Author Archives: Sparky
Egrets, pelicans, cranes, storks and eagles
Our RV site at Gulf Waters RV Resort is right on a man-made pond. It is a beautiful site which we are enjoying very much. We knew that the view – of the pond, the clubhouse and the fountain – would be a constant source of pleasure and serenity. But we didn’t expect to have … Continue reading
New flooring
Our RV is less than 2 years old, so the flooring that it came with was not worn out. However, Jett never liked the carpeting and, with 2 dogs who have had their share of “accidents” and a husband who tracks in a lot of dirt, the carpeting in the living room area was dirty … Continue reading
“Taming a Sea-Horse” by Robert B. Parker
Dell Publishing, 1986 There are books where the genesis of the title is obvious, like Green Eggs and Ham. There are books where the title is not immediately obvious, but is revealed in the reading, such as The Hunt for Red October or The Red Badge of Courage. Then there are books which, when finished, … Continue reading
Pickle ball
My new sport is pickle ball. It is like playing ping pong while standing on a very large table. The court is the same size of a badminton court (44 x 20 feet) and the games are almost always foursomes. A tennis court is 78 x 27 feet, so the recreational space is more efficiently … Continue reading
New Year’s Eve at Gulf Waters
Our home for the winter, the Gulf Waters RV Resort continues to impress us. Thanksgiving dinner exceeded our expectations. The meals served weekdays at the Tiki Bar have been consistently good. The breakfast yesterday was, as one of my neighbors put it, “one of the best breakfasts I have had anywhere.” So we were expecting … Continue reading
Dizzy dog, 2016
There must be something about December in Florida that Grace does not like. It was just over a year ago, in early December 2015, that Grace had her first bout of vertigo. It wasn’t funny as I thought she way dying. But she recovered. Mostly. She has had some stability problems ever since and generally … Continue reading
“Shadows of Steel” by Dale Brown
Berkley Edition, May 1997 If you are familiar with Dale Brown’s books – particularly those that feature Patrick McLanahan as the protagonist – then you will already be aware that this book is chock full of whiz-bang military hardware, outlandish military threats to the United States and save-the-country heroics by McLanahan. In this case the … Continue reading
Christmas morning, 2016
Christmas 2016 is going to be very quiet for us – nobody to visit, nobody coming to visit. There will be some phone calls and some email greetings, but mostly it will be a day like any other. But it is Christmas in Florida and it is serene. The picture on the right is a … Continue reading
Christmas lights, 2016
We are all decked out for Christmas. It took us maybe 2 hours to get the job done. A wreath on a palm tree, a stupid little green solar-powered snowman light (why a green snowman?), two spiral tree decorations and, inside the RV, a Charlie Brown tree. Compare that to the all-day effort – usually … Continue reading
“Deception Point” by Dan Brown
Pocket Books, 2001. Dan Brown is best known for The Da Vinci Code and its sequel, Angels and Demons, both of which were made into movies starring Tom Hanks. Deception Point was published between those two blockbusters, but the story is unrelated, has a different cast of characters and, as yet, has not been made … Continue reading