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November 24 - 30, 2024
Indian River RV Park |
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November 24th we left Disney's
Fort Wilderness after a three week stay and headed east to
Titusville. Indian River RV Park backs onto the Indian River
which is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The Kennedy Space
Centre is on the opposite shore, about a mile away, and we were
hoping to see a launch or two.
About a week before we were
leaving to go there Carol got a call for a pre-surgical consultation
with a neurosurgeon. She's been suffering with chronic back
pain for several years and has undergone all sorts of treatment and
therapy . . . none of it very effective. It was bad timing for
us but she sure didn't want to miss this appointment.
We moved on Sunday and set up our
new campsite in Titusville before Carol flew home the next morning. |
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There are some odd
critters in Titusville! |
Dinner at The Moonlight
Drive-in. Car-hops and trays hanging on car windows since
1962!
Do you see Strawberry
Fields, Abbey Road and Penny Lane behind Carol? |
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I was in charge of the dogs for
four days, until Carol flew back on Thursday. We mostly hung
around the campground. It was cramped and not quite as nice as
the places we usually stay, but it had a nice hibiscus bush right in
front of our RV so Carol was OK with it! |
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On Tuesday I took the boys on a
road trip. Our two e-bikes were folded up and filled the back
seat so the pups had to share Mom's chair. It was a treat for
them to sit up-front but they found it a bit crowded!
We toured around the wildlife
refuge on Merritt Island until we got to the edge of the Kennedy
Space Center. The NASA Police stopped us and kicked us out! |
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We struck out at the
manatee viewing area! |
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There was hardly any
traffic on Merritt Island! |
On Wednesday I left the
boys home for a few hours and drove to Cape Canaveral and checked
out Jetty Park which we have sailed past several times on Disney
Cruise Line ships. |
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Lots of fishermen on the
pier at Jetty Park. |
Jake just loves to find
a patch of grass under a palm tree! |
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He seems to like this
campground! |
Carol flew back on
Thursday and Friday she said,
'Show me where the
dogs got in trouble with the NASA Police.' |
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So off we went to
Merritt Island. |
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The boardwalks crossed
beautiful ponds, wetlands and wooded areas. |
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A bashful Painted
Bunting stayed deep in the bushes. |
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Better luck at the
manatee viewing area today! That's the back of one of the many
we saw. |
We had a nice dinner at
Pier 220 ear our campground. |
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We found a Titusville
neighbourhood that decorates elaborately.
These lights dance in
time with music you tune in on your car radio. |
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On Sunday December 1st
we pulled out on our way to The Resort at
Canopy Oaks where we
will spend 4 months. |
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December 1, 2024 |
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Beam me up Scottie! |
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Heavy Thanksgiving
weekend traffic. This was part of a 10-mile back-up as people
waited to
turn onto Interstate 95
at Vero Beach. Yikes! Glad we're not going that way! |
Our first glimpse of the
gates at Canopy Oaks. |
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It's a beautiful
entrance! |
Ponds and fountains line
the drive on both sides. |
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We arrived at 2:00 p.m.
and by 3:00 we were settled in site #29,
our home for the next
four months. |
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The sunset that first night was
glorious.
Monday morning Jake and Jasper
went to the local vet for their booster shots. Do you see
their names on the Vet's welcome sign? |
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The campground is almost
empty after Thanksgiving. |
In a little over a month
the place will be packed, but right now it's about 20% occupied. |
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The dogs seem to sense
that we've settled for a while . . . |
The patio is looking
good! |
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Carol started a few
loads of laundry and then we we had breakfast sandwiches in the
deli. |
She dipped her toes in
the pool while she waited for the dryer to finish. Life is
hard! |
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Every night there's a
beautiful sunset! |
Saturday December 7th
Carol went to a Pin Trading meet at Four Corners. |
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It was busy and it was
crowded but she had a good time! |
Ronda, a pin trader from
home was there too! |
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We've been puttering
with decorations. |
It's beginning to look a
lot like Christmas! |
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Monday December 9th we
took the boys to the dog park for a run! |
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Carol spent some time at the pool
in the afternoon and later we headed off to nearby Frostproof for a
bite to eat at Frost Bite.
