Our Dogs Pillo - Gizmo - Tiny

Pillo (pee-lo) is our newest addition. We acquired him last October when he was 2 months old. His parents were each 4.5 pounds and we expect (hope) he will not surpass that weight. Pillo pictured above is sleeping in the sun with one of his favorite toys. He is a bundle of energy and is usually involved in mischief. He playfully attacks Gizmo my Yorkie or he is running throughout the house with one of our socks or with one of Carol's skeins of yarn. He finally managed to jump high enough to get on the furniture. He managed to get a knitting needle and chewed the tip off. Carol remarked that he must have an amazing digestive system. He has the run of the house. He wants to play with Tiny our 17 year old chihuahua who tends to sleep a lot and has little patience for romping with a puppy.

I managed to catch Pillo and Gizmo sitting on my recliner when the sun was shining in the back sliding door. Pillo has several shirts as he is not yet 3 pounds and needs the added warmth. The red bib like thing around his neck is actually a harness for walking him. We tried a collar but he pulls on the leash and we are afraid he will hurt is trachea.


Carol has started teaching the "boys" tricks. Below Gizmo is playing dead. Pillo is waiting his turn as he and Gizmo each perform their repertoire. Tiny does not nor will he do tricks. He just gets his share of treats automatically. It has a lot to do with his seniority. Lately Carol can not do the routine while she recuperates from eye surgery. I tried to fill in but they have me pegged for a softy and I give them the treats without them really performing.



Carol ordered a doggy playpen recently. It gives us some relaxing time without worrying what mischief he is doing. We also plan on bringing it North as that house has stairs and a railing that he would easily fit under. He has a number of toys in the playpen and he will stay happily in there until he decides to howl his displeasure.


We can not imagine our home without him.

X/treame Lawn Care

We live in a community where our HOA covers lawn care. We have been here two years. The current company is the third lawn care company since we bought here. The first did a good job but I think they priced themselves out of the market. The second group lasted a short time and apparently were ineffective. The company we have now (in my opinion) does an outstanding job. They inherited a failing and poorly designed sprinkler system and grounds that were in poor shape. They have steadily improved the look of the entry from the main road, properly trimmed shrubs and palm trees. They also have to deal with the stones that were placed around all the foundation of each house. Pictured below is an example of these stones. They have caused headaches for every lawn care company. Windows have been broken, vinyl siding cracked and screens pierced.


Now that the weather has warmed up, the guys started cutting grass and trimming. Unfortunately, my new sliding door was shattered by a stone that was send flying by a weed whacker. This door was special ordered to withstand high impact hurricane winds of at least 135 mph. It also was treated to protect from UV rays of the sun. Pictured below is the result of the stone hitting the door.


We were out for lunch when this happened. I saw the door immediately as I entered the house from the front door. I was livid to say the least. As I approached the door, I could hear the glass crackling. I told Carol don't touch the door. I called the management company and they were talking to the owner of the lawn care company. They accepted full responsibility for the repair and a man from the glass company was on the way. The owner of Xtream called me and said he would see me within an hour. He never did come and for that I am disappointed in him. I judge a man by his word. As the glass continued to crackle, it started to fall in on its self. The picture below shows the process


The gentleman from the glass company came. He quoted a price to the lawn care company and he was awarded the job. He did an outstanding job of cleaning up the broken glass. We are not afraid to bring our three dogs out there. Because the door was a special order, the replacement will not be here until the middle of next week. While he was here, I asked him to quote on replacing the two small eyebrow windows in the front of the house. They have slats within the window and one has fallen in the window and the other has the rubber casing inside visible. I would like the front of the house to look right. Time will tell if the door will ever be right.

Surgery Updates

Carol saw the doctor yesterday morning. Her left eye previously 20/400 uncorrected is now between 20/25 and 20/30. She is experiencing balance problems because the two eyes are so much different and also her lens is different from mind to correct her astigmatism. The doctor agreed to move the surgery up a week and Carol's second eye will be done on March 2ND.

