Happy Earth Day 2013

Sarasota, FL       High:   83     Low:   64

We didn't do much today! It was one of those hot days, with a threat of rain, where you just decide to lay back and take it easy, so we did.

Sparky just got done reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a true story about a poor Southern black woman tobacco farmer back in the '50's who went in for a checkup for abdominal pain, ended up having ovarian cancer, dying and whose cells were taken from her without her knowledge. Scientists know her as HeLa, the most famous cells in the history of medicine. Her cells were the first human cells grown in culture that survived and propagated until there were enough of them to weigh more than 50 million TONS and they continue to grow and be cultured today. Her cells were used without her family's knowledge and contributed to studies for a successful polio vaccine, cancer causes, and helped lead to other important discoveries in medicine. Her cells launched a multi-million dollar industry that sells human biological materials. Her family never saw a penny of it. The journey from her illness to her family today is intertwined with America's history of the treatment of African Americans and medical quandries today involving human biological materials--the donation of body parts, DNA, etc. to medicine. It's quite the story!

We've been down to karaoke a couple of times in the past couple of weeks. Every Friday is karaoke night. The guy that looks and sounds just like Willie Nelson shows up now and then. He does a wonderful job and it's just great to hear him each time he comes. The talent here in the park is quite amazing! Sparky can sing, (I can NOT, admits E.) but she doesn't have the nerve to get up with all the great talent that comes to karaoke each week. It would take three or four glasses of wine, and the last five minutes of the evening to try and get her up there.....So she's gonna pass this season, and just enjoy the talents of others. In the meantime, she's compiling a list, "Oh, I could sing THAT!" and "That's one I think I could do!" while Eldy quietly remains politely silent and is NOT one to say, "Well, why don't you get up there and just do it, then?!"

Sometimes we just go for a drive around and look for spoonbills and gators in the Lakewood Ranch area. It's a beautiful area with lots of wildlife and where we've seen beautiful birds and gators in the past. They haven't been around lately, the birds or the gators, so we'll keep looking.

Sparky heard that Myakka River State Park has a place inside the main park called the Deep Hole, and there are supposed to be HUNDREDS, well maybe, if you're lucky you'll see that many down in this area. The park only lets 30 people go at a time to see them. You have to go into the state park to get a permit right when the park first opens at 8:00 AM, then you have to find the entrance to a dirt road that will lead you to THE HOLE.  You hike two miles in along a dusty, dirt path to get to the hole, and two miles back out. Or, we think it's possible to canoe or kayak close to the area if the waters in the area near the hole haven't receded or dried up. That's what another person has stated. Sparky and Eldy just don't feel like doing a hot, dusty, dirty hike in bright sun with no shade to see a bunch of alligators and it's been too dry for a river trip to get close. We see at least one gator every day, but this WOULD be cool to see a WHOLE BUNCH, like HUNDREDS (so they say) at one time! So for the adventuresome, hike loving individuals who tolerate the Florida heat just fine, GO FOR IT! and please report back after you've done it.... Here's a staff photo from the Herald Tribune of Sarasota to tease anyone interested in finding this deep hole....

Actually, after a little more investigating, you might see right around a hundred gators in the deep hole, depending on what time of year it is. Apparently, the hole, which is estimated to be about 140 feet deep, attracts gators like insects to a lightbulb, but the numbers fluctuate wildly. If there are a lot, it's probably because it's the best place around to find a mate with that many choices! Best time to see gators is February, March and April...in the summer, they will be underwater trying to cool off to get away from the heat, just like Sparky and Eldo and the rest of us......

It's Earth Day and we are trying to do our part to conserve and save energy and recycle. Sun 'n' Fun has a huge recycling program here in the park. They recycle just about everything except hazardous materials. So, we hang our little bag in the motorhome, crush our cans, save our papers and magazines, and dutifully make trips twice a week or more down to the trash recycling center. Every little bit helps. It's amazing how much trash two people in an RV can generate! GEEZ!

In honor of Earth Day, here is an amazing photo of something Sparky and Eldo probably won't get to do in their lifetime for a number of reasons, but Linda and Howard of RV Dreams are...the North Coyote Butte "Wave" near Zion National Park in Utah...Isn't it beautiful!? You see places like this on your travels and until you see them, you can't really believe these geological formations exist they are so weird and wonderful and awe inspiring! So many beautiful, spectacular places in our country, waiting to be explored....And the RVing lifestyle is the perfect way to do it!

Spring Cleaning in the Winter?

