Where have we been?????

So someone asked me where have we been.... you haven't blogged in a long time.

Well, to quote THE BUS "We've been busy"

Yep, life here in the Beach is busy, busy, busy..... always something going on.

It took a couple weeks to find something nautical for the homesite, but finally did




And then the Beachgoddess (AKA Barngoddess1) has been doing yard work



Yep she has been sprucing up the yard, making it more home



Of course while the Beachgoddess is out doing this fall planting, I have been extremely busy, hard at work, slaving away......... yep working really hard and here is a pic to prove it



But dog gone it, it is hard to transform to the Florida lifestyle..... siestas at noon on the weekends, walks on the beach, bike rides.... it makes me tired.

And of course every Wednesday we have down to the Beach pavilion for the free concert. It took a few days to find a card table at the local thrift shops, then cut down the legs so we could use it sitting in our beach chairs.



It was great at the last concert, see that table and chair, look closely, the Beachgoddess' Taurus is right behind it, best parking spot at the concert.

AND WE HAVE REALLY MADE THE MOVE,

yep the Beachgoddess' Taurus, the one that the Jeep finally fixed correctly, is now at home in it's new environment.



And that's all for now, we have a community garage sale today, along with the St John's County Cracker festival, and this afternoon is the local antique car club show at the local mall......

Yep we are busy, but we are sure CELEBRATING LIFE

tom and viola

How's your sunday???

Woke up this morning to motorcycles..........

reeeeaaaallllyyyyy LOUD motorcycles...........

and it turns out that bike week in Daytona is nearing......

But this group is from Europe somewhere, haven't figured it out, haven't been able to understand a thing they are saying.......
bikes have plates from Europe, One sweatshirt had "Granne" on the back under their club name.......
Who cares, they were quiet last night until 8:30 this morning when they cranked up to ride.

Also woke up to record LOW temperatures....

56 record low in Daytona Beach.......

I guess I should drive down there with my carharts and offer them to the OleLongRoof so he can keep warm................

NAH let him suffer..........

Turns out the Barngoddess1 or Beachgoddess, not sure what she is going by these days, spent Friday with that OleLongRoof cruising the sights of Daytona while the JeepJunkie's shop fixed her Taurus. And fix it they did, better than the Ford shop I have been taking it to for the past 8 years......

Thanks again Jeep.

Temp here was fine, no a/c running, just windows open and cool great sleeping.

Reminds me of MO in a way...... NAH

So those of you up North, take the dang cold back.......

But the sky is clear, no humidity to speak of,,,,,,
so temp should warm up quickly...............

except for you all down there in Daytona......

NEED MY CARHARTS YET??????????????????????

tom

Where did you spend Saturday?

So we have been here for a month. Time flies when you are trying to set up a household and work at same time. Thanks to the Barngoddess1 for making our little mobile house a true home.

So where did you spend Saturday, 9/24/11.

We got up early (well early for a Saturday), and caught the Bus (yep good ole public transportation) to downtown St Augustine. When we drive downtown, there is never any parking, or it costs too much to park. So pop out our Senior Discounted Monthly Bus pass and 5 minutes later we are getting off the bus at the Lions Draw Bridge at 0900 in the morning.

As my little bigger brother the OleLongRoof says "It is a perfect Chamber day".

We spent the next 6 hours roaming through the historic downtown St Augustine. Found a bunch of neat shops and some beautiful architecture.

This is the cathedral (bisilica).



The Barngoddess1 even got into a discussion with a local, and the conversation was great until she realized he wasn't a he, but an ..........



So we continued in our journey to discover that unique spot .........
We walked around a corner and found the perfect place for our oldest daughter to supervise, run, operate, or whatever.... (she is a middle school principal).....
So for M, here is a great little school =>




I missed taking a picture of the school marm in the window on the second floor, but she is there...



