Port Mansfield TX

February 4, 2015
We were really excited to move on to Port Mansfield after a month at Hummingbird Cove.  We had been there to fish on the pier and loved the feel of a small fishing village. 

This was the store where we shopped - bait, milk, snacks.  The nearest real store and gas stations were in Raymondville, 25 miles away.

  

Yes, that little red spot is our car.  

  

Here are some pictures around Port Mansfield

This was our view when we fished

in the river going out to the Laguna Madre. 

      

Is this really legal??

There are probably more deer than people living here.

   

Our rig.  

It was usually too windy to fish and sitting outside was not an option.  Going to town was a 25 mile ride.  There were no activities and going to the laundromat was a treat because I usually met someone I could talk to.  We passed the time as best we could.  Not the owners' fault as they were responsive and kept the place nice.  

There just wasn't anything to do and the wind was relentless!  

Goodbye.

We're Still Here

We are still waiting to take off on our adventures, but it seems that one thing or another is delaying our exit. Lazydays is doing everything they can, but geting appointments for off-site work at Cummins and Freightliner is causing some delays.  The work is minor, so everything should be in perfect working order once we are off.  We will head on out of Florida and head west until spring.  Luckily we have no schedule and our stay is free.  They gave us a rental one day and also put us up at Country Inns one night.  Right now we're waiting for an appt with Freightliner so they can fix the cruise control.  Since we have no where to go while it's being repaired, I hope we can stay at Country Inn again - it was really nice!

In the meantime we had time to take the dogs to a pet-friendly beach in Ponce Inlet.  Wilbur and Louise had never seen the ocean.  Ken took them in the water, but they seemed more interested in the surrounding vegetation.

When we first arrived in Tampa, we took some time to take a drive and see the Gulf.  The beach and park were deserted so it was all ours to explore.  I wasn't used to the heat and the wind, but it felt good.  I HATE being cold, so I can get used to this. 

My brother Ken also took us to Ponce Inlet for dinner at Inlet Harbor. What a gorgeous breezy evening on the water.  This is not a vacation, we don't have an agenda, and we don't have to go home because we don't have one!  We're home wherever we park - and that is how we planned it all this time - how great is that??

The other day, we went to the tax collector's office in Tampa to get our car registered and driver's licenses. What a zoo but at least that's done, because we have no idea when we'll be able to take care of it otherwise.








Yesterday we put the pets in daycare and drove over to Daytona Beach to pick up the rest of our boxes that we had shipped down here in September.

We spent most of today unpacking and putting everything away and believe it or not, we still have lots of storage.  I guess we did a pretty good job of getting rid of everything we don't need.  Our life is in these 25 boxes. We shipped our clothes, Christmas decorations, kitchen items (I even bought the pasta maker), towels, coffee maker, radio, office supplies, files, who knows what else.

I did have to buy sheets because we didn't know what size bed we'd get (it's an RV King, narrower than a regular King and had to be ordered), but see how much storage is underneath?  The bed was loaded with decor pillows and bedspread, plus the pillows I bought, so they all went under the bed.






We also bought lots of RV supplies like hoses and such, lounge and recliner chairs (I had to have both, cause you never know).  And today we roasted a chicken in the slow cooker.  No tricks, just place seasoned chicken over vegetables and cook on high a couple hours - perfect every time.

I think we are finally done spending.  Now we're just waiting for an appointment with Freightliner so they can fix the cruise control.  It might be a few weeks before it gets in, but we're in no hurry and they're letting us stay for free, so we'll make the best of it until we're on the road. And our dogs approve.

Last Day Tomorrow

Well, it's finally here. Tomorrow is my final day at work. I'll party with my office friends, then go off to meet other friends throughout the day. I promise I won't get teary-eyed. The end of a chapter, my work life, is over, but I rarely look back. I would go crazy if I did. I've got so much to look forward to - fulltime business, shows, wedding orders, and internet sales. I'm incredibly lucky to be able to retire in my mid-50s when I'm still active and able to pursue my many varied interests.
Someone mentioned to me the other day how my life has been so well-planned and organized. When I look back, I realized it's kind of true. When I first decided to move to NYC in 2000 so Carla could pursue her education in music and acting, events just clicked right along. I took us nearly a year to get here with only a slight pause after 9/11. My plan was to see her through college, then move on. Well, she has, and I am. Timing is perfect with the housing market and low interest rates. In the past 10 years, money manages to fall into my lap when I need it the most. Funny how fortunate I've been.
This morning I took my camera along and took pictures all the way to work, until it died, that is. I wanted to remember walking to the train, the visions I see when I get off, and my daily walk through downtown Manhattan to the Federal Building where I work. Who does that?? After 7 years living here, I am still in awe of the city. I never tired of it and there will be times I will most certainly miss the hustle and bustle. It will be nice to visit since Carla will still be here going to grad school at Juilliard. I plan to be here for every performance and recital. I may also return to do large craft shows to sell candles and fragrance products. It all depends on the upstate scene.

So how unique is it to see the Empire State Building everyone morning as soon as you get off the train? It's still impressive to me. How I will miss this.