Flamingo Gardens

Saturday, October 31, 2015  Halloween
We were up very early this morning as we had to finish packing, have breakfast and be clear of our room before 8:00 am even though we weren't getting off the ship till some time after 9:00.  So it is that we were out on the deck enjoying breakfast when the skies were just beginning to lighten at our final port in Ft Lauderdale.

Our waiting area was the Vista Lounge where they had coffee, tea, juice and rolls set out for us to enjoy while waiting for our announced time to lead.  A video show of places around the world that Princess ships visit offered lots of tantalizing views some of which we have seen over our years of travel.  We also had time to wander out to the Piazza area and see some of the decorations already in place for the Halloween celebration that would be taking place on the ship when it sails back out again later in the day. 

We were off the ship, back to our car and on the road in no time flat once the process began.  Our plans included a visit to the Flamingo Gardens in Davie, FL not terribly far from the port in Ft. Lauderdale - in fact we were parked and into the park before 11:00.  In time for the first tour of the grounds of this lovely wildlife sanctuary created by The Wrays back in the early 1900s.  

It began as an orchard that included the home they often stayed in - actually Mrs. Wray's mother was the owner.

They created a botanical garden on the grounds that was left untouched to show what the everglades area was like.  In addition, they strived to include samples of most of the indigineous plants to Florida including the fruit trees Florida is so well known for.

 One that surprised me was the star fruit.  I always thought of that as something grown in South America.

A large part of the grounds is now also devoted to providing a home and care for injured animals and birds.  

They are treated and if they cannot be reintroduced to the wild because of their injuries they are kept here in a setting as close to what they are use to as possible.  The aviary is huge with sections set up to simulate the various land areas found in Florida.

There are screened areas for a wide variety of birds including a pair of eagles with injured wings, different types of hawks, owls, and so forth. And. of course, there were plenty of flamingos......

Bobcat, black bear, otters, turtles, alligators, etc are also in a variety of settings all kept as natural as possible. 

After spending several hours at the gardens, we enjoyed lunch at a local Panera and then drove to Florida City which is considered to be the leaping off spot for entering the Florida Keys.    Here we settled down in a motel for the night.

Final Day: Our Last Full Day on the Royal Princess

Friday, October 30, 2015    

Today was filled with lasts……..

                The last breakfast in the Horizon Court enjoying the beauty of blue skies and gorgeous blue waters, sunshine and warmth on the back deck of the ship

                The last opportunity to walk on the well cushioned track on the 18^th deck soaking up sunshine, breezes and views of the water as far as the eye can see. (We did a 5 K today as part of the ships “On Deck for the Cure” to raise support for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer.  They provide special hats for each walker and refreshments – fresh fruit- and drinks to be enjoyed upon completion of the walk.

                The last lecture/presentation – there were so many to choose from but we chose one about Life @Sea put on by one of the staff members of Princess.  It was neat to learn a bit about the life and work of those who make our trips so very special.

                The last rehearsal of the Pop Choir and then the formal presentation to the crowds gather to hear us in the Piazza.  It sounded terrific!! 

                The last lunch in the Horizon Court – only to discover later we should have checked out the dessert area where they had a chocolate fountain with loads of fresh fruit to coat in good dark chocolate. 

                The last day to read my book club book before turning it in and discussing it a bit with a couple of others who had also read “The Nightingale” as well.

                The last day for simply strolling around and enjoying all the sounds and sights and activities happening all over the ship. 

                The last Production Show in the Princess Theater – “Spectacular” – put on by the Royal Princess Singers and Dancers

                And our last dinner in the Allegro Dining Room with our  now newest friends: Cliff, Nancy, Steve and Mary who had attended our pop choir show to see us in action.  Our waiter, Dan, was Johnny on the spot with the best of service including always calling us by name when taking our orders and serving us. And the final parade of Baked Alaskas was as fun as ever.

The big suitcase was packed, placed in the hall and taken away to reappear again tomorrow when we get off the ship. 

Now we’ll enjoy our last night of sleep before getting in the car and moving on to other activities with the hope we’ll have some good news about our motorhome.

Another of Our Favorites - a Sea Day!!

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Blue skies, calm blue sea, sunshine, warmth, light breezes…..can it get any better than this?  What a perfect “sea day.” A day to relax, do what you want to do, enjoy great food, read, sing with the pop choir, play games, listen to live music, and chat with fellow travelers.  We’ve wandered the ship just soaking up the atmosphere, dreamed dreams, shared favorite memories, and best of all made the arrangements for another seven days in the Caribbean to celebrate my 75^th birthday in January.  

Today has been a PERFECT sea day.

Today includes a “formal night” which means by 5:00 the ship was filled with people dressed in their very best evening wear strolling, enjoying live music, getting their photos taken, enjoying a special dinner and for those of us who have traveled many times with Princess sharing at a cocktail party

with the Captain of the ship and the executive officers.  All six of us who had been sharing dinner together attended the party together.

It is fun just to spiff up and see everyone else all fixed up after a week of running around in shorts and bathing suits.

Following the very special dinner which included lobster as one of its selections, (here is our waiter Dan with us at the dining table)

we walked to the other end of the ship to the Princess Theater for the evening show – all soul music performed by the singers and dancers.  While that isn’t my favorite music, the company sure did a fantastic job of presenting it. 

Afterwards we walked to the aft of the ship to the Vista Lounge for the performance put on by a comedian, guitar player and guitarist, Paul ?,  who has worked with the Beach Boys for many years as well as many other well -known musicians.  He had some wonderful but funny stories to share about some of the entertainers he has worked with but in between provided great music.

By the time that came to an end we were bushed – it had been a great day but it was time for bed.  How we love the fact that you can go “out for dinner” dressed to the nines, take in professional entertainment, and then just take the elevator or climb some steps to your room.  No driving and fighting traffic.  

