Its Like Running a Thousand Miles

At least that is what this reminds me of.  Trying to keep the momentum going as we stare at the last two months of the year, I realize I want to blog more to get to my goal of 150+ blogs for the year.  Back in the 1990's when I was a runner and a younger man, I had quite a few miles left at the beginning of November and had to 'finish strong' to get over the 1000 miles mark for the year.  I did it.

We'll see how it goes with my blogging.  I think one item I deal with is momentum.  Inertia.  If I have been in the habit of writing one every other day, it is easier to get into the mode of doing them more consistently.  Lately, it has been easier not to do them because I haven't been as regular as I used to be.

But there are always ideas floating around in my head.  And lots of unfinished posts that I have not published yet.  Like 127 posts that I have started and not finished.  Thankfully I have finished far more than that in my 7 ish years of doing this.

Today finds us in Macon, GA where we are part of a Habitat for Humanity Care-A-Vanner build.  We are finishing up our first week and its been a good one.  We have met some great new people and have gotten to work on some houses doing different things.

Here we work on a Tuesday - Saturday schedule which works best with our Construction Coordinator Steve.  He is among the best we have worked with and was here two years ago when we first came to Macon.

Macon has one of the RV Care-A-Vanner campground/hookup sites we have been to in our travels around the country.

Since most of us were here and had the day off on Monday, we were available when they put out the call for some help in the warehouse to untangle some lights.  Every year, Habitat joins with a local fast food restaurant and has a dazzling light-synchronized-to-music-on-your-radio event.

To make that possible, it takes a lot of lights and know how and stuff that is stored in the warehouse.  Our job for a few hours was untangling and checking out the bulbs on strings of lights from last year.

After that we had an old fashioned hangout session in our neighborhood

On Tuesday the affiliate had breakfast and a kickoff meeting with the local staff.

Then out to two houses we worked on for the day.

Robert and I replaced a bathroom floor that was damaged.  Down the street, the rest of the team was caulking and painting another house.

In the evening, we gathered for a group meal in the HFH meeting room and had dinner together.

As you can see, I was a little premature on my photo.  The chicken and dressing casserole Carol prepared was terrific, along with the salad and brownies for dessert.

We are off to a great start in Macon and are looking forward to more of it in the next few days!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Retirement and Rhinos

This post covers two items:  A book authored by our RV friend Paul and a foundation created by our campground friend Clint.

First the book:  Baby Boomer's Retirement Guide Turning Dreams Into Reality, by Paul Elmore

We first met Paul and wife Bobbi at our second Habitat for Humanity Care-A-Vanner Build in Santa Fe NM in 2011.  Since that time we have seen them again in Henryville, IN at a build they organized in 2013,  in Quartzite, AZ this past January and a few weeks later in Benson, AZ.  And of course when they joined us at Myrtle Beach State Park  last week.

Its always good to see them and Paul was nice enough to give us a signed copy of his book on Planning for Retirement.  He wrote last year (Bobbi the artist did the illustration).

It's not a long read, but it hits the important considerations and forces one to think about some excellent questions.  He states,

"When my mortgage and all my outstanding debt is paid off, I need $______ in investments to retire.

I remember telling a friend a couple we were making plans to sell our home, buy an RV and hit the road.  His question to me was, "How much do you need to live each month?"

Same idea to the basic question.  I didn't have a good answer.  It took me a few months to figure out a good estimate.  As we talked about the finances and how we were going to pull it off, we came up with a budget, monitored our expenses and had a good idea when we started this adventure in May 2009.

Paul's book walks you through those major items to consider and it is certainly well worth the read.  If you want to get your copy for $4.10, click here.

The next subject is something I have never thought much about.  I learned more when our new campground friends Clint and his wife Sydney invited us over with their friends for a bit of South African food on our second day at Myrtle Beach SP.

Clint has a business and lives with his family in Charleston, SC.  But he grew up in South Africa and has started a foundation to fight Rhino Poaching in South Africa.

