Whale Watching at Bella Terra



Big Newell rig towing...

 I hate to sound like a snob, but it has been wonderful staying at an all-Class A resort. Watching these big beauties maneuver around the roads of Bella Terra is like whale-watching...everyone stops to look and you hear "wow, look at that!" as the huge, beautifully-painted body passes.   We are in Tiffin heaven and have not seen this many of our favorite brand since we were in Red Bay watching the Gus Bus being born. And we were happy to give rave reviews about ours when asked...a lady traded in her old rig for a new Allegro after talking to us. A favorite pastime is an evening stroll to see what new rigs have arrived.  Whale watching is a favorite topic of discussion at Club House cocktail hours.  Everyone has stories about motorhomes past and present.  And we have gotten a lot of valuable advice at parties!

While some of the older coaches don't have the flashy paint jobs, they have well-planned and cozy-looking interiors.  Many people are like us...we can't imagine ever trading in our coach; it fits our lifestyle perfectly.  But, there seems to be a bug that bites after a few years and the itch to trade for something newer and better seems to be almost inevitable.
At BT, we have had the privilege of seeing some of the most beautiful high-end, custom-built coaches on the road.  During our stay, we were parked next to a gorgeous Foretravel from Maryland.  And a local FMCA rally brought in more million-dollar-plus Prevost's than we will probably ever see again.   Being immersed in this Class A environment has been a delight and an education.



...a Porsche with  red "trike"  above on lift!

 But, the star of the season was not a coach, but what it was towing.  For my brother Jim, this is how a Class A becomes a "toy hauler".  One morning we noticed a huge trailer in the storage area...what was it?  It was so tall that we couldn't imagine what had towed it...it was Mardi Gras...maybe a float was in it!  But, being the curious small community that is Bella Terra, we quickly learned that it had come in with a big Newell and was transporting a Porsche and two "trike" motorcycles.   The unusual height accommodated a lift that raised the trikes over the car for transport.  Now we have seen it all!  I happened to catch a few shots of the trailer being loaded near our site...they left just before us...making it an extraordinary whale watching event!  KB

Vada von Belikoff, BH*, TOG**

* Begleithund (Schutzhund title for traffic-ready dog)
**Tough Old Girl


T.O.G... "green eye" corrected by Photoshop Larry



Vada was very sick two weeks ago.  She had diahrrea that wouldn't quit no matter how much Pepto we pumped into her or how much rice she ate...then she stopped eating.  Vada never stops eating, so we knew she was very sick.  A sick dog and we are away from Dr. Suzanne!  What to do?  Fortunately, I knew where there was a vet.   Since we've been at Bella Terra, we've had to buy prescription food for Vada that is only available at a vet's office.  Luckily, I happened to pass a place just outside of Foley that looked like a good prospect...lots of cars in the middle of the day.  So, I stopped there twice for food. The staff was very nice and the patients and their owners looked happy. 

I decided to try there for an emergency appointment for Vada, hoping that this busy, probably good vet, could fit her in.  And they did fit us in!  By the time we got there, Vada was very lethargic and we were very worried.  She's 12 and a half years old and has a few problems including degenerative spinal disease and some kidney failure.  Our vet was a young guy, Dr.Adam Langston, who examined her thoroughly and strongly suggested that  Vada stay overnight for tests, Xrays, and IV infusions.  He suspected kidney failure.  Vada was so sick that she left me willingly to go with the Vet Tech.  I cried all the way home.

The following afternoon, Dr. Langston called to say that Vada was fine and could come home.  The tests showed that she was suffering from an irritation and infection of the stomach and intestinal tract probably caused by the anti- inflammatory medication she takes for arthritis.  When we picked her up she was her old perky self and we came home with many medications and different food. 



Vada fully outfitted with "handles."



On the way out of Dr. Langston's office, she took a drink out of the decorative waterfall...that should have been a clue to what happened next.  She drank water constantly for the next couple of days and the overflow leaked all over the coach...wherever she rested.  We tucked puppy training pads under her, thinking it would stop after 48 hours...sometimes she drinks a lot after a kennel visit.  But, it didn't stop!  So, we went back to the vet.   Dr. Langston repeated the tests, thinking that she had had some sort of declline, but he pronounced her "fit as a 2-year old" on the inside! The diagnosis:  PSYCHOGENIC EXCESSIVE THIRST.  It is Vada's latest manifestation of her obsessive-compulsive disease.  She was treated for compulsive licking and a few years ago, almost had her tail amputated from the infections it caused.  Now,  her water has to be rationed and she has a new pill to prevent "leakage"!



