Fleeting Festive Fragments

As the Christmas Season, and indeed 2011 draw to a close, here is a two minute review of some of the work that went into the activities, some glimpses of the activities themselves and, hopefully, some memories of time enjoyed and time shared.
Do have a Great New Year,

Pete

Luminaria Labor Camp discovered in Webster

A luminaria labor camp was discovered last week just east of Webster. Inside the commune, inmates have been coerced into producing hundreds of candle powered lamps without any form of compensation, medical benefits or even a decent pension plan. A few recalcitrants, like the lady shown at right, stamped their feet and resisted for a while but finally succumbed.
The lamps were later set on fire and discarded the following day. See more shocking scenes from this drama right here.

Morphing into Christmas

As folk recover from the often unintended excesses of Thanksgiving there is a gradual refocus on Christmas and all that it entails. Turkey day items are returned to storage and Christmas items are brought out producing a gentle metamorphosis to the mistletoe and candy cane period. How fortunate we are that we take all of these seasonal changes for granted, so much so that we are in danger of missing many of the cues.
Here are a few of the Yuletide elements that have appeared throughout the park over the last few weeks as we coasted toward the end of another year.

Around the Park in 90 seconds

If, when moseying through the park at a sedate 10 MPH you have ever wondered what it would be like to floor the gas and have yourself a little Monte Carlo fantasy, you are in luck. Even better, if you have never experienced a drive with Marian at the wheel then you've probably never maxed out your adrenalin production either. Suffice it to say, in Marian's eyes, the picture at right might just be another trip to Winn-Dixie.
So here you have it - Two vicarious thrills for the price of one!

The Second Annual Cookie Cook-Off

Sunday December 11 saw the 2nd Annual Florida Grande Cookie Show. With nine entrants it was perhaps fortunate that most were numerically challenged for, if they had each brought the 12 dozen cookies suggested, there would have been 1296 treats to get through. As it was, there were more calories than enough to go round.
In the picture is the current champion in the World's Biggest Cookie class. Baked in 2003 by Immaculate Baking Co., this tempting treat was 100 ft. across and weighed in at 40,000 lb. The picture was taken from a height of about 100 ft and you can just make out a person with a red jacket standing in the middle.
Our refined Cookie Champs at Florida Grande went for Quality over Quantity as the results here show.

A Christmas Parade

For several years a Golf Cart Parade has been part of the annual rituals that comprise the silly season at Florida Grande. This year would be no exception. Following a sumptuous complimentary ham dinner at the regular Friday Night Happy Hour yesterday, it was time for all cart owners to strut their stuff.
Thus it was, that earlier in the week our Social Enforcer, Mugsy Moran, had been dispatched to visit all cart owners and explain that, absent a current Death Certificate, they were expected at Friday's parade or risk needing such a document shortly. As a promotional technique this proved very effective resulting in an excellent turn out.
Before starting the slideshow however, do make sure you have something useful to do such as laundry or a trip to the Villages since it is quite lengthy.

Which Craft Would You Pick?

You've probably witnessed the almost daily procession of sundry groups into and out of the hobby room. You may even be one of the participants with clear purpose and detailed knowledge of your pursuit. But what about the rest of us mere mortals? Beyond the thrill of threads, needles, material scraps, wood chips, paint smudges and the like brightening our otherwise mundane lives, we seldom get to see the end products.
Finally, the Florida Grande Craft Show changes everything. In one colorful montage the entire repertoire of own cottage industries is laid out for all to see.
Having exhausted the delights of the Craft Exhibits it was, you guessed it, time to eat. This evening's treat provided by Judy and Ernie Finch, awesome Turkey Soup followed by half an acre of Gingerbread. More pictures right here.

Getting Carded at Florida Grande

Cézanne's "The Card Players", 1895.

Card playing is a thriving pastime for many residents of Florida Grande. Frequently, from 6:30pm on, closet cardies can be seen sidling up to the the clubhouse, slipping into one of those cozy rooms with comfortable chairs and subdued lighting and then plying their arcane skills against each other for the thrill of a win.
Last Thursday was one such occasion. Under cover of the potted painters pandemonium in the hobby room, two card games get underway as the participants eagerly slaked their thirsts for conquest.
For a look into this secret world and to check out some recently discovered bonus footage of another Florida Grande ritual check this out.

