Safely at our Northern Home

We are safely home in Wisconsin, and even though we are happy to be back with family and friends, we have to admit that Wisconsin did not welcome us home in a manner that we had hoped for.  We were met with grey skies, a smattering of rain, and temperatures in the 20s and 30s!  Yikes!  What happened to spring?

We actually are back in long pants, long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, and leather jackets.  Last night the weather service issued a freeze warning for the entire area, and this morning we awoke to 30 degree temperatures... which was warm compared to the 29 degrees that greeted us on Sunday morning!  We heard that the temperature this morning tied a record for the coldest May 13; thankfully, temperatures back into the 70s are predicted for later on this week.  Only in Wisconsin...

Before I go further, my friend Bonnie scolded me for not completing my saga of the stain across the Florida Room floor.  So to finish that story, I can report that Rob did eventually come back to Gladys to bleach out the new stain he created on the floor and to polish out the dull section of the floor that was under the poultice.  The results, sadly, were not a good as we had hoped for.  The new stain that he promised would come out did, for the most part, but the joint between the two floors in that area is slightly darker and more noticeable.  The overall large stain is lighter than it was before, but it has not totally disappeared.  Rob filled in the patches that came out with the poultice, and we are happy with the job he did blending those spots into the rest of the floor.

The floor after the poultice is gone but before the floor was
polished.  After buffing, the stain is lighter but is not
totally gone. 

I am not sorry that we tried to get the stain out because by coming back, Rob also buffed out some scratches on the floor, repaired a problem area in the master bath, and lightened the stain that was in the center of the kitchen floor.  We both had hoped that the large stain would be erased, but I guess that stain will just be a reminder of the doors that used to grace the house.  Like a birthmark, the stain is part of who Gladys was and is, so we will just put up with it.  Ironically, the stain lightened the most on the area of the floor that is completely hidden by the couch.  Figures, right?

The trip home was long, tedious, and exhaustive.  For some reason, neither Rick nor I seem to be able to get our energy back.  We did the trip in two days, and that probably was a big mistake.  We started by getting up at 3:00 a.m. on Friday morning.  I had not slept well at all on Thursday evening, finally moving to the guest room at midnight so my tossing and turning did not keep Rick awake all night.  I finally dozed off a bit, but I do not think that either of us got the rest we truly needed.

At that time of the morning, our trip through Tampa was fast and uneventful.  We ate muffins and drank orange juice from cartons at about 6:00 a.m while continuing to drive . Rick drove until northern Florida, and then I took over on Highway 10 across the panhandle.  Lunch was compliments of Publix Grocery store: they make mean submarine sandwiches that we really enjoy, so we bought two on Thursday and packed them into our electric cooler.  A wayside lunch of sandwiches, pretzels, grapes, and water did not delay us too much, and we were soon traveling the sunny highways of Alabama.

We reached a certain point in Alabama where Rick said, "Isn't this the place that we saw the genuine Alabama horse's ass?"  (Note: Rick drives by landmarks, and apparently that episode in our ride down was stored in the mapping region of his brain.)

"I think so, " I said as I looked over the highway and surrounding fields. "All I see, though, are cows." At that point, as if on cue, a very broad cow turned her backside to the road, unceremoniously lifted her tail, and presented us with the gift of a large, steaming, freshly-produced genuine Alabama cow pie! Icky! You will be happy to know that I do not have a picture to include with this part of the narrative.

Traffic was good through Alabama, and we traveled through the two largest cities, Montgomery and Birmingham, with ease.  After living for the last four months in the most populated county in Florida, I guess that even large city traffic seems not so bad.  Actually, we have had very little trouble with those two cities in the past.  The city that always gets us is Nashville, and that metropolis was not on our agenda the first day.

Rick drove through most of Alabama, with us switching off driving again in Tennessee.  We noted on this trip that once a person gets north of Ocala, Florida, the palm trees disappear, being replaced by trees and evergreens that one could see in Wisconsin.  Alabama is called the "Beautiful State," but if one looks through the beautiful trees, one is greeted by miles and miles of beat up shacks and unkept, grubby homesteads.  Poverty and boiled peanuts seem to go hand-in-hand in the state. Tennessee and Kentucky both greeted us with lush greenery, blooming shrubs and trees, and definitely a higher standard of living.  We drove as far as Columbia, Tennessee, the first night.  Columbia is just south of Nashville, and we did not want to tackle that city at the end of an 11 hour drive.

