The PTB's are back... well at least some of them!

Last Monday a handful of the Palm Tree Bikers headed out to Fort Wilderness for the first 2012-13 season bike ride. Thanks to Judy we have a photo report of the days ride.

A total of seven riders left Lake Magic right on time. Pat and I along with Jim and Marti and Buzz and Darlene  caught up with Jim and Judy on 192. I'm not sure they saw us. We passed them and then they past us. They both had their eyes on the road. In spite of two of us hanging out the car pounding on their door they didn't even turn their heads! (You can tell they're used to driving among Floridian drivers!) Anyway, Jim and Judy were first to arrive and they were greeted by a sign that stated,  "Parking for registered and guests with lunch or dinner reservations only!!! Yikes!! What's that going to do to our riding at Fort Wilderness this year. We'll have to do some looking into this. I'm going directly to Mickey Mouse in the morning!

The ride was short. (Kinda like this report!) Truth be told, every one's butt was sore from not being in the saddle over the summer, the legs got weak and lunch was beckoning! However, no one dare give any clues that any of the above issues were bothersome. It just seemed at about the half way mark of the ride, everyone started looking around just waiting for the first person to suggest...... lunch! The decision was easy, they headed for Trails End. "Big D" was their waiter, who was excellent, and he tempted them with the "Big D" favorite, the pulled pork sandwich.

Everyone had a great time and they're looking forward to Celebration this week. Once again Pat and I and Buzz and Darlene have other plans we need to take care of. I know Jim will not be there, he's in training.

Thanks to Judy we have some great photos to show you..... (Oops, I forgot to add one of Judy's photos.
Better late than never.)

(Ahhhhhhh, that's better.)

You can guess what time of year it is!

The "pack rats" are back!

Hey, shut the door!

Rose! Over here!

Hey look, a Halloween "Smart Car!"

That's cool. A ship that sunk in the dirt!

This camper has three extension cords going to his neighbors sites!

This site looks like the corner site in the 100 section.

Smile!

Hey, what's with the "outsiders" in the other color shirts!

All in all they had a great time and want to "rub it in" to all of you still up north.

Kidding aside, we are all praying that "Sandy" will weaken and spare everyone in the Northeast from harm and damage.

By now you know Darlene and Buzz returned to their site and were greeted by Jim and Marti's handy work and Pat and I helped.

We covered nearly all of Buzz and Darlene's site pad but I'm sorry to say that the chalk was too light to see against the concrete. But they got the message!

Buzz, Darlene, Jim, Marti and Pat and I headed for the "New Fantasyland" tour.

This was a Cast Member exclusive tour and it was packed. Under the "Beast's Castle" (above) we took in an interactive show, "Enchanted Tales with Belle" hosted by "Lumiere" and "Belle."

This is fun for the little kids. Almost a dozen guests are picked for "roles" as they "act out" a story.

We only got to do a "walk through" of the "Be Our Guest" Restaurant. (Note: Some (either very lucky or connected) Cast Members were given vouchers for a free lunch. And, no we were not that lucky!

We got to see some really awesome new "animatronics" (sp) in "Under the Sea~Journey of the Little Mermaid."

I tell you the new "animatronics" are so life like!

"Gaston's" favorite "grog spot" "Gaston's Tavern.

We spent two hours in the New section and walked through the older section which has also undergone some rehab.

We ate at "Uncle Tony's" surrounded by so many beautiful pictures of "Lady and The Tramp."

We napped in the "Hall of the President's

And, tried to make it until "Wishes" but we all agreed it was just a bit too much and headed home.

In all it was a great day. We just can't wait until the "Seven Dwarfs Mine" water ride opens!

Pat and Darlene have been busy getting Darlene and Buzz' fifth wheel interior ready for the season, while Buzz tends to the outside of the camper.

We had a Halloween Party at DisneyQuest and I dressed up for the event.

I put on dungarees, a dress shirt and stuck a name tag on my shirt that said,

H"i! I'm Jim's Dad!"

