This rig is over 60 feet
long when it's all hooked up.
After 30 nights at Disney's Fort
Wilderness it was time to move on. It was a short 60 mile
drive to our next home, The Resort at Canopy Oaks about 15 miles
east of Lake Wales.
We hooked up the car on the way
out and left Walt Disney World behind at about 10:45 Sunday morning.
Jasper was quite relaxed
scooting down the road on the back of the couch!
We pulled into Canopy
Oaks at 12:15
From the moment we pulled in it
felt like we were home! We had a quick sandwich and then got
busy pulling our stuff out of the 'basement' storage hatches.
It was 85º while we were setting
up our new home and by 3:15 we were pooped. We'll be here for
over four months so it didn't seem urgent to finish today!
We relaxed with the dogs in air
conditioned comfort and enjoyed our first Canopy Oaks sunset.
They can be magnificent here!
Monday November
20, 2023
Aahhh!
We could get used to relaxing in paradise like this!
Tuesday November 21, 2023
At lunch time we drove Jake and
Jasper to Frostproof, a small town about 13 miles west of our
campground.
We wondered if they would
remember the 'Pup Cups' at the Frost Bite diner.
Yup . . . they remembered quite
clearly!
Oh boy!
Brain freeze!
They licked their little bowls of
soft serve ice cream until they were spotless!
Back at the campground we stopped
at the dog park so the boys could run off their pup cups.
As you can see, Jake had
a good run!
Thursday November 23, 2023
Today all of our American
neighbours here at The Resort at Canopy Oaks were celebrating
Thanksgiving. Since we had enjoyed Canadian Thanksgiving over
a month ago we decided that we would celebrate Decorating Day
instead.
Carol attacked the dash in the RV
with gusto. She filled it with festive Christmas treasures,
most of it Disney related. It looks great and some of those
decorations even sing, dance and play musical instruments.
It's hard to tell through the
glare of the sun, but the dash looks good from outside too!
It's not a bad picture of Carol's
phone either!
She is determined that no
decorations will go up outside until December 1st . . . but somehow
this big Disney flag got hung on the front of the RV. Is it
the leading edge of a wave?
While she was doing the dash I
headed outdoors and put up our Clam. It's a 12' X 12' screened
enclosure that we use to cover the picnic table. During the
day it keeps us shaded from the sun, somewhat protected from rain
and most importantly it keeps out those nasty little 'no-see-ums'
that really enjoy feasting on me. The teensy weensy biting
midges don't like Carol but apparently I'm delicious!
Carol cooked a Turkey for dinner,
just so our fellow campers wouldn't think we were weird.
Here's a culinary tip for you . . . when you see a turkey for 49¢ a
pound remember - you get what you pay for. It wasn't
bad, but we've certainly had better!
After dinner I took a few
pictures of our campsite in the dark so you get a glimpse before all
the Christmas stuff brightens it up!
Sunday November 26, 2023
We've had a few relaxing days.
As you can see on the right, the dogs have settled right in here at
Canopy Oaks and they're feeling at home.
Yesterday we went to Forever
Vintage, about 25 miles from our campground. It's a store that
buys unsold merchandise that Disney is clearing out. You never
know what will be there It's a combination of new
merchandise and used furnishings and fixtures.
There's always something
interesting!
I waited in the car
with the dogs while Carol shopped.
She found some nice
Disney drawstring bags.
Twenty of these bags
will be filled with goodies and sent to Igloolik next Christmas!
Today we drove to the nearby
village of Frostproof to pick up a few groceries. It wasn't at
all surprising to see this swamp buggy parked in front of the
grocery store. There are plenty of rigs like this in the area.
Between these buggies and the big air-boats on almost every lake and
river you can visit some very out-of-the-way places.
We rode a swamp buggy similar to
this at the Disney Wilderness Preserve in October 2014. It's a
wild ride at times but we saw some amazing wildlife and some
wonderful natural vistas!
Monday November 27, 2023
Tomorrow we're spending the
entire day and evening at Walt Disney World and that means we'll be
checking Jake and Jasper in at the Best Friends Kennel. They
needed a Canine Influenza booster shot before we get there so today
they went to the Lake Wales Animal Hospital.
They must have known that the
pups are Disney fans because the windows were all painted up with
Disney Christmas scenes. Nice!
It made us feel so festive that
we drove on to a nearby WalMart where Carol picked up a couple of
poinsettias to decorate our campsite.
We were home in time for a late
lunch and enjoyed another lazy day in paradise.
Tuesday November 28, 2023
It was a busy day. A long
and busy day. A long and busy and cold day!
We loaded the dogs in the car and
left at 8:30. Traffic heading to Disney was terrible.
The sixty mile trip took us two hours. We checked the dogs in
at Best Friends Kennel near Fort Wilderness. Jasper ran off
right away to play outside with his buddies . . . Jake prefers to
hang out on his own in the suite he shares with Jasper.
Carol and I headed off to EPCOT
to enjoy a bit of the Festival of the Holidays. This is one of
the many Disney festivals that totally envelope the calendar year.
There used to be a couple of festivals and they were a real treat .
. . now they never end. When one festival ends the next begins
immediately.
The Festival of the Holidays
explains and demonstrates how each of the countries around the Word
Showcase Lagoon celebrates Christmas.
The holiday decor is very nice,
but it's hard to get a clear picture of it because of all the people
taking selfies or wandering around aimlessly reading their cell
phones.
We stopped for a few
PhotoPasses.
Our lunch was a
roving affair as we sampled dishes from several of the food kiosks.
Carol ordered the Turkey Poutine.
When Carol saw it she said, 'Ew, sweet potato fries. My
husband won't eat that.' so the cast member gave her a
free dish with regular fries. Damn - she's good!
