It's the most Wonderful time of the year!

That's right...it's the Holiday Season, and you know what that means at Avalon....parties and dinners, sing-alongs and Christmas parades! Yep....we're having a great time. And it keeps getting better. This week we are expecting a large number of our friends to arrive for the season. A few more days and the island will be bustling.
Last week we enjoyed a terrific Christmas dinner. Kudos to Mary and Ray (Third St) and their team for preparing and serving a fantastic meal courtesy of Corporate.
On Christmas Eve Kirby led the 2nd Annual Avalon Christmas Parade with twice as many participants as last year. I'm sure the residents of Avalon and Donovan's were WOWED by the beautifully decorated golf carts, trikes & bikes and "seasonally dressed" pets...not to mention the appearance of at least THREE Santas!!! Afterwards we had a great time in the hall singing, snacking and being silly!
I am looking forward to ringing in the New Year with "Kenny K" who is being brought to us by Rick and Dianna Frick (formerly of First St) Shine up your dancing shoes and get ready for a great evening.
All of the regular activities will be in full swing in the new year. Bingo, shuffle, darts, cards, line dancing, bunco, Monday morning exercise, Thursday Night Music, zumba... there is something for everyone. In addition, a large number of residents are going on a cruise the last week of January. Imagine....going on a vacation from your vacation! It doesn't get much better than this folks!

Long time....no post!

Hello everyone. I am sorry for not being more consistent in my posts, but I had to fly back home to be with one of my grandchildren who has been very sick. She is making good progress and hopefully will be out of the hospital soon. It has been nice to be here for her and her Dad, and also to spend lots of "Nana" time with my 4 other grandchildren. What isn't nice is that white stuff on the ground! I think I am getting used to bundling up every time I step out the door, but when a mighty blast of winter hits you in the face it sure makes you long for Florida. I know, I've heard that the weather in Florida hasn't been the greatest lately, but trust me, it's still better than this!
I will be getting back to Avalon just in time to start preparing for all of the upcoming events. We are looking forward to the 2nd Annual Golf Cart Christmas Eve Parade followed by Carols and goodies in the hall. Our New Years Eve Dance is always a great occasion and this year our entertainer is singer and musician Kenny K - on loan from "Eaglewaters Resort" in Wisconsin. Then comes January with all the activities in full swing!
Hope to see you all soon at Avalon.

Avalon Update

Good evening friends,
I thought it was time to catch up a little. I've been enjoying the wonderful Florida sunshine so much I haven't hardly had time to read my e-mail.
Bev and Doug Seddon sent a note on November 17th to say that they had been to the hospital to visit Peter Craske (from First St) He has been in the hospital 3 times in the last 6 weeks, but he is on the mend now and he is planning to arrive in Florida in a couple of weeks. It will certainly be good to see him again.
I had a call from Geoff and Linda Hixson (Fourth St) and although Geoff has recovered nicely from his pacemaker operation and is clear to travel, Linda has been troubled with some heart problems and has to see the specialist before they can come down. They are hopeful that they will make it down this season, but it may not be until well into February or March. I will let everyone know when I get any more news from them.
People are arriving at Avalon every day and I expect there will be quite an influx after Thanksgiving. The weather has been beautiful and the pool is magnificent - of course nobody believes me because I have been seen in the pool on some pretty cool days!
Monday night Bingo has started up again and the crowd is building each week. The Angels and Devils are fighting over the nickels, dimes and quarters every Tuesday, and the Spades and Diamonds are trying to win bragging rights at darts on Friday night. The Mighty Avalon Shuffle Warriors are off to a great start this season with a couple of wins under their belt already. We are trying "Zumba" on Sunday nights until Line Dancing starts in January. If we keep it up we will all have to go shopping for smaller sizes by February - Oh no! ....shopping!!

Looking forward to seeing y'all here soon!

Home, Sweet Home away from Home

Yeehaw! We arrived in at Avalon very early Saturday Nov 6th and it sure is good to be here. Lots of folks are enjoying the sunshine and more northern "refugees" arrive each day. The weather has been fantastic - sunny and in the high 70's - low 80's. Not too hot, not too cold. Tomorrow I plan to make my first visit to the beach for the season. I have been in the pool a few times but apparently they don't turn on the heat until Nov 15th - good thing I'm Canadian!
Music night has started up again and the group is getting bigger each week. We are anxious for the return of all the musicians and singers and are looking forward to some great Thursday nights to come.
For those who have not arrived yet, don't worry, you haven't missed all the construction on US 19. If you are pulling a unit you might be wise to use the Courtney Cambell (SR 60) to cross over from Tampa to avoid having to turn around at Bellaire. Also, be prepared for a tight turn into Avalon. There are signs marking the driveway for Harberson and 2 for Donovans, but Avalon just has a ton of barrels piled in front of it - not bad once you do it , but not easy to see in the dark.
All of the usual activities are getting underway and there is a Turkey Dinner at the hall for Thanksgiving. Yum!
Good to be back!