You check it out here.  And support them by 'Like' ing them on FaceBook.  Very impressive that he would rally folks to a cause near and dear to him.  All it takes leadership, some good ideas and great things can happen.  Very admirable.

So - if you have a moment, check out Paul's book (and click on the Amazon.com add on the right panel of the blog to purchase)  and be sure to read up about what Clint is doing for the Rhino poaching problem in South Africa.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Financials - October 2014

Roadrunner Recap

During the month of Oct we were in the following locations:

• Allegro Campground (Tiffin), Red Bay, AL
• Hurlburt Field FamCamp, Fort Walton Beach, FL
• Stephen Foster Culture Center State Park, FL
• Mayport Naval Station MWR Campground, FL
• Myrtle Beach State Park, SC

We enjoyed the 1158+ miles of travel but our most memorable time with in Myrtle Beach State Park.  We met Bobbi and Paul there and later that day Kirk and Susan flew in for a few days.  We had a terrific time of camaraderie around the campfire, plenty of golf and lots of good food.  It was a great time.

Good News Areas We Are Under Budget

Biggest Expenses

With all those miles, we spent a lot on diesel fuel.  We notice some of the paint sealant on the front and rear roof caps of the Roadrunner were peeling, so we made the trip to Red Bay and got Bruce Deaton to repaint it.  We also went a little overboard on eating out and groceries during the month.  But when we had the chance to get together with friends in Myrtle Beach, we decided it was well worth it.

Large One Time Cost Item
Between the paint job and the diesel fuel, it was a toss up.

Monthly Average

We like the fact that by October, we are just under our budgeted monthly estimate of $4100.

As with every month, if you think my spreadsheets may be of help to you I would be more than glad to share them with you at no cost.  Just let me know.  My way of saying thanks for taking an interest in reading the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Thanks for joining us!

Friends, Beach, Golf, Grilling, Campfires = Great Time in Myrtle Beach

The four days we spent with Kirk and Susan and Paul and Bobbi in Myrtle Beach were great ones.  It was a very good location, the weather was nice and we all had fun.  Kirk and Susan stayed with us in the Roadrunner and Paul and Bobbi were in a camp site across the street.  It couldn't have worked out better.

Kirk is a walker and we've spent some time together over the years getting in some good walks.  We had some more early morning jaunts, this time along the beach.  We were hoping for a red-ball of fire type of sunrise this was the best shot I got. 

We were hoping for some coffee down on the fishing pier but couldn't find any so after about 45 minutes we headed back to the campground and made some and got some breakfast.  Pam and Susan were up by then and we got ready and took off for the golf course.

Myrtle Beach has 40+ golf courses and we picked Wicked Sticks (a John Daly Signature course).  

It turned out to be a good choice.  The course was well maintained a run and we didn't have anyone breathing down our neck.  Our starter was very thorough on procedures on the course, location of yardages and we started off well.

The ladies tee boxes were 50-60 yards in front of the men's which made it a lot more fun for everyone.

We all hit some good shots, made a few putts and had a very good time.

After golf, Pam went to the store to pick up a few items while I took our friends from Oklahoma out to the beach.  It was warm enough for Kirk to eventually jump in.

The low 80 degree weather was just right for some time soaking up some sun.

We had Paul and Bobbi over for dinner and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We topped off the evening with a very pleasant evening around the campfire.

Like I said, it was a very good time and couldn't have gone any better.  Great memories together.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Time with Friends in Myrtle Beach

Joining up with friends doesn't happen often, but when it does, we have a great time.  It happened in a big way in Myrtle Beach.  Paul and Bobbi left California on a long RV trip several weeks ago.  We have followed them on their travels back to the East Coast to see the fall colors in New Hampshire.

After that and stops in Indiana and Washington D.C.  We were pleased to find they were in our neighborhood.  It all worked out and they joined us for a four day stay at Myrtle Beach State Park.  They called and got all set up mid afternoon on Saturday at a camp site right across from ours.