Veterans Day 2011

Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. To mark this event, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919.

Seven years later, back in the days when Congress actually did something, a resolution was passed causing Calvin Coolidge to proclaim the annual observation of November 11 as Armistice Day. With their usual lack of alacrity it took Congress another dozen years, until May 13, 1938, before Armistice Day was elevated to a legal holiday.
Alvin King, an Emporia, Kansas boot maker proposed in 1953 that Armistice Day be expanded to celebrate all veterans, not just those who had died in World War I. With the help of U.S. Representative Ed Rees, a bill to this effect was signed by President Dwight Eisenhower on May 26, 1954 and, in June of the same year, Congress amended the act, replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans."
Ever unable to leave well alone, in 1971 Congress got to tinkering and changed November 11 to the fourth Monday in October to comply with the utterly pointless Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
 Following seven years of confusion, in 1978 Veterans Day was moved back to its original day, November 11, concurrent again with the rest of the world and where, hopefully, it will remain. See local celebration here.

Attitude Adjustment!

In the relentless search for new energy efficient processes, Marty Whitney came across a little known technique which might be described as Alcohol Powered Art. The recipe is simple, a shoal of seasoned citizens, some brightly colored paints, something to paint on and abundant adult beverages to taste. Place all ingredients in a confined space for about two hours and harass them occasionally via a public address system.
Result? A bit like chicken soup; starts off as a pile of unappetizing plant pieces and body parts but slowly melds into a smooth and enjoyable whole. See more exiting action here.

All Saints' Day

Today is All Saints' Day also known as All Hallows or Hallowmas Day. That makes yesterday the eve of Hallowmas which is contracted to Hallowe'en. I don't know if I really care as long as there is plenty of candy!

Anyway, with 57 coaches already in the park, a Fright Night Party was organized which was attended by most current occupants.

Fine dining was redefined when Pizza Hut arrived (or at least the delivery truck did) bearing sacks of odorous cardboard cartons tastefully adorned with large grease spots. YUMMY! Fifteen minutes later, 25 or so of the 30 pizzas were totally gone, replaced by numerous contented faces. Games, desserts to die for and a knockout contest for the evening's best dressed couple followed. For a step by step report of the festivities, click here.

Down for the Winter...

Well, the weather finally broke in Indiana, changing rapidly from the long hot summer to cold and uncharitable rain. Time to head south, me thinks. So it was, that last week found us chugging south to the warmer climes of Webster.
Great News! The resort looks, well... just like a resort, at least around the lavishly landscaped clubhouse. The grass is green the trees are gaining traction and the shrubberies appear to be vigorous. Overall, the lots seem reasonably maintained and the lakes are three feet full - with weeds not water - but then we can't have everything!
Friday evening brought Happy Hour, this week with a German theme. There weren't actually any Germans there that I could see but there again, they can be really sneaky. Plenty of good food and lots of chatter - a typical Florida Grande evening. Check out some more scenes here.

A little more closure...

Special correspondent Fred Wolf filed this report on October 11, 2011, covering the details of Deidra Peterson's sentencing hearing in Federal Court on the 11th. One more chapter in the sorry Peterson saga finally closed.
Many thanks to Fred for his untiring sleuthing in tracking down these stories. Have a Great Season in Webster this year.

The longer you've been at FG, the more this will mean to you

Remember this Rascal?
(Click on picture to enlarge)

Yesterday, September 12, 2011, was one of those satisfying days when justice was seen to done. The following report is courtesy of Fred Wolf:

"At the courthouse in Tampa yesterday, David Peterson was sentenced to 84 months in the federal prison at Coleman, FL for conspiracy to commit fraud, for which he had pled guilty. The Judge also gave him mandatory career change and forbid him to ever seek investors along with 3 years supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount of approximately $6.5 million. There still has to be another waste of time hearing for the court to determine who gets what. We all know what that amounts to.
The judge stated he had to go by the federal sentencing guidelines, which in the cases pertaining to fraud, he feels are not harsh enough. He gave him the maximum allowed by these guidelines.
It helped that four of the victims came forth at the hearing and told the court their story and how Peterson's crimes affected them, and that many wrote letters to the court. The judge stated he read every one of them and thanked all that took this time and that it really put it in perspective to hear directly from some of the victims."