BRRRRR!

Well, the great chill has begun and I am still north of the 49th. The weatherman is using that nasty "S" word and I hope to get underway before I see a single flake! Ed's brother Norm has arrived in Avalon and he tells me that the place is starting to fill up - not the island of course - that's reserved for Roy and all his friends - the January to April crowd. Norm reports that it has been so hot that one of the Depatie brothers has been in the pool - a new record for sure! He told me to be sure to bring my hedge trimmer. Apparently my bougainvillea is taking over my yard. We hope to head out by the weekend and we will get there when we get there. Hope to see y'all real soon.

A Word to the Wise

I received this warning from Ron and Pat Vanover regarding a very dangerous activity some of us might be engaging in. Make sure you don't end up like this!

New Feature on the Blog - our very own Flea Market!

Hi guys,
I thought this might come in handy. I added a page called Avalon Flea Market. It may take a little while to get going but once people are aware of it, I'm sure it will come in handy. My thought was to provide a place for people to post items for sale, or items they are looking for. It can also be used to ask where you can find a certain item, or do you know a good mechanic. Check it out and feel free to give it a try. ( I edited the page this morning to allow comments to be added - just add your post as a comment and it will be viewable by all who visit the page)
Once we are all back at Avalon I will make sure the blog is mentioned at the meetings so we will get more and more folks participating.
See you soon. (13 more sleeps for me before I get moving south!)

Hello My Friends

I'm writing a short note just to say hello to each and every one of you. Time is flying by and my work is quickly coming to a close so I have been very busy meeting deadlines and making sure everything is set to roll along smoothly while I play hookey. I am hearing from a few friends who have started their annual southern migration and I am getting very excited to get going....17 more sleeps! We are going to have a great season this year. I am trusting that the weather will be much better than the last few years.
I can't wait to give you all hugs.
I am hoping we can start a couple of more special interest activities. A craft night would be great so we can get the seasonal decorations spruced up. I would like to start a zumba class for any one who is interested in this fabulous workout geared to movement and rhythm in a party atmosphere.
Get ready to shake your booty! You will be amazed at how much energy you get and how easily the techniques adapt to people of all ages and abilities.
I can't wait to see my pink bouganvillia in front of my house - is it in bloom yet?
I am going to start packing soon...Florida .....here I come ...hang in there Linda Williams and Tom and Barb. You won't be alone for long. The invasion is on it's way.
Drive safe everyone.

Something new on the Blog

Hi friends. You will notice a new box in the upper right hand corner of this page. It will have labels of new pages I am adding from time to time. You can toggle between pages to get back and forth from the home page (this one) to any other pages that interest you. The newest label is Book Reviews and it will include reviews of books I have been reading that I will bring to Avalon with me. Happy Reading!

Cruise anyone?

Here's the latest on getting hooked up with bus transportation for the cruise in January. I received this message from Ron & Pat Vanover this afternoon:

Pat writes:
I got a call from Linda Williams. She said she and George were working on bus prices last spring and she found a good deal.
I told her Ron and I are going to be going to Florida so much later this year than we want to that it would be difficult for us to find a bus, get a head count and collect the money and if she could do it it would be so much better. We were only trying to get it together because we did not know she was inquiring about it. As usual Linda is doing this for us all. I guess we should call or e-mail her to be put on the list for the bus. So Linda, put Ron & I down to go on the bus and let us know how much and when you need the money.

Thanks again Linda...Ron & Pat

I will e-mail Linda Williams and send her the names of all who have posted or e-mailed me that they are interested in bus transportation for the cruise. I will post the details about the price and how to register after I touch base with Linda.
Ed & I are planning on leaving for Florida around the 8th of Nov. Can't wait to see everyone.
Happy trails and safe travels to all.

The excitement is building!

Can you feel it yet? Summer slowly sneaks away as Autumn steadfastly creeps across the landscape - leaves turning from yellow to red to brown - and finally a cool breeze pulls them from their lofty home and gravity draws them back to feed the earth from where they came.
You enjoy the crisp edge of the morning air and the sweet scent of leaves underfoot as they decay and form the first layer of winter's blanket preparing to cover Mother Earth.
You especially enjoy it because you know what it means - almost time to head to Florida, the land of sun and fun in the winter (Oh, please God, let it be sunny and warm this winter!)
I am hearing from many friends and I can feel the excitement growing....." Can't wait to see our friends" ... "Brrrr...it's starting to get a little chilly around here" .... " Should we bring some beads for Mardi Gras?".... "When are you leaving for Florida?".... everybody is starting to prepare for the great Avalon reunion.
I hope you are as excited as we are to get back to the good life!

