Fun night out with new friends…Friends of friends….

Posted by worldwide-admin on June 3, 2023 with 0 Comment

Us with Marty and Rick at City Fire Restaurant last night.

Last night for the first time, we drove the golf cart to Brownwood Paddock Square. We had to use The Villages app for directions since golf carts can’t go on many main roads, and there are many diversions to stay on the golf cart trails. Usually very adept at finding our way around many parts of the world, we were frustrated when the app sent us on a wild goose chase.

For the locals, knowing their way around the golf cart trails must be a breeze, but it can be challenging for us newcomers when the online app can’t keep up and keeps saying, “Make a U-turn.” I bet everyone has experienced a similar message from a navigation app.

We’ve decided to stay in tonight with rain on the horizon. Our Kroger grocery order arrived this morning with two slabs of baby back ribs, which I’ll slow cook on the grill for tonight’s dinner with cheesy potatoes and green bean casserole for Tom with ribs and salad for me. We season our ribs well but don’t use barbecue sauce due to the high sugar content. We love ribs, well-seasoned without sauce, more than with sauce, although, for Tom, the exception may be the ribs at Jabula in Marloth Park.

So here’s what happened once we arrived at Brownwood Paddock Square with the intent of finding a great outdoor bar for socializing and good food for dining after that. We lucked out again and got a great parking spot which was a fluke. All we’d have to do is walk around the square and find a bar with two available seats.

The bar at the Blue Fin in Brownwood Paddock Square.

There are only about four restaurants with outdoor bars, but the one we found most fun, City Fire, didn’t have any available seats at the bar even after waiting a while. There was live music, and the place was packed. We walked over to Blue Fin, and they didn’t have the wine I liked. We left and tried another restaurant but didn’t like the food options.

We returned to City Fire when the band ended at 5:00 pm, found two seats, and had a good time talking to people sitting near us. Just before 6:00 pm, my phone rang, and it was Rita and Gerhard’s friends, Marty and Rick. We’d heard a lot about them and were anxious to meet them.

They asked where we were and suggested they meet us for dinner. We loved the idea and said we’d set a reservation for 6:30 inside the restaurant. Chatting with them standing at the bar wouldn’t have been easy. By 6:30, they arrived, and we took our reserved booth inside.

The conversation flowed with ease. They are great fun, as Gerhard described, and we found we had a lot of similar views on life in these challenging times. We enjoyed a pleasant dinner; although the food wasn’t spectacular, it was fresh and well-presented. So far, none of the food at the restaurants in The Villages has impressed us, as many of the locals have expressed. Everything here is about socializing and not necessarily about memorable food.

How fun is this 1940s-style Woody golf cart with a surfboard on the roof?

As time passed quickly, we sadly announced at 8:00 pm that we had to leave to find our way back before darkness fell. We programmed The Villages app on my phone and returned to our house. Luckily, this time we had no trouble at all. We said our goodbyes with warm hugs and hope to get together shortly.

In about 15 minutes, we were back at the house to unwind and relax for the remainder of the evening, streaming season four of Succession.

That’s it for today, folks! Have a fantastic weekend. We’ll be back with more soon.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 3, 2013:

This date in 2013 was a travel day, and no post was uploaded.

US conveniences…More houseguests coming…More food photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on June 2, 2023 with 0 Comment

Tom has been enjoying the food in the US. Look at his breakfast at Bob Evans yesterday morning! He was so full; he didn’t have dinner.

For some odd reason, I feel lazy today. Perhaps, it’s a result of a lack of sleep. I awoke at 3:15 am and had an awful time getting back to sleep. Finally, around 5:00 am, I dozed off for another hour, and that was it for the day. Once up, showered, and dressed for the day, we embarked on our usual walk. Upon our return, I worked on this post before I eventually made scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon for breakfast.

Now, I am sitting on the leather loveseat in the living room while Tom works on his computer on the matching leather sofa. It’s all very comfortable. The house is cool since the owner told us we could leave the central aircon running day and night. It is preset for days at 78° and 72° at night.

I forgot to tell the waitress to cook my omelet in butter instead of gobs of oil. I didn’t enjoy it.

These preset temps are perfect for us. As it heats up as the summer progresses, we may have to change it. But, for now, it’s working well. Also, there are ceiling fans in the bedroom and living room which, when added to the aircon, provide additional cooling.

