After dumping our holding tank in the driveway, we were nostalgically reminded of our recent trip to the Rio Grande River as we watched the brackish water flow down the driveway and into the decorative white rocks.  Unfazed by our calamitous arrival, Kalyn’s aunt and uncle welcomed us with open arms and allowed that we should make ourselves “at home.”  We, naturally, translated this as, “ransack our refrigerator, drink our liquor locker dry, and frolic naked through our neighborhood.”   And so, by Wednesday afternoon, an ugly gathering of neighbors appeared bearing a petition demanding that we leave by high noon the next day or face the wrath of the local constable, Leo “The Lip” Lipinski . . .

On Superbowl Sunday we headed for Sarasota to visit “the relatives.”   We arrived in the afternoon, backed our motorhome into the driveway and over one of a pair of art deco pink flamingos before coming to a stop in the flowerbed.   We managed to snap this picture of the remaining flamingo . . .

Howdy troops!  Greetings from Zolfo Springs, Flori-duh (I doubt that we’ll ever spell it “Florida” again).  After leaving Panama City, we spent a week in Perry (huh?) and then high balled it to Tampa.  We actually drove nearly 200 miles in only a day!   We sailed through the home of the manatee burger (Homosassa Springs) and set up camp in Clearwater at our local (you guessed it) Elks lodge.  Clearwater is only about 10 miles from Tampa and a great base of operations for exploring Tampa as well as the nearby Greek community at Tarpon Springs (that’s spelled

“b-a-k-l-a-v-a”). 

  Howdy Troops                                                         February 6, 2001

Not wishing to wear out our welcome, that evening, under cover of darkness, we put on our clothes, loaded our motorhome with oranges from the neighborhood trees, closed the drain valve, and quietly disappeared into the night . . . accidentally driving over the remaining flamingo in the process.   We plan to hole up here at the Escapees Park in Zolfo Springs until this entire event blows over and we are able to continue our visitation of the remaining relatives here in Flori-duh.   We just hope they don’t speak to each other in the meantime.   See y’all soon, Chuck and Kalyn

We managed to visit the Tampa Aquarium and took in a hockey game at the Tampa Ice Palace before settling in to watch the NFL playoffs at one of the local beachfront restaurants . . .