Here goes nothing 3

Feb. 20^th 2017Well, here we are again. We spent almost a week at Summer Bay Resort in Orlando and in that time we took the opportunity to take an air boat tour of the Everglade, where we saw so much wildlife it was hard to imagine. We saw snakes and all kinds of birds and yes a number of alligators, all living in harmony in the swamp. Andy, our air boat guide and operator, who you will meet in the following pictures, knew exactly where to find different animals and birds and was able to drive the boat right up to each of them. You remember in the last blog I told you we have had a little company along with us and her name is Applejack and that Applejack is a small stuffed toy that belongs to our youngest Granddaughter Abby and that you will find that Applejack is an accomplished photo bomber. Applejack has lived up to that reputation and has been able to bomb almost all the photos we take. So much so that we have renamed this segment of the blog “Applejack Goes to”In this case it’s “Applejack Goes To The Swamp”

Getting ready to go. (are you sure these gators don't like the taste of pony)

Nesting sandhill crane

Look it's a gator. (this one is about 7 ' long)

Applejack's brand new best friend Andy

From there we went up to see Orlando from the top. The Coke Cola Orlando Eye is a thing that kinda looks like a Farris wheel but is really, really big. It moves real slow and never stops, you just hop on as the air conditioned capsule goes by. It then takes you up 400 feet (that’s what they call them down here), back up in the good ole North we would say 122 meters but it wouldn’t sound nearly as impressive. Anyways, it takes you up so high you can see for miles and miles and even more kilometers.
We call this part “Applejack Goes To The Top”

The Coke Cola Orlando Eye

Don't let go Grandpa

Look how far I can see

The next day we went to a Disneyworld theme park called Epcot. Now I have to tell you this. There are two particular members of our family who have taken almost all of the other members of the family to Disneyworld or Disneyland so, after waiting for what seemed to be a lifetime for our turn (now I’m really not trying to make anyone or two feel guilty for the neglect, I mean oversite) we decided to do it on our own. We caught a shuttle from the resort and arrived at the park about 11:00 AM and knowing that the bus wasn’t coming back till almost 10:00 PM we set out to see a world we will only see once. It really was a great day. We did things we couldn’t have imagined doing before; we saw things we couldn’t even imagine existed, and we went places we could have only hoped to go, like Mars. On the training flight, Gail was the commander, I was the engineer and our pilot and caption was a little girl and her mother. Applejack had to take her place in the compartment in front of Gail where all your belongings have to be stowed.  We watched the amazing closing fireworks on the lagoon and then made our way, on what was left of our completely worn out feet, to the parking lot which I’m sure was somehow miraculously moved much further from the park than it was when we arrived. The following day we didn’t leave the resort.  We just sat around the pool and in the pool, trying to regain some resemblance to what we used to call feet.
Now “Applejack goes to Disneyworld”

Space Ship Earth (an interesting ride)

Ya! Birds at Disney too

Where else you going to find Mickey

Fireworks to end an awesome day

On the last day of our stay in Orlando we went to Gatorland.  Gatorland is the oldest theme park in Florida, and has an uncountable number of gators living there.  From gators just hatched and only 5-6 inches, opps, 127-152 Millimeters and weighing only ounces (Grams) to Gators 14 feet long (4.26m) weighing in at 1100 pounds (500 Kilograms) and every inch and milometer between. Once again we walked and walked then rode a train (the Gatorland Express). We watched Gator wrestlers, wrestling alligators, I mean, what else is one going to do with a gator.  We saw snakes and turtles and birds galore. We even saw Big Foot, that’s right Big foot and now we know why they can’t find him in the west anymore. He’s in Florida! The next day we left for Palm Beach for a week-end cruise, so stay tuned for “Applejack Goes to The Bahamas”

God bless you all, please keep praying for us as we pray for you.
But now “Applejack Goes Gator Hunting”  

Off to Gatorland with Grandma

Look a baby gator (that don't scare me

But this one does

Dont let me fall

Slow going here

Big Foot (See toll ya)

Here goes nothing 2

Feb. 12^th 2017

Having spent a number of days with Kym and the boys in Suffolk VA we headed South with lots of time to get to our destination at Summer Bay Resorts in Orlando Florida. Although we are in no way inclined to be extravagant we quickly discovered that the least expensive of the motels along the way were in fact the cheapest and not at all worth the small amount of money paid. “Once bit twice shy”, not for me, I booked a second night through expedia.ca and got the same thing only worse. The good thing was, we had each other’s shoulders to cry on. Aside from that, the trip south from VA was next thing to perfect. So, from Ontario through 8 states and now in Florida the sunshine state we have had little hardship to overcome and so far find ourselves still able to endure one another’s company. The temperature here upon our arrival was a mere 81 degrees F but I think we will be able to endure the hardship.

We have had a little company along the way, her name is Applejack. Applejack is a small stuffed toy that belongs to our youngest Granddaughter Abby. You will find that Applejack is an accomplished photo bomber. She gets herself in almost all of the photos taken along the way and especially the ones we want to share with you.

This is the very first day of that doing “nothing” we talked about in the past few blogs and I think I could quickly get use to it, but I don’t know about Gail, she seems to keep real busy keeping me busy doing “nothing”.

Well, I’ll post a few pictures with this and bid you a fine farewell for now.

God bless you all, please keep praying for us as we pray for you.

Maryland 

South of the Border that is south of the N Carolina border 

Florida

Home for a few days ( the window right behind the tree 3rd fl)

Here Goes "Nothing"

Feb. 7^th 2017

Yesterday morning we woke up at 5:00 AM like children on Christmas morning, all excited, unable to wait to open that present we had been looking at for what seemed to be a life time. The package started to open when we started the car and headed south at 6:15. We crossed the border into Buffalo, New York and even the dude at the gate had a smile on his face. It was a beautiful day for driving, the temperatures hovered around freezing for the first while and by the time we stopped in Breezewood, Penn. It was up to 54 degrees F and we were down to shirt sleeves while we walked the dog. We reached Hancock, Maryland, the place we had set for the end of a day’s drive, around noon and still in the excitement mode decided to carry on. In the package opening process analogy we are by that time down to the cardboard box. We reached Kym and the boys around 8:00 PM in Suffolk, VA. We will spend a few days here just playing with that cardboard box before we continue unwrapping that assumed gift full of nothingness. 

So far, that absolute “nothing” has been absolutely amazing.

God bless you all, please keep praying for us as we pray for you.

Erwin & Gail