Alarming

This picture is of a beautiful sunrise this week, which has absolutely nothing to do with this article, but it's pretty.....

When I moved into my 5th wheel trailer, I made sure all my alarms were working.  I had to replace the LP monitor and the CO2 monitor.  The smoke alarm just needed a new battery.  The monitors are all within a few feet of each other, my trailer isn't very big.

The CO2 monitor came with a smoke alarm also and it talks - when it senses fire, it says in a calm voice,  "fire, fire" to accompany the annoying screeching beep.  No, I did not find this out when I had a fire.  I found out when I was cooking pancakes one morning - what a way to wake up completely and quickly!  This alarm is so sensitive, no matter what I cook, it claims that it's on fire.  Forget the fact that when I have multiple candles burning, which are actually small fires - it doesn't seem concerned about them.  It just does not like my cooking - I have come to the conclusion that it reacts to a different smell in the camper.

I have been trying to remember to turn on the stove vent and close the sliding door between the kitchen/living area and the bedroom/bath area where the alarm resides.  Most of the time I forget and when it starts telling me about my poor cooking habits, I just snatch it off the ceiling, lay it on the bed and cover it.  I just hope the neighbors can't hear it , I don't want them wondering how I can eat my own cooking.

Appearances are deceiving.....

This is a photo of my sunrise this morning in Florida, as seen through my back window.  Looks really pretty and like we're having warm weather - doesn't it?  

Don't let this pretty picture fool you.  When I went out to take the picture, it was COLD.   It was windy too!  During the night, it had been down about 37-39 degrees.  Even now when they're predicting the low tonight will be about 46, our wind chill is 41 degrees.  Plus, it's a damp cold.

I know what the people in the northern states are thinking - I must be crazy to complain abut 30's and 40's.  But, this is supposed to be Florida - where people flock every year to get out of the cold northern temperatures.  The people in Florida are not used to this abusive weather.  I won't speak for everyone here, but I will admit that I am a wimp when it comes to being cold.  

Of course, spending about 10 years in the Caribbean on a sailboat really spoiled me.  It was a rare day if the temperatures went below 75.  I spent some winter seasons in the Virgin Islands, and the locals did not go in the water until summer.  Yes, we could tell the difference. 

Every time winter comes in Florida, I keep thinking that it's so nice and sunny looking - it looks like it should be warm.   Just like the picture above - looks like a nice sunny, warm day about to begin.  Don't believe everything you see or hear.....

New Year - New Neighborhood

When I lived on the sailboat, I joked about the fact that if we didn't like the neighbors or the neighborhood - it was easy to change it.  All we had to do was just pick up the anchor and go to another harbor or island.  Now that I live in a 5th wheel trailer, I can do basically the same thing! 

Florida is a very touristy state, especially when snow starts piling up in the northern states.  For the past couple months, I have been at an RV park just south of Daytona Beach.  The second month I was here, the rent went up - January's rent was supposed to go up more.   By February, the rent was going to go over $700.  Not knowing when my house would sell and I could go "cruising", I started looking for a more reasonable place live in my 5th wheel. 

I found a little mobile home park that allowed RVs.  I called them and got the information on rent and facilities.  The rent was way more reasonable and they paid for the electric!  They have wifi, but it's non-existent at my site, so I'm waiting for the cable company to come in a day or so.  Otherwise, they have full hookups and a laundry room.   AND, I'm right on the water - only a tributary of the intercoastal, but scenic.  I can see the lighthouse flash on the opposite shore.  Much better view than other RV neighbor's rigs less than 10' away.

So, welcome to my new neighborhood.