Meanwhile, Kirk and Susan were due to fly in to Myrtle Beach on Saturday for some golf and beach time.  They stayed with us in the Roadrunner for our get-together that we planned months ago.

They arrived without incident on Saturday evening in time for all six of us to enjoy the evening together.  We had some fish on the grill and vegetables.

And then we gathered around the campfire and just enjoyed the evening.  It was a great evening to do just that.
But that wasn't all.

Our neighbors at the campsite next to us came over for a minute after we picked up Kirk and Susan at the airport and said, "Didn't realize you had company, but we'd love to have you all over for some South African food tonight."

That was a nice gesture and after the campfire, we stopped over and said hi to Clint and Whitney who were there with their two girls.  Clint is from South Africa and he had invited some of his family and relatives over also.

We got to get a taste of some excellent South African food and meet the group. I had a couple mussels with white rice in a spicy clam sauce.  Pam and Susan had that plus a little bit of potato salad that was great also.

That rounded out a pretty great day.  That might have been a first for us at a campground -- to get together with two sets of old friends and meet new ones all in one evening!  It was a great day.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

A Few Days in Myrtle Beach

We left Naval Station Mayport and headed north up I-95 then east and over the coast to Myrtle Beach.

We will be here for a few days and will be opening the 'Roadrunner B and B' for friends Kirk and Susan.

Meanwhile, we are staying at the lovely Mrytle Beach State Park.  Its a bit pricey ($41nite) but has full hookups including sewer.

There are a lot of sites here and the typical State Park clientele -- a little bit of everything.

Most are in trailers and campers with a few tenters in here.

It is a large park and a great beach and fishing pier.

We are in the tail end of the warm weather so I didn't see anyone laying on the beach but there were a few folks taking in some sun in their beach chairs.

The main attraction here is the golf.  If has a lot of courses and some great deals this time of year.
We tried one out yesterday:  Heron Point Golf Course.  It was a ways out of town and in what turned out to be an older neighborhood.

We only paid $30 which included golf cart and a bucket of balls.  The course itself was a terrific layout.

Lots of character with deep sand traps, large greens, some water and trees.  It was a nice challenge and best of all -- it was 'women friendly'.  That means on each hole the women's tee box was at least 60 yards up in front of the men's tee box.  That makes it much more fun for the women because then they have a chance to hit the green in regulation.

But the course was on the verge of being neglected. Probably too much competition for too many years.  The price was right and we had a fun day, but it was a little sad to see such a great layout not too well maintained.  It is the centerpiece of a housing area that must have been in its prime in the 1980's.

Gladly, there are more courses to play and other ones to see, so we are going to have plenty to do while here.

After we got back from the golf, we chilled out and since we only have local channels and no ESPN, we watch a Red Box movie:  The Monument Men.  It was OK but we liked the one we saw the night before called "Draft Day".

We are also trying out a new grill purchase - a Grill Mat.

It worked great for the salmon and talapia and vegetables so that will be a fun new way to cook on the grill.

We are off to a great start in Myrtle Beach and looking forward to the next few days with Kirk and Susan!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Seeing St. Augustine Again

We really like our campground at Naval Station Mayport.  It is just north of Jacksonville and St. Augustine.  We have been to St. Augustine a few times and always love seeing it again.

Since we have been here, we have made the 40 mile drive to there three times and a couple of those times we saw the city again on the Old Town Trolley Tours

We learn a lot and are reminded of things we forgot.  And you can get off and on at any stop along the 22 places on the tour.  The tickets were good for more that one day so that was nice.

The tour took us over by Flagler College that was originally a hotel built by former Standard Oil magnate Henry Flagler.  After he left Standard Oil with his fortune, he went to St Augustine, decided to build a hotel to draw the tourists and then the railroad to get them there.  

