Thank you for continually checking to see our adventures and mis-adventures!  I know it's been quite a while since you last heard from us, and lemme tell ya, it's been a wild ride!

Let's start back in January, when I last went online.  We were looking forward to going to a big dance in Lakeland, about an hour from our current location.  Staples and Tim, members of our old square dance club in Winston, were coming to visit us, and they were going to go to the dance with us, where we'd also meet up with 3-4 other couples we knew, and while they were here, they had a few requests.  We were only too happy to "oblige..."

First their plane was delayed (it was Skybus, and more on that later!), so we all started out kinda tired, but itwas still great to see them!  While here, they wanted to geocache, walk on a beach and get some oranges.  Good thing, 'cuz that's about all there really is to do for fun here.  I think we hit on some 14 caches, went to a winery (yup, tasted some too!), walked on Coquina Beach (my GOSH, it was cold and windy, and a bit wet, too!!!), collected some shells, picked strawberries & oranges, and ran around some.  Had lunch at Rotten Ralph's, down on the pier, where they offer "free beer tomorrow" every day.  That was the first couple of days.  Then we hit the road, and went on up to Lakeland.  Got there with no problems, thanks to Google maps, a GPS, and some good ole common sense.  Trouble started, tho, when we checked into the motel.  Oh, they had our reservations, no sweat....but, we hadn't eaten yet, and that cinnamon disc sure looked good.  Yup, chomped down on that puppy and felt an odd sensation in my mouth.  Then, spit out some white crumbles and felt a really sharp corner on a formerly smooth tooth.  Crown.  Luckily for me, it was just a corner, and it wasn't painful, just annoying.  Spent the whole weekend trying to avoid the sharp edges, and be gentle, and it wasn't so bad.  

We had been looking forward to putting our Advanced dancing lessons to good use, but it only took us about 2 minutes to realize that our idea of a Workshop was way different than anyone else's.  Their workshop was about 10 weeks and 50 formations ahead of our skill level.  Oh well, on to the next hall.  We spent almost the remainder of the weekend in the Dance By Definition hall, where we were joined by our friends for a few hours at a time.  What an education THAT was.  We had thought we were pretty good dancers when we started, but we were put in our places in no time flat.  By the end of the weekend, we'd learned a LOT, and we were totally brain-dead.  We got home late Saturday night only by the grace of God!  While we were at the dance, tho, we met up with Rodger & Inez, Ken & Cheryl and Gene & Kerry.  Rodger & Inez took us up to Parkland's, where the strawberry shortcacke is out of this world.  They're up in Plant City, where a lot of your berries are coming from, right now.  As good as it was tho, I'm really glad we have U-pick just 3 miles from our camp.  I love 'em too much to make that drive as often as I would want berries!

Once we got back to camp, reality set back in.  Potties still needed cleaning, trash still needed picking up, and yup, we still had back-to-back events to plan and prepare for.  Staples & Tim took off safely, and we went back to work.  We had the Tin Can Tourists coming, and come they did!!  BUT, thanks to Skybus (and Tim & Staples, who let us in on the secret PLUS carted my butt all over GSO & Winston!), I was able to get an appointment to go see Dr. Robinson, my dentist of almost 10 years.  After 4 hours in her chair, and numerous efforts at reparations of the broken crown, I left with an impression for a new crown, a temporary one stuck on, and a return appointment with her and one with an oral surgeon.  (Without dental insurance, it becomes more cost effective to remove a troublesome tooth instead of crowning it, and remember that root canal I had to come back for, way back last summer?  Well, it's still not right, it's never been crowned, and it's just time to go.)  So, anyway, I'm back at Greensboro airport, thank you Staples, and find my Skybus home has been delayed.  At least an hour they say.  OK, I can hang with that.  Off I go in search of something to eat.  I figure pizza's out (cheese, ya know), don't really want a donut, and $8 is simply too much to fork over for a soggy, stale, refrigerated tuna sandwich.  Only thing left is beer and a hotdog, so a hotdog it is.  I'd lost my water bottles in the security check on the way up, before I ever set foot in a terminal, but Staples had suggested I take an empty water bottle in my pack, then fill it up at the drinking fountain.  What a great idea!  It works!!  Thank goodness, 'cuz water in the airport was $2.50, and would be $2 on the plane!  So, I'm chomping down on this hot dog, right, and all of a sudden, what do I feel but my durned crown popping off!!  I spit everything out, rinse, and call the dentist.  Of course, I got a recording, but who knew I'd have to call back 3 more times to understand the cell number!!  Eventually, I just decided to call all the possibilities until I got the one I needed.  Eventually, I did, but she didn't answer, so had to leave a message.  I called Tim & Staples to see if they could find a home phone, but no luck there, either.  They did the same as I had, and called her office, and eventually, they got her on the line via cell.  She was gracious enough to call & suggest I stick the stupid thing (my words, not hers!) back on with Chap Stick, and that worked.  For a while.  Finally, at 10:10 pm, they thank us for waiting so patiently and let us on the plane.  Yeah, it was a 7:26 pm flight.  This is the same airline that brought me TO Greensboro 30 minutes EARLY!  Why?  Because we all loaded quickly and they LEFT THE GATE 30 minutes BEFORE scheduled lift off!  Anyway, we touch down around midnight, and my loving hubby and puppy were there waiting patiently.  We made the hour-ten minute trip home, took a shower and put my Chap Sticked tooth to bed.  Of course, the very next morning, I swallowed the stupid thing!  Dr. Robinson had the foresight to save my moulds, and she was good enough to FedEx a new temporary to me the very next day, and one of our co-workers down here referred me to HER dentist to cement the new one in.  He wasn't close, and he couldn't do it for a few days, but finally, in it went, and off I go.