The clean-up squad was
watching closely as we ate!
Pere Noel at the French
Pavilion
The pastrami on rye was
tasty.
We both enjoyed the
slow-roasted turkey.
Pete is a true artiste! He
made this sidewalk Mickey with a combination of dirt, leaves, twigs
and bird droppings. Very nice!
La
Befana is a good witch who flies on a broom as she delivers Christmas
gifts to good Italian children on the Eve of the Epiphany.
When she isn't holding
or riding her broom it waits patiently by her side.
There is a scavenger
hunt with a hidden Olaf in every country around the lagoon.
Hot chocolate and Apple
Caramel Crumb Cake
Santa was escorting
children to his sleigh where a photographer took pictures.
Coffee and a Leche
Waffle at Creations
We bumped into old
friends Linda and Brice Briel in Creations.
They're originally
from the Albany NY area but live in Georgia in retirement.
Just after 4:00 p.m. we
drove to the Magic Kingdom Parking Lot and took the monorail from
the Ticket & Transportation Centre to the theme park.
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas
party started at 7:00 p.m.
They led us into the park on a
backstage walkway behind the Main Street shops. It was
littered with entertainers and interesting decorations.
A very entertaining
dancer on stilts was performing.
A PhotoPass backdrop.
We stopped at
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe for a quick bite of dinner. Bacon
cheeseburger for me, chicken fingers for Carol. While we
waited Carol managed to book a spot in the virtual queue for TRON.
Hooray! Our group was called just as we finished eating.
We rode TRON for the
third time. This time we rode on the bikes . . . .WOW!
We watched the 8:30
parade in Liberty Square.
After the parade we cruised a few
of the Christmas Treat stations scattered around the park and
enjoyed some of the egg nog, cider, hot chocolate and cookies they
were giving away. This year the cookies were quite good so we
made sure we got dozens of them to take home before we settled in to watch the
10:00 p.m. fireworks.
We found a great spot in The Hub
to watch the special party version of the nightly fireworks display.
It's amazing the effects they can create with lights, lasers, sound
and fireworks!
By the time the fireworks ended
we were both extremely well chilled. It was 48ºF (8ºC) and our
hoodies just weren't enough to keep us warm. Perhaps we should
have worn long pants.
We sucked it up and took a late
night ride on the WEDWAY People Mover where we soaked in some of the
seasonal lighting in Tomorrowland before we left the park at 11:55.
We beat the crowd that was about
to exit the park when the party ended at midnight, boarded the
monorail to the parking lot and picked up a pair of very excited
dogs at the kennel.
We were back to the campground by
2:00 p.m. and fell into bed at 2:30. It was our latest night
out since May 27, 2001 . . . but that's another story altogether!
Monday
December 4, 2023
The campground really cleared out
after the Thanksgiving weekend and it's now slowly filling up again
as more snowbirds arrive every day. There are still lots of
empty sites around us.
The weather has been hot; in the
mid to high 80's every afternoon and quite humid. Not the kind
of conditions that Canadians like.
Thankfully our campsite
gives us some welcome shade all day long!
Carol spent some time
grooming the dogs.
Jake is always totally
relaxed when Carol trims him . . .
. . . Jasper on the
other hand does a lot of squirming!
We see an amazing sunset
almost every night!
The dogs both like
chillin' outside in the grass!
Carol is at the BBQ
getting dinner ready!
The campsite is really feeling
homey and cozy. Canopy Oaks is a great place to call our 'Home
for the Holidays'
Life is good here!
Wednesday
December 6, 2023
Carol decided
that it was time for a spur of the moment trip to Animal Kingdom, so
we loaded up the dogs, checked them in at the Pet Paradise kennel in
Kissimmee and went to the park.
Just after we entered I spotted
De-Vine out of the corner of my eye. She is a character almost
totally covered in foliage who appears regularly near the park
entrance. As you can see she blends right in with her
surroundings.
Carol managed to get
in close . . .
She got some great
close-up shots!
The Merry Menagerie
puppets are so lifelike!
We picked up Annual
Passholder magnets in DinoLand
A baby Siamang with a
mature one to the right.
While we had lunch at
Yak & Yeti we watched the Webcam at Pet Paradise.
Jasper was having a
blast with his buddies!
Jake was really enjoying some quiet time in his suite.
The female tiger was
sound asleep!
The male was prowling
and then hugged his favourite scratching post!
An owl in flight!
We rode a banshee in a
Pandora 'Rite of Passage'
We headed toward the
exit and I watched the 'Winged Encounters'
show while Carol browsed
the shops.
Four very rare Macaws in
full flight.
They flew just inches
above the crowd.
One more puppet
encounter!
We left the park at about 4:30
and headed to Pet Paradise. The dogs were very happy to see
us!
Our GPS took us south on the
Florida Turnpike on the way home, the same route we used to get
there in the morning. At Yeehaw Junction we took Highway 60
westbound. It's about 33 miles longer than our normal route
but it's faster since you miss all the congestion on Highway 27 and
Interstate 4. I also like the route because it's so much fun
to say 'Yeehaw Junction'
We had the dogs home by 6:30
where they enjoyed a late dinner.
So did Carol and I.
Naughty Santa.
Believe me . . .
she's a naughty girl!
Thursday
December 7, 2023
We did nothing all day. It
was nice!
We fed the dogs a bit early and
left at about 4:30 heading to Bok Tower Gardens for dinner and a
concert. They prepared a very nice steak dinner for a dozen of
us in The Blue Palmetto Café then Carol browsed the shop while I
waited in the lobby outside the theatre.
The lobby was beautifully
decorated for Christmas and the theme was snowy owls and cardinals.
