April 17 - May 5, 2026 - French Toast - Lunch-Kill Switch- Rib Roast Dinner - Porch Railing Repair - Cat Gate - Garage Carpet - Crawfish Dinner

My Blog Reflection

What strikes me is that there's a very fine line between success and failure. Just one ingredient can make the difference.

Andrew Lloyd Webber

April 17, 2026:

Early this morning I dropped the truck off at the shop for a scheduled appointment. When we got back from Florida the brake fluid reservoir was down to within a half inch of the bottom. There was no fluid anywhere around the master cylinder, or any wheel cylinders, or on the garage floor. This had happened before and they couldn't find any leak. Late morning the shop called and they found that the master cylinder was leaking into the brake booster. $800.00 for the part to repair it. What could I do but "ok" the repair? I need brakes!   

I decided to make French Toast for breakfast. I cannot eat French Toast without thinking about my former employer and friend, Ray Kreitz, and his wife, Sarah. Ray owned Western Display Service in St. Louis and when I was in college and law school he employed me part-time to help decorate grocery stores, car dealerships, and taverns, for the Christmas holidays, and for other jobs he had around his house.  

We started the Christmas decorating the weekend before Thanksgiving and worked both days of every weekend until we finished. Back then the grocery stores were all closed on Sunday, which allowed us to work much faster without customers to work around. The owner would show up, lock us in, and we would call him when we were finished so we could go to the next job. 

We started at 5:00 a.m. and put in a full day to get as much done each day as possible. Ray would have me come to his house about 4:00 a.m. so Sarah could make us a nice breakfast. She always made French Toast and it always had Apple Butter on it. Ray loved Apple Butter and he often bought me a jar at one of the grocery stores where we worked. They were great people and working for him is a great memory. 

I stayed in touch with Ray over the years until he got dementia. After he died Sarah moved to Oregon to be near her daughter. She and I communicated by letter for several years until she didn't respond anymore.

One day in May of 2021 my daughter, Erin, was contacted on Facebook by a lady asking if she was related to me. The lady was Sarah's daughter-in-law and she was trying to get in touch with me. Sarah was 93 years old and on her deathbed. She told her daughter-in-law that she would love to talk to me before she passed. I can't remember the daughter-in-law's name but Erin gave me her number and I called her. The first call I made Sarah was sleeping and the daughter-in-law said she would call back. A few hours later I received a call and talked to Sarah, who was obviously very weak. We had a short but heart-warming conversation. As I hung up the phone I couldn't help but feel extremely touched that this lady, after decades, had expressed talking to me as one of her last wishes. Her daughter-in-law messaged me later that day that Sarah died  that very day. I am so thankful for that conversation and the daughter-in-law's effort to contact me.

April 18, 2026:

Bob and Ronnie invited us over for a late lunch. Bob made up a dish of country ham, fresh asparagus, bowtie pasta, and onions, all sauteed together. It was quite good and there were no leftovers.

For dessert they served a homemade Apple-Mincemeat Pie, which was topped with a generous amount of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

After eating we had a nice visit before heading home for the evening.

April 19, 2026:

When we returned from Florida the grass needed to be cut desperately. I found the lawnmower battery to be totally dead. I had this problem before and under warranty they replaced the ignition switch, which they said was drawing power even when turned off. I'm not sure if the dead battery this time was from sitting all winter with the draw of the LCD hour meter on it, or if the ignition problem still exists. 

It is a pain to disconnect the battery, which is up under the seat, so I purchased a battery disconnect switch from Amazon. When it arrived it was MUCH more heavy duty than I envisioned from the picture. The switch and mounting bracket are both heavy duty steel. It is a switch used to cut off battery banks in a huge yacht or motorhome. Nonetheless, it will work. 

This mower is a commercial mower and the frame is made of 3/16 or heavier steel, all of which is powder coated to deter rust. Because of this I didn't want to drill a new mounting hole where rust might form if I didn't have to. I looked around and found a slot in the metal frame near the rear wheel. I was able to bolt the switch bracket on there. Here are two pictures of the install. The switch location works out to be convenient because I can reach it from the seat if needed.

