Showing posts with label RV park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RV park. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

BIG, BIG, HUGE CHANGES

















To say that it's been busy here at Kelly's RV Park in White Springs, FL since the last post would be the understatement of the year. I swear to myself after each post to add a new one on a more regular basis than I have the past few months, but things have always come along that require my time and energies. That is especially true over the past month and a half. Changes have come at us so fast it's been hard to keep up with them. But as you will discover toward the end of this entry, one major change has occurred that came out of nowhere and has sent our RV life in a whole new direction.

A steady change here at Kelly's over the past month has been the departure of the Snowbirds who headed back North for the summer season. What was a place packed full of RVs over the winter is now a park with only about 15 of us long-term, diehard Crackers who choose to sweat it out over the summer. It's was hard to say good-bye to the many friends we made over the past months, but that's the nature of living in Florida. People come and go on a seasonal basis. After a few years of living here you get used to the rhythm, but it's always strange to go from being surrounded by a lot of people to looking outside and seeing empty lots.

The major task I have had lately has been keeping up with the changes and growth in the community garden. Man, has it grown fast. As the above pictures show, what was once a piece of barren ground has exploded into a beautiful, productive showcase of vegetables. Over the past month we have harvested lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, shell peas, sugarsnap peas, bush beans, pole beans, squash and tomatoes. Everything else is coming along at a fast pace and, within the next week, we will be planting a second rotation of crops. Although it requires a great deal of work, this garden is providing us with some very good eats. Given the price of produce in the supermarkets these days, I am willing to dedicate as much energy as is necessary to keep this garden as productive as possible. Besides, there's no better place to feel connected with life than around growing plants.

Now for the really big news. (Always save the best for last!) As of June 1st, we will be moving into a new RV here at Kelly's. It was not a move we had planned or expected to make at this time, but an opportunity came along that was just to good to pass up.

When we arrived here a year ago two of the first people we met were Peggy and Tom. Tom has lived here for many years and they both quickly became very dear friends with us. After a recent road trip, they returned to announce that they had purchased a double-wide with property in Lake Pleasant, FL. Out of the blue, they quickly offered to sell us their 37 ft., Zinger pull behind RV with terms that we simply could not refuse. It sits on a very large, padded spot with no other units on either side. As it worked out, it is the next spot over from where we are now which will make for a very easy move. The RV is only three years old and is loaded with nice amenities like a large slideout in the central living area, a washer and dryer, a full-size refrigerator and a large deck. Needless to say, we are thrilled and feel very blessed to be given this opportunity.

In my next post, which I promise will be soon, I'll include some pictures of our new digs and explain further why we chose to make this move. Although our old, trusty RV Howie (House On Wheels Is Excellent) has been very good to us and provided exciting travels over the past two years, there are many changes going on in the full-time RV lifestyle that require a fresh prospective on the future.

In the mean time, we have serious packing to complete and more vegetables to grow.

Copyright 2009-2011 Lane A. Geyer
Photos by Deb & Lane
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Friday, December 3, 2010

Cold Nights, Warm Days






It's been a few weeks of cold nights and warm days here at Kelly's RV Park in White Springs, FL. Temperatures have dipped down into the mid-20s several nights, which has caused everyone to begin preparing their units for winter and commenting on how cold it is for Florida. After living in this state for over ten years, I have to admit that the cold temps. are harder to deal with each passing year. Thankfully, most days the temps. warm into the 70s, so I guess I'll stop complaining and give thanks that I no longer have to deal with extended sub-zero wind chills and knee deep snows.

There was a nice potluck dinner in the clubhouse on Thanksgiving with about 60 people in attendance. The park owners, Richard & Mary, supplied three, 20 pound turkeys and everyone else brought a vast array of side dishes and deserts. It proved to be a great meal and a nice way to celebrate the day. There's something very special about a large group of basically very different people coming together and giving thanks for the blessings we have as a family of RV travelers.

It's hard to believe that we have been here in White Springs for over six months. Last year at this time we were leaving Heiskell, TN for a stay in Greenville, SC. As I've written several times before, we never expected to be here this long, but Kelly's is the kind of place that is hard to leave. Every day, more people who have stayed here for many years are arriving for the season. Everyone knows each other and comments on how happy they are to be back among friends. It's rare to find that kind of feeling of community in an RV park and we are glad to have become part of the experience.