My left eye was operated on yesterday and this morning I had the one day checkup. My eye is more swollen than he wants so I have some extra drops for two days. My distance vision is good both eyes, but my closeup vision is blurry today. All in all, good progress and good news.

We both will be finished with surgery and all followup appointments before the end of March. We will be cleared to leave for Rhode Island as soon as the new grand daughter arrives.

Eye surgeries and odds and ends

Carol's eye is doing much better. She is seeing distance well with the other eye closed. When both eyes are open she has trouble with balance. A neighbor who also had astigmatism correction with her cataract surgery told her that having the second eye done was the key. She too had the imbalance and trouble focusing before the second surgery. Carol sees the doctor tomorrow and told me she will beg and grovel to have the next surgery as soon as possible. We know the Doctor is taking a weeks vacation sometime in March. Depending on the week, she may have to wait an extra week.

My second eye will be done tomorrow afternoon. I am also eager to get that done. Once our eye surgeries and followup appointments are completed, our new granddaughter should have entered the world. We will head up to Rhode Island then.

Gizmo was chasing Pillo and they both leaped over Tiny. When Gizmo landed he sprained his lower left front paw. We took him to the vet the next morning and he was given an anti inflammatory shot and I have a script for him. He does not like taking liquid from a syringe. Its easier with a pill wrapped in cheese.

We took Tiny in this morning. His skin is in poor shape and he scratches so hard he cries. We are afraid that the quality of his life is diminishing rapidly. He received two injections that are time released and we will monitor him closely over the next week. If he shows improvement, he will need two more regiments every 10 days. He continues to lose weight and no longer wishes to be held. He is 17 years old and has lived a great life since Carol rescued him 15 years ago.

Pillo has passed the 6 month birthday and has started lifting his leg. Once Carol has a date for her second eye, we will figure out a good date to have Pillo "fixed". He continues to amuse us. He struts around the block as if he is the biggest baddest dog out there. He menacingly charged a frog until it hopped and he then ran the other way. Also he has started to jump up on the chairs where Gizmo sleeps. No rest for Gizmo. He has managed to jump in the basket where her yarn is kept and was running off with a skein. He also managed to chew an end off a knitting needle. Carol is considering buying a playpen for him.

The weather on the Panhandle has finally warmed up to normal temperatures for this time of year. We have been spending time in two of our favorite state parks. I mentioned to my son that I had to run the A/C in the truck and it affects my MPG. He said he was freezing his you know what off and had no sympathy for me.

The realtor had an open house in RI and two parties showed interest. I will hope for the best and what will be - will be. If no buyer, we will spend the summer there.

The eyes have it

Carol's surgery was scheduled for 1 PM Tuesday the 15Th. To say she was nervous was an understatement. To add to the anxiety, we sat in the waiting room until 1:30 PM before she was called. Carol was having more extensive surgery than I had. Carol agreed to have her astigmatism corrected at the same time as cataract surgery. This required a special lens and two additional incisions. Tuesday night Carol's vision in her left eye was no more than a blur. She could not see. Wednesday morning her sight was no better. She complained that I was able to read the paper the next morning. We are all different I said trying to calm her. We were at the the eye doctors for an 8:25 AM appointment. Carol's vision was a disappointment. The doctor told her that her eye was very swollen and dry. The lens was perfectly placed and that the dilation would wear off later that day. We needed to get lubricating drops for the dry eye. Carol was told that her vision would be changing over the next few days. This morning she could read without glasses but her distance sight is still poor. The doctor told her that they expect her to have 20 - 30 vision once the eye heals. Part of Carol's anxiety is due to the fact that my vision drastically improved within 48 hours and hers has not. I truly expect her vision to rapidly improve as the swelling goes down and the dilation finally fades. Carol will see the eye doctor next Tuesday morning and I will have my left eye done that afternoon.

Changing subjects, Carol and I enjoyed our Valentine / wedding anniversary on the 14Th. We added to Carol's pandora bracelet. We enjoyed a nice steak dinner utilizing an Omaha steak that was part of my sons Christmas present to us.