Vada is back!  She's her old self except for back legs that don't always work.  Dr. Langston said the xrays showed severe degeneration of her spinal nerves...he was surprised that she walks as well as she does.  But we are determined to keep her going so, she now has handles!  We can help her whenever she has to go up or down steps of just to cross a slippery floor.  Tripping, even falling down, doesn't stop her.  She's a tough old girl and we expect to enjoy her company for as long as we can.  Every day with her is a gift!   KB

Finally...Some Sightseeing!

Who is eating whom?

Time here at beautiful Bella Terra has flown by.  Every day is beautiful and we have been lulled into a pleasant routine that has made us oblivious to the date...We recently looked at the calendar and discovered that it was almost time to go back!  (We reserve the word "home" for the Gus Bus.)   And we still had so many things to see and do yet!  It is so comfortable to just sit on our patio or at the pool and read or take a walk with the dogs or talk to your neighbors or... But we had places to go...Two weekends ago, we went to the Exploreum in Mobile...a science museum with lots of interesting exhibits for grown-ups and kids.  The current exhibit was our favorite...giant models of bugs!  One of the sponsors of the exhibit was Terminix!  Bet, they never had to kill anything this big.  Most of the bugs moved...very creepy some made sounds!  And our brief look at Mobile, gave us a sense of the city...old houses like you see in New Orleans with the lacy ironwork balconies mixed with modern structures.  All surrounded by the waters of Mobile Bay.

Larry being mistaken as mantis mate.

Last weekend we headed in the other direction, into Florida, to Pensacola.  Our destination was the Naval Air Museum, but as luck would have it our GPS led us astray.  Apparently, we were not the first.  The lady who made this sign was out in her yard and told us that at least a hundred people are misguided to this spot each weekend.  She sent  us in the right direction and we arrived at the gate guarded by Navy security....we had to show ID to visit the museum...which we assume is safe from terriorists!



Blue Angels planes suspended from the atrium roof.



The NAS museum was a treasure and our guided tour was made even better with the personal experiences of some of the attendees who had been pilots in the Vietnam era (our youth.)  Pensacola is the home of the Blue Angels and we sat through an IMAX film that made you feel like you were in the plane with them.  Not a good feeling!  All of the planes were amazing, especially some that were recovered from the depths of Lake Michigan and restored after years on the bottom.  We went in search of information about our cousin Greg Taylor's father, Commander Jesse Taylor.  We think we saw the road named in his honor, but found most of the information on a website about a ship that was named for him.  It was an inspiring day!  We'd like to go back sometime!

Never trust your GPS!

So what to do now that our time at Bella Terra is almost over...it's still cold in New Jersey...we decided to stay two more weeks!  KB

Pecans....any way you say it!



Pecan orchard

 While driving west on Route 98 towards the lovely town of Magnolia Springs to find yet another fabulous restaurant, we passed a farm where horses were grazing under the canopy of huge trees.  Nothing unusual except that the trees were planted in rows...it looked weird!  It didn't take us long to figure out that they were a "crop" of some sort.  A billboard for "pralines" gave us the clue that this was one of many pecan groves in this area.  The trees are huge, so how do they harvest the nuts?  Does someone climb them?  Of course the answer was on the internet  and it's fascinating...nothing you would see in New Jersey.  Now that we know what a  pecan grove looks like, we see them everywhere, even in residential  backyards. We'll have to come back in the Fall to see the actual harvest, but in the meantime, here's a video of how they do it.  Oh, by the way, found out that you call them "orchards" not "groves"! KB

Home is Where There is No SNOW!



       Barbara's backyard with doggie walking trail in New Jersey

 We have been keeping up with the Winter weather by watching the New York TV stations on our satellite and by talking and emailing our neighbors.  From what we've heard, we are missing a bad one!  It was last Winter that made us decide to do this!  Everyone has been saying it was a good decision.

 We hate to even tell you what it has been like here; except that it might convince more of you to become "snow birds."  This used to be a derisive term that conjured up visions of wizened geezers playing shuffle board in South Florida.  But, here on the Gulf of Mexico, we are treated like honored guests...the natives will tell you that the greatly-exaggerated news reports of the BP oil spill ruined their tourist trade and caused another Katrina-like hit to their livelihoods and economy.  We are experiencing the utmost in Southern hospitality ("Y'all come back here!)  from grateful folks in restaurants and retail stores. 

