Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Finishing February

Thursday February 22-28, 201                                                       Most Recent Posts:
Quail Run RV Park                                                                           Another BIG Bump in the Road

Wesley Chapel, Florida                                                                    Exciting Wildlife Encounter at Oscar Scherer



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I think rather than call this situation another big bump in the road I should have called it another huge hole we fell in since that’s how it feels.  We were moving right along inspite of the medical difficulties and then we just fell into a hole.

We’ve been here at Quail Run since February 7.  Seems like a Very long time.

So what did we do during David’s first week out of the hospital?  Mostly he slept and did what walking he could.  He did some reading and his breathing and other exercises. 

The Home Health Care nurse has been here twice and says she will come twice more.  The Physcial Therapist  has been here and says David’s breathing and mobility is great so he doesn’t need PT; that he can move into Cardiac Rehab as soon as his Cardiologist approves.

Other than reading, I’m  walking, cooking, grocery shopping, reading and filing books in the Park library. 

I’m out most mornings at dawn.  The skies are lovely,  what I can see of them over the wall separating us from the I-75 interstate over which the sun rises.


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This picture, taken from up the road looking back toward Winnona on the left, is about as much of a sunrise as I get.

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Over the course of these weeks I’ve done my usual 10,000+ steps daily around and around the park.  David built up to walking for 2.4 miles and 6365 steps one day by the end of his first week back. He’s been a little less determined since then so his mileage and steps have been fewer.  He says it’s too cold out.  HA!  Otherwise his recovery seems to be on track to this point.  Follow up cardiac appointments are in March.


Quail Run has about 300 sites and two different looking sections.  The “old” section has many lovely Live Oak Trees which provide wonderful shade as I walk up and down the streets over and over.

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Here’s the map of my daily travels. Before I explain, notice the pink star at the pond on the right.  I’ll refer to that later.

As for my route,  I set out from Winnona.  She’s the Blue Star upper right near the yellow number 1.  I head along the red path.  Up and down each tree  lined street until I get to the “top” .  There I cross over to the “new section”, with fewer trees, at yellow #2  and head up and down the red path.  When I get to the Green Arrow at Yellow #3, I start back going up and down and up and down the other way. 

I follow the green arrows to #4, then to  #5 and then back to # 2.  I cross over to the old section and the take same route backwards to Winnona where I turn around and .  do from #1 to #2 again and from #2 to #1 again.  By the time I’m back at the Blue star and Winnona I’ve done 4 times up and down the streets in the old section between numbers 1 and 2 and twice in the new section.   Confused?  All that, and it still isn’t 10000 K steps.  But you can see why I get pretty sick of it.


Here’s some of what I see in the older tree lined streets between #1 and #2.  The trees are beautiful and much appreciated when that sun starts beating down.

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We were on a street like this when we were here in 2012 dealing with David’s stem cell transplant and boy was it a good thing since we were here in July and August.  Having the shade kept our electric bills from going through the roof. 

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Looking up Quail Run’s main street.  The old section is on the right and the new is on the left.


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Here’s the new section with its much smaller trees.  No dirt, no sand, no gravel but I still don’t  like it as well.


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Quail run advertises “No rig too big” and clearly in the new section there are some huge ones with giant tractors.

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Giant rig, tiny toad.

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This cab has a plaque of Jesus in the center of the dashboard windshield.  He follows you with his eyes as you walk by.

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Not a great picture but the best I could do with my phone which was all I had at the time.  It’s actually kind of spooky.


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The only really big tree in the new section.  It’s a beauty.

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Remember the pink star I mentioned earlier when I was talking about the map?  Well this is what that “pond” looks like.  When we were here 6 years ago it was a real pond.  Not sure what’s happened.  As you can see it’s right on the edge of the interstate fence.

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But the Sandhill Cranes don’t seem to care about either of those things.   I hear them nearly every morning flying over and calling.  I don’t always see them on the ground but when I do they are hands down the highlight of my walk.

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When I get to this point on my last loop, I can hardly wait to be finished.  Only one more street down and one more up.   Winnona is there on the left just across from the white truck on the right parked in front of the laundromat.

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Thank goodness there is Winnona to come home to.

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21 comments:

  1. It sounds like David is in good hands.

    The Sandhill cranes are a delight to see.

    I can't imagine trailers so big they need a rig to tow them.

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  2. Keeping up with your exercise will certainly help. Thanks for keep us posted.
    mark

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  3. Medical issues take time, but it sounds like David us doing well. Thank goodness you were able to get such good treatment and have a place to stay.

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  4. Sounds like David is getting the help he needs. Our daily walks are much the same here, that is unless we end up out on a trail somewhere. Have to start playing the FL State Park reservation game in the morning. Hope our paths cross next winter when we're in FL, I'll publish our dates once we get them all hammered out.

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  5. For me, Quail Run is a nice place to recover since it makes few demands on me. I enjoy my walks, repetitive as they may be, they are easily adjusted for whatever amount of time/steps I want to take. Also their cable allows us to actually see the games we like during March Madness. ;) Unfortunately some of those games are after my bed time. :(

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  6. Thanks for the update...David is doing what he needs to get into rehab!!! This type of surgery does take time and determination to recoup. I know it must be difficult to stay in a private park near the city, but fortunately you are near his best medical care!!! Sometimes, we just gotta do what we gotta do. Have you ever tried walking to music...got an Ipod??? That always helps me when I am doing repetitive laps:o)) Would be fun to see some baby Sandhills:o))

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  7. Thanks for the update, Sherry. Like a limbo hole, and hard to be there. Although I was reading with trepidation and so grateful there,was no deeper hole at the,end of your post.

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  8. Thank you for the update. Sounds like David is doing well.

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  9. I sympathize with your boring walk and routine yet am glad you have a place half this nice to be in while David gets the help needed.

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  10. Sounds like David is recovering well, glad to hear it. Like the Sandhill Cranes also. We leave the California beach and return to Florida tomorrow.

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  11. I can relate into what you are going through, hang in there, Sherry. I agree, walking around the RV park is boring, and we had the same routine for five months under Tucson heat. Steve's goal is 3 mi each day and start his walk at 5AM while I do my 10,000 in two sets starting at 6AM. After that we became hermits the rest of the day. At least for you there are trees and a bit of shade but unfortunately you deal with humidity. Anyhow, Dave seems to be in good hands and in the road to recovery.

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  12. We can relate (as you know) although we were stuck in the snow during Eric's rehab. Maybe you could get books to listen to while you walk your 10,000 steps around and around in circles? Glad to know David's recovery is going well. Be easy with yourselves and know that this will pass.

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  13. Glad to hear that David’s recovery is coming along. Yesterday was the two-month post-op mark for Mui. He’s doing very well ... knock on wood. To that end, we’re cutting his cardiac rehab short by a month, and with the blessing of his cardiologist plan to head west from here around the middle of April. I know it’s tough for you guys to be at this campground for a while, but it doesn’t do to hurry the recovery along faster than David’s body allows. We’ve heard that story from a lot of people in the same boat as we are, so to speak. Hang in there.

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  14. Thanks for the update, so glad to hear David is doing so well. He's a fighter, for sure.

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  15. You have an end spot so no trailer in your face and a beautiful palm tree right outside your rig. While not as nice as a nice big oak tree, it could be worse so there is a bright side. Glad David is building up his strength again. Reflecting on his visit to Big Bend last Thanksgiving, I don't know how he did all the hiking we did while he was here. Soon he'll be in better shape than he was then. Thinking of you both daily. It is a difficult time but hopefully there are good times ahead.

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  16. Sounds like David is dong well:) Medical issues are tough to deal with. Two weeks ago both of us were found to have skin cancer.. A total of four surguries later, we have been surgically cured. How long it takes to accept that is pending:) Hang in there.

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  17. Those tall trees are beautiful. Glad to hear David is moving in the right direction. While we spend time in RV parks, it seems very foreign to see you guys in this environment. I really need to get my daily walks in and stop making excuses about where we're parked!!

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  18. Surprisingly I find walking around my neighborhood boring, and often walk the route in reverse just to see things from a different perspective. I've gotten so I prefer the treadmill at the gym. Maybe because I get 10 minutes on the hydromassage bed after walking!

    It is good to hear David is doing well and making progress.

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  19. It is good that Dad is making progress! I, too, would be sick of that walk and I know you're counting down the days til you can leave there. Glad you have basketball, oak trees amd sand cranes. You're making the best of it.

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  20. i enjoy walking the streets here in our park. Walking with Cooper makes it interesting, as he stops to pick up whatever he can put in his mouth. Glad David is on the mend and getting some outdoor time.

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  21. Those big trees are much nicer than I pictured for an RV park - that old section looks almost neighborhood-y. But I know that's not your section, AND that even paradise would get old if you couldn't leave it! But it must be wonderful on the days you get to see the sandhill cranes! Some of those RVs are jaw-droppingly gargantuan-- I have never seen anything like these fortresses! Hope David is getting better daily.

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