Monday, January 15, 2024

Week One in Savannah

 Our first week here in Savannah has come and gone. This is the first time in a long time that we have been able see both of our kids on the same trip. Up until a year or so ago they were 44 hours apart, now they are 10 hours apart, at least temporarily while our daughter in law, Somer works a travel job at a local hospital. 

It is so good to see Forrest, Somer and Lily. And of course, Jack and Chloe! Jack has a really cuddly personality and Chloe always has the goofiest look on her face.

This is Somer's 3rd travel job since they went back on the road just over a year ago. The travel jobs are 12 weeks, then they will typically take 12 weeks off to explore and then work for another 12. So far this has worked out for them and allowed them to travel and see different parts of the country. Forrest's main responsibilities are to maintain the day-to-day things around the house and homeschool their daughter Lily who is now 12. I am impressed with the regiment they go through for her schooling as he follows curriculum suited for a 12-year-old. 

Somer works three 12-hour days 7pm-7am, so we try to be as quiet as possible until she wakes up. 

They have no idea how long they are going to do this, until they find where they want to live again. Last time they did this, it was for 2 years when Lily was 6 through 8 years old, before they settled in Klamath Falls for 4 years. It works for them, and they are happy. That is what is most important. 

We were lucky enough to snag a spot right next to them at a private RV park. This park is not really a park, but more of a long-term rental area. When we first contacted the owner asking him if we could stay here, he said no, that he only rents to long-term guests. but when the spot next to Forrest opened up unexpectedly, Forrest asked again, and he said yes! $25/night with full hook ups, right next to Forrest!

Forrest's rig is in the background
So, what have we been up to? A little relaxing, a little exploring and a couple of projects. The biggest project we tackled was replacing one of the awnings, one neither of us had done before. But, after watching a couple of YouTube videos, we were able to figure it out. 
Off with the old.....

On with the new!
On the fun front, we explored the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. This is mainly a drive through refuge, but does offer a few hikes as well. I am like a fish out of water in this area. In my home area, I pretty much know every bird I see. But, out here, not a clue, so you will not see any names with these birds. If you know what they are, feel free to let me know in the comments using the number below the pictures.
#1

#2                                                                             #3

#4

#5                                                                                       

#6
#7
The weather has been a mix of sun and rain. One rainy day, we decided to go to a movie: Aquaman. Not a great movie, but one that is family friendly. 

We also walked downtown Savannah, looked at some shops, went to lunch and no stop in downtown is complete without a stop at the famous Leopold's Ice Cream shop!

While the weather here has been bearable, most of the rest of the country has been in a deepfreeze. When I woke up Sunday morning and looked at the temperature at home, I saw -25 with windchills -38. Then I looked at the temperature in the house and saw 43! 

We set the house at 55 when we left, there is no way it should be 43! At first, I thought maybe the heating system was not keeping up and it would warm up as the sun came up. But when it didn't, I had to call for help. My first call was to neighbor Jim who went over and ran water through each of the sinks to make sure the water was not frozen. He then checked the boiler and saw that there was an error code, and it was not working. Since Kevin has the same boiler, I called him, and he went over a looked at it. 

Keep in mind, that it is double digits below 0 when these two are doing this. Do I have good friends or what?!?! Kevin was able to get the boiler working again and he built a fire in the fireplace to get a jump on warming the place back up. 

That's it for so far, we have about a week left before we continue south into Florida. Who knows what adventures await us the rest of this week!

Oh, in case any of you are thinking of stopping by our place while we are gone, you may want to give me a heads up first. Otherwise, you may run into this crazy trigger-happy lunatic running around our property with more firepower than a small army!


81 comments:

  1. I had our slideout cover replaced and was happy to write the check! Good for to tackle that job yourselves. Good to visit the kids at the same time.
    at -28 F you do have good friends and neighbors to venture out to assist. I'm sure they went willing and did not wait for it to warm up.

