Dennis and I first came to this park for the month of February, 1998. I drove down with Faye, Joyce, Larry, and Gary who spent the first 2 weeks with me. Dennis was still working so he came down for the last 2 weeks. We rented a 2 bedroom trailer right across the road from Bill and Anne who were the ones who recommended the place to us and we really enjoyed our stay.
We rented again for 3 months in 1999 after Dennis had retired and again the following year but that's when we bought our own little trailer just before heading home in April. We had come to love the park and the residents, especially.
I never thought Dennis could be happy staying for 6 months in a trailer park but he seemed to love it even more than I did. He took great pride in our little trailer and kept the grounds around it beautifully seeded with rye grass all winter. He raked at least 3-4 time a day to keep the live oak leaves from accumulating. I'm more sociable than he was and made a lot of friends very quickly but he did make close friends with the few that he came to like a lot...like Ron W. who everybody loved because he was so much fun, and Vic who played guitar and had a little group who jammed together every Monday night (Dennis played his guitar in that group).
When Dennis passed away in 2005, he assumed I'd sell the trailer because he couldn't imagine I'd be able to take care of it but I did with help from the good people in the park. I hired some but many would just show up to help if I had some sort of problem. That's how these people are and one of the reasons it's been so pleasant to spend my winters here.
And now it's 2020 and it will be my last winter in the park. The first reason was because I got so sick again when I got here (I think I catch whatever is going around and we're always in touch with large groups of people on a daily basis) but then Shelley and John bought a beautiful beach house on Satellite Beach where I can stay during the winter months. The stars have really shone down on me for the blessings I've received in my old age. I have a wonderful family and wonderful friends...who can ask for more?
We had our Canada Day dinner at the clubhouse last night and it was so much fun. Canadians and Americans alike partied together without ever a thought that we originated in different countries. It's always been like that. There were 7 at our table...3 Canadians and 4 Americans (Dee and Mitch, Norma and Charles, Bonnie and John, and little old single me). The food was excellent and the music and dancing was, too...lots of 50's and 60's songs. I'm going to miss so many people but I will be able to meet up with Dee once in a while and Norma, Randy, and Janet who live right near me back home.
I still have a month to go here at the park but hope to spend some of that with Shelley and others at her beach house. Kim arrives tomorrow for a week and Cindy will get here on the 25th so I'll see my other daughters soon! We'll celebrate Shelley's birthday on April 3rd and then Cindy and I will head home a few days after. And that will be the end of my winter in Florida until next February when Faye and I go to stay at the beach house, health and circumstances permitting!
I'm especially looking forward to seeing the babies back home who made their arrival while I've been away...my greatgrandson, Jackson, and my greatgranddaughter by marriage, Sylvia. Of course I'll also be thrilled to reunite with my greatgrandsons, Nolan and Nash, and hope they haven't grown taller than me while I was gone!
Life goes on, doesn't it?
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