The Ship Docks in Aruba

Wednesday, October 28, 2015                Pictures will be posted later

Our ship docked in a sunny Aruba port overlooking the most developed island in this particular Caribbean journey.  There were many freighters on the horizon, planes coming in regularly to the airport, and full size buses parked on the dock waiting to take passengers on tours.  We could see a few little hills in the distance but other than that all we could see was lots and lots of buildings – even those in the port area were in good shape except for one that is apparently being refurbished.

While it was pretty out, we really had no desire to get off the ship.  We figured we could enjoy the weather just staying put and spending time out on the decks.  The humidity was greatly reduced and there was a nice breeze as we enjoyed our breakfast out on the back deck. 

Despite the nicer weather, we decided to do our walk on the seventh level inside so as to enjoy the air conditioning and not get all sweaty.  Besides we could enjoy seeing all the spots around that area devoid of people since so many were off and exploring the island.  One thing we noticed was that the cruise planner’s office was open so we stopped in to ask some questions about a possible cruise in early January to celebrate my 75^th birthday.   Maybe we will and maybe we won’t but at least we got the lowdown on what is available and the prices.  That apparently is a real cheap time to travel so it is inviting.

Ken and I decided to take advantage of the reduced number of people on the ship and attempt to use the laundry so we can leave with more clean than dirty clothes especially since we don’t know if we’ll have a home when we get back.  We still haven’t heard anything from the service center at LazyDays. So we spent the remainder of the morning getting the wash done and enjoying some reading time.

The early afternoon provided more reading time as well as time to write on the computer.  We attempted to use the WiFi on the ship but had not success getting on so couldn’t load yesterday’s blog but I always do enjoy a game or two on it as well.  So it was a lazy afternoon till 4:30 when we had another Pop Choir rehearsal followed by dinner.

The fun moment this evening was providing a bit of the entertainment at the OctoberFest Party in the Piazza.  Our pop choir entertained by singing Edelweiss.  Mary and Steve, one of the couples we’ve been enjoying dinner with came down to be a part of it and took a couple of pictures for us.  We then enjoyed some chat time with them before calling it a night.

Bonaire - One of the ABC Islands

Tuesday, October 27, 2015  Pictures will be posted at a later date when there is better WiFi

We woke to very grey skies and drizzle – strange since we were coming into the group of islands that are arid and full of cactus so not the weather you would expect.  Since we were not due to arrive until noon we held out hope for a change but were not that lucky.

After breakfast, we wondered the shopping area of the ship for a bit just seeing what was there.  Ken was thrilled to find a couple of golf shirts with pockets – a rare find these days – so ended up getting them.  By then it was time for another rehearsal of the pop choir which we finished just in time for a very  quick bite to eat before heading off the ship and catching our mini bus tour of the northern part of the island.

Unfortunately we drew a first time guide who had little to say other than what was written on her sheet of paper but we still got to along the windward side of the island and enjoy the intriguing low limestone cliffs filled with little caves alongside the road that had been carved out by the sea.  We saw a very large iguana up in a tree, a donkey wandering through a village (there are many wild ones on the island – goats too.  Because of the wild goats and donkeys most everything had fences around it many of which were made from Cadushy cactus (tall and skinny).  Near the end of the island is the salt water Goto Lake which is a habitat for flamingos.  The masses come in January but there were already some there.  This is where they lay their eggs and raise their young before flying off to many other points.  It was fun to watch them in the water when we stopped for a few minutes.  At various points all along the shoreline there were small rocks painted yellow with a couple of words on them to identify if this spot could be used as a stepping off point to enter the water to snorkel or dive and enjoy the highly protected marine park with over 30 varieties of soft corals, 50 species of hard coral and 200 different rainbow-hued species of fish.  This is a highly prized area for divers from around the world because it has been so well protected as also because of the currents that encourage large growth and thus a huge variety of species to see.

Unfortunately I don’t  have very good pictures because of the wet windows and lack of sun to show off the various shades of blue in the water.  The island is not real developed either so there are many miles of just all kinds of cactus in from small plants to huge bushes and tall spikes.  They all of course have their spines on them so I can’t imagine doing much hiking off the main road and it is so narrow and windy I wouldn’t feel safe on it.

Some goats were behind fences obviously being raised for the meat and milk.  According to our guide it is difficult to grow much in the way of fruits and vegetables on the island due to the dry conditions so those items need to be imported from Holland, Venezuela, and the U.S.  However, there is a lot of cheese because of the prevalance of goats.

A short time after we returned from that trip we boarded a small glass bottomed boat and took a trip out to Little Bonaire Island where we could be away from ocean traffic and see lots of the underwater life.  Our guide had spent a good deal of time with marine scientists while growing up on Bonaire and has developed a good deal of knowledge about all that we were seeing making it a very interesting trip.  The rain had stopped but the heavily clouded skies kept us from seeing a sunset while out but we did get to see all of the lights coming on and sparkle while coming back to our ship.

Since it was passed or assigned dinner time, we decided to just clean up a bit and go to the pizza restaurant they have on the ship where we enjoyed a delicious salad and each of us could get a personal size pizza of our choice.  This spot was right on the edge of the piazza where so much activity is centered which meant we could enjoy the steel drums entertaining people in the center sitting area while we ate and do lots of people watching.  Just after we finished a young couple provided a fantastic gymnastic show using lots of hula hoops including a huge 48 pound one.  What fun that was to watch!!!

We then went to the Princess Theater for the main entertainment of the evening provided by the incredibly talented Paul Tanner, a vocal impressionist.   Through him we enjoyed Nat King Cole, Neil Diamond, and Elvis Presley to name a few.

And so another day came to an end for us .