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    1. I am just glad their vehicles started so they could get over there!

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  2. LOL!
    I'm still laughing. What a sweet looking guy. Great smile.
    Making a note...never visit Jim and Barb without call first.

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  3. 1 little blue heron
    2 Great egret
    5 anhinga
    6 moorhen

    Aquaman was on. But the important part was Jason Mamoa ;-)

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    1. #5, is that even a word?
      Jason really didn't do anything for me. Maybe it was the lighting?

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  4. How nice to be able to park next to family! I think Forrest and Somer's living arrangements are very interesting! A really good way to learn about different areas and really get to know them. Glad you have such good neighbors back home. Things could have gotten really nasty really quick without them.....

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    1. I was thinking about that. So many people don't even know or talk to their neighbors. We are blessed to have good neighbors on all sides of us.

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  5. That’s great you got to see all your kids and grandkids. Our previous neighbour is a traveling nurse from Newfoundland. She makes good coin while exploring Canada. I’ve done my toppers before but never tackled the awning…good job. I think Savannah is our favourite US city visited to date. Good catch on checking your home temps…great friends to have! Safe travels!

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    1. It is really a great way to see the country and make some good money. There is such a need for them, that they can really go anywhere they want and get a job.

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  6. I love Savannah. And how nice to get a spot right beside your son! I like their lifestyle, what a great way to see the country and teach their daughter at the same time.
    #4. Tri-colored heron.
    #2. Red-tailed Hawk, I think.
    #6. Common moorhen.

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    1. Thanks for the bird identification. I did ask a guy about tri-colored heron and that's what he called it as well, but I didn't know if he really knew.

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  7. Lots of work you can do here for us if you arent "worn out" by the time you head home! You seemed a little short on the popcorn at the movies? Strange, normally everything you guys do speaks to great preparation ! Everybody needs their OWN GIANT bucket- What if a popcorn war breaks out? Lastly, If I had to be shot by someone, it would be nice if the last face i saw on this earth was as happy as his! :)

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    1. When they came back with those ginormous buckets of popcorn, I was shocked. Barb said that those were not even the largest ones!

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  8. this worked out well being able to park next to your family. they have an interesting work schedule but nice they can travel too. I enjoyed the wildlife photos too

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    1. I had worked overnights early in my career, she seems to enjoy it. I know I would like the 3 on, 4 off work week!

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  9. I have heard good things about Savannah and would like to visit sometime. Your son and his family are living an interesting lifestyle these days, and their daughter is getting quite the experiential education in the process.

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    1. The lifestyle is not for everyone, but it is packed full of adventures!

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  10. So nice to see all the family in one trip! You are blessed with great neighbors to help you out long distance with your heat--even if they do look a little wild-eyed--lol!
    I am no help with the names of birds...or plants, for that matter. Don't know that many, but I do love to see them. :)

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    1. I think one would have to be a little crazy to wear a hat like that, let alone wander out in double digit subzero temperatures!

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  11. Your son and his family are on such a wonderful adventure. Wonder where he got the idea!

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  12. Looks like it is continuing to be a fabulous trip! Anytime you can visit with your kids is a special time. I know you're anxious to return home to those enticing double-digit temps. Thank goodness for good friends/neighbors who can fix boilers!

    Looks like your birds have all been id'd except #7. Ring-necked Ducks and an American Coot splashing at the bottom right. Seems like a nice refuge for exploring.

    Stay safe - and warm!

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    1. I assume by your comment, that Debbie got the other birds correct. She is a fisherwoman, and she lies a lot, so I never know what to believe.

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  13. Great photos, like the birds I would love to have a Motorhome (RV) and travel around Australia but it isn't going to happen.

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    1. We have had friends go over to Europe to RV, but don't know anyone who went to Australia to do it. Now, that would be an adventure!

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  14. Good thing you caught that problem with the boiler AND had a friend who could help.
    I enjoyed seeing those birds all of which were new to me except the Moor Hen.