We continued our journey and found a nice place to eat, chicken salad for Vi, corn beef sandwich with a pickle for me. Pretty good. The owner graciously gave lunch to us free (will explain sometime in the future why you don't scream into a cell phone at the table next to your only customers)..... Got a pic of Barngoddess1 at the eatery; outside in a little courtyard, trees overhead for shade... good food



Then we proceeded to continue our walk down St George Blvd, a pedestrian way that runs the length of town, north to south, plenty of shade and fun.....



The Barngoddess even found a little shop that sold hats..... and contrary to what has been previously bought, she found one that makes her look like a million bucks, not that she doesn't look that way anyway....



WE stopped at one of the pubs, they offered over 400 different beers, a whole slew full of them on tap, Vi took a glass of wine, I had a Sam Adams, and together we shared a plate of cheese and crackers. Forgot to take pic.

By then it was almost 3 pm and time to catch the bus back home, but not before one more stop at the pavillion to visit some local vendors...



then onto the bus and 5 minutes later we're home.

Caught a nap, another nap, and started to watch the MO-OU game, but decided to take another nap at halftime and woke up this am.

Needless to say we had a grand time, and are now onto the best way to visit downtown.

And enjoying this day, we definitely

CELEBRATED LIFE....

tom

IT'S DONE, YEP

OK it is final, and we are really here.

Our new address is:

Tom and Viola Lee
525 W. Pope Road #40
St Augustine Beach, Florida 32080

So now we are really part of the blue hair express.

Tomorrow we travel down to the birthplace of speed for more visiting.
Intend to use the Eisenhower systema and drive 55 mph and see how many cars and trucks pass us.............

Boy will that be fun..........

Perfect evening, slight off shore breeze, nice temp, time to go walking.

so later

TOM AND VIOLA

WE'RE GETTING THERE!!!!!

Yep, as life goes on for all of our followers around this great US of A, we are getting there.

We will soon be "Floridians" or "Snowbirds" or something like that.

But we are getting there.



A going away present for the great group at the VA Clinic in Mt Vernon was a Walmart Gift card. I was never so humbled when we read the card; and a bottle from a friend.

So in the process of getting settled in, the Barngoddess1 and I have been walking every evening. Just a stroll around the park. Well last Friday, we decided life wasn't quite complete without our BBQ grill. So off we went and bought a gas grill.
Food always tastes better over an open fire (well I consider a grill an open fire.)

Then Saturday, we were at Wally World and the Barngoddess1 bought me a bicycle. Yep a mountain bike, with 21 gears, black in color and very rideable. She thought I wasn't walking fast enough to work up a sweat. So now every evening it is ride the bike. I am up to two miles (Wednesday evening ride), but still a little sore in the back end department, but will harden up.

So now I decided that the Barngoddess1 needed more exercise too, so guess what?

YEP, I went and got her a mountain bike too. Her's is pink though.

Here is a pic of those bikes and the grill, with yours truely .


And here's what the grill looks like with sirloin steaks on it.. Yep steaks from a cow raised on our farm.



Now I didn't get too close on that picture, don't want to get our freezer of meat stolen while we are roaming on the beach.

So we are getting there. Still make contact with the group back in Mt Vernon, they will always mean something special to us.

But when we heard it was in the 40s up there this am, well we just like the 80s too much.

So folks, we are getting there and you can bet we are celebrating life in the process.

tom and viola

Where were you?

So yesterday was the big NASCAR race at Bristol, the loudest mile in the states.
So I knew where my pal Mark Martin was, I knew where Jimmy Johnson was.......

BUT WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE LONGROOF AND BBB??????????????????????????????????

They sure weren't at the best party going down on the East Coast!!!!!!!!!!!

Well maybe there were some wilder parties up north in "Irene" territory, but not down here in sunny silver haired florida land.

Three of the Lee boys got together, with their wives and one neice, sans the Private RN (but she was memoralized during the day, and we had a grand time.

Day started out slow for this old Horsefarmer. The body just didn't want to get up and move. So in true Gentleman Farmer fashion, I rolled out of the sack around 10:30am and headed for the coffee pot (EMPTY)... oh this isn't going to be a good day.

But the Barngoddess1 came through and we had coffee on our new deck.

