LEZLIE'S BIG ADVENTURE: DAY 8 & 9

"If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all."

There was a heavy fog Sunday morning. I thought it best to wait until it lifted to pull out on the road. About 8:30 I said my goodbyes and continued my trip to Lubbock, Texas. The miles and hours past without incident. Just when I thought it would be smooth sailing the last four hours, I saw smoke bellowing from my right trailer tire. I pulled to the side of the road and got out to see what kind of damage I had. The fender was only about 1/2 inch from the top of the tire. A little of the tread was worn, but I couldn't immediately tell why. I creeped down the shoulder with my flashers on trying to reach the exit to the truck stop. When I was able to look closer, I could see the spring was not springing, and it appeared that the axel was not centered because the fender/tire location was not the same for both tires. It's 4:00 pm on a Sunday. What do I do? I call my brother. It was too late to do anything that day, so I spent the night in Cisco, TX.

Hanging over the red line.

DAY 9
Monday morning, the sun rose and it was beautiful.

My brother borrowed a trailer and headed to Cisco. He and a friend of his, got there about 3:00 Monday afternoon. The trailer he brought, was not quite wide enough to hold the boat and trailer. Plan B... do some Southern engineering to get it road worthy.
First we tried wood blocks to raise the frame, but my C clamps were not quite big enough. In the dumpster was a metal fence post. It was the perfect size to hold that shackle in the right position. We didn't have wire, but I had zip ties. Zip ties it is! That took care of the wheel on the right side, but the fender on the other side was too close to the tire and would rub if we hit a bump in the road. My brother pulled out a jack stand and used the saddle to elevate the left frame, providing more room between the fender and tire.

We filled our gas tanks and headed to Lubbock. When I was 38 miles from Lubbock, I looked at my gas gauge and it registered 1/4 full. I thought that would be plenty to get me there. Well, it did. However, the next morning when I was moving the boat into the drive, the Ford died and would not start. Turns out, my gas gauge isn't working right. I best not let it get below 1/4 tank full. But, I am here with all my stuff, and I am not going on any road trips for a long time!

LEZLIE'S BIG ADVENTURE: ARKANSAS VISIT

It has been many years since I've been back to where I grew up. My family moved to Patmos, Arkansas when I was in the second grade. It was a great place to grow up, in the country. The population was 73 and the school was first through sixth grade with an average of about 56 students. The school and gym burned down many years ago. Now, there is a small community park on the land. I stopped there and walked around the property and remembered the years I spent there. 

My cousin lives in the family home near Patmos, Arkansas. The house is unique, 161 years old and made of logs and stone. It has a long history, and a lot of character.

The magnolia tree in the front yard is huge and has beautiful flowers in the summer months. 

My four days of getting reacquainted with friends and meeting new family members, was a much needed visit. I could stay here for weeks, but I must move on down that long road. There will have to be another visit to Arkansas soon.

LEZLIE'S BIG ADVENTURE: DAY THREE

I didn’t realize it was going to get so cold at night when I decided to sleep in my Explorer. I woke up to my fingers and toes numb, and I was shaking. I wasn’t getting on the road until daylight, so I started the engine to warm up the vehicle… I thought. It just blew cold air. At 6:45, as much as I didn’t want to drive, I pulled onto the highway again. I bet I watched the gauges more than the road. The feeling finally returned about three hours later. That was about the time the heater started working. My decision to move to colder weather was questioned many times during those hours of shivering in 32 degree temperature.

My plant survived the night, but was not very happy about it!

My goal for the day was to reach my cousin’s home in Patmos, Arkansas. I traveled about 15 hours through five states, and made it late Tuesday night. I grew up here, and love this area. I will rest here for several days and recuperate.

LEZLIE'S BIG ADVENTURE: DAY TWO

I woke up early Monday morning to get a start on the long drive. It was about 5:15 and very dark. After going just a few miles I saw a new warning light on my dash… CHECK GAUGE. It has overheated. My heart sank as I pulled over on the side of the road. I have never been stranded on the side of the road, I did not take it well. I pull out my phone but I cannot get google to come up, nothing. It was too early to call anyone, so I waited until 6:00 and I was able to send a text to my friend in Key West, Sheri. I knew she usually got up early, and she was in my time zone, so she sent me the *347 to call for help. They don’t come out until 7:00, but he didn’t arrive until 7:30. He filled my coolant reservoir with water, and told me he would follow me to the next exit to Lake City, which was 8 miles down the road. I watched the gauge and it didn’t overheat. When I got to Walmart, I bought coolant. When I came back and raised the hood, there was no coolant left. I saw no leaking, so where did it go?