Kelly invited John and Carlene over for dinner. Kelly made a standing rib roast and roasted asparagus. Carlene brought potatoes and onions as well as a dessert.

The meal was delicious! This was our first visit with Carlene and John since they came down to Florida in early March. We never run out of things to talk about with them.

April 21, 2026:

I worked on Alexa's front porch stair rail, which is loose at the bottom. We have the exact same railing in Florida and had the exact same problem. There is no way to take the rail apart from the base to attempt to tighten it or strengthen it in any way. The base is riveted into the concrete step. It is not made to be taken off. 

Here is a picture of the rail base area. The arrows point to where the post fits into the base and becomes loose from years of use.

Last year in Florida I roughed up the entire area and coated all around the post and base with a layer of JB Weld. JB Weld is a thick epoxy which contains some metal and sets up like iron. The repair in Florida worked great so I'm making the same repair to Alexa's rail. Here is a picture of the first coat of JB Weld. It is crude because is is like working with sticky toothpaste. It will be sanded down and a second coat put on, which will also be sanded before painting.

We both had a hankering for tuna casserole so Kelly made one for supper. She likes crackers on top, I like cheese on top so she made half and half. It was quite tasty and will make several meals for us.

April 22, 2026:

Back at Alexa's house I ground down the high spots on the JB Weld stair rail repair and put on a second coat of JB Weld for more strength. I will let it set for twenty-four hours and then grind and sand everything smooth. It should then be ready for paint.

In the afternoon back home I took advantage of the beautiful weather to sand a rusty area of one of our patio chairs and paint it with two coats of rust inhibiting paint. It looks like new. 

I then called about the truck, which was has been in the shop since last Friday. Eric told me they ordered the master cylinder and it ended up being the wrong one. The bad news is that only Toyota makes the exact replacement for my truck. The price for the part went from $800.00 to $1,300.00! I have no choice but to pay it. I need brakes. If the part comes in tomorrow it should be ready by Friday.

April 23, 2026:

At Alexa's house I pushed on the stair rail to check its strength and the JB Weld immediately cracked. What? Apparently the strain I put on it with a strap to make the rail plumb was just too much for the JB Weld. I had to grind some of the JB Weld off and fabricate a piece of metal for a brace on the opposing sides of the post to handle the strain. After I screwed on the metal reinforcement pieces I again coated everything with JB Weld. I will let it sit for a couple of days to cure totally. This result was not expected.

 

In the afternoon Kelly, Alexa, Aaron, and I went out to the lake lot to cut up a couple of big limbs that had fallen, and to burn brush that had accumulated. We planned to use the brush fire in the fire pit to roast hot dogs and make smores while there. We cut up the big branches with the chainsaw but decided it was too windy to burn brush. I had some charcoal in the shed so we built a small fire in the pit for roasting the hotdogs and smores. Aaron's cousin, Corey, was in town so he came out to the lake and joined us for dinner. Kelly brought along a salad she had made and it was eaten as well. I had two hotdogs, but no smores, I don't care for them. I neglected to take any pictures.

April 27, 2026:

I picked up the truck. The bill swelled to $1,990.00 with an oil change, tire rotation, and inspection. Easy come, easy go.  We made a trip to the Rural King store in Cape Girardeau to purchase a metal gate that Alexa wants installed between her house and the garage to keep the cats in the backyard. We also stopped at Harbor Freight and bought some cheap wheels to put on the gate so Alexa can roll it open and closed. I also made a couple of brackets to hold the gate in place at the house and at the garage.

April 30, 2026:

John and Carlene had new flooring installed in their basement some time back. I asked them to save me a piece of the old carpet so I could replace the carpet I have in the garage to catch dirt from being tracked in the house. I unrolled it today and laid it down. It looks much better than the old green carpet that had been down for about 20 years. The light color may not last too long. LOL

May 1, 2026:

At Alexa's house, after a final sanding of the JB Weld repair, I spray painted the area with white paint. Here are a couple of pictures. The railing no longer wobbles.