When you are looking over the blog make sure you check out any comments that have been added to the posts. Sometimes they include updates from friends. Just click on the place where it says "1 comment" or "2 comments" at the end of a post and you will be able to read whatever has been added by one of our followers. For example both Pauline & Harvey and Jackie & John have added comments to the previous post to say hello and tell us of their plans.

I received a little message from Ron & Pat Vanover to pass on to all:

Anyone going on the cruise in January please let me know so I can let you know about the bus.

If you need to respond to Pat & Ron's message and you don't have their e-mail address just e-mail me and I will forward it to them.

Well boys and girls, start thinking about what you need to pack and don't forget your sunscreen - I hope we need a lot of it this year!

I will close with another tidbit from Marvin Harrison:

"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."

Time flies when you are having fun...

It seems to travel even faster when you are hard at work! The first few weeks of the new school year always keep me busy. I will be happy when I am once again semi-retired and living the dream in Florida.

I have received a couple of emails with news from some of our friends.

Donna B sent us an update on Lenny:

Lenny's surgery took over 3 hours, I was in a panic because the Dr. expected it to take only 2 hours unless there was complications. As it turned out, all is well so far, it appears to be a sebaceous cyst, the Dr. took several sections and had a frozen biopsy done while in the OR, they turned out okay (again) but the real test will be the pathology report from the actual cyst. She did have to remove one salivary gland on the lower left side and he has a drain in his neck. He looks all swollen, and his face is twice the normal size. The Dr. took 4 other 'blind' biopsies from the back of nose, tongue, neck and esophagus; hopefully they will turn out okay too. For those of you that have a Facebook account, check out the photo that Tina posted.

Love to everyone,

Donna

Thanks Donna for letting us know how everything is going. Poor Lenny! We all wish Lenny a speedy recovery and a clean bill of health so you can enjoy the coming season with all of your friends at Avalon.

Kirby and Deb are looking forward to winter at Avalon as well. Kirby writes:

Hi there, I've just been reading news from the "blog" you are doing a good job with it, Thanks! My golfing season is just about over, so I am looking forward to heading south. Just a small update: My lung problems are much better, I gained about 100 lbs. over the summer, I am completely bald, and I had a brain transplant. other than that , just a routine summer. Debbie is doing fine. Her Momma has to have eye surgery, so we will have to stay around for that, but, we hope to get to Avalon by early November. Will be glad to see all the " boys and girls". Glad you and Ed are staying healthy, we need a few healthy boys and girls to keep things going. Love from the Kentucky Colonel.


And here are some final words of wisdom from Marvin Harrison (of the famous Thursday night singing duo - "Bob & Marvin")

"Always take life with a grain of salt... plus a slice of lemon... and a shot of tequila."

Have a good one!

Some more pics - Hope it works this time!

Carole Logan's Digs (Lucky Girl!)

Hello again...twice in one week...imagine that!
I just wanted to share an e-mail message from Carole Logan (5Th St resident & Line Dance Teacher Extraordinaire!)

Carole writes:
Hi Lori and Ed: It sounds like you are having a great summer. I am going to attempt to send you a couple of photos. One is of my Country home outside Brantford, Ont. and the other is the scene of "Bay Lake" taken from the deck of my cottage which is 360 miles north of my home. I have been there five times since May. It has been a back and forth summer but I enjoyed it greatly. A change is as good as a rest and I needed both. I am waiting to get back down to Florida to see all my friends. I miss them all, but I don't know yet when I am going. If you get these pictures and can open the attachments, will you please post them on the Avalon Blog. It is good to keep in touch with our Avalon friends. Take care and stay healthy. Carole Logan

Well I will try to do my best. I am going to get Pauline to resend the pics I posted last night. Some of you are having trouble viewing them so it may be that the format is not right...or it could be because Ron Steeves is in one of them and he is too handsome to be duplicated. (At least that's what he will say!)

Keep having fun!

What a great looking bunch!

Updates from all over!

Hey there!
I'm a little behind in my e-mail so I have a lot of updates to share.
First of all, I got a call from Geoff Hixson (no need to explain who he is.... everybody knows Sir Geoffrey!) He was having a little trouble with his heart (probably couldn't find it) and he had to have a pacemaker implanted on August 17th. He is doing quite well but due to medical follow-up and insurance stuff he and Linda probably won't be able to make it to Avalon until early February.
I hope he is wrong - I will miss them terribly! All the best to you Geoff and please make a speedy recovery!

Doug (& Bev) Seddon send news that it's hotter than h*** in Ottawa. Doug was talking to Scott (4X) and he is doing well. He is continuing with his treatments and Doug said he sounded really good. He and Donna are hoping to get to Avalon early this season.