It’s so easy here. The clothes dryer, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and big TV in the living room, where we can stream shows from my laptop using our HDMI cord, make life convenient. Having a chest of drawers for each of us and a large walk-in closet is a bonus. It’s nice being able to hang all of our clothes in the roomy closet, whereas in the past, in many holiday homes, we had small closets with only enough room to hang jackets.

The drive to Colony Plaza was pleasant riding in the golf cart. It’s the closest shopping area to us and takes about 15 minutes.

Many holiday homes have “cubbies” to keep clothes, but they tend to get messy when digging through them looking for something specific. The abundance of electric outlets we can use with our digital equipment is also a huge plus. Most often, in other countries, we’re using converters and adapters.

It’s easy dining out. The US is familiar with keto diets, and they have several options on the menus that can work for me. Also, it’s easy in the grocery stores to find most products we use for my way of eating. Plus, the wine options are many, and now that I can drink regular wine, it’s easy to choose a favorite at each location.

We entered two tunnels via golf cart to Colony Plaza, where we dropped off the packet of documents for the passport agent to complete our file and went to breakfast.

Right now, I am thoroughly enjoying William Hill North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not experiencing any Afib issues drinking a maximum of two glasses on any evening when we’re out and about. Once I got off the allergy meds, I haven’t had any signs of Afib, which has been an enormous relief. I check my blood pressure every few days and can see my pulse on my Fitbit at any time. Whew!

We heard from friends Lea Ann and Chuck, whom we met on a cruise from Sydney to Seattle in 2017 and hit it off the moment we met. They own a home in Florida over five hours from here. They will be staying with us for one night on June 19. They’ve been traveling extensively since we met, and it will be fun to hear about their travels.

Tom and I laugh that riding in the golf carts is similar to driving those noisy cars at Disneyland and Disney World.

We’ve all agreed to go out to dinner when Lea Ann and Chuck arrive since going to one of the restaurants in the unique town squares will be fun. This way, I won’t have to cook a big meal but will make a dessert when we return to the house. It will be lovely, we’re sure, as it’s been with all of the other houseguests we’ve had so far.

Today, we’re working on projects on our laptops. With the house cleaned yesterday, it’s a breeze today. All we had to do was make the bed, cook breakfast, and clean up afterward. Later today, we’ll freshen up and get ready to go out tonight. We’re heading to Brownwood Paddock Square around 4:00 pm for drinks and dinner, returning to the house while it’s still light outside.

We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 2, 2013:

No photos were posted on this date ten years ago. At that point in time, we weren’t as diligent in posting photos as we are now. A post was uploaded on this date. In a short period, you’ll see more photos in this feature. Please click here.

Issues with our passport applications…Photos from recent visit to Spanish Springs Town Square

Posted by worldwide-admin on June 1, 2023 with 0 Comment

Beer is very popular in The Villages to warrant a beer store, as shown in Spanish Springs Town Square.

Yesterday afternoon, we received an email from Arturo, a representative from CIBT, that our paperwork had been received and there were some issues, as shown below:

“Flight itinerary must be confirmed and up to date with your name on the form showing that you are the passenger for the State Department to process your passport in a rush time frame. ( dates, country traveling to with dates within 14 days of travel. )
Please upload a photo. The photo must be taken facing forward with a neutral expression and from the waist up (this will help me adjust the photo to fit the State Department criteria ). Please take the photo against a white wall or background and upload it so I can work with it.
The Letter of Authorization is a legal government document, and the courier company you wrote down is not what is in the top right corner. You wrote FEDEX, and it should be VISA SERVICES OF HOUSTON, as is posted in the upper right corner of the letter.”

Of course, we panicked, thinking we would have problems promptly correcting these issues. Immediately we got to work and fixed #3, which meant we had to reprint the blank document, fill it out and sign it, scan it, and print one copy of the original document.

Previously shown photo in Spanish Springs Town Square.

Thank goodness we had a good scanner app on my phone, Mobile Scanner, which I downloaded a few months ago. If a scan is slightly lopsided, the app will adjust it and make it straight. It’s pretty easy to use after a few minutes of figuring it out. We got the forms redone and then realized I had written the date wrong on my form by not showing the year as 2023 but instead writing 5/31/23. This wouldn’t be good enough, so I did the entire process all over again. There’s no margin for error on these forms.

