BEING 66 DOESN'T FEEL ANY DIFFERENT

Well... today was the day of my birth 66 years ago.  I was the second child for my parents and the last.

Last night I was treated to a couple of drinks and a nice supper at Pat's house.  He cooked Filet Mignon and new potatoes.  Really delicious.  For desert we had an ice cream cone of butter pecan.  Yummy.

I was home by midnight when a thunderstorm struck.  I love hearing the rain on the roof of the RV.  I tried to stay awake to enjoy it but dozed on and off.  This morning I finished another book I had started last month while having coffee in bed with the doggies.  

Little Cha Bu has taken to sleeping under the lap tray I keep at the foot of the bed.

My little babies Cha Bu and Xi Shi

A birthday card and gift from Pat.

Pat and I had a discussion about my air suspension or lack thereof.  I explained how the coach rides rough and it feels like when I hit a small bump in the road it is metal to metal and bang, bang, bang and things fall off the wall and such.  So he decided to take a look at my air bags.  Stuck his head under the coach and said they were deflated.  Used his pressure gauge and it read 0.  

When I purchased the coach three years ago I asked about that intake valve and was told not to worry about that as it was something that was done at the manufacturer and I would not have to do anything with it.  Then at the RV Boot Camp in Texas I asked again.  One of the instructors came to my campsite and I asked what that valve was for and he said basically the same thing.  So I trusted them and as I didn't have a manual for the air suspension, I put it out of my mind.

Now that Pat has brought it to my attention that the bags were completely deflated and could have easily been punctured, I have a better understanding of what to do about it.  I went online and read a few message boards and found out that the minimum air pressure should be about 30.  So Pat inflated the bags to that and they are holding the air so are not punctured.  However, for the last 3 years I have been riding and bumping along metal to metal which was causing the rough ride and the bang, bang, bang on certain highways.  I'm very lucky that I didn't do more damage to the underneath of the coach.

So ladies who go solo, check your air suspension.

My friends Sylvia and Helen came to Grand Isle for a visit.  Invited me to join them for a drink at a new restaurant in town but I just wasn't up to it.   Felt like being lazy, I guess.

Sat out under my awning for an hour or so then walked the dogs for the last time today and in the camper we went for the night.  The mosquitoes are out after last night's rain and I prefer to stay indoors when it's like that.

Going to have some chili for supper and maybe watch a movie. 

CATAMARANS and MOTORIZED PARAGLIDING

Finally finished my current read today.  It's taken me a month to finish 1,118 pages of a Biography on Marlon Brando.  Interesting reading.

Rode my bike to the beach today, alone.  No doggies.  Stayed a couple of hours.  

Like the name "Knot Really"

There were two paragliders flying over the beach today.  Looks like fun.

The motor was pretty loud and I could smell the fuel burning.  This flyer is a female.

There were families all along the shore today.  Some had set up canopies and had ice chests and chairs all around.  I don't usually see that when I'm here in the winter months.

The beach was clean, no trash, or dead fish.

Got there about 6:00 and stayed till 8:00.  Set out my beach chair and read awhile.  It was very relaxing.

AFTERNOON RIDE ON THE BEACH

Had a good night's sleep and this morning opened the awning and put down my mat and set up my chairs.  It was really hot and I could only stay out for a little while then had to go back into the cooler air in the RV. 

At lunchtime Pat brought over a roast beef poboy sandwich that he made on a tosted piece of French Bread.  It was delicious.  I had not eaten French Bread since last August when I was diagnosed with diabetes.  It was the one thing I knew I had better give up in order to lower my blood sugar.  However, this is my birthday week so I indulged.  It will probably be another year before I eat another piece of that delicious bread.

Walked the dogs around Pat's property and took a few photos.  Spent some relaxing time on the tree swing. 

Good photo of my new porcelain caps. 

Life like alligator made of cement.

One of Pat's two cats.

The ATV

Love these palms.  They are 15 years old.

Some shade is nice.

Later in the afternoon, attached the doggie cart to the bike and we took a ride to the beach.  I was surprised to see that the beach had built up all the way to the rock jetties. 

Rode for a long time then let the dogs out of the cart and walked them around.  They played in the water a bit then we headed back to the RV.  Rinsed them off with the outdoor shower hose and then put them inside.

Rode Pat's ATV up the street to the little store and got some friend chicken for supper.  Took a shower and now I'm watching DVDs of Frazier.   My little doggies are sleeping next to me and I think they enjoyed their time at the beach.

Tomorrow I'll go to the beach solo.  I just want to chill for awhile at the water's edge in my comfortable chair and gaze out at the waves.

BACK TO THE BEACH FOR A WEEK - JUST COULDN'T STAY AWAY

Well, here I am again.  Didn't think I would be RVing during the hot summer months but I wanted to spend my 66th birthday at the beach so I'm back on Grand Isle.  I'm parked at my friend Pat's house and will be here for a week.

Did my usual shrimp boil and Pat and I enjoyed the shrimp, potatoes, dip and beer.  We got caught up on all the latest news and he visited with the dogs for awhile.   They were so glad to see him.

Took the dogs for a walk around Pat's property.  Tried to take a few photos with the iPhone but they didn't come out so hot.  It's hard to hold the camera still with 2 dogs pulling you in different directions.  But here's what I got.

One of Pat's oldest palm trees.

Pat's house on the right and my RV on the left. 

 Two new tree swings.

This is the camp where I was supposed to stay this week but I changed my mind.

It's called "Pig In A Poke" and belongs to a friend of Pat's who was kind enough to let me have it for a week.

However, I decided to stay in my RV in my usual spot in Pat's side yard. 

  

Waited till late this afternoon and rode my bike to the beach.  I was hoping that it wouldn't be flooded like it was last time but it wasn't.  It was perfect.  Rode up and down the beach for awhile.  It felt great.  It was starting to get dark and I was worried because I don't have a light on the bike which could be dangerous as I had to travel along the highway to get back to the RV a couple of blocks away.

I headed back to the crossover where two people were standing.  I stopped to talk to them and we discussed the electric bike and RVs and after a while they said that they were staying at Island House RV Park.  I told them I had stayed there once and to tell the manager Michelle I said hello.  Well, one thing led to another and come to find out this couple realized who I was and they informed me that they had found one of my Peace Rocks.  I was so excited to finally meet someone who had found one of my rocks.  I asked them to come by tomorrow to visit me at Pat's house and hope that they do.  It was nice chatting and hope that I see them again.

I rode back to my camper in the dark and boy was it scary.  I was so hoping that no one would hit me and did make it back safely.  I won't be doing that again.

I had a good day today and although it is terribly hot I hope to have a great week here at Pat's.  I have a couple of books I want to finish reading and also a children's book I'm writing so I'll have lots to keep me busy inside during the hottest part of the day.  Then it's off to the beach!!