FOLLOW THE PURPLE SHAMROCK!!

We have been following our Purple Shamrock plant on the Blog since March when it was first beginning to grow. In May, it had really taken off and was beautiful with full bloom.

In July we had an unwanted visitor who loved Purple Shamrock bulbs! I could have shot him!!!

We’ll have to start all over again!!! Ken says it should come back – IT’S A BULB!!!

OYSTERS AND HOT DOGS AT MIKE AND DIANE’S

On Saturday afternoon, Mike drove to Gwen’s Island and bought a bag of oysters (100) and we had them grilled for dinner. Diane doesn’t eat oysters so hot dogs were on the side for her, but we all pitched in and helped her eat them.

Steve and Mike begin shucking the oysters.
Ken is ready to go to work with his new Burrito apron. The apron was a joke given to him by our friends, Gene and Lois. We won’t reveal the BIG punch line here on the Blog!!
“Men At Work” A plate of oysters that Ken opened for ME. UMMMMM
Mike is enjoying his share.

A MORNING OF PICKLEBALL

Five of us gathered on the Pickleball courts Saturday morning for some fun games of Pickleball. It was fun to play with John again. It’s been a long time.

Amy was the big winner. She never lost a game. I see why -- she let her partners do all the work!! Not True!! Just teasing, Amy!! (John and Amy)

Faye was the big loser. She never won a game!! Don't quite understand that. I had the same partners that Amy had!!

Scott and Ken made a formidable team!!!

FRIENDS SHOW UP AT TT CHESAPEAKE BAY

We were so surprised to see our friends John and Pat from out west. They are touring the eastern US this summer and stopped for a time at TT Chesapeake Bay. Since we last saw them in Palm Springs, they have sold their 5th wheel, bought a new Class A motorhome, bought a site at Happy Trails in Arizona, and hit the road.

The most amazing thing is when John was playing Pickleball in the Senior Games last year, he actually died on the Pickleball court!! He said he was walking toward the net and blacked out. His heart stopped beating for eight minutes! It happened that his opponent was a nurse in a cardiac unit and administered CPR until help arrived. As soon as they used the defibulator, he came to and wondered what was going on!! After surgery he is doing great!! See you on the courts, John.

COUNTRY BUFFET AT GINNY'S PLACE

July 15 – On Wednesday we moved back to TT Chesapeake Bay for a couple of weeks. The first person we saw as we were setting up was Gilbert. He said he and Jenny and some friends and family were going to try a new place to eat at Hayes Plaza. They had heard good things about it. Did we want to join them?? Sounded good to us, so later that day we piled into Gilbert’s truck and went to All You Can Eat Country Buffet at Ginny’s Place.

It was not only all we could eat – it was great!! And, the price was right, too -- $7.99 and kids were only 99 cents!!

Around the table: Gilbert, Jenny, Pam, Skylar, Dannielle, Ken, Faye, Angelo, Jamie (Jenny’s niece) and Baby Kathryn. I raised Cain with Gilbert for being on the cell phone when he should have been posing with his chocolate ice cream!! (He ate about four bowls full!!)

Around the table from the other end: Dannielle, Skylar, Pam, Jenny, Gilbert, Baby Kathryn, Jamie, Faye and Ken

Kathryn was an angle the entire evening!!


We joined Gilbert and another friend, Amy, on the Pickleball courts Thursday morning for a few good games. We think Gilbert got mad because Ken and Amy beat Gilbert and me two out of three games. Anyway, the next thing we knew, Gilbert and Jenny suddenly packed up and left that afternoon. He said he had to “cut grass”!! HA HA We know the REAL reason, Gilbert!!

CRAB FEAST ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

Fellow Pickleball Players, Tim and Julie, invited a group of us to their new site (*) for a crab feast on the Fourth of July. Well, it was not only crabs – there was a lot of everything else!! DELICIOUS!!!

Ken enjoying his crabs!

Here is Tim with his mother. (Keith got in the act, too.) She is known as “Mama” to everybody at the campground. Everyone, that is, except Ken, who says she is too young for her to be HIS Mama!!