A Day in Grenada

Monday, October 25, 2015    Pictures will be posted when we get better  WiFi

Our ship got into Grenada by 7:00 this morning – a bright, very warm and humid, sunny morning – and we enjoyed our breakfast out on the back deck enjoying the view of the island and the clouds as they danced about the mountain tops.  This is another volcanic island with lots of rain forest in the center caused of course by the enormous amount of moisture that comes from such clouds.  But today we saw only white fluff rather than any threatening ones.

We were off on our tour of the island before 8:00 am again traveling winding, steeply built roads in a mini van/bus.  Ken unfortunately ended up in a seat where one of the rear wheels was so he had to sit with his knees up to his chest.  Luckily we were in and out a fair amount so he could stretch them often and there were times when he could turn toward the aisle (he was in a single seat) and put his feet out there.

Our tour took us to one of the old forts – Fort Frederick – that sat up high on the hill side.  While we could get a good view of the sea from there that was the back side.  The guns were mounted facing in land as that had proven to be the way the French chose to attack.  There was a tunnel – now blocked by fallen rock and so forth-that allowed soldiers to move from one fort to another underground.  We could get a good view of our ship in the harbor from there.

Grenada refers to itself as the Spice Island because it raises and exports twelve different spices some of which are processed on the islands and some of which are processed in the country where they are transported to.  So part of our tour took us to Gouyave Nutmeg Station where huge quantities of nutmeg is dried and either processed or packaged to travel.  The smell in the huge building was wonderful!!!!  Lots of products are created from the nutmeg including a healing oil, syrups, jams, and of course the spice itself.  Many of those were being sold at this Station.  Prior to going there we stopped at a plantation where lots of cocoa beans were being dried on trays outside (the trays could be pulled in under the building if it was raining).  Our guide took us inside and showed us what it looks like when it is growing and then what the inside of the big “nut” looks like.  She also showed us bay leaves, tumerac, ginger, and cinnamon “branches” and shaved some into our hands to smell.  We had an opportunity to check out cloves and nutmeg as well.  All of these are heavily used in the islanders food along with coconuts and bananas.

Our drive then took us into the rain forest up to an elevation of about 2000 feet where we could see the cauldera of one of the volcanoes which is now a lake surrounded by lush growth.  There we could enjoy some of the beautiful plants and flowers found on the island as well as many of the trees.  We were lucky enough to have one of their monkeys show himself on one of those trees so we could see it in its habitat.

From there we visited the Annandale Falls falling in a very pretty cove with hanging ferns as well as flowering and medicinal plants.  It was a refreshing place to stop simply because of the cool feeling created by the shaded area.

We drove by a beach area where better than a dozen fishermen were working together to pull in nets from a boat off shore and capture hundreds of little silver fish.  It was interesting to see the process that has been used down through the ages.

This was Grenada’s Thanksgiving holiday so many people were out just enjoying a day of leisure resting on their balconies and gathering in groups to chat.  But for many it was a day of work since they are heavily dependent on tourism for income and our ship brought in 3500 passengers – lots of customers.

After lunch on the ship, we went to the second rehearsal of the Pop Choir and finished run thrus on the remaining songs.  If anything, there were even more people at this practice.  Then we enjoyed some quiet time reading, resting and playing games on the computer.

Following dinner we attended the production show “What the World Needs Now”.  It was a series of old songs shared by the lead singers with the backing of not only the other singers and dancers but the ships band and the Liberty string quartet.  Again the background was wonderful with all kinds of animated images constantly changing to fit the tunes.

Ken then went up to the Movies Under the Stars screen to watch Monday night football while I worked on this blog, plugged in the battery charger for my camera, downloaded pictures, and check the Internet. 

Another day is done……

A Visit to Dominica

Sunday, October 25, 2015  Pictures will follow when better WiFi

We were up much earlier this morning so we were able to sit at one of the tables on the back deck of the ship and watch the final approach into the bay and dock in Dominica.  The island is 29 miles long so we passed a fair amount of land – mostly high hills/low mountains (the tallest is around 4700 feet) with pockets of homes and other buildings clustered in the lowest sections near the ocean.  The buildings were all quite colorful and many had balconies providing views of the water. 

Before we left the ship for a tour, we attended an interdenominational worship service led by the Cruise Director, Lisa.  It was a simple service but a wonderful chance to worship with some of our fellow passengers and sing some wonderful old hymns.

Hurricane Erica came through here in mid-August and caused a fair amount of damage primarily due to the 12 inches of rain that fell in 6 hours causing huge rivers of rushing waters flowing down the mountain sides and triggering some major mud slides as well smashing buildings and causing twelve deaths.  We could see some of the damage as we traveled the very steep hilly roads on our way up to Trafalgar Falls in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park.   Our tour group was in a small van.  I doubt anything bigger could handle the narrow steep winding roads.  Along the way we saw a sign for a 25% grade!!!!

The falls themselves – there were two – were truly a steep drop into a rocky winding bed that carried the water bounding down the steep hillside making lots of little pools fed by little falls over piles of rocks.  The view was beautiful from a canopied deck.  But the walk up to them was a treacherous one with lots of uneven stone steps surrounded and filled in with slippery mud and plenty of tree roots.  It was a challenging ten minute climb!

We also enjoyed the botanical gardens in the capital city of Roseau.  It was a forty acre garden originally created by the English who lived here in the eighteen hundreds.  There were a variety of trees indigenous to the island as well as lots of tropical plants and flowers.    Among other things was a tree that had fallen back in the twenties landing on a brand new bus (luckily no one was in it) that has continued to survive creating another huge trunk where the first tree roots would have been.  It made quite a site.  Lots of bamboo was clustered in the center and has created a shaded dome like area in the center of the garden due to the fact the gardeners have chopped away all the trees in the middle of a huge cluster.  They had done lots of chopping to a banyon tree too so that it didn’t spread out and take over all the acreage.

