Explore St Augustine

What a great day to explore this old city. It seems that every old city we've been to must claim to be the oldest of something. Well, St Augustine claims to be the oldest city in the USA. It is a great place to walk around. A lot of great bars and restaurants on every corner with great views and not to mention a great place to people watch. Now, that brings me to another interesting observation that I made yesterday. Of course when I told Reta all she could do was shake her head at me. What's new, right?

This place has tourist from all over the planet and to listen to everyone speak in their own tongue twisted fashion is interesting in itself but why is it that there is always an English word thrown in? They could be going a mile a minute "Blah blah blah blah blah, bench." or Blah, blah blah blah bridge." It cracks me up! Do they not have bridges or benches in these countries and they don't have a word for it?

We also hit the beach when it was about 80 the other day. They must have heard we were coming because they even had a group of dancers there to perform for us.

Try not to look at my white hair on my chest. Don't worry, I'm going to get it waxed so that it will be nice and smooth. NOT. I watched "40 Year Old Virgin" and I am not going to wax my hair.

We had a great time exploring the old fort in the downtown area. Thanks Rico, we didn't have to pay the $8 to get in. National park pass! ! ! With that savings we went and had a nice cold beverage after our tour and watched the REDSKINS WIN!

I didn't miss running the banner out before the games until my good friend Amir sent me this picture from his phone yesterday.

I swear, when I was at the games I never saw two girls making out at the bar. GO SKINS!

Enjoy the pictures we took at St Augustine Beach and of the city.

St Augustine, FL

We made it to Florida. We arrived Friday afternoon under a bright sunny Florida sky. It was close to 80 that day. What a welcome. Our campground is about 20 minutes from downtown St. Augustine. I think it is Red Neck/Retired Community Central. We are by far the youngest people on this campground. Even the dogs walk around with a limp because they must be old also. Our next door neighbor is 81 years old and loves to come over and see what I am doing around the RV. I made the mistake of opening the hood on the Pick Up (a.k.a. the "Mulch Truck") to check on something and right away he was right there. I need to put a box of Tic Tacs in his pocket so I know when he is coming. The other thing is this place doesn't have Wi-Fi or Cable. My backup Modem Card is out of reach for the cell signal also. I know what some of you are thinking, T-Mobile. I know...

You know the saying "Analog mind in a Digital world", well that's this place. I'm excited to show these old timers the latest technology in Road Hazard, 6 Cassette Tape Changer. I'm sure that will get them excited. They might have to hold onto their dentures because they'll be talking so fast with excitement.

OK, so let me post some pictures that we took while we were in Savannah, GA.



Reta and I did our own walking tour of the Historic District. Did you know that Forest Gump was filmed there? We walked in the same Park where Tom Hanks sat on the bench and uttered that famous line that we all have tried to imitate - "Life is like a box of Chocolates..."
















They also filmed "In the Garden of Good and Evil" in this house.














Did I ever mention that we are in the south and you should come to expect that good Southern Hospitality. Well, after our walking tour, the city felt we shouldn't leave without a souvenir so they were kind enough to leave this on my car for me.

Did I mention that we are sitting in Starbucks Coffee sipping on some Mocha's and writing this blog? We are also waiting for the sun to burn off some of the morning fog so that we can hit the beach. I'm not sure when we will make it back to upload our next blog so please be patient.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! ! ! ! !

Merry Christmas to everyone and we hope that this day will be a special day and one filled with joy, peace and happiness.

Reta and I have been asking ourselves how this Christmas was going to be different. Well, we are both so excited to be living our dream of traveling that it seems everyday is Christmas for us. We are also pleased with the decision to buy Road Hazard (thanks Deb for the inspiration and counseling) because we have somewhere to call home. We have made this box on six wheels, HOME. It has been an adventure already in this short time period that we have been on the road. We have talked to many new people and listened to their stories. It's amazing to see how some people decorate their rigs for Christmas. It almost seems like there is no room left inside to walk around.

Georgia, Georgia, I got Georgia on my mind. Sing it Willie. (I'm going to buy a Willie Nelson CD because it seems everywhere we go one of his songs has become our theme song.)