Sarasota, FL      High:   65   Low:  45

Well, Sparky is just all turned around...She's now spring cleaning the rig in the winter (!) in preparation of the kids coming. Why not? It feels like a spring day with temps in the low sixties....Although busy cleaning, it was a quiet day today.....While Sparky was cleaning, she had Eldo investigating a new RV tip for the week. He came across the importance of keeping the kick plate and condensor coils clean on a residential fridge. We knew the coils were on the outside compartment of the rig, so first we checked the kick plate. The kick plate wasn't bad at all. We took the cover off to check the under space and it was very clean. You have to open the freezer compartment to access the screws to the kick plate to take the whole kick plate cover off. We thought it would be a good idea to check the area behind the kick plate just to make sure everything was ok. We don't have pets, so no pet hair to clog the openings, just Eldy's chest hair. :-)  You'd be amazed at how hair flies around in the rig and lands in the darndest places! OK, T.M.I....too much information, sorry! (Geesh, woman! Do you have to share EVERYTHING?) Uh, sometimes....There are just two little Phillips screws holding the kickplate on, one on each side. Here the cover is off. There's really nothing to be seen in the way of parts to the fridge underneath the kick plate cover.

But the outside coils? Yup, dirty as could be. You can't use one of those traditional "under the refrigerator" brushes to clean them. You have to have a long handled skinny paintbrush to do the job. You are going to have to unscrew the cardboard cover to access the condenser coils which makes more sense than trying to poke a paintbrush through the cardboard slats. But the condenser coils are so skinny and narrow, you'll still need a skinny paintbrush to clean them.

We're going to have to go get one. We couldn't get in the slots with a craft paintbrush that Sparky had. Good excuse to go visit Michael's and get another one! Heh, heh, heh.....  :-)

Sparky made some more Christmas mini ornaments....Went to spin/cycle class, and this afternoon, went to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, that's a really fantastic place...all about that tomorrow! We're heading over the pool for karaoke with Danno this evening. There is a guy that looks and sounds just like Willie Nelson who usually sings usually. There is some GREAT vocal talent here at Sun 'n' Fun. If you feel like checking him out, here's the link to a short YouTube video I took on my little point and shoot camera.
Willie Nelson Lookalike

We met up with some new friends, Edie and Gary, from Chattanooga, TN, at the bar and enjoyed the karaoke that OTHERS did. It's amazing how great the singers are here at Sun 'n' Fun. Hardly ANYBODY sang off key...(That would be me, I can't carry a tune, says E.) Not only that, but he has no clue when he's NOT in key which is 90% of the time nor can he tell when anybody else is not in key. Sparky can carry a tune pretty well, and belts out tunes all the time in the car when by herself, but put her in front of a mike, and all of a sudden, she forgets parts of songs, gets flustered, and doesn't do so hot. So for now, Sparky will remain an appreciative listener until 1) she has about four glasses of wine, 2) there's ten minutes left of karaoke, 3) or hardly anybody is in the bar. If all three of those conditions are met, you MIGHT see Sparky up at the mike! Sparky needs to pick a few songs, download some tunes and rehearse.....

Time to go practice....See ya later......

Anyone for Karaoke by the Pool?

Sparky ALMOST did...It was enough to go out and do the Boot Scootin' Boogie and the Cupid Shuffle. There were several little old ladies out there doing the Cupid Shuffle. That was surprising to Sparky, she thought it was a YOUNG person's dance...guess it's old school now...she'll have to learn something NEW for a line dance!

We heard some amazing singers out by the pool today. A young guy by the name of Danno did the honors today...he had some help from an Elvis sounding guy who did a fantastic job and was funny to boot! And there was the Willie look-alike! Wow! That was the closest sounding Willie Nelson impression we have ever heard. The guy was GOOD! If you closed your eyes, you would swear that it was THE Willie Nelson!

Of course, the dj had to play, "YMCA"...and a poolside dad got into the act and encouraged everyone to participate. "Y" don't you all participate? A lot of them did!

It's always interesting to people watch....hats are fashionable to wear in the pool here.....

And it's gratifying to see young mothers protecting their babies from the sun..nothing aggravates Sparky more and gets the Mother Bear instinct going than to see a mom walking around with a little baby with NO hat, no protection from the sun, and little babies getting sunburned....Ar-r-r-r-g-g-h! This little one is WELL protected and enjoying himself, that's for sure!

And this little guy is well protected with a swim shirt and a hat...Way to go, mom!

Lime green must be a popular color for young kids....Eldy's grandson has on HIS lime green/chartreuse swim trunks and shirt and is ready for the pool!

A VERY enjoyable afternoon at the pool today, in the SHADE......