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    1. I know, that could have turned out much worse! Thankfully today is the last of the cold weather and 40's are in the forecast!

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  15. Those remote controlled thermostats and cameras are worth their money we think. Good thing you are on top of it. Changing the awing is no easy job, so good for you. Our son did home schooling, i.e. correspondence course all the years we cruised and did well. I bet Lili could also attend the local school for three month at a time if she wanted to, just so that she could make friends. That was the reason our son went to a German school (voluntarily) while we wintered over there and he had fun doing so.

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    1. Our system sure paid for itself, well worth the money. When they were in Pennsylvania, they enrolled Lily into a traveling soccer team so she got to meet a few kids. That is one downside of the traveling life.

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  16. It's a good thing you checked your house temperature before anything terrible happened. Especially since it looks like your cold is lasting for a while. You saw some great birds at the Sanctuary. And if you enjoy it and your job lets you travel like that, it's an interesting way to live. Your granddaughter is sure learning a lot about the country. Enjoy the rest of your time in Georgia and also in Florida.

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    1. They enjoy it, but they are also looking for where they want to live next as well. They are seen a few potential areas, but crossed more off then they found potentials.

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  17. What beautiful wildlife and scenery in South Carolina! I know ya'll have enjoyed being with your family so much! Yikes on the house being 44 degrees! You do have some great friends and neighbors! Glad they could get ya'll fixed up! Safe travels!

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    1. This area is so much different than we are used to, it is awesome to see. The birds, wildlife, the water. We are looking forward to continuing our adventures as we continue south.

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  18. I can only imagine how cold that weather is. I'm glad you had the foresight (and the technical ability!) to keep a check on the house temperature. The other alternative doesn't really bear thinking about, does it?

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    1. I just looked up your winter weather temps. I would imagine below 0f temps would be a shock for sure! Having the devices you can monitor remotely sure does provide come peace of mind, for sure!

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  19. I will have to cancel my trip to your place.

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  20. Good to catch up with family as you travel. The creatures are good to see.
    Didn't occur to me that you would have to have heating on whilst away as that doesn't happen here, but understand all would be frozen with brust pipes and so on if you didn't...it's good you have wonderful neighbours to check it all out for you.

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    1. Our weather typically does not that cold. We will hit 0 once or twice a year but -20's is pretty crazy! Some people will winterize their house, draining all the water. We choose to leave the water in the lines and keep it heated.

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  21. It sounds like your son and family have a great lifestyle- nursing affords lots of flexibility which is wonderful for nurses with families. My cousin is a traveling nurse and it works out well for her and her husband. Wow, it was cold where you live (probably still is!). We have friends who live in Montana. I checked the forecast there over the weekend and it was negative some huge number. Speaking of home, glad the home fires are burning (so to speak) and that you have such good neighbors, one of whom sports a great hat and has lots of ammo. What more could you ask for?

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    1. I just looked, it is -7 right now, it will be 23 later today. That is very manageable. As far as neighbors, you are right, we could not ask for more. Well, except for one that does not look so crazy!

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  22. Ducks and Birds .. sorry, that's the best I can do. You should have asked how MANY were in the first picture!! You certainly do have a NICE neighbor!! LOVE that picture!! And so nice you can actually check on the temp while gone. Luckily, I don't have that problem!! Keep on truckin' .......

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    1. Well, you are not wrong. They are ducks and birds! I put a temp sensor in the hot tub right before we left as I have nightmares about the power going out to the hot tub and it freezing solid!

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  23. I'm so glad you had a wonderful time -- and the photos to prove it. Wonderful wildlife. I'm so thankful that you have such wonderful and adept friends! We've been in the sub-zero zone in Michigan too (and low single digits) so we all worry about heat in the house -- and all the worse when you are traveling and can't be on it yourself. I'm glad it's all ok. Keep cozy!