We drove around Savannah on arrival to Georgia yesterday. It looks just like a Charleston from a distance. Even the bridge to come into the city looks just like Charleston. We set up camp at our first State Park Campground. This place is beautiful. Out here with hardly anyone around us. Deep in the Savannah woods with Spanish Moss hanging from trees, big oak trees that tower overhead and wildlife running around.

It's hard to believe that we are 15 minutes from downtown Savannah. We set up camp and met a few neighbors. One called himself the "Self Appointed Camp Host". Marvin was very proud of that fact. So when I introduced myself to him I also gave myself a title. "Elton - Chief Wildlife Specialist". Self appointed of course. I figure with all my history with animals and my documented caring techniques it would be appropriate, don't you think?

We got on our bikes to explore some of the trails they have in this park and it turned out to be an 8 mile ride. We are right on the Intracoastal Waterway that connects New York to Florida.

Later, Reta got us a roaring fire going last night, with the help of a starter log, and we settled in to sit around the campfire, drinking our Margarita's and singing Christmas carols. OK, maybe not singing but definitely drinking Margarita's. Two pitchers. When, all of a sudden we see this dark shadow moving among the trees. It's hard to see because this whole time our eyes have been looking into the fire so we are blinded looking into the deep, dark, Savannah forest. What could it be? Our minds start racing with stories of the Savannah Big Foot we've seen on TV. Then, out from behind this oak tree with its limbs reaching out to the clear Georgia night sky, we hear this sound, meoooow. Hey, my title was appropriate. We have managed to tame this wild animal and have it sit around the fire with us. We named it "Skidaway" after the state park we are in.

We awoke this Christmas morning to 50 degree weather and while sitting and having breakfast, planned out our day.

Our friends and family are in our thoughts on this day and wish that soon we will be together to exchange stories and catch up on all the happenings. In the mean time enjoy your day and raise your glass of whatever it is you are drinking now and drink to a Wonderful and Merry Christmas To All.

Hilton Head Island, SC

I know that I haven't posted anything since our arrival in Hilton Head, SC. The truth is we have been really kicking back and just relaxing. Our campsite is fantastic. When we arrived at the campground they gave us a golf cart to ride around and pick out a site. The only thing that made us nervous is that all the sites are Back In and the roads are very tight. We found a great site and with Reta helping out we backed into the site on our first try. We made it look easy. We are right on the water again with beautiful views of the harbor. After setting up some chairs outside to enjoy the nice day we discovered that the tree we were sitting under is a Pecan Tree.

We couldn't help but pick up these nuts. It was pretty cool because birds get up in the tree and bite the cluster of nuts off the tree limb to collect later but we were there instead getting fresh nuts. Its fun to hear the nuts come crashing down on the RV behind us. I'm sure they are pissed off that they are parked under that tree. It makes a very loud noise when it hits the roof of their RV.

I even woke up yesterday morning and made fresh pancakes for breakfast. It actually turned out pretty good!

We made it over to the beach and found that the sand is rock hard. We were riding our bikes on the beach up close to the water. The beaches are very wide and at this time of year there is no one on them.

Now, our thoughts of Hilton Head. If you like to play golf and have a place in one of the resorts this is the place for you but if not than it really isn't a great place. To start with it is very difficult to get to the beach because everywhere you go it is a gated resort or community. So you need a pass or pay to get in. The other thing we didn't like is that the restaurants are all in strip malls. If you want to sit and see the water you need to be in a resort. Everyone we asked said that the good bars and restaurants are in strip malls. So last night we did our own bar crawl in a strip mall. Not too fun.

We are looking forward to leaving tomorrow and getting to Savannah, GA. Many people who live full time on this island say that they like Charleston and Savannah better than Hilton Head for entertainment. Go figure. At least it is warmer here.

Good Bye Chaleston - Hello Hilton Head

We awoke this morning to the sound of rain hitting the roof of Road Hazard. Hard rain. It's very relaxing to be laying in bed and just listening to the sound of rain. Then it hit me...I hope it stops raining because we are leaving this morning for Hilton Head. I don't mind driving in the rain but I have to put everything away and don't really feel like getting drenched. Hey, why should I care. It's not like I have to be somewhere at a certain time. I've been through a lot worse.