Another stop afforded us a look out spot where we could not only see our ship but some of the main features of the town of Roseau including the financial center that includes the office of the  Prime Minister, the huge shopping center, a stadium, and hospital with a large courtyard.  At the lookout were many locals selling their wares.  I got a simple necklace and earrings made of hemolite (volcanic rock) and magnetic and immediately put it on.

Our last stop of the day was at a small resort, restaurant and garden where we could enjoy a drink and the beauty of the flowers and garden as we looked out on the rain forest.  Our guide told us we were quite lucky not to have rain as it does so most every day.  The average rainfall is well over 250 inches each year!  The average temperature is 82 in the summer and 77 in the “winter” though today was 88 degrees with a vicious humidity.  The natives refer to their island as a “nature island” due to all of the lush growth as well as the nutrient rich waters that surround the island, a natural breeding ground for sperm whales and several species of dolphin. Its national bird is the Sisserou parrot.  We were able to see a couple of them in a huge cage in the Botanical Gardens though photographing them was tough since the camera focused on the fencing rather than the birds.

Two of the three Pirates of Caribbean movies were made here. However our tour did not take us to the area of the Emerald Pool and the grotto featured in those movies.

We enjoyed a late lunch up in the Horizon Court – a buffet area but chose to stay inside to eat it as we were still so warm and sticky from being outside on our trip.  Ken watched a football game on the big screen in the Princess Live theater while I spent time reading and doing a few things on the computer.  It was truly just a time to relax after our long walks and climb up to the falls.

It was good to be back in the dining room with our table mates sharing stories of what we’d been doing the last couple of days since we missed them last night.  Steve and Mary were quite adventurous today taking an ATV trip up into the center of the national park and swimming up the river to the grotto and Emerald Pool that was used in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie while Cliff and Nancy chose to stay on the ship and watch the Sunday football games that were being shown in Princess Live.

After dinner we enjoyed the Alley Cats, a group of four men doing the Doo Wop songs of the 50s and 60s.  They did an excellent job and really had us all participating with hand motions and clapping.  Following the show Ken went to the Panthers vs Eagles football game while I strolled back up to the 17^th deck to watch the dancing fountains again.

It was another great day in the Caribbean!!!

A Day at Sea

Friday, October 23, 2015  Pictures later when we have better WiFi

This morning we were up and ready for breakfast by 8:00 am.  Because it is a sea day the numbers in the Horizon Court buffet were not large meaning there were plenty of places to sit.  We went outside but decided against that as the winds are very brisk.

After breakfast we went up to the track and did a mile plus a lap and tried out some of the exercise equipment spaced out along the track.  The winds were brisk, the ship rolling a bit so it was more of an effort to walk without looking like drunken sailors J  There were a few dark clouds in the sky and we could see some rain in the distance but appeared we were steering away from that.  After the walk I went down to the morning Zumba class but found that was a bit much after what I’d just done so didn’t stay and do it for very long.

It felt good to simply kick back and do some reading and a bit of writing on the computer till it was time to go to the first gathering of the Pop Choir Sound of Music rehearsal.  We met in the TV studio – a great place to be as corridor sounds didn’t reach us and we could gather closely to hear each other well.  There were probably close to 50 people there – the best turnout we’ve ever seen for a first rehearsal.  It was great fun singing music we love and hearing the harmony.  We will have 3 more rehearsals before the final presentation at the end of our cruise and one more before we can gather to sing Edelweiss for those attending the Beerfest happening in a couple of days.

We went directly from that to the Traditional British Pub Lunch held in the very British looking Wheelhouse Bar.  Both of us enjoyed some very good fish and chips followed by the Bread and Butter pudding. 

Almost immediately after that we were back in the Princess Live! Studio for a presentation by Marin Graf on what it is like to come face to face with a Great White Shark.  He has had 15 years of diving experience working with a marine lab and had some fantastic super close up  pictures .

I decided to attend an art auction just to see what happens at one of those.  This is our fifteenth cruise with Princess and we’ve noticed huge quantities of art posted in galleries on the ship and always wondered who would come on a cruise to buy art work from the masters.  I found out today there are a fair number of people who do and they get some fantastic deals IF they are really interested.  Meanwhile the auctioneer gives a good deal of information about the work he is auctioning and a story about the artist so it is informative to attend.   One thing about cruises, you can dabble in many things just to find out about them or discover a new interest.

Ken went up on the track to put in more laps of walking in the afternoon while I worked on the computer and got cleaned up for the formal dinner and evening.  This usually happens on at least one of the sea days.  Our cruise will offer another such night at the end of the cruise.  In fact, that is probably when the Princess Pop Choir will provide entertainment in the Piazza – at least that has been our past experience.

We were able to get down to the pre-dinner music being offered by the Liberty String Quartet and not only enjoy their music but have the fun of watching many of the passengers strolling by in their formal wear.  It is fun to see how everyone dresses up for these formal nights.  While there are the few who simply won’t participate, most do and the variety of clothing styles is amazing.

Following dinner, we joined many others in the Piazza to watch people pouring champagne on the fountain of glasses while others were enjoying their glasses of champagne and special treats that were being passed out to all who desired them.  The senior officers of the various ship departments were introduced including our ships captain, Dino Sagani, who welcomed everyone.

Since we weren’t interested in the comedian who was providing the main show, we got our books and just settled down in the Vista Lounge for a relaxing hour while waiting for the magician, David Cats, we’d seen last night to perform one last show – all slight of hands tricks with playing cards and interlocking hoops.  He really was amazing.

