The shed from Hell!

Well, we have been really busy since I last visited my blog. Leigh built a shed from a kit. $300.00 for the shed and $100 for the floor. Four days of hard labor and we finally got it together. We have a garage but we had so much stuff in that RV there was hardly room for it so we got this shed.

But after all we went through to get it up. I think we should have just kept the darn garage stuffed. Well, anyhow, $400 and 4 days labor this shed is up. The fun we had putting it up and still staying married is priceless.

The yard work is coming along also. We planted more flower bulbs today and the tree landscaper came today. We paid $120.00 to get the front trees trimmed and he is coming tomorrow to do the back ones. God only knows how much that will be. Between the trees and the lawn fertilizer we are spending a lot more money then we intended on a rented house. Our greatest fear is we spend all this money grooming the place and they will sell the house out from under us and we will be out all this money. I am just putting it all in God's hands that won't happen.

Now for some exciting news. We are going on a cruise. I figured if we are blowing our savings we might as well blow it on something fun. I wanted to go in February for my birthday but it cost so much more then. By going now we get a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas for $525.00 for the both of us and we will have to pay some extras so it will probably end up being around $700.00.

After that we are tightening out belts and I may get a job so we can try to put some money back into our savings because this move to Florida has really done a number on the savings and it is really low after this trip. But a cruise was on my bucket list so we are going. I am not getting any younger and neither is Leigh. Well, that is about all that is happening here. Hopefully I will have some great pictures of our cruise to post next time. Just wanted you all to know we are alive and well in Florida.

Bike ride to New Smyrna Beach!

The weather was really nice today. Not to hot and not to cold so we decided a bike ride on the Harley was the thing to do. So first we rode up to Orange City to see my friends Joan and Paul AKA Buffalo man and Gal. Paul was home but Joan was out doing the garage sales and flea markets. So we had a nice visit with him and caught up with how their, Montana trip went.

Then we went to New Smyrna Beach because I wanted to see what it was like. It was nice and they let people drive on the beach and it has a few cute shops. We ate in a pub on the beach called the Breakers. The food was not that great there, but it was fun seeing a new place. It was just a nice fun day out. I am still in love with Flagler Beach of all the places I have seen so far.

Nice visit

Today was a fun day. Nancy and Jerry are workampers we met in Arizona where we worked in Florence. While we moved here and settled in Flagler they came to Ormond Beach to workamp.
I never would have guessed I would ever meet up with them again since we gave up our RV. Just goes to show what a small world this is.

So we spent the day at the farmer's market, doing the thrift shops, a book store, garage saling , lunching at Finn's and finally just relaxing and talking on the deck here at the house. It was a fun day and I hope while they are in the area to spend some more fun time with them, maybe exploring Florida.

Phase 2 yard improvement!

Well we worked today on phase 2 of our yard improvement. We took down the dry rotted fence in front of the house except the arch and added two climbing flowers to it. We have also added some new plants to the gardens out front. Once the grass comes back to life and the new plants take off it should be nice. there was 2 pieces of fence that was in good shape so we are putting it out back where people who use the access road next to the house turn around in the yard. the good fence will stop that from happen. Now we have to let Tru-green work they miracle with the grass. And hopefully we will see improvement. Comments are welcome if you think it looks better with or without the fence. The chairs are a before and after picture.

Lawn Improvement

Well today we made a major investment in our new home. Even though we are renting we fell in love with this place. The folks who lived here before just worked all the time and did not take the time to care for this house and property like it deserves. They did nothing to the lawn and it is almost gone. They let old boats sit on the grass that killed off big patches of it. So after we moved in we power washed down the deck and got off all the green stuff and cleaned the house and shampooed the rugs. Put in new caulking in bathrooms. Now the big project the yard.

We hired a lawn care company to the tune of $677.00 for the year to get this yard in shape. They analysed the lawn they said it need aerating, potassium which they did today. Told us we need to buy grass plugs to fill in the bare spots. And they will weed and feed it every six weeks for the next year.

So off to Lowe's we went and bought the grass plugs and two sprinklers and some yard tools. We took pictures and we will update them as the yard improves. We hope to make this home and yard something special. And we hope to stay here for a long long time.

Backyard visitors

This squirrel posing on our deck. This Gopher turtle who has a big hole in our yard .We had a couple of other visitors also. No picture though. A water moccasin 5 foot long, a raccoon very fat. I took a picture but must have deleted it and an armadillo. So we don't have bear like in Pennsylvania but we do have critters.

As far as other news goes Leigh's eye is healing well and he may not need the second eye done. We will know more in a couple of weeks. And I am working at Friend's Cafe this week to make a little extra money for cushions for the deck chairs. Not much other news except a couple we met and worked with in Arizona just got a job in Ormond beach The Cutlers. we are looking forward to getting together with them. And I am waiting to hear from our friends Paul and Joan to get together with them. They just got back from Montana. So not much news on the Page front just daily stuff.

Farmer's Market

We are adjusting to life in Flagler and I am as happy as a clam. We have a routine down. We go to Finn's for Leigh's Bud Shoot-out once a week. We go to the Farmer's market on Fridays for all the fresh veggies, fruits and other neat stuff. We ride our bikes at least twice a day for exercise.

We have started taking care of our health problems. Leigh had eye surgery on his right eye and hopefully he will be doing his left.

I have made my mammogram, as I was really scared I left 2 lumps but it was only calcium. I also had a pap test and am treating my little problem I had all summer.

We finally got the bike registered. Here in Florida you have to have the title you can't just transfer with your old registration. That was the worst. If you are a new resident to Florida they hit you with a new resident tax on your vehicles. My car was $475.00 and Leigh's bike was almost $200.00. But next year it will be more reasonably. Although that has doubled since September. The Governor is trying to keep from having a state tax so he is killing us with all these other taxes. So with everything transferred over we are official Floridians now.

But I am so enjoying living here. I dress in more colorful clothes I even went back to some hippy garb which is very popular down here. I buy all my clothes at thrift shops or garage sales.

Speaking of garages sales I have never seem such great ones in my life. We love the unique restaurants and cafes. We even work at one. Leigh is a dishwasher and me a buss girl. We go see the sunrises on the beach or just go and set on the beach for a couple of hours. Life is good in Florida. I love their layed back lifestyle.