Yesterday, I was called by the company that administers one of my credit cards. Apparently someone in Illinois tried to charge $300.00 at a Home Depot. The card was denied because the experation date was wrong. They then called me. We closed the account and a new card will be sent. I reviewed all my charges over the last few months and the only time the card was out of my sight was at an Italian restaurant in Old St. Andrews. All the other charges were at the market and the gas station where I use all my cards on a rotating basis. So hard telling. I'm glad they have good detection software.

20 - 25

I had my one week visit this morning. My right eye is now 20 - 25. The healing process will continue. I can also resume normal activity. I will not have to tape the plastic shield over the eye. I can bend, stoop and lift within reason. My left eye is now scheduled for February 22nd. I can hardly wait. I am seeing so much much better with one eye, I know it will be even better.

Carol goes for pre-op tomorrow and her first eye will be done on the 15th. It will be my turn to do the bending and lifting for her. Pillo still requires an early (3 AM) trip outside. I don't look forward to that but it will have to be done. By the time we head North for the new grandchild we will both be seeing so much better.

Surgery Update

The surgery was yesterday. I arrived 10 minutes early for my 1:30 PM appointment. I was taken on time, prepped for the procedure. Drops were placed in my right eye to numb it. I was hooked up to a heart monitor and given a small dose of a drug to relax me. The doctor came in and spoke to me, checked my eye for dilation. A few minutes later I was moved to an operating room. My head was strapped in place. I was told to stare at the light and he began. He told me what he was doing every step of the way. I was finished within 10 minutes. I was wheeled into recovery, provided with a drink of apple juice and I was given two pictures of my eye in different stages of the procedure. Carol came in and got me. Total time there 90 minutes. Last night I was amazed at the vibrant colors on the TV. My sight had been deteriorating for awhile. Now the hard part, no bending, stooping, or picking up anything over a few pounds for 7 days. I must sleep with a shield over the eye. Carol is hovering over me watching my every move.

This morning I went for the day after surgery appointment The eye looks good just a little swelling around the incision. As the dilation fades, I am seeing so much better. I am looking forward to having the next eye done.

We had previously made an appointment this morning for Carol as she was due her yearly checkup and she wanted another scrip for contacts. Carol also has cataracts and we scheduled her first surgery around my next procedure. This way one of us will be able to drive the other, and provide care during the sensitive 7 days after surgery.

Eye Surgery

I went this past Wednesday for my pre-op appointments. First at the eye doctors where I saw a video on how to prepare my eye before surgery and what to do after surgery. Then my eyes were measured and "mapped" if you will for the implants. This was all very impressive with the process and the equipment. I saw my doctor and I was given my kit. In there are samples of the drops, a shield that I will tape over the eye to sleep and a pair of dark sunglasses that are more like the safety glasses that needed to be worn in the factory. I also received prescriptions for the three drops needed twice daily per a prescribed schedule. I had previously visited the Walgreen's and found out the cost and decided I did not want generic. After all I only have these two eyes.

My next stop was the surgery center a short distance from the doctor's office. There I waited for 30 minutes to see someone for less than 5 minutes for pre-op instructions. I must bring my kit and wear a button shirt ( I have one) no food for 6 hours and no liquid for 4 hours before my appointment.

I dropped off the scrip and assumed everything would be good. The next day, I went for my drops only to find out that one (Bromday) was not filled and also not ordered because my plan would not cover any of the $170.00 cost. I told her I knew that. Why was I not contacted, these are needed for eye surgery. The whole pharmacy department looked as if they were deer in the headlights. I guess customer service at Walgreen's is severely lacking and the insurance company has more clout than the customer. I finally got the drops the next day. I am evaluating if I want to continue doing business with Walgreen's.

Tonight I start washing the eyelid and lashes on my right eye with diluted Johnson's baby shampoo. This will be done for three nights. Tomorrow morning I will start the twice daily regiment of one drop each of the three prescribed drops. One drop is for ten days, another for three weeks and the third for about two weeks. I have a chart.