Then it was off to Ormond Beach .... home of the famous Jeep and Longroof........sans the longroof who is out working somewhere.

We arrived early and the Jeep and his daughter Taylor (who just happens to be the catcher on a fast pitch womans softball team) and I went down to this really nice pasture to play catch. As they warmed up, I warmed up too, except I was sitting on the bench watching them. Pretty soon it was time for the Jeep to hit a few to Taylor out in that nice pasture, so this old man came to the field to catch the throw backs. Now the last time I played any kind of softball (other than toss catch with my Noble Assistant a couple times) was in 1984 in Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory. I must admit I didn't miss too many thrown back at me.
But then came time for Taylor to hit, and this old Horsefarmer went out into the field (mind you it was a perfect pasture gone to waste.... but that is another story), and Taylor would hit the balls. In no time short, and I mean about four or five balls coming out there into that pasture, well I realized I AIN'T NO SPRING STUD ANYMORE.

Had a great time though, it was fun to get out and run around a pasture again .... AND NOT WORRY ABOUT STEPPING IN COW PADDIES...

Then back to the Jeep's house to recouperate..... it looked like I had jumped in the pond I was that wet.

Then the Bus arrived. He had been down at BBB's house in Tampa and spent the night over at the vacant Longroof hacienda. I guess he had a heck of a time down Tampa way, cause he slept most of the day away.

But the three of us boys, with Viola and Cheryl and Taylor had a great time. Alas BBB and Longroof weren't here, but they were toasted several times. Yeah those kinds of toasts "Where the heck is........"

So a couple pics of Jeep, Horsefarmer and Bus, tkaen 8/27/11 in Ormond Beach Florida at the post Irene Hurricane Party.






And one of the Barngoddess1 and I at the famous Ormond Beach Garage.




So that's how we celebrated life yesterday. It was great to sit back and visit with the Bus and Jeep at the same time, and be able to hear what they were saying. Sometimes on the phone I can't understand a thing they are saying. But down here yesterday, didn't miss a thing........... except something about a concrete elephant being left at a hacienda (or something like that)

Celebrate Life friends and family, we sure did...........

Tom and Viola
Winter Floridians

1,138 miles later, it's done

So those of you who have been aware of the circumstances, we finally made it.

Yep, the Barngoddess1 and I have made the 1,138 miles journey from the farm to the new homestead in beautiful, sunny, hurricane threatened St Augustine Beach, Florida

Yep, trip was kind of uneventful, except for the awning over the slide tearing and not being connected correctly. Thanks to the Store Manager at Camping World here in St Augustine, the slide awning is now correctly connected, the tarp replaced (as it was under warranty) and we are set up.

Email address is still the same, mailing address is still the same. Farm is being taken care of by Sharks angel and my noble assistant, so no worry there.

Trying to get a Florida Driver's license is going to be a bear, thanks to Homeland security, you now need several forms of identification, a Missouri driver's license not being one of the needed forms.

How the heck do they expect you to get a driver's license in 10 days if you have to write and get a certified - sealed imprinted - copy of your birth certificate?????

We will eventually comply, but not within ten days... just hope some of the brown clad uniformed employees of this great state (those guys who visit the Jeep for auto repairs and tires) don't visit me asking too many questions.

So our first stop was Van Buren MO on the current river, copy pics of Barngoddess1 on the river bank





We ate at a place named after one of my former coworkers.... sorry to say that the meal was terrible, not an indication of his work, just the opposite.



Brother Jim came in and dropped off the Barngoddess's Taurus, so she now has wheels.



Typical Lee fashion, we argued about the best way to get there from here..........
then found out the bad news, both of us were right....... all roads lead to the Jeep's shop......

So here is a pic of the homestead...




And that friends, is exactly how we came to be in Florida.

$456.05 for diesel fuel, 121.72 gallons, 1,138 miles.
So average price per gallon $3.75
Average miles per gallon 9.34

Not bad towing that fancy home of ours.

So celebrate life knowing that we are now in Florida, making sure that Hurrican Irene stays off the coast.

tom and viola