A loverly afternoon; chilly night

Dunedin is SO FORTUNATE to have the Kirk and the Duchess.  The Duchess is the theatrical pipe organ, built by Terry Charles and played by master organists for concerts at the Kirk for years.  I had season tickets when I lived here before; after all, The Kirk is just across Alt. 19 from my coach.  But, this year there was something new.  The Duchess has changed.  She has become a white, gilded entity!
     I have no idea when this happened.  The couple sitting behind me were also astounded that she is now white.  I must say, she really stands out.
     This concert was by John Ledwon, and was well received.  He has been on the staff at El Capitan for over a decade having been a leader in the Theater Organ Society for years.  He has a show tomorrow at 2pm, so get over to the Kirk of Dunedin!!
     We concert goers today had a little treat.  After the intermission (BTY, the ladies of the Kirk have fabulous sweet treats for purchase), for some reason the Duchess didn't sound to suit Mr. Ledwon.  He called out for Terry please help!  Down the aisle comes Terry Charles, he takes a section off the organ, does something, and then she is FIXED.
     It's a pity that so few people were there today.  If anyone is reading this, PLEASE share it with your friends.  This concert series deserves to have better attendance.  Good Grief!  A ticket is only twelve dollars.  There is plenty of free parking and the opportunity to hear absolute masters of their profession is fabulous.
     Now, away from the loverly afternoon to the chill reality.  So far, since I have moved back to Florida,  I have not had my heat on.  This evening may be the test.  Awhile ago, it was 56 outside (but still a sultry 63℉ in my living room).  I DO have a little portable electric heater.  Would that be cheating?  We'll see.

A milestone

     Saturday morning when I was on my way to St. Petersburg, the odometer on my Suzuki rolled over to 30,000 miles.  To me, that seems like a good omen!  Hitting 30,000 on "big" 19 driving down to St. Pete.  A good start to new travels.  Down here in paradise.

Wild Parrots of Pinellas

Hooray!  I was finally able to get a couple of shots of these beautiful, chattering birds!...These are in a neighbor's tree  across the street  from my front door.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get any close-ups.  They are skittish this morning.

First day with my company

Arrival at TIA

Greek Festival Fizzles

Feast at Hellas instead

Sunset at Honeymoon Beach

This has been a wonderful, eventful day, but I am going to save my remarks for another time and just get these photos posted.

My View From the Laundry

It's amazing.  From the laundry room door I can see the Pinellas Trail overpass across Alternate 19 and a few boats and part of the Home Port Marina!

Such a lovely place to live.

While getting this coach ready for the imminent visit from grandchildren, I realized  I could not deal with the metal, louvered closet door that would not open in the guest room  for another day.  So...when Doug  the Younger was here installing my new awning and window, I just had him remove it.  And, after scrounging around in the linen closet, the tool box and at Anna's house

SHEZAM

the new didn't- cost- a- penny- closet door

And, speaking of the new awning and kitchen window

 

     You have no idea how happy I am to get this window over the sink installed!  Now, with the sliding glass door which I added a few weeks ago, this insignificant little window allows me to totally separate the Florida room from the rest of the coach for heating and cooling purposes.  Why anyone would ever have removed them is completely beyond my comprehension.  All I can say is, thank goodness for Mobile Home Depot and replacement parts!!  And handymen who know how to work on these little beauties.



TA DAH  the new living room awning.  Just love it.  When sitting in my living room on my futon and looking out the window, it feels like there is a front porch!  Plus, I think it gives me privacy from the  street.  At any rate, it's great.  (I actually DO have a little front porch off the Florida room, but that's beside the point).

As you may have noticed, this is a full-functioning all-aluminum awning in case of inclement weather.  It's pretty easy to secure it down to cover up the glass.  Of course, if the big one comes, it wouldn't matter anyhow.  BUT, it's nice to know that for normal bad winds or whatever, I can batten down the hatches.  

Just the other day we had some Gusty Winds.  I looked out the kitchen windows and saw that my privacy screen was flapping in the breeze.  I didn't have anything handy to tie it down with except a couple of black pipe-cleaners from the Dali Museum (to use as a Salvador Dali mustache) that were in my purse from when Jane and I went down there.  They worked until I could get over to Anna's and, sure enough, she had real nylon tie-downs and after we turned them the proper way, it looks like the screen may last over winter.  And HOORAY for a little Black and Decker drill-driver that made securing loads of screws easy.

Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to get a picture of the parakeets that fly through the park daily.  They are too fast for me!  

And, I have been too lazy to go over and take pictures of the new PRODUCE STAND JUST OUTSIDE OUR BACK GATE.  Hooray. I DO hope that they make it, especially since our little Publix will  be closed for about six months while they are  building a new (gross) mega-Publix.

So, in closing for today

I will leave you with a little pearl from paradise.  It is cool, sunny

 and windy here today.

Yes, when it is in the mid-to-lower eighties, we call it cool.

