Author Archives: Sparky
Houseboating – Days 1 and 2
We have left our RV for a week to travel the St Johns River in a 54-foot houseboat. We are doing this because (1) we have talked about houseboating for a while and this was an opportunity to try it, (2) we had a timeshare week banked with RCI that was about to expire and … Continue reading
Good thing it ain’t Massachusetts
Last winter in Massachusetts we got buried under 100-plus inches of snow. This winter, in Florida, we have gotten over 14 inches of rain – in December alone. If we got this precipitation in Massachusetts we would have over 140 inches of snow. That would be worse. But the rain is bad enough. I haven’t golfed … Continue reading
Kiss my ring
My search for my ancestors continues. I researched my maternal grandfather’s Murray lineage back to 17th century Scotland, but got stuck on trying to figure out just which William Murray was my great-great-whatever grandfather. Scotland in the 17th century was filthy with Murrays. You couldn’t swing a caber back then without hitting one. So I … Continue reading
Genealogy
I love a good mystery. I have been an avid reader of whodunits for most of my life. I cut my teeth on The Hardy Boys. Arguably my best Christmas present ever was a set of 40-plus used Hardy Boys books when I was 10. All of which goes to explain why I like genealogy. … Continue reading
Close shave
Last Saturday night Jett and I were playing cards (Hand, Knee and Foot, of course) with neighbors. Showers were expected, but it was a nice evening and so we were playing outdoors, on the picnic table, under the RV awning in case of rain. Just before 7pm we all received weather alerts on our cell … Continue reading
Hand, Knee and Foot
One of our favorite pastimes is playing cards and our current obsession is Hand, Knee and Foot. This is a variation on canasta which requires six decks and nimble hands capable of holding 20 cards or more. Like standard canasta, the hand initially consists of 15 cards and points are scored for canastas (7 of … Continue reading
Christmas lights, Florida style
Those one or two of you who have been reading this blog for over two years, you may remember that Jett and I celebrated our first Christmas in Florida by going on a boat tour of Christmas lights in Port Charlotte. Viewing lights on land from the water while dressed in shorts and T’s was … Continue reading
Spiny softshell turtle
We have grown accustomed to seeing gopher tortoises on our walks to/from the dog park here. There are at least two that frequently come out to bask in the sun and to dine on grass. But recently we encountered a spiny softshell turtle, a weird duck of a turtle with a pointed nose and a … Continue reading
Dizzy dog
Grace just turned 15. She has, until recently, not acted her age. On a recent trip to the dog park she was romping with a 2-year-old German Shepherd. But last Thursday she approached me at 7:40am, sitting on the sofa with my computer on my lap and gave me a get-me-up-there look. So I lifted her … Continue reading
The residency adventure
I think I mentioned that Jett and I are becoming Florida residents. We have both been residents of MA for a LONG time – 48 years for me and Jett’s entire life. It is, like selling the house, another big life transition. We knew it would take some work – we need to establish a … Continue reading