We Stop at St Thomas But Don't Get Off

Saturday, October 24, 2015  Pictures to come later when better WiFi

We woke around 8:00 this morning after lots of disrupted sleep and a bit of “excitement”.  The captain was broadcasting updates every few minutes for about an hour starting a little after midnight when he asked all passengers to return to their rooms if not in them and those already in their rooms to stay there BUT all cruise staff was to take their emergency positions.  We learned there was smoke and then a small fire in the air conditioning compressor.  Once it was out and the smoke disapated, the staff was allowed to leave their posts and we received an apology for the disruptions and bid a good nights sleep.  Easy for him to say!!!!Then Ken’s cell phone started beeping because of a low battery and that woke us up in the very early morning hours.  Needless to say it was not a very restful night!!!

After our breakfast, we slowly walked a mile on the track – slow because the humidity and temperature were both very high and we were already in port in St. Thomas and there was no breeze but a few black clouds scattered about in the blue sky.  And, indeed, they did drop rain on the ship for a short time while we could look out and see sunshine and blues skies over the sea.

We enjoyed a very leisurely morning on the ship reading followed by a small lunch and Ken going to the movie, “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” while I spent time on the computer, read, and rested.  We had no desire to visit St. Thomas and both of us were just feeling a need to “veg.”

Before we knew it, it was time for the ship to leave port and us to get ready for dinner.  I ran out to get a picture of us leaving but had to give up as it was announced that a crew member was being removed to an ambulance as soon as it arrived so we would leave later than planned.  How tough it must be for a crew member to be left behind in a foreign country by themselves when so ill they have to be removed by ambulance!!!! 

Our meal tonight was compliments of Princess.  When we arrived last Wednesday we found a card telling us we were selected for a complimentary meal at Sabatini’s – the Italian specialty dining room.  It usually costs an additional $25 per person extra to eat there so we skip this offering.  BUT oh did we enjoy it tonight!!!!!!!  It was a beautiful setting, we had a fantastic waiter, Julian from Bulgaria, and the food was awesome.  Certainly a huge step above what we get in the regular dining rooms.

Immediately following dinner we hurried to the Princess Theater and found a couple of seats for the evening production show, Colors of the World.  It featured dances from around the world with fantastic settings created by video on the back screens, plus some additional ones on the sides and in front.  The singers and dancers did an outstanding job and had us on our feet applauding them.

By the time we got out of the theater and up to the 17^th floor of the ship, it was time for the dancing fountain show with the music of James Bond and images from the movies on the screen as the colored waters danced to the music.  The chaises were all set up with the padded covers and pillows so we could lean back and just take in the beauty.  A warm breeze blew across us as we settled back and watched it a couple of times with movie clips in between the dancing fountain shows.

Another day has come to an end………………….  Tomorrow we’ll be in Dominica. 

Fun Filled Day of Cruising

Thursday, October 22, 2015  Pictures later with better WiFi

One of the wonderful things about an inside room on a ship is that it is dark.  There are no windows to let in a bit of light.  The result, a good night of sleep – super one for Ken and not a bad one for me though I was up and down a bit.  We didn’t actually get up until 8:30 am.  What bliss!!!!!

We enjoyed our breakfast up on the Lido deck on a covered patio area that overlooked the dancing fountain and small pool.  We could see the ocean on both sides of us and the gorgeous blue sky overhead.  A gentle warm breeze made it a perfect spot. 

As we were finishing we noticed Cliff and Nancy – one of the couples we are sitting with for dinner—come and settle on lounges right close to us so strolled over and enjoyed a chat with them before setting off to do a bit of exploring.  One goal was the library to pick up the daily quiz game and Sudoko to do sometime during the day.  While checking out some future cruise information our other table mates, Steve and Mary, stopped to chat with us.

Eventually we worked our way up to the track on Deck 18 where we did a mile of fast walking while chatting and enjoying the view of the Princess Cay – the ships private beaching area.  We had decided not to bother to go over as we could get all the sunning and walking we wanted to do right on the ship and skip dealing with a tender.

Ken got me set up with the computer so I could type the blogs in Word and later transfer them to the official site.  Then he took off to go watch the movie, “ Jurassic World”.  He so loves the opportunity he has to see a bunch of movies while we are aboard a ship!!  I’m sure this will be the first of many.

Ken returned from the movie watching near 3:00 and invited me to join with him for  a little snack lunch in the Horizon Court.  I got a small salad and we sat out on the back deck where we could still see the Princess Cay and watch the last of the tenders return and get raised in preparation for our departure. It was relatively quiet up there and just a pleasant place to enjoy the varying shades of the water and enjoy the little breeze.

 He returned to the room while I walked around for a bit on a couple of the levels just watching all the activities taking place including a line dancing class in the Piazza.  I walked then to the little library (way too small for this ship) and worked on a jigsaw puzzle that was sitting out on the table while I waited for the crew member in charge of the book club to arrive.  I signed out the book “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah that is a historical fiction taking place in France during WWII.  She said we’ll be discussing it during one of the sea days at the end of our travels.

Afterwards I went to check out the Zumba class to see what it was like and discovered it was a sort of like the one I’d been attending at our son’s church so I stayed and participated only leaving when I had to because of the time.  It was nearing our assigned dinner hour and I knew I needed to clean up as we were going to the Piazza to listen to the pre dinner  band and even enjoy a dance.

Our waiter has already mastered all of our names and some of the special touches we appreciate which made dinner even more of a delight.  My steak and Ken’s fish skewers were fantastic as was the rest of the food and conversation again flowed as we shared our days experiences and more travel stories.

Tonight we had two different possibilities for entertainment and we were struggling to figure out how to do them both.  We went up to the Vista Lounge only to discover there were plenty of seats for the dancers Ye Olde Pub Night program that had just gotten rolling so we were able to enjoy that and still get to the Princess Theater and find a good seat for the Master Illusionist, David Cats.  He was positively fantastic!!!!  And his showmanship only made it better with lots of dramatic lighting along with comical relief thrown in.  On our way back to our room we passed the Princess Live studio and realized that the women’s string quartet would be playing shortly so decided to attend that.  They are from Ukraine and had a fantastic assortment of music from the classical to a bit of country.  While waiting for it to start I slipped off to one of the ship’s stores and found a wonderful polo shirt for Ken with the pocket he always wants and the 50 year anniversary logo on it.