We both beat the alarm awake on Saturday morning, so we were back on the road by 4:15 a.m.  We had about a half-hour drive to get to Nashville, and I will admit that driving through the city before 5:00 a.m. on a weekend is the way to go.  We encountered rain, as we generally do in Nashville, but traffic was light so we were able to get through the city without much tension.  The last time we went through Nashville we were involved in a rainstorm so strong that we could not even hear directions on the Garmin, and traffic was high while visibility was low.  This time we could hear the GPS directions, the rain was sprinkles, and the traffic was light.  Compared to last time, this time was a breeze.  We followed the rain all the way through Illinois without really catching up to any major storms.

Illinois is a never-ending state when all one wants to do is reach a destination.  We switched drivers about every three hours because Illinois is flat and boring, and after abut three hours, highway hypnosis starts to take away that defensive driving edge.  Once again, Rick ended up driving more than I did since I refused to drive around Chicago and Milwaukee.  I told him once we got north of Milwaukee, I would take over, but he was stubborn, so he actually drove from one hour south of Chicago all the way to Green Bay.

The one thing that we noticed was that the minute we crossed into Illinois, the temperatures started to drop, and by the time we reached Chicago, we had crossed from summer to spring, then back into late winter.  I honestly admit that if we did not have family and friends in Wisconsin, we would sell this "summer home" and live permanently in Florida -- and this is coming from a woman who spent the last two summers and hurricane seasons in the stormy, steamy south!  We both hate cold weather that much.  Yes, Wisconsin has many things like good education, good customer service, superior elderly care, and good healthcare services going for it, but it just cannot seem to get the weather right!

For now, though, we are home.  Lindsay gave us both a big hug, so maybe she did miss us more than our truck.  She and Christopher were sweethearts, thoughtfully turning on our refrigerator and stocking it with breakfast essentials so we did not have to eat out on Sunday morning.  The house looks good, thanks to their watchful care this winter, and we now look forward to getting our spring and summer life into full swing.  We have a badly neglected yard to attend to, a rummage sale to rid this house (which seems terribly dark and cluttered after Gladys) of the excess possessions we have accumulated over the years, and a few local trips to take to remind us why we will have a delightful time spending the summer and fall in Wisconsin.

Driving from Florida to Wisconsin in two days is an exhaustive task, but we now know that whether we are in Florida or Wisconsin, we can truly say, "It's good to be home."

Looking North

We have spent the last couple of days getting ready for our road trip north.  Although I would much rather fly home, we have to take the truck back to Wisconsin because we are hauling back two dressers that Lindsay wants to use for the baby's room.  She and Chris also have plans for the truck this summer; I suspect that they missed the truck more than they missed us.

Yesterday morning was spent filling the box of the truck with everything we wanted to take home.  We know that we are going to encounter rain when we approach Wisconsin on Saturday, so in addition to padding, we also tried to make most of the items fairly water resistant.  The largest piece of furniture we are taking north is a triple dresser with six drawers.  We packed some clothes in the drawers since, of course, we brought way too much down with us.

Once the dresser was lying on its back and wrapped in plastic, we decided to see if a bathroom ceiling fan that did not work in the master bath down here would go north and be useful in Lindsay's house.  She has a downstairs bathroom that badly needs remodeling, so we might be able to figure out some way of adding ventilation to that space when she and Chris rebuild it.  We encased the fan box in a oversized garden garbage bag, and that slipped nicely into the front of the truck bed next to the dresser.  A small box from Steve and Chris also was wrapped in a garbage bag and added to the bed.

Two blue plastic tubs were next, and on top of each of those were added small disassembled tables, extra folding lawn chairs, and an extra bicycle pump wrapped up like a mummy.  On the face of the dresser, we added the matching mirror, padding the whole thing with left-over insulation board from the old windows and lots of blankets and towels.

Across the back of the truck, we were able to slip in a tall, thin dresser, and on top of that we added a well-padded piece of glass that protects the triple dresser top.  Everything is strapped together and pretty secure.  We were able to roll the tonneau cover over everything and shut the back gate.  Although the truck bed does not have a lock on it, our belongings are fairly secure since one is simply confronted with the side of the tall dresser when the gate is lowered.  To get at anything else in that bed, a person would have to roll up the tonneau cover and do a lot of unstrapping and unwrapping.  If they want to steal my shoes or some old dressers that badly, have at it!

In the afternoon, we took one last trip to Sand Key Beach.  There was quite a strong breeze, so after a while when sitting in the shade of the umbrella, I actually got chilled.  Being in the sun was uncomfortably hot, but being in the shade too long was not great either.  We did enjoy our time at the beach, though, watching the sailboats and jet skis, while also relaxing and reading our Kindles.

