Homecoming 2019

Saylorville Lake Sunny 81 Degrees

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we shift gears in
this full-time RV lifestyle and how much ease it happens with. This time last
Sunday we were gathered having our last afternoon social hour with Chuck and
Julie and Terry. All of us talking about our summer plans and speculating on
when we might cross paths again.

I sit here now on this Easter Sunday afternoon at the picnic
table in our temporary site at Saylorville looking out over the timbered hillside.
The area underwent a prescribed burn since we were here last. The forest floor
is sprouting new green and flush with small woodland wildflowers. The trees are
just beginning to show signs of buds bursting into tiny brilliant green leaves.
I don’t hear the persistent hum of Interstate traffic and golf carts buzzing
around the park, but rather a Red Belly Woodpecker calling from the timber and
the occasional sound of a Robin or Cardinal.

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  Post burn recovery- lake in the background

We set out on our journey home last Tuesday and were thankful to have made the trip with little difficulty. Annie and Buster have already recovered from four straight days of the constant vibration and shaking of their house moving down the road and are relaxing on their tethers at the edge of the timber. The two-week delay in our southern departure paid off in the form of an uninterrupted trek home this year. The past two years we have been delayed and rerouted by passing spring storms as the mid-section of the country moved through the season change from winter to spring. Only to be greated with snow upon our arrival. Our biggest issue, this year, was a puncture wound in a side wall, that delayed our departure from the campground outside Nashville by about four hours, but did not set us back a day while we waited for the tire service to bring and new tire and mount it.

In a few short days we have transformed from snowbird park
denizens to Saylorville Lake volunteers preparing to get another season
underway tomorrow. We are once again active, present grandparents. The weekend filled
quickly with an outing with the kids who live near us and the grandkids yesterday
at the zoo for an Easter event. In between we have connected with returning
volunteers and a cousin and her husband who will join us in Volunteer Village
for their first season here at Saylorville.  We barely have the jacks down and are fully
immersed in the lake and the kids. We squeezed a quick grocery store trip in
between visits yesterday and will start work for the lake tomorrow.

• 

  Hunter is very glad to see Grandpa!

• 

  Surprise! We're back!

• 

  Riding the train at the zoo

The ’18 / ’19 winter season in Ocala is quickly becoming a
distant memory. I sat at this table last evening next to my daughter eating dinner
beaming at the thought that we are back in Iowa and have a full summer ahead. This
morning I awoke to the sound of two little boys’ voices talking to Grandpa with
morning cartoons on the television in the background, coming from the living room
and my heart smiled. It feels good to be home.

Until Next Time…