One of the four people that told their story in court yesterday was Sandy Gallup. Here is Sandy's perspective of "their day in court."

"Yesterday I attended the David Peterson sentencing and it was very interesting. There were four of us who spoke and the Judge acknowledged that he had gotten LOTS of letters from "victims" and had read everyone. I was most impressed with his handling of the sentencing and if the laws had not been recently changed, I am sure he would have gotten 20 years, at least. However, sometime recently the time was changed to 78 months with Judge's discretion to increase it (and he did to 84 months).

The Come-Uppance Dinner Group
(Click on picture to enlarge)

"David was given a HARSH verbal thrashing by the Judge after our testifying as to how he took so much from all of us - not just money, but time from our "golden years". This was the first time I had ever laid eyes on David. Most there had commented on how he had aged, etc. David spoke in his own defense to the Judge who absolutely did not buy a bit of his story and admonish-ed him greatly for all he had done. His wife, Diedre (whom I had also never seen before) was there in court along with his aging parents (how sad for them to see this), and at the end, Diedre was crying - probably cause she is terrified that the same will happen to her when her sentencing comes up on Oct. 6th.  A very moving day to say the least!!!!"

After the hearing, David shuffled off to his cell and many of  the Florida Grande attendees seized the occasion as a great reason to go to dinner - how elated they all look!

Feast on the Fourth

With just about a dozen coaches left in the resort, the thought of letting July 4th go by without celebration was too hard to take. With pictures courtesy of Sandy, here is a quick review of the festivities.

Summer Pool Party!

At the end of May the dwindling number of residents at Florida Grande set their minds on a Pool Party. One of our roving photographers was on hand to capture the fun and the pictures were passed on by Sandy. Check out the aquatic action here.

Grande Suite Open House Tour

March 27th was Grande Suite Open House day. Unfortunately, in the general mode of Florida Grande, two hours was nowhere near enough time to get around all of the Suites so generously opened by their owners. In fact, it is difficult to walk 100 yards in the resort without being drawn into conversation with one or more residents and the act of actually entering a Suite - any Suite - seems a surefire way to consume at minimum of twenty minutes. Thus it was that we made it to less than half of the available displays. There's always next year...
Check here for a variety of styles and decorating ideas from the properties we did get to visit.

A last look around...

A few days before we folded our tent at Florida Grande this Spring and took off for northern climes, we lumbered around the resort to see what was happening. A lot of folks had already left for the summer but, as usual, there was still a lot of things going on. 

Check here for a catalog of Springtime activities.

Easter - a little late but still worth a visit

Easter festivities at Florida Grande were ably documented by Sandy Gallup and, although there were only twenty or so coaches on site, there was a high turnout for the traditional dinner.
For a display of more magnificent millinery click here.

I found my thrill...

On Blueberry Hill... 

For all those folks who have left the resort for the summer here is a reminder that life goes on without us. A bevy of beauties snuck out to a local farm where, like kids in a candy store, they spent a happy morning satisfying their gathering urges. This report just in from Special Correspondent Marty Whitney.

"Boundless Blueberries" 

Dateline Center Hill, FL. May 4, 2011. "Greetings from "hot as blazes" Webster and FGMCR! 

About 10 or more of us went out to the Center Hill Berry Patch this morning. I'm sure Sandy will be writing you about it in a newsletter ...but it was lovely. Each of us made very little effort to fill our pails with about 6 lbs. of the most gorgeous varieties of blueberries - and now we are faced with the task of putting them in our freezers and baking such goodies as blueberry buckle, blueberry muffins, blueberry cobblers, and the list goes on! I've even got a recipe for blueberry balsamic vinegar (sounds yummy, doesn't it?) Acres of blueberries, blackberries and homegrown beefsteak tomatoes - blackberries and tomatoes will be ready in June and most of us will probably have left by then.

Things have slowed to a snail's pace around here but we love it that way. I really labored over what color flip flops I would wear today. Decisions! You can't imagine what the local merchants start offering when the snowbirds depart. Oakwood Grill has a special you wouldn't believe! No, it isn't healthy, but with Mother's Day, we have to celebrate something.