Kids posing as mechanics.

I sat on the side of the road for two hours, now I’m stuck in a parking lot. It took a few tries, but I was able to connect to Google and looked up auto repair shops. It’s always scary to take your car to a new mechanic, you don’t know if you will be ripped off or not. I didn’t know the area, so I decided to call someone to come to me. If it was something simple like a hose, that would be an easy fix. I call, the truck shows up about 30 minutes later. These two KIDS jump out! My first thought was that my Explorer is older than they are. But, give them a chance. They said the hose was cracked and they could replace it and I would be on my way. They pulled off the hose and two gallons of coolant poured out everywhere, running down the parking lot of Walmart. This has to be a violation of some kind! 

They come back and said they went to three different parts places and it would have to be ordered, there was not one in stock, but they could fix it. They replaced the hose, filled it with coolant… that I bought, and we started it up. It looked like everything was fine, no leaks. I pay them an arm and leg and drove off. Constantly watching the gauge, I got on the highway, drove about 5 miles and the gauge started climbing. There was a rest stop exit right there, so I pulled in. I got out and looked at the green liquid dripping from everywhere! There was an immediate call to A-1 Roadside Repair, and they did not answer. Imagine that! The mailbox was full, so I sent a text. He replied that he couldn’t answer the phone because he was on another call. RIGHT! But he would call me right back. 30 minutes later, I sent another text and did not get an answer. I gave them a few more minutes and then started making calls to shops. I talked to Dennis at Johnny’s Auto Repair. He gave me the number to a tow service and the adventure continued.

Ozzy’s Tow arrived in 30 minutes. He was very professional and got me to the shop in no time. It was 2:00 by this time. They took a look at it and gave me the bad news. There was a crack in the radiator, and it was going to take my other arm and leg to get it fixed. With no other choice, I told him to fix it. It was fixed, trailer hooked up and I was on my way at 7:00pm. I had not gotten 2 miles down the road and I received a text from A-1, “How’s it going?” I was furious! I let him know how I proceeded with my trouble, and I wanted a refund. I knew he didn’t feel the same as I did, but I wanted it in print. I had already called Discover and was told that the charge was pending and that I had to wait until it posted before I could dispute the charge, but at least the call was noted on my account.

It was getting late, and I was too tired to drive anymore that day, so I stayed in Lake City area another night. Tomorrow is another day!

LEZLIE'S BIG ADVENTURE

There comes a time in our lives that we need to be closer to family. I have no family in Key West, most are in Texas. I made the decision to move closer to them, so that began the big adventure. The culling of stuff I could live without or easily replace began. I wanted this to be as easy a move as possible, and the cheapest too. 

My Explorer has been running okay, my concern was for the boat trailer. The wheel bearings on one side were replace back in February, but the other side needed to be replaced for sure. I have used Hitch King for the original rebuild and then the new bearing. So I took off the hub and drove to the last location of the business. All I found was an empty lot and a FOR RENT sign on the fence. Not going to lie… I had a moment of panic. Pulling out my phone, I quickly looked up the business and found PERMANENTLY CLOSED in red by the listing. I am really in a panic now! Hopeful someone would answer, I clicked on the phone number next to CLOSED… and someone answered and all was right in my world again. I drove to the new location and the guy replaced the bearings, and gave me an extra cap. I asked how much I owed him and he replied, “Five dollars”. I thought I misunderstood, and asked again. He said, “Did you think it would be more?” I didn’t want him to know the previous owner of the business charged $50 for the same thing. I handed him the five dollars and quickly left before he decided he hadn’t charged enough. The hub and wheel was replaced, the spare was aired up, and the trailer was ready to roll.

The next week of so was constant pack, throw away, take to Salvation Army or put on the curb. On December 1, I pulled out and drove out of Key West. The traffic was not heavy until I reached Orlando. Our average speed was about 20mph for it seemed like an eternity. When I reached a rest stop just outside of Lake City, Florida, I pulled in. It was getting later, and I couldn’t creep along anymore. My Explorer and trailer were handling the all day drive just fine…. I thought. But wait...there's more. Stay turned for the next episode of Lezlie's Big Adventure!

BIG CHANGES!

I am leaving The Keys! I know... why would I leave this!

I've given notice at work and the landlord too. I'm on the move again. Texas is calling my name. The next four weeks will be busy. But, I will be home for Christmas! Mother is excited!

I love my job and I love Key West, but life has it's twists and turns and you must learn to be adaptable.  Once again, the purge has begun. If I haven't used it in the last 6 -12 months, I don't need it. It will be cheaper to replace it than haul it 1400 miles to West Texas. Most things I own have a memory attached to it. Some will be gladly kicked to the curb, others are being carefully packed away, and yet others sold. I have already made enough to buy the gas for the move... I think.

