Fernandina Beach

We had a fun day yesterday, traveling to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island with Bob and Bonny Herman. Fernandina Beach is a very historic town, as it was the beginning point of the first east-west trans Florida Railroad in the 1850s. Fernandina Beach had a very natural harbor, and apparently this was a boon for the area, as this port was booming in the 1800s. There were at least 2 forts guarding the waterway, Amelia River, into Fernandina Beach.

There is a great walking tour (we drove for part of the route) of historic homes, and there are a ton of them... Doctors, tug fleet owners, ship chandlery owners, and yes, even saloon keepers built magnificent mansions. Lots of gingerbread and wrap around porches. And those great painted lady color schemes.

The photo above shows us in the rear courtyard of the Florida House, Florida's oldest hotel that is now a B & B and a bar/restaurant. Lots of galleries and unique shops throughout the pleasant downtown area. We also had a lunch at the wharf area on the Amelia River. Had to get a shot of this painted hippie van.

Earlier in the day we went through Fort Clinch State Park also on the island, checking out the camping amenities. It looks like we will try to stay there a few days before leaving the area. One RV loop is right by the dunes of the Atlantic, and it looks great.
Afterwards we ate at Sonny's BBQ, and learned how to play Farkle at the Herman's trailer. Today we had a "catch up day" at the trailer. It was the first day in quite a while that we had 'to ourselves', and we got a lot of work, cleaning and sorting done at home.

Thought for today: No man is ever too busy to tell you how busy he is.

Full day

This was indeed a full day. We had breakfast this morning with Don and Connie Sarver, and then saw them off at about 11 am. It was so nice they were able to visit for a week. We truly enjoyed our time with the Sarvers. They are on their way west now--safe travels!


We then met with Bob and Bonny Herman to visit the Kingsley Plantation, a National Parks System Historic Site. The plantation is on Fort George Island, east of Jacksonville and bordering the Atlantic. The plantation was a trip back into history, seeing the remnants of the slave quarters, set in an arch near the gates to the compound. The main house is under restoration, but the grounds were simply beautiful and well kept. The house faces the Fort George River, and is amid gorgeous palms and mossy oaks.

Tim stands near the ring of slave cabins, made of tabby (cochina shells + mixture, covered with a plaster)

Zephaniah Kingsley moved to Fort George Island in 1814 with his young freedwomen wife from Senegal (he freed her and married her in 1811 when she was 13). The plantation produced Sea Island Cotton, sugar cane and Indigo, and had 80-100 slaves at its peak. As Florida became a state, its legislature made laws more stringent for slaves. This irked Kingsley, as his view was that slaves were part of the plantation 'family'. He ended up moving to Haiti where he could function without such repressive (for his family) rulings.



We had a picnic on the grounds, thanks to Bonny for packing some dynamite chicken salad sandwiches, tea, cherries and chips.

After touring the plantation, we went on to the Herman's campsite at Little Talbot State Park, touring the park and part of the seashore. Bonny fed us once again with spaghetti and snacks. It was a very full day.

A view of the main house looking towards the Fort George River

Sticky Fingers, friends, and protons

left to right: Bonnie Herman, Connie Sarver, Ellen, Tim, Don Sarver, and Bob Herman

Earlier in the week we had a lunch out with the Sarvers and the Hermans at Sticky Fingers, a great BBQ Rib Restaurant just north of here. Wow, the food was very tasty, extremely tender ribs and a choice of 5 different bbq sauces. A great part of the dining experience is the blues music piped through the speakers. Awesome!

We have been having a great time with Don and Connie, as we share, talk, play games and poke around the Jacksonville area. With the cold snap we haven't been to the shore yet, maybe Sunday. Don did most of the work on getting the jack replaced. I think I could do the procedure if I had to, now that I saw what went where. Maybe not, I don't have all the tools Don had to do the job.

Bob and Bonnie left for a state park near the ocean, as Bob has less than 2 weeks left in his treatment. We really miss their little silver bullet Airstream and their caring and loving company. We still see them at the Proton Center, and plan on doing something with them next week.

Treatments are going well....16 to go. I lose count pretty easily, but I think that is accurate. Each treatment goes by so quickly, and time, since starting the treatments, have literally flown by! My gantry crew is awesome, it is obvious they really care and are always so amiable, nice and genuinely smiling. They are always interested in what is going on in my life.

Two of my 'usual' and very nice gantry crew, Kim and Ashley

The lobby at the PTI is like a round table of nice folks all in the same boat, but enjoying the time we have together. Not unusual to have 10 chairs or more pulled into a circle of sharing and talking. What a pleasant experience.

Thought for today: A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

brrrr and BRRRR

The frost was on the pumpkin this morning. Well, there are no pumpkins in sight, but it was on the beautiful crabgrass outside our 5th wheel. Tonight will be worse, as temps are expected to plummet to the low 20s. brrrr.

So diligent RVers must detach and drain water supply hoses and use the fresh water tank and water pump, so we are an 'island' against the harsh winter. Not a big thing though, as we hear the lows in ex-hometown Fort Dodge are over 50 degrees worse...with lows in the minus 20s. Now that's BRRRR!

Today I hope to have Don Sarver help me replace an electric stabilizing jack that I broke over a month ago. I had a brain fart when moving to this site and must have had too much pressure on it and a weld broke, allowing the footpad to be loose and free from the leg of the jack. I am amazed how I can continually screw up---mechanical knowhow is not my strong suit--some are big some are little mistakes, but all are part of the learning process, so in a way this is good. It would be great to cultivate a little bit of 'preventive' understanding of possible consequences of my actions, kind of like measuring twice and cutting only once.

Halfway done, and RVers arrive.