Yes, we are going to celebrate Mother's Day at FGMCR! Think a brunch that includes eggs Benedict, homemade hollandaise sauce, Canadian bacon, something blueberry, of course, and maybe mimosa's. Y.....ee.eeesss.! Sandy is in the planning stages right now, but there are hardly any of us around to attend.

We've all seen more wildlife appear since everyone has left. Wild rabbits, owls, cougars, and I can't remember what else. There are STILL shore birds, so that's good news. There are still ducks, so that's good news as well. Frogs smaller than your little finger are hopping all over the place and we're hoping all these things just fall in order and they eat each other so we don't have to worry about them too much.
The landscaping is still beautiful, thanks to the Ausley's. We've all enjoyed seeing everything take over and now there are plenty of birds enjoying just about every tree that was planted. The yards are still beautiful and they are working to keep everything weeded and watered.

Marty Whitney - Lot 7"

A true professional, Marty had her camera crew along with her (Sandy G.) who documented the day's activities. Check here for more exciting scenes from this adventure.

Party Time!

With the season winding down, the weather at its finest and all that new poolside furniture to be tested, March 27th was Party Time! A trifecta of opportunities - Grande Suite open houses, Free Food courtesy of HKH and Laylon & Betty Wilson - made for a not-to-miss afternoon and evening. 
With music and dance instruction ably provided by Paul, culinary skills by Dick, Gerald and others, appetites by everyone else, how could it miss? More pictures here.

Don't you hate to pry into other peoples lives...

Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, my Husband (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.

Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 47 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

________________________________
MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!

Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!

Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

________________________________
TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.

_______________________________
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying..

My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other crap too.

_______________________________
THURSDAY:
Asshole was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes.

He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny bitch to find me.

Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.
_________________________________
FRIDAY:
I hate that bastard Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little aerobic instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.

Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me them damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

________________________________
SATURDAY:
Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

________________________________
SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

And now a word from our sponsor...

I feel honored to have been nominated as one of this year's candidates for the park's POA Director. As you may be aware, the Developer, Madison Florida Grande, will have two members on the board with the third member selected from among the lot-owners. Whoever is elected at Thursday's meeting will have the responsibility of being your eyes, ears and voice in our dealings with Madison.
Since many of you have little or no idea of who I am, I have included a brief biography below.

"If you chat with me you might guess I was not born in the US, but in England. Marian and I met in the mid-fifties in a cycling club in England and we have been running around together ever since - the last 50 years as a married couple.
In the seventies we had an opportunity to come to the US and promptly did just that. We emigrated with our three daughters and became US citizens in the early eighties. Our daughters have since rewarded us with six grandkids and two great-grandsons. After adjusting to our new way of life, we had the great good fortune to live the American dream, eventually retiring in 2006.
We began motor-homing in a Pace Arrow in 1991 and have worked through a variety of vehicles over the last 20 years. At the present time we RV about 8 months each year  - 5 or 6 in the US and 2 or 3 in Europe. We have lived in Indiana for the last 16 years and spend time there in between our travels. Early last year, while roaming around Florida, we stumbled across Florida Grande, bought a lot and the rest is history."

Don't forget however, the POA Election is like any other election - if you want to be represented, you must choose your candidate and then vote! 
Even if you are not on site you can still vote. Print the POA Proxy Ballot that was included with the Notice of Meeting letter that was emailed to you on March 10th. Fill this form out and mail it immediately to:

Florida Grande POA

9675 SE 49th Terrace, 

Webster, FL 33597

We currently have a great opportunity to move the park forward and revitalize the original vision - let's not waste it!

Pete

Progress Update

How many guys does it take to...

Not a whole lot of Happenings over the last couple of weeks. Some backfill of existing projects has continued, such as the cleanup of the Phase 2A and Phase 2B terrain. If you haven't been back there for a while, give it a try - walking all the way around is now very straightforward and I haven't fallen off of my bicycle back there for weeks now. 
Additionally, a few Clubhouse upgrades had moved a little further toward completion, diminishing that "just moved in" feel. Beyond that, thankfully, there are always plenty of things to kibitz as the pageant of life marches by in all corners of the park. Check here for more mundane mummery.