He went on to build in Miami and connected it with his Florida East Coast Railroad.  He also built a railroad out to Key West in 1912.

One of the many hotels he owned became Flagler College in 1968.  The Ponce de Leon Hotel became one of the main 15 buildings on campus.

Across the street, the Lightner Museum was once the Alcazar Hotel.

After it fell into disrepair, the hotel and museum became part of the City Hall.  It is now fully restored and a beautiful place.

The most historic place of all is the Castillo de San Marcos that once protected the city.

We found an empty bench on the old seawall next to the fort and had a picnic lunch.

There are a number of historic churches in town including the Cathedral of St Augustine.

And two churches Flagler built:  Grace United Methodist Church

and Memorial Presbyterian Church

It was built in memory of his daughter who died shortly after childbirth.

It was fun to walk around the historic St George Street with all the shops and old Spanish buildings.

A couple of things we learned after coming here again was the size of the conquering Spaniards in 1565.

The life-size statue of Ponce de Leon stands at 4'11".  Pedro Menendez (founder of the city in 1565) was 5'1".

We didn't realize Frederic Douglass gave a speech here in 1899.

And Martin Luther King Jr. was in town during the '60s giving speeches during those turbulent years.

The trip back to St. Augustine was well worth it and the weather was great!

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.

Stephen Foster at the State Park

Besides being a very nice State Park, there are some great things to do here at the Stephen Foster Culture Center State Park.

We like this place and here are some reasons why:

The camp site:

- Plenty of space
- Easy to get into and long enough to actually maneuver a bit so we could get our TV dish pointed in the right direction without trees.  Baseball and NFL game possibilities.
- The campground is clean, tidy and well maintained.  Nothing like having a good first impression that lasts.

Another item about the park is the hiking trails.  There are some service roads/trails in the area that are a good way to get in a little hike.

And down near the Swanee River the trails join up with the Florida Trails

The Trail and Stephen Foster Culture Center State Park is near White Springs

which is about 1/2 between Tallahassee and Jacksonville just north of I-10.

I wanted to see the Swanee River.  The area down near the Florida Trail was also a canoe/kayak boat access area that we checked out first.

There was no real good place to view large sections of the river.  The area had a lot of brush and trees lining it.  But down near a primitive camp site we saw a little bit of an opening.

Like some other rivers in Florida, this is known as a Blackwater River that gets its dark color from the vegetation lining the river which decays and turns the water black.  It did not look too inviting.

The park is also known for the Culture Center which has a quite a few items about Stephen Foster in the museum.

The museum also includes a number of dioramas depicting scenes from his songs.

Interestingly enough, Foster was from Pittsburgh and only visited the South once during a honeymoon cruise down the Mississippi River to New Orleans.

Of his more than 200 compositions, some of Foster's famous works include:

• Oh! Susanna
• Camptown Races
• My Old Kentucky Home
• Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair
• Old Black Joe
• Beautiful Dreamer
• Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)

Among the displays, we learned he only lived to be 37.  Tragically, he fainted in his room during a period of illness and broke his wash basin and gauged his neck.  He lay bleeding for three hours until he was discovered and died a few days later.

He is known as the "Father of American Music" and his works were most popular in the mid 1800's although they continue to generate interest 150 years later.

On the grounds, the State of Florida built a large Memorial Carillon to commemorate.  I didn't even know what a carillon was before we saw this.  It basically is a 200' tower with large tubular bells - the largest of its kind in the world.

Throughout the day in the park, portions of his songs are played from the automatic electric player.  Throughout the day you can here the pleasant tones throughout the campground.

At the base of the structure, there is another large room that has more artifacts.

I think my favorite was a display and model of the inside of the 97 - bell carillon.  It was built in 1958 at a cost of $500,000 by the State of Florida.

The high cost of maintenance of the bells led to silencing them in the 1980's.  They were partially (32 of the 64 bells) turned on again 1993 after funds were raised.

It was a nice visit to another great Florida State Park!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles.