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Sunday, March 25, 2018

Springtime Reflections


The calendar says it should be Spring ...

Children are celebrating the arrival of Spring vacations ...

Yet, from some of the pictures that we have seen from our northern friends and family, winter is still trying to hang on ...


During the last three months, we have had the chance to see so many signs of Spring in Colombia and Florida. For those still waiting for Old Man Winter to kick the bucket, we would like to share with you some of our favorite ...

Springtime Reflections

... of wild orchids bursting into color,

... and spring-fed pools reflecting the sky so blue,

... and fields waiting to be planted,


... and butterflies preparing to take flight,

... and kayaks hoping to hit the waterways,

... and wildflowers decorating the hillsides,

... and beaches waiting to be explored,

... and irises preparing to brighten your day,

... and baby fawns starting to explore their new world,

... and baby red-crowned cranes awaiting their next meal,

... and trails beckoning to be explored,

... and bike paths inviting you to pedal on,

... and birds preparing to wake you with their song.


For as God has promised ...


... the cross and the tomb are empty,




... As the earth gladly receives the embraces of the Son!




Until next time ... Enjoy all the Springtime reflections around you ... and have a blessed Easter!


More scenes like this are in store for us as RVentures takes us on a  sailing trip next week in the British Virgin Islands. Our friends, Dan and Barb are putting away their snow skies, donning their Captain's hats, and teaching these novice seafarers the art of maneuvering a 47 foot vessel around the beautiful Caribbean ... hopefully it is easier than a 40 foot Wildebeest!  Fun Times!

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Habitat for Humanity Build # 12: Fort Myers, Florida


After our "spring break", we headed south to Fort Myers, Florida for another two week Habitat for Humanity build. Working with four other Care-a-Vanner couples, we helped get a number of houses in the Majorca Palms neighborhood closer to completion.


Our Habitat supervisors always made sure there was plenty of work to keep us busy ...


... which was good because this mighty crew with our matching blue shirts definitely had the talent and drive to get it done! Having traveled from California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio and Florida, we all were ready to lend a helping hand to families in need of decent and affordable housing in southern Florida.


Even Lucy, Lani and Otto's Portuguese Water Dog, sensed the need to put on her own Care-a-Vanner t-shirt and lend a helping paw!


Local Habitat affiliates, like Fort Myers, offer a free or discounted place for us to park our RVs in exchange for our construction "expertise". Builds like this are offered all year long around the US. Click HERE to get an idea of some of the areas that are open for you to explore.


Beautiful sandy beaches,


... and tropical sunsets drew us to the Fort Myers area. 



But it was the enthusiasm of this group of friends that left the best lasting impression of the Fort Myers area. Every member of our team cheerfully used their unique skills to help bring eight different houses closer to becoming homes.

From Karen's precise painting of trim,

... to Gary's drywall patching perfection,

... to Joe's "Fabuloso" job of cleaning tubs,

... to Jane's shiny clean countertops,

... to Lynda's window washing wonders,

... to Bill's door hanging heroics,

... to Otto's "no ladder necessary" ceiling painting,

... to Lani's "come on in" perfectly painted door,

... to Doug's sure fitting soffit,

... to my precisely puttied nail holes,

... to Lucy's "approval" for work well done
as she joined us during our lunch break,

We came to realize that ...


in helping bring a family home!


Until next time ... Share your helping hand ... and enjoy the adventures in your life!


Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Location RV-Lag

Doug here, with some nerdly information.

When we started travelling around the country with our phones, computers, tablet, and WiFi equipment, I encountered an interesting situation. Quite often I found that my phone or computer would think that I am still in my previous location, and it would take quite awhile for the situation to resolve itself. By the time it did resolve, it would start all over again upon reaching the next location.



I learned that this problem was because Google (and potentially other mapping services) generate a database of the locations of WiFi networks. This can be used to determine the location of a device if GPS is not available or has not been turned on. For phones, this saves power because turning GPS on to pinpoint location can be avoided if the location can be determined by figuring our where you are based on the WiFi access points that your phone can see. It is also useful for determining the location of computers which do not have GPS receivers.

The WiFi location database can be updated for a WiFi network if the network is moved, but it can take quite a bit of time for this to happen. In the meantime, the inaccurate old location will be used and it can cause your phone or computer to think you are still in the old location.

There is a solution to this problem. You can add the suffix _nomap to the ssid of your WiFi network (router). This will cause the Google location service not to map the location of that WiFi network. If you do this change, it may take awhile for the access point to be removed from the database. However, the problem will eventually clear up. You also need to change all the devices accessing that WiFi network to use the new ssid. Don't forget that you also need to change the WiFi configuration of devices like smart TVs, Rokus, Chromecasts, Firesticks, etc.