Halfway through my proton treatment today marked to midway point in my 39 days of proton radiation! I am now on the downhill slide! To date there still are no "bad" side effects. I am continuing to enjoy the company of my gantry crew--Tom, Kim, Jenna, Monica and the two Ashlee's (sp?). And the treat of going to the PTI is being greeted by the receptionist Marquita, a real sweetheart, always smiling and so pleasant.

Yesterday Don and Connie Sarver, fellow full-timers from Ohio, pulled in to FlaMingo Lake RV Resort to visit us for a week. What a great thing, as we had not seen them since last Feb-March in Tijeras New Mexico. We met at the Gypsy Journal Rally in Casa Grande, AZ last February. Last night they shared their Alaskan experience, a four month trip to the 50th state. All the sights and activities sounded like so much fun and full of natural beauty, that we are thinking about someday trying to get there in our rv. Someday!

In the meantime, it is Jacksonville and the PTI...and that's ok.

Frequency, Urgency, and Fun

I now have had 17 proton treatments, and so far have only experienced 'minor' side effects---by minor I mean not becoming incontinent or impotent, which are high probablities with other treatments of prostate cancer. Specifically, 'minor' for me is an increase in frequency and urgency of urination, which my caseworker, Kristi Helow explains as expected because the proton radiation is affecting the urinary system as some parts of the system are right there at the prostate. Part of the problem is that my bladder doesn't completely empty, hence, it 'feels fuller sooner'. I am not a scientific/medical person, so I perhaps don't use the correct terminology,but it makes sense to me.

As the jokes go at the weekly luncheons at the institute, I am increasingly aware of the location of restrooms and public bathrooms where ever we go.

We have met so many nice folks that are in the same situation as we are. Right here at Flamingo Lakes RV Resort there are five other couples (plus another arriving in about a week or two) with trailers, motorhomes or fifth wheels. There is always someone to visit with or do things with... and this is very nice for social butterflies like us.

Today we are headed for the Cedar River Seafood Restaurant in Callahan (12 miles north) with 3 other couples...ah, an all you can eat deal! A night ago we played bridge with next door neighbors Bob and Bonnie Herman. Saturday is a dance with live music here at the park, and at least one other couple is going to that. Our social calendar seems to be filling up!

Bob also helped me (ok, he did all the work!) attach a pvc pipe under the belly of our Excel to hold our spare sewer hoses. I thanked him profusely for doing the work, to which he said 'no problem I really like doing this kind of thing'. My comment to that was I was 'glad I could make him happy'.

Thought for today : Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here, we might as well dance.

Mr. Tekkie, that's me

Oh yeah, Mr. Tekkie, that's me...I solved my camera download problem by finding out my camera battery was not strong enough to do the operation. I am just so proud of my technical savvy.
So here are some shots of our recent visitors, Alec and Charlton Pendry.


We went to the big Jacksonville Farmer's Market---Here's Alec.

Ellen, Charlton and Alec (with radishes) are some happy produce shoppers. The next photo is not Alec nor I...It is a hyper realist resin sculpture by Marc Siljan. We got to see his exhibit at the Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art. He plaster casts live models, then casts the resin into those casts, putting it together with glass eyes, wigs, clothing and a fantastic job of hand painting the figures. Siljan is from my birth city of Milwaukee Wisconsin. These sculptures are eeire to view, like you are getting into someone else's space.

No pictures

I am having trouble downloading photos off our Kodak digital camera, so I am frustrated that I cannot enhance these postings with colorful visual records. Arrrggghh! I may have to lean on the Geek Squad. It is probably some amazingly simple thing I am doing wrong. Last time I had a problem with the camera, Mr. Geek Squad very politely showed me how to make sure the battery was pushed all the way in.

Today will be my 15th Proton Treatment for my prostate cancer. After tonight, 24 to go! It is amazing how quickly time is going by now that we are in the groove of treatment, plus having friends and family visit, plus knowing and having fun and time with folks we have met at Proton Institute of Florida.

Our nice weather might be ending today, as a front will move in tonight with rain for a day, then highs will return to Jacksonville's normal highs of around 65-67. We have thoroughly enjoyed the balmy weather, with highs often in the upper 70s and low 80s.

Had a nice comment yesterday (published it, check it out) from a Nertz enthusiast...If you are one too follow the website the person mentioned. We play occasionally, but enjoy it, so we are Nertz amateurs.

Visitors from Iowa

Wow, time is zipping by...We had visitors from Iowa this past week, as Alec and Charlton Pendry drove down here from Fort Dodge, Iowa. We had a great visit!
The first day, Wednesday, was Proton Institute Day as we four (plus RV neightbors Bob and Bonnie Herman) went to the Lunch Bunch, hosted by Gerry Troy, PTI Administrator. Free food!!! Later the Pendry's went through the 2+ hour tour of the Treatment Center. Finally we all hung around til I got my treatment.

We took a tired Charlton home, then drove to the downtown Jacksonville Landing because, after all, it was New Year's Eve! We walked around amid a throng of Nebraska and Clemson fans (Jan 1 was the Gator Bowl, won by the Huskers) and waited for the scheduled fireworks at midnight. 2009 arrived with a brilliant and constant display of dazzling fireworks. There wasn't more than a second without an explosion, and after about 15 minutes the finale was breathtaking! It was all beautiful, set upon the St. John's River with the many Jacksonville bridges and buildings lit up.

During the rest of the visit, we and the Pendry's played games (Settlers of Catan), cards (Nertz, euchre and bridge), and talked and talked. Saturday we trekked down to St. Augustine and enjoyed a fabulous day of sightseeing and shopping. We also had a rousing game along with the Hermans of Catch Phrase.

Alec and Charlton left this morning with stops scheduled in Savannah, GA and Ashville, NC. It is always nice to have visitors!