Carol is now planning to redo our trees at home!
The entrance to the theatre
carried on the cardinal theme and the stage was decorated for the
occasion. The stage looked a bit Christmas-y and a bit
Halloween-y.
There were about 50 people there
for the evening's concert. A string quartet performed for over
an hour. All four are members of the Orlando Philharmonic
Orchestra and they were very good! The selection included
classical music and Christmas classics. It ranged from Mozart
to Peggy Lee.
It was a terrific way to end a
day well wasted!
Saturday
December 9, 2023
Today there was a pin trading
event at the Holiday Inn on Hotel Plaza Boulevard so we were up
bright and early for a road trip!
I dropped Carol off at the hotel
at 9:45 with instructions to pick her up in exactly two hours!
She later reported that it was a
great event. Much bigger than the one she went to at the same
hotel last month. She saw plenty of friends and some very
familiar faces She made some good trades and completed a
few sets she's been trying to complete for years!
While she was
wasting her time with pins I went on to Pet Paradise and checked
Jake and Jasper in for doggie daycare.
We know for
sure that Jasper likes it there but it's harder to tell with Jake!
The check-in lobby
overlooks one of the doggie pools!
I went to Disney Springs and did
a bit of Christmas shopping. I finished just in time to pick Carol up at 11:45 and we
headed toward the Costco store near the Millenia Mall. On the way we
were distracted by an eatery called Hash House A Go-Go.
Our friend Gary Schaengold from Dayton recommended it so we dropped
in to give it a try.
Wow. It was delicious and
the portions were huge! Carol had fried chicken.
I had corned beef
hash.
While we ate we watched Jasper on
the Pet Paradise webcam. He really enjoys playing with the
other dogs around the pool. He's top-centre in the picture
above.
Here he is on the left, in the
water up to his
belly. That's as deep as he ever goes!
He splashed around the pool all
day. That's a lot more activity than he's used to but he sure
seemed to be having fun!
Jake on the other hand does not
like hanging out with other dogs; he spends a quiet day in his own
suite. He does have a one-on-one play time with one of the dog
sitters, We are not sure what they do but Jake comes home
exhausted too so he must enjoy it.
Looks like Jasper's trying to avoid a
butt-sniff from the big white dog! I guess if you're a dog
it's all in a day's fun!
After lunch Carol and I finally
made it to Costco where we did a bit of shopping. She had
great plans to go to Hobby Lobby, DSW and Burlington, but the stores
were crowded, the parking lots were full and the traffic was crazy
around the Millenia Mall. We were pooped so we scrapped those
plans, picked up the dogs about 3:30 and headed home.
We pulled in at 5:00 and enjoyed
a quiet evening. Jasper slept very well!
Saturday
December 9, 2023
Things got off to a very
slow start this morning.
We started putting up our outdoor
Christmas decorations yesterday morning but the wind was gusting and
making it difficult so we called it a day after putting about four
of them up. We hoped for better weather this morning.
About 8:30 last night an
incredible gust of wind interrupted our TV show. It started
without any warning . . . all was calm and quiet and then BAM . . .
50 MPH winds and driving rain.
We both ran outside and started
grabbing stuff that was blowing away! Carol pulled the plug on
the few inflatables we had standing while I held down our Clam.
It's a six-sided screened-in dining shelter. Three of the six
corners of the Clam were staked down in the grass but the three
corners on the concrete pad were lifting as much as three feet in
the air. I held the clam down while Carol rescued the
blow-ups, then she held it down while I ran out some new guy-wires
to secure the un-pegged corners. The wind almost carried her
away while I was rigging the new ropes. Yikes . . . it was
wild.
We were out in the weather for
about twenty minutes and we were both completely saturated when we
came inside. Then the wind stopped instantly, the same way it
started, after about 30 minutes. The rain carried on most of
the night.
We were out working on
the decorations by 10:00 a.m.
This is how it looked
when we finished after lunch!
The sky blazed with
another amazing sunset!
Everything looked even better
after the sun went down! Several of the inflatables are new
this year and we're quite happy with them.
♪♫ It's
beginning to look a lot like Christmas! ♫♪
Mickey and Minnie seem pleased
with the results. As you can see below, even the Mickey lamp
posts are smiling and dressed in Christmas colours!
Wednesday
December 13, 2023
Today we were heading to EPCOT to
spend the entire day and evening. We pulled out of the
campground at 8:00 a.m. and checked the dogs in at the Best Friends
kennel across from Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort.
It was refreshingly cool and
overcast when we got to the park at 10:15. Carol had booked
the virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy - Cosmic Rewind and
our group was called just before we got there, so I headed directly
to the attraction!
Carol doesn't like the
Guardians ride so she was able to do some guilt-free shopping!
I listened to 'The
Jammitors' for a few minutes on the way past them.
I rode Guardians using
my Magic Band then rode again using Carol's!
Carol and Daisy were
waiting when I finished my rides!
We toured around a newly
renovated area near Spaceship Earth (directly behind us in this
picture). The construction barriers and hoarding have recently
come down to reveal some wonderfully designed 'people space'.
There are trees, shaded areas to sit on benches or at tables and
lots of plugs to charge electronic devices and ECVs.
The one thing lacking in most
parks is space to sit and relax for a minute or two during the day.
This was a welcome sight for these two old fogies!
Peace, Love and Pixie
Dust!
Anna Carol & Marie
We heard someone in the crowd
calling Carol's name. It was Anna and Marie, some friends from
back home in Canada. We visited for a few minutes outside one
of the Port of Entry stores then I did some very important Christmas
shopping!
At Shanghai we enjoyed a
snack of Chicken Skewers and Spring Rolls.
Daisy was stalking us .
. . she followed us all the way to Italy.