May 2, 2026:

Alexa, Kelly and I headed to the Apple Creek Winery where we met Carlene and John for a Crawfish Dinner. I haven't eaten crawfish for a couple of decades. It was much too cool and windy to sit outside.  We didn't know what to expect for the crawfish dinner. We ordered four of them and each contained: 2 lbs of crawdads, a couple of new potatoes, and a half corn on the cob. Here is a picture as we begin to dive in. There were no crawfish to take home. Alexa took all the bodies home to make a seafood bisque.

It was a great meal and a great visit with great friends. I was the only one who sucked the heads. LOL

May 4, 2026:

Today I went over and installed the two brackets for Alexa's "Cat Gate". Alexa is thrilled with the gate. Here is a picture. The wheels allow her to roll it along the garage wall and out of the way when not in use.

There was no drip edge installed over the old cellar door, only a piece of rubber tacked on the top of the door. We tore this off when we rebuilt the door sometime back. Without a drip edge, during the last big rain the water cascaded down the outside wall and into the basement steps. I couldn't find a drip edge for this type of installation in town so I ordered one online. It arrived a couple of days ago so Aaron and I installed it. I was quite surprised at the thickness and quality of the aluminum.  Here is a picture of it installed before the next rain hits. It should deflect all water on to the door and away.

May 5, 2026:

Happy Cinco de Mayo to everyone!

 

March 31 - April 16, 2026 - Flight Home; Scooter; Easter; Grass; New Bridge; Cemetery; New Drawer; Scooter Battery; Doctors

My Blog Reflection

A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open.

Frank Zappa

March 31, 2026:

Celina drove us to the Tampa Airport. We arrived three hours early due to uncertainty about the TSA workers not being paid and a good chance we would have a long delay getting through security. As it worked out it only took us 28 minutes to get through. As a result we had a long wait, no big deal.  

We flew Southwest because they do not charge for a carry-on. We each had one. Allegiant flies out of the St. Petersburg airport, which is closer, but they now charge for each carry-on. This policy made flying Southwest cheaper. Another advantage to flying Southwest was they fly into the St. Louis airport, which is closer to my sister Renee's house. Renee and Jim were picking us up and we were spending the night there.

When I asked for water on the flight this is what I was given, along with a bag of about six pretzels. It was not a bottle of water like we received in the past. When flying now you better not be too thirsty.

Renee made a great Lasagna for us for supper. It was compliments by a nice salad Jim made.  We spent the night at their house and borrowed Renee's car to drive down to BJC for my bone and CT scans. After the scans we went back to their house and visited until Alexa arrived from Perryville to drive us home.

When we got home I could not believe how tall the grass was. It had to be foot tall. I am not exaggerating. I found the lawnmower battery completely dead. I've had trouble with this happening in the past so I am going to install a kill switch on the battery. Once the battery was charged I mowed on a high setting just to knock it down. It still left clumps of grass everywhere. It will need to be mowed again before the rain comes this weekend.

April 2, 2026:

After the long day yesterday I slept in rather going walking at 5:00 a.m. We unpacked the bags and went through the pile of mail which accumulated over two months. I then gathered all the documentation I needed to have our taxes done and took it to our accountant. On the way home I stopped at Alexa's and helped her get the lawn mower started after sitting all winter.

Later in the afternoon I rode the scooter to several auto parts stores in Perryville looking for a new fitting for the positive cable on the lawn mower battery. I found one, fixed the cable, and reinstalled it.

April 3, 2026:

I rode the scooter to the park at 5:00 a.m. and walked a lap and a half with Gary and Wayne. This was enough for me after not walking for months. They walked another lap and I headed home. 

