Rainy Days and Mondays

always get me down…

Below are the graphic weather forecasts for our area over the next four days.  They look exactly like the ones from the past week.  Lots of rain and humidity keeping us indoors spinning our wheels.

     

   

I have spent the past week recovering from a tough sinus infection, but feeling much better now.  Seems I was able to pass it on to Wanda, though.  She’s having a tougher time with it than I did. 

With the weather being like it is, we have spent lots of time reading, loafing, and just being lazy.  I finished another Jack Reacher novel and Wanda has tackled a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle. She will probably have it finished before the weekend.

Watching the weather in the Southwest a little closer, also.  Still kicking around Quartzite, but not fond of traveling that distance just to be trapped indoors while a cold wind blows.   I’m also getting reports of really warm weather in Florida with lots of paddling opportunities.  Decisions, decisions.  Hopefully, the forecast for the Southwest will improve over the next week or so and make our decisions easier to make.

Bottom line is that there’s not much happening around the old home place.  Just bidding time……jc

Home, Again.

 

We awoke Thursday morning to a light rain pattering on the roof.  The first daytime rain in our eight days there.  As we were only traveling about sixty miles to my niece’s home in Crestview, we waited it out, and it had stopped by ten or so.  We headed East on Hwy 98 until the first sign pointing us Northward to I-10.  I did see a sign that said toll road, but as we had been paying a dollar to cross the bay all week, I didn’t give it much thought.  After crossing a part of the bay on a beautiful bridge, there was the sign for a toll booth ahead.  Talk about sticker shock.  $3.75 for the truck, and $3.75 for each additional axle.  $7.50 to get up to I-10.  The most aggravating thing is that I could have traveled a few more miles on 98E and had a free road.  I was thankful that we didn’t have a dual axle trailer.

My brother had asked if we could stop by his daughters for a day or so and help him do some light repair work on their home.  We arrived there around lunch and after a burger, we got to it.  We replaced a double gate into their back yard, along with some trim around their fireplace and back porch.  Also hung a new door and some other small things.  Thursday and Friday evenings, they took us out to dinner at some of their favorite restaurants.  I could get used to that kind of payment really quick. 

Thank goodness we got most everything done by Friday evening.  Sometime in the wee hours of Saturday morning, I started coughing and aching.  We both have taken our flu shots so I don’t think it’s the flu, but it could run it a close second.  By the time we got home yesterday afternoon, I was having chills and running fever.  Tanked up on liquids and started an antibiotic which we had on hand. A bad night, but better today.  Hope it runs it course in just a couple more days.

Overall, a great week with lots of good people.  The weather could have been better, but we made the best of it.  A couple of movies, museums, and eating out on the coldest days. 

Already thinking about out next journey, but as we both went on Medicare in November, ATT has all my benefits screwed up and we aren’t sure what, if any, secondary insurance we have at present.  We haven’t received any cards for our health or pharmacy plans, which ATT farms out to Blue Cross and CVS.  And, of course a call to the benefits administration offices leads only to more frustration.  Hopefully, we will get all that worked out within the next week…….jc

 

Still in Ft. Pickens

The last three days here at Ft. Pickens have been wonderful.  Though the weather forecast has been for rain since Monday, it has yet to show up.  A couple of light showers overnight on Tuesday is all we’ve had.  Warm temps and light winds during the day.  I decided to hike around the east end of the island this morning.  Headed due North from the campground to the bay side of the island.  The town of Pensacola and Pensacola Naval Air Station across the way.

Destination is way down yonder.

The first thing I came across on the beach was a headless bird of some kind.  Only a skinless neck on the body.  What’s up with that?

A leisurely walk down to Ft. Pickens.  A few shore birds and pelicans were the only wildlife around.

 

Can you see the duck?

Looking back.  My foot prints.

                                     

The old seawall along the West end of the island makes a great hiking path.

 

A lone palm tree on the edge of the gulf.

Caught the trail back to the campground.  Overall, about a four mile hike, if the park service signs are correct.

Caught this guy resting along the way.

I noticed this rig coming into the CG this afternoon.

Another pink motorhome.  Thought it was Janna and Mike.