Waiting for the Florida rain to stop

     Tomorrow, at some point it won't be raining, so I will run around with my trusty little red camera and take some pictures!  Ah--my new awning.   And, guess what--across Alt. 19 the produce stand has re-opened.  Now that is certainly worthy of a photo.  Or two.  So, is everyone waiting with bated breath?

Love this Cold Front

     This morning at seven, the thermometer on the side of my shed reads 60℉!!  The Bay News 9 weatherman tells us this is the coldest weather we have had since last spring.  All I can say is "Hooray".  It was time to have a little break from the heat and humidity.  Who knows?  I might even get some work done around here--can't use the hot weather as an excuse today.

Well, maybe it will be the cummins whenever i feel like it chronicle

    Actually, I had written a quite nice account of the adventure down to St. Petersburg and the Free Museum Day for Pinellas Residents complete with photos and a video...but..BUT...the blasted video (only a few seconds of a nice jazz band down outside the DALI) first would not post, then did post with no sound, then was everywhere on my page and I could not delete it...

     So, I just quit.  Well, maybe I'm back.  We'll see.  I think perhaps it needs to be shared on email as well as facebook, so if anyone in the world reads this, please become a "follower" and share it with your friends.

     The new Dali Museum in St. Petersburg is simply spectacular.  We got there before opening, and noting the long lines, decided to see about breakfast.  Cruising around Central Avenue, we spotted Lucky Dill Deli (one of Jane's favorites), and wonder of wonders, a free two hour parking spot just up the street.  Who knew parking in downtown St. Pete could be so easy!!  After a delicious bkfst, we decided to look for a free place to park where we could ride the trolley (twenty five cents for senior citizens in St. Petersburg, FL) to the Dali Museum, but, ALAS, all were for only 2 hours and we had no idea if 2 hours would give us enough time.  Not to worry.  With the help of the lady in the vintage Cadillac who backed out of the space at the museum parking lot and blocked the newcomer from taking "our" space, we had found a free parking space to go along with the free museum day.

     This snap gives you a little idea of the crowds waiting for the free admission.  Let me tell you, it was well worth the wait.  Looks like the museums in St. Pete would be well advised to have a "donations only" day or something to that effect.  So Many people here for the free day must mean that the usual admission price is somewhat steep.
     Only regret from the visit is that we didn't know we were allowed to take pictures in the atrium with a panoramic view of the bay.  Damn.  We had been good little girls and turned off all cell phones, put away all cameras, took nothing inside except our little purses---folks, this is irreplaceable art.  No one was violating anything.  The children were well-behaved.  The parents were nice to their kids.  There were docents and security people everywhere.  It was really quite amazing with all the wait, all the standing in line,  all the crowds,  everybody seemed to be really having a good time and enjoying the opportunity to see these masterpieces, whether or not we understood them.
     We are already making plans for next year's Free Museum Day.

Torrential Rain

     This has been an afternoon of rain showers.  Florida rain is a FORCE.  My little street was a river, but it has run off now. The temperature dropped from 91℉ to 72℉  in a matter of minutes.  I think that is the coolest it has been here since I arrived at the end of July.  But, not to fear, it will be 92 again tomorrow.
     I am happy to report that this new roof-over is performing as promised!
     Tomorrow Anna is going to see her newest grand.  We'll be going to the airport early, so on the way back I will be seeing about a Florida license and getting my car registered here, plus registering to vote.  Next step will be to find out if I can be a poll worker again.

Exciting birthday night

     Last night while Susan, Ellen and I were having a Skype conference call (Anna was over here, too), we heard this horrible noise.  The sounds of an animal frantically scratching and clawing its way in--or out--and then all this running thumping overhead.  We couldn't tell exactly where, but it sounded like it was in the kitchen ceiling and maybe the exhaust vent.  It was just too much for me.  I grabbed a few things (sometimes it is great to not un-pack--just took the stuff from the week-end down at Jane's), and spent the night at my sister's place.

     This morning, we brought Skippy the varmint seeking dog over to check to place out.  He sniffed over the whole coach and pronounced it clean.  I hope he knows what he is talking about.
   

Last day as seventy.

This photo of my children and grandchildren with me was taken last year on my birthday   

   

                                                I just want to know where the year went!

this is a really stupid post

Ok, for those of you who are as
new to this as I am, if you will click on a photo that I have posted, IT ENLARGES.   WHO KNEW.
     That's it for now.

Sunday Wrap-up

     Or Why Did I Name This Blog The Cummins DAILY Chronicle.
     My sister has graciously shared some photos with me of our trip down to Heritage Village.  Naturally, Picassa won't let me post them.  Whatever--maybe she'll put them on FB.  Or..or..or..maybe she could post them in a comment???

