Posted on by Randy

Reopening Florida & Another Week

I’ll start out this update with the weather. That is always a good starter. The weather has actually been kind of boring. I start to take it for granted until we talk to family or friends Up North. Our days have been mostly sunny and in the mid 80’s. But the weather in the New River Valley of Virginia has been very mild with the exception of a couple nights down at freezing. Okay, the weather update out of the way…

Back on the Road – The Plan

We still plan to leave our current RV park by mid-June. Hopefully before any major tropical storms or hurricanes develop. Although there is one now out there around the Bahamas according to the local news. Our route has changed slightly with a short two day detour to Myrtle Beach for some more of less routine maintenance on the coach.

Our plan is to stay at Williston Florida for six days to scope out a potential future winter location then up to Savannah Ga for a week, to Myrtle for two days, Charlotte for a day, then to our summer destination in Southwest Virginia.

This is our first year since we retired and started our full time journey to not be out exploring the country. Our year off. And try to decide whether now is the time to buy another home and semi settle down. I still have many states to explore and others to go back to.

As the Country Reopens

It is great to see many states beginning to implement their reopening plans. The country has to get back to work and revive the economy. Florida is well into phase 1 with restaurants at 50% capacity, and the following are open with some restrictions: hair salons, gyms, beaches, all stores at 50% capacity, doctors, dentists, museums, libraries and so it goes.

I await with some curiosity how this is going to look. I don’t think my life is going to change much currently as I have no desire to be the guinea pig in the recovery testing. We are both in very good health, but in the over 65 bunch. So will wade in the kiddie pool during these early stages.

Our current location in Clermont is really one of the best that we could have hoped for during the pandemic lockdown. We order groceries and supplies online and they delivery right to our door a few hours later. Very easy and how convenient.

Once we get a vaccine and all of this crap is in the rear view mirror, I suspect that most of it was not worth it. I guess that we will see. A second wave may develop, but hopefully our leaders and healthcare professionals have learned something the last few months.

Staying Busy

The days do seem to race past and sometimes I wonder how I ever got anything done while I was working. Now I need to have a daily “to-do” list to stay focused. We have been enjoying many great home cooked meals during this time. Trish is a fantastic cook and I can hold my own in the outdoor grilling/griddle department.

What follows below is a glimpse at our last week in pictures. Staying in has taken some getting used to, but living in the tropics and keeping somewhat busy has made it more manageable. In the meantime, we FaceTime our kids about once a week, play cards, play “words with friends” on our iphones, and other distractions.

  • Pat’s chicken, with mushrooms, cheese and sauce.
  • Finished product. Yummy.
  • The lovebugs are terrible here in Florida for about a month. This is the worse case that I have ever seen! With us not driving much, it is no issue.
  • This guy probably drove for about an hours worth of bugs.
  • My first venture out to the local brewery for a pickup only. Pay at the outside window.
  • Outside patio. Everyone keeping the six foot distancing.
  • A growler full of the locally brewed, British Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
  • We had a flyover this week in appreciation of the healthcare workers. A pair of F-15 C’s streaking overhead. Not the best photo.

Recent Paintings

  • Cabin on a Creek. My take on a Thomas Kinkade cabin by a mountain stream.
  • A looser version of the one above.
  • My workdesk.
  • Devil’s Tower Wyoming. We were there last summer!
  • Fall at the Lake.
  • Downtown Savannah. Nice color, but the perspective got out of whack. Maybe modern art…
  • Florida Cypress Swamp Under Gray Skies.

That’s all for now. Take care and stay safe. God bless.

6 Replies to “Reopening Florida & Another Week”

  2. Your plans sound pretty good – to wait a little longer before you are on the move north. We have been traveling north since Tuesday and staying in motels because we left the RV in Florida after 2 months in quarantine. I was nervous before we left, and still am, now that we have one day left to go.!! Every state is in different stages of returning to “normal”. No breakfast in motels,(although they were being very careful about cleaning and safe space) no restaurants open, except a few with take-out or delivery. All kinds of masks worn, or none worn. What a different world! Miss seeing you both!

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