I got on the scooter and after a two second "grunt" it was clear that the battery was dead. I sat and waited for Gary and Wayne to finish their last lap. I needed a ride home to get a charger. When they arrived I told them what happened. The battery is under a plate that is screwed down under the seat. Gary had a phillips head screwdriver in his truck so he opened the battery compartment. He checked the battery with his meter and it was dead. 

Wayne had a portable jump charger is in his van so we hooked it up and the scooter started right up. I decided to get the scooter home. Gary would follow me. Even with the jump charger connected to the scooter battery the scooter lunged and would only go about fifteen miles per hour. Once I got home we checked and apparently part of the problem was that Wayne's jump charger needed to be charged as well. 

At the house Gary agrain tested the battery and it was only 10.2 volts. Time for a new battery. I surmised that if the battery is not fully charged the fuel injection system doesn't work properly, thus the slow and lurching speed. Here is the battery I took out. I found a better battery on eBay with free shipping and ordered it. It will be here next week. This battery only had tabs on top for connections, rather than lugs. I made sure the new one had lugs.

I then cut the grass again trying to further chop up the grass clippings. It worked somewhat.

April 4, 2026:

We had lightning and thunder from 2:00 a.m until 5:00 a.m. with quite a bit of rain. By 10:00 a.m. we had three inches. The rain is supposed to stop today but it will be a while before I can cut the grass again.

Alexa came over for an Easter brunch since she is working tomorrow, Easter Sunday. 

April 5, 2026:

Bob has been a little under the weather recently and he and Ronnie weren't going anywhere for Easter so we invited them over for dinner. Kelly cooked a ham, and made potato salad and candied carrots. It was served with a nice bread. Bob and Ronnie brought a walnut pie for dessert. Everything was delicious. 

After dinner we had a nice long visit and got a nice selfie.

April 7, 2026:

I purchased grass seed and peat moss to fix a number of bare areas in the lawn where weeds had killed out the grass. In the afternoon Alexa and Aaron came over and helped get the areas scratched up, seed down, and peat moss spread over the top. Actually they did all the hard work. I just threw down the grass seed. Even that wore me out. The project took about three hours. I so appreciated their help. If I would have tried to do it by myself it would have taken me a week. 

Here are some pictures of the spots of new grass seed and peat moss. I hope this effort will produce results.

The spot in the middle is one of the tree stumps ground out.

Now I have to consistently water these areas, which are spread throughout the yard, so it will be a bit of a challenge. A sprinkler just won't do it.

April 8, 2026:

Kelly and I were out and about and decided to drive down to the river to see the progress on the new Chester Bridge. Driving toward it I could not take a picture but here is a picture of the old bridge and new one from the Missouri Department of Transportation. This was taken just before the last piece of road bed was installed recently. The bridge is projected to be completed in July. It will be a major improvement.

On the way home we took a detour through the river bottom farm land. My mom was from the town of Belgique in the bottom. The town is entirely gone due to many floods over the decades but the church cemetary remains and is well-cared for. We stopped and looked around, something I had never done before. I found a replacement headstone for my Great Grandfather. He came over from Belgium and opened "A. E. Staelens Undertaking and General Repair Shop" in Belgique. I have a picture of his building. 

Mary was his second wife. My grandmother's mother either died on the trip over or shortly after arriving. We cannot find her name or anything about her. Kelly thinks they may not have been married since we can't find any record. My grandmother had no great love for Mary telling me she was mean to her.

April 10, 2026:

Today we worked on tearing out the the built-in cutting board in Alexa's kitchen cabinet and converting it into another drawer. In the old days a cutting board was built in on which to knead bread, thus it was built to be quite sturdy. Gettin all of the framework out was not easy. I modified a drawer that we took out when installing the dishwasher to fit this space. 

April 11, 2026:

We loaded the lawnmower on the trailer and went out to the lake to cut the grass. We are going to be putting the lot up for sale soon. We just don't use it anymore. Actually we never did use it much. In twenty years of ownership we probably only camped on it twenty times. It needs to go.