Two weeks ago, about 60 old-timey RVs and 20 old fashioned (model T's, A's, Rolls Royces, etc.) came to stay in the park one weekend.  (They call themselves Tin Can Tourists, and have been an organized camping club for 50 years) They had their social activities scheduled for all-day, every day, and then, they opened up their campers for the public to view.  And boy, oh boy, did the public come to view.  We had almost 1000 visitors to the park in one day.  We had a couple refreshment stands set up, so we were able to get a few dollars for our park.  I worked (mostly alone) in the office all day, so I really never got to see the campers or the people, but it was nice to be so busy — time really flew by!!  Luckily for me, my temporary stayed on through all the greeting, too.

Then, the next Tuesday evening comes around, and I'm happily chomping on a Hershey bar.  Milk chocolate, NO almonds, even.  All of a sudden, I feel a POP!  Spit out everything in my mouth, and lo & behold, what is that white thing, but yup, MY TOOTH!  At least I didn't swallow it this time.  The next morning, we had a final staff meeting planned, for a last minute briefing on our next event, Discover Lake Manatee Day.  Well, I had to call the Ranger to let him know we were headed to the dentist, and either wouldn't make the meeting, or would be late.  He didn't hide his disappointment very well, but he knew it had to happen.  The local dentist was able to recement me inside 2 hours, tho, and back we went.  We slid into the meeting all glued up, and quickly caught up to the rest of the gang.  Of course, I was pretty careful about which pastry I selected for breakfast!!

Finally, Saturday 23rd dawned, bright and early.  Our open house was all about the kids.  There were exhibitors, wildlife, prizes galore, nature walks, face painting & body art, scavenger hunt, contests for all....Dick worked the Jr Fishing Clinic and gave away 150 fishing rods, reels & tackle boxes, while I was in charge of the Arts & Crafts tent.  Four hours of crafts & kids.  WHEW, what a way to remind me just how old I was.  When I signed on for it, I had NO idea it would be as hard as it was.  I had spent hours and hours in the preceeding weeks getting all the individual crafts readied and supplies organized, and it all paid off.  Hip Hip Hooray for organization and preparation!!  All in all, everone had a great day, and I'm sure they're all looking forward to coming back for more next February.  WE, on the other hand, looked forward to a hot shower and a good buffet!

So, now, it's a few days later, and we're still in recovery mode.  The day use area is just now beginnning to be clean again, and we're almost back to a normal schedule.  And, yup, my tooth is still glued on! 

I'm not sure what our next event will be, or when, but I think OUR next project is to get ourselves a job for next winter.  Here, there, wherever, but it will have to be somewhere WARM; we are SO very spoiled.  I see by my Google homepage that Branson was 37 today, Clemmons in the 60's.  We, on the other hand, were sweating it out at 78!!!  Don't get too mad at us, tho — we have a cold front coming in tonight.  It's been lightning all evening, and it's supposed to be pretty chilly tomorrow and the next day.  And you'll notice that I was wearing JEANS when Staples and Tim took our Camp Host picture.  Doesn't happen often, but we can't quite pack them away altogether.

Well, I've rambled on long enough, and now it's time to hit the showers and then the bed.  We miss you all and think of you often.  Sorry I cannot get this thing updated more often, but it is really reallly slow, and I often lose the connection while I'm working.  Hopefully, St Marks will be a bit more reliable in service.

Y'all take care and don't forget us!