If you don't know who "Jim's Dad" is I can't help you. That's Meredith on my left. She and another CP (Wil) gave me the idea for the get-up. Wil (and a few others) couldn't get over how much I looked like Jim's Dad ( Eugene Levy below) in the movie "American Pie."

Oh well, I got a few laughs and didn't have to do a whole lot!

I'll leave you with the winners of the Party's "Best Costume".......

(Did you notice the picture with just Darlene's hair and face in it?)

Theyyyyyyy'rrrrrrrre Baaaaack!

The "migration" is in full swing! Lake Magic is waking to our returning "snowbirds." Garry and Judy made camp and headed out to visit with relatives in another state but their motorhome is looking like they never left. "Faces from the past" Jim and Marti returned from OR and look great. The story is that Jim was longing to return to work at Disney so he set an appointment up for an interview and seasonal jobs are few and far between right now so to open up his opportunities he opted to go part time for this year. Gee, the first PT position that popped up just happened to be the Friendship Boats in EPCOT.... do you think he "jumped" on that! He's "going to sea" on the 27th.

Yesterday we stopped off to talk to Jim and Marti and were checking out any "new" vehicles in the park and low and behold there was a red (bug covered) compact car parked in front of Jim and Judy's fifth-wheel. Pat and I wanted to make sure there were no "varmints" near their camper so we headed over to check their site out. We knocked on their camper and Judy bounded out to welcome us and then Jim! We took the opportunity to go to Mass together and do lunch and a "walk-about" in Downtown Disney. Our spontaneous "reacquainting tour" was great fun and just getting back together with some familiar faces was awesome. Jim and Judy told us that Ray and Rose have also returned! We haven't caught up to them just yet, I think the "New Homeowners" are like "newly weds" on their "honeymoon" doing some "me" time getting reacquainted with their new digs. We'll put an end to that in short order!

Revived knowing that Pat and I are no longer ALONE down here we went to bed knowing that this is it, it's going to get busy from here on in.

We both woke up early, still excited knowing the "the doldrums" are ebbing, I checked my email this a.m. and there was a surprise greeting in my inbox. Steve is back!

In addition to all this news, Darlene and Buzz are on the road and hope to arrive ASAP!

In other news, Angela is having a difficult time keeping Bill "in line" since his shoulder replacement surgery. He keeps sneaking out to the garage to "just check things" in the garage he needs for their trip south after the holidays. Bill got a new bike rack (and bikes) just prior to his surgery and he's got to just "LOOK" at them!Angela had to have their son "Little" Bill install a whole house video security system just to keep an eye on Bill in case he's trying to do something physical he shouldn't be doing. (Trouble is Bill's an electrician, he knows how to bypass the system!) What Bill doesn't know is that "Little" Bill inserted an intelligence camera in their dog "Maggie's" collar! Actually, we hear Bill is recovering very well... he's got the red marks on the back of his head (from getting slapped by Angela) to prove it!

So, WELCOME BACK "OLE" FRIENDS! And to those of you in transit, packing or soon to head out, we're eagerly awaiting your return and wish each and everyone of you a safe and enjoyable journey.......

NOW GET DOWN HERE!!!!!!

***JUST IN- - - Pete and Joan are on their way and should be here this Monday! ***

A Tale of Two Stories

I must be getting lazy! My last post was Sep. 11. It's like I'm back in the workforce! Pat's visit with Darlene got me into a work routine that makes me want to think, "what am I doing!" No more excuses. Pat's back home and I have a couple of stories to pass on.

First, the balloon is back!

New characters, color scheme and what a difference!

You all know that Disney is well into the Halloween mode and you can have your photo with the main two characters of the latest Tim Burton Movie "Frankenweenie" Jack and Sally.

The lines were huge!

(A note to all you Disney Cast Members, Disney is offering a Cast Member exclusive preview of the "New" Fantasyland here in the Magic Kingdom. This will be offered (on the HUB) for a limited time. You will be able to take with you the number of guests on your Main Gate Pass. The tour will last about two hours and you can stay in the Magic Kingdom for the entire day and will NOT be charged one of your passes for that day.)