For dinner I grilled a rib eye steak and some asparagus Bob grew in his garden. Yum!

April 13, 2026:

First thing in the morning I went to my accountant's office and picked up our taxes and signed for them to be electronically filed. Of course we had the privilege of paying Uncle Sam some more money but we will get a little back from the State of Missouri. 

The new battery for the scooter arrived by mail. I am happy with it because it has much better lugs to connect to the scooter. For the last battery I had to make push-on adapters. This is the second battery I have had to put in the scooter. That is not bad for owning it for twelve years. She runs like a top now.

April 14, 2026:

Today was blood work, office visit, and injections at the Siteman Center in St. Louis. Afterwards we made an obligatory trip to Costco to spend our customary $200.00. LOL

April 15, 2026:

We installed the "revamped" kitchen drawer at Alexa's, nailed moulding around the dishwasher, and fired up the chain saw so Alexa could cut up the remaining log from the dead tree we pushed over last fall in her back yard. 

I then went home and finished cutting the grass just before we received a half of inch of much needed rain. I couldn't believe how much the grass had grown in less than a week. I was delighted to see that some of the seed we sowed about a week ago was coming up nicely.

April 16, 2026:

The truck goes in for repairs and maintenance tomorrow. After that we head back up to St. Louis to visit with the radiology oncologist about radiation for bone pain I am having. I didn't know they did radiation for pain. We will learn what it is all about.  

And that's the news from Lake Wobegon. 

 

March 21 - 30, 2026: Turtle; Park; Balkan Cuisine; Country Music; Rock; Visit; Ladies Lunch; Fort DeSoto; Packing; No Kings Rally; Social Sunday

My Blog Reflection

I borrowed this reflection from one of the "Embracing our Differences" works of art which will be discussed below.

Getting older may seem terrifying, but only the luckiest people get to experience it.

Minh Le

March 21, 2026:

Returning from a quick golf cart trip to Walmart for some eggs, I came across this turtle crossing the concrete path. She was about the size of a football and was wet from just having left the adjoining holding basin. She definitely was not a land turtle. Considering how thick she was I believe she was headed somewhere to lay her eggs. Look at the bulging area below here shell. So cool.

Kelly found a park in St. Petersburg which is displaying 50 billboard-sized works of art all with messages about "Embracing our Differences". It was a beautiful day so we drove downtown to have a look. The display is set up in a city park next to the University of Southern Florida and a marina.

The first display as you approach describes the process of selecting works for the exhibit. I was blown back by the number of entries from 125 countries, 48 states, and 574 schools. 14,904 entries were received and 51,674 students participated for this 2026 exhibit. What a great project!

Each billboard-sized picture had a message in the bottom left. I should have taken close-up pictures of each message to go with the picture. Here are a couple of my favorites. In the middle at the bottom you can read the name of the picture.

It was quite moving to see these works of art and the sentiment expressed on each. I found it sad that we have to keep reminding ourselves we are all part of the one human race.

The park adjoined a marina. After walking the exhibit we sat on a bench by the water perusing the various boats and yachts moored there. This is just one of the marinas in the area. There are a lot of people with a lot of money and/or a lot of companies with big tax right-offs.

March 22, 2026:

Continuing with Kelly's goal to sample different cuisines while here, we had lunch at Luna Euro Grill and Cafe. It was food from the Balkan area of the world.

The menu was quite different. To start off Kelly ordered a Turkish Coffee before her meal. The way it was served was quite unique. It is extremely strong coffee served with cubes of sugar which you dip in the coffee and then eat. 

Kelly and I ordered their sampler platter called "A Taste of the Balkans". It was a combination of Cevapi, Pljeskavice, Sudzukice, and grilled chicken served with sliced onions and European-style bread. All items were quite good. The bread is freshly baked in house. 

Celina ordered "Burek with Meat, Pita with Cheese", which is made fresh. We were warned that it would take twenty-five minutes to prepare. It is a dish made of sausage and cheese wrapped in pita dough and then wound around to fit on a plate. I tasted it and found it quite good as well. Celina had enough left for another meal.