Yesterday we had another great day in and around Charleston. We took our bikes and rode to the top of the bridge that crosses over Cooper River and connects Mt. Pleasant to Charleston. You could see Charleston and the two forts that sit at the mouth of the river, Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter. After the bridge we rode our bikes over to Patriot Point to see the big aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown. Pretty impressive to see something that big and imagine having planes land on it. Enough of all that, I'm hungry after all that pedaling. Went to this Sports Bar that was close to where we parked and while we were there we struck up a conversation with the bartender. Imagine that. When we were leaving a guy came up and said that he heard we were headed to Jolly Beach and we could follow him. That, my friends is called Southern Hospitality! I'm glad we did because it would have been tricky to follow the map. A lot of turns and there are many one way streets in downtown Charleston. Ask Reta, she will tell you. I turned down one street, going the wrong way, when we were driving around the first day. My response, "Yeah, I see it!". There were no cars coming so it was OK.
Jolly Beach was the same as Isle of Palms that we had seen a couple days before. Big houses right on the water and very little business's. It did have a light house. Morris Light House. During low tide you can walk out to this lighthouse that sits about 1/4 mile off shore. We rode our bikes up the beach and it was just the two of us. No one around, you know what I mean? No, for pictures.
We ended our day by going to see The Oldest Living Organism on the East Coast. So they claim. It is an Oak Tree. Angle Oak is its name. The base of this tree is 11 feet across. What a site. This tree was incredible to see, touch and walk around. They claim that it is 1,400 years old. How do they know that?
It was a great ending for our stay in Charleston. Lets pack up and move it out.
By the way, it hasn't stopped raining and the wind has picked up. While I was writing this blog I watched my neighbors awning get blown off. Pretty cool if it doesn't happen to you.

Charleston - Day 2

Yesterday was the type of day that we had envisioned when we thought up this crazy plan.

We started with having breakfast looking out over this beautiful lake in front of us. We then got dressed and went for a bike ride. It's been awhile since I last rode my bike and your butt quickly reminds you of that. This just means that I need to ride more to toughen up. Sorry, I know, too much information.

We decided to go out for some lunch after our bike ride so we jumped in the truck and went off to explore the two islands right off of Charleston. Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms. Now I know where the rich live around here. Such big houses right on the water. Yes, my little mulch truck was out of place riding around but it just made everyone think that we were on the island to work.

We found this little pub right on the main strip for lunch. When you walked into this place it was like stepping back into time. The floor was slanted and there was stuff hanging from the walls and ceilings. They had beer cans stacked along the walls that were pretty old. We sat at the bar and ended up having some of the best burgers. After a couple of tall cold ones to top it all off we were on our way to explore Fort Moultrie. (Thanks Rico, we didn't have to pay cause of the card you gave us.) I told Reta "This is the way we should do all our history tours, with a buzz!" It felt great to walk along the beach and finally get my toes into the warm sand. This is what its all about.

We finally put up a sticker map of the USA that some friends gave us. I always wanted to get one of these. It will be fun to watch the map fill up as we visit more states. You'll see it on the pictures below. So far we only have 4 states on there but we have only traveled 715 miles in Road Hazard. I am curious when and where we will hit 1,000 miles. We are going to have to stop and celebrate and, of course, check to make sure the Pick Up is still with us.

Today we are going to head out and explore one of the Plantations and later we are going to do a Ghost Tour of Charleston. Should be interesting.

Charleston, SC

When we woke up this morning we looked at the thermometer and it read 33 degrees and the lake had a thick fog rolling across it. As the sun got higher in the sky the temperature started to climb and the lake came into view. Never having lived close to water it was the greatest thing to see. It's the little things in life sometimes. Stop and smell the flowers type thing.
Had a terrific time in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. It was a little cold but we still had a great time walking around downtown. We hit City Market and walked out on the Pier to see a beautiful view of the bridge and very large air craft carrier across the river. We then walked up Queen Street and had lunch at Poogan's Porch. Very good She Crab Soup! Thanks Deb for the recommendation. That brings up a good point. If anyone knows of some good things or places that we should try leave a comment and we will check it out.

Enjoy the pictures we took.



While Reta was taking her afternoon nap (because that's what we do at our age) I went outside and snapped this picture over the lake that we are facing.

Getting Warmer!