As for #1, that was an issue. When we prepared the original documents, we booked a flight, but the requirements stated our travel dates had to be within two weeks of filing for the renewals. We submitted that flight schedule but recently canceled it when our dates changed.

The busy bar in Amerikana Bar & Grill in Spanish Springs. We like this restaurant and bar, but it’s a long drive in the golf cart. We’ll probably try it one day soon.

Then, when CIBT received the flight schedule, they tried to verify the booking, and when it wasn’t verifiable, Arturo sent us this requirement in the objections to our file. Only yesterday, we booked a flight and hotel for our departure from Florida to Scotland on July 28, which didn’t comply with the two-week requirement.

It was too risky for us to have a new appointment with CIBT to finalize our documents. With the US State Department backed up with passports and renewals for months, we worried something could go wrong and we wouldn’t get the passports back in time for our departure. We’d be in big trouble then!

This guy with his arms spread had a thick accent, was from Tunisia, and was very friendly to us. He’s lived in The Villages for years.

After speaking to Arturo yesterday afternoon after receiving his email with the required changes, he assured us that he’d get everything processed immediately and not to worry about the two-week requirement. Whew! We could breathe easily.

For point #2, the passport photos we had taken at a Walgreen store in the US during our last visit were blurry and wouldn’t work. Using my phone, we took new photos. I have never seen such awful images of either of us, but once we submitted them to Arturo, he said they were fine, and he’d get them to work to the satisfaction of the US State Department.

My entree was a Greek salad with grilled chicken and pepperoncini. It was delicious.

This morning, after breakfast at Bob Evans Restaurant in Colony Square, we headed to the FedEx store in the golf cart and sent in the replacement documents as required, and we should be good to go. Now, we are waiting to hear if everything is OK once Arturo receives the packet of documents in the next 24 hours.

We stopped for petrol for the golf cart. We’ve used the golf cart many times, and gosh, it doesn’t use much fuel! The gas gauge isn’t working, so we had no idea how much fuel we’d need other than looking down the hole. As it turned out, we only needed to add a little over one gallon for $4.00.

Tom’s Rueben sandwich had a side of potato salad and a pickle. He enjoyed it.

After the pleasant drive this morning, we have no doubt we’ll be able to head to any of the town squares, even the furthest from us at Spanish Springs, which appears to be a 40 minutes drive, according to the app for the golf cart driving directions on my phone.

The once-monthly cleaner, Jennifer, arrived today to clean the house while we were out. By the time we returned, she was almost done, and the house, although perfectly tidy when she arrived, felt fresh and clean. We’ve kept everything organized and clean, but a deep cleaning was welcome. She spent almost three hours here.

After our huge breakfast, we’ll have a light dinner tonight and enjoy our evening at the house; with peace of mind, we’ve completed the passport renewal applications as required.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 1, 2013:

No photos were posted on this date, but we posted a story about the imminent danger of visiting the Pyramids from the US State Department. See the post here.

Part 3…Boating day, Lake Harris and Dora Canal..

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 31, 2023 with 0 Comment

As water birds, Anhingas spread their wings to dry out their feathers and sit in this position until dry.

Yesterday afternoon, around 4:30 pm, Tom headed to the Orlando Airport, an hour’s drive, to pick up our friend Rich upon his return to Florida from Minneapolis. During the drive, Tom encountered a horrific traffic accident, but he left early enough to get there in time to pick up Rich. The accident was in the opposite lane on the freeway, but gawkers slowed traffic to a crawl.

An anhinga bird sitting atop a fallen branch.” A long-necked, long-tailed swimmer of southeastern swamps. Often seen perched on a snag above the water, with its wings half-spread to dry. It can vary its buoyancy in water, sometimes swimming with only head and neck above water (earning it the nickname ‘Snakebird’). Often solitary when feeding, it roosts in groups and nests in colonies. It looks rather like a cormorant when perched, but not in flight, when the long tail may be spread wide as the Anhinga soars high on outstretched wings. Anhingas are mostly silent, but around nesting colonies, they make various croaking and clicking sounds.”