After lunch we headed to Seminole Community Library for an hour-long presentation by Paula Bradley on women in early Country Music. The program is designed to honor the often-overlooked female artists who helped shape America's musical heritage from its rural beginnings. It was entertaining and informative. The Carter Family was the first family of country music having recorded over 300 songs.

Patsy Montana's "I Want to be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" was the first female written and female performed song that was a million dollar seller.

Cindy Walker wrote 500 songs and Willie Nelson made an album of her songs.

"Tennessee Waltz", which was recorded by Patty Paige, was written by a woman. It is one of the biggest selling country songs in music history. 

The program ended with Patsy Cline's 1960 song "I Fall to Pieces". It crossed over from country to pop. The rest is history.

March 23, 2026:

This morning we purchased a new folding chair from West Marine to replace the one that ripped. While the frame is aluminum it is much heavier than I would like for carrying around. I like that it has straps so that I can carry it like a backpack when folded up.

Last year brother-in-law Jim and I dug out the mulch that was in the front flower boxes and replaced it with white marble chips. The chips look great but settled a little. I decided a few more bags should be added. The more rock the less chance of weeds. On the way home we stopped at Home Depot and picked up six bags of marble chips to add to the front box. 

After all of that hard work of dumping six bags of rock (LOL), we headed to the pool. I visited the hot tub first then into the pool to float around on a pool noodle. It was relaxing. The weather has been fabulous.

March 24, 2026:

This morning Kelly attended her last ladies "Coffee Klatch" of this season since we are leaving next Tuesday. She enjoys meeting with some ladies once per week. 

Celina's friend, Marilyn, and her husband, Keith, have a place in Avon Park, Florida. We have been there a couple of times to visit them over the years. Marilyn, had a stroke earlier this winter while down here. She is in a nursing rehab unit. In addition to the effects of the stroke, Marilyn was already about 90% blind and 90% deaf. We decided to ride along with Celina to visit her and Keith. We all sat outside. When they took Marilyn for her lunch, we headed across the street to Culver's to grab a bite. When we got back to the nursing facility Keith said Marilyn was sleeping. We visited with Keith for a while and then headed home. Keith is waiting for Marilyn's condition to improve enough that he can take her back to Northern Missouri where they live. He has put their Florida place up for sale.

March 25, 2026:

Since we fly out next Tuesday we are purchasing as little groceries as possible. We always buy milk by the gallon but today I purchased a half gallon so that we don't waste any. We have two steaks left in the freezer and we got both of them out. Probably tomorrow I will grill both so they don't go to waste. Any leftovers will make great sandwiches.

Since folks are starting to leave, the coffee klatch ladies planned a late lunch of fish today at "Glory Days". Husbands were invited so I went along. I love the seafood down here but the fish I ordered today was a little greasy. Disappointing. 

March 26, 2026:

Kelly is Secretary of the Red Hats, a ladies social club, based at Roberts RV Park where we used to winter. Once a year the ladies have an outing at Fort DeSoto Park and invite the husbands along. This year for lunch the ladies provided fried chicken and everyone brought a side. The food was all great and there was plenty for all. 

This is one of the wheelchairs available in the park for pushing a handicapped person on the beach. Even with the balloon tires I believe it would be a chore to get someone down there and back in the deep loose sand.

It was a gorgeous day so after lunch most people headed to the beach. Kelly and I were the only ones who walked all the way to the water's edge to sit. Here are a couple of pictures from there.

Kelly dipped her feet in and reported that the water is warming up. There were a number of "youngsters" who enjoyed the cool ocean water. We watched them play.

After we sat for an hour we headed back toward the pavillion. Some of our group had gathered in the sand closer to the pavillion to visit and catch some rays. Here are a few pictures. Some of the people I knew, some I did not.

After about another half hour we all decided we had enough sun and headed back to the pavillion to clean up and head home. It was a delightful day at the beach with a number of delightful people. 