(*) New Site: This year for the first time, the TT Chesapeake Bay leases “annual sites” under a three-year contract. Under the new policy, they no longer offer “seasonal” or “lease by the week or month” sites. Tim and Julie lease this beautiful site, located on the bank of the Piankatank River. It is indeed one of the prime sites.

DINING OUT AT CHEF TODD’S

A group of us went to Chef Todd’s for a delicious dinner. Chef Todd’s was previously located across the corner in an old 50’s style drug store, complete with soda fountain, etc. They soon out grew the location and moved to its current location on Main Street in Matthews.

Going around the table: Ken, Steve, Judy, Diane, Mike, Rick, Joann, Jeremy, Linda, Wayne, Faye For some reason, our waitress seemed to be ignoring Wayne (next to me) and couldn’t get his order straight. Finally Judy asked the waitress if Wayne was not supposed to get applesauce with his meal. Wayne said he was not going to ask her for anything else. Apparently, she could not see him because he was wearing a yellow shirt and sitting in front of a yellow wall. He teased that next time he was going to wear a red shirt and he was NOT going to sit in front of that red wall!!

I wish I had my camera going because at the end of the meal the waitress brought Wayne a humongous piece of chocolate torte covered with whipped cream and forks to share with everyone!! It was a most enjoyable evening!!

DECORATED GOLF CART COMPETITION AND PARADE

July 3 – TT Chesapeake Bay sponsored a Decorated Golf Cart Competition and Parade on Friday afternoon. There must have been 20 – 25 golf carts and bicycles participating. Ken served as one of the judges!! It was really difficult choosing the winners, there were so many extravagantly decorated carts!!

Here are some of the participants.

Bicycles. We didn’t get a picture of the bike winner, but the bike looked very much like this PLUS four big red, white and blue balloons on the handlebars.

Ken is having too much fun being a judge!!

Gilbert who is always challenging Ken to an unfriendly game of Pickleball and Jenny who compares knee replacement surgery with Ken.

Billy Babb in his utility Golf Cart.

Ru our Assistant Manager. The sign, “WE MISS YOU, ELMO” is in memory of Elmo who was a fireman killed last year in a motorcycle accident on I-64. His golf cart was a winner in last year’s parade. Elmo was a Pickleball player. In fact, he was in the process of having Pickleball courts put in at his local recreation center at the time of his death.

Judge Terry is our Manager here at TT Chesapeake Bay. Judging must be a FUN job!!

A golf cart of a different kind!!

Tabatha is the daughter of our good Pickleball friends, Amy and Tom. She is the cutest thing.

Our friend Judy and her grandkids did a great decorating job. And look at that "little Princess"

Melissa and Eddie bring up the rear of the parade.

These are your JUDGES!! Terry, Ken, and Lisa.

Fellow Pickleball Player, Scott is the big winner!!! Congratulations, Scott!!!

COOK OUT AT MIKE AND DIANE’S

Friday afternoon before the Fourth, we got together with Mike and Diane for a cook out. Everyone brought their own entre and a side. Mike prepared it all on the grill. He was very proud that he was able to prepare steak, two kinds of shrimp chicken strips all at the same time on the grill, and have them finished at the same time. He’s thinking he should become a chef!! We think so too!!! Good Job, Mike!!

The Guys - Jimmy, Mike, Eddie and Ken.

The Gals - Diane, Linda, Debbie (Diane's friend from Manassas), Delores and Faye.

THERESA AND JOHN COME TO CHESAPEAKE BAY

Friends, Theresa and John, came back to Chesapeake Bay for a couple of nights. They were “seasonal” campers until this season when they left the Park. They rented a cabin while they were here. We were very surprised when they brought us two large crab cakes and fish fillets for our dinner one evening – actually, it was enough for two dinners!! Thank you guys for a delicious dinner!!

One of their last experiences when they leased a site at the campground last year was a limb fell off a nearby tree and totaled their car!! We took pictures to support their insurance claim!

VERIZON (CONTINUED)

GOOD NEWS – WE GOT OUR 100 BONUS MINUTES UNTIL JULY 2011!!! NOW, I’M REALLY HAPPY WITH VERIZON!!