12/31/15 New Years Eve!! Thursday Sanford Fla.

IT'S NEW YEARS EVE!!! 2015 is history. We feel very blessed to have had a great year and looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2016 !!!

We loaded up Paula and Jims Little Boat this morning and took fried chicken, potato salad and chips and headed out for a day on the water!!! We went to Blue Springs State Park in hopes of seeing some manatee, but None there!! The water in the lake is so warm they have no reason to migrate to the warm water there for refuge. A bit disappointing!! We enjoyed a great picnic lunch and a great hike through the park. They surprised us with Rod a new pocket knife with his name engraved on it also the parks name, and me a new magnet for my fridge that I collect on places we visit on our journey south!!

We traveled another 3 miles on up river to Hontoon State Park and enjoyed a nice stroll around that park.

The ride there and and home was a beautiful ride. 

We were all exhausted after a 6 hour day on the water!!

I took leftover chicken and made dinner for us all chicken Alfredo and green beans!! 

Showers taken, jammies on and I probably will be asleep long before the ball falls!! We are having to console Lexie this evening as the fireworks people are shooting off have her scared to death!! 

Happy New Year to all, Love, Fran & Capn Rod

Saw lots of turtles and big fish ( as the water is clear as glass in this natural warm water spring)

But no Manatee!

The welcome enter here at the park.

Our chauffeurs for the day!! I guess we will keep them, they are pretty good!! Lol

Our hunks!!! Paula said Jim looked like a pimp with the feather in his hat he found in the park! Ha

Rod wanted to nap on the ride home!! Too much to see to sleep!!!!

Big Blue Heron on a nest. Majestic!!! 

Eagle guarding the slow speed sign!! Ha

Our Limo ride today!!! Fun filled day with great friends!!

12/30/15 Wednesday Sanford Fla

Well it's almost New Years Eve and what a wonderful surprise we had today!! Our friends Steve and Glenda Little from Timberlake Church stopped in for a visit on their way to Tampa to the football game the Citrus Bowl!! What a grand time we had and shared time just sitting on our boat and talking, and playing with Lexie, and a wonderful a lunch at St Johns steak and seafood here near the Marina. We were so excited they chose to take time on their trip to Tampa to share some very special time with us!! What a wonderful blessing to end the year with their visit!!

Much love to all, Fran & Capn Rod

Long time great friends!! We are blessed!! Thanks Steve and Glenda

A great lunch on the water!! Love you guys!!

12/28-29/15 Monday & Tuesday Sanford, Fla.

Just a few more days till 2016 !!! This year seems to have went by fast. Seems like as I get older they do go by faster!! Ha 

The past few days have been filled with "how many steps can we put on Paula's Fitbit"!!! We drove over to DeBary park and walked the 6 miles of trails, what a beautiful place. WE WERE EXHAUSTED!!

Rested all afternoon but we did almost 12,000 steps recorded on her Fitbit!! Ha 

This morning Rod wanted to ride our bikes down to the Zoo. About 3 miles! I felt like that would not be a problem as I had walked farther than that the last few days!! WRONG!!! First of all this is the first year we have brought with us the small folding bicycles with us instead of the big tandem bike we have!! Never again!!! The small bikes are great for short run arounds, but not for the long hauls !!! 

We had a great 3 hours at the zoo, but the 3 mile ride back was brutal!! fInally made it back to the boat, the air conditioning was a very welcomed place to be!! Showered and out again to go over to Jim and Paula's daughters for dinner!! We enjoyed the 3 grand babies and great food!! We enjoyed a pork and rice dinner and green beans!!! Fun evening but glad to be back home and resting!! Tomorrow I plan on doing nothing very strenuous!!! Ha   Steve and Glenda Little our friends from Timberlake Church are coming through the area headed for Orlando and will be stopping by to have lunch with us!!! Looking forward to their visit. 

If I shared all the pics I took at the zoo today it will fill my blog! So I'm posting a few favorites!!

Enjoying our vacation!! 

Love you all, Fran & Capn Rod

The entrance to Central Florida Zoo!! We had to stop and rest for a bit as we had just rode 3 miles!!

Enjoyed a Garriffi feeding!! She is feeding Emma, a 20 year old that has been at the zoo since she was 4 yrs old. 

These were called Powderpuff trees!!! Blooming all over the park!!

Loved the eagle exhibit!! These 2 are rescued as they were injured and unable to live in the wild.