On their return drive to our place, they were in the same lane as the accident and didn’t get here until a few minutes after 7:30. None of us had yet to eat dinner, and I had big New York strip steaks ready for the grill with rice, salad, and dessert.

Houses along the shore of the canal to Lake Harris.

Once they arrived, they grabbed an ice-cold beer I’d put in the freezer for them. Tom fired up the grill while I started the rice and tossed the salad.

Shortly after 8:30, we sat down to dinner. Rich had promised his mother-in-law, Donna (whom I visited on Friday), he’d spend the night at her house in Leesburg, so he didn’t stay overnight after all. After dinner, he was on the move, so I packed dessert for him and Donna.

An osprey sits on its nest atop a platform on an electric pole.

By 9:30 pm, we had the dishes done, the kitchen cleaned, and finally sat down to stream a new show on Netflix, “Citadel.” By 11:00 pm, we both headed off to bed, having a good night’s sleep.

We went for our usual walk this morning and returned to make breakfast while I started laundry. With our passports renewal applications sent yesterday by FedEx, our next big task was to book our flight and hotel to Edinburgh, Scotland, departing Orlando International Airport on July 28, arriving in Scotland on July 29, and staying three nights in a hotel, the best and closest we could find close to the cruise terminal in Leith.

It was fun to see this seaplane taking off from the lake.

The hotel we wanted, The Bay Hotel, across the bay from the cruise terminal, was showing only two rooms left. Plus, we couldn’t book our seats for the red-eye, non-stop flight. It took us over two hours to book both airfares and the hotel when the prices kept jumping around.

We were thrilled to find a non-stop flight, one of the few offered from Orlando, although only on certain days of the week. We got an excellent price for airfare and three nights in a hotel, July 29, July 30, and July 31. As a result, we’re leaving The Villages on July 28, not July 29, as initially planned.

An interesting home at the entrance to the Dora Canal.

Using the Expedia link on our home page, we saved hundreds of dollars on the combo price of air and hotel by booking both together. We paid only about $500 more for the three-night four-star hotel, including breakfast, about 20 minutes from the Port of Leith, a suburb of Edinburgh. It will all work out well.

One canal-front home had a garden filled with gnomes.

With that out of the way, we can relax over the next several weeks, continuing to enjoy our time in The Villages. After many house guests since we arrived, the next few weeks will be easy, even though our only means of transportation will be the golf cart from now on. But we don’t mind a bit.

Tourists in a group tour of the lake and canal in these unusual dual-motorized surfboards.

We have everything we need right now and will order next week’s groceries online at Kroger, as we’ve been doing in the past month since we arrived. Tomorrow morning, the house cleaner is coming for the monthly cleaning included in our rent. We’ll either leave in the golf cart or stay out of the way on the lanai.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 31, 2013:

Wow! Wow! Wow! Tom took this photo from the 124th-floor observation deck of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, with a total of 163 stories. For more photos Tom took at the top, please click here.

Part 2…Boating day, Lake Harris and Dora Canal…Note, please, two ten year ago photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 30, 2023 with 2 Comments

Now that Memorial Day has passed, we’re continuing with photos from our boating day this past Saturday with new friends Linda and Burt and their friends Claudette and Jay.

We had a busy morning today, finishing the documents for our passport renewals that we dropped off at the local FedEx store since today is the last day we’ll have a car. No words can express the relief of having our passport renewal applications in the mail today. It was quite a task to complete all the paperwork.

Fortunately, we’re using a company, CIBT, that states they can get the new passports back to us in the mail within ten days of their receipt of the package we sent today. Here is the cost, per person, through this company for the fees to process the passports quickly:

SERVICE AND PROCESSING FEES (per person for expedited service)

Renew Passport
CIBTvisas Service Fees	$499.00
Government Agency Fees	$190.00
UPS Next Day Air	$53.00
Inbound Shipping Label	$57.00
Passport Replacement Coverage	$43.00
Fees Summary	$842.00

If we didn’t require expedited service, we could have applied directly to the US State Department for passport renewals, avoiding the $499.00 fee for each of us. This is the fourth passport we’ll have received during our over ten years of world travel: ten years, two years, and later four years, and now another ten-year passport.