But back to the weather...it has been mostly sunny with a few rather violent rain storms at night.  High winds tend to rock the Bus, but we haven't had too many scary moments, fortunately.  Yesterday it was almost 70 degrees...one of those beautiful days that makes you glad you are alive!  As the afternoon progressed, it clouded up and we had a few sprinkles.  But as you can see from the pictures, we just opened the awnings until the clouds departed.  In general, it has been in the mid 50's to 60's during the days.  We have had a few nights of temps around freezing.  We've added a small (lightweight!) space heater for chilly nights.  It has become Vada's snuggle spot and we have to watch to be sure she doesn't ignite while curled around the heater.  While the North gets ready for yet another blast of cold and snow, we are a little cloudy today.  We extended our stay at Bella Terra another week, so that we will be travelling home in mid-March...anything to avoid the snow!  To all of our friends who are experiencing the real Winter...stay safe!     KB

RV Dog-tech!




Larry executing a perfect pooper-scoop...see left hand carry!

There  are two unbreakable rules for camping with dogs...#1.  Pick up their poop and #2. No barkies!  Barking can make a German Shepherd look aggressive and it can disturb the peaceful existence of neighbors; both offenses are grounds for exile from the campground!  And poopies...are just plain rude!  Unfortunately, the Belikoff pack has had no training in this sort of etiquette...they have had the run of a big yard and they bark whenever they feel like it. 

The poopie rule was mostly training for us.  But, we could not bring ourselves to use recycled plastic grocery bags like other responsible dog owners.  One day at PetSmart, we found the answer to our prayers...Dispoz-a-Scoops.  They are little bags with a cardboard handle that contains a perforated pop-out pusher/ handle.  There's no hand-to-poop contact and it's biodegradable!!! 



We just ordered a case (250) of these!

The "no-barkies" rule was a tougher problem.  Our very nice neighbors here at Bella Terra did not want to complain, but they did tell us, very tactfully, that Gus and Vada bark when we leave the Bus.  One day, it was particularly bad because it was warm enough to open all of the windows and our neighbors had friends over.  So Vada barked because of separation anxiety and Gus was defending his territory from the party-goers!  Besides barking in our absence, we were tired of yelling at them everytime they heard something outside.

I guess it is really quiet on Sweet Hollow Road; they don't do this at home.   We had to do some research.  The problem was that most no-bark collars are triggered by the sound of barking, so they won't work with two dogs.  Poor Vada would have been shocked by big-mouth Gus.  Then we found the  "Sportdog 10R"...Gus and Vada's lives were about to change! These collars are sensitive to each individual dog because they are triggered by both the sound of barking and the vibration of the vocal chords.  Luckily, our dogs are used to e-collars; we use them in Schutzhund training.  Vada got the message after only one shock, but Gus had to "game" the system.  In the "training mode" the shocks get progressively stronger if the barking continues, but if there is no barking in 30 minutes, it goes back to the lowest setting.  It took Gus a few hours to figures this out (the booklet that comes with the collar said it takes most dogs two weeks to "test" this feature.)  Gus would wait 30 minutes, then bark, then wait. We advanced him to the continuous setting and it has been quiet here ever since then.  In fact, we only use the collars when we leave the coach.  Our verbal "no bark" commands seem to have new meaning, when we have to use it at all.  And the new no-bark regimen during walks has had the pleasant side effect of de-escalating aggression toward other dogs.  Apparently, barking is the root of all evil, except in Schutzhund protection training...let's hope Gus has not forgotten how to bark on command. But, even if he has, he's a more polite pet...and camper now!        KB

Eating Our Way Across America-First Stop Fairhope, AL

We have several goals for our travels...Since we are big fans of the Food Network, one is to visit as many of the "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" as we can.  We consulted Guy's website before we came to Bella Terra and found a few of his favorites. And last weekend we ventured out to Fairhope, Alabama, a beautiful town on Mobile Bay that is about 30 minutes from here.  It was founded as a "flat tax" town; a kind of utopian experiment that resulted in an upscale artists' community.  It reminded me of New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Well...back to the food.   We had lunch at Panini Pete's where we sat in a lovely courtyard on a brisk day.    But,  the food was worth a chill!  We shared a wonderful mufaletto (ham, cheese, pickles) panini and a hot beef and bleu cheese sandwich with  handmade fries!  Desert was a heavenly bread pudding made with their famous breakfast begnets.  It was smothered in a caramel sauce that was to die for.  Best of all,  we met Pete,  the chef and owner who was featured on the show.  He shared stories about Guy and the notoriety that repeat appearances on the Food Network have created...We warned him that he should be prepared for a Bobby Flay "Throwdown."  Our first stop on the Triple D tour...delicious and fun; and as if we hadn't eaten enought, we left with white chocolate chip cookies that were the best we have eaten!        KB