We took a spin on
Spaceship Earth
Disney fans will
recognize these scenes!
We watched a couple of live
shows, first beside World Showcase Lagoon and then later in Canada.
Both groups were very good!
A spirited and
energetic group. They sounded like a gospel choir.
Much better than that
horrible lumberjack show!
We ended dinner at The
Rose and Crown with sticky toffee pudding.
Does it look like I'm
enjoying it?
We stopped in Mexico and took the
Gran Fiesta Tour with Donald Duck, José Carioca and Panchito
Pistoles.
Then we headed to The America
Gardens Theatre for the 7:00 p.m. performance of the Candlelight
Processional.
Six trumpeters opened
the show with a fanfare!
Then they moved off to
the wings, three on each side.
The choristers in the
gold robes are Disney Cast Members
who volunteer for the
choir.
The singers in the
green robes are professionals who are employed by Disney.
They are 'The Voices of
Liberty' and
sing daily in The American Pavilion.
The guest narrator this
evening was Canadian actor Brendan Fraser.
He did a terrific job
telling the Christmas story.
We both really enjoy the
Candlelight Processional and we attend it every year if we're near
Walt Disney World during the holiday season.
The narrator tells a short piece
of the nativity story and then the talented choir sings a related
hymn or Christmas Carol. It's a wonderful way to usher in the
festive season!
After the processional we headed
to The Land Pavilion and took a boat ride through the greenhouses.
They are all decorated for the holidays!
There are a lot more lights than
we've seen in the displays in previous years.
Spaceship Earth was ablaze with
colour as we left the park at 9:00 p.m. to spring the dogs from
prison! It was 10:45 when we pulled into our campsite.
We were pooped after a long day but it was a very good day!
Monday
December 18, 2023
We've had several windy and rainy
days this week. We've been trapped indoors. The dogs
managed to use the time to catch up on their rest!
Carol
spent her time experimenting with Christmas coffee mugs to determine
which one works best!
Today we planned to meet friends
Deb and Linda at Bok Tower Gardens. We were delighted to have
a bright and sunny day. It was a bit cool, a perfect day to
hike through the flowers to the carillon tower at the top of the
hill.
Deb and Linda were in the car
head of us as we drove through the check-in gate at the gardens.
They have a handy display showing
what plants are in bloom. Carol studied it before we began our
trek.
Huge live oak trees
draped in Spanish moss.
Sprawling lawns.
Beautiful ponds.
We stopped to feed some
koi in a pond at the base of the tower/
This heron watched
closely from the weeds across the pond.
Carol likes flowers and there are
plenty at Bok Tower Gardens. Naturally she took lots and lots
of pictures!
Our last glimpse of the
tower!
We had a nice lunch at Frostbite
on the way back to the campground, then enjoyed a quiet day at home with the dogs.
We've had a lot of those quiet days lately . . . and we're enjoying
it!
January 2, 2024
We enjoyed some more of those
quiet days as we waited for Christmas and New Year!
Not far from Bok Tower Gardens is
a very forgettable tourist attraction. There's no admission
fee and you get exactly what you pay for. You pull your car up
to the white line and it rolls backward. Exactly like you
expected it to do.
Carol had the motor home all
decked out for Christmas.
December 21st was a beautiful
sunny day to sit under the pines and enjoy an outdoor jazz concert
at Bok Tower Gardens!
On December 22nd we joined
friends Deb and Linda for another stroll around the grounds at Bok
Tower Gardens followed by a nice lunch in the Blue Palmetto Café.
This horticulturalist told us
everything we need to know about growing
bananas . . . except how to grow
them in Canada!
'Pretty please Momma!'
The puppies enjoyed another pup
cup at Frost Bites. It's still their favourite diner!
Carol roasted a turkey on
Christmas Eve and we enjoyed a wonderful holiday dinner in the motor
home.
We all slept in Christmas morning
and enjoyed coffee and breakfast before the four of us dug into our
Christmas stockings!
On Christmas morning Jasper and
Jake posed for
a portrait with their brand new
squeaky toys.
.
This one looked suitable for
framing!
Later on Christmas Day we headed
to the clubhouse where we joined about 60 other campers for a
pot-luck Christmas dinner. We weren't sure exactly what we
were getting into but it was a very nice time! Our tablemates
were a couple from Sauble Beach Ontario, a couple from Buffalo New
York and another couple from New Hampshire.
On Boxing Day it was time to put
the decorations away. They had to sit on the
concrete pad for quite a while to
dry out after all the rain we've had!
The World Junior Hockey
Championship started on Boxing Day and kept Gary
amused for almost a week!
Aahh . . . the sunsets here are
wonderful.
Park time is always fun for the
boys!
They both run until their tongues
hang out!
Have we mentioned the sunsets
here?
January 17, 2024
A January 3rd SpaceX rocket
launch from Cape Canaeral.
We have had
cool and rainy weather the past few weeks. We've stuck pretty
close to home but fortunately there was plenty of hockey for me to
watch. The World Junior Hockey Championship and the Women's
Under 18 World Championship have both been televised in the past few
weeks. The new Professional Women's Hockey League launched
with it's first game on January 1st. Carol is not a hockey fan
. . . but boredom sometimes overtook her and she occasionally
glanced at the screen.
The small white dot in the bottom
right is Stage 2 heading to space; the white dot in the middle on
top is Stage 1 rotating before it fires its rockets to brake for
it's return to the Spaceport.
Animal Kingdom on January 4th.
Aren't the otters cute?
A subliminal message from a
pachyderm!
Carol spotted a lion!
A mom and her 2 year old baby.
A giant Silverback eating a tree.
We took a ride on the Na'vi River
Journey during our first visit to Pandora this winter!