We applied for and received the shorter-term additional passports of two and four years to enable us to mail in a passport when we needed visas for various countries to have a valid passport in our possession while the other was in the mail. We never wanted to be in a foreign country without a passport in our possession while another was being processed. For now, we aren’t ordering second passports for this purpose unless we see a need that we don’t foresee in the near future.

Today, Tom will pick up our friend Karen’s husband, Rich, at the Orlando airport at 6:00 pm. Karen traveled to Seattle from Minneapolis after her son Jack’s wedding to be with a friend going through cancer treatment. That’s just the kind of friend she is!

It was exciting to see alligators which are overall smaller than crocodiles.

Tonight, Rich will have dinner with us and then spend the night. Tomorrow, he’ll drive back to their new home in Bradenton, and we’ll return to using the golf cart for all of our transportation. We’ll do fine with groceries delivered weekly from Kroger and two nights out per week for dinner. The closest village square is Brownwood Paddock Square which takes about 20 minutes to use the golf cart.

As it rolls into summer in Florida, which is in the Northern Hemisphere, it stays light a few minutes more each day until we reach the summer solstice on June 21. We plan to go to dinner early and return while it’s still light. For example, the sun sets tonight at 8:07 pm. This will work well for us. If we’re with people and don’t leave by 8:00 pm, we will be fine driving on the golf cart paths indicated on an app on my phone.

The pier at a restaurant, Hurricane Dockside Grill, is situated near Lake Harris.

Other than Rich coming tonight and a get-together with readers next week, we are ready to start contacting readers who contacted us to get together. If you haven’t contacted us for a get-together, please feel free to contact us soon. We are trying to meet all the readers who’ve reached out who live in The Villages or nearby. We’ve been very busy so far, but we’re enjoying all the social time.

A beautiful view as we maneuvered through the narrow Dora Canal.

Many people approach us and are very friendly and welcoming. It reminds us of Jabula, although nothing will compare to Dawn, Leon, and David welcoming us two nights a week and all the wonderful friends we’ve made in the bush. Plus, we’re having so much fun hanging out with locals at the outdoor bars at many good restaurants.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back with more photos tomorrow!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 30, 2013:

Umer, our driver, insisted we stop for a photo op in front of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque., also known as the White Mosque. For more photos, please click here

Not my most flattering photo. Tom looked great! We’re standing in front of the architectural scale model of the White Mosque. After we posed for this picture, a security guard rushed over, telling us we could not touch one another in the mosque. Of course, we complied. For more photos, please click here.

Memorial Day observations in the US today…We met and have photos of a World War II vet we met in The Villages…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 29, 2023 with 2 Comments

This is Jim, a World War II veteran at 97 years old. On Friday, we met Jim at the Amerikanos Grille Restaurant outdoor bar in Spanish Springs Town Square.

We realize that Memorial Day is the observation of fallen soldiers as described here:

“Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. From 1868 to 1970, it was observed on May 30. Since 1970, it has been observed on the last Monday of May. “

It is not the day celebrating veterans who’ve survived wars. Veteran’s Day is in November and is described as follows:

“Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces.”

The day for observing active military service members is U.S. Armed Forces Day, which is not a federal holiday, is described as follows:

“Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May in the United States. It falls near the end of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May (the fourth if the month begins on a Sunday, as in 2016).”

Today, Tom is observing his ex-brother-in-law, Ernest (Ernie) Thorson, who was killed in Viet Nam on April 26, 1970. Each year, he writes a tribute to Ernie on Facebook with Ernie’s photo, which states, “The uncle my kids never knew and the cousins they never had.” Below is a picture of Ernie, who was only 19 years old when he was killed.

From this site, there is information listed at the Viet Nam memorial The Wall of Faces:

THE WALL OF FACES

Ernie, Tom’s ex-brother-in-law, was killed in Viet Nam 1970 at 19 years old.

ERNEST L THORSON

VIEW ALL PHOTOS (2)

HONORED ON PANEL 11W, LINE 54 OF THE WALL

ERNEST LEROY THORSON

WALL NAME: ERNEST L THORSON

PANEL / LINE: 11W/54

DATE OF BIRTH: 05/24/1950

CASUALTY PROVINCE: TAY NINH

DATE OF CASUALTY: 04/26/1970

HOME OF RECORD: MINNEAPOLIS

COUNTY OF RECORD: Hennepin County

STATE: MN

BRANCH OF SERVICE: ARMY

It’s with much sadness that we observe the loss of this young man and extend our love and prayers to those who have lost loved ones in wars. One’s heart remains heavy for a lifetime over a loss of a loved one, never to be forgotten.