Tuesday is surgery on the right eye. I will have to wear a shield over the eye for a week while the implant heals. This will stop rubbing of the eye in my sleep. Frankly I am worried about this part. I'm told you rub your eyes in your sleep. Must be very careful. I have purchased a pair of sunglasses as my prescription sunglasses can no longer be used.

I am looking forward to having the second eye done. I know my vision will be tremendously improved.

A memorable week

We had a very nice and interesting week that just ended. It began last Saturday when my good pal from my Navy days arrived with his wife and grand daughter. They were spending the long weekend with us. The weather was sunny but not the warmth we had hoped for. Temperatures have been running about 10 degrees below normal. After lunch we went and walked out the Bay County pier. It is 1500 feel long and is a pleasant walk and the sea was a beautiful blue. We also went to St. Andrews State Park that afternoon. I had prepared a large pot of sauce, meatballs and Italian sweet sausage on Friday for our Saturday evening meal. Carol prepared wheat pasta. Carol and I started with the wheat pasta as a healthy choice and like it. Sunday the ladies went to Pier Park shopping after lunch. I took Hugh for a tour of historic old St. Andrews, the marina and other points of interest. Monday morning was spent relaxing over breakfast with my commitment that we would go to their home in Mississippi sometime in February.

Tuesday we waken to heavy fog and decided that we would see True Grit. It was an excellent movie. The young lady that portrayed Maddy stole the movie. Jeff Bridges was great (but no John Wayne) Matt Damon is a better Bourne than a Texas Ranger.

The sailing ship Peacemaker is spending the better part of January here in the Panama City Marina. They offer free tours from 10 AM until 4 PM each day. Donations are accepted but not mandatory. It is crewed by members of Twelve Tribes. Carol and I decided to tour the ship on Wednesday afternoon. I finally picked a dentist here and went for a cleaning in the morning.

The woodwork aboard the ship is just magnificent. I was really impressed with the condition of this vessel. Carol is standing in front of the bridge where all the modern equipment is located for guiding the ship while underway.

This is not a good picture of us but it does have the bow in the background and shows some of the rigging. Followed by a picture of one of the crow's nest.

Members of the crew produce pottery as a means of making some money to defray expenses. The pieces were very beautiful and were signed. I bought Carol a tee shirt and also bought the last four postcards. I had on my URI baseball cap and a young lady told me she was born in Providence. She asked if she could pet Pillo and I said she could hold him. She told me she was fourteen and I asked if she ever went aloft. Absolutely and my two sisters also go up to help furl the sails. I was quite impressed with her.

Another picture of the top of two of the masts.

I have been wanting to have dual exhausts installed on my F 150. Thursday morning I went to Mad Hatter on 23rd street and had a magnaflow one into two muffler installed. While I was doing this Carol went to see her primary care physician. She had a good check up and below is a picture of the exhaust pipes. I love the look and I am getting use to the sound. It is a little loud especially in low gear. On the highway the sound is barely noticeable.

Earlier in the week I made an appointment with Dr. Hasty. He was highly recommended by my barber. I have been having increasingly more difficulty seeing with my right eye. I really like the doctor. The scale for cataracts is from zero to four. My right eye is between 3 1/2 and 4. My left eye is close to 3. I have agreed to have the surgery and I will also have lens implant. The right eye will be done first and the left eye 3 or 4 weeks later. I will not have to wear glasses except maybe for reading. I have been wearing glasses for a long time. I am looking forward to this process being completed. I will periodically comment on the progress.

