Home Sweet Home

Made It!



This is the back of our house. The front faces the canal.

We got here about supper time on Monday. Gary spent Tuesday working on his baby and I unpacked, did laundry, and restocked the fridge and cupboards....and took a couple pics with my iPhone. Time to get my big girl camera out and take it for a walk.

Saturday

We left Athens, GA in time to see the sun rise.



The road was smooth and the traffic was light. I spent the time playing Words With Friends,



and taking pictures.



The interior.


A field of cotton.


I love seeing the Red, White, and Blue along the side of the highway.


I had the sun visor down and Gary said he hoped I was enjoying the mirror since it was a $2 option back in '69!



And then, oh no! Something didn't sound right. We pulled over, Gary investigated, and found the water pump had let go. It's not a major breakdown and he could fix it himself but finding a water pump is the problem. We called AAA and they towed it to a Chevy dealership. Their service department was closed, though, so we knew we were going to be stuck here for a bit.



Since we were planning on buying a car for me when we got to Florida, we looked at the used ones they had and I found one I liked so I bought it....Thanks, Mom! I had a little money from her estate and decided to put it to good use. It's a 2011 Toyota Camry. 26,000 miles. The color is metallic aloe.

There was a Best Western right next to the dealership so we booked a room.

Gary spent the evening online looking for a water pump and located one in Ocala, Florida. So, we drove down there today and picked it up. Hopefully, the service guys at the dealership will have time to replace it tomorrow and we'll be able to continue on our way.



Can't tell you how much I'm missing this little apple-picking monkey!

Update

We made it to Athens, GA today. we decided to diverge from our GPS's recommended route and take 26 instead of I85. On the map it looked nice and straight. Haha. It was quite rural but very scenic with luxurious motels,



beautiful homes,



and thriving businesses!




It was nice to get off the turnpike, though!

One more day of travel should do it!

Road Trip

We left Maine on Wednesday morning in our 1969 GTO and I took this picture of the sunrise as we were crossing the bridge from Kittery to Portsmouth, NH.



Once we got into Massachusetts, we noticed the car didn't sound right. Gary investigated and found it to be beyond his expertise so we decided to turn around and head to our mechanic in Berlin about 150 miles north of where we were.

Our mechanic, Dougie, figured it out right away. A nut had come loose on the rocker arm causing a domino effect but no major damage. Phew! We climbed back in and set off once more with Simon and Garfunkel in the 8-track.



We made it to Holyoke, MA and stayed in a Howard Johnson's with a Cracker Barrel right next door. We'd never eaten at one before and were quite disappointed that we couldn't get a beer and wine. My steak was excellent, though!

We left bright and early this morning but still ran into lots of commuter traffic. Luckily, we are in no major hurry so we just puttered along as best we could.






We've been stopping every couple hours and the GOAT is surprisingly comfy so it's been an enjoyable journey so far. I've taken a few pictures with my phone but haven't had much success. I did get this one I thought was kind of cool. The sky was awesome with the virga. (That's a new word I learned today! It refers to moisture raining out of clouds but evaporating before hitting the ground.)



I loved how the sun was reflecting on the car when we stopped at a rest area. Every time we do, Gary checks under the hood to make sure everything is as it should be.



And, tonight, we are in Winchester, VA watching the Red Sox in the World Series.


...to be continued

Autumn Beauty

I took a walk through the closed tenting area of our campground late this afternoon.










































It was so peaceful and colorful everywhere I looked.

Wow! Time Flies!

Here are some random pictures from the last few weeks:




We'll start with a silly Kylie.



Our "new" vehicle for Florida: 1969 GTO. We'll be driving it down by the end of the month.


Love how the sun was shining on the flag one morning.


I made this cake for my sister Sally's birthday. She loves the game (and, so do I!)


I've been going to the beach quite a bit. This is the nifty folding seat I have. It fits into my bike's saddlebag perfectly.


I love it when the waves are big like this!


My friend, Deirdre, and I took a walk to Perkin's Cove one day.












There were amazing flowers everywhere.



And, I'll end with my irrepressible Kylie girl in a photo taken by Michelle.