The Shaman of Songs
Sand Cranes at River Ranch, a
dude ranch next to our campground.
There was a Sheltie convention at
the dog park. There were six Shetland Sheepdogs that
afternoon.
Rainy days . . .
. . . and gloomy dogs!
We went to EPCOT January 16th
The annual Festival of the Arts
has just begun!
We met Canadian friends Wanda and
Graeme and spent the day with them.
Jonathan joined us for a while.
He's a Canadian Cultural Representative
at the Canada Pavilion.
We always enjoy the free concerts
where Broadway stars sing hits from Disney's Broadway shows.
Heidi Blickenstaff starred as
Ursula in The Little Mermaid and as Tess Coleman (the Mom) in Freaky
Friday.
Gavin Lee was the first star to
play Bert (the Dick Van Dyke role) in the Broadway production of
Mary Poppins.
Gavin can really 'Step in Time'
January 24, 2024
Friday January 19th we checked
the dogs in at Pet Paradise and headed to Animal Kingdom to meet a
group of friends. This is Jasper's favourite kennel . . .
there he is hanging out beside the pool with his girlfriend!
DeVine was waiting when we
entered the park and then we watched the 'Winged Encounters' show in
front of the Tree of Life. Colourful and noisy macaws
fill the skies several times a day.
We met Carrie and Tim, Francine
and Becky and Becky's son Andrew and her nephew Ross. We had a
nice visit while enjoying lunch at the Satu'li Canteen in Pandora.
Then we took a safari ride with
Tim and Carrie.
I need to practice taking selfies
. . . I missed myself but I did get Tim & Carrie!
There were lots of wildebeests.
Today was the first time we've
seen a giraffe sitting down!
White rhinos.
A cheetah walking way, way back
in the shade.
The lions were roaring as we
passed.
It was quite a conversation . . .
and LOUD!
She was still scolding him as we
pulled away!
Jake was happy to get home from
the kennel.
Monday January 22nd we went back
to Bok Tower Gardens.
The boys like walking around the
gardens.
We finally found The Window on
the Pond.
The walking paths are mostly
paved and are filled with colourful plants!
Wednesday January 24th was our
67th day at Canopy Oaks.
We made it to the pool for the
first time!
January 31, 2024
We've enjoyed
a few lazy days with the dogs. They love to romp at the dog
park!
They've even befriended a local
herd of goats!
Carol's sharp eyes spotted this
fellow on the side of the road.
As we pulled to a stop he flew up
into a nearby tree,
Jasper likes camping!
January 29th Carol picked a fresh
orange at Bok Tower Gardens.
These signs line the entrance to
Bok Tower Gardens.
She finally spotted her first Gopher Tortoise.
They're
native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is
seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide
shelter for at least 360 other animal species.
January 30th we headed back to
EPCOT for more Festival of the Arts fun!
Look - she's got horns!
Our Disney friends will hear the
rooster and the dog when they see this picture!
'Always good to see you
Carol!'
'Hey, look, it's my pal Gary!'
We took a boat from Canada to
Morocco.
Carol bought a print and Joey
Chou signed it for her.
We had an early dinner in China
and I looked out the window at Norway!
Pot stickers and crab stuffed
wontons! Yummy!
We've known Alex for quite a few
years and Carol has plenty of his art.
He's now been with Disney for 30
years!
He's even done a 'one of a kind'
original piece for Carol!
After chatting with Alex, we
walked directly into the America Gardens Theatre and enjoyed Mickey
Bars as we waited for the Disney on Broadway show!
Kissy Simmons was the original
Nala in The Lion King on Broadway.
Josh Strickland was the original
Tarzan.
Our seats were only about 5 rows
back, but we were way off to the side so our
pictures weren't great.
When the 5:30 show ended we went directly to the
line for the 6:45 show.
Friends Curtis and Alek joined us
and we got much better seats the
second time around!
A selfie with Alek and Curtis.
When the show was over we chatted
some more with Curtis and Alek as we slowly strolled toward the park
exit.
We pulled out of EPCOT at about
8:30, picked the dogs up at the Best Friends kennel and were home by
10:00 p.m.
On Wednesday
January 31st Carol missed the morning yoga class for the 75th
consecutive day. I'm beginning to suspect that she might not
be as serious as she claims to be about her new hobby!
February 17, 2024
There's more than
flowers at Bok Tower Gardens!
February 1st was Dedication Day
at Bok Tower Gardens; the 94th anniversary of the opening of the
Tower by President Calvin Cooledge in 1929. It's the one day
each year when people are allowed to cross the bridge in front of
the tower and view the ornate bronze door.
We joined the line at 11:00
The view from the bridge.
The wrought iron is amazing!
Jake is behind Jasper but he refused to
smile for the camera!
Wow!
Each segment portrays a scene
from The Bible
Noah
The pups behaved themselves so we
took them for a treat!
Ridge Island Groves, Haines City
FL - February 3, 2024
Tuesday February 6th we fed the
dogs their dinner a bit early and left at 4:00 p.m. for EPCOT to see
another Disney on Broadway show.
Ashley Brown was the original
Mary Poppins on Broadway
L. Steven Taylor was Mufasa in The Lion King cast on Broadway
WOW They were great!
Our Canadian friends Dave and
Cindy Ripley enjoyed
Bok Tower Gardens with us on
February 7th.
Our new E-Bikes were delivered
February 12th and we couldn't wait to go for a spin.
Of course, the new bikes needed
a new garage!
This Northern Shrike love to sit
and sing in the oak tree beside our motor home.
Carol and I celebrated
Valentine's Day with Jake and Elwood, The Blues Brothers, at Manny's
Chop House in Lake Wales. It was happy hour so ordering one
Manhattan means that you get two. After a tasty dinner Carol
drove us home!
