January 7, 2022

Temperature 75 Degrees

Five Minute Jobs

So let me ask, what do you see when you look at the above picture? OK, yes, this is sort of a trick question. At first glance I’m sure to most of us it looks like a wall switch. That’s what I saw at first. But oh no, it soon became one of those famous five minute jobs.

You know the ones I’m talking about. Give me five minutes and I’ll have a new switch installed. Sure.

A wall switch is usually a wall switch unless it is a wall switch in a manufactured home. Such as our home. Now in our home the switch is rather unique. It is a box with a back underneath of which you’ll find the wires pressed in place. Meaning, you can’t just run down to Home Depot and grab another switch and install it. You either have to find an exact duplicate switch which means finding a store that sells fixtures for manufactured homes. Or, you can get brave and bold and charge forth and change the switch out for the type found in most normal homes. Which means first purchasing an old work electrical box and modifying the wall opening to accept it. Next, you need to get a typical wall switch and plate and install both to the box you just put in place. See what I mean. Just give me five minutes!

Here’s another one for you. What do you see on the front of each of the drawers above? Careful how you answer. My first answer would be drawer pulls. I’m sure you answered the same. Well, normally. Just give me five minutes and I’ll have them and all the others in the kitchen changed out.

OK, all those on the cabinet doors were one, two, three. Unscrew the old from the screw holding it in place and screw the new one back on. Why should the drawers be any different? Why, I don’t know but they were. The front of the drawers were thicker, the screw was longer and it would not, I mean would not screw into the new pull. Here we go again. Now, we need to take a twenty minute ride to the Depot. Once there we needed to find the right aisle and bay. Now, screws in hand and paid for a twenty minute ride back home. Finally, I can finish putting the new pulls in place. Just give me five minutes.

So it goes at Elvira’s Roost. A switch here, a cabinet pull there, lights in the shed, the outside porch light, and so forth, and so on. So many five minute jobs. But don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. In a weird sort of way I’m having a lot of fun.

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.

January 5, 2022

Temperature 73 Degrees

Rotary Butterfly Garden

Sometimes in our travels here and there, to a doctor’s appointment or to the market, we see things that we make a mental note of for later exploration.

Such is the park we visited this past Sunday in Auburndale which is a town located close to our home. The town was first founded by Frank Fuller and originally called Sanatoria for a hotel by that name located in town. When the railroad came to town, the town renamed itself Auburndale after a town of the same name in Massachusetts.

In one corner of the town park is the restored historic train depot that is now a municipal building.

As with many Florida towns, it was the railroad that played a major role in the development and growth of Auburndale.

This 1961 ad clearly illustrates Auburndale’s role as a key link in the Seaboard Line’s route through central Florida. Though Amtrak still passes through the town it no longer stops here.

Moving to the other end of the park, we entered

the Rotary Butterfly Garden.

Through some research on the internet we learned that: the garden has been made possible through donations by the Rotary Club of Auburndale and funding from the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency. The garden features over 30 different types of plants that are Florida-Friendly (native and non-native, drought-resistant plants). The plant selection has been designed to attract a wide range of Central Florida butterfly species to feed on the nectar of our flowering plants. There are also several species of flora that serve as host plants to particular butterflies. For example, Milkweed is the exclusive breeding ground for the popular Monarch Butterfly. Similarly, the Florida State Butterfly, the Zebra Longwing, uses Passion Flower to lays its eggs.

It was a picture perfect day when we visited and we spent a delightful hour walking the various pathways in the park.

So that is where we are at on The Road of Retirement. Hope you had a great day.

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.

Monday Memories

First Published August 2019

World’s Largest Toy Museum Complex 

Today would be another first for us.  We were going to another museum but none like we had been to before.  All we knew about it was from what we had read on line.  It sounded good so why not since we didn’t know when we would be back in this area.

Up and dressed and off we went.  First stop was at McDonald’s for breakfast.  That finished we continued on our way.  Within minutes there it was and now having been there I can honestly say that line about Over a Million Toys is not lie!  The Museum began in  1988 in West Texas when Tom and Wendy Beck bought The Don Bauer Toy Museum.  After adding extensively to their collection they made the decision in 2001 to move to Branson, MO.  A building was obtained to house their new to Branson toy museum.  They continued to search out new additions, donations were accepted, and soon they were out of room.  To make a long story short, the building next store became available and was added to the original building.  Today it is the largest toy museum in the country.

Before you even get inside you’re treated to some neat sights.

Come on, we’re going to tour building one today.  You’ll love it.  You’ll also probably find yourself saying time and again as we and so many others did I remember having that toy!

