A pretty good time to visit Disney

August and September have been pretty fun at Disney. The crowds are lower now so we are going twice a week, to enjoy everything before the crowds come back!

At the Magic Kingdom we could go anywhere we wanted: Big Thunder Mountain Coaster, Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear Ranger Spin, Under the Sea, Carousel of Progress, People Mover, and It's a Small World. We even went on the Tomorrowland Speedway; I've always wanted to go  but didn't want the long wait (glad I didn't wait a long time - it was not that good). 

The newly painted Cinderella Castle looks great to me, although Randy preferred it as it used to be. 

There are no meet-and-greets with Characters now. Characters stand behind a rail or go by in a carriage or boat, but children cannot hug them any more. So sad. There are no parades anymore, either; occasionally one float goes by with a few people clearing the way before it. 

Over at Animal Kingdom, Avatar is an amazing ride that usually has a line of almost 2 hours, so we don't go. This time the line was so short, one day we went on it twice!

The Lion King show is finally back, but with some changes. There are a lot less cast members because everyone has to be at least 6 feet apart. And the great acrobats who played the parts of monkeys are gone - too bad, they were the best part.

There are a lot of new babies this year.  In June a baby boy giraffe was born. He's already striding around the Savanah like he owns the place.

A new baby hippo was born  in July. She enjoys basking in the water but it's hard to get a photo of her, surrounded by her big family members. 

Just one day later a Western Lowland Gorilla had a baby girl! Now she can sometimes be seen playing in the straw next to her napping mother. 

Her dad was napping nearby, too.

And in January a baby White Rhino boy was born. He keeps close to his mama for now. 

Kilimanjaro Safari has benefited from the lower crowds - we are seeing more animals.

Even lionesses have shown up. They sleep between 16 and 20 hours a day so it's rare so see them, especially during the hot part of the day. 

Ar Epcot we got on Test Track, Soarin, Mission Space, and Frozen Ever After. The nightly fireworks change in October so we went in September to see the interim show before it is replaced. They are beautiful and long, but just fireworks - can't wait to see what's in store next. 

Over at Hollywood Studios the Beauty and the Beast show is back but, like the Lion King show, everyone has to stay 6 feet apart. That makes the scenes a lot thinner. 

Fortunately they haven't changed the Tower of Terror - it's still the best ride in any of the parks! 

And we finally got on the Rise of the Resistance! When it was a virtual queue, the queue always filled up too fast. Now you wait in line, and in the evening this month that was doable. It's a great combination of amazing graphics and visually stunning sets, starting with a phalanx of silent Storm Troopers. 

These guys are the First Order's version of Buckingham Palace guards - they just stand there. My very own rebel used them like a backdrop!

Next we got an inspirational greeting from a hologram of Rey, before boarding a passenger vehicle captained by a marvelous animatronic Lieutenant Bek. 

Our ship got shanghaied by the First Order but some fearless Resistance fighters freed us and sent us on a chase through First Order headquarters, including under some mighty AT-ATs. 

There are a lot of explosions but fortunately they take place outside, to be viewed from the safety of our safe. 

Good ride! Not worth standing in line for 2 hours, but since we didn't have to wait that long, we went on it twice!

Reaching out to another church family

Last week a young lady passed away after giving birth. This particular tragedy struck close to home - she's the sister of one of our church members, and she was baptized at our church last Easter. 

All we can do is pray for her family and offer whatever comfort we can. With that in mind our pastor offered our large church building for the funeral, and Randy cooked dinner for the extended family afterwards: beef, ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, and rolls. We were honored to do this service for these nice folks; at times like these we are all family.

Church Dinner

This morning Randy and Aaron went to the church and moved a cabinet in the satellite kitchen. Then, back at home, Aaron helped Randy rearrange our beds, in preparation for our remodel of the master bedroom and bath. Unfortunately right after that Aaron and Glenda left to visit her family on Merritt Island. Bummer. 

After several days of fun, we are pretty tired! No rest for Randy, though. Tonight he prepared dinner at church, prior to the worship service. 

Fortunately some of the ladies came to help him. 

It was a great meal - spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, garlic bread, teas and watermelon water. 

Kelly Springs Float Trip

We started the day with leftovers - oatmeal, Greek combinations, bacon, whatever. All good. We got on the road by 9 this morning, headed to Kelley Springs. We brought our inner-tubes and lots of sunscreen. By this time, though, I was tired of burning in new places, so I just left my shorts and t-shirt on. 

Kelly Springs is wonderful - a cool flow of crystal clear water that moves inner-tubes along without any real effort on our part. There are a couple of areas where it helps to paddle a bit to guide, but this float is just the most relaxing thing to do!

My only issue was that I couldn't take my camera! And I missed it: as we floated along, on one side of the bank was a sign stating this was a "Sensitive Environment". Perched on the sign were two big black vultures, just watching the humans float by. Hoping for a quick meal?

We made 4 trips, pausing to take a snack break on chips and cookies at the truck. After each float we'd climb out and walk back to the beginning. And there are some mean horseflies along that route.  

On the 3rd float I tried to reposition myself and dunked myself instead. Since I don't like cold water, I flailed around like I was drowning and succeeded in breaking my toe. 

Nevermind, it was a wonderful day! We left when we got tired and stopped at Ichiban for a late lunch/early dinner. That set us up for an evening of watching a couple of movies and enjoying Randy's Key Lime Pie. 

Back in the water, eventually

This morning we all slept in a bit (or was it just me?). Randy fixed corned beef hash with poached eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast, which was worth getting up for! 

We talked about what to do today and I suggested we go to Rainbow River Park. Even if we couldn't dive, it's very pretty. So around 11 am we bundled into the truck and headed west. When we arrived we discovered that the park was filled to capacity and closed. Bummer. Well, it is Labor day. Next we tried KP Hole, but it was also full. Randy suggested Hunter Spring Park, a little further southwest. It took about 30 minutes to get there and along the way we saw several fields and a couple of houses that were flooded - the remnants of Hurricane Ida.  

When we got to Hunter Spring Park it was crowded but there was a parking spot, so we were set! Glenda and I slathered on the sunscreen, then we all carried our bright green inner-tubes to the river. The water was spring-temperature, which is cold when you get in but just right afterwards. We floated around with warm sunshine overhead and cool water underneath, occasionally paddling against the light current that wanted to take us into the water weeds. So relaxing!

Eventually I felt like the sun was burning through my sunscreen so I'd better get out. Aaron and Glenda continued to float a bit more. 

Randy also kept floating, but mostly he was diving under to cool off. 

Aaron was the last person in the water. . . I think he might have stayed longer if possible. 

But Glenda "helped" him land his inner tube.

On the walk back Glenda noted that her inner tube was a somewhat deflated. She insisted it was only because the valve was open!

When we got home everyone except me got into the kitchen to prepare dinner of pork steak, green beans, salad, and mashed potatoes.

A Shootin' Good Time

Randy fixed oatmeal for breakfast but he and Aaron didn't stay long enough to have any - they picked up Pete and headed to church early. Glenda and I went a little later with Donna. This week is the first week that the congregation brought goods for the new Food Pantry.  After service Aaron and Glenda helped us move the new contributions from the auditorium to the Pantry. 

After church Randy drove us to Sam's Club for some produce he needs for Wednesday's church dinner. While we were there we saw that the Juicinator was running. This has been closed down since the advent of Covid, so it's nice to see it operating again, providing the freshest orange juice, which is bottled and sold immediately.

After this we were ready for lunch. So off to The Villages and the Flying Biscuit!  They are, naturally, famous for their biscuits. They serve them as appetizers with every meal, accompanied by Apple Butter. 

The guys ordered Shrimp and Grits, which was OK but not as good as the same dish at Eaton's Beach. Glenda got the Fried Green Tomato sandwich and I had the Fried Chicken Club, both of which were accompanied by spicy chips and both of which were excellent!

Now, what to do with the afternoon? How about firing some guns? We went to Shooter's World, where Randy used to work. With ear protectors firmly in place, we all took turns in 2 bays, shooting a variety of firearms. 

When we finished we returned to the main desk to get Aaron's and Glenda's laminated Shooter's Cards. Glenda saw a carton of fresh eggs on the desk. Randy's? Yes. She noted that Randy seems to pick up eggs everywhere - Friday at Marcia's and today at Shooter's World!