The end of a hot day at the zoo!!! Snow Cones!! 

Rod went out early this morning and found his prize catch from yesterday had been stolen and eaten!! 

12/26-27/15 Saturday &Sunday Sanford Fla

Christmas has come and gone!!! Only 364 more days to Christmas 2016!!! Ha 

We have had a fun 2 days post Christmas with some weather that was just incredible!! Nice wind, 85 degrees, a good day of sun with a tiny few sprinkles of rain from time to time!!  

Rod spent last night refinishing 2 Gun stocks!! Only after a evening out with Paula and Jim for dinner at Denny's and ice cream at Baskins Robbins!!!

Today Jim's 2 sons Jamie and Jeremy came over and they fished on the docks most of the day!! Several good catches!! Paula and I did a walk of the river walk, a 4 mile track around the lake!! I was pooped !!! Hehe  after a shower and some rest most of the afternoon. We went to Walmart to pick up a few needed groceries. When I returned I went to put up he groceries and Rod had moved a canister of flour to do something in the front bedroom. I picked up a canister and the lid was unlocked, so I dumped 2 lbs of flour on to the carpet!!! Yucky!!! What a mess!!! Rod got the shop vac and cleaned up the bulk of the mess then I completed with another vacuuming and wiping down the cabinets!! I hate cleaning up a mess especially when I was the one that made it!! Ha  but I feel sure when he move it he released the vacuum lid on the canister. Whatever the case it was a whale of a mess!! Ha

Tonight was left over white chicken chili and tortillas, and then game on for the 4 of us played UNO for 2 hours!! There is no mercy between husband and wife or good friends!!! It's do or die to win!!! Ha

I do have a few pics to share with you!! Hope you enjoy!!

Love to all, Fran and Capn Rod

Completed Gun refinishing!!! He found a nice hanging place in he kitchen for drying. 

By the time I got the camera he had al ready vacuum up most of the pile of flour!

  Still vacuuming!!

 Lexie had a great day fishing with the boys!!! They had a rope they we're tieing the caught fish on and Lexie stayed on guard constantly! Every time any of the fished moved she would have a fit!!! She is just too funny when it come to Fishing!! Haha

She was trying to tell me where they were!!

12/25/15 Friday CHRISTMAS DAY in Sanford Fla

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!

I do hope everyone had a wonderful day!!! Celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior and a visit from Santa!!

We spent a large portion of the morning talking and texting with the kids and grand kids about their visit from Santa. The day started around 6:30 am. Ha  Yet on a school day they just can't seem to get out of bed!! Ha

 I Fixed us ham and cheeses egg muffin omlets. We got dressed and decided to walk the town for some exercise and just enjoy the beautiful weather.  Lexie was exhausted!!! Hehe I will post a few pics to share of our adventures today. 

Paula woke this morning with a migraine so she was enable to get out all day. I fixed our scheduled white  chicken chili with corn muffins and deliver it to their boat. We will try and have our Christmas together tomorrow. We ended the day watching Jim Carey in The Grinch that Stoled Christmas!!

 Fun relaxing day!! Enjoy my pics from today!

Merry Christmas!   We love you all,  Fran & Capn Rod 

A 10 ft peinguin made totally out of Hay!! It was too cool!!!

An osprey is just like a developer, find an empty space and build a house on it!!! Hehe

The Vetrans memorial here on the riverfront walkway!! Can you see the rainbow? It was spectacular!!

Selfies on our kayak ride around the lake!! We love our kayak!! 

There will not be another full moon on Christmas until 2035!!! A truly beautiful site over Lake Monroe.

12/23-24/15 Wed & Thurs Sanford, Fla

WooWhoo!!! Tomorrow is Christmas Day!!! Still seems hard to celebrate when it 88 degrees!!! The heat index here today was 92 degrees!!!! We rode our bikes what seemed like 10 miles through town today just wishing everyone we past a Merry Christmas!! What a fun day!! I made potato and corn chowder with corn muffins and invited Paula and Jim over for dinner. Paula came with a big bowl of bacon crumbled up and in the pot of soup it went!!! Yummo!!!!! We still don't really know what we will do  tomorrow as everything is closed. We did decide we had enough ham lately sooo we decided we will make white turkey chili for tomorrow's Christmas supper with tortilla chips!! We had so much turkey left over from last week and I pulled all the meat off the bones and froze it. A difinitely non traditional  Christmas dinner!! 