This is the lobby.  Here are two ready to greet you.

This guy will help too.

Even the rug is kind of special and one off.

Before you even get to the hundreds upon hundreds of toy display cases we find Micky and Minnie out for a spin.

I know we’re here to see toys.   So toys it will be from here on in.  We’ll start with cars tonight and after that, well after that just you wait and see!

Here is our first display case, cap cars and battery operated cars.  The cap cars were used to startle unsuspecting neighbors with a loud pop; and, the battery operated cars often had working headlights and moved on their own.  Both were usually fashioned after vintage cars of the day.

A display of vintage race cars.

Look what I found in the one display case.

There was a display case devoted to the cars of NASCAR.

Remember the VW Beetle?

Who doesn’t love buses?  Looking at them brought back memories of driving a school bus for some 15 years.

Who doesn’t love Hot Rods?  There was my 1952 Chevy with a small block V8.  The days I worked at the drag strip.  Now those were interesting days.

Remember Hot Wheels?  They zoomed onto the scene in 1968 and were an instant success.  Decked out in flashy colors and decorated exteriors kids couldn’t get enough of  them.

Anyone out there ever have this?  They were one toy makers response to the Hot Wheels Cars.  Their claim to fame is that they were faster than any other die cast car at the time.  They had a small hook under the front bumper so that they could be propelled by a lever driven catapult.

What toy collection would be complete without a motorcycle or two?

We have fire engines also.  Lots of fire engines.

When I came upon this display I thought immediately of my son, Adam.

Then there were trucks, all shapes, sizes, makes, and models.

I used to have an extensive collection of Hess Trucks.

Remember these?  I had one or two as a kid.

Sure can’t forget the RV’s

Tonight we’ll end with this, some of the toys that Barbara recognized as once having.

In this picture the arrow points to the doll that she once owned.

OK, we’re going to call it for tonight.  More to come tomorrow.  I promise no more automobiles.  We’ve got a wide variety of toys to view tomorrow.  So stay tuned.

Oh, if you’re wondering I sure did get a new T-shirt.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  We had a wonderful day in a really fascinating place.  Like I said wait to you see tomorrow what else we discovered.  We went expecting to spend only about an hour, well that one hour turned into four before we left.  Honestly, I don’t believe we saw it all even in that time.

Thanks again for coming along with us.  We always appreciate your company and your comments.  Catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two human soul mates.  Our continuing mission: 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

See you on down the road!

January 2, 2022

Our Lucky Coin

Yes, I know it has been some time since I wrote a blog. But what the hey, I’m going to try and get going again. I can’t promise that each one is going to hit a home run. I’m sure some will have a good bit of trouble making it to first base. Be that as it may.

So let’s get caught up. As best as we can.

The Christmas Holiday saw our driveway full of RV’s from one end to the other. The one under the port is our current rig. The one behind it is our first rig. A total of 76 feet of RV’s. Our first rig now belongs to my son Paul and his wife Brittany. Meaning, we were blessed with their company for the Christmas Holiday. Moreover, since they are selling their house in Ohio they will be living down in their rig here in our community for three months at another site. A site right behind our home on the other block. We look forward to their company for the next three months.

One of my special gifts at Christmas was from a very special guy named Proton. A special coffee mug thanking me for all his belly rubs and for always picking up after him. Proton, by the way, is no longer a runner. If we let him out without a leash he either goes to the car or to the RV. In addition he is stuck to me like glue. Wherever I go, he is sure to follow.

In terms of home improvements there have been many. However, this one is special. This is a Tiffany style lamp that my dad himself made many, many, many years ago. I can still remember watching him build it in his workshop behind our house. Panel by panel, hour after hour he would work. It hung first in the dining room in the house where I grew up. We now proudly display it over our kitchen table.

Finally, about that coin. It is a 1928 silver dollar that once belonged to Barb’s dad. It has been a symbol of good luck and hope for years untold. It was handed down to us and has always hung above the front door of every house we lived in. Well, we wanted to do the same in this our new house. Only one problem, we lost it in the folds of one of our new chairs. We were to the point of actually taking the chair completely apart to find it. But then we got lucky. Within the suspect chair we discovered a special zippered compartment. I have no idea why it is there. However, when on January 1st I unzipped it – there it was! Our lucky coin now hangs as it should above the front door of our home.

So there you have it, a little bit of what we’ve been up too. We’re entering this New Year with thankful hearts and a great deal of hope and optimism. If all goes well Barb will have her one knee replaced in the near future. Then, come April we’ll be back on the road again for six plus months. Life is good.

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. And so we shall.