Today we got up early, changed the linens on the beds, and cleaned the house.  Everything is scrubbed down for the next six months.  We emptied out the refrigerator, storing the few remaining cold items in our electric cooler which will travel north with us.  The dishes are washed and put away, the refrigerator is scrubbed and open, and the circuits to both the 'fridge and dishwasher are turned off.

Our bags are packed, so we will pack the back part of the truck later this afternoon. We've taken everything from the car, and we've moved the trikes into the Florida room, so we have only to drive the car in the garage when we return from eating dinner today.  Once that is hooked up to the battery charger, it will be safely in place for the summer.

Personal showers this evening will be followed by one last load of laundry before we unhook the laundry facilities.  We plan an early start tomorrow: the alarm will go off at 3:00 a.m., and we hope to be on the road by 3:30 at the latest.  We plan to drive as far as Columbia, TN the first day.  That is exactly the half-way point between Gladys and Green Bay.  It will be an 11 hour drive... but probably closer to 13 hours before arrival taking in stopping for lunch and restroom breaks.

I pray that the weather will be good and that the traffic will be light.  We think that by starting early, we will avoid most of the congestion of the Friday rush hour around major cities.

We both are going to miss Gladys.  She certainly has become a home to us down here, and if we did not have friends, family, and a wonderful home in Green Bay waiting for us, I do not know that either of us would want to leave.  However, this year will be the first time in three years that we will be in Wisconsin for the summer, so I am looking forward to spending some quality time in our yard and neglected flower gardens. The nice thing about leaving Gladys now is knowing that when we return in the fall, we will have a comfortable, inviting structure to welcome us home in Florida.

Progress in the Final Week

As we enter our final week this spring in Dunedin, I have to smile because the week started yesterday with yet another celebration.  This one, of course, was for Cinco de Mayo.  While less than half of the population in this area is of Mexican descent, the holiday gave everyone another chance to listen to music, to enjoy ethnic foods, and to overindulge in margaritas. Let it never be said that Dunedin does not enjoy a good party.

Today was a very productive day.  We got up early and were greeted with a beautiful little freesia that seemed to have bloomed overnight in the back yard.  The side yard also shows buds about to open, and that saddens me because I know that our lawn service is coming later today, and they will all be gone.  I did take the chance to get a quick picture of the flower that was open although even that was tricky because we have had quite a gusty breeze all day long.

Wild pink freesia are the only flowers blooming in the yard
that are not weeds!

Our yard needs so much work, but we just do not have the time nor the money to do anything about it this year.  Because Dunedin in reliant on well water, the city rightfully has put fertilizer restrictions on residential use.  We know there are some types of fertilizers and weed killers that we can use, but we have to do more research to understand what is legal and what is prohibited.  Someday (big sigh) maybe we will be able to grow more grass than weeds, and ultimately we may be able to hook up to the reclaimed water that is available in our neighborhood to actually keep the lawn looking good.

The good thing about the brisk breeze today is that it brought in cooler temperatures, so this day was a perfect day to work outside.  Rick finished painting the second coat of paint on the south fascia, and then we worked together on the south fascia of the Florida room. We sanded and primed that in the morning, and as I write this Rick is putting on the first application of the finish coat.  We'll add a second coat tomorrow, and then our work for this spring is finished here at Gladys.

The fascia on the south side of the house is complete. A close
look also shows that the hibiscus are starting to bloom.

We were finished with the initial outdoor painting by 10:30, so that gave us time yet this morning to run some errands, and to come back and trim some trees since Mondays are the days the city will come around and collect "bulk" items like tree branches.  We actually did some fence-line creative cutting to take down vines and budding Brazilian Pepper Trees that were threatening to invade our backyard again.  We also trimmed the old fashioned carnation bush in the corner of our lot.  Finally, Rick climbed on the roof and cut off the brown or yellow fronds from the front yard palm tree.  Since I trimmed the south side bushes last week, we now should have Gladys looking pretty good for the summer.

Our backyard is bare, but until we can put up a fence, we do
not want to plant anything new. We removed the invasive
Pepper trees before they spread further.

Naturally, this is Florida, so we know that Gladys will be totally overgrown by the time we return, but at least we have a good effort before we have to leave for the summer.

