McDill AFB Tampa FL
Tuesday, Day 8

We woke up to a beautiful sunny day. The temperature was supposed to get up to only 65 degrees, but it actually was warmer, in the low 70's. Picture perfect, the sky was a beautiful blue and not a cloud in sight. Elizabeth Kerr and I decided (well, I decided and asked Elizabeth if she would like to do it...) to have a girls day out. I picked her up about 11:30 and we went to lunch at Celleni's. The same place we had gone out for pizza to last week. For lunch they had a wonderful selection of calzones...like a Cuban, but Italian, LOL! I ordered a salisico (sp?) which is a sausage with roasted red and green peppers and Elizabeth ordered a roasted eggplant with peppers and onions. We decided to exchange halves so we could sample them both. They were delicious. I actually only had 1/4 of a sandwich and I was full. I think that I will have to hide the take home container or Grandpa and Paulie will make short work of my leftovers.

After lunch, we stopped at a beautiful little garden shop on Bayshore Blvd. The homes along this street are multimillion dollar estates and are breathtakingly beautiful. The garden shop was very charming...potted plants, and unique garden accessories. Of course, I found handmade soap. The packaging on this soap was very unique. The soap-maker also made her own labels made from home-made papers in which she scattered wild flower seeds. So after you unwrap the soap, you can save the recycled brown label/package and plant it. What a novel idea...so creative. The soap-maker was generous with the essential oils and each soap was very aromatic. I had a lump in my throat when we were ooo'ing and ah'ing over them. I truly miss the art of soap-making, especially the creative aspect of the craft. I was never so happy as I was then...creating my own scents, developing my packaging, creating names and especially blending the essential oils to create a one of a kind unique scents for the soap or other body products I created. I will always miss my little business. But I can no longer do the things I once did due to my physical problems and it is futile to, what's the saying....cry over spilt milk? That part of my creative side has been replaced with my love of knitting.

After the garden shop, we went to Michaels. There were several brands of yarn on clearance and I bought several skeins to make more scarves. I just cannot make myself enough scarves!
On our way back to the base, we found a drive thru specialty coffee shop and I had a sugar free mocha, skinny with whipped cream (I know, I know...sugar free and then whipped cream, an oxymoron to everyone but me, LOL!) and Elizabeth had I think a Java Jomocha Roca (I think that's the name) and she pronounced it "divine". If Elizabeth continues to hang out with me, she will pick up all my bad habits....buying lots of yarn(no particular project for this yarn is necessary mind you, just to own that particular skein of yarn and place it in the "stash" is the point here, ok?) and specialty coffee drinks. Back to the base we headed, coffees in hand. What a delightful day, spent with one of my favorite ladies, Elizabeth Kerr.

When I arrived back at the rig, Grandpa told me there had been a disturbing incident with Oscar. My greatest fear realized...Oscar "attacked" someone. A couple from the rig across from us was out for a stroll on such a lovely afternoon. Paul, Hank and Grandpa were sitting outside, both dogs leashed, but with a bit of slack in the leash. Apparently Oscar had been sunning himself, and decided to move into a shady spot. Paul let out the leash, and Grandpa said that Oscar was on his back(the funny way he lays on his back...I took some pictures of it...he is so goofy like that!) Before either Paul or Grandpa could react, Oscar had jumped up and actually attacked this gentleman walking with his wife. Paul did not see the dog actually bite the man, but Hank and Grandpa were sure that he had been bitten on the backside. The man and his wife were terrified and they immediately went back to their rig to see if the skin had been broken. Thank goodness there was no blood. However the man came back and was very upset (I would be too and he had every right to be angry). He pretty much told Paul off. Paul was in the wrong, as although Oscar was leashed, he had more than the 6' of slack in the leash which is a violation of the rules. He told Paul that he should be thankful that the MP's were not called and Oscar taken away and destoyed. Paul could do nothing but listen to this man go off on him. I think Paul would have done the same thing if HE was the one attacked. The mere thought of what could have happened scares me to death. People have sued over such attacks and I am certain that people have lost homes over such things. We were extremely lucky that the couple did not have the dog impounded and us thrown off the base. I have always feared this very thing...I love Oscie with all my heart but I just cannot trust him. I had hoped that over time he would be less aggressive towards people but he has in fact gotten more so. I had told everyone who asked what we were going to do with him when we traveled that this trip would be a test, for not only us and Grandpa traveling together, but Oscar too. He never was a good camper...kids, bikes and golf carts made him nervous and aggressive and his natural instict is to protect us and his "territory"... the motorhome. I think Paul will have him put down when we get home. The thought just makes my heart break but I cannot think of anything else we can do. What if he gets loose in our neighborhood and hurts a child? He has become a liability. How very sad I am over this. I am tearing up as I write this. I think that if that is what we have to do, he will be waiting for us over the rainbow with Sammie.

Well, Paul and Grandpa are playing poker and I am internetting. I am having more pain in my hip and should probably go back to the rig and put my feet up. Nothing on TV tonight and I certainly don't want or need to see George address the nation. All it will do is make me upset.

Tomorrw we are going to (I think its called) Johnson's Pass(?) to have a seafood lunch, visit the shops and do some shelling. We will be leaving here on Thursday. I will be so sad to leave. I have had such a great time on this trip. Home seems so far away. But, bills are due(!) and doctor appointments and surgeries are scheduled to correct problems. I will post about our trip tomorrow evening.

later

dennise