This will solve most of your problems. However, I still encounter the problem occasionally in close quarter campgrounds with a lot of transient neighbors. This is because my devices can see their networks and if they aren't named with the suffix _nomap then they could still be mapped to an incorrect location.


In this screenshot, my computer thinks that I am in New York, even though I am actually in Florida. The neighbor across the street happens to have New York plates, and I bet he is transmitting a wifi signal which has been mapped to his house in New York.

So, I am encouraging all RVers that carry a WiFi network to change the ssid of those networks to include the suffix _nomap. This will solve the location confusion problem for not only your devices, but also the devices of your neighbors.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

"Spring Break" In and Around Hillsborough River State Park


The beaches are relatively quiet now, but as March arrives, so do the tourists in search of warmth and sunshine.



During "March Madness" Florida style, we will be in the heart of one of the prime spring break destinations, Fort Myers. While we hope to enjoy some beach time, we will be spending the majority of our time working with another local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. These Care-a-Vanner builds are like an adult mission trip for us in that we have lots of fun while serving others.  




  We receive so many blessings through the new friendships that form while putting several coats of paint on baseboard ...



 ... or hanging drywall.


Before we embark on more construction fun, we decided that that it was good to take some time to recharge our batteries. 


A week at Hillsborough River State Park was a perfect way to re-energize. Hiking, biking, and exploring the beauty in and around the area gave us the "Spring Break" that we needed.



Our campsite was located under a lovely hammock of live oak trees. Since live oaks are continually shedding leaves, our "backyard" looked like a peaceful autumn landscape. But the blooming wildflowers in the park, including the Zephyr Lily, definitely celebrated the return of sunshine and longer days. 



This state park, located about an hour northeast of Tampa, has many miles of hiking trails. Our favorite trail ran right along the Hillsborough River and was home to alligators, birds, and sun-worshipping turtles.




After a day of getting "caught up" on sleep and fix-up jobs on the RV,



... it was time to start our "Spring Break" with day trips to some of Florida's beautiful areas. We hope that the pictures and short descriptions will give you some ideas for your own active vacation. After hearing about recent blizzards and nor'easters, we imagine that our Northern friends, like this snowmen, are in need of a fru-fru umbrella drink on a sandy beach!





Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Parks


Located a little north and west of Tampa, these barrier islands deliver ... 



... beautiful, uncrowded beaches,


... hiking trails among the palms,


and great shelling opportunities.


Bridges connect so many bodies of water here in Florida, but the only way to get to Caladesi Island is by boat.




For those of you who don't have your own yacht and captain, the Caladesi Island ferry leaves from the Honeymoon Island dock every half hour. It is definitely the way to enjoy some of Florida's untouched beauty. 




Bike Ride on the Withlacoochee Trail


This 46 mile paved bike trail was located about 30 miles north of our campground. 




We enjoyed meeting up with some Habitat friends for an afternoon of biking and conversation. The miles fly by when I get to enjoy "girlfriend" time!



Good conversation as well as fresh-squeezed orange juice from Ferris Groves in Floral City helped us complete our 25 mile journey.


St Petersburg



We took a day to explore the beach community of St Petersburg. We loved the beautiful beaches, interesting architecture and the handsome dudes that hang out at the beach.



In search of lunch and a cold one, we came upon one of our new favorite craft breweries. Located in Madeira Beach, just north of St Petersburg, Mad Beach Brewing served up a refreshing honey mead beer as well as delicious burger and shrimp dishes. The food and beer along with the comfortable patio seating, friendly service, and a Mad Beach coaster made this one that we would like to visit again.




Afterwards, we decided to expand our artistic experiences with a visit to the Salvador Dali Museum in downtown St Petersburg. 





During our self-guided audio tour, we developed a new appreciation for his surrealist style and his clever use of optical illusions in his paintings.


What do you see?
Abe Lincoln or the woman looking out a window?


Always nice to enjoy a new activity together!


Biking, Sponges, Breweries, and Sunsets 

On our last day of "Spring Break", we drove into Tarpon Springs and took a bike ride along the Pinellas Trail. This beautiful urban trail stretches 37 miles from Tarpon Springs to St Petersburg.


Being an urban trail, there were wonderful discoveries along the way like ...

... a trailside brewery in Palm Harbor,

... ice cream and "artsy" dolphins in Dunedin,

... a touristy historic village in Tarpon Springs

renowned for their sponge industry
(my dishwasher loves his new sponge),

... as well as their Greek food
(we both loved the baklava!).


We ended our week with a colorful sunset over the Gulf ...


... grateful that we have found our "Spring Break" in the beauty that surround us. 


Until next time ... seek out the beauty of spring around you ... and enjoy the adventures in your life!