Clink - Clink - Clink

Not too long ago, I was reading the local paper while Carol was showering and getting ready for a shopping trip with her good friend, Victoria. I heard her exclaim in a panicky voice, Oh S@*%t! Oh honey something horrible has happened. I jumped up thinking something happened to Pillo our newest Chihuahua who likes to lay on Carol's robe while she showers. I rushed in and immediately saw Pillo also looking upset. What is the matter? It was a most horrible sound as she began to cry. What sound? "Clink-clink-clink' she said. I was cleaning my diamond earring and that is the sound it made going down the drain in the sink. I hugged her and asked her not to cry as I do not like to see women crying. It will be OK, I said trying not to laugh. Stay calm, I will get it back or else we will have the jewelry store make another with a matching quality diamond. "I only want that one she sobbed, they are special you bought them for me when we started to get serious." I told her to finish getting ready and go shopping and do not run the water. I looked under the sink and realized I did not have the proper tools. I had met a local plumber when he worked on my neighbor's water line. I called him and a few hours later he came. Within five minutes he had the diamond. When I asked how much, he said no need we do this all the time. I thanked him and I then called Carol and told her I had the earring.

DeFuniak Springs Christmas Light Display 2010

The community of DeFuniak Springs does a Christmas display of lights surrounding the round lake near the center of town. This is the third year that Carol and I have visited the display. Each year, it seems, additional lighted displays are added. Last year there were 6.5 million lights. I estimate that close to 7 million lights are in this years display. The cost is $3.00 per person and you are allowed to drive around as many times as you wish. Last night we drove there to view the lights. We invited Janet to come along. Janet is a dear sweet lady that eats lunch at the local restaurant that we like. She is alone and we like her. She also spent Christmas day with us.

Following are some of the pictures that I took.

Many of the local homes along the drive are decorated. There are a number of Victorian style homes located here.

We always enjoy the display. Christmas carols were played over speakers located throughout the display. A wonderful clear night, well worth the approximate 90 mile round trip.

2010 - A great year in review

2010 was very good to us. We quietly welcomed the New Year (kind of). We watched the ball drop in New York City and that was fine with us. We are in the central time zone so we slept through our New Year.

February, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. The Rhode Island home went on the market. I believe the realtor was overly optimistic and the house was probably priced too high for the times. It did not sell and we spent the summer there.

In April we hit the road. Neither of us had seen the Grand Canyon and it was high on my bucket list. Along the way we saw the White Sands of New Mexico, Sedona, Tonto National Forest, Oak Creek Canyon and Hoover Dam. We also stopped in El Paso for a long awaited visit with Carol's son, Bill.

Summer was spent in RI and my son and I went to Gettysburg to tour the battlefield. He arranged for a tour guide to spend 4 hours with us. It was fantastic. I enjoyed it so much that I took Carol there on one of our trips North. We had made a quick trip south to take furniture to the Florida home and went North via Shenandoah National Forest.

We both traded vehicles. I had been wanting a truck for several years and I finally got a 2010 F150 extended cab. Carol's 11 year old Chevy convertible was showing signs of age (repair$$$) and she stepped up to a 2007 Pontiac G6 hardtop convertible with under 17k miles. Very sporty and more powerful than the Chevy 4 cylinder.

We returned to Florida in September for the winter season. We did do a long weekend in Gulf Shores, AL with some of my Navy pals from long ago. We had a good time visiting. I may be prejudice but Panama City Beach is far more beautiful than Gulf Shores. In October, Carol found a chihuahua puppy and Pillo has become part of the family. Never did I think we would have three dogs. They will travel with us.

Christmas was great and we are looking forward to 2011 with anticipation. The RI home will soon be on the market again and Carol and I are working on the new bucket list for our major trip in 2011 as we continue to explore the United States and Canada.

Hurricane straps

I am not a do-it-yourself type of guy. I will attempt some small "safe" projects. Ones I think I won't mess up. Carol dislikes blinds and we have started to hang curtains. I felt that I would be able to install the rods. The first room was the master bedroom. Carol wanted the curtains to not block the window when open. Therefore the rods would be of sufficient length to accommodate the width of the curtains. I measured, leveled, measured, leveled and drilled the holes for the brackets for the rod. The picture below is the result.

