Last RV Post for This Year

This will be the last post on this site for a while.  I have taken my last trip in the RV until next spring.  I'll put in storage later this week.   Larry arrived last Friday and the boat is back in the water.  We will be departing Jacksonville this Friday.  There is still lots to be accomplished.  But never fear - the blogs will continue on the 3AFterwards site:  http://www.3afterwards.com.  See you there.

A Very Lazy Day (Tuesday, 22 Oct)

I just couldn't seem to get motivated to do much of anything productive today.  I lazed around the RV most of the day reading and eating.  Then about 3:00, I finally got moving and visited the boat, the grocery store and the gym.  The weather was overcast and lightly raining most of the day so I don't think I missed very much.

Back to Jacksonville

Before I departed Lake Como on Monday morning I took a few pictures.  It was a cold, overcast day the temperature was only 78 degrees.

This first picture is of a permenant residence home.  I just liked all of the plants around the trailers.

This is the swimming pool.  It was ok but nothing to get overly excited about.  They did have a separate hot tub and the cafe was nice.

Nobody was playing volleyball this weekend but the two sand courts were outstanding!! And they had poles set up for 8 grass courts.  I am going to have to try to get back when they host a volleyball tournament.

This is a shot of some of the clay tennis courts.  in the background there is a nine "hole" pitch and chip golf course.  The course has no greens and none of the holes are very long.  You pitch up the fairway then chip to within a club length of the pin to sink the ball.  It sounds like fun.

I arrived back in Jacksonville around 3:00 in the afternoon and checked into the RV park at NAS Jacksonville.  The park is not as good as at the Air Force Academy, but for $14/day it's not bad.

Sunday at Lake Como

Just one more set, please; what could it hurt; surly you have one more in you; you are a guest here play one more.  I almost couldn't finish the third set this morning.  I'd gone through both sweat bands, was on my second pair of socks and my tennis shoes felt like they were full of water.  However, there were only two other people who wanted to play a set with the local teaching pro.  So I agreed to play one more.  It was a lot of fun.  We ended playing a fourteen game set.  I played tennis from 9:00 to 2:00.  Afterwards, I made it to the pool for a long soak then to the cafe for a club salad.  I think I am finished for the day.  No wild partying tonight.  I came here to play tennis and I think I've nearly got my fill.

Saturday at Lake Como

The tennis started at 9:00 and they have a great way to ensure everyone gets to play.  Players sign up on a blackboard, four names per line and when a foursome plays one set the next group on the board gets the court.  There are five clay courts and all were filled.  I played three sets and had a great time.  I was one of the younger players and none of the players were a whole lot better than me; so I fit right in.  After lunch, I laid around the pool for awhile.  They even had live music at the pool.  Then went back for some afternoon tennis.  The Bare Buns cafe had shrimp scampi for dinner and I had a piece of pumpkin pie to finish off a wonderful day.  There is a live band (Bitter Sweet) playing at the area bar tonight, but they don't start until 8:00.  I might make it over, but that's nearly my bed time.  Us old men need to get our beauty sleep each night.

Bottom Growth & Travels

Got up early this morning and finished transferring the essentials from the boat to the RV.  The boat was pulled at 9:00.  Most of the bottom didn't look too bad but the props, rudder and trim tabs had a lot of growth.  You can see the trim tabs and props in this picture.

This is a closeup of the prop and rudder.

This last picture is the bow thruster.  Notice that there is not as much growth on the surrounding hull.

I didn't get out of Jacksonville until nearly 11:00 so I didn't arrive at Lake Como until 3:00.  The electrical power hook in the first site they put me in didn't work and it took about 45 minutes for them to pick a new site and for me to get setup.  Afterwards I took a walk around the grounds and visited awhile with some folks at the tennis courts.  Play starts at 9:00 and 3:00.  I'm looking forward to trying out their clay courts.

Off the Boat and Back into the RV

This is my last night on the boat for about a week.  On Friday morning about 8:30, the yard is hauling the boat out of the water and putting it up on supports.  The boat needs a little below the water line hull work done.  Nothing serious; a bottom cleaning to remove all the wild life that attached itself to the bottom and a little fiberglass repair near the bow thruster.  Today folks from the yard showed up to work on the anchor windlass, the 20 kw generator and to help me replace the fried coaxial TV cable.  I also finalized details of the canvas work I contracted out (covers for the teak wood rails and windlass cover. I also had to move clothing, food and toiletries back off the boat and into the RV.  I got up and was working by 6:30 and didn't sit down to dinner until nearly 8:00 tonight.  Gonna head down to the Tampa to area to a place that has some clay tennis courts.  I haven't played in almost two months so I hope I haven't lost all of the skills I worked on last summer.  One last note for those of you in colder climates; it was nearly 85 degrees with 85% RH today on the boat.