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    1. You and me, both! Depending on where you are in Michigan, I hear parts got quite a bit of snow recently as well!

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  24. Sounds like you are having a great time! You do have great neighbors as do they! Nice you have it set up so you know the temps inside and out. Great job on replacing the awning, not something we would do I'm sure. :)

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    1. After watching a couple YouTube videos and looking at Forrest's awning, we felt pretty confident that we could do it. It went very smoothly and saved Forrest some money.

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  25. You do have great friends! That photo of the "lunatic" made me laugh out loud. Mike helped a guy replace an awning once. Good for your son and DIL--making life work for them! Our horse crazy granddaughter is thinking of becoming a traveling nurse so she can come south in the winter and barrel race. Keep on enjoying the family and the rest of your trip!

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    1. Interesting. So she would bring and board her horse down south while she did her travel nurse gig? Barb used to drive down to Oklahoma to run 16 seconds and then drive all the way back home. Barrel racers are a whole new level of crazy!

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  26. Hello,
    It is wonderful you are able to travel and visit your family. The furbabies are so cute.
    I have been to the Savannah Wildlife refuge, it has a nice wildlife drive.
    As far as I can tell, you have the
    # 1 the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks with a Little Blue Heron
    # 2 Great Egret
    # 4 is the Tricolored Heron
    # 5 Anhinga
    # 6 Moorhen
    #7 Ring-necked ducks

    You have great neighbors, I am glad your pipes did not freeze. It is light snow and super cold here in the Mid-Atlantic. Take care, safe travels. Florida sounds nice right now. Take care, have a great day!

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    1. Thanks for the identifications. #7 was the only one I knew for sure. That was my first time seeing the whistling ducks in person, so that was very cool.

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  27. I’m so happy to read you snagged a spot next door to Forest, Somer and Lily…sure makes your visit much easier with more time to see family. I love the birds…water/shore birds are my favorite birds. Great job on the awning and how nice to have folks back in SD who don’t mind braving the elements to help…I’m sure you would do the same for them!

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    1. We definitely would do the same for them. I was afraid their vehicles would not start. Luckily they did and were able to save the day!

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  28. What an adventure your son and his family are on. How lucky they are to be able to live this lifestyle. Just my opinion...😊
    I have an app called: Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab that usually helps me find out what the name of the bird I am seeing is. Pretty much other wise 99% of the time I would have no clue...lol Great pictures by the way.
    You do have great neighbors!!!

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    1. I'll have to check out Merlin, sounds like a great app. The kids are very lucky to be able to travel like this. Not many people could deal with the uncertainty of not having a permanent home. It will make for memories they will never forget!

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  29. I’m happy to hear that you have been able to visit the entire family in one trip. It sounds like a great time is being had by all. I envy Lily the education she is getting, very first hand. There must be other children in her situation in that area as well, a park may be a great place to meet a few. In Ontario homeschoolers used to have some kind of internet site for class outings to something, that may also be another place to look for people her own age.
    I recognized a few of the birds but you have the names and it would be a repeat. They were interesting photos though.
    Good job on the awing, when should I expect you to do mine? I’ll supply the beer AFTER you finish. lol
    Lucky to catch the boiler issue and lucky to have good friends. I love the hat but had to look twice to insure it wasn’t you just messing with us! We can all use neighbours like him and Kevin, and we should all be neighbours like him and Kevin. Good people.
    Safe travels as you continue on your journey.

    Deb

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    1. I am sure after realizing that that Jim is not nearly as handsome as this Jim, that I was not messing with you!
      I shall require payment up front for any awning services. I will complete the work after I awake from passing out.

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  30. Thank you for commenting on my blog post, as it made me aware your blog was out there. I love to travel, so I believe your blog posts will be enjoyable. I added you to Feedly, so I will be notified when you have a new post.

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    1. It's often interesting to read blogs outside of what we normally read. Lots of interesting stuff out there!