Inside Madison Florida Grande

With the first POA Annual Meeting under the new, post-bankruptcy ownership coming up next week, it seems timely to introduce the key individuals in that organization. 

Bryan Gordon

Madison Florida Grande, LLC, is located in Greenwood Village, Colorado and was incorporated in Florida on September 17, 2010. As far as can be ascertained, the company is a member of MPNAF Investco 14, LLC. Its registered agent in Florida is Corporation Service Company, a large registered agent service company.

Barbara O'Hare

The principal characters in Madison Florida Grande are Bryan Gordon, CEO, Managing Director and Treasurer, and Barbara A. O'Hare, Managing Director and Secretary. Click on the either name to read a brief biography for each. 
Bryan was a co-founder of Madison in 1996 and for more information on that enterprise, click here.

Easy Come, Easy Go - May it ever be thus...

Do you ever wonder where the water comes from that flows so readily from your pylon faucets and how it gets there? Better yet, when you're done with your water where does it, and all that other "shtuff", go? For more than you ever wanted to know about these essential services read on.
Florida Grande is fortunate to have a municipal quality water and sewer system which is completely self-contained. Resulting from the turbulent background of the park the entire system has actually ended up two to three times larger than the fully populated park will ever require. Judicious operation of the equipment however, has minimized the problems arising from this. For the brave-hearted, click here to see the rest of the story...

Park Progress, another two weeks on...

Two weeks have slipped by since the most recent Park Progress post and upgrades have continued steadily. Major ongoing projects include the Clubhouse gardens and cleanup on Phase II. Both of these are well advanced and progress has become incremental rather than dramatic, as each begin to wind down. 
Signs of Spring abound around the park - most of the frost-browned grass is now green again, the weather has been superb for several weeks in a row and even the back pond is now cleaned out and ready for water. Anyone know when the water is due? More update details here.

Community Emergency Response Team Training

Our Team

The Community Emergency Response Team, CERT for short, had its origins 35 years ago in the Los Angeles Fire Department. The idea came out of the realization that citizens are invariably on their own, at least in the initial stages, in any major catastrophe. The LAFD program developed so successfully that the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) funded its expansion in the mid '90s to cover all contemplated public hazards.
When George W. instigated the nationwide Citizens Corps in 2003, to better prepare communities to cope with terrorism, public health breakdowns, weather driven disasters and the like, CERT was among the primary tools chosen to meet such challenges. In pursuit of this, 13 volunteers, including 11 from the park, spent 2-1/2 days last week in a whirlwind of classroom and practical activities to become certified CERT Members.

Enthusiastic Fire Fighting?

How fortunate for the rest of us that, in the event of a tornado strike, hurricane, sweeping brush fire, earthquake, chemical spill or any other disaster, we now have neighbors who can respond professionally and appropriately. The students learned how to identify hazardous materials, extinguish various fire types, identify injury types, perform search and rescue, when to move a victim, how to deal with life threatening injuries, setting up triage and  generally manage the disaster site until First Responders reach the scene. Each attendee was furnished with an emergency pack containing numerous invaluable and potentially critical items in the event of an event.

"Goody" bag and contents

"Our" team members are

• Debbie Branigan
• Pat Branigan
• Alan Campbell
• Marlene Campbell
• Marian Harrison
• Joan Imhoff
• Jesse McPhearson
• Nancy Moran
• Jo Morton
• Bob Ring
• Gail Ring

Everyone, including Brian Gibson the instructor, appeared to have a good time in addition to acquiring valuable lifelong and life preserving skills. Many of the attendees are going on to earn their CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation) and AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) certification. While we hope that none of these skills will ever be exercised in earnest we should all be grateful to have these giving people in our community. Picture show for Visitors (G Rated). Picture show for Participants (R Rated).

A Sweet Suite Treat

Ever wondered what folk do in those little white huts scattered across the park?  Well, now is your chance to find out. 
A number of suite owners have been gracious enough to allow us to clump around their property, ask dumb questions, rearrange their "stuff" at will all while we snapped away with our Brownie. 
So, without more ado, click here to enter the Twilight Zone. 
Hint: To page through the slide show at your own pace, move your mouse into the picture area, click the Pause icon (two vertical lines) and then click the left or right arrows in the  little control panel to move back or forth through the pictures. 