Sorry for the late post but we hit the road early this morning and I didn't feel like getting up earlier to write. I need my beauty sleep you know.
Yesterday was a cold and rainy day in Charlotte, NC and we ended up staying inside most of the day. We did go out last night to watch the Redskins game since our campground didn't have great TV reception. We decided to go out and see what Coyote Ugly was all about. You might remember the movie. The drive into the city is pretty at night.
The bar was not in the best part of town. It was very slow but it gave us a chance to talk to Amy, our bartender. She got up on the bar along with another girl and did their little dance that they are so famous for. At that point I couldn't help but notice what great support this bar had. There were tons of bra's strung up in the rafters. I can't imagine what would make someone take their bra off and put it up there. Terrible, just terrible. I wish my guys could have been there to see it.
Well, Amy did tell us her life story, which we didn't expect, but it seems that everyone in these parts is an aspiring country music song writer. Here is a picture that I took of Amy in case you were wondering what she looked like so that you will recognize her on American Idol.


Hey, the Redskins won!

This morning was very cold when we woke up. Anything left outside was frozen. We were happy to be heading south where hopefully it will be warmer. Next stop - Charleston, South Carolina.
This trip was uneventful, sorry that nothing exciting happened. The Pick Up behaved itself and stayed in its lane the whole way down here. We did enjoy listening to the truckers on our CB radio. I took a couple of pictures while Reta drove. The one on the right is me with the laptop open checking email and directions with the GPS system. Did I mention I had my feet up with the Lazy Boy chair? Nice.

We found this great campground in Mt. Pleasant, just a few minutes north of Charleston. When we pulled up to our site this is the view that we have.

It will have to do. The weather so far is great, 63 but they say it will get colder. We set everything up and went out for a little walk to explore the area. I found an indoor swimming pool that I will hit tonight. The water is about 80 degrees. Bath water...

A couple more pic's of the area. Got to run now. Have to help Reta prepare stuff for Happy Hour.

One of those days to relax.

This is it! Charlotte, NC. We drove around the city yesterday to see what there is and it really surprised us. We drove through downtown in, really, minutes! The downtown area is nice but there isn't a whole lot. I think today we are going to walk around some since the weather is going to be better. The only thing is that we have to drive by the Panthers Stadium and there is a 1 o'clock game today. We ended up coming back to RH and watching the movies we rented from Blockbuster. It was a good day to sit on the couch and lazy boy and relax.Skyline of Downtown Charlotte, NC

On the main drag, downtown

Home of the NFL Panthers

Home of the NBA Bobcats

Black is Gray & Gray is Black

Sorry to disappoint but yesterday was an uneventful day. We drove around the Charlotte beltway to a RV center to buy some parts for the hitch. Everything checked out OK and the whole issue of towing should be done. We've learned our lesson. (Famous last words)

On our way back home we were both starving so we decided to stop by this place called "Bojangles". Its where Colonial Sanders and Popeye's met halfway and shared receipts. Great food! We set up our little picnic out front since the thermometer on RH said it was 88 in the sun. Our kind of weather!

There were still a few things that needed to be done around the RV because it is worse than owning a house. While Reta went for her afternoon jog I stayed back and took care of it. One thing we did yesterday morning, before our drive, was dump the Gray tank. (Let me break down some of this RV jargon and sorry if you are eating.) The gray tank is where all the water from the sinks and shower goes into. The Black tank is where all the "stuff" from the toilet goes into. Not the nice one. So, we had dumped the Gray tank because it fills up much faster than the black and you only want to dump the Black tank when it is more than 1/2 full. Something about having enough liquid in the tank to help get the solid pieces out. OK, so last night we are getting ready to take our showers when I hear Reta say "Elton, are you going to take a bath? because the tub is full of water!" We were wondering why after we dumped the Gray tank in the morning the system still said that the Gray tank as full. Now we know. The labels on the tanks had been placed incorrectly. They're switched. Black is Gray and Gray is Black. When we went outside and dumped the tank labeled Black the water from the shower had disappeared and the system said empty. All I have to say is thankfully it was the Gray tank the overflowed and not the Black. You know what I mean?