The news paper for tomorrow had arrived at our room when we returned so we took time to peruse it before settling down for the night.  

Pressure Cooker Days

Wednesday, October 21, 2015       Pictures later with better WIFi

We were up quite early on Monday morning so that we could have breakfast yet also have our motorhome ready to move into the service garage by 7:30 am.  That is when Ken went over to get in line to sign in at the office (by going then he was first in line).  Very shortly thereafter our technician came for the MH and we began a day of sitting in the waiting room hoping it wouldn’t take long so we could start our drive to Florida.

Another couple waiting loved playing games so I was able to enjoy a round of cribbage and then afterwards play a game similar to Pegs and Jokers  that was played on a round board on a Lazy Susan stand so it was easily shifted.  I had a great time playing the game with them and even came out the winner – beginners luck for sure.

They were off shortly thereafter and Ken and I decided to drive to the local Pizza Hut and have their pizza buffet lunch after checking to be sure the MH wouldn’t be finished within the hour.  Needless to say we were already getting antsy about the fact we would have less and less time to drive.

Unfortunately we spent a good deal more time in the waiting room reading (we’d forgotten the electrical cord for the computer so couldn’t use it very long) as it was not ready for us till 3:45.  So by the time we were hooked up and off it was a little after  4:00.

Our hope was to get to a campground just south of Atlanta (about 4 hours away) before pulling in for the night.  Already that meant we’d be driving after dark but knew it was a must if we were to make it to LazyDays the next day in time to do all we needed to do to prepare for turning it in for service as well as packing for the cruise and an unknown time of being homeless.

Around 5:30, as Ken was switching lanes a car that had ignored his turn signal and was speeding up to pass us got into his blind spot.  He caught the car around their passenger side with our front corner and sent it off toward the median and we moved over to the shoulder.  Luckily no one was hurt but everyone was shook up, police needed to come and write a report and then we had to face and even later arrival at the campground after losing well over an hour.  It was a rough drive for Ken but we finally made it.  We skipped dinner cause neither of us could face food and simply crawled into bed hoping we could wake early and get back on the road.

By 7:00 am we were back on the road and headed to Florida arriving at LazyDays a little after 4:00.   By the time we were hooked up I had was loads sorted and ready to go and had begun gathering items to be packed and Ken had gotten the suitcases out from our basement bin.  He worked on the computer printing out documents we’d need for our various points including last minute requested information from our service advisor at LazyDays.

Around 6:00 pm our friends Frank and Bette showed up.  They had driven down to retrieve items from their RV that was in a service bay.  We’d been communicating all day trying to arrange a few minutes of visit time.  They came with a cooler, so I filled it with meats and other items from our freezer and refrigerator as we had found out we had to totally empty it before turning it in to service. 

After they left, I continued with the wash and packing.  We stopped for a bite of dinner using up some items in the refrigerator.  Then I packed all the remaining items in the refrigerator and freezer and we drove those to the Cooks place at Hillcrest for her use or to share with Mary Gray.  It was just too late to also stop at Mary’s.  She is not doing well – still trying to get enough strength to go through the cardiac workup necessary before having an operation for the kidney cancer that was discovered a couple of months ago after a bad fall.

The Cooks filled up in on all of the latest developments at Hillcrest since Christie took over.  WOW!  We can’t wait to see it in the daylight and spend time there enjoying all of the upgrades.  A few people have arrived but by far the biggest group will arrive Nov 1 or in the next few days after that.  Lots have been posting notes on Facebook about their preparations and planned arrival dates.

We stopped at our shed long enough to store a couple of items and then returned to the motorhome to finish the packing before crawling into bed after midnight.  It was a mighty short night as we needed to get up, clean up, eat breakfast, finish the last minute packing and put everything in the car and be over to the service center by 8:00 am. Friends had told us to get there early as there is always a long line of people waiting.  Well, that didn’t prove to be our experience.  Our service advisor, Neall Griffin, showed up at exactly 8:30 as he told us he would and by 9:30 he had us on the road heading toward the cruise ship. He was wonderful!!!!!!!!

It is a long drive to Ft Lauderdale but this time we took the tollway most of the way cutting down on traffic and thus travel time so we arrived at the parking lot around 1:30 and we were into our  room on the ship not long after as a shuttle bus was parked right by us and left immediately after we loaded for the short trip to the ship.  There were only a couple of people ahead of us in line to register and then we were off to the ship itself.

Once we had unpacked and put away the items in our carry-on bags, we went up to the buffet for a small salad to carry us over till dinner which was at 5:45 pm.  That was followed by the usual safety drill and the ship leaving the harbor at 4:00 pm.  We stood at the rail and watched the process finally relaxing a bit and just reveling in the fact we would now have ten days of total relaxation with someone else driving, someone else fixing and cleaning up after meals, and someone else providing all the plans and entertainment.  We could just go along for the ride and do as much or as little as we wanted.

We enjoyed our dinner with two other couples who will be our table mates for the trip.  They are in our age bracket and have both done extensive travel including a lot of cruises so we had a delightful meal just sharing experiences and a bit about our families.  I think we’ll really enjoy spending our dinners with them on this trip.

We went to the evening entertainment that followed dinner which is really just an intro to what is to come with one dance by the company, introductions of staff and what they will be offering during our travels, and then a short taste of a comedian who will entertain later in the week.

By that time we were exhausted and simply returned to our room, looked over the Princess Patter newspaper to see what all was going on tomorrow and crawled into bed.  Oh did that feel good.  We could simply feel ourselves relaxing as the ship rolling ship lolled us to sleep.  We’re here!!!

A Weekend with Our North Carolina Family

Sunday, October 18, 2015
Pictures later with good WiFi......................

