January 30, 2009

Welcome to the first day of our our blog!  Thank you for taking the time to read about our adventures!

We just left North Port, FL, after spending a week with our good friend Oliver Beal.  For the past six years he has been building his dream house.  Oliver is a graphic artist and a perfectionist so when it is finished it won’t surprise us if it appears in Architectural Digest.  When we return in March, I will post photos of the interior.  He does have something that I have never seen before…..his toilet.  When you walk toward it, the seat rises.  You then sit on a heated seat.  It has a row of about 20 buttons with things to select so I studied all these while I was doing my business.  If you do #2 you press the rear flush and a stream of warm water cleans you.  You can direct how far forward or back you want it to go and you control the water pressure.  Or you can select clean the front and you have all the same options.  When you are finished, you then press dry and, yes, warm air blows on you!  I have to tell you it was quite the experience!

This is Oliver in front of his house.  Notice the stainless steal door and design in the chimney.  I couldn't get the 4 car garage in the photo.   

Yesterday we drove back to Davenport, FL, and sold our old RV to a gentleman from West VA.  He was happy to get it and we were THRILLED that he bought it!  Last night and tonight we spent in the Ward Hotel in our RV park.  Our friends, Dick & Becky Ward have a cassita on their lot and many of our friends have stayed in it but this is our first time – it was extremely comfortable! 

Tomorrow is our big day – it is the start of our 50-day cruise around South America!  We booked this a year ago and find it hard to believe it is finally here.  In fact, that is the purpose of this blog.  

Tonight 13 of us ordered carry-out from different restaurants and all had dinner together in the clubhouse.