Not necessarily in line with the meaning of Memorial Day, which would have been more appropriate for Veteran’s Day, we decided to mention a man we met on Friday night in the bar at the Amerikanos Grille. We met Jim, a 97-year-old veteran of World War II who welcomed us to take photos and share a little about him on our site. We were honored to meet Jim.

Jim and Tom at Amerikanos Grille Bar in Spanish Springs Town Square on Friday evening.

Regardless of his advanced age, he is “sharp as a tack.” Every evening, he visits Amerikanos Grille to say hello to his many friends. We were thrilled to hear and see that each time Jim enters the bar, everyone at the bar who knows him, claps and welcomes him one more time. It was a delight to see the enthusiasm each time he arrives for one drink and then takes off for his home, as shown in the photos below.

Jim drives his motorized vehicle once he leaves Amerikanos, but while in the bar, he uses a walker. He has a friend that helps him with his means of transportation.

We’ll include Part 2 with photos of our boating day with Linda and Burt tomorrow.

Again, love and prayers to everyone who lost a loved one in war. May today bring you peace and healing.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 29, 2013:

No photos were posted on this date, ten years ago. For the post’s text, please click here.

Part 1…Boating day, Lake Harris and Dora Canal…The differences between an alligator and a crocodile…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 28, 2023 with 2 Comments

After years of spotting crocodiles, seeing alligators in the Dora Canal was exciting.

Boating with Burt and Linda and Linda’s friend Claudette and Burt’s neighbor Jay was exhilarating. No more than 10 minutes into the boat ride on Burt’s newer pontoon boat, we spotted numerous alligators, which were very exciting. It was easy to see the difference between alligators in Florida and crocodiles in Africa.

But, for those unfamiliar with both of these scary-looking and dangerous creatures, we thought it was important to share the differences.

The differences are listed below between an alligator and a crocodile from this site:

“Although they may look similar at first glance, the most significant differences between alligators and crocodiles are their overall size, snouts, jaws, coloring, feet, and teeth. Take a quick look at how you can differentiate between the two reptiles. The comparison between the American alligator and the American crocodile shows the unique qualities of adults from each species.

	Alligator	Crocodile
Size	8.2 feet to 11.2 feet long 400lbs to 800lbs	10 feet to 20 feet long 300lbs to 2,000lbs
Snout	U-shaped snout	V-shaped snout
Jaws	A wide upper jaw hides the lower teeth and overlaps the lower jaw	The upper and lower jaw are roughly the same size, allowing the teeth to interdigitate
Feet	Webbed feet allow for better swimming	Feet are not webbed but possess a jagged fringe
Teeth	Roughly 80 teeth	66 teeth
Colors	Dark gray or black, with a cream underside	Olive green or light brown with a mottled pattern

These differences make it easy to identify an alligator and a crocodile. As with many other creatures, the males are larger in both the alligator and the crocodile, but the crocodile is a much larger reptile overall.”

Linda and one of her two dogs, Havana and Luna, who joined us for the day.

After we boated past the first canal, where we spotted the alligators, we headed out to the open expanse of Lake Harris, as shown in the photo below.

Once we exited the canal closest to Burt’s home, we reached the vast expanse of Lake Harris. “Lake Harris Lake in Florida 4.5 60 Google reviews Lake Harris is a lake in Lake County, Florida, United States, 31 miles northwest of Orlando. It is part of the Upper Ocklawaha River Basin, a sub-watershed of the St. Johns River. It is one of seven lakes in the Harris Chain of Lakes or “Ocklawaha Chain of Lakes.” Wikipedia Area: 21.54 mi² Surface elevation: 62′ Fish: Northern pike, Largemouth bass, Channel catfish, Blue catfish, White perch.”

We always enjoyed boating, and when Tom and I met almost 32 years ago, we both had boats, and each of us had owned boats for years. It had been a long time since we’d been on a boat on a lake. The last time was on Lake Minnewashta in Minnesota with friends/neighbors Jamie and Doug in 2017. For that post, please click here.

Our captain, Burt who, joyfully hosted us for the day.