The next project was a valence over the kitchen window. Piece of cake - right. I placed the bracket over the window and moved it as directed by Carol to the "perfect" spot. I drilled the first hole and the drill hit a solid object. Good I thought, a stud. I applied pressure and still nothing. I'ts not a stud it is the metal hurricane strap. I now know that every window and door opening has them. It provides added structural support for hurricane protection. I knew that I did not have the right drill bits to punch into the strap. I immediately called Jeff, the local contractor that has done work for us. He came over and he had some difficulty punching through, but he got it done. He installed both brackets and the valance was installed. The finished project is pictured below.

The bedroom window rods were sufficiently wider than the window and therefore I was away from the metal straps. I continue to learn more about this home in Florida.

Authors

Somehow I ended up on the Harris poll email list. Periodically I get a request to complete a survey. Earlier in the year, I received one concerning authors and the type of books I read. Mostly I read mysteries and novels that I view as cleverly written. I was also asked how I read. My answer to that was strictly hard covers and usually purchased new. I like the feel of a hard cover and rarely even look at a paperback. Perish the thought that someday I will only be able to read on an electronic tablet.

I was asked to list my top five favorite authors.

1) Stephen J. Cannell
2) David Baldacci
3) Janet Evonovich
4) Sara Paretsky
5) Robert P. Parker

Mr. Cannell and Mr. Parker both passed away this year. I will miss their writings. Parker had worn out the Spencer series, but I was enjoying the Jesse Stone series.

Last Saturday Carol and I went to DeFuniak Springs to visit a very wonderful and unusual "used book store". I was looking for hard cover books by Cannell. The only ones they had, I already owned. I did find a semi hard cover book with two of his books and I did buy that. My other selection was a hard cover History of Civilization. When I was in high school the most passionate teacher I had taught ancient history. I remember more of that class than most others.

I tend to donate the books to the local library when I am finished. I do keep books by Cannell, Baldacci, and Evonovich. Not sure why, I just do. I know I will miss Mr. Cannell. His books never disappointed me.

Illness - Our 12 days of Christmas

Carol and I woke up the Saturday after Thanksgiving with horrible sore throats. We were congested with runny noses and a mild cough. We did not have fevers and we figured it was a cold and we would muddle through it. Fortunately the sore throat lasted a day and was replaced by blinding headaches for four days. When I am sick I tend to eat more, Carol had little appetite. We were and are doing over the counter stuff, increased liquids and rest as best we could. Today is day 12 and neither of us is a hundred percent. I believe I am closer than Carol. She has a cough that seems to rack her whole body. No time is a good time to be sick, but there is so much to do this time of year. A simple trip to the local market exhausts us. We both have shopping to do for Christmas. Carol has a sewing project to complete. We have a small tree and that required part time effort over three days to complete. I have lights for the outside shrubs and I have no energy to deal with it.

On the bright side we have a warm home and have each other. We will get the shopping done and soon will feel back to normal. Hopefully this is our one and only illness this winter season.

Thanksgiving 2010

This is written the day after also known as "Black Friday". Yesterday we went to Carol's daughter's home in Tallahassee. Its about a 110 mile trip each way. Carol likes to get there early so as to have chat time with Joylene. We walked the dogs who cooperated by completing all of the duties hoped for. Tiny and Gizmo would be left home. They are quite loud and menacing if anyone comes to the door. Together they may weigh 11 pounds. Small but fearsome. Pillo comes with us. At three months he is not fully trained and not able to hold it for several hours. Besides, I thing Connor and Kyrsten are happier to see Pillo than us. Pillo is very good with them and showers them with kisses and attention. Connor at 14 months is so gentle with Pillo.

We managed to load the car with our contribution to dinner and the dog stuff and we were on the road before 8:30 AM. That is real good for us. November has been warmer than normal and we have had early morning fog lately. I was thankful that there was no fog. We live in the central time zone and they live in the eastern time zone. We always deal with the hour difference. I have to know whose time zone when they say dinner is at a certain time. I need to plan as I sometimes get woozy if I go too long without eating. I usually have a package or two of the Lance grilled cheese crackers in each vehicle. Yesterday we took the truck as its easier on my back than Carol's sporty convertible.

