Trippin' with Susan Straley

 It is Christmas morning and I am camping on St. George Island off the coast of the panhandle of Florida. I am snuggled under a folded over quilt and a folded over down comforter.  The little space heater I use in Lilac has been working hard all night.  It is still cool in the camper outside my bed so when my alarm goes off.  I lay there and wonder why I should get up.  I mean, really, it is too cold to go out and walk or ride.  It is Christmas afterall. But then I remember how wonderful the starry night was on Christmas Eve. How beautiful the sunrise was the previous morning.   I remembered that it would be fun to send Steve a sunrise picture or two.   I pull the covers off.  I am already half dressed in two long-sleeve shirts and a light sweatshirt and long underwear.   I turn on the coffee maker and finish putting on many more layers.  Ending with a wind breaker because these days the wind blows the cold right through to your skin. Sleep - A Senior's Dilemma I have the alarm set

 I found myself smiling a lot the morning I prepared Lilac for travel again.   The months I spent this winter in Inverness, Florida, while my trailer stayed in one spot, have been full of a whole lot of fun with friends.  It has  been a flurry of activity at times, but always worth it because I was able to connect with wonderful people. My last week in the area was no different.   I went birding with Regis and Cindy in Weeki Wachee.  Cindy was writing down the birds she saw.  "That is the sign of a real birder," I thought.  The birds were nothing new to her, but I was thrilled because it was a beautiful day, the tree we were watching was lovely, a Silken Oak in bloom.  We were watching this particular tree.  We had heard it is a place for migrating birds to refuel on their journey north.  We watched a flock of cedar wax wings visit a few times.  Lots of little yellow birds, some I can identify but most still look alike to me.  Cindy can ID the birds by their song. When she po

 Hello, Wow!  Life is a trip. I am feeling younger and stronger.  How? You may ask.   I took my trike to the shop in Inverness.   I was slowing down and I thought it was me.  My bike buddies were trying to talk me into getting an electric motor for my trike.  I resisted.   I wanted an annual check up and lube job on my trike before I left on my travels north. I left the trike there for them to work on.  Shortly after, the mechanic called me.  It turns out that my trike chain was a mess. There is a little guide wheel under the seat of my trike.  There is a little bar that keeps the chain from jumping off the wheel when I shift or hit a bump.   Some how the chain had gotten on the wrong side of that guide bar.  The mechanic said that the chain had sawed half way through that bar, the sawing had ruined the chain and my back cog and more. It took a few days for them to get all the parts and fix it.  Boy, did it ride nice when I got it back! Now when I ride with the group, I can keep up.  I