Friday, we were able to do some preparation work for the next step on our travels, and just do a bit of relaxing at the motorhome till Sue called to tell us she was heading home from work.  Her teaching day is always long since she stays there to do classroom preparation before heading home.  We drove to their place and enjoyed some pizza with the family before then taking them to the local theater to see the movie “Warrenwoods” which was just opening today.  It is a Christian film based on a true story of the experience on a football team at a high school of that name in Birmingham, Alabama just after forced integration.  All of the conflicts being experience in the city were happening at the high school as well and of course on the football team.  A local Fellowship of Christian Athletes chaplain spoke to the team resulting in most of the team excepting the challenge to behave like Christians and turn the other cheek – love their “enemies” and show how well they could work together.  The upshot was a wonderful change but not till after some very difficult experiences for both the players and the coach.  We all really enjoyed it.

Sue’s school was having a fall festival on Saturday morning, Jackson wanted to sleep in the morning after working part of the night at Fed Ex and Tim needed lots of time to work on a presentation he is giving in Tallahassee, Florida next Wednesday so we just relaxed in the morning  and drove over to their house in the early afternoon. 

Sue and I drove to the local bakery to order the special cake and cupcakes for the Eagle ceremony.  Then returned to pick up Jackson so we could check out the International Cultural Festival that was taking place at the University of North Carolina campus while Ken and Reilly watched football and Tim continued work on his presentation.  We had a delightful time checking out some of the dance presentations from various countries and visiting the various cultural booths that offered information about the country, items for sale or display and traditional foods.  It was amazing to see the number of different countries represented – a couple of which I’d never heard of that are in Africa.  Many visitors as well as participants were dressed in traditional clothing for their country adding to the whole scene.  After the parade of nations, we strolled back to the car and returned to their home.

We enjoyed grilled hamburgers for supper and some time to simply chat with one another in the evening.  Sue and I talked a bit about her preparations for Jackson’s Eagle ceremony and possible centerpiece ideas.

Sunday morning we met the family at church.  I’d made a huge tossed salad using up some of the vegetables that were in the refrigerator.  We took our meal donations to the Fellowship Hall for the meal that would follow church and then attended the service together.  It was good to see Wayne and Ruth (the pastor and his wife).   Many members of a multicultural church in Chattanooga were attending the service and providing the music which made for an interesting experience.  This was a church that the youth group from Sue’s church including Jackson had worked from last summer.

Following the very nice luncheon, we returned to the house leaving Ken to spend time with the guys watching football while Sue and I spent a couple of hours shopping for the items for the centerpieces for the Eagle ceremony.  It gave us a good time to just do some chatting as well.

By the time we returned the Panthers game was coming on so we said goodbye and headed back to the campground so we could get on the road for our drive to Gaffney, South Carolina and the Freightliner Service Center.   There we hooked up in the parking lot and settled down for the night in anticipation of getting our annual service work done in the morning. 

Reflecting, Admiring, and Loving

Thursday, October 15, 2015
Today would have been my parents 77th wedding anniversary.  Here they are on their 52nd anniversary, the number Ken and I have celebrated.  They enjoyed another 10 before my father died.

How they loved the beauty of October and all the changing leaves.  As I reflect back over all the years, I remember gorgeous blue skies, and  Indian summer days on October 15.  Today we  got to enjoy another one as we drove from Wytheville, Virginia to Concord, North Carolina. The roads stretched out before us as we continued through the mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

And while the color wasn't as brilliant as it was yesterday there still was plenty of it.

And the best part was that by the time we arrived at the campground, we could remove our sweaters and jackets and open the windows to enjoy a 70 plus degree day.  There are very few people parked here so it is easy to see the various grandstands--well the outsides of the ZMax Dragway,

the dirt track,

and the NASCAR Speedway.

Often we hear the sounds of cars out practicing but not today. The big Coca Cola 500 was this past weekend.

At 6:00 tonight we met Sue, Tim and Jackson at their house and drove to the JV football game at Hickory Ridge High where we got to watch Reilly (#32) play.

His team is huge but he was used almost every time the defensive players were on the field.  It was neat watching him in action and hearing his name announced when he was responsible for an important tackle.

 His team - the Raging Bulls- won the game 20-8.
Afterwards we got a couple of pictures with him.  First with mom and dad

Then with Ken and I 

We stopped at a Subway on the way home to get a very late supper that we took back to their house to enjoy before all of us headed off for bed. 

Heading South

Wednesday, October 14, 2015
 The October chill was in the air this morning with a prediction of freezing weather in Butler by the weekend.  It was truly time to go South.   So we finished packing up and spent a few minutes in the house saying goodbye to the whole family including Dan and Jen who were heading out to Virginia Beach for a weekend conference and Jen's folks who were taking over the care of the girls.  Then we waved goodbye and set off stopping at the local mall to attach the car before hitting the highway south.

It was drizzly and cold but the further we went the drier it got till we finally hit sunshine and blue skies in West Virginia.  The windshield had smears on it from the windshield wipers but I still enjoyed shooting pictures of the gorgeous views we were experiencing in the mountains of West Virginia.  Many had to be tossed because of the smears I was shooting through but these two sure give at least an idea of just how gorgeous it was.

We stopped at the Flying J in Wytheville to fill up our gas and DEF tanks - a favorite spot as we head down I 77 because of its low prices.  Wish we'd been putting in gas rather than diesel but even so this was not a bad price considering what we were paying the last couple of years.

We then drove a couple of miles further down the road to the Fort Chiswell RV park to rest for the night before continuing on to Concord and our visit with our daughter Sue and her family.  This campground is just a couple of hours from there so has always proved to be a good stopping point where we could get views of the hills and some of the farm animals who enjoy the pastureland we were surrounded by.  This was a view out our side window.