Last night for dinner we decided that we would go over to Blockbuster and rent a couple of movies and have some wine, cheese and crackers. On our return I started to hook up the DVD player and that is when I discovered that the 1997 state of the art system only takes the Coaxial connections. Now I have to go to Radio Shack and buy some sort of adaptor. We did still enjoy the wine and cheese but had to settle for regular TV.

That is about all the excitement for today but tune in tomorrow to see how our day in Charlotte will turn out.

If it makes you all up north feel any better the clouds are rolling in and it should get colder today.

Yeah, I see it!

The day started out great. We had our route planned and we were securing everything in the RV and attached the pick up to the hitch for our second leg of the trip. We had even planned out where we were going to stop for Diesel fuel.
The first surprise of the day came when we were filling up. Let me back up just a little. When we were looking at Road Hazard to buy, the owner was telling us all about her. One of the things he told us was the gas tank held 80 gallons. OK, sounded good. Fast-forward...we are standing at the pump filling up. Now, when we pulled up we had 3/8 of a tank, so I figured we would put in about 55 gallons. As you can see in the picture, we put in 98 gallons for a grand total of...drum roll please and get the paddle's ready to restart the heart...$322.55. Guess what? The tank is bigger than 80 gallons! We figure it must be 120 because some of our friends have tanks that big. That means two things. 1) we can go about 1,200 miles to a tank full and 2) prepare yourself when you finally do hit the pump.

Second surprise of the day... We wanted to put some more air in the tires so while at the gas station we saw an air hose. Hey, lets put some air in the tires! Put in the 75 cents and start pumping. It started at 100 psi and we wanted to get to 115. Reta kept filling it up and checking the gauge when she finally checked it again and it read 90. Those little pumps aren't intended for big rigs. We lost air! This wasn't good because at this point my lovely wife started to freak out. I mean, out there. I tried to reassure her and said (this is where I set myself up) "The tire is fine, something else will give before the tire." So we are heading out to the interstate to find a real place for air when the third, and last, surprise of the day happened. And this was a big one!


Have you ever been hauling something in your car, a roll of carpet, lumber, a Christmas tree and it is sticking out of the back end of the car? You know how you are constantly checking the mirrors because your worst fear is that you are going to see said item doing cartwheels down the road behind you? Well, my worst fear came true. As we were pulling into the on ramp of the Interstate we heard a loud crack. We looked at each other then...I looked in the mirror and there was the pick up. I could see the whole truck in my mirror. IT WAS TRYING TO PASS ME! ! !

Yes the big surprise is that the Pick up broke free somehow and was in the grass next to me. HOLY CRAP! We got out to inspect it, along with a couple of other cars and truck, and it seems that the brackets that attach to the Pick Up just completely sheered off.



The good news of all this is that there was just a little scratch on the pick up and ONE more scratch on the RV but other than that both vehicles were fine. Reta drove the pick up and I took the RV and we continued on our destination to Charlotte.



Now remember, we still had low air in the front tire. All we need is a blow out. So, I pulled out the CB radio and in my best southern trucker accent I said "Ah, breaker, breaker, this here is chewing tobacco does anyone copy?" That's the first thing that came to my mind for a name. I wanted to blend in. Long story short (might be too late for that) I got 5 different truckers that helped me out and told me which exit to take for air.

Last night, we both got on our Laptops to research what could have happened. It was a stupid mistake on my part that I think caused the whole thing. I was told to put the seat belt around the steering wheel to help bring the wheels back to center when you take a turn. What I didn't realize was that it was too tight. It was so tight that the steering wheel didn't even turn. So every time I took a turn the pick up tried to go straight and it put a tremendous amount of pressure on those brackets. They are not intended for any type of lateral stress and they snapped. Lesson learned but thankfully no one was hurt and it made for yet another great story. Hope you enjoyed it!

We are hanging out in Charlotte, probably over the weekend because the campground is nice and so is the weather.

I didn't think of this until now...ROAD HAZARD. What a great name because yesterday we were just that!

(new joke of the day. check it out on the right side)

Sing it again Willie!

Today we hit the road again. We are trying to stay away from this cold, nasty weather that is causing all sorts of trouble in the country. After studying the maps and charts we are going to Charlotte, NC today. It will still rain there but it will be much warmer. No chance of ice, so they say. When was the last time a weatherman was right?

