & Buzz's school project for a granddaughter. Of course we all know Flat Stanley is a project given at school in which a flat, paper person cutout is sent to a relative, this relative is charged with taking pictures of Stanley visiting, doing, seeing, enjoying his surroundings all while it is being documented. At the end of Stanley's visit, he is returned to his home STUDENT and presented to the class. It makes for an interesting, educational lesson for both the sender and the receiver. 

 

All decked out in his finery.....

 

After the Rusty Pelican we came back to the park, dropped Sharon and Riley off at home, after which Ron and I headed out to one of my favourite stores, Harbor Freight. Ron bought a number of things while I managed to only buy 3 strings of solar powered rope lights. I'm still thinking about an Inverter, and what size I want or perhaps need would be a better way to look at it. 

Flying beads and nice hair....

Back home I dropped Ron at home, thanked Miss Sharon for letting Ron come out to play and then headed home myself. Riley was outside at the picnic table cracking some pecans that we've brought from Georgia and so I mostly picked some nut pieces out of the 'discard' bag and enjoyed a bit of a chat with her. After that it was inside to read and instead of my book I decided I should read some of the literature about the Solar set up. The book is small and the print is tiny, can't read much at a time, gives me a headache. 

Concentration.....

Before I knew it the afternoon was over and we hadn't gone for our walk today. Lazy aren't we? ~laugh~ Oh well, maybe tomorrow. Read for a bit, a book called The First Horsemen, not at all what I expected but an okay read so far. 

Cool hat....

Around 5:45 p.m. I prepped some veggies and by shortly after 6 p.m. I was BBQing dinner. Tonight we had Garden Herb Rice, Italian Veggies and JD BBQ chicken breasts. It was good stuff, even had me licking my fingers. 

The Super Hero Crowd......

After dinner a quick clean up inside and out, walk to the dumpster and a stop at the fire. Riley stayed home tonight. A big crowd around the fire included Ken & Faye, Charles & Roberta, Jeannie and eventually Chuck, Ron & Sharon, Charlene & Billy, eventually Lisa and then eventually Buzz, some new guy as well, plus myself. Oh and Pete was there as well. So a good crowd, lots of laughs, some very witty people in the crowd. 

Look at all the beads waiting to be tossed....

Home shortly before 9 p.m., Riley was already off doing her thing and I cleaned myself up a bit as I smelled like Smokey the Bear, then settled down to write my blog.

Not an exciting but I truly enjoyed my day. I look forward to more like it! Thanks for stopping by, I hope your day has been as good as mine. Until next time..be safe, take care...