Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

MERRY CHRISTMAS  (and remember the reason for the season.)

What a Joy it is to celebrate another of Christ's births.  Here we relax in the sunshine of south Florida where if anyone is complaining, it is because the temperature is headed for 85 degrees again today.   No bundling up or putting a coat on around here.   We've had our morning walk (to the dumpsters) and Sandy is currently out for her morning walk around the park. With the fog about gone and the sun beginning to appear, it  is going to be another nice day.  As a friend says, "Another great day in Paradise".

We went to the early Christmas Eve service last night at church so that we could return to the park before it was too dark.  (At 6:30, it was really dark!)   We had little time to waste, but for some reason, I was driving  with the cruise control on at 50 mph.   Suddenly we noticed a dark blob in the right ditch that was moving towards the road. Instinctively, we hit the brakes and watched a black wild hog cross the road in front of us.  We cleared it by ten to fifteen feet as it darted across the road.  One gives thanks immediately that we missed it.

For those from the farm, Texas and Florida wild hogs are usually coal black and flat as a pancake side to side, perhaps five inches at most. I suspect that they are about 200 pounds more or less.  We've often seen the results of their rooting in the ditches but this was first one that we've seen at night.  Let's hope it is also the last one.  (We learned that it is better to drive below 50 mph while in the Everglades 3 weeks ago.   The speed limit on the Tamiami Trail  between the Everglades NP and the Big Cypress Preserve is 60 in the daytime and 45 at night, in an effort to reduce car-panther collisions.)

Friday was our shopping trip to the big city so that Sandy could return her newly purchased Kendle 3G back to Walmart.   The advantage of the Kendle 3G over the cheaper model is that the 3G version has unlimited access online, but only to the Amazon bookstore to buy books, so she found out.   But why does she want that when she can get all of the books she needs free from many online library sources?  Plus the unit automatically reverts to the wifi link if there is an active wifi in range.  So since our Cradlepoint router is always on (if we have AC to the rig), her Kendle would be using our wifi, not the 3G service. When using the wifi service, the Kendle has unlimited online access via the used network.   She returned the 3G model and then we went to buy the cheaper wifi only version.  Sorry, but they were out of stock.  Come back next week!

This afternoon we'll join the others in the park for our Christmas dinner.   I was a little late again this year about pushing to change how the park does the Christmas dinner.   We sign up on a table of 8 for the dinner. The park provides the meat and gravy and the members of the table provide the rest, usually one item per couple.  I'd like to see it done in a table setting of 16 (2 eight foot tables).   Then you have two choices of everything.   However, it has always been with a table of 8 and a table of 8 it shall be!

I finally  made a temporary fixture for one of the LED lamps I've purchased via eBay from Hong Kong.  I put the lamp  in a tin can with aluminium foil to provide a reflector.  Well, the house chairman vetoed it as a suitable lamp.  The light it too blue-esh.    So I'm back in the market for a suitable fixture.  Someday we'll find one.   (I love it because the lamp is very low power and saves on  my battery when boondocking.)

Again,  Merry Christmas.

Gene