Rod and I opened our gifts from each other tonight cause we could not wait till morning!! Ha

Pics are posted below!! We will FaceTime the kids and grand kids tomorrow morning to see what Santa left under the tree for them!!! Always exciting to see!!!

We really are enjoying our free time and spending lots of time with each other!! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!! We love you bunches!!

First Crappy caught today on Christmas Eve!!! I wonder how many fish Jesus ate? Haha

And his fishing assistant is right on his heels watching every move of the cork!!!

We saw this car parked at a tire store as we rode through town today!!! I wonder which elf drives this car!! Hehe

My new gold necklace and 2 charms!!! From my soulmate!!

My new Miche purse!!! I wonder how he obtained this when he did not go to the Christmas show!! hum!!  He must have had an elf there!!! Hehe aka Sherry!!!!

A new Columbia shirt !!! Allie told him plaid was in style!!! Hehe

Lovin him some new shirts!!

His favorite !!! New wallets and colored pens for his art work!! And a book, which is always a hit with Rod!

12/21-22/15 Monday and Tuesday Sanford Fla.

OMG!!! 3 days till Christmas and they are telling us It will be the hottest one in like 80 years!!! Me I can love a hot Christmas, I have no problem spending the day in shorts and sandals!!! Ha

The last 2 days have been quiet and restful (we are on vacation), and lovin the beautiful weather!

Last night we did get to witness a historic event as we watched the Falcon 9 shuttle take flight to deliver supplies and Christmas presents to the ISS AND the rocket put the shuttle into orbit and then the rocket was brought back to earth and landed safely on the ground!!! First time in history!!!! We were so excited!!! Seeing history made!! It can be used again saving millions of dollars!!!

Today Paula and Jim took us out on their 17ft maxim for a ride around Lake Monroe!!! What a great 3-4  hour adventure. Lots of bird sightings and incredible landscapes and scenery!! It was 82 degrees here and sunny skies all day. I do have some pics to share with you. We rested up this evening, Rod and Lexie did some fishing off the dock, had some dinner and a little TV for a bit. 

Just a relaxing fun day!! 

Hope all are ready for Santa!!! He's coming soon!!  Love to you all, Fran and Capn Rod

Lexie begging to go out on the dock as her Daddy is fishing out there without her!! Ha

Looks like the moon but nope, ITS THE  FALCON 9 shuttle lift off!! 

Moving to outer space!!

These are Sandhills cranes!! Humongous birds!! These were standing outside the back door of a home we went by!

These were on the edge of the water. Beautiful birds!!! They are about 4 ft tall!!!

I big red shouldered hawk watched us pass by! We saw 9 bald eagles today but I could not get one on camera!! 

Can you see the great blue heron sitting on the nest?

We had a good laugh seeing this patriotic houseboat docked up the river!!! Hehe

Some one made a Santa sandman on the river bank!! Hehe 

Never gets tired of fishing!!!  Him or her!! Ha  She stares continually at the fishing float. 

WOOWHOO!!! Caught one!!! Actually he caught several!! Lucky fish no frying pan ready so he got to go back!! Ha

12/20/15 Sunday Sanford, Fla

HAPPY SUNDAY!!!  What a beautiful day here in Sanford!!! 72 degrees here today!! After all the wind and cold weather yesterday It was welcomed!!! We got up early and started preparing for the family Christmas party with our friends Paula and Jim. The guys carried over and set up at the picnic area at the park across the street from the marina. Paula and I showed up with red and green stripes in our hair, my hair being soooo white it really was a colorful site!! Ha 

We enjoyed a great day with all their families and ate till we could eat no more!!! Ha

Exhausted this evening, Lexie got in a good walk and Rod and I have done NOTHING else this evening!! Great surprise while I was resting my Kitchen Fairy, aka Rod, cleaned up all my dirty dishes!!

I few pics to share with you this evening !!!

Love to you all!!! Fran and Capn Rod

The entire Spence Family!!! So glad to be included in this wonderful family's Christmas gathering!

Paula and I taking in the swings!! I can't believe we did not get a close up of our red and green hair!!

Here you can see the colors in my hair!! Lovin on a sweet baby girl Finley!! She loved my necklace! This is one of Paula and Jim grand babies!! 

Lexie just loved Rods bucket of minnows for fishing!! I took these yesterday when Rod  was preparing for a day of fishing. 

At home Rod fishes with shrimp!! Here the fish love minnows!! Lexie is just so fascinated!!