Being out on the water on a perfect weather day was ideal. Mother Nature was kind to us to provide a sunny day without high temperatures and a gentle breeze. We couldn’t have asked for more. Burt’s newer boat was comfortable. We each got a slight sunburn but not severe, and we felt no discomfort today.

Claudette and Jay chatted while comfortably seated on the back bench.

We stopped at a lovely Lake Harris park for a lunch picnic. We found a great picnic table sheltered from the sun, and all six of us took out the various items we shared. We brought homemade chicken salad and coleslaw. Claudette had a big package of croissants to share, and the four of them added the chicken salad to make sandwiches, except Tom and I, who went bun-less, as usual.

There’s my guy, Tom, wearing the hat we got on the Maharajas Express Train in India in 2020, shortly before the pandemic hit.

After lunch, we continued on the journey to see the famous and impressive Dora Canal. We had no idea how gorgeous it would be and we will share photos in the next few days. We took dozens of photos, many of which we still have to share.

A special thanks to new friends Linda and Burt for the beautiful day boating and for sharing your favorite spots with us in the exquisite chain of lakes in central Florida.

Be well.

This map illustrates the chain of lakes where we motor-boated in part yesterday, starting at Harrie Lake and heading to Lake Dora, including the famous Dora Canal.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 28, 2013:

Figuring a little warmth and sun might benefit us; we could only stay outside for 30 minutes in Dubai’s windless, scorching heat. For more photos, please click here.

Tender story from Marloth Park…We’re still paying attention to what’s going on!!!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 26, 2023 with 0 Comment

This young giraffe was saved from certain death by Marloth Park Rangers, who cleared the way for the youngsters to escape. Photo Maureen Oxlee Jarratt

MARLOTH PARK SIGHTING PAGE

“A young giraffe fell into a gully opposite Naboom/Seekoei and was trapped. Thank you to all our rangers and Mark de Beer for coming to its rescue. They cut away exposed roots and branches, allowing the exhausted giraffe to pull itself out independently. After a short rest, it came up close to us, almost as if saying “thank you” before it galloped off down Seekoei.”

Even though we’re no longer living in the bush in Marloth Park, South Africa, surrounded by wildlife, we’ve managed to stay up-to-date on everything happening while we’re away. It’s easy to do with friends sending messages and photos and the availability of photos and stories on Facebook under the “Marloth Park Sighting Page.”

Each day, Tom and I peruse Facebook, him for all his communication with friends and family and me to know what’s going on in our absence in my favorite place in the world. No, we do not wish the time to pass quickly to return there in a little over a year. We enjoy each day here in The Villages while living in the moment.

Last night, we drove to Lake Sumter Landing, a 15-minute drive, intending to watch the Thursday night movie. Once we arrived at the movie theatre, we looked at each other and almost said simultaneously, “I don’t feel like going to a movie.” We hadn’t eaten all day and felt having a bite to eat was more important than waiting until after 8:00 pm when the movie started at 6:00 pm.

No photo description available. — The young giraffe resting and recovering after the ordeal. Photo Maureen Oxlee Jarratt

We moseyed across the street to find a restaurant from the theatre and picked the first restaurant we spotted, grabbed two seats at the bar, had a drink, and munched on some appetizers. Afterward, we were too full for dinner, and by 8:00 pm, we headed back to the house to relax and unwind, watch the semi-finals of Dancing with the Stars, and eventually have a snack an hour later. Tom had popcorn, and I had Fage Greek yogurt. It was a lovely evening.

I didn’t sleep well for some odd reason, but I slept almost seven hours, according to my Fitbit. When I got up, it felt as if it was only three or four hours, but once I was up and moving about, my energy level picked up, and now I feel fine.

In a few hours, we’ll be heading to the Sunrise Asian Restaurant to pick up lunch to bring to Karen’s mom Donna, who’ll we visit for a few hours. She lives about 20 minutes from here. I haven’t seen Donna in over ten years, and it will be fun to see her again. She and I have always had a special relationship, just like I have with her lovely daughter Karen.

After the visit with Donna, we’ll make a quick trip to the market to pick up a few items and then head back home. We plan to go to Spanish Springs Town Square tonight, where we found a great-looking restaurant, Amerikanos Grille, that serves one of Tom’s favorites…Rueben Sandwiches. Several items on the menu are befitting my way of eating.

