4vdmerwe.blogspot.com: 2014

Hi Everybody,

I know I know, I know, I am slack. Big sorry! Jammer meneer, Ek het geen goeie verskooning op die oomblik nie!

Ok so we had a great time down in Orlando. Universal Studio, and Sea World. Disney World will have to wait for the van’s to earn more cash. We then took a drive across to Tampa, to a “Boat Show” of all things. My family was so excited to see more boats………….. boats ja right!

We managed to buy a car. The purchase was easy, but as a foreigner, to get insurance and a tag took more patience. It is a Chrysler Town and Country which has been great. The original plan was to buy a RV, but what we could find (all pretty buggered), or a scam. There are LOADS of SCAM sales, (they want you to deposit the cash then they will deliver it to you? They all have the same bull#&*t story.

“ I am Employed by the military, posted to a position in Afghanistan, or North Korea. So the vehicle is in storage in UTAH or somewhere and will be delivered within 3 days for your approval after receiving payment. YA RIGHT ! when exactly do you think I was born? Apparently, If you are not happy, then you will be refunded……… hahahahahahaaaaaaaa……..cough splutter…. sorry…!!! Also the optimistic miles to the gallon advertised were a bit scary. So we went the Car and Motel route instead.

After leaving the Orlando area, we drove up north to Dan Coleman’s place in Madison. He lives on a small piece of Paradise. He his own small Pond. We have had a wonderful time hunting, fishing, cutting wood and building a shed. Dan has a sawmill and used to have trees. When I say we built a shed, first we cut the trees, cut the logs into planks on his sawmill, built the trusses, planted the poles, and with the use of his OLD Excavator, erected the trusses. We only had to rebuild one truss, after the excavator tore it to pieces. Dan was most proud of himself for managing to not tear the whole thing down during construction, or maiming ME, although he did his best.

Dan took us up to Cecil, a town about 50 miles North of Valdosta, to the Drag racing. Loads of Nitrous, BIG V8’s, Super wide tyres, and groovy chicks. We spent the day watching. Well for the drag racing here are some impressive numbers for those who like cars and going FAST !!!!!!!!!!!! very

200m run. 4.1 seconds, 205miles per hr ( that is for the kph people….ZERO to 328kph in 4 sec)

And to rub it in, this is done in street legal cars. Only in the USA

What also impressed me a whole bunch, was the lack of marshals bossing everybody around, and there being no need for them. But check how everybody crowds around on the start line. Not more than 2 feet from the race cars as the pull off. They even do their Tyre Burn-out amongst the crowd. Check the photo of the start. Alex, right in the middle.

We are now further north. Up in South Carolina, just up from Charleston, Staying in Neal and Darlene Petersens house “Tapawingo”. It is in a real Axe Murderers setting. It is stuck away in the forest of huge pine trees. And with Haloween in two weeks I suggest we get gone. I am sure we have seen Zombies ……….Many in Walmart.

Neal is the South African who sailed in the Solo round the world race in 1999. He is now married to Darlene, and is a very successful keynote speaker and author of the book “Journey of a Hope Merchant”. We met up with them in Trinidad, while they were their on their sailing their Cat.

From here we will go up to Washington DC, visit the White House and the Smithsonian and then head down again to Dan’s Place through the Appalachian Mountains, where the leaves should be changing as Fall is here.

Chat soon

Rob

Under the trees at Dan's place, Next to his pond

James trying to hit anything moving

Fun with the Quad Bike

Dan's saw mill, where we cut all the wood for the shed. I need one

Captn. Dan

Checking out guns in Walmart.

And bows

Good advice !

Dan fishing with James on his pond early in the morning.

More guns in Ganda Mountain

Gerda at the football in Valdosta. Very serious business this football

The school band WOW !

On our little visit to The Okeefinokee Swamp. We managed to get across the Ocean without wearing life jackets, but had to wear them when in 6 ft of water....We are being protected from ourselves.