Where did the humidity go?

Starting yesterday, we have had much lower humidity and somewhat lower temperatures. We remember from when we lived in this area that there is usually a time in Oct. when this happens. Again today we have crystal clear skies and cooler daytime temps. This morning, it was in the 50's. Awesome!

Next week will be more of the same doctor visits for both Kathy and me. We see the light at the end of the tunnel, however. After this week, I have a Cardiologist visit scheduled for Nov. and Kathy should be all done. Two weeks of these visits every 2 years is a small price to pay for the wonderful lifestyle we live.

Since the publishing of an article in MSN Money with an interview with Kathy about the full-time lifestyle, our podcast downloads have almost tripled! Visits to our website http://www.livingthervdream.com are up 400%. We're hoping this also translates to more sales of our book as well. All this is quite exciting as well as encouraging.

If you are interested in some of our earlier podcasts, I have posted lists of the main topics covered in each episode of Living the RV Dream from number 80 to number 180. These can be found in the LTRVD Store tab on our website. Click on the "Show Notes and Comments" link by each of volumes V thru IX. I'll be working on the rest, but I have to listen to each one first and that will take a while.

I'll close with a couple of comments from an earlier podcast:


You MIGHT be an RVer if. . .

. . . the Camping World Master Catalog arrives and you lock yourself in the bathroom for an hour with a cordless phone and your VISA card.

. . . when someone asks how many people can sleep in your RV, you and your spouse answer in unison, "JUST TWO!"

We move a little north

Yesterday we moved from the Royal Coachmen Encore park in Nokomis, FL about 26 miles north to the Winter Quarters Encore Park in Bradenton, FL. This is a beautiful park with a large lake in the middle of the park. We have a long pull-through site facing the lake. It's a great view out our windshield until someone occupies one of the three empty sites on the lake front.

 

This is the view from the street with the lake at my back. Very tropical. We will probably interview the park manager for our show. This park is split about 50/50 between park models and RV's.

This week and next will be full of doctor visits for both of us as we get checked out so we can continue to wander the country next year. Its time consuming but a necessary evil. We have had several inquiries about our Poodle/Bischon mix Charley. He's doing fine and is a great traveler. Here he is enjoying his "man-dog" cave.

We'll be here two weeks and then we go about 40 miles east to the Peace River Thousand Trails park in Wachula, FL for a three week stay. We'll bounce around Florida most of the winter. We're not too sure after that.

Historic Spanish Point

We visited Historic Spanish Point today. It is a small peninsula in Little Sarasota Bay. It had been previously settled by indigenous people but was abandoned 1000 years ago. The property was bought by the Webb family in 1867 and was named Spanish Point. They farmed the land for over 40 years before heiress Bertha Honore Palmer bought this parcell and almost one fourth of what is now Sarasota County. The property was donated to Sarasota County in 1980. The little chapel above was built as a memorial to an 18 year old tuberculosis patient named Mary who came here to recuperate but died 5 weeks later. It is "Mary's Chapel".

 

The view from the pier of the original Web  packing shed and dock.

 

 

 

This building is called "A window to the past" and is built over an archeological excavation of a shell "midden", or pile of shells built by the original inhabitants.

This is the view from a wood bridge  over to the boatworks and house of Frank Webb Guptill.

 

I couldn't help but see this colorful spider.

Kathy is in front of the Guptill boat works.

This is the beautifully restored Guptill home.

 

 

The Guptill kitchen.

 

 

We've got Weather!

We have had rain and/or thunderstorms every day since we got down here to Nokomis. They usually come at about 6PM and sometimes last 'till after midnite. The price we pay to be warm.

Yesterday I put together some PVC pieces and mounted my Wal-Mart weather gadget on our ladded so now I know all about the wind, humidity, dew-point, and all kinds of other stuff. This will also be the place I mount the Wilson Trucker antenna when we need to boost our cell signal. Maybe one more trip to Home Depot and I'll be ready.

I've also included some shots around our campsite of this tropical paradise.

 

 

 

A few big eagles and our 2 puppies

We saw this rig on the morning we were leaving the Elkhart Campground and I just had to have pictures of it. We left too soon to ask the owner about it.

 

 

 

Two years ago when we were in this area of Florida, we adopted these two poodle/bischon rescues. On the right below is Charley, who we have had with us  and his brother Boomer, who has been with our son Steve, a former US Airforce Refueling Specialist (Boomer). Boomer just got groomed and looks more like a poodle. Charlie had a less that stellar groom last time and now looks like the Tramp from the Disney cartoon "Lady and the Tramp".

 

 

This is the second time they have been together and they love to chase one another and rough house.

 

Settling in back in the Sarasota area

We have been here at the Royal Coachmen Encore park for a few days now. Today we started with doctor's appointments to be followed by a few more that will probably keep us in the area through the winter. Not such a bad problem to have.
Our oldest son Steve lives a few miles away and he has Boomer, the brother to our Charley. They came over last nite and the dogs had a ball playing with each other. I'll post pictures soon when both get groomed and look presentable.
Sales of "So, You Want To Be An RVer?", our eBook as well as the printed version are moving along at 3 to 4 per day. The print version would make a great Christmas gift to that wannabe RVer or even to an acquaintance or family member who doesn't understand what this lifestyle is all about. Check them both out on the Books page here. Although the titles are slightly different, the content is identical. We will have print versions starting tomorrow available for autographing. If you would like one, email us at johnandkathy@livingthervdream.com and we will figure out how to get it to you. The book is $14.95 and shipping will add around $6.00. We'll sell them for $20 autographed any way you ask.