Good news as well from Ron and Pat Vanover regarding their neighbour Joanne Haller. They received this message from her:

Tues was operation. Wed I went to ICU as my body was forgetting to breath(small detail). Thursday afternoon I came back to orthopedics . Have seen PT twice today. She thinks I 'm doing OK. I now can get up to use the potty!!! I HATE this operation, glad I don't have any more knees! See you in Jan. in Fl. Joanne

We hear you Joanne! Thank heaven they have lots of "spare parts" for us at the hospital when we need them.

Pauline (& Harvey - Fourth St) sent me the pics that you see titled "What a great bunch" Wonderful shots of great friends having a good time at one of our dances. Makes you want to shine up those dancin' shoes! Pauline said they are very bored and are raring to go when they get to Florida.
Sounds like a plan to me.

Keep those cards and letters coming. Before you know it we'll be getting our news from the laundry room!

Having fun yet?

Well, I hope everyone is keeping well and enjoying this simmering summer we seem to be having from coast to coast. I am ever so grateful for the occasional cool breeze that comes to us all the way across Lake Erie from Ohio. The days are starting to get a little shorter and the corn is grower higher. And the weeds....oh the WEEDS!!! Sure is nice to be close to the grandkids though. I think that's the only thing I miss when I am in Florida. I guess they will have to retire too!

I will leave you with a little update from Donna & Lenny:

Our trip Began 7/11/2010 and we got home this evening, 8/18/2010. Just a couple of days shy of 6 weeks on the road. We had a blast and covered: NC, VA, PA, NY, MA, (PA again), OH, IN, IL, MI, WI, MN, IA, (IL again), MO, KY, TN and home to NC. What a trip - we had such a great time. Total miles 6270. Saw lots of good friends and had lots of laughs. Can't wait to do it again!

We had to cut our trip shy by about one week, Lenny is off to Florida on the 29th to see the ENT, we expect surgery for this lump. On the 'flip' side of this news, he's lost over 20 lbs. on Weight Watchers Program and he's hoping to keep on track when he goes to Florida!

Love to everyone, Donna & Lenny

Greetings to All!

If you are wondering what it is like in Florida, Linda from Fourth St (the Bingo Lady - not the English Lady) sent a note to let us all know what we are missing:

IT'S HOT,HOT HERE IN FLORIDA

WE'RE JUST SAILING THROUGH THIS HOT WEATHER.EVERYTHING IS FINE HERE AT AVALON. WE'VE BEEN METING FOR BREAKFAST ONCE A MONTH. POT LUCKS & KAROAKE. PIZZA PARTY COMING UP. I'M DOING FINE . I HAD MY SURGERY IN MAY. DR. SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE.NO CHEMO OR RADIATION WILL BE DONE BECAUSE OF MY OTHER HEALTH ISSUES. JUST WAITING TILL THE CROWD GETS BACK. IT'S BORING BEING SO HOT YOU CAN'T STAY OUTSIDE TOO LONG.WELL, ENJOY YOUR SUMMER.

Thanks Linda for keeping us up to date. Say Hi to all the other Avalon full-timers for us & try to stay cool until we get back. Not that we are looking for too much cool....enough of that last year!

Summer Update from Donna & Lenny

I received the following news from Donna & Lenny (5th St) to pass along to all our Avalon friends. Sounds like they are having a wonderful summer:

Hi to all our Avalon Friends - We spent 11 days in Wisconsin with Diana and Rick. The Northwoods of Wisconsin area is beautiful. I can understand why everyone loves that area. Eagle River had lots of things going on. Diana and Rick took us all around (even the UP). There are so many pubs and they have musicians that play music just like our Avalon group. We sang and danced - what fun! We danced at street dances and at the golf club deck. What a wonderful time we had with them - lots of things to do, and the lakes in the area are unbelievable. We even got to ride on a pontoon boat all around the lakes! What a time we had. We hated to leave, but we had to move on. Can you believe we've already done over 4000 miles and we haven't even seen North Dakota yet! Today we arrived in the Detroit Lakes area of Minnesota (boy it's hot here too), but not as hot as Florida. Speaking of Florida, I had to make a reservation for Lenny to fly to Florida at the end of the month- the lump on his neck is back again. I'm sure this means surgery. Not sure how much longer we'll be able to stay on the road since we have to make it home for him to get ready to go to Florida. We'll just have to see how things go. Okay, bye for now, I'll keep you posted on our progress.

All the best to Donna & Lenny in their travels. I am sure the Avalon family will remember to say an extra little prayer for Lenny.

If anyone out there is having some summer fun let me know and I will post your news for all to enjoy.

Ed & I just returned from our home town in northern Ontario. I only saw one bear this time, but that is good news. I also got a speeding ticket - bad news! We enjoyed the fresh air and wild berries, but are kind of glad to be back at home. It gets a little too cold at night way up there.