     More than one of you [amongst my thousands--nay, tens (!!)  of followers] has wanted to see actual pictures of this roof-over.  I ran out with this wonderful little Nikon Coolpix (again, thanx to Karen and Carla) and snapped some shots.  OK, they don't do it justice.  Maybe when it cools off a little down here, I will go out and get on a ladder and take a couple of real pictures.
     The Roof over is constructed on-site from sheets of white aluminum,  two inch single foil styrofoam insulation and 1 1/4 inch aluminum roof pans with approx 12" overhang on the mobile home and gutter package included.  They added an extra layer of stryofoam on the Fl room before starting the usual procedure.

     One of the most amazing things to me thus far is that the best tomatoes down here are Tennessee Tomatoes.  I used to buy them at a produce stand across from our back gate when I lived down here before.    Unfortunately,  it is no longer in business.  On an earlier visit, Jane had served some of this delectable fruit and was more than willing to share her source.  Josh Adams farm fresh produce on Clearwater-Largo Road.  Today, on our way to The Oaks in Clearwater to visit her cousin and my friend, Merrill, we stopped and I purchased those Tennessee Tomatoes, cilantro, onions, white grapes, a watermelon, green bell peppers, ginger root, bananas, celery, limes.  Wow--this place is a find.  All that produce was less than twelve dollars.  And woo-hoo some good cooking is in store using said ingredients and stuff already here.   Yum.

It feels like a holiday!

     Today I am headed down to Jane's superb B&B.  Now, those of you who know us realize that I am joking about the Bed and Breakfast bit.   However, it's certainly on par with the best.  This will be quite a treat--we have dinner reservations at Alfano's (http://www.alfanosrestaurant.com/ ) and then on to the Francis Wilson Playhouse for "Forty Second Street".  Looking forward to a nice visit with friends.

     This is a photo of us taken in the beautiful lobby at Alfano's after a luscious dinner on our way to "Forty Second Street", which, by the way was FAB.

Living the simple life

     One of the finer things, in my estimation, that is offered here is the CLOTHESLINE YARD.  I absolutely love hanging out laundry.  The sun purifies it, the wind practically irons it, what more could one ask for?
     These days, I pretty much have the clothesline yard to myself.  But wait 'til those snowbirds return.

Waiting for the building inspector

     These days I have mainly been waiting--for the A/C man, for the roofers--for the rain to stop so the A/C man can work.  You get the picture.  Now the roofover is finished, the new A/C heat system is up and running--today it's waiting for the inspector.  Next Wednesday waiting for the A/C man to fix the closet that once housed the ancient (for Florida) gas furnace.  
     In the meantime, I ventured over to the Publix parking lot and got a couple of shots of the trees.  Now, seriously, wouldn't it just be a dirty shame to tear these trees out for more parking?  I just took photos of a few of them.  It's a little oasis in the pavement of Pinellas.
 

  Can you believe it!!  Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 27, 2011, I will be here waiting for the inspector to check out my new A/C-heating system.  no, they cannot give me a time.  yes, I must be here the entire day waiting on him.  Well, I expect he won't be here around 7am--if so, he can find me out walking Skippy dog--likewise at 5pm.

 

Hmmm. Maybe I should have named it the almost daily....

     Last evening I actually took my little camera to the pool!  So, here's a photo.

     This afternoon was grocery day..it's fun to roam the aisles of this little Caladesi Publix.  Sadly, soon to be torn down to make way for a huge new SUPER PUBLIX.  Why, we wonder.  The parking lot has lots of nice trees for shady parking which is a rarity in this part of the state.  I guess my next project will be to find out if the trees will be sacrificed for more parking....more to come on this issue.

Heritage Village in Largo has been able to preserve so many things from Pinellas County.  But the exhibit we went to see had stuff from Ft. Myers.  Edison.  Ford.  Luckily, these  gramaphones were there for us to see---but--were they really Edisons--or Victors--Well, I don't know.

Edison and his friends explored Florida in the early days.  He had so many friends who were extremely succesful in business, but he mainly found new inventions.  He,  Henry Ford, the Firestones, enjoyed everything about this paradise  The Edison and Ford exhibit were shared by the Edison and Ford homes in Ft. Myers Fl.

Helloooo Out There

     It has been six weeks since I moved back to Florida.  (Say Hallelujah).  Apparently, we, here in the Sunshine State, along with all of the Midwest, have been having unusually HOT weather.  Hotter than any time since the Dust Bowl.  And so on and so forth.  All I know is, the sun room added on to my newly purchased 1969 Ritz Craft was just about the right temperature to be a turkey roaster.   So, after consulting with the people who know about these things here in the park (the guy in charge of maintenance, Russ), I called ASC and now have a fabulous new roof-over.  Over both the coach and the sunroom.  And, dare I say it, it feels good in here!  Of course, this also involved tearing out the old gas furnace and installing a completely new air conditioning system with a heat strip.  Dear me--I think I just more than doubled the cost of my little retirement coach.
     So, how does one justify such an unseemly expense??
     The only thing I can think of is:  I like living in paradise.  There you have it.  More later.