Pat returned after visiting with Darlene, Buzz and Winston for just over two weeks and her flights went very well. There's something to say for traveling over 900 miles in two hours.

I got to spent some quiet time at the "Cell Parking Lot" just south of the Orlando Airport and was treated to a gorgeous evening sky.

You can just make out the "fingers of God" piercing through the cloud openings.

Pat's flight arrived ahead of schedule and we headed straight to the Earl of Sandwich.... what do you expect?

But, the best is yet to come. Our next story is from our good friends Chuck and Laura. Chuck and Laura are Blog Friends but they are also the owners of Granite Village where Pat and I resided for five years after we retired. Chuck and Laura are sorta semi-retired and are beginning to enjoy monthly excursions in all directions of the compass around these United States.

Chuck and Laura have been around heavy equipment all their lives and recently headed to the mid-west to check out a few genuine American "treasures."

At first, we were told the trip was to see the John Deere factory tour in Moline, IL. But, I think the real

reason they went was to see "Danielle." If you enjoy following along with "American Pickers" Mike and Frank you probably enjoy their interaction with "Danielle." Laura made more than one or two phone calls to get to see their shop and meet "Danielle." They found out that "Danielle" is only at the store for filming, but that wasn't going to stop them from making their way to the store.... Which Laura says is "tiny!"

They were determined to see "Danielle." They also found out a few interesting things about "Danielle." First, "Danielle" (according to our travellers) is much prettier in person. Second, (we all know) she really does have a lot of tattoos. Third, she owns her own shop (just across the street where they caught up with her) called "4 Miles 2 Memphis," and fourth, she is into Burlesque in a really big way!

Left to right, Laura, Danielle and Chuck. It's safe to say, "American Pickers" is their favorite show! 

Next stop, Moline, IL to see the John Deere factory tour... and they were in awe!

The piece of equipment below is a fascinating concept machine to debark trees

Laura says it looked like a spider with six legs with pads for feet to walk in the woods.

According to Laura they got the most comprehensive tour of the plant you can imagine.

They started with the raw sheet metal and followed the process to the finished Combine. Chuck was in his glory! The John Deer Pavilion had all kinds of machines and interactive pieces you can climb in and on.

From there they just had to see the I-80 Truck Stop and Truck Museum. They even got to dine with the truckers that evening!

That's Chuck standing to the right of the vintage truck.

Even though meeting "Danielle" was awesome, Laura writes that the highlight of the trip was their visit to Rock Island Lock and Dam 15. I'll let Laura's photos speak for themselves.

Laura writes that "the locks come under the jurisdiction of the U.S Army Corps. of Engineers.

Chuck and Laura spent but a few days taking in some true American history. They got to see one of their favorite TV show's stars and returned with a great story and many wonderful memories.

I'd like to thank Laura for sending us their story and allowing us to pass it on to all of you.

Laura and Chuck are two very special people. They beam the "New England can do" ethic and are like kids around anything with a motor! They're NASCAR and Super Modified racing fans and just can't get enough of every kind of huge equipment.

Thanks Laura and Chuck! We'll be looking forward to hearing about your next "American Adventure!"

 

What else would you do!

Unpacked and now what to do.... go to Disney World!

But, where do we go first? Not a park! ............

Where else but the "Cast Connection!"

We found a tee shirt that was embroidered. Had to have it. Disney is more into selling "press-on" appliques instead of the classy stitched ones. (Bummer!)

Now we can go to a park!

Of course you know what holiday is nearing....

The line to the "Haunted Mansion" was all the way to Frontier Town.

They're making great progress on Fantasy Land.

This will be turned into mountains.

Below is to be a grand water ride

The below "stitched" photo shows the new Castle wall built to encompass the new area. This photo is taken just behind the carosel and the Castle. The Pinocchio Village Haus is to the left.

Remember the old "Sky Way!" Well, that's gone. They removed the "mountain" where the "Sky Way" gondolas were entered! We didn't ask to find out what it is but it's looking really cool!

The photo is taken between "Peter Pan"on the left and "It's a Small World" on the right.

Disney is undergoing lots of construction in the Magic Kingdom. It appears most of it will be completed in time for the busy season... when all of you get back here!