Spanish Springs Town Square is 20 minutes from the house, so we should go while we have the car. Otherwise, to go on the golf cart would take twice as long, and we may not appreciate a 40-minute return drive back at night in the dark.

Tomorrow we’re going out on the river on Burt and Linda’s boat. We’ll be bringing the camera and taking photos throughout the day. In the morning, I’ll make chicken salad and coleslaw for our picnic lunch on the boat. No doubt, it will be a nice day.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 26, 2013:

There was no photo posted ten years ago on this date. For the story without photos, please click here.

Purchasing supplements in the US…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 25, 2023 with 0 Comment

Tom has been taking this supplement for 18 years to prevent kidney stones. It has worked well for him. If you have kidney stones, please see your doctor for advice on this supplement.

This morning I placed an order for supplements we use, enough to last for the next four months or so. There’s no question about it. It is expensive for most items in the US. When we return to the US in September, we can restock until we return to Marloth Park nine months later, where they cost less.

When purchasing these same vitamins in South Africa, different but reliable brands, we spent about 40% less. The best pricing I could find for brands I trust in the US was from Puritan’s Pride.

6 Items: $196.12
Puritan’s Perks Points: 1,961

Vitamin E-200 iu Mixed Tocopherols Natural

100 Softgels / Item #450 (2 bottles)

Low Dose Aspirin 81 mg

240 Tablets / Item #595 (1 bottle)

Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) 50 mg

100 Tablets / Item #1160 (1 bottle)

MK-7 Vitamin K2 90 mcg

60 Softgels / Item #22011 (2 bottles)

Krill Oil Plus High Omega-3 Concentrate 1085 mg

60 Softgels / Item #34783 (3 bottles)

Ubiquinol 200 mg

60 Rapid Release Softgels / Item #50096 (3 bottles)

Some items were listed as “buy 1, get 2 free.” But the single bottle’s price was higher to allow for the “2 free,” preventing them from being much of a bargain. I didn’t fall for this trickery, but I otherwise trusted this company’s products and decided it was an excellent place to spend almost US $200 on supplements.

Why do we take supplements? Tom takes B6 three times a day but has enough on hand to last with this one bottle added to his current supply until we return to the US in September. After having three kidney stone surgeries over three consecutive years, the doctor told him some people had success with B6. Why didn’t he tell Tom this after the first surgery?

He’s been taking 50 mg B6 three times daily for the past 18 years and has never had a recurrence. I take all of the remaining supplements listed here, which are documented in medical studies as having some benefit to those with arteriosclerosis. I did tons of research to discover these studies and feel confident they may have some benefit.

Besides the above, we both take 2000 mg of Vitamin D daily, and I take magnesium which is also good for the heart. One never knows if supplements are working since it’s too difficult to monitor. Please contact your medical professionals before adding any supplements to your diet in case interactions may result if taken with certain prescription medications.

While in South Africa, with the help of the fantastic pharmacists in Komatipoort, they cross-checked all the supplements I take with the few prescription medications I am taking, giving me peace of mind. We’ve noticed that US pharmacists aren’t willing or able to provide medical advice.

The pharmacists in the US are behind enclosed areas, and when we asked for assistance, they told me to check with a doctor or refer to the various aisles with over-the-counter products. Every country has its rules regarding how much pharmacists can be involved with their customers. I guess it’s a liability issue in the US, whereas, in South Africa, there aren’t as many stringent regulations and resulting lawsuits.

In some countries, many otherwise prescription medications can be sold without a prescription, as occurred when we were in lockdown in India and I developed a tooth abscess. I purchased the necessary antibiotics to treat the condition by ordering them through the hotel’s reception desk, and they were delivered later in the day, no questions asked.

As for today…it’s movie night, and late this afternoon, we’ll head out to Lake Sumter Landing to the Old Mill Playhouse for the movie starting at 6:00 pm and to meet up with Linda and Burt. We still have Karen and Rich’s vehicle for five more days so that we can drive. Once Tom picks Rich up at the airport on Tuesday, May 30, and returns the car to him, we’ll return to using the golf cart. That’s fine with us.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 25, 2013:

Tag: The Villages

THE WALL OF FACES

ERNEST LEROY THORSON