But it was very cold inside Shooter's World! That is supposed to decrease the chances that lead dust will stick to sweaty skin. It probably works but it got uncomfortable enough that Glenda and I actually stepped outside, from AC to hot Florida sun, just to warm up. When we realized the metal posts outside the door were really hot, we snuggled up to them!

As we headed home we realized we were fairly tired. Time to call Stavros for pizza and Greek salad! Aaron and Glenda got it for us all, and we relaxed at home again. 

Tarpon Springs

Breakfast this morning was left-over Prime Rib with eggs and toast. While Randy was preparing this, Glenda played with Shorty, wearing him out so he will nap through the day while we are out. He loves it when we have company who will play with him!

After breakfast we drove to the church to get ice, and to show Aaron and Glenda the church. Since our congregation moved out of the school this spring, we've been enjoying this large facility. Then we headed west to Tarpon Springs, about a 2 hours drive. Tarpon Springs, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, is famous for its Greek heritage and natural sponges. The dock is lined with working boats that take tourists out or bring sponges in. 

We weren't ready to buy sponges yet so we went through the other shopping areas. We bought some goodies at the Candy Store, then found one store that specialized in Tagua, the "vegetable ivory". This has been used since the early 1900s for buttons. More recently it has been marketed as an alternative to animal ivory. 

I bought a necklace and Aaron and Glenda bought earrings, but Randy got the deal of the day. The store owner had an amazing carved diver's helmet in her window as a display piece. Randy made her an offer she couldn't refuse and walked off with the prize. It came in several pieces, so Glenda and Aaron helped carry it back to the truck. 

By then it felt like time for lunch. Randy had heard that Hellas was good so he looked it up on his gps and we walked the short distance there. 

We ordered 2 Greek Salads (scoop of potato salad under lettuce, feta cheese, Greek olives, and Greek peppers) and 2 Combination Platters (Mousaka, Pastitsio, Dolmades, Tzatziki sauce, and the best Gyro we've ever had).

Delicious! And so filling that we had to get doggy-bags. On the way back to the truck we stopped to buy some bath sponges at the Sponge Shack.

2 hours later we were back home, assembling the various helmet pieces. Whoever carved this did a wonderful job - even the bolts in the curved trim pieces are individually carved from wood! 

Now all we need is someplace big enough to set this thing!

After a full day and a big lunch, dinner was a low-key affair: chips, dips, deli meats and cheeses, followed by more Amish cake. Then just a little TV before bed. 

Welcoming Aaron and Glenda

Due to a series of unfortunate events, Aaron and Glenda's flight and drive from the airport got them to our house about 4 am this morning. Nevertheless we were all up a little after 9 and on the road to Alexander Springs. A stop at the Mason Jar in Umatilla for breakfast put us back a bit but was worth it, and we got to the Springs by 11:30. 

Aaron and Randy got ready to carry the dive equipment down to the Springs. But today there was a difference - we finally got a buggy to haul the tanks and other stuff! "Divers carry stuff" still holds true, but it doesn't mean they have to do it the hard way!

We found a picnic table in the shade and the guys got suited up. One of the purposes of this dive was to be a refresher for Aaron, so Randy and he went over the equipment together. 

When it came to getting Aaron in his wetsuit, however, Glenda took Randy's place and lent a helping hand. 

While the guys were diving, Glenda and I debated about getting in the water. The spring is cold - in the low 70s - but it was so hot and humid today that it seemed like it would be worth a try. We waded in, up to our shoulders in some places, and found it to be a very enjoyable way to cool off. 

Eventually the guys were done with their dive and we all trucked over to visit with Chad. Chad runs a small dive equipment shop out of his house; we had borrowed the tanks from him and needed to return them. Chad welcomed us with some cold Mich Light, poured from his refrigerated tap. 

One more stop before going home - to Marcia's, to pick up some weights, hangers, and fresh eggs. And to say "hi" to her dogs. Clarence is a bit reserved but Moon Pie assumes everyone is there to play with her!

By now we were all getting tired, so we went back home to let Randy fix dinner while the rest of us took a short nap. We got up in time to enjoy prime rib with salad, Duchess potatoes, and Amish black walnut and banana cake with Penuche frosting.

By the time we finished dinner it was 9 pm - a good time to go to bed!