We took another day-trip to
Disney on February 15th.
Carol browsed the shops at
Hollywood Studios while I snapped a few pictures
and enjoyed some people watching.
We enjoyed some Mickey Bars
before riding Slinky Dog Dash
Jake was sleeping in his suite
but Jasper was hanging with his buddies
at Pet Paradise. That's him
on top of the plastic mountain, on the left.
The Toy Soldier Marching Band
went by as we ate our ice cream.
We joined Mickey, Minnie and
Engineer Goofy for a ride on the Runaway Railway.
Before we left Hollywood Studios
we checked in on the dogs again.
Jasper was hanging out at the
pool. There he is right beside the girl!
Carol enjoyed a morning at the
pool and in the afternoon during a bike ride around the campground
we bumped into Jim and Martha from Kansas City, MO. We see them
regularly in the dog park with their two Shelties, Brodie and Colt.
Brodie in front, Colt in the
back.
On Saturday February 17th Carol
went to the monthly pin trading meet at The Holiday Inn at Disney
Springs. She picked up a friend, pin trader Sue from Kingston
at the All Star Movies Resort and they met fellow Canadian trader
Jonathan, from Cobourg, who was also at the trading event.
♪ ♫ It's a Small World
After All ♫ ♪
February 19, 2024
Thursday February 19th we headed
back to EPCOT for the final concert in the Disney on Broadway
series.
The Festival of the Arts has some
wonderful backdrops for photos!
Chalk artists are just beginning
a picture of Mickey Mouse at 10:30 a.m.
Some of the topiaries for the
Flower and Garden Festival have begun to appear.
A few hours later Mickey is
taking shape.
Carol wandered around and posed
for a few PhotoPass pictures
while I rode Guardians of the
Galaxy
By 3:00 p.m. Mickey was done.
Looking good!
We had dinner at The Biergarten
in Germany
When in Rome . . .
Then it was time for the 6:45
Disney on Broadway Concert
Bradley Gibson - Hercules, Shoba
Narayan - Jasmine in Aladdin,
Michael James Scott - the Genie
in Aladdin and Mandy Gonzales - Amneris in Aida
It was an amazing performance
The genie, Michael James Scott,
sat behind us, eating popcorn, for a while.
On the way to the exit we stopped
in Canada to say Hi to Jonathan.
February 22, 2024
We took a bike ride and fed the
donkey and billy goat near the campground entrance.
Then we fed the smaller goats
near the clubhouse.
On Thursday February 22nd friends
Cheryl and Larry
came for a visit and we went to
Bok Tower Gardens.
Of course we had to take a
picture at the El Retiro gate!
After Larry and Cheryl left,
Carol and I ended the day watching the sunset as we ate sandwiches
and ice cream on the veranda at the campground's deli.
It's very handy, and a nice place
to eat!
February 27, 2024
. . . but the water was warm and
the pool wasn't crowded.
February 23rd was a warm and windy day.
The wind was wild . . .
We both lazed by the pool while
the laundry tumbled in the washer and dryer.
Jasper likes to protect his Momma
from UV rays.
Aahhh! The sunsets here are
magnificent.
Almost every night; if it isn't
raining the sky is a beautiful red.
Jasper and Jake like meeting
their buddies Brodie and Colt at the dog park.
Brodie and Jasper chase the ball;
Jake just jumps and barks!
Brodie and Jasper play well
together!
March
6, 2024
Wednesday February 28th was
opening day for the annual EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival.
This year most of the event merchandise featured Orange Bird, one of
Carol's favourite characters. She was super-enthused and
got up at the crack of dawn. She left before 7:00 a.m. for a
day of exciting retail therapy. (That's
impressive folks, she seldom rises before 9:00)
The drive took over two hours so
she's planning to leave at 6:00 a.m. on opening day next year!
I wasn't invited . . . apparently
I get in the way when she's prowling the shops.
I spent the day dog-sitting and
enjoying my new e-bike. Today I covered over 10 miles!
Carol was back home just after
3:00 p.m. and couldn't wait to show me her new loot. It's all
very nice . . . but where is she going to put it?
Friday March 1st we visited with
our friend Jane Boeck from Missouri. She was at their place in
Polk City for a neighbourhood garage sale.
Saturday and Sunday we attended
The House of Mouse Expo at the Osceola Heritage Park. It was a
'comic-con' style event with a Disney theme.
Carol did a bit of shopping and
we both enjoyed the speakers and panel discussions.
Many of the attendees were in 'cosplay'
costumes. This is Constance Hatchaway from The Haunted
Mansion.
The speaker's stage.
Michele Atwood interviews Irene Bedard, the voice of
Pocahontas
A cosplayer dressed as The
Dreamfinder
Bret Iwan, the voice of Mickey
Mouse
Ross Marquand (The Walking Dead)
is interviewed by Patty Hawkins
Disney Imagineer Lon Smart
Four voice actors, Jason Marsden
- Max (son of Goofy), Bill Farmer - Goofy, Bret Iwan - Mickey Mouse
and Kaitlin Robrock - Minnie Mouse. It was a very interesting
and humorous discussion.
After the day at House of Mouse
we went to EPCOT to see the latest evening water and pyrotechnic
show, Luminous, The Symphony Of Us.
We posed for a few PhotoPass
pictures and then had dinner at Nine Dragons
While we waited for the fireworks
to start the mallard pictured on the right entertained us and the
family sitting next to us. Carol gave the children some of her
leftover popcorn and Daisy ate it out of their hands. Those
kids smiled more at the duck than they did at Luminous.
The show was good, but it would
be better if they could make it work without putting all those tons
of ugly iron in the middle of the World Showcase lagoon.
