That Time of Year Again

 

It’s that time of year again. 2020 has been anything but routine.  Full timers trying to make their winter plans  has been just as tenuous as everything else. Our plan went from solid in March, to unknown mid- summer to finally a solution that we call our Plan D.  We are lucky, there are some we know who are still not sure what they are doing for the winter. Still others aren’t even sure they will be in a warm climate.

We are happy with our decision and looking forward to a winter in a familiar place. We vowed not to return to the same destination twice until we had fully sampled the expanse of the southern United States, but again, this is no ordinary year.

The season change is evident in the Garden Center where I have worked this season.  The summer flowers and trees are long gone. Recently, we made short work of a load of over 1500 Mums in various sizes and combination planters thanks to an advertised sale. My boss told me to expect a huge load of Pumpkins and more Mums the middle of this month that will fill the plant tables. I am getting regular upper body workouts stocking 25lb bags of grass seed, 100’ rolls of hose and jugs of lawn chemicals; all of which are selling as fast as we can get them on the shelf. Like always, I learned a couple of cool new things this summer. The most useful was learning the value of a Pallet Jack, now my favorite implement in the garden center. I also learned; the color of a Hydrangea bloom can be manipulated from Blue to Pink simply by amending the soil to change to Ph. Cool huh?

Pumpkins have arrived

Fall flowers

Wildlife hitches a ride in on the plants this toad greeted me this morning when I was adding water to the fountains

Our fellow full timers are starting to move about as I write. A friend we met on our first job in Texas Hill Country in 2016 made the leap to full time RV living, late this summer and is staying nearby waiting to head south. Other friends we met in Florida two years ago, stopped for the weekend here at Saylorville as they make their way through Iowa. Even though the weather wasn’t the best while they were here, we did get to introduce another couple to the beauty of Central Iowa in summer and the spacious, lush sites at Prairie Flower campground. They make it a point to visit State Houses as they travel about and were able to tour ours while they were here. We got a chance to introduce them to some of our Volunteer compadres here at Saylorville, by hosting a happy hour as well.  Like other friends who have visited Central Iowa for the first time when they planned a stop to see us, they would like to return. 

Keith and Karen visiting on their way through Iowa

Happy Hour 

 

The fickle weather dealt us a hand of extremes last week.  95 degrees and very humid on Sunday was followed by steadily falling temps through Labor Day that bottomed out around 48 degrees and brought much needed steady rain. Air Conditioners got a break and within 12 hours furnaces were burning off the dust. Such is life in the middle of the country as the seasons start to change. After four and a half days of persistent rain and 50 degrees, the weather pattern finally shifted and we are basking in cool fall mornings with highs in the upper 70’s like it should be. The skies are clear and sunny and we know that quickly it will transition to the cloudy frigid winters that consume the Midwest and we will drag ourselves away from our family and head to a warmer climate.

We are seven short weeks from leaving Iowa. Another summer has flown by. We are thankful that we are healthy and safe. We have a plan and a back up plan (just in case). We are looking forward to being able to take both motorcycles south and spend it with people we met a couple of years ago and likely meet some new folks.

Until Next Time…