It's Catch-up Time.

OK, so hang on. I'm going to try to do this as succinctly as possible; maybe I can get nearly 4 weeks worth in to one long, run-on sentence ... I am, after all, a Government employee. :)
Since my last post we've driven to Jupiter,FL to hook up with great friends, Chip and Sue, from Robin's high school and college days. We visited, went to the top of a grand old lighthouse, did some Geocaching and had a great dinner and time of fellowship while up there. We managed the drive home arriving at about 1:30 A.M. Now that's what I call a reunion :) A couple of weeks after that, Chip and Sue came down to the Everglades to visit us and we took the airboat ride, hiked around and played some Euchre. Again, we had a great visit and wonderful fun.

A couple of days later we hooked up and pulled the fifth wheel about 22 miles north and east, toward Fort Lauderdale. Our current location is in a park called "Yacht Haven" and our view out the back window is of a channel, the docks, and several large boats. It's an enticing place to stay and we are discussing how long we will stay put. The advantage, of course, is that we look at the water and boats every day. It reminds us of why we packed up and came to Florida in the first place and keeps the edge on our desire to press on in pursuit of this sailing dream.
The disadvantage is that is a longer, tougher commute each day.
From the Everglades Holiday Park we drove along a relatively 'quiet' road for the first 15 miles or so before encountering any significant traffic congestion. The new commute puts on I-95 and into the thick of it right away and it gets more congested with each on-ramp as we head into the Miami area. So... we're still talking over different alternatives (returning to Everglades Holiday Park is not an option as they do not have sufficient electrical service for us for the demands of summer heat). Another great advantage of living near Fort Lauderdale is that in the eventuality of a hurricane evacuation, we are 25 miles north several million people and if we intend to evacuate the rig I will greatly appreciate the head start since evacuation routes are somewhat scarce. Hopefully this won't become a reality, but it's nice to have a plan.

Right after we arrived at the new park we hiked the length of it and stood on the end of a dock with several other folks and witnessed a Shuttle launch from what is basically right out our back door. Even from as far away as we were, it is simply an awesome and spectacular sight. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who can pull it off. There are so few missions left and the whole Shuttle program will be ending very soon. So...if you can find a way to see one in person, try to make it happen.
We were graced by a week long visit from Brandon and Brecca over their Spring Break. Robin and I took the week off as well and we pulled the rig down through the Keys and ended up staying at the KOA at Sugarloaf Key, about 20 miles short of Key West. We had a problem with the 'landing gear' (the two front support struts that extend down) on the coach when we tried to set up at the park, requiring us to stay hooked up to the truck for front end support. We called for a maintenance guy to come out and pay us a service call, and I (with some help from a neighbor) got the strut detached from the coach and started looking for solutions. The maintencance fellow arrived and fooled with it for a little bit, but did not want the job and said I should call the factory for a replacement strut and left. ABout an hour later (again with the help of a neighbor) I had found the problem, devised a solution and reassembled the strut. Brandon did the awesome task of reconnecting the drive shaft to it (a very hot and cramped challenge) and it has held up just fine since. Amazing what you can do with the right sized drill bit and pair of bolt cutters. Thanks Brandon for your extreme help in reattaching the shaft!

We spent a great couple of days touring on foot, on bike, and in the convertible. We swam in the ocean and watched the last of the sunset on the pier in Key West while enjoying a Rum Runner and having some snacks. It was crowded, but not insanely so, and I know it was well worth the trip. The Keys are fun, and they are beautiful.
We decided to pull the rig back up to Everglades Holiday Park for one night so that Brandon and Brecca could go on a boat ride and maybe catch some close-up viewing of our 'pet' alligator (one we've seen on shore nearby for several days before we pulled out the last time). Sure enough, he was waiting for us when we got back and it was a treat to walk up to a 'comfortable' distance and get a good look.
The next day we took the airboat ride and thoroghly enjoyed it. There's a lot to learn and it's great to get a little more education each time we go exploring like this.

We pulled back up to Yacht Haven and set up the coach in an absolute downpour. Robin, bless her heart, was completely drenched as she spotted the placement of the rig and by the time we got inside we were both pretty wet, but she was completely and utterly soaked. The ground was saturated and the supports/chocks that we use sunk into the ground some when we rolled onto them. After we disconnected the truck from the trailer, the trailer slipped off one of the supports (levelers) and rolled a couple of inches toward the canal .. yikes! is that spooky. We reconencted, re-centered, re-aligned, and re-chocked and it worked just fine this time. Oh, and did I mention it was raining? .. torrentially??? ... The 'nice' part, if there is one, is that the rain is not so biting cold like it was in Colorado. That rain came from higher, cooler clouds and it was not much fun to get soaking wet because it chilled you so quickly. Rain here is a little warmer, but just as wet...

We spent the next day at the beach in Fort Lauderdale along with a few thousand of our closest Spring Break friends and enjoyed getting into the waves and playing in salt water. A little bit of sunburn and all is well in Florida.
Regrettably we had to ship our good company back to Colorado and things returned to 'normal' for a few days. We spent this weekend unwinding a bit, driving and exploring, hanging around the docks and I replaced a transmitter unit foro ur back-up camera on the coach.

It's been fun! I am so very thankful for the good people in my life. What a great blessing; good friends and loved one. You can't buy that, and you can't replace it so cherish it.