JACK OF ALL TRADES...

I'm learning another trade, I will not be a master of.... cutting glass. All the YouTube videos make it look simple. Well, it is easy to get the glass to break, but getting it to break exactly like you want, not simple.

Learning what NOT to do has been mostly what I've learned. My last lesson; don't forget to take the cap off a bottle before you dunk into hot water and then cold water. It made a big noise, and many pieces of glass. Lesson learned.

Luckily, I live in a community that likes alcohol. Bottles are not in short supply. When I see products in glass containers, I look at the glass more than the what's in it, and think to myself, "what could I make out of that bottle". There are many shapes, sizes and colors. You can etch or paint a design to make it unique.

I needed something to hold my larger kitchen utensils...

I needed something to hold my paint brushes.....

I now have more drinking glasses than I could ever possibly use. But they are different sizes and colors. But I do still want a Carlo Rossi jug. I think it would make a nice serving bowl, don't you?

These two are 3.5", and make a good juice glass.

NAMING HURRICANES

Do you know how hurricanes are named? Six lists of hurricane names have been created for the major ocean basins around the world, and they rotate one each year. Up until 1978, this was a list that contained only female names. Since then, they alternate male and female. Names of hurricanes that are particularly damaging are retired, and replaced. Harvey was replaced with Harold, Irma with Idalia and Maria with Margot.
If you would like to see the list of names, click here.

Unless Dorian turns southward, Key West will not see much weather from the hurricane. We could get some scattered rain and wind, but nothing that will keep me from going to work on Monday. What that means is, I do not get a three day weekend! If anything changes, I will let you know.

WATCHING DORIAN

AUGUST 29, 2019
As many of you know, I live on an island and work at a hardware store. With the threat of a hurricane, comes the panic to prepare for it. It's not known exactly where Hurricane Dorian will go, but it's possible that we will get some weather. The memory of Hurricane IRMA is fresh in our minds, with many vacant lots and a few blue tarps still on roofs.

Today was the day everyone decided it was time to start preparing, just in case. First it was the gas cans flying off the shelf. We have only a handful of one gallon cans left. Generators were very popular this afternoon, with only 3 or 4 left. I'm guessing the hurricane shutters will be the topic of tomorrow.

What are my plans? How have I prepared for a possible hurricane? I treat it like camping, and prepare accordingly. My pantry is full of canned food. I have plenty of water. I have a Luci light which does not need batteries, and I have a combination flashlight/radio/charger that is powered by crank. Again not needing batteries. The only thing I didn't acquire since IRMA is a battery operated fan. I just didn't want to spend the money. Next time the power is out for an extended period of time, I will probably regret that decision.

So, the watch continues, and the murmurs of "Will you evacuate?" are heard. And the answer is NO.

DORIAN

It's storm watching season again. Dorian is out there, and everyone is guessing which way she will go. Will she fizzle or grow into a hurricane? Time will tell.

My gas tank is almost empty, so I will be heading to the gas station to fill up on my way home after work. My pantry is full of canned food, I have my crank radio/flashlight/charger handy, and no I will not leave for a hurricane. So all you people that got mad at me for not leaving for IRMA, I don't want to hear it again. Hopefully, we will not experience a hurricane this year, but in case we do, I will be prepared, and keep everyone updated.

GREEN IGUANA

Dale holding Gomez.

Back in 2010, I traveled to Belize and was introduced to the Iguana. I even visited an iguana hatchery that was established because the population was dwindling due to the use as a food source. They were a very cool looking animal and I enjoyed learning about them, even got to hold one.

Fast forward three years. I relocated to Key West, Florida. Green Iguanas live here too. When you live with them in your backyard, your attitude toward them changes drastically. They are messy and destructive. All they do is eat and poop. They eat all your beautiful flower and poop them back out on your porch. Disgusting. 

They have become so bad, the FWC and the state of Florida has waged war on them. They now encourage homeowner to humanely kill green iguanas on their property. Iguanas have no natural enemy, so the population is exploding.

Yes, you can eat them, but after watching a YouTube video on how to clean one, it just seemed like a lot of work for very little meat. Someone even wrote a cookbook for preparing a meal with iguana meat. I think I will pass. However, if someone else caught, killed, dressed and cooked one, I would eat it! 

There might be a market for the skin... wallets, belts, boots? That might be an interesting new venture!

https://binged.it/2LYfyoz

WAKEFIELD

"Who hasn't had the impulse to put their life on hold for a moment. Just vanish completely."