March 27, 2026:

Today is our daughter Erin's birthday. She is doing a huge presentation today for work so we wish her the best for that. 

Since we are leaving Tuesday we are starting to deal with what needs to be done to close the place up. First thing this morning I pulled off the sheets and mattress covers and washed them. We also took the opportunity to turn the mattress. I hate king-sized mattresses. They are so bulky and hard to deal with.

This will be the first time we fly home and leave the car here. I pulled down the two carry-ons we are going to use for the flight home. I started packing things I knew we wouldn't need for the next couple of days. Packing a small carry-on is sure different than packing up the car! Kelly's rock polisher takes up most of my suitcase. LOL. I will take a backpack with the computer and iPad in it, along with my medicine and some snacks.

In the afternoon we had a nice video chat with Erin and wished her a Happy Birthday. She said her program's "launch party" went quite well. For her birthday her boss sent her a dozen fancy donuts.

Four year old Free was home. Upon seeing the donuts he pointed to the four he wanted. When Erin said "Shouldn't I be able to pick the donuts I want for my birthday?" He said "Sure, just don't pick those four!" You gotta love how that little guy thinks. We then talked about working out details to bring him to Missouri for a couple of weeks this summer. He is only off school for one month for the summer break.

March 28, 2026:

This morning we attended one of several "NO KINGS RALLIES" in St. Petersburg. The one we attended was at the Tyrone Mall. Attendees lined Tyrone Boulevard, on both sides of the streets, for well over a half mile. Here are a couple of pictures. This one was to the right of where we were standing and stretched out of sight.

This picture was to the right and extended up to the intersection.

We were told that one thousand had signed up to be at this location but the estimate was that well over four thousand attended. As we waived our signs at cars going by I estimated 80% either honked in ratification, or gave us a "thumbs up". We found that to be quite encouraging. The organizers were giving out signs and this is the one I grabbed to waive.

Our neighbor across the street in the park is a big Trump supporter. Instead of a Trump flag this year he flew a "Don't Tread on Me" flag. Kelly bought a flag to fly to counter his flag  but decided not to fly it, not wanting to cause any trouble. It was a perfect flag for this rally. Here is a picture of us with both my poster and her flag.

Waling behind us was a man with a megaphone leading us in various chants.  

Here are a couple of pictures of posters people displayed as they chanted.

We stood in the sun for an hour and found that we needed to get off our feet so we headed back to the car. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with the turnout of people of all ages and the response of the drivers going by. 

It will be interesting to hear on the news the total estimated turnout in the various rallies in St. Petersburg. I also saw where there was a large turnout for a "No Kings Rally" in "The Villages", which is a large retirement community north of us and probably the most Republican area in all of Florida. Maybe there is hope.

March 29, 2026:

Today is "Social Sunday" here in the park. There is a "Social Sunday" once per month during the season from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. For $10.00 a light meal is provided including drinks and ice cream. After the meal there is music for those who wish to dance. Today was a sell-out because it was catered by Olive Garden for the first time. Everyone would get a $15.00 Olive Garden meal for $10.00 plus free wine, beer, soft drinks, and ice cream, all complements of the "Nuggets Club" here in the park. The Nuggets Club is the main club in the park. The Park is "Golden Gate" thus the name (gold) "Nuggets" for the club 

Kelly and I went up to the clubhouse at 1:00 p.m. to help set up. As it turned out a LOT of folks turned out and by 1:15 p.m. all was done! 

The fellows from Olive Garden brought the food and set it all up.

What a spread! The meal included: Salad, "Make Your Own Pasta", Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, breadsticks, and ice cream. No one went away hungry.

Kelly and I helped serve the meal and clean up. It was our last activity before we leave Tuesday morning. We stayed after and enjoyed the music. 

March 30, 2026:

Today is pack up and close up the house day since we will be leaving tomorrow morning. This will be the last blog from Florida this season. We enjoyed ourselves even though it was only for half the length of time we usually stay.