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April, 2025

We left Florida on Sunday, April 1, 2025 just after 1 pm. The drive, while a bit stressful due to its length (1010 miles), was pretty uneventful, taking just over 16 hours of straight driving with 5 stops along the way.

Getting in just before 5:30 am, we did not hit much traffic other than some towards Jacksonville, Florida, where there was a lot of rubbernecking.

It was good to get home again and all of us seemed to adjust to our home quickly. Maggie seemed to feel right at home, knowing which door to go out for her potty time. The weather was terrific, as temperatures the first two days got up close to 80 degrees, making it feel as if we hadn’t left Florida at all.

I got busy quickly, putting all the things we brought back in their proper places and then going out and cutting the lawn and getting the garden prepped for Spring planting.

I had brought some seedlings back from Florida and then started up others as the desire to grow veggies was pulling at me, due to the nice weather. That changed rather quickly, as clouds, wind and some rain came along to make sure we understood that we were back north and it wasn’t quite summer yet.
The weather has been super, as it seems we finally have a real spring. No frost since the first week of April and lots of sunny, warm days have provided opportunities to go out and work in the garden. Progress has been steady, but slow, as age is catching up to me. I used the Mantis tiller to turn over the weeds that grew over the winter and then planted veggies as weather allowed. Potatoes went in early, as did the peas. Broccoli and collards almost were eaten by deer and rabbits, but putting netting up solved that issue, plus the netting will help keep bugs at bay (I hope). Still lots to do, as cakes, more tomatoes, peppers and other items are ready to transplant into the garden. We will see how long I can keep up with the growth of veggies and weeds.
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April
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Walking in Florida
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The walking has slowed down a bit as I have had some left hip issues for the last 5 months or so. It seems that recovery is coming along, albeit quite slowly. So my walks have been shorter, but multiple times a day, depending on how the hip is feeling. Hopefully, I can get back into full swing by the time we head back north.

Daily Updates:
04-30-2025
MAGNOLIA WEATHER
FORT PIERCE WEATHER
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  • Edward Vander Wande (1946-2023)
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    In memory of Ed Vander Wande (1946-2023), who was my neighbor three houses down the street in Clifton, NJ and was a great friend who enjoyed mechanical things, motorcycles and, later in life, skiing the Colorado mountains. Ed (front row, second from the left) and I used to play tug of war with our Lionel trains. He had a super powerful Santa Fe diesel, while I had the Illinois Central diesel. His train always won. Ed was quite creative, using his basement to build things, including a "Spooky House" that my sister still remembers, scaring her with every twist and turn around his cellar. May you rest in peace Ed, you will be missed. Our prayers go out to his wife Judy, as she was a terrific partner for 46 years.
  • Shorty Schuder (2005-2023) & Ella Schuder (2006-2023)
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    In memory of Shorty Schuder (2005-2023) and Ella Schuder (2006-2023). They were the most precious of gifts for us, Shorty, a loving, snuggly dog, almost died in infancy, only to hold on and have a wonderful life with us. He didn't care for the water, but loved to go for walks and eat. Ella came to us via our daughter, as she wanted companionship 24/7, which she got from us. She also hated the beach, but walked every day until the very end of her life. We miss them both very much.