Troubleshooting and Other March Pastimes!

Troubleshoot, Troubleshoot, Troubleshoot

Paula flew back to Vermont for several days to get a few things taken care of, so I am quite free to work on my March post.

Repair of Rear Slideout

Just in case some of you were thinking that motorhoming was all peaches and cream, let me inform you that March has been far from trouble-free.  A slight brush against a metal power pole while pulling away from the curb in downtown Stuart caused enough damage to the rear of a slide-out awning that we had to have replaced.  Though State Farm is reimbursing me for most of the repair, it took considerable time (and luck) to find an rv repairman who actually came to our campground, removed the damaged awning, ordered the new parts, and replaced the entire awning, including new hardware several days later.

Next, we discovered that Paula’s bicycle seat had broken (I’ll not speculate any as to the cause! ), and would need a new post after the separate sleeve is 

removed from her bicycle. We hope to get it fixed at a bicycle shop in Melbourne Beach prior to our departure from our current area.  With only a motorcycle and a motorhome, it does not give us many options to run back and forth into town with items as large as a bicycle.

If that wasn’t bad enough, our discovery of a dead motorhome battery the day we had planned to leave the Savanna’s Preserve Campground in Fort Pierce required us to find an emergency rv serviceman. He replaced the battery with a new one on a rainy Monday afternoon;

Dead Battery!

the old battery wouldn’t even hold a charge. This enabled us to get on our way only 6 hours after we had originally intended to leave.  Fortunately, we had only a short trip planned that day, and arrived at our next campground near Melbourne Beach before nightfall (with celebratory pizzas in hand)!

New York Mets Spring Training Game

Terry, Paula & Tim at Mets Game

Paula and I did get a chance to spend some time with my brother Terry, who lives in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  One sunny afternoon we attended a New York Mets Spring Training game against the Florida Marlins at Tradition Field, a few miles from Terry’s house.  We rode to the field with him, ate a “tailgate” lunch in a shady spot prior to the game, and watched a very good ballgame on a sunny afternoon along with thousands of other fans. 

The home team Mets were trailing 4 to 1 in the top half of the eighth inning and many fans left the stadium to avoid the anticipated aftergame traffic jam. It’s not over “til the fat lady sings” however!  In the bottom of the 8^th inning, the Mets scored 5 runs and ended up shutting out the Marlins in the top of the 9^th for the victory.  It sure brought home the point of never giving up or giving in, if you have a goal in mind, and especially if you have teammates counting on you! 

Campground  Friends

Evening Happy Hour with Music!

Most of our longer visits at campgrounds allow Paula (and sometimes me) to make friends and develop short term relationships with others.  During our first evening at the Savanna’s Preserve and RV Campground in Fort Pierce, we were invited to a “happy hour” with some other dozen or so campers, most of whom were snowbirds. This gala event stretched over 2 or 3 happy hours.  Paula and “Mo” entertained us with their singing and guitar playing during the early evening as we snacked on a variety of pot luck appetizers and liquid refreshments.  A good time was had by all.  Several other evenings we tried to repeat the event, but none quite lived up to that initial night.

Port St Lucie High School Dance Dept

Late on a hot Sunday afternoon, Paula and I watched a quality presentation by the Dance Department at the Port St Lucie High School.  It included selections from Chicago and the Lion King, and was very well done by some talented teens and their director. 

The number that especially caught my attention was “He Lives in Me” from The Lion King 2.  Many of you were probably moved by it when you saw the film, even if you do not remember it now.  Simba, the soon-to-be Lion King, is asked by his friend Rafiki to remember with reverence his father, Mufasa.  My father, Lewis Hess does live within me more than a little.  But when I really focused on the lyrics, I couldn't help but be drawn to my relationship with

Lion King Cast

to my relationship with our other Father, God, and his son.  “He lives in you, he lives in me; he watches over everything we see.  Into the water, into the truth; In your reflection, he lives in you.” Every day I hope that I reflect God’s love.  Serving God through others brings purpose and peace into my life.  It was a very stirring performance.

Have a Happy Easter!  

My next post will probably come to you from the Carolina's or Virginia, as we move our way back towards Vermont.