Tonight there is a Christmas parade in White Springs and the opening of the Festival of Lights at Stephen Foster State Park. We are looking forward to attending these events for several reasons. One is the chance to see the more than 3 million lights that will adorn the park. The other is to experience a parade in a town that has a population of less than 850 people. It ought to be interesting.

Until next time, Happy Trails everyone.

Copyright 2009-2010 Lane A Geyer
Photos by Deb
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Sunday, October 24, 2010

RV Park Living

















Activities here at Kelly's RV Park in White Springs, FL are increasing quickly. Over the past week more people have arrived to spend the winter months. By the first of next month all but two spaces will be occupied by long-term residents. After the relatively quiet summer months, it is good to see so many new people and enjoy the lively evening conversations around the campfire ring. It is a credit to the owners of Kelly's that the majority of people who spent the winter months in the park have been returning for years.

The increase in people has also brought an increase of activities. This past week we enjoyed both a pot-luck meal on Wednesday and a breakfast in the clubhouse on Saturday morning. By next month there will be pot-luck meals every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning breakfasts three weeks of every month. In addition, there will be weekly crafts and beading classes, bingo games, card games, shopping trips and almost nightly gatherings around the campfire ring. The is absolutely no reason for anyone to be bored around this place.


One of the reasons Deb & I decided to make 2010 our Year Of Doing Nothing was to gain a better understanding of full-time RV Park living. We enjoyed our extensive travels in 2009 and gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about full-time RV living when you are constantly on the move. For some people, being on the move constantly is what they prefer. Otherwise they get what is known as the "hitch-itch" if they are in one place for more than two weeks. That's understandable because the full-time RV life is no different than any other lifestyle. Some prefer to be constantly on the move while others are content to spend years in one place. Either way, it's a good life filled with some of the friendliest, laid-back and helpful people you will meet anywhere.



The biggest difference we have found between being on the move constantly and staying in one place for an extended period of months is the chance to really get to know people more deeply and to obtain a better feeling for the areas in which we stay. Over the past five months we have become a of very real part of this small community in ways we never expected. As I've noted in past postings, Kelly's is that kind of place and one of the reasons we feel in love with this RV park and the White Springs area. It's good to be a part of a genuine community and learn so much about an extended stay in an RV park. We don't plan to be here forever, but for now it's providing us with many blessings.
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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

More Work and a Coffee House

It has been too long since my last post because we have had another busy week here at Kelly's RV Park in White Springs, FL. In addition to completing a large amount of article assignments, I've also been helping the owners with getting the final bugs out of the new WiFi system. As I stated in the last post, getting a WiFi system to operate properly in a large RV park is no easy task. In the meantime, Deb has stayed busy with keeping up with Quincy and making trips with other residents here into Lake City to stock-up on supplies.
Thankfully, the weather has cooled down nicely over the past week. Days have been clear and warm with temps. in the low eighties and nights are dipping into the low fifties. After the brutally hot and humid summer we just experienced, it's nice to be able to enjoy sitting outside and sleeping with the windows open.
The pictures above were taken during our trip last Saturday night to the open-mic coffee house at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park. The park hosts these coffee houses the first Saturday of every month except the months of April and December. In April the park is filled to capacity with an antique tractor show and in December it hosts a Festival of Lights. It's was a nice feeling to return to the park. It was our first stay on this journey and the return brought back many good memories.
We usually spend our Saturday nights listening to A Prairie Home Companion while enjoying a good meal, but it was nice to substitute that for a trip to the coffee house. During the evening we were entertained by eight performers who provided acoustic sets of music that included folk, bluegrass, gospel and one fiddle player who played a strange style of songs that nobody seemed to understand or appreciate. Overall, the amateur performers were very talented and seemed completely at ease with the audience. It was a nice way to spend the evening. If you ever have the chance to attend one of the coffee houses at Stephen Foster State Park, we highly recommend them. They are free, including the park entry fee, and you can purchase coffee, tea and baked goods all provided for just a dollar each.
It's looks like another busy week ahead, so until next time Happy Trails everyone.
Copyright 2009-2010 Lane A Geyer
Photos by Deb & Lane
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