2025 March - Elite Resort at Citrus Valley

Elite Resort at Citrus Valley, Clermont, FL

March, 2025 

Welcome back. Yes, the beat goes on but in its final measure; campfires, conversations and continued appreciation of weather we're not experiencing back home. With reduced numbers, we enjoy campfires at 7:30 and, on occasion, a trip to one of many restaurants in the area. There are just five of us now to finish the month of March before leaving. I decided to post this final blog of my 3-month stay earlier than the end of month.

Weather. The weather here has fluctuated greatly day to night. Highs in the mid-80's to lows in the high 50's even mid-40's that, along with windy conditions, has caused cancellations of some evening campfires. Too cold for a campfire in Florida? What's wrong with that picture?

One such evening mid-March threatened our area. Nothing major developed but it left 44 fatalities across seven states as a result of severe thunderstorms. 52 tornadoes were reported from severe thunderstorm activity between Friday and Saturday. In addition, multiple wildfires sparked up across Oklahoma as powerful winds fanned flames. An expansive dust storm across West and central Texas, Oklahoma and portions of Kansas dropped visibility under a mile in some cases on Friday. This dust then spread into the Midwest Saturday, creating hazy skies and poor air quality. Nearly 1,100 flights were canceled across the nation between Friday and Saturday.

Yellow box indicating a tornado threat, the blue dot is my location.

Rocket Launches. We're very lucky to be a mere 80 miles (as the crow flies) due west from Cape Canaveral's launch sites and able to catch a few launches. I subscribe to https://nextspaceflight.com/ that notifies me of such events. I tried to capture one such launch. Proper equipment probably would have helped enhanced the view. Night time launches were even more dramatic.

During my stay I witnessed the launch of the 4 astronauts (Crew 10) to the ISS and the return of 4 (Crew 9) including Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams who've been 'stranded' on the ISS for approximately 286 days. If interested, the launch is at this LINK.

Screenshots of the view from the ISS as Crew 10 on Dragon Endurance approached.

The view Crew 10 had as they approached the ISS.

I took some screenshots of Crew 9's return home as well. An awesome spectacle of technology and achievement. This portion of the re-entry is at this LINK. You'll have to slide the play button to the right to the 1:04:30 mark which begins the visual coverage of the descent.

 And speaking of celestial events, the total lunar eclipse occurred on my mom's birthday, March 13-14th. I passed on viewing totality as it came at 2:31 a.m.  See it HERE.

Someday I'll learn how to take such photos with an iPhone.

Dining. A Boy's Night Out was at Giovani's in Davenport, FL. Extensive menu with portions large enough to take home; the acoustics were the only distraction to the otherwise delicious experience.

L. to R. Johnny, Jack, Walt, Tony, Charlie

Farfalle pasta and diced chicken with mushrooms and shallots in a creamy brown Marsala sauce.

Friends from Port Orange, FL, once again made the trip to visit me in March meeting son, Zane and wife, Amanda, at Muse Bar and Bistro in Clermont. A 25-year-old entrepreneur, Leddys Ynchausti from the Dominican Republic has transformed a once Mediterranean restaurant to one that offers "unique flavors that can’t be found anywhere else...with a vibrant fusion of Peruvian, Caribbean and Latin flavors."

L. to R. Zane, Amanda, Charlie, Mya, Mark. 

Tropical Surf & Turf with a Strawberry Chardonnay.

8 oz. Grilled Churrasco (skirt steak) rolled and speared with a Skewer of Grilled Shrimps on a bed of Sweet Plantain and a side of mashed potatoes.

Other Memories. Since January, I've seen three "Park Models" delivered. Parked in front of my site, they await the crew to maneuver these structures onto empty lots that once housed RVs. This further reduces the chances of a number of my RV group for finding rental sites for future stays here in Florida.

Mid-March, I drove Walt and Fran to Port Canaveral and their 8-day Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas cruise to the ABC islands; Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

Hoping the luck of the Irish was with you on this special day.

Our local Publix provided my seasonal treat, Irish Soda Bread. Warmed or toasted slathered with butter, it's an unbeatable taste treat.

Along with this little creature who decided to cling to the rear surface of Winnie, I hope you too will continue to cling to and follow the travels with Charlie as I head back home. 

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." – T.S. Eliot