We had a terrific time in Winston Salem, NC yesterday. It was about a 1/2 hour up the road on I-40. The drive over was nice. Did you know that there are parts of I-40 where the highway is 12 lanes? It's huge!

When we arrived in Winston Salem it looked like a lot of small, historic towns. Like a Harpers Ferry or Gettysburg. The homes were typical from the late 1800's and the streets small and narrow. We worked up a good appetite walking around and had lunch at "Old Salem Tavern". The food tasted so good. We ended up taking the left over bread and muffin's by putting them in a bag of stuff we had bought earlier. All those times that I would laugh at the "elderly" for taking stuff from the restaurants and here I am doing it. Hey, I'm on a fixed budget. I paid for it! ITS THE NEW ME, BABY!

Hope you enjoy the pictures. If you click on the box it should take you to another site where you can see them bigger.

Our drive today should only be about 2 hours but we are heading south and this time of year south is good. South is warmer and for these two homeless, wandering, bread taking and rig driving couple, its what we need.

Greensboro Nachos

Tuesday was a great day for us to mess around the RV. No, not like that...
I spent most of the day organizing the "basement". Putting all the gear in place and getting rid of a couple of things that we will never use. It's amazing how much space we still have down there. I hooked up the TV we brought so now when we are outside enjoying a cold drink we can open one of the doors and watch TV as well. Comfort, that's what it's all about. I also looked into a couple of issues that had come up while we were in Solomons. There was a leak in one of the water hoses that I fixed. It just needed to be tightened but the challenge was finding where. Its like I need to stretch before I get into some of these tight places. I am sure someone walking by was wondering what the hell was happening because all they saw were a couple of feet sticking out of the doors underneath.
Reta had a chance to test the Washer/Dryer and see how well it works. Not bad if you have a small load. As expected it doesn't dry the heavy cloths that fast. We ended up walking down to the lodge and finishing up the laundry there. It was interesting. It gave us a chance to talk with the locals.

Last night we headed out to explore the night life in Greensboro, NC. Nice little city. It is pretty this time of year because main street is all lit up with lights for the holiday's. We ended up getting drinks and appetizers at "Natty Greene's". A local brewery with a great seating area outside. We ordered "The Big Nasty" which is a huge plate of Nachos with chili. We were excited to get these because while we were in Solomons, we were promised by someone that she would make this for us and, well, it never happened. Thanks Kendall, we were thinking of you while we ate this.

Today we are off to explore Winston Salem. It's about 15 minutes up the road.
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In the mean time, the cold front that is heading this way and is going to hit this area tomorrow has our attention. It should bring some rain and maybe light snow. Let see what happens.
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Hey, enjoy your day!
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(new poll...check it out)

On the Road Again!

We have worn out the tape of Willie Nelson singing - "On the Road Again". Remember we have the Hi-Tech 6 cassette tape changer in the RV. Seven if you include the radio!

We finally got out of the mud with help from Deb, Charlie, Richard and Elle and their truck. (Another thing we need to buy is tow straps. Write that down, its important.) After we got out everyone was checking out the tire marks. It looked like a whole CSI team. Walking around, looking down, stopping to pick something up to investigate it closer.

Thanks again to everyone for getting Road Hazard on the Road again.

After hooking up the Pick Up we hit the road heading south. I drove for the first leg and Reta took over after a pit stop. We stopped to put some Diesel in the rig. We didn't fill it up the whole way but put enough to get us where we needed to go.

This makes Chuck's Hummer look very gas efficient. Not the best place to stop because of the price but it looked like an easy place to get in and out of. The Pick Up makes any maneuver more challenging. Remember KISS? (Keep it Simple Stupid) That is my driving style.

While we were getting gas this truck pulled into the station. I then realized that we were in Southern Virginia and in Red Neck country.

The drive down here, to Greensboro, North Carolina, was good. There were some pretty views along the way. This is a quick picture I took of Lake Gaston.

Its a pretty big lake. This is the part when Reta was driving and I had the Lazy Boy reclined, taking pictures, and surfing the Internet on the laptop. Life is good!

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Today we're just going to hang out in Greensboro and will explore the local area. Looks like it will be great weather for us. I have started to include our local weather on the right side column.

Enjoy!