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  31. Love that your kids are making the travel, school and work thing work for all of them. I think It's such a great life for families to see and do so much! How cool that you the park owner was able to accommodate a parental-next-door-short-stay. Of course you had a project while there :-) Great birds, no matter what they're called. Great friends to get things warmed up at the homestead!!

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    1. It's a prerequisite of us visiting, I need something to work on and keep us busy! Except for Dino, we'll just drink his beer.

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  32. i see you got excellent id's on the birds and ducks, eileen is an expert. you should get a book, it is fun to look them up when you see them, then you can write the date of the first time you see them. your pictures are quite good!! technology is wonderful, that you can keep track of your home while you are away. and that you have great neighbors to help you!!

    your son is a wanderer also, they learn what they live and see, don't they?!?!

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    1. Eileen and Wally seem to really know their birds. I knew those two would identify them. A couple others knew them too. Most of these were foreign to me, so I appreciated the help!

      I wish I would have gotten a book decades ago and started writing down the first time I saw each.

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  33. Another fine example of helping others with their projects. I have so many projects that I cannot even think about leaving and enjoying myself. Enjoy your frivolity while you can old man. You're just a pickle ball accident away from becoming an invalid like me.

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    1. It's what I do. I am a helper of the people. Good thing I don't play pickleball, no one wants to end up like you!

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  34. I knew if I waited long enough that someone would answer all them bird questions. It's like I KNOW a Heron when I see one, but there are over 70 different types of Heron, 12 of which live in the USA. 130 types of ducks, of which around 30 are in the USA. I think you see my point...I let others love the birds, and if they are ducks, pheasants, quail, chicken...well, I will identify with those from the dinner plate.

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    1. I knew that one was a heron, but I would have called it a Great Blue Heron and would have been wrong. I am betting I could name 25 of the 30 ducks in the U.S., but this was my first Whistling duck. I wonder how it would look on a dinner plate!

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  35. Fabulous photos!
    How wonderful to see all the family in one trip!
    I would love to experience traveling in a motorhome someday.

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    1. Sure makes our travel plans much easier when they are closer together!

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  36. Fabulous pictures for sure. Love the last one of your hubby and all the bird ones. I tell you I hate when kids live far away. I have one that never flew and one that flew to Ohio! Wonder what the grandson will do.

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    1. That treasure of a husband belongs to our neighbor Carmen. I know she is beyond proud to call him her own!

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  37. It's great that Forrest, Somer, and Lily are having this wonderful opportunity to see the country while still working and homeschooling Lily. Lily is getting the best education ever. How nice that you were able to park together. Boy, being able to keep track of our houses while we're away is so nice. Between cameras and Wifi connections for heat/AC we're always aware of what's happening. You do have good friends even if a little scary!!

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    1. When I first met neighbor Jim, I had to make a decision. Do we befriend this bizarre and scary looking man or run the other way. Barb and I talked about it and decided that it was probably in our best interest to feed and befriend him. How does that old saying go? "Keep your friends close, and your crazy neighbors closer"?

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  38. Good friends and neighbors are worth their weight in gold! The wildlife refuge looks amazing!

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    1. That would be a lot of gold, I think I would take that trade!

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  39. It's so great to have good neighbors to help out! Glad you are having a good trip and seeing so many of our Southern birds! I think you have all the IDs now! Take care! Be safe...it's even COLD here in the South...or we think it is! lol

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    1. It's funny what a person gets used to. On a sunny day, I can work outside in a T-shirt at 20 degrees. At 65, I start melting!

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  40. What a fun read, I laughed at the last photo. You saw some great birdlife and had fun with family and friends, got some projects done too. Take good care of yourselves and stay warm. It's snowing in northern Virginia today but only about four inches.

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    1. No snow here! But I did get a picture from my SIL in Pennsylvania showing the snow they are getting up there as well.

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  41. Please let us know what part of Florida you guys land in! We are about 30 min South of St Augustine, and would love to see you....

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