Tomorrow morning we'll finish the last coat of paint so we can pack away the painting supplies for the season.  Unfortunately, with the high humidity of the summer, all paint cans and metal tools have to be stored in the house or they will completely rust by the fall.

After the outdoor work, we'll begin to pack the paperwork and the clothes that we want to take back to Wisconsin.  Thankfully, I found my "things to do before we go North" list that I made last year, and we have done over half of those tasks -- like arranging for the water to be turned off and forwarding the mail to Wisconsin -- already.

We are both sad to be packing up Gladys for the summer, but we also are looking forward to getting to our "summer home" in the North.  Our family is anxious to have us home, we have my niece's wedding to look forward to, and most importantly, we have a new little addition that hopefully will join our family in June.  For the first time, Gladys has become "home" to us, but we know that once we are safely in Wisconsin, that house also will be home again.  We are thankful that we have the opportunity to own two houses and to feel equally comfortable and welcomed in both places.

Weather and Waiting

The weather has not cooperated with us this week, so we have made little progress on the fascia work.  We have had rain predicted for most of the week, and moisture has  followed those predictions for most days.  Strangely, yesterday the skies were threatening all day long, but we did not receive a drop in Dunedin.  Communities to the north, south, and west all got soaked, but we did not.  Today dawned grey, but as I opened the blinds this morning, I was greeted by bright sunshine... and pouring rain! Go figure.  The weathermen (who are correct down here about as often as they are correct in Wisconsin) say that we are already getting into "a Florida summer pattern" of sunshine each morning and rain about 3:00 p.m. We'll see.

If the roof and grass dries yet this morning, we would like to get out and to at least finish the south side fascias on the house.  Late yesterday Rick finished scraping and filling in the fascia on the south side of the Florida room.  I hope to get that sanded and primed today while he works on actually painting the south fascia of the house.  That fascia is a bit more tricky since he has to use the taller ladder, but we bought a small roller, so we are hoping that the final coat will go much more quickly than previous coats.

While we have been stuck indoors, I have been working more on the family genealogy.  Doing so, even with the Internet, is not as user-friendly as it used to be.  When I started on this venture years ago, almost every record online was free.  Now Ancestry.com has purchased the rights to many records, and, naturally, people can only have access to those files for a fee.  Even the British records are not accessible unless I go through Ancestry.com.uk, again, for a fee!  The only records that I have found that are still accessible without charge are through the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints -- the Mormons -- in Salt Lake, City.  Their FamilySearch.org is invaluable.

I have been able to trace my family back to my great-great-great grandparents (thus, add another "great" on for my children) to the late 1700s/ early 1800s.  Once the trail goes back to Germany (Prussia), records get a bit dicey since most are in the original German or Polish.  I made some recent discoveries that are rather fun.  My mother, who will be 90 this May, said that she had vague memories of her great grandfather George, but that she did not know and could not even name her great grandmother.  I learned that her great grandmother's name was Susan Woodworth.  My sister's name also is Susan.  I wonder if, as a child, my mother heard that name and it stayed in the recesses of her memory as a good name even though she could not make a connection later on to an actual person from the past.

I also have taken Rick's family back a bit, although again, the Anderson side gives me trouble because of the way the Norwegians used to change surnames by adding "son" or "datter" (daughter) to the first name of the father. I lose them once the line goes back to Norway, but the English side is a bit easier.  Our one regret is that we did not stay longer in Cornwall when we were in England.  I wanted to visit some cemeteries and churches, but the Cornish roads are notoriously narrow and bordered by hedges, and our camper van was rather wide.  We lived in fear of meeting another vehicle while we were driving through the area, so we did not stay.

I must admit, also, that the English are not overly creative. Many times John X will marry Mary Y, and they will have a son named John X and a daughter named Mary X.  Those children, in turn, will each have a son and a daughter whom they will name John and Mary.  Ugh!  Get creative, even! I must admit that neither Richard nor Steven is very unique when it comes to English names. However, I have been able to take their family back to the late 1700s, so that it rather cool. At least the parish records of England are in a language I can read, although I have to admit that spelling leaves much to be desired.

We are still waiting for Rob to come back and finish our floor.  We talked to him today, and he promised to come between 2 and 3 p.m.  Since it is now 4:00 p.m., I am not holding my breath that he will come.

We are to the point where we are starting to pile up everything that we want to take back to Wisconsin. Somehow, I do not think that our truck will be large enough. I hope that with this next trip North, we will be taking most of what we need back to Wisconsin.  We are only making one more trip with the truck, so we soon have to figure out what belongs where in our two-house life.