Days 6-8

Because of the weird weather down here right now, we changed our plans a bit and decided to go visit my cousin Pam before we head to the Keys. The plan was to go to the casino in Hollywood, Fl. and park there, then go see Pam for a while. We would then go back to the casino and spend the night in their parking lot and visit Pam some the next day. So we left Lazy Days in Tampa Saturday and headed south. We went across Alligator Alley but didn't see one gator. When we got to the casino, there were signs EVERYWHERE that said NO RVs. What the heck? That messed up everything. So off we went in search of a Walmart. With the help of Pam on the phone and good old Tom Tom, we finally found one fairly close to Pam's. She was so freezing cold in her house, she decided to come visit us in the RV to get warm! The Floridians aren't holding up so well in this unusually cold weather. They don't have proper heat in their homes and for the most part don't have warm coats, etc. because they simply don't need them. This last week has been very hard on the native Florida folks.
We had a nice visit with Pam. Since she has had some recent health issues, it was really good to see her in person and know that she is doing well in spite of her situation. I was quite relieved to be able to spend some time with her. We stayed in Walmart's parking lot that night and went over to Pam's Sunday and parked in the field next to her place. We hung out at her gorgeous home for a while and then went to IKEA. From there, Glenn and I left for the Keys. We drove to the service plaza on the turnpike and slept there. This morning we got up and headed down to Sugarloaf, where we are currently staying. It is still cold, but we did sit in the sun for a while today and it felt really good. Tonight we played Bingo in the Pub here at the RV park. I won 25 bucks and it was really fun. Our friends Gwen and Larry are here and Kris and Craig will be here tomorrow. It feels like no time passed since we saw them last year.
Interesting tidbit: My sister told me to watch out, the iguanas are falling out of trees. I laughed and dismissed it. When we were at Pam's, I took Sparkle for a little walk out to the intercoastal in Pam's backyard. As we passed a row of palm trees, I noticed several iguanas laying on the ground, some on their backs. Apparently, when the temperatures dip like they have this week, iguanas fall from the trees and are immobile. If the temps go up, they will come alive and be ok. When I mentioned the fallen iguanas to Pam, she assured me that those iguanas aren't ever gonna get up and walk away. I guess when the temps stay low for as long as they have, the iguanas are permanently just plain dead. I didn't get a photo of them or I would display them for you. I will be watching for falling iguanas down here in the Keys. The ones I saw here last year were big enough to cause some damage if they fell on your head!