Hope your summer is a blast!

Summer Adventures

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful summer weather - well at least it's beautiful here in southern Ontario. Ed and I are leaving tomorrow for Sudbury, Ontario to attend yet another niece's wedding. We will get a chance to see all of Ed's brothers and sisters (including Norm & Brenda) as well two of my sisters. The following is a little excerpt from the travels of Betty and Fred who are also "on the move" these days:

Our latest adventure was a trip up to Wilton, NY to celebrate our Grandson, Carter's, first birthday. We really enjoy seeing Caleb and Carter. It is a minimum of a 4 hour drive for us. From there, we went to Fonthill, Ontario, for a 3 day visit to Colleen and Don Sabo (Avalon Lot 224.) We had a nice visit and they gave us the VIP treatment. We returned to NY and ran into the "No reservations in the computer" for our return trip. With the Saratoga Races on, the rates went up, so the motel conveniently lost our confirmed reservations. We called our son and he gave us the key to his cabin up on Sacadaga Lake. They had a pull-out couch on the screened porch. The hot weather had subsided and the temperature went down to 48 degrees that night. Fred and I had not cuddled as we did that night! After 10 days of living out of a suitcase, it was great to get back home. That is when we miss our motor home.


I have also received a request on behalf of Joan Haller from First St (next door to Ron & Pat Vanover)

Say a little prayer for me on August 17th as
I'll be undergoing knee replacement surgery. I had an AWFUL time 4years ago when I had the other one done. THANKS Joan Haller

I've also had a message about Bev (Bev & Doug Seddon) Apparently she had to go to the emergency room with bad pain in her back and vertabrae trouble.

Bev writes:

"I am feeling better since I am home. The pain is under better control as hospital is very crazy busy and I like quiet. Blood sugar and blood pressure were way out of whack!

It will take a while to get better, so Doug is learning fast how to be a homemaker,haha."

Good luck on that one Doug!

Let's all remember Bev and Joan in our prayers.

Happy Trails to all!

Hello folks,
Well summer must be starting it's downward slope to fall. I just saw my first "Back to School" commercial on TV. Before you know it we will be basking in the Florida sun together. I found a neat little utility for all you computer geeks. Click on the link below and this gadget will clean your screen for you. I highly recommend it!
http://www.raincitystory.com/flash/screenclean.swf

You're welcome!

Hot off the Press

Here's some news from Donna & Lenny from Fifth St:

We had a bit of a scare with a lump that surfaced on Lenny’s neck, he had it tested, etc and fortunately, it’s “all good”, but it is something that the doctor would like to remove. We’ll have to go to Florida for that surgery, our insurance will not pay for anything out of state. Since all the tests turned out okay, we decided to take the trip we had planned for this summer. So here’s what we’ve been doing thus far….

Lenny and I left NC on July 11^th and arrived in MA on July 13^th. Lenny told me he wouldn’t push the driving, but it’s A MAN THING, got to “make time”. We stayed at an RV park in Monson, MA and attended my 45^th class reunion in Belchertown. What fun! It was a 3-day event of laughing and eating with people that I didn’t think I’d ever remember after all these years. While in our ‘old neck of the woods’, we toured our past neighborhoods, and even after 33 years, Lenny still remembered how to get around the area. We had some of the best fruits and veggies from South Hadley, MA. Good stuff.

We left MA on July 20^th and then headed into New York. We spent the day in Elizaville, NY. What a neat place in the Hudson River Valley. We also toured the area where Chelsea Clinton is getting married – glad we didn’t decide to extend our stay in that area, we’ve heard on the news that the secret service folks are starting to arrive and the ‘lock down’ will begin shortly. The Hudson River Valley is a neat place with lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Right now we are in Milton, PA – we are eating our way to Wisconsin to see Diana & Rick Frick! By Monday, July 25^th we’ll be in the Amish area of Ohio. We plan to be there for about 4 days, and then we’ll head to Lake Huron area. We are planning to go as far west as North Dakota, and then head back home touring MN, IO, IL, KT and stop by Debbie & Kirby’s hometown. We will spend a few days with them and hope to see Carolyn & Ron Redman while in the area.

We are not on a specific time schedule, but I’m sure we’ll be back home by September, and then it’s off to Florida, to get that lump on Lenny’s neck removed.

Love to All Our Friends,

Donna Berthiaume

Keeping in touch...

I am always thrilled when I check my e-mail and find news from Avalon friends. Marvin and Mary Harrison who used to be on Fourth St, then the island, sent greetings to all, especially Noella. They wanted to join all of us in wishing her a speedy recovery. Marvin said they are not able to come to Florida in the winter at this time, but they are avidly camping this summer and have a dozen or so Country and Western Jamborees they are planning to attend with their new 5th wheel.

Ive also heard that Stan Mullins is doing well after his surgery and hopes that he will eventually have the full mobility he so desires.

I received a note from a couple of folks regarding a Youtube video Ray Villani has made for a singing audition for Susan Boyle (the lady who became famous on Britain's Got Talent last year)
I watched the video and I must say we are going to miss that boy at Avalon this year!!!

Here is a link to the video so you can enjoy his performance of "Silent Night" the song Susan requested all competitors perform:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjRn2MSLwBY

Continue to laugh, play and sing your way through the summer. Enjoy!

Great news today folks!
Bud Adams is alive and well! It seems there was a misunderstanding somewhere along the grapevine so I have been asked to set the record straight.
I have also heard another rumour: Because Bud is so grateful to be alive he is going to be buying us all extra donuts for the Monday morning meeting!
(Well, maybe I started that one! Ssshhh!)

Avalon Friends in Recovery!

Don't mean to shock y'all! No-one is in "REHAB" - just good old fashioned surgery!

I've been told that Stan Mullins (husband of Noma; formerly of Fifth St - next season he will be a Donovanite) has recently had surgery.

Also, Noella - our seamstress, office assistant, and more famously, one of the Bugle Girls and a Choir Member from the Avalon Show -recently went to the hospital and had surgery to repair 3 heart blockages. Apparently during the surgery she experienced a heart attack and is recovering at home, awaiting surgery to have the last blockage cleared in 2 or 3 weeks.

Stan and Noella, we all wish you well and we will keep you in our prayers for a speedy recovery and a full return to good health.

Hi Everyone,
I hope you are all enjoying some fabulous summer weather. Ed and I have been keeping pretty busy. I am only semi-retired so I am back at the office for 6 months - still enjoying weekends at the lake though! We went for a trip to Ottawa on the long weekend and had a great time with family and friends at our niece's wedding. Her parents are Brenda and Norm - they park their fifth wheel at the corner of Third St and the X row across from the pool.

I've heard rumours that others are travelling as well. I will have to ask Jane and Fred about their escapades in Las Vegas - I hope you guys won big!

I received the following note from Ron and Pat Vanover who were in Toronto on the holiday weekend:

We saw the Queen of England 2 times today. We were 50ft. from her and Prince Phillip.They have the top 2 floors of the Royal York Hotel where some of our Shriners are staying and we were there - so awesome - Royal Canadian Mounties and the whole show!!!

Ron and Pat were so kind as to include some pictures from their recent vacation in Plymouth Mass. as well as a very interesting shot of a chess board they have at their campground. Let's hope they don't decide to play darts!

What we do in the summer -

The following comes to us from Fred and Betty (Second Street)


Fred and I spend many hours in our backyard. I take care of the flowers and have recently given Fred some of my space for the vegetable garden. We have a little war going on with the squirrels. Last year, they ate the tomatoes and cucumbers. This morning, they were eating our radishes on a platform Fred put on the tree for the corn cobs. Oh, well, have a great summer.

Thanks guys for sharing with us!

As promised, we're sending you three early morning jpeg photos of our backyard in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It certainly has been a "labor of love"; Ron dug the pond and built the waterfall and stream, and Judy is the flower gardener. We are fortunate, in that the pond is fed by two fresh-water springs. The water in the pond is pumped underground uphill to a triangular-shaped series of two waterfalls and a mini-stream leading back to the pond.

Although we live in the City, we enjoy a country atmosphere. You will see the beautiful St. John River in the back-ground. We can sit in our family room or on the deck, listen to the soothing sound of the waterfall and do bird watching as Ospray's dive for fish in the river. We also have a pair of Northern Flickers that have taken up residence in a nest in a birch tree. We hope others will share their summer love as well.

Ron & Judy Steeves

Where ya'll from?

Thinking back to our fantastic Can Am day celebrations, one of the neatest things is finding out a little bit about where everyone comes from. Wouldn't it be great to carry on with this theme and see a little bit of what our "summer" lives are like. Do you have a special place you spend your summer days (or nights!) I know we have some cottagers (Carol) some gardeners, woodworkers, sewers, quilters, fishermen (and women) ....you get where I'm going! Send me some pictures of all the wonderful places you live, play, and visit during your time away from Avalon so we can all enjoy the great places and things we only get to hear about during the winter. To start us off I received some great shots pic from Ron and Judy Steeves! They better watch out. With a beautiful retreat like this they may be getting company!

And now, a word from Ron Steeves, New Brunswick,

Yesterday was a particularly dull, wet, windy cool day here in New Brunswick, Canada; just like we experienced all last winter in Florida. So what do you do when you cannot comfortably work outside in the garden? I dug out the CD of the AVALON 2010 "Winter Tonic" variety show. Judy had to come see why I was sitting at my computer laughing like a fool. It is so heart-warming to see friends like Kirby entertaining us in the Indian costume. I keep humming that song seeing "Running Bear" do his thing. People continually ask me "Well, what do you do in Florida ALL WINTER?". If only they knew!!! All I can tell them is....."The winter goes so fast; the next thing I know it is mid April and time to pack up to go home. I'm already looking forward to November when we can head back to our winter retreat.

"We wish "Running Bear" a quick and complete recovery and can't wait to see he and Deb back at Avalon in the Fall"

Thanks,

Ron

If April showers bring May flowers, what do you get in June?

Well, if you live in Southern Ontario, apparently you get a tornado...at least we did. At 3:00 am Sunday my bedroom started shaking, and although Ed has always said he was going to rock my world, he wasn't even in the room. We were staying at our trailer in Colchester (a small town on the north shore of Lake Erie near Leamington) and we had enjoyed some pretty neat lightening strikes over the lake all evening. Ed fell asleep on the couch (nothing unusual about that!) and I went to bed around midnight. We woke up at 3:00 am and the wind and the lake were roaring. We could hear things crashing around outside and the trailer seemed to lift up and down a bit. For about ten minutes we just sat on the couch and hoped we were dreaming. When the wind died down we saw flashlights outside so we got dressed and joined our friends for a camp inspection. There were branches everywhere, lawn furniture was blown away, sheds overturned and huge trees uprooted. One large tree landed on the trailer 3 doors away but thankfully no-one was there at the time. In the morning we learned of the devastation all around us. We certainly are grateful that despite the millions of dollars of damage in the Leamington area, there were no serious injuries reported.

Moving right along.....

Hey, guess what I heard at the laundry room this morning (not really...I got an e-mail...but I'm pretending we're at Avalon!!) A little birdie told me that although Kirby is still waiting for a more effective medication to help his breathing, he has received good news about results for some tests that he had. Hooray for Kirby and Deb! We'll all be keeping you in our prayers Kirby, until you are totally recovered and breathing easy once again.
Well, summer has started in earnest here in southern Ontario and we are enjoying a stretch of sunny days and high temps. We spent the Victoria Day weekend at the lake and for a change we had some beautiful, warm days. We often joke about how the Americans always seem to get great weather on their Memorial Day weekend and we usually get rained out on our holiday, but this past weekend we had nothing to complain about!
In your travels this summer, remember to keep an eye out for some of the little "extras" you might want to bring to Avalon next season. We are planning a dance in late January with the theme "Hooray for Hollywood" so you will want to be on the lookout for anything that will transform you into a star! We will also have a Mardi Gras Dance in March so check out those garage sales for fancy dresses, feather boas and sequined masks.
Several people have mentioned they would love to have a block party next year. I think that means they would love to attend a block party if somebody else organizes it so I thought I would throw it out there to see what you think. If we got the permission of the rec committee and "corporate" (or we could go ahead and figure its easier to get forgivess than permission!) we could close off one street to traffic and maybe set up a couple of firepits and have some music. We could potluck hor doevres from different cultures (chinese, mexican, british, french etc) and roast hot dogs and marshmallows over the pits, We could dance in the streets and have a great time with both recorded music and a few live tunes if some musicians are available and willing. If the weather is a little better in February we could do it then before the busy time starts. Let me know what you think. It would be a very casual family atmosphere and we might get a few more Avaloners interested in our activities. We would also be able to invite friends from outside our park so they could see what a lovely park we have at Avalon.

Well friends.. take care of yourselves and talk to you soon. I miss you all and am planning on some great times for the fall.
Lori & Ed

I received the following message from Peter Craske (137 First St) today:
"I am very sad to have to tell you that Jeanne died peacefully while asleep yesterday.She was not feeling well on Monday and after she got up yesterday morning, she decided to lie down on the sofa. I left her there while I quietly did things around the house, looking every once in a while and seeing her, as I imagined, sleeping. Finally I got concerned and tried to wake her but she had passed away."
Peter

An Avalon friend e-mailed me just yesterday inquiring if I had heard anything about how Jeanne was doing. We were all so concerned when she fell ill this past season and had to return to Canada, but we thought she was on the road to recovery.

Peter, we are all thinking of you and praying for you in this sorrowful time. Jeanne will be deeply missed by all in the Avalon community.

Thank-you also to my e-mail buddies who made sure I was aware of Jeanne's passing. I am grateful for your help in keeping us all "in the loop".

How can I be homesick when I'm at home?

Ever get that feeling? We've been home for about 5 weeks, and now that the dust has settled I'm starting to really miss you guys! Oh, don't get me wrong - it is wonderful to be back at home close to the grand-kids and all. But I sure do enjoy our time at Avalon and I miss all my friends and the great activities we participate in during the winter months. I guess I'm just going through "Avalon Withdrawal".