Our hosts had ordered a smoked turkey for the main course. They had mashed potatoes, a sweet potato souffle, string bean casserole made with home made cream of mushroom soup, cornbread stuffing, two kinds of cranberry sauce, gravy and Carol's candied sweet potatoes. We also brought Hawaiian rolls from the market. The candied sweets and string bean casserole were fantastic. The dark meat from the turkey was moist and tender. I also had a leg and that had the smokey taste. I enjoyed it. there were three homemade pies, pumpkin, apple and cherry along with a pumpkin custard. I skipped the sweet potato souffle as it had nuts. Needless to say, I did not leave hungry. In fact, I never ate another meal yesterday. I was not looking forward to the drive home on such a full stomach but I never did get drowsy.

Today it is 80 degrees in the city and a little less here on the beach. The weather is supposed to change overnight and we are fore casted to cool down to the high 60's or low 70's. We will see. They fore casted rain for today, but it is what we call "a chamber of commerce day". It is just beautiful.

I hope everyone had as nice a day yesterday, as I did.

Lowe's and Home Depot - Big disappointment

I recently had a sliding door and storm door installed. (previous post) The process was not without difficultly caused by a lack of attention to detail by both stores. Granted I only dealt with the stores closest to me here in Panama City Beach.

First I went to the local Lowe's near me and bought a storm door for the front of the house. I paid in full and was told that I would be contacted by an installer in so many business days. I waited and waited and finally went to Lowe's and asked for my money back. They were so surprised no one had called. I pointed out that the door was probably in their inventory and someone should have been on top of their installers. I was assured that they would get right on it. I said I would go elsewhere.

My next stop was Home Depot which was also nearby. I picked out the storm door and also the slider. I figured I would go through this process once and be done with it. I paid the fee to have the installer measure the opening and then the "right" size doors would be ordered, delivered and installed. I asked how long it would be for someone to measure. I was again quoted the number of business days. I waited and waited. How I miss my northern contractor. The local contractor who has a good reputation was working three doors away. I asked him if he could do the job. Yes, was his answer. I told him if Home Depot did not call by Wednesday the job was his. On the Friday, I received a call from Home Depot asking me if anyone had come to the house. Don't you know, I asked. Apparently not. I told him I was going a different way and would come in for my deposit. The next Monday I went to Home Depot and saw the manager. She told me no wonder no one came the order was cancelled the day after the order was placed and a Home Depot gift card for the amount was created. I assured them I did not have it. The manager gave me a cash refund on the spot. It did leave me wondering who got the gift card - an honest error or???

My contractor and I went to Lowe's (his choice) and we picked everything out. The screen for the slider was ordered and would be delivered in 10 days. The contractor showed up on the agreed upon day and did a great job. The screen came in but Lowe's ordered the wrong one. Lowe's is now supposedly ordering the right screen. I have no faith in either company. The good news is I now have a contractor here who I trust and who does good work.

Life is fragile

Every morning Gizmo and I head out the door long before the other dogs are moving. We have a set route around the complex. The majority of mornings Bill is out on his porch having a morning cigarette. He has a miniature poodle that is well trained and allowed to roam without a leash. The dogs play while we chat. Bill had been a care giver for several years and recently his wife went into a nursing home. Bill told me of several short trips he wanted to complete. Lately we talked about the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Bill had never been there. This morning he and I talked about trucks. His is a 2005 Ford F150. The last thing he said to me was that today had the makings of a fine day.

I went to take trash out this afternoon and smelled smoke. I then saw the emergency equipment and went to investigate. Smoke was pouring out of the back of his house. I went closer and saw the firemen giving CPR. Soon after they covered his body. He did not make it. The dog also was lost.

I will miss seeing Bill in the morning. He was a fine gentleman and I always enjoyed talking to him. Rest easy, Bill.