On the other side were the cows and a reminder of an experience a couple of years ago when we were here and a baby bull had broken through and wandered over by our RV.  Soon after a farmer came asking around if we'd seen it since we'd contacted the office about the wayward animal.

As I was fixing dinner, there was a knock at our door.  What a surprise to discover Bill and Jan Maas standing there!  They had finished the Upstate New York Caravan, spent a few days at Ives Run, visited Falling Water and were headed to their son's place in eastern Virginia but stopping here for the night also.  They went for a walk while we quickly ate our dinner then came back and we spent the evening together chatting up a storm.  It was so very good to see them.  We got to know each other back in 2008 on the River Road Caravan and have connected as often as possible ever since then.  They've visited us at Hillcrest, we've done other caravans with them, and we keep in touch via email.  Their son died suddenly last February just a couple of days before he was to come down for a week visit with them and they spent a very sad spring in Wisconsin handling all of his affairs as well as selling his house and then moving stuff into storage when they could no longer face more decision making.  So it was good to be able to give them a hug and share.  We've already got plans to see them this winter down in Florida.

The Changing of the Guard

Tuesday, October 13, 2011
This has been our final full day here in Pennsylvania parked in the drive at our son's home.  A day of doing things for the last time: enjoy a dinner with the family, take Rachel to swim practice and bring her home again, take Abbi to her daily babysitting job, watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune with Rachel and Noelle, and so forth.

This afternoon Rick and Bev (the other grandparents - Jen's folks) came to stay.  They will be taking over the reins of parents as our son, Dan, and Jen will be heading to a conference in Virginia Beach in the morning and not returning till Sunday.  The wonderful part was we got to spend some time with them this afternoon and they too were sitting at the family dinner table tonight.  AND we got a picture of both sets of grandparents with the three girls.

Dan had a late meeting but did come over to spend some time with us when he returned giving us a super gift of one on one time with just him - a real treat we seldom get because of his very busy schedule.

And so it is, we spent today also starting to pack things up and do some of the last minute chores necessary for a smooth departure in the morning.  A couple of Christmas gifts still need to wrapped in the morning so we can leave those behind rather than have to mail them later.  AND yesterday we gave Rachel her birthday gift - a month early.  We took her out for a Mazzanti's ice cream cone after lunch today because it didn't fit in yesterday but otherwise the gift was her YMCA swim team membership for the year so she can swim with the team occasionally and compete in the local meets.  Most of her practice is with the school team which is six days a week plus a couple of morning practices (2 a days). She really loves swimming and is eager to take on the Y competition as well as the school team competition.

Sooooooo, farewell Ledford's, farewell Butler, farewell Westminster PCA, farewell choir, farewell to my exercise classes (3 times a week) and farewell to my game friends - Jan, Betty, and Ruth.  We'll be back..........

Cousins, Cousins Everywhere!

Saturday, October 10, 2015
Friday morning, Ken and I packed our suitcases and set off for the Hannon's Lake house in Ohio.  While it was cold and the skies were quite grey, we were able to see some color along the way despite the rain that hit soon after we got going on the road.

We stopped at a WalMart near the house and picked up all of the supplies we'd need for a couple of group breakfasts, snack time, and part of the Friday night dinner.  Then pulled into the Lake House around 3:00 to the sounds of waves slapping against the shore pushed by strong winds.  It was quite chilly and yet beautiful.

We got all of our things into the house and enjoyed a couple of hours talking with Laurie before Len and Sarah arrived with all of their stuff including gorgeous steaks that Len grilled for us for dinner.

There were just the six of us on Friday night.  Matt came in from work as we were finishing baking the potatoes and getting a big salad ready to go along with the steaks.  He quickly went and got a jar of applesauce he had made yesterday to add to the feast.

We were up till almost 1:00 talking.  But finally we settled down and got a bit of sleep.  The next morning shortly after we finished coffee, tea, eggs, fruit and sweet rolls, Bonnie, Dan and Daniel arrived.  They had come in late from Chicago and spent the night at a nearby motel.

The sun was warming things up a bit and the winds had died down so we enjoyed some chat time outside as well as inside finding different places to settle and just enjoy time with one another.  Lots of family memories were shared!!!!

In the middle of the afternoon, more of the Hannon side of the family arrived including Tom and April along with their boys Phil and Tim; Jeff and Barbara Knoll came with their youngest daughter and her little boy bringing apples and apple cider from their farm over in Norwalk.  Justin (Seana's oldest child) and his wife Esther arrived with their little boy along with Steve Robinson (Becky's father who helps with the caretaking of the house).  Everyone came with food to go along with the 30 pounds of pork that Len had smoked and shredded for our feast.

We were just getting settled with our food when Beth arrived.  Everyone was finally here.

We took time to pose for a picture holding the picture of the four MacRae siblings: Rosalind, Don, Margot, and Ruth and stood in the same order - representing the four daughters representing each of the four of them. What fun bringing them back together via the next generation.

The sun provided an absolutely spectacular sunset as we gathered wood for a big fire on the beach and talked well into the night.

Daniel (below) and Matt had a great time launching lanterns over the water

While the rest of us took pictures and chatted

We could see Cedar Point and a couple of the roller coasters all lit up across the water.

The following morning it quickly warmed up into the 60s and provided us with another gorgeous day for sharing breakfast and lots more time chatting with each other.

But finally in the late afternoon we had to bid good bye to the Lake House and set off in our separate directions promising we'd return next Columbus Day weekend for another great weekend together.

By the time we reached the Pennsylvania border where we'd seen the most color in the trees the sun was getting very low so it was hard to snap a good shot but we did enjoy the beauty knowing this was the peek.  Soon the weather would be changing

We arrived home after 8:00 but in time for a late bite to eat with Dan, Jen and the girls.  That gave us time to hear about their weekend and share our experiences with them before calling it a night.