February- Early March in Southern Florida

Resting on Bradenton Waterfront (Cool Breeze)

In late January Paula and I again met up at her parent’s home in Bradenton, Florida.  (She had spent the early winter in Vermont).  Except for a couple of days when I snuck out to nearby Lake Manatee State Park, 6508 Tahitian Drive was our cozy winter home until the middle of February.  The Cozzy’s and friends at Hawaiin Village were great hosts, and ace mechanics!

Tom & Regina Cozzy

Dad, can you help me with my brakes?

We did punctuate our stay with Tom and Regina Cozzy by traveling to see Joanne (former Pines Bus. Mgr.) and Mark Blair in Cape Coral on Super-bowl weekend (160 mile round trip). 

The following weekend, we also  motored down to  Everglades City, at the southern tip of the Gulf in Florida, to attend a Seafood and Music Festival (300 mile roundtrip).

Everglades City Seafood & Music Festival

The seafood festival weekend involved a long motorcycle ride with alligators lining the highway in places.    

                                                 

The first evening in the motorhome in Naples involved being  awakened by gunshots, while the second was more restful in the parking lot of a large community church only a mile away from the previous spot.  

We attended services there on Sunday morning, before heading back to Bradenton.  {Please note that churches where we occasionally parked on a weekend were very welcoming to us, especially so if we attended a service and shared our story with them.} 

Grassroots Festival in Miami

On February 12 we drove southeastward via the Immokolee/Seminole Casino and then into the Big Cypress National Preserve where we stayed two nights at the Midway Campground.  On the 4^th morning, we drove U.S. Route 41 across the northern side of Everglades National Park through Miami onto the Rickenbacher Causeway and Virginia Key [def. = a small flat island near the coast].  The following 8 days and nights we were camped at the Grassroots Culture Camp and Bluegrass Festival.

This experience reminded me of Woodstock, as the festival was full of ‘free spirits’, and probably more marijuana than alcohol.  People of all ages and persuasions practiced yoga, slept in tents and vans, shared in the group meal preparation, and listened to bluegrass into the early hours of the morning.  Paula and I enjoyed ourselves (and Paula demonstrated a lot of patience) as we attended several days of duet singing and  

"The School of Rock"

Grassroots Festival "Midway"

songwriting workshops.  {Ask about "Poetry in Motion" and "More Than a Feeling" when we return.}  We both had similar favorite performers during the festival, but "The School of Rock" was my favorite musical group.  They were a band of teens from an area arts high school, much like the group that actor Jack Black led in a movie of the same name as the group.

Short sidetrips to Key Biscayne to have lunch with my niece, and an evening ride into Miami Beach to have dinner with Paula’s brother were especially nice diversions while we were in the area.  We also attended the morning worship service at an Episcopal church in Key Biscayne, where they honored visitors with a small bag of chocolate chip cookies!  (How about that for luring the lost sheep!)

Jerry, Paula & Bro Chris

Tim, Paula, JC and Niece Christine in Key Biscayne

Latest News from Son Chad

My son Chad, whom many of you have met, is now advertising on etsy.com for color illustrations of pets and homes.  If any of you are in the market for a gift of this type for a family member or friend, I hope you’ll think of him to provide such. 

Here is his current portfolio website and link to his etsy.com page:

http://chadlewishess.tumblr.com/ 
www.etsy.com/shop/ChadLewisHess 
 

The water color above is one that he did from the photo for a person that was evaluating his talent.  He is really quite a gifted artist  (BFA in Fine Arts from the School of Museum Arts and Tufts University in Boston), and was encouraged by artists and friends in Los Angeles to pursue this venture.  His father wishes him the very best!

Lake Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast

After leaving the Miami area on February 23rd, we drove northwest toward Lake Okeechobee and stayed in the Palm Beach County's South Bay RV campground for a short week.  This is a very agricultural area dominated by sugar cane and seasonal vegetables.  The towns in the area are obviously economically depressed (a large fruit and vegetable processing plant closed down about 5 years ago in Belle Glade).  There is a very evident migrant worker population in south central Florida, and Spanish is the language most often spoken in stores and businesses.

South Bay RV Campground - Lake Okeechobee Levee in Background

  

We left the Lake Okeechobee area and headed northeast to Stuart, Florida, and what is referred to as the Treasure Coast (due to Spanish galleons filled with treasure that sunk here during hurricanes in the 1800's) .  I'll fill you in on the rest of March around Easter weekend!  Hope you are all well.

Tim (and Paula)

12-ft Alligator