I watch a lot of movies. I really enjoyed this one, probably because I have been there. A few months before my split with my husband, late one night, I walked out my front door, across the street to an empty house... and sat on the front steps staring at my house. It was as if I had exited my life and for a moment was at peace, watching from the outside. Eventually I had to re-enter my stressful world, was asked those uninvited questions, "where have you been"... as if he actually cared. But I took a few needed moments of relief.

If you have ever lived a life you want to escape ... you should watch this movie.

State Rd 4a

Once upon a time, it was not an easy trip to Key West. Henry Flagler had a vision of building a railroad extension from the mainland to Key West. In 1912, Henry Flagler saw his dream become a reality. The train ran daily until the hurricane of 1935 tore up a lot of the track. There wasn't money to rebuild, so the right of way was sold to the state, and US 1 travels that route now.

3.59 miles to the end of the road.

But, before there was a US1 Highway, there was State Road 4a. It was in service from 1928 to 1938. A lot of State Rd 4a is still in used, but there are sections in the Lower Keys that are not. This last Sunday, I took my bike and explored one of those abandoned sections. Most of it is just a trail, but there is still asphalt all along the path. And I found a few interesting things.  

The beginning of my afternoon adventure.

This boat looks like it has seen a few drug runs... or something defiantly illegal. All of the windows are covered, and the whole boat painted green. I wanted to get a closer look, but not able to safely get close enough to see inside. The mangroves have closed off any way in or out for that boat, so it makes me wonder... how long, and why it made it's way there.

Here was another puzzle. An old bench, under an old tree, in the middle of nowhere. 

This is the end of the road, at the edge of the water, where a bridge used to carry cars to Geiger Key. 

It was a wonderful afternoon, exploring a rarely traveled road.

LYCHEE

Didn't know there was such a thing, until my neighbor brought me a bag of them. The meat is the texture of a grape, but the skin is hard and rough. It's not really sweet, but they are good.

After devouring them, I had all these seeds. Like I always do, I look online to learn more about them. The tree can be grown from seed. So I did. I planted 5 seeds ten days ago. Two have sprouted. They only grow in Hardiness Zone 10 and 11. I live in Zone 10.

The meat slides right off the seed.

I put them in water for about a week until the skin split.

The little tree is fragile.
It will be kept in a protected area.

MY PLANTS

Yesterday was a day to tend to my plants. I have a few potted plants that I have acquired over the last couple years. The Christmas Palm trees that came up from seed, were getting too big to all be in one pot. Yesterday was the day to separate them. 






My pineapple are growing, and doing well. They should be ready to harvest in July.











I need to help the bamboo palms that were here when I moved in, they are not growing at all. Too much sun?  Not enough water? Not enough dirt? Not sure, but they need help.

After I finished watering everything, I was standing there admiring the tropical plants and looked up into the banana plants. Just the other day, I looked to see if we were going to have banana this year, and didn't see a bloom. But, after a little wind, a bloom had fallen into sight. Yay, we will have banana.  

In my little yard, I have coconuts, pineapple and bananas. I also have three young Key Lime trees. Yummy!

COINS

I have a small collection of old coins, or coins from other countries. I run across them in various places. Today, I found a penny that is 100 years old. Just think of all the pockets that penny has traveled in, and how many things that penny has purchased. In the year 1919, an abundance of pennies were minted... so they are not really rare, but this is the first one I have found.

These are my two Buffalo Nickels. The date is legible on one, 1927. But it has completely worn off the other coin.

I have coins from Australia, Arabia, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Great Britain, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Switzerland and Turkey.

What I would really like to find is a chest full of gold and silver coins from a sunken ship! Wouldn't that be fun!

MY LITTLE PINEAPPLE

About a month ago, I was watering my plants and noticed my pineapple plants looked funny. I looked closer and could see the start of a little pineapple in both my plants. This is strange because I just planted the tops last July! When I harvested those tops, the plant was two years old. These plants are only 7 months old. I must have a green thumb.

3/16/19

MEMBER OF THE CLUB

Several years ago, I decided I wanted a tattoo. I've known what I wanted for a few years now, but just never got it. My birthday was a few days ago, and I was given a tattoo as a gift.

My mother called it my brand, but I know she loves me. I wanted something that would symbolize my living in Key West, because I know I will not live here forever. A "Saltwater Conch" is a person born in Key West, while the term "Freshwater Conch" refers to a resident not born in Key West but who has lived in Key West for seven years or more. I'm only two years away from Freshwater Conch status. 

This will probably be my one and only tattoo, but you never know!