Checking Off Items on the "Honey Do" List and Other Tales

(MacDill AFB, near Tampa)  62 degrees, cloudy and a light  drizzle

John has sure been checking off items on the "honey do" list. He washed and waxed the rig from top to bottom.  He used "The Solution" and it did a really great job.  He has also installed a new water pump. That took some time to install and working in such a small space was a challenge.  But it now works great and seems a little quieter. 

We have enjoyed our neighbors (Jerry & Teresa) at the campground and recently left the base and had a terrific dinner at Bahama Breeze.  We got there in time for sunset and had a great table over looking the bay.  The music was a little loud but the food was very good. 

John, Jerry and Teresa

Bahama Breeze overlooking the bay



Teresa also took me on Thursday to my first Bingo game.  Who knew there were so many ways to play that game.  It was intense.  Teresa won twice and I helped bank roll the event. 

On Wednesday we went to a FMCA rally in Brooksville Florida for the day.  It was enjoyable and we were able to attend three seminars that were very helpful. 

Our motorcoach came with a satellite dish.  However, it was installed in 2002 and has not worked very well for us.  Technology certainly has changed.  The seminar that we attended answered so many of our questions and explained why it had not worked very well.   Our dish only has one channel and Dish has three satellites.  Therefore we were only able to get some stations and usually not the local ones.  It also required that we point the dish each time we moved.  This is not exactly an easy thing to accomplish. It takes a lot of patience.  

In March we are attending the national FMCA rally in Perry Georgia and plan to have a new dish installed that will work much better.  We found out about a program with Dish that allows you to receive local channels as you move.  A waiver is required and an additional cost of $15 is added to your bill.  We really like our DVR and most of the shows we like to tape are local.  Receiving these stations will be great.  The instructor of the seminar suggested getting the East Coast feed.  There is alos sone type of program with Dish where you can turn on and off the satellite as needed.  I'm going to check into this because in Colorado we'll have cable for free during our stay. 

John also attended a seminar on Spartan chassis.  It was taught by the manufacturer and went well past the allotted time.  He said there was a lot  on information  that went over his head but that he thought the seminar was invaluable.  He felt much better when one of the attendees said "I've been to this same class seven time and learn more each time". 

I went to a class on how to use the washer and dryer in our RV and have wrinkle free laundry.  These small washers have the ability to turn your clothes into a wrinkled mess.  The instructor of this class gave lots of great tips.  I was using way too much detergent and not putting enough clothes in the washer.  After getting back I tried some of her methods and it was amazing how much better the clothes came out.  She sells a small booklet for $10 that is a great guide.  I've really liked the convenience of having a washer and dryer and will certainly get better results now. 

There were also lots of vendors at the rally.  We were surprised how many had attended.  They offer things for your RV that you never knew you needed.  We managed not to spend as much in the past mostly due to delaying the purchases of the satellite.  It was fun shopping. Several vendors gave us two or three nights free stays at their resorts  That was a nice perk. 

I've been busy planning where we are going after leaving Tampa on Friday. We have a week before the NOMADS project begins in Eustis Florida. We have decided to check out an Escapee for two nights, Lazy Days Campground for two nights and Ocala area for four nights.  We have not kayaked yet and this area has some amazing rivers to check out.  Be sure to check back.  It is one of the prettiest areas to canoe/kayak in the state

The Super Bowl is today.  The base is setting us a big screen for everyone to be able to watch the game.  I really don't have a team to cheer for since my favorites have been eliminated.  But, I think it will be an exciting game.  Enjoy the game and thanks for stopping by. 

Life is Good in Tampa Florida - MacDill AFB Campground

(Tampa FL) 72 degrees, blue sky, ocean breeze

The weather is now absolutely perfect.  It's been much colder than anticipated leading up to this point but at last this is heaven.  We are now camping at the MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa Florida.  It is a fantastic military campground with lots of amenities. We have a full hook up site for two weeks.  Sites are close together with not a lot of the "it" factor.  However, the price is great at about $21/night and our neighbors are very nice.  In fact, everyone seems very friendly. 



Our campsite



You can stay longer but there is a rotation system that involves moving to dry camping, partial hook up and then full hook up every two weeks. There is some way you can make reservations a year in advance and stay longer,  but I'm not sure all the details about that option.  We called two weeks prior and were able to reserve this site for two weeks but after that we will have to do the rotation system. 

It is a very large base (over 5000 acres) and campground.  The beach is less than a five minute walk from our site with a nice restaurant.  I love this beach and hope to spend a lot of time here working on my tan, reading, kayaking, and enjoying the sunsets.  The retirement life sure is hectic! 



Beach near campground



Beach Restaurant



There is an active social schedule with crafts, day trips, and even a dinner club if you are interested.  A schedule to left at your door each week.  Most of the activities and mail room are handled by a large group of volunteers. This is a very organized place.  The commissary (grocery store) is huge with great variety.  The best we have seen to date.

The only downside would be the Internet access and cell phone service.  It is very slow including mine with Verizon.  I had to go to the library to write the blog today and catch up on email. There is also a long 25 minute drive from the campground to get off the base. 

According to the website the "MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Mobility Wing which provides day-to-day mission support to more than 3,000 personnel in its immediate command, along with more than 50 Mission Partners comprising over 12,000 additional personnel, to include the United States Central Command and United States Special Operations Command . It is a force capable of rapidly projecting air refueling power anywhere in the world. MacDill also bases the Aircraft Operations Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose NOAA Corps flies "Hurricane Hunter" missions in WP-3D Orion and Gulfstream IV aircraft."  General David Petraeus is stationed here.   We have found security to be very tight here for obvious reasons.

For now we have been staying close to our campsite.  John has been cleaning the motorcoach and doing lots of maintenance.  I've been cooking, walking Jimmy, and reading.  We took a long walk yesterday on a trail at the campground. It was a pretty walk out to a lake and eventually led to the golf coarse.  Some of the forest was very dense and it made us realize how difficult it must have been for explorers when they first arrived here. 

We met this guy along the way.  He was very busy trying to find something to eat and barely noticed us.  There is a lot of wild life right in the park.  Last night John saw a huge great horned owl. 



We plan to go explore Tampa and St. Petersburg soon.  I think we are really going to like it here.