TURTLE HOUSE AT ELVIRA’S ROOST, MT OLIVE SHORES, POLK CITY, FLORIDA

March 24, 2022

Overcast With Rain

Temperature 75 Degrees

Changes

Last Friday we got a new neighbor. Actually, to put it more correctly our neighbor got his new house. This one had been a long time coming. Three times prior they had given him a delivery date, and three times they failed to deliver – literally. But the fourth time turned out to be the charm. In the picture above the house is actually coming at you. They usually deliver the home to one of the gates and then use a Bobcat with a hitch to maneuver the house in the development and place it on the lot.

The installers had arrived earlier in the day to prepare the lot for the home. They needed to add some fill and deliver the blocks that it would finally sit on.

Here comes the house! It’s one of the smaller ones at 480 square feet. Would you believe even at this angle the refrigerator never moved.

Over the edge and moving back toward its final placement. I’m one of two in the development who is responsible for the proper placement of each new home. It has to be 15 feet from the front property line and 7 1/2 feet from the side property line. We measure, and measure again since we sure don’t want to move it more than once!

One its in the proper location it is placed on cinder blocks and leveled. It is then anchored to the ground as prescribed by government regulations. Over the course of the next couple of weeks the stairs will be installed, as will the A/C, and all utilities. Finally, it will be completely skirted.

That was the change to the neighborhood.

There have also been some changes to Turtle House. Hey, you didn’t think I would let my son Adam get away with doing nothing? Of course not.

Floodlights were changed at the peak on the shed

The old TV antenna was removed.

Of course since he had once been a plumber, I decided to put him to work again. This time in the front bathroom.

Out with the old and in less than an hour we had a new ADA chair height toilet installed. Of course it also has a slow close lid!

He hung two new shelves so that my turtles could be properly displayed.

Then there is this, a new ceiling fan in our bedroom. Last Friday night as I was just drifting off to sleep I heard a funny crackling noise which seemed to be coming from the old ceiling fan. When I looked up imagine my surprise when I saw blue sparks shooting out of the motor housing! Suffice to say that old fan and light quickly got the deep six and Adam installed a new unit.

That’s it for changes. We continue to make our way down The Road of Retirement and we’re starting to sing Willie’s song on the road again. Time. indeed, to get back to what we love doing. The planned jump off date is Wednesday, April 6th. We have a planned route of about 7,000 miles. Now, some say we’re foolish, what with the price of fuel. But hey, if I have to I’ll stop mid-trip and get a job at McDonald’s so we can get back home!

Thanks again for stopping by today  We always appreciate your company, and your comments and suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, live to the fullest the days that God gives you.

Our continuing mission remains the same: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before