Sunday at House of Mouse.
Canadian actor Aleks Paunovic star of
Artic Air and Van Helsing is
interviewed by Patty Hawkins.
Melanie Paxson, the Fairy
Godmother in Cupid and Jason Marsden.
Voice actors Jim Cummings (Winnie
the Pooh and Tigger) and Terry McGovern (Launchpad McQuack).
You can see how close we were, that's my balding grey head in the
bottom right.
On Monday Carol said, 'Let's have
lunch at Earl of Sandwich.'
Of course we had to stop for a
few more PhotoPass pictures.
Arrghh!
We decided that we have a lot of
stuff that we don't need to lug back and forth from Canada in the
motor home so we rented a small self storage locker in Kissimmee.
Wednesday March 6th we moved some of our Christmas decorations into
their new home.
March
8, 2024
The azaleas were magnificent
today!
On Friday we met our friends
Margaret and Tom from Atlanta and enjoyed walking around the grounds
at Bok Tower Gardens with them.
Margaret and Tom look like
Pigmies in front of the tower!
If you've been following along
you had to know we'd get a picture at the gate to El Retiro.
March
12, 2024
Saturday March 9th we headed to a
fishing camp just north of Lake Wales and had a tasty dinner at
Cherry Pocket. We may go back again . . . but not on a
Saturday night. They don't take reservations and we waited an
hour for a table.
Sunday morning Carol drove to
Walt Disney World to pick up our credentials for the D23 15th
Anniversary Party later in the day. She went to Disney Springs
and had to tease me with a picture of her breakfast.
In the Art of Disney Store she
spotted this beautiful original fabric creation that was made by our
friend Patty Peraza. She's a multi-talented lady!
On our way to the D23 party
My biker-chick!
Florida Sandhill Cranes, Henry
and Henrietta, with
their chick!
Feeding time at the goat pen.
They like carrots!
More?
Tuesday March 12th we went to
EPCOT to see the annual Flower & Garden Festival.
The park is ablaze with colourful
flowers and amazing topiary figures!
I'm not very good at selfies!
An orchid tree
Look - it's Minnie
A tomato tree!
The table is set for the tea
party!
Carol is much better at selfies!
Chip & Dale are having a picnic.
This area was very fragrant!
Canada Geese in Canada!
We shared the Muffuletta Panini
to tide us over until dinner time.
Jasper spent the day at the pool.
He's the one furthest left.
Jake chilled in his private
suite!
That's Jasper in the pool having
a drink.
Hi-ho, Hi-ho
Carol always has an overwhelming
urge to comb out Lady's ears!
We enjoyed an early dinner at
Tutto Italia
Sometimes Carol likes to have her
picture taken.
This was not one of those times.
The orchids at Mexico were
incredible!
We picked up the dogs at Pet
Paradise about 6:00 p.m. and were home by 7:45. Jasper, Carol
and I were exhausted after a long, hot day but Jake was perky!
March
16, 2024
Hey lady, did you bring food?
Our bike rides often take us past
the pasture where Jack and Billie hang out!
They both like carrots!
Friday March 15th we went to
nearby Grape Hammock Fish Camp for an airboat tour along the marshy shores
of Lake Kissimmee and Brahma Island.
We had just finished checking in
when our skipper and tour guide, TJ, pulled up in the big noisy
machine.
By 9:00 a.m. we had boarded,
donned our communication headsets and were on our way. The
headsets dulled the engine noise and allowed us to communicate with TJ
and with each other.
The skipper pointed out
interesting sights and critters as we as we sped over water, reeds,
floating islands and the occasional sandbar that gave us little
bumps!
TJ took us along 'channels' like
this at high speed and occasionally threw in a few exciting hairpin
turns. Great fun!
There were flocks of water birds
everywhere.
Lake Kissimmee to the left,
Brahma Island to the right.
It was hard to focus when we were
moving fast but Carol got some great shots!
A long, long way away in the top
of a dead tree TJ spotted Momma bald eagle and her two fledglings.
Somebody's watching us!
Something you don't see every
day. A buffalo splashing around in Lake Kissimmee!
The shoal grass he's finding on
the bottom must be tasty stuff!
This is what floating islands
look like.
A cormorant drying it's wings.
This snail on Carol's side of the
boat was the size of a softball.
These 700 horsepower boats will
go almost anywhere.
Carol and I sat up high in the
back row, flanking skipper TJ
Yup, that's a cow grazing in the
swamp!
Their flat bottoms do very little
damage to plant life.
We were back to the Fishing Camp
at 10:30. It was a great tour!
We saw fewer gators than we did
in January 2022, but lots more eagles!
Friday afternoon we went to Plant
City for strawberry shortcake at Parkesdale Farms!
After our dessert we had Cuban
sandwiches for lunch at the nearby
Strawberry Hut Sandwich Shop.
Saturday Carol drove to Disney
Springs for a Pin Trading event at the Holiday Inn.
Our Canadian friend Jonathan was
there too!
March
22, 2024
On St. Patrick's Day we went back
to Manny's Chophouse in Lake Wales and had dinner with Jake and
Elwood. Then on March 18th we went to EPCOT to enjoy more of
the Flower & Garden Festival.
\
Carol likes flowers and
butterflies. This is her favourite place!
They are everywhere. Three
in this picture!
A magic moment!
More magic!
We stopped to watch the Japanese
drummers for the first time in several years.
Another tasty meal at Teppan Edo
She said, 'Make your best fish
face.'
The sky was gloomy when we left
EPCOT to pick up the dogs at Pet Paradise.
March 21st we enjoyed a day trip
to Hollywood Studios.
I edged out a victory in a
hard-fought struggle!