In spite of being mid-September, the park has lots of guests.

We enjoyed our "walk about" thanks to some cloud cover.

Oh well, it's back to DisneyQuest!

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's off to work I go........

(Now that tune will be stuck in your head for the day!)

Almost there!

Up at dawn, dump the tanks, fire up the coach and head across the street to hook-up the HHR, and pray that the Low Air alarm and warning light stays off! We're leaving Amish Country! We’ve got over 1100 miles to go and we don’t need to be mesmerized into insanity with that thing going off for all those miles.


Connect the tow bar, insert pins and clips, check. Connect the power plug to the motorhome, check. Connect the break-away cable, check. Set the auxiliary brake, check, Plug in the ICX cable, check. Plug in the power plug, check. Hit the test button……., hit the test button…….. what the!!!!! After resetting everything I check the remote in the motorhome to tell me what’s going on……. “brake light switch not connected!” UGH! Sure enough, I press the cars brake lights and NO brake lights! Grrrrrr! OK, we’re not licked yet. Our HHR tail lights have their own wiring, i.e. I have all the lights I need¸ we just can’t use the auxiliary brake system for the trip!!!!

That’s just another thing we’ll deal with when we get home.

Off we go. We pick up our “Country Sausages” we ordered at Kaufman’s and head out. We just turned onto Rt. 83 in York, PA, 37 miles out and BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!! The Low Air Buzzer and warning light are talking to us! The gauge drops to zero but we press on. I know there is air and the brakes are working fine. But OMG, do we need to listen to this!!!!!! There’s no place for us to pull over, shut the engine off and see if that will reset things. Then, the buzzer went off and the gauge showed full pressure!! What the??? Onward we press. Through Baltimore, one accident. Through D.C. and into VA, another accident, this one is really bad. We see a car covered with a sheet. Then further down 95 another accident, a semi jack knifed and took out about a dozen trees!

Five hundred plus miles later and we’re sitting at the Exit 139 Rest Area in SC.

Day two and we have just over four hundred miles to go. No more than a few miles on the road and BUZZZZZZZZ! Terrific! This time, in the time if took both Pat and I to react, I look down at the gauge and the noise stops and the gauge is back up to normal! That was the last time we heard it. Thank goodness!

This is it. We’re feeling the temperature rising and the sun higher in the sky. We left MA at 42’N by 71’ W driving to 28’N by 81’W. Simply put, we are over 1400 miles further south and roughly 400 miles west of Dracut. The other thing that tells us we’re in Florida is this…..

The “Love Bugs!”

As we closed in on our destination Pat longed for an “Earl of Sandwich” veggie sandwich. We thought we’d pull into DownTown Disney and stop for a “final meal on the road.” Nearing Exit 65 we decided against stopping with the motorhome and felt it a better idea to get home and return in the car. (Sorry Laura, you know I’d just have to get “lunch and eating” in my blog somehow!)

This is the time of year to visit central FL. There were plenty of parking spaces at DownTown Disney. Pat’s idea for lunch topped off the trip beautifully.

Oh, for all of you (soon to be) returning “snowbirds” they’re widening the curvy section of Sherberth Rd. just at the intersection of the entrance of the Animal Kingdom Lodge where Oceola Blvd. ends. Also, many of you remember that Panera Bread was planned for just across Rt. 192 from Miller’s Ale House. Well, the building is roughed and it won’t be long now, …and, we’ll have another place to eat!

We were welcomed back by this little fellow....

He didn't seem very excited to see us, so I moved him to the retention pond across the street!

All that’s left to do now is clean out our “Old Friend,” and wash off all the bugs before they become part of the paint! We get to enjoy (ugh) these nasty creatures at least a couple times through the year. It took me longer to rub these buggers off than it did to wash the crud off the HHR!

It turns out there was nothing wrong with the HHR Brake lights! I'll have to review the Brake unit set-up to see if I may have missed something.

Just when you think you've got one problem solved another pops up. Our home electric hot water heater elements just crapped out!!!!!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGGGGG!