Well Wednesday found me up before 3'ish as I just do not sleep the night before traveling; it's like I'm a kid getting ready to go fishing type of excitement or adrenalin rush. I have no idea why but I never slept a wink the night before despite playing a good hour and a half of pickle ball on Tuesday evening until nearly 8, oh well that's just the way I function. We got away from the cabin a little before 4'ish and the drive down the mountain and through Charlotte was uneventful. I will not come back through Charlotte as the construction is for several miles around and north of there. It's unbelievable the amount of traffic on the highways at that time of the morning. We made several stops for eating, gas, and for walking a few minutes every hour and half as per the doctors orders since I suffered that blood clot in my leg years back and we still hit the Tampa city limits in 11 hours traveling time. I kept the speed just under what most troopers allow you on the interstate but had to maintain a good speed to keep the high rollers from running over you.
I must say leaving the 60 degree morning and then stopping in the 95 degree heat blast in Florida almost made me want to turn around and head north again. Wow what a shock to the body and the humidity was very high as well. It did not take long to work up a wet shirt just unloading the truck. The house was in great shape except for the yards and gardens. The evidence of piled down tree limbs throughout the neighborhood as we drove in was eye opening to say the least and our front yard was piled high as well. The big oak was standing but with a major hair cut. There are still large phone and cable lines down and across the garden area in the back yard. I lifted them up onto what is left of the back yard fence so I could set out the four tomato plants I brought back from my mountain garden. Tyler and Ava have been mowing the yards and keeping the garden weed whacked down so they looked great and I still have pepper and basil plants growing.
Nancy took off from the grocery soon after unloading so I set out to do some yard work. I still had several twisted and broken limbs inside the trees so I climbed the ladder and got them down to add to the pile out front. Some of these oak limbs were rather large and so twisted from the wind. I can't imagine the damage from a cat 3 or 4 storm as this was a cat 1 when it came by our area, oh well we are so blessed once again. I headed over to visit with Carol Heckmans family who recently passed away and there were relatives down from Michigan. There is a service at the Bay Pines VA Cemetery today so we will attend. They too were saddened to think the oldest sisters is planning on selling the house right away as this house was the vacation house for all of the family over the years when they came from Michigan, oh well. We know how that is as Eric, Nancy's brother is planning on selling GG's house right away, now that she is living with him in Michigan. GG is doing much better and has been released from the hospital and Nancy spoke with her by phone while we were traveling.
Well that was about it for the day as it was good to be back for a couple days and check on the house but not to this heat. I don't remember it getting in the 90's here was quite some time. Amy and Tyler did a great job cleaning up the yards and securing the place when they got back from the cabin last week. We will celebrate Tyler's birthday at their house this evening with a dinner and then tomorrow and evening out as we celebrate 38 years together with our friends and neighbors the Botbyl's. Then on Saturday we travel to Brandon for combined birthdays of Annsley and Gabriel at son Bobby's house with a pool party. Sunday we will attend BridgePoint Church and renew old friendships with them and probably lunch out before getting up early on Monday morning and heading back to the cabin. It looks like a whirlwind weekend with much hugs, laughter, food and friends. We are so Blessed in so many ways, LATER
