Town Lights & Country Lights

Monday December 19, 2011

 

Thought you might enjoy seeing what some folks do in town
for holiday decorations and what others do in the country.

This house has for years had more lights and decorations than any other in Charlottesville. 

And each year is more extravagant than the last.
You can hardly even see the house anymore.
It even has its own facebook page you’ll notice. 

I went by just before dark.

 

 

Here’s the fence around the yard.

 

 

 

The gate into the yard through “Santa’s House”

 

The garage

 

 

 

 

The RV sitting just beyond the soldiers and in front of the “real garage”

 

 

And then after dark.

The fence and gate.

 

The “drive” to the garage

 

 

Inside the yard

 

 

 

 

This is actually his house. 
How does he get in there for the entire month of December?

 

 

Not sure which he has more of blow up figures or lights

 

 

 

The circus tent lights above blink on and off so
they don’t show totally in some of the pictures
but they do in this one.

 

 

Ok enough, time to go back out
through the Santa’s House “gate”

 

Can’t imagine what his electric bill is.

 

In contrast,
here is the lighting of one of our local folks
out in the country. 
What to do with a broken down pick up sitting in your front yard.

 

 

Tis’ the Season!

Two Weeks to Go

Thursday December 15, 2011

We have two weeks left on this Workamping Gig
and a few days of that will be spent making merry for the holiday. 

I’m so ready to be rollin’ on down the road toward a few days at Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina
before meeting Nancy and Bill at Silver River State Park in Florida.

But here’s what’s been happenin’ lately.

Gettin’ that hay up takes days! 
No more flat rakes.

Gone are the days of square bales and
tossing them up in the truck to stack 4 high and
then move them one at a time into the barn.
Look at the size of these bales now.

You can move the bales from day one
while you rake the area for day two.

First time for big bales in the fields

I think they look lovely.

No more balers spittin’ out those little square bales.

 

The Baler isn’t THAT much bigger than the bale.

But the hay is all baled up!

This gig also provides painting possibilities.
We stop by usually at least once a year
and there always seems to be one side of the
house that needs painting.

Looks like this side has been waiting a long time.
But its time is here now.

One shot of what needs to be done is enough to
make it clear.  Next pics will be of it looking
much better.

For fun there was Bob Matheny’s 81st Birthday Party.
And a BIG doins’ it was too.

I was bummed that I had another obligation and
couldn’t get out of it by the time I heard the party was happening. 
Looked like everyone had a great time
from these pictures David took.

Over the Hill Gang.
We may be Over the Hill but we’re
kickin’ up our heels on the other side.

Bob and Nancy sharing a fine moment!
I want to feel just like they obviously do when I’m 81!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB!!

My Day

Wednesday December 7, 2011

Thanks to my younger twin sister Nancy
who at 5:23 AM this morning
set up this great birthday party for me!
It was a blast Nancy, wish you’d been here
No actually, wish we’d all been there especially since
Roamin could have come too!
And maybe those other folks who went kayaking without
me and Moby and Roamin. 
J

But the party had started the night before when

David baked my favorite cake which many of you
have seen on other occasions.  It is THE special family recipe. 
CHOCOlate and THICK butter cream icing. 
He told me  it was supposed to say RV DreamER   but,
“sometimes” you just don’t plan far enough ahead.J

Still it was as magnificently DElicious as always.
My friend Pam, David and I
each had two slices and
by noon on my birthday,
here’s what it looked like.
Better hurry over if you want any!

Carrie called me at 8am to be the first Happy Birthday Call I received
and then she called again at 8pm to see how my day had gone.  
What a SWEETIE!!

I received emails, face book notes and cards. 
It is so nice to be remembered although I realize face book gives new meaning to “remembering” 
And I don’t check it often but knowing that a lot folks I know use it frequently,
I did check today.

Mother Nature’s gift was a full day and night of cold rain
but at least she skipped
the previously predicted snow.
Certainly didn’t need that kind of “icing on the cake”.

In years past, I took EVERY birthday off.   My own personal holiday.  I FIRMLY believe every employer should give every employee a holiday on her birthday.  It’s just a nice not so costly gesture of appreciation that too few do. 

But – lucky lucky me -  now every day is a holiday and I’m happy to be alive and experiencing the full meaning of freedom. 

So I celebrated not having an alarm clock wake me up.

Having as leisurely a breakfast as I wanted. 

But then I do those things EVERY DAY!  What a life!

Then since the weather didn’t cooperate for any outdoor activity, 
and speaking of not planning far enough ahead,
I continued on with my quest to find some places for us to stay in Florida beginning when my current plans end, January 25th, and going on through February.  So far I am batting
zero
unless I want to spend upwards of $40 a night.

 

Anyone with suggestions of places to stay warm for those 6 weeks?

Those would be GREAT birthday presents!!

I finished up my day with my friend of over 30 years,
Lynda, who insisted on taking me out for dinner and a movie.  
Both rare activities for me.

Special thanks to all the people in my life who make me glad I was born and particularly to my mother, Margie Eileen Hoff Lloyd,
whom I miss every single day
but especially on our birthdays.
Hers was 2 weeks to the day after mine.