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying spring in your hometown. Carole Logan wrote to say that she has been having a wonderful spring and has been up to her cottage in Latchford. (I can almost smell that clean country air!)

I was surprised by a couple of e-mails I received with news that Sam Seltzers abruptly closed all of it's locations on Monday and has gone out of business! They certainly always seemed to be busy when we went there. As a matter of fact we had a lovely ladies luncheon there this past season. I guess you never can tell!

Although I know that NONE of you would EVER drive over the speed limit, I am including an interesting web address that lists local speed traps. I was amazed at the accuracy of the posts for the town I live in. Give it a try - the website ....NOT SPEEDING!!!! Just click HERE

Please let me know if you have any news to share, or feel free to include it as a comment on the latest post. Everyone is eager to hear of any health updates, adventures or celebrations.

Take care of you!

Best Wishes

Happy Mother's Day to all You Beautiful Ladies.
With Love,
From Doug & Bev

Something to Celebrate!

Congratulations to Jane and Fred from Third St. They are celebrating the accomplishments of their son David. He was recently selected as the top Emergency Medical Tech in Pinellas County. He will receive his award on May 18th at the Court House in Clearwater. Not long after getting this good news, David called and told them he had also been chosen as the top EMT in the entire State of Florida. He will be honored in Orlando for this achievement. To quote Fred and Jane: "God has sure blessed us with wonderful children. It's the work that they do that has made us so proud. Each one is serving the community. As parents we reflect that it was all worth bringing them to this world. Having children was work, pain, sorrow; and nothing may happen right away but as we hit our golden age it all boils down to God's Blessing to us and others."
Fred and Jane, we are all celebrating with you and your son. Congratulations!

More Sad News

It seem that we have lost more members of our Avalon family this past year than ever before. On Saturday, May 1, 2010 our dear friend Chet from Second St. passed away suddenly from what appears to be an aneurysm in his heart. He was on the phone with an Avalon friend when he mentioned a sudden terrible pain in his chest. Friends rushed over to check on him and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital, but he died in the emergency room. He was only 56. He will be sadly missed by all, especially his dear friend Danny who so recently lost his wife Rita.
Condolences also go out to Marilyn and Jerry Bell and family on the recent death of Marilyn's sister who had been living in Avalon while she waged a valiant battle with cancer this past season. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family during this sad time.
Although it is a part of life and we know it will come calling, death is never easy to accept when it claims our beloved friends. The wonderful memories we have of good times together at Avalon will help us all as we grieve the losses of the past year and hope for a gentler season to come.

So far, so good.

I have been getting some feedback from a few friends who have found our little "home away from home" on the web. So far, everyone seems to like the idea of having a place to touch base during the off-season. I sure get a kick out of hearing from you guys. It's almost like magic. I can imagine what it felt like when the telephone was newly invented. (I said "I can imagine ... not "I remember" - we're not that old!!!)

Judy and Ron Steeves sent word that they arrived home safely but are finding the long drive exhausting. Don't you wish there was a better way!

Don't be shy to add a comment whenever you visit this site, even if it's just to say "Hi". Everyone will enjoy hearing from you. Also, if you scroll down the page you will come to a blog archive where you can click on earlier posts to see what has been written on other dates. Click on COMMENTS and you will be able to see what others have added to the posts. We also have a Clearwater weather forecast at the bottom of the page so we can see what we are missing! If you have any news (***read: male gossip****) that would normally be discussed at the "Morning Meeting" in the laundry room or the REAL meeting on Monday morning, you can post it as a comment, or email it to me and I will post it for you. Explore. Enjoy!
Have a great week!

Aloha Avalon

I was crossing the Howard Franklin on my way home and found myself already looking forward to next season. What a great group of friends we have at Avalon! More than friends, really - we are a family. But how do you keep track of this "family" during the off season? Why not a blog - kind of an electronic newsletter? We can exchange news and keep in touch, make plans for the coming year - maybe even share a laugh or a tear. I hope that in time "Avaloners" (Avalonians?) perhaps even some "Donovanites" (Ron and Judy you KNOW I mean you!) will send me info to share or perhaps post comments of their own. Spread the word to all our friends and keep those lines of communication open from season to season.

Although I am hoping we will have many happy posts, I do have sad news to share this time around. Our dear friend and neighbor Glenn Adams passed away on April 19, 2010. He was our "bicycle man", printer of tickets, signs and programs and an avid participant in many Avalon activities before his illness. He will be greatly missed on the shuffle courts, at Friday night Darts and especially at the "Morning Meetings". Rest in Peace dear brother.
Please keep Lorraine and family in your thoughts and prayers during this sad time.