Fun with Gary and Beulah

Last Saturday evening was marked by a spontaneous cook out by the pool, a food fight in the Clubhouse and capped off with a 1950s Karaoke evening with delectable desserts. 
Kudos and many thanks to Gary and Beulah for bringing this all together. Applause also for the myriad arsonists involved in the incineration rituals performed at the barbecue - thankfully there was enough mayo and mustard to conceal their worst excesses! Click here for more pictures of the entertainment.

At our table, everyone ate themselves close to unconsciousness whereupon the ladies lapsed into their litanies of grandchildren this, fabric store that and other worldly topics like the price of bacon. Left to their sorry selves, the menfolk quickly descended into bragging rights over slide extensions, macerators, black tank capacities and so on - you know, stuff just short of writing on the bathroom wall. Following this stream of consciousness I was struck once again, how fortunate we all are to live in this country - a country where a 40 gallon black tank is everyones right! It reminded me of a 'blog post from some years back railing about living with a 4 gallon black tank and many other privations of camping outside of the good ol' USA. Click here for an eyeopener on Caveman Camping.

Stranger in the Camp!

Click any of the pictures to enlarge them.
Use Back button to return to post

If you have passed Lot #361 in the past day or so, you might have noticed a cool looking coach with "beetle brow" mirrors and mysterious dark windows. Well let me say right off that the FG Thought Police have checked this buggy out and declared it harmless. It is a Neoplan vehicle, basically a regular bus or coach that has been converted - similar to the Prevosts conversions by Marathon, Parliament and so on.

Neoplan is a 75 year old German company and they did open an operation in Colorado in 1981 followed by two other regional plants around the USA a little later. Click here for more than you will ever want  to know about these exotic vehicles. Neoplan USA was sold off as a separate entity and eventually went toes up in 2006. 
Neoplan in Germany has since been absorbed into MAN SE, a 250 year old German company in the top thirty German firms and THE truck manufacturer to beat. Neoplan is renowned for avant-garde coach design - some are certainly eye-catching. I have never seen a Neoplan with slides.
In our experience, the Germans are masters of creative vehicle design and use. Furthermore, if there was a World Series for Cheapskates, either the Germans or the Dutch would come in first every time. Here is an example from a camping trip in Slovenia a few years ago when we came across this Bottom-Dollar camping vacation. Check it out, maybe have a chuckle, but count your blessings!

Another two weeks of progress...

It has been a couple of weeks since the last chronicle of park progress. Since then, there has been a steady drumbeat of activity both in the beautification of the Clubhouse and the taming of the Phase II jungle. 
Add to this  a couple of Clubhouse events and it is high time for an update. For more details, click here.

Progress Report

Another week has passed with trucks and tractors chugging around the park and, slowly but surely, various things are beginning to shape up. To date the work has been either cosmetic in nature or preparatory effort for bigger things. The weeding of the front section lots is about complete and the park looks a lot more lived in just for that. Click here to see other activities.

Xyloglyphy & Mahjong

Two eclectic weekly activities that have faithful followings are Wood Carving and the Mahjong Meet. The xyloglyphists (a $2 word for wood carvers) congregate in the chameleon-like Hobby Room and within minutes are practicing their craft. Wood carving is dryly defined as "working wood by means of a cutting tool held in the hand, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine". It appears to be more fun than that might suggest! 

The Card Room is the venue for Mahjong, a four player game thought to have originated in China. It is a game of skill, strategy and calculation as well as chance and is played with a set of 152 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols.

For more pictures of these groups, check here.

Painting Class

Every Friday morning the painting class meets in the Hobby room. The class welcomes all aspiring artists wanting to hone their skills in the decoration of pottery and glassware. Using acrylic paints and a variety of brushes, almost any imaginable image can be produced on almost any item.
For a review of current projects and a tour-de-force around the world of acrylic painting, click here.

How many kinds of sweet flowers grow...

Riding around the reservation it is difficult not to notice the variety of decorative yard designs adding life and levity to the otherwise bleak, standard issue shrubbery. Click here for a tour of some of these distinctive efforts that daily brighten our lives.

Webster Churches

Cycling around Webster, one is struck by the number of churches in operation, from mainstream denominations to some quite obscure persuasions. There are so many houses of worship in fact that if every Webster resident attended just one church regularly (which is probably optimistic) the average congregation would be less than 80 souls. 

For a quick alphabetic tour of religion in Webster and to learn just how many churches there are, click here. 

Mont Saint Michel, France

By the way, if you're into churches and can stand to see some more, here are some European church exteriors to help numb your mind. After that, if you are still conscious and can stand yet more abuse, there are a few European church interiors waiting for you here.

Knitting a Cake?

No, that's not right. Knitting and Cakes - that's better. Knitting is in the Hobby room on Tuesday mornings, Cake Decorating is in the kitchen on Wednesday morning for the duration of the course. 
Cake Decorating is taught by an outside instructor, Kim Holt of Custom Cakes by Kim. For a quick commercial break, you can see Kim's website here. Every aspect of decoration is covered, from basic frosting through the construction of flowers and other motifs to the installation of these sugary gems on to the cakes. The finished products look awesome.

Knitting is another of those cover activities that justify a group of ladies congregating to talk. Occasionally, the conversation dries up and some knitting does get done as the pictures show. Click Cakes and Cardigans to see more.
If you have never knitted or crocheted but think you would like to try, stop by on any Tuesday morning and check out the action. Skilled practitioners are sitting by to help you!

Seen around the Park

Seems to me that a good way to meet most of the folk in the park would be to sit in a comfortable chair near the curbside of your pad and simply wait for them to pass by. Whether walking, strolling, exercising pets, riding  bicycles or motor cycles or simply to-ing and fro-ing shoppers - within a couple of days practically everyone this side of dead will come by. 
Check out some of our itinerantly inclined inmates.

Another week on...

There have been some further encouraging signs of progress this past week as the new owners begin to get a grip on the park. Apart from the obvious palm plantation sprouting around the Clubhouse, other clean up and preparatory tasks have got underway. Additionally, long promised Clubhouse accouterments such as big screen TVs, pool room furniture and various large kitchen appliances have arrived and have been installed. For details of some of these items, check the slideshow.

Spaghetti Night & Silent Auction

The word spaghetti is Italian for thin strings, and pasta in this form has been around in Western Europe since the 12th century. Traditionally, the strings were  about 20" long, but American know-how, convenience and marketing, progressively reduced the length to the current 10 to 12" standard. The dish Spaghetti with Meatballs that we know and love today is practically unknown in Italy and appears to have been developed by New York American-Italians in the early 20th century. 

In March of last year, Buca di Beppo, a restaurant in Garden Grove, California, successfully filled a swimming pool with more than 13,780 pounds of cooked pasta setting a World Record. Florida Grande spaghetti, despite rumors to the contrary, is not prepared in the swimming pool as the pictures here will show. 

Happenings for Thursday. January 20th

Thursdays bring no relief to the drumbeat of activities at the Grande. Pilates, Sewing, Quilting and Poker are part of the regular menu each week and practically everyone can enjoy one or more of these pursuits. First up, the lovely ladies of the sewing circle will dazzle with their needlecraft followed by a veritable tour de force by our very own poker practitioners. Click here for more exciting pictures! 

Wednesday at the Grande

Among the variety of events available on Wednesdays is the Line Dancing class. For more than you would ever care to know about this recurring terpsichoric craze, click here and be amazed.
Later in the day the Hand and Foot mavens meet in the Hobby room. No, this is nothing to do with the bovine viral condition - that is Foot and Mouth - this is a variant of Canasta and the rules are right here for your everlasting enjoyment.
For pictures of these and other activities of the day, see here.

Meeting the Owners

Today unfolded to be the formal introduction of the new owners of Florida Grande along with the management company chosen to market the park. A capacity crowd filled the Grande Room and much talking ensued. 
Three representatives from Madison Florida Grande and three from Bella-Terra Marketing were on hand to outline the future and answer questions. After ninety minutes, everyone apparently plateaued at their particular level of understanding and the meeting was adjourned. 
As usual with such events, if there were 200 attendees there are likely 200 differing opinions as to the outcome. Each to his or her own truth!  See here for pictures around the park to mark the day.