WINTER HAS PASSED AND SPRING HAS SPRUNG…..REVVING UP TO HIT THE TRAILS!

Hello everyone! Just a word or two to catch you up. We’ve had a wonderful winter in Naples and have had some visitors. First, my daughter, Amanda and two grand kids, Kailey and Garrett, were with us for the Christmas holidays. Then Amanda came for another visit over spring break, this time by herself. It was a great week having special time with my girl! It’s always wonderful having family! The good news?…….They’re all coming for another visit in June!!

Marj and I discovered pottery! We spent much of our winter in classes and practicing our skills, starting with hand building. A bit later, I fulfilled a life long dream of throwing on the wheel – not an easy thing to do! Howie is a creative soul in his own right, so he took a wheel throwing class as well and surprised us all by instantly throwing some super nice pots!

When not in pottery class, Howie had several significant surgeries this winter, including a total hip replacement. He recovered nicely from all with good results! He also had a nice surprise visit from one of his co-workers in Wisconsin, Anne Marie and her friend. We also received our Covid vaccines – have to be ready for our summer traveling!

In March, once again, we had so much fun hosting “Sister’s Week”. This is one of our very favorite weeks every year when our Illinois sisters, Donna, Bev and Lori, join us in Naples. We always manage to have a great time – this year our “craft day” was spent at the pottery studio, making hand built trays. Everyone did a fantastic job! Mostly, though, we hung out at the pool, reminiscing and making new memories. Sisters are an absolutely BLESSING!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

April brought Easter. We hosted an Easter brunch and required the girls wear an Easter Bonnet! I thought I had this one won until Marj walked in with her creation! Oh My!

In May, my son Casey came to visit – he was with us over Mother’s Day, which was a real treat. He actually had a class in Pompano Beach for a week, where he received certification for deep water dives. My grey hair comes honestly, since this hobby has taken him scuba diving with the great white sharks and now diving to depths of 165 feet, exploring sunken shipwrecks! His next adventure is cave diving! When he’s not diving, he’s training my new grand dog, Guster!

Our western adventures on the road last summer brought a few bumps and bruises to our motorhome and Moritz’s 5th wheel. Both rigs spent some “spa time” in the shop and they’re now raring to go. However, we decided it would be prudent to go for a “test run” to ensure the rigs are up to 4 months on the road again. So May 11th, we’re taking a week long run to the Siesta Beach area near Sarasota. It’s said to be the best beach in the contiguous U.S because the sand it 99% pure quartz, it’s dazzling white, and super soft.

We both enjoy our homes and our winters in Florida, but it’s starting to show signs of summer heat and humidity here. Plus, if we’re honest, we’re all pretty much ready to hit the road again. As I’ve mentioned before, we have planned our 2021 journey up the east coast, all the way to Maine. So get ready to join us as our departure date is set for July 1!

We have plans to meet up with Moritz’s grand daughter, Grace in Washington DC and we hope to see our cousin Joe Koch and his wife in Connecticut. We also have plans for our annual “Bowaldfest” in September in Michigan, and will spend time with my daughter, Amanda and with Howie’s kids in Kankakee. From there we’ll make a stop in Vienna, IL to visit Howie’s mother before heading south and for home. If you live on the East coast, give us a shout and you may find us knocking on your door for a “sit and visit”!

Thanks again for following along with us – remember, if you hit the “subscribe” button on ramblinrosie.com, you will automatically be notified whenever I submit another post. Wishing you all continued good health and a safe and happy summer!

Well, that’s a LOT of catching up! Stay safe and as always, Happy Trails!