It's the dogs favourite diner and
as you can see, they enjoyed their 'pup cups'. |
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Yum, Yum! |
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Wednesday December 11th
we took a ride on the e-bikes and saw some critters. |
Carol's eagle-eyes
spotted this Gopher Tortoise. |
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Florida Sand Cranes. |
The goats came galloping
over when we arrived.
Next time we'll remember
to take them some carrots! |
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Carol wants to take the
baby goat home! |
In the afternoon the sky
got very gloomy, the winds were howling and
the temperature dropped
about 20º in just a couple of hours. |
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December 12, 2024 |
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Carol picked
Thursday December 12th, the coldest day of the year, for a
day-trip to EPCOT.
We loaded the dogs in the car and
dropped them off at day-care along the way. Jasper enjoys
mingling with the other dogs at Pet Paradise and Jake enjoys
relaxing in his private suite!
We arrived at 11:00 a.m. just as
World Showcase was opening for the day. |
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Carol wasn't up to all the
walking a trip around EPCOT requires so she rented an ECV and we
both 'scooted' around the park in comfort. |
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Our first stop was
Living With The Land |
The greenhouses are
lavishly decorated for Christmas. |
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A Mickey Mouse reindeer
topiary and, on the right, a wreath
made with the bough of a
live lemon tree. |
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In Communicore we saw
this massive model of Spaceship Earth made entirely of gingerbread. |
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Purple Martin houses. |
The Roast Turkey Poutine
from Refreshment Port was excellent! |
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The clean-up crew kept a
close eye as we ate our poutine! |
The gardens in Canada
were at their best! |
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In the United Kingdom we
waited for Father Christmas to appear! |
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Father Christmas |
My 'Scooter Queen'
piloting #119, the pace car for the EPCOT 500! |
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At L'Chaim we sampled
the Potato Latkes and the Pastrami on Rye. Very good! |
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Pere Noel in France. |
Celebrating the New Year
in Japan |
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A Daruma doll is a
traditional part of the Japanese New Year celebration. |
In front of the
Christmas Tree at the American Pavilion. |
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In Tuscany we tried the
Panettone Bread Pudding. Meh!
It was cold, it might
have been better if it was served warm. |
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A Mariachi Band and a
pair of dancers entertained us in Mexico. |
The show was great but
the pictures are bad.
We were facing directly
into a harshly bright sun! |
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We left at 4:45 to pick
up the dogs from their day-care and head home! |
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Has anyone brought you
home Davidson Orange Marmalade after a Florida visit? |
This is where it's made!
Davidson of Dundee, just a few miles north of Lake Wales. |
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They also make a variety
of candies. |
These are citrus
flavoured gum drops! |
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A full moon rising over
the palm trees behind our RV. |
Carol often finds things
for our friend Kim to use in her annual Christmas Stocking drive! |
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I'm sure that every
Inuit child has always craved a twisty unicorn drinking straw! |
Every day on our
bike ride we encounter some kind of critter.
This day it was Florida Sandhill Cranes. |
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Warm stockings for the
kids of Igloolik in Canada's far north! |
Pacifiers to settle
fussy Inuit babies! |
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Our festive campsite! |
Do you ever lie awake
nights wondering if goats like celery? |
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Yes, they certainly do! |
They really, really,
really like celery! |
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Thursday, December 19th, I went
to Lake Wales and had new tires installed on the car we tow along
with us. On my way back to Canopy Oaks I passed this cabin
from Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. It was
slowly making it's way to it's new forever home!
I sure hadn't expected to see
something like that motoring east along Highway 60 toward Vero
Beach! |
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To be
continued . . . |
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