Apalachicola

Carol and I have been back in Panama City Beach for almost two months. We have talked about a day trip to Apalachicola the past two weeks. We decided that we would go Tuesday the 9Th. Apalachicola is a quaint fishing village. Apalachicola is especially noted for their oysters. The Apalachicola River empties into the bay and the movement of the tides and the influx of fresh water produces a pure wonderful tasting oyster. As long as I have been coming to the Panhandle, I have been coming here for the oysters.

Papa Joe's is off the main drag. so to speak, and I found it by accident. This is where a number of locals come. We went for lunch. We chose to sit at the bar. We ordered drinks, and I asked for a dozen on the half shell while Carol read the menu. She ordered the house salad with grilled grouper. When I was asked what my main course would be, I said another dozen. The oysters were of good size, ice cold, sweet and served with a wedge of lemon and a small cup of horseradish. Cocktail sauce was available. Carol's lunch was superb. The grouper looked like a picture in a food magazine. As I finished my second dozen which was really 14 to an order, I was asked if I wanted a third. I had to admit I was running out of gas, so I settled for 1/2 dozen and received 8 oysters. It was well worth the 90 minute drive on a brilliant sunny day. Below is a picture of Papa Joe's. The building sits well back from the road and if you don't know its there, it is easy to drive by the gravel driveway.

After lunch, I drove a short distance to the docks where a number of fishing boats are tied up. Across the canal is a small pile of oyster shells. They are crushed and used for a variety of uses. A popular use that I am aware of is for driveways. The shells are visible in the background. Some of the fishing boats are also pictured.

We then went into the small village. If you saw Ulee's Gold, you may recognize the restaurant below. It was in an early scene of that movie. There is a large poster in there that Peter Fonda signed.

We went into an old time soda fountain for a scoop of ice cream. They still make the fountain drinks just as it was done when I was a small boy in Greenville, RI. We both choose cherry vanilla ice cream. A perfect finish to our day trip before heading home.

One last picture of Carol as we walked to the truck.

Upgrading the Florida Home

Carol and I will have owned this home 2 years this coming March. We bought the house fully furnished. We have made a number of changes to the furnishings. First we changed the bed to a king with a memory foam mattress. We each bought a desk at the same time we bought an entertainment center. Originally the second bedroom was an office. All that stuff was donated. We put a queen fold out couch and a long table for Carol's sewing machines. Recently we changed the dining table and chairs and replaced the coffee table and end tables. I am happy to say that all the old furniture and the stove either went to Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity. Please understand there was nothing wrong with the stuff, it just wasn't our stuff or style.

Recently I have been looking at the outside of the house. When I watch TV at night I sit near what was kind of French doors. The were in poor shape and I could see daylight in one corner. Additionally, there was no way to add a screen for air circulation. Also there was no current storm door in the front. A local contractor was working on the street and I asked him if he could do some work for me. We all went to Lowe's and picked out the new slider for the back of the house and a storm door for the front. Below is a before picture of the rear entry way. You can see that there was rust on the door and it generally looked "shabby". There was also some rot. The next picture is after the slider was installed. Oddly Lowe's had to order a screen door. You would thing they would be in stock.



Below is a picture of the front door. It is functional but no real eye catching appeal. With an interest in staying within a "I can pay for this in cash" budget, we opted for just a storm door with a hidden screen.
The screen is in the top of the door and pulls down as you lower the top panel. If you look closely you will see a small portion of screen at the top. The lower white bar is the frame for the top panel and when the screen is fully closed that bar aligns with top bar.

The final piece to yesterdays change were new outdoor lights on either side of the garage door. The old lights (sample below) were dull and really added nothing to "curb appeal".


Below is a picture of one of the new lights. The brass matches the brass on the front storm door. This in my opinion gives the front of the house a "fresher" look. Now the brass house numbers look dull. Do I get brass polish or just buy new numbers.

We have recently planted some flowers in front and want to add some more. I have one more front project. I need to replace the eyebrow windows in front. And maybe a spiffier front door. Carol is out looking for the "RIGHT' curtain rods for the slider and dining area window. We have the fabric for the curtains. We still have a couple more "wants" but they will have to wait.