[A/S] Arcadia & Zolfo Springs, FL - Feb 25, 2001

[hhamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Hi Gang,

Whatta week!!!  The rally was nice, not as much fun as last year but still 
lots of fun.  The difference was the absence of listies.  I never even had 
the list GTG as the only listies there were George Tripp and Rick Davis and 
we hung out anyway.

Everyday I got a visit from someone I *knew* from the internet.

The first day it was Stan and Donna Mayhew...accompanied by their two big 
beautiful retired racing greyhounds.  We hung out for a few hours, they were 
really fun.

The next day I was surprised by Manny & Barbara, listies from Vermont.  They 
showed up at lunch time so I whipped up some sandwiches thankful that I had 
gone to Publix that morning. 

Then yesterday two guys rounded the corner, I knew they were looking for me, 
and was thrilled to find out it was my email friend John... he was a listie 
for a while and then dropped off.  We have been corresponding since and he 
gets my trip update letters.

I did some of the night stuff for the first time.  I went to watch the 
"Executives" I sort of hung out by the open door and listened with the pups.  
The band was actually pretty good.... they got to playing my music... 
Runaround Sue, The Twist etc.... I couldn't stand still, (I was a gogo dancer 
in another life back in the 70s) and Tucker jumped up and danced with me much 
to the audience's delight... well some of them anyway.  After the band quit 
they had the drawing for the door prizes.... George Tripp won the $100.00 
gift certificate at Airstream, Inc. I won nothing, but as I always win I knew 
I would the next night. Then we ate the ice cream they give out every night.

Friday night Fred Moore did his act...numbers from some of the Best of 
Broadway. He's actually very talented.... has a wonderful voice.  He also 
told the background of the musicals he was doing numbers from.  

Then the drawing for the door prizes again...... I won a clock radio.. it's 
nice, but George wouldn't trade. )c:

Then more ice cream.... jeez, glazed donuts every morning and ice cream every 
night....they shouldn't force people to eat this stuff.

Linda and I went back to our trailers and I made her give Brady a dog bone 
she had gotten from someone for her dog.  Grrr..... Brady lay down on the 
grass thrilled about his prize...all of a sudden was rubbing his face like 
crazy.  FIRE ANTS!!!  They were on the bone and now in his mouth.  I got him 
in the trailer and went after the little bastards.  I got them all... under 
his tummy on his feet, between his toes... and in his mouth.  My hands have 
blisters now as does his tummy. 

Saturday was the vintage open house, which I almost missed because I went to 
Captain Jack's for lunch with John and his friend Don.   It's down on the 
water over looking a marina.  Lovely.  Had a delicious Shrimp Louis salad and 
key lime pie.... 

While I was there I realized I had eaten there before..... upstairs, in the 
elegant restaurant.... years ago while visiting friends in Longboat Key.

While we were sitting there, enjoying a lovely meal....apparently someone at 
the table next to me got a baked potato and ordered sour cream for the 
top......

So, here I am sitting there, dressed up (I clean up well) and all of a sudden 
a huge glob of sour cream came flying through the air and landed smack on the 
side of my face. The waitress' aim needed some work. 

I froze almost in a panic, I had no idea what it was or why it was clinging 
to me.  My friends were practically snotting food through their noses they 
were so delighted.    

It took me a minute to see the humor in this situation..... I did have fun 
yesterday retelling the story to my lunch date though. 

Bad experiences can make for the best future stories (c:

When we got back from lunch Margo Peace was at my trailer and she introduced 
me to her husband.  "This is my husband...Lloyd Jones."  Huh?  "What's your 
name I demanded. "Lloyd Jones."  What a shock... you see my maiden name was 
Hunter Lloyd Jones.  

Anyway, the vintage thing is always fun..... I enjoy looking at the restored 
trailers and admiring the shines.

Then came the BBQ dinner...... My friend Linda and I went to Rick Davis and 
George Tripp.... I sat directly across from Wag & Jo Wagnon.... he was last 
years President of the WBCCI.  They were so nice.... she was really 
interested in me and what I was doing.  She actually said that I was so 
"different" because I was a woman fulltiming alone and YOUNG!!!  (c:  I 
babbled on and on about it.

Then Rick and Linda and I went back to my trailer and hung out missing the 
entertainment.... and the closing ceremonies.  I did walk back by as it was 
letting out and talked to a lovely couple who stopped to see the dogs.  They 
are the only charter members of the WBCCI who are still attending rallies.... 
they've been members since 1955.  Rupert and Vera Leuch.... she was so funny, 
said it's pronounced like Oink....
she said she was married for a few weeks before she could pronounce it 
herself (c:   

Last night I put my awning up all by myself, for the first time.  I thought 
about how wet everything is in the morning and decided better to do it before 
it got all wet. 

This morning I said goodbye to Linda, for now, she headed up to Traveler's 
Rest..... she'll go to Christmas at the end of the week too.  George and I 
went to Arcadia where we said goodbye and I decided to come the 20 miles 
further back up to the Escapees Park here at Zolfo Springs.

I'm going to wait til I-4 opens again before I head back up to Christmas.  I 
took Brady's stitches out myself so no rush to have the surgeon see him 
again. I read in the paper that I-4 was closed not so much because of smoke, 
but all the fence posts burned so all the cattle around there were wandering 
around on the highway.  I was tempted to volunteer to round them up if 
someone would loan me a horse.  Rounding up strays has to be my number one 
most favorite thing in the world...nothing is more fun!

I signed on here for 3 nights..... might be more.  It's a lovely park, 
inexpensive, 24 hour computer access..... I had to put the kitties in Ninja 
suits because they have a 2 animal maximum /-:  Shhhhh...... 

Hunter