These guys were patrolling
Galaxy's Edge.
The Millennium Falcon
Jasper was hangin' indoors with
his buddies!
My, what big feet you have Gertie!
Our server was Aunt Elaine.
She has a Facebook page where you can find this picture along with
thousands of her other guests!
A train ride with Engineer Goofy.
What could go wrong? EVERYTHING!
Let's conga!
Jasper was back at the pool when
we were leaving the park.
That's him bottom right.
March
27, 2024
Our friends John and Cathy from
New Jersey came to Canopy Oaks and stayed two nights in a cabin here
at the campground. It has been almost ten years since we've
seen them so it was a treat to just sit and relax at the campsite
while we caught up with each other's lives and reminisced about old
times,
Mutual friends Deb and Linda from
nearby Davenport Florida joined us for lunch on Sunday and the six
of us enjoyed an afternoon-long visit. We didn't think to take a
picture while the gang was with us . . . but on the right is a
picture of the same group taken October 31, 2015. Just imagine
us nine years older and much wiser.
John and Cathy left to fly home
on March 25th and the next day Carol enjoyed our last 'Disney
Day' for a few months.
She had to work hard to keep this
lemur away
from the food she put out for the
ducks!
The lemurs put on a great show
for us.
The otters are often hard to
spot.
Three otters.
Two otters in a high-speed chase!
A steel-drum band sailed past!
The eastern end of a west facing
Black Rhino.
Hippos catching some rays!
A pair of white rhinos hiding in
the jungle!
Kevin from 'Up'
We sat at the bar in Yak & Yeti
for lunch. The Pad Thai was delicious!
This Buddha was on the bar in
front of us.
Shelves behind the bar were
filled with painted Buddha figures. Do you see Donald and
Goofy? There are dozens of them, all painted by guests.
We had planned to ride Expedition
Everest but the Lightning Lane was longer than we've ever seen so we
skipped the ride and headed out to pick up the dogs.
Jasper spent the day at the pool.
He's at the top, on the right.
Here he's on the bottom left.
Jake relaxed in his private suite!
We spent most of Wednesday March
27th packing up and getting ready to head home. We have
another car load of stuff to drop off at our new storage locker in
Kissimmee on Thursday and then we'll be pulling out on Friday.
It's been a great winter, but
we're both itchy to get back home! If the weather cooperates
we should pull in our driveway on Monday April 1st!
Looking pretty bare now!
April
1, 2024
Thursday March 27th we dropped
some more stuff off at our locker, then went to Disney Springs for
luch at Earl of Sandwich. Naturally we had to stop for some
special PhotoPass pictures
We won't see Earl for another 8
months!
The dogs had their last Pup Cup
at Frostbite Thursday night.
We were on the road, heading for
home, at about 8:30 on Friday morning.
Within 30 minutes we hit heavy
traffic and it stayed that way all day!
We crawled through Jacksonville
FL and Savannah GA.
Altitude keeps Jasper calmer.
Strange!
Don't travel on Good Friday!
We spent
the night in Walterboro SC
Saturday traffic was much
lighter.
South Carolina has lots of
potholes. We even saw some pot-trenches!
Red Bud blossoms and climbing
wisteria were everywhere.
This is a tough sign to
photograph. Too many other signs around!
The engine was roaring as we
climbed the 7-mile hill so Carol went back to sit on the couch and
soothe the trembling puppies.
While she was there she snapped
this picture which shows the driver's perspective. I mount my
Android tablet on the dash and use it to run the Waze app as my GPS.
Under the GPS tablet is the image
from our rear-facing camera. That's the only way we can see
the Ford Focus we tow . . . it does not show in our mirrors.
We pulled in at the Cracker
Barrel Restaurant just outside Staunton Virginia a few minutes after
5:00 p.m. and after the dogs were fed we wandered in for our dinner.
We were a bit ahead of schedule
and over half-way home.
On Easter Sunday traffic was much
lighter.
It was grey and overcast most of
the day.
Some of the backlit clouds looked
eerie . . .
. . . others were enchanting!
Sunday we drove about 400 miles
and passed through five US states! We started the day in
Staunton Virginia, hit the West Virginia State Line at 10:20 then
crossed the Potomac River into Maryland at 10:45. Pennsylvania
followed at 11:00 and the last state line of the day put us in New
York State at 4:05 p.m.
The dogs don't like mountains.
The engine roars as the motor home climbs up a slope and then the
engine brake roars as it slows our descent down the other side.
This distresses the dogs and Carol.
Even with light traffic the
mountains are a challenge for the driver. When the motor home
and the car are connected they are over 65 feet long. Wind gusts and big
trucks push the rig around and you have to stay fully alert all the
time. My arms were sore from steering the behemoth!
We parked behind the Cracker
Barrel Restaurant just across the New York state line at Binghamton. It was frustrating to pull off
for the night when we're only 200 miles from home, but I was pooped
after a long day behind the wheel!
Carol was sore and achy after a
day of bumpy roads, rattling dishes and rattled dogs. She spent the evening
imagining how nice it would be if I drove the RV back and forth each
year while Scottie just 'beamed' her and the dogs to Florida and
back.
We got on the road at 7:45 on a
grey, gloomy Monday morning.
\
There was absolutely no traffic.
We drove non-stop to the Canadian border.
The sky cleared to a beautiful
blue as we approached Canada.
The first of two bridges across
the St. Lawrence River. This one is entirely in the USA.
Approaching the second bridge.
It's identical to the first, but it's entirely in Canada.
We live 25 miles west of the
Thousand Island Bridges, in Kingston.
Here's our exit. We were
home at 11:30 a.m.
Flowers were blooming in the
garden. That made Carol happy!
.
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