Procrastination pays off right now!

[fortpartyof4 108]

OK. Time to get back on track, and make the final lap.

It is now our last day, always the worst day for me.

When we have a cart, I always spend the last morning doing some looping before I have to turn it in. And that is what I did! I took a page from the TCD book and arose before everyone else to have a look around. Not as early as he goes on his expeditions, mind you - the sun was up already! I brewed myself some coffee (I cannot stomach that sludge they try to pass off as coffee in the drink stations), grabbed my camera, and off I went.

Someone had already been for a swim earlier this morning, or perhaps it was a CM doing a water test:

The calm before the storm!

The squirrels are feasting on everyones' leftovers from the movie the night before:

These are the pictures I bring up when I am really missing the fort. They have a very soothing effect:

Heading out of the Meadow area:

Entrance to the 300 loop. My boys played hours of basketball on this court when we were there last Christmas.

I will have to split this up due to photo limit.

Here is a hint as to where I headed next:

FP4

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I just got the chance to catch up on your report.

The before and after photos are great!

Good job with that.

I bet if you go back to the 1500 loop, you can figure out what site that is. I agree that it looks like one of the ones that backs up to the canal. Look at all the "Wilderness" you had around that site. It's all clear cut now.

I have a correction to make about this photo and your description of it:

This one was taken on the playground at the Meadow recreation area. This equipment is now at the playground over by the dog park. But, I know it's the Meadow because a.) I didn't have a cart or bikes and never would have walked that far with 2 little kids, b.) look at the road/ bus in the background and c.) I don't think that other playground by 300 was there in 2006.

It took me a while to figure out what you were trying to say, as I was confused by your statement that this playground equipment was moved to the 300 loop playground. Not so. That equipment is still there. In fact, you can see it in this photo you posted, right there to the right of and behind the lifeguard chair:

The 300 loop has had playground equipment on it for as long as I have been visiting the Fort, and according to an old video of the FWRR, way before then, too.

When we first began to visit the Fort, the 300 loop playground equipment was older. It included a slide that was made up of a bunch of little rollers. The kids (and sometimes me too) used to get their fingers pinched in it, so I remember it well. There also used to be a swing set at the 300 loop playground, and that disappeared just a few years ago.

TCD

[fortpartyof4 108]

I just got the chance to catch up on your report.

The before and after photos are great!

Good job with that.

I bet if you go back to the 1500 loop, you can figure out what site that is. I agree that it looks like one of the ones that backs up to the canal. Look at all the "Wilderness" you had around that site. It's all clear cut now.

I have a correction to make about this photo and your description of it:

It took me a while to figure out what you were trying to say, as I was confused by your statement that this playground equipment was moved to the 300 loop playground. Not so. That equipment is still there. In fact, you can see it in this photo you posted, right there to the right of and behind the lifeguard chair:

The 300 loop has had playground equipment on it for as long as I have been visiting the Fort, and according to an old video of the FWRR, way before then, too.

When we first began to visit the Fort, the 300 loop playground equipment was older. It included a slide that was made up of a bunch of little rollers. The kids (and sometimes me too) used to get their fingers pinched in it, so I remember it well. There also used to be a swing set at the 300 loop playground, and that disappeared just a few years ago.

TCD

In another photo of that first trip, I noticed our friends who were 2 sites down had that site on 1500 that has the little retaining wall. So it's 2 past whichever one that is.

My mistake on the playground info. I will fix that. I thought that the "kiddie" stuff had been moved and they left the "big kid" equipment on the Meadow playground. My kids haven't played on the one at the Meadow in a few years now, but have played on the one by the dog park. Is there still both big kid and little kid stuff at the Meadow? Also, the stuff on the 300 one is very similar to the equipment I photographed in 2006. Here are a couple of photos of my kids on the 300 playground from July 2011:

It looks very similar.

We didn't used to spend much time at the Fort during the day when we used the tent, or were pass holders. We'd be in the parks all day and only at the fort in the evening. It's only been a little over a year that we have been taking more trips where all we do is enjoy the Fort. Probably another reason why I messed up on the playground info, since we don't go to them at night!

FP4

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Finally all caught up! I am really enjoying your TR!

[fortpartyof4 108]

Finally all caught up! I am really enjoying your TR!

Thanks Doodle. I was hoping it wasn't too boring with no park action included.

[fortpartyof4 108]

Heading into turn 4…...

I went to the Settlement area next:

There is a CM waving at me in this one. He was funny.

This is a pretty path, too:

Then back to the TT to finish packing up, drop the cart off and head on home. Snapped one of the MTP on the way:

We put the truck and trailer in overflow and jumped into the other truck to hit the outlets and get some lunch. I needed to get the boys something to wear for Easter the next day. Mission completed, we came back to the Fort to pick up the camper and get on the road.

Since we had 2 vehicles, we drove separately. Met up on the way for dinner, don't recall where. The kids and I went straight back to the house while my husband took our camper back to the storage lot.

We got home around 6 or 7, unloaded then got ready for that big furry woodland critter's visit that night:

It was a great week, very relaxing, ideal weather.

Now maybe I'm ready to tackle the TR for our summer visit, where I tried to take more pictures of different things. I enjoyed this, but it is rather time consuming. Is there an option other than photo bucket?

But after finishing this one up, what I'm really ready for is another trip to the Fort!

FP4

[stefa70 205]

Great report!

Fort pics are the best (well, until the Golden Oaks building is finished, the new DVC is built and the horse barn area is made into a parking lot )

Please tackle your summer report, I would love to see the pics!

TR's are definitely time consuming, but we enjoy them and it's fun to look back on them when you need a fix. I use photobucket too, and yes, it can be a PITA sometimes.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I love all the early morning shots around the Fort.

You did a great job on this report.

Can't wait for your next one.

I use Photobucket, too. I upgraded to pro a while back so I didn't have to worry about how many photos I had on there. It works fine for me. What kinds of problems are you having with it?

TCD

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Loved the report!!!

I use photobucket also. What I normally do is when I get home from a trip is put my camera chip in the computer and download the pics to my computer in a dedicated folder for that trip. Then right before bed, I go to photobucket and go to the bulk download option and select the entire folder and hit download into a dedicated album for the trip, then the next morning they are all there!!

Then as I'm writing the trip report I have fortfiends on one screen, and photobucket on the other and copy image codes as I go along. (I have dual monitors).

I also got the pro account cause I was above the picture limit too. Only $40 every two years, it's a bargain!!

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

I was hoping it wasn't too boring with no park action included.

Too boring with no park action? You are still at the Fort after all. :)

[fortpartyof4 108]

Great report!

Fort pics are the best (well, until the Golden Oaks building is finished, the new DVC is built and the horse barn area is made into a parking lot )

Please tackle your summer report, I would love to see the pics!

TR's are definitely time consuming, but we enjoy them and it's fun to look back on them when you need a fix. I use photobucket too, and yes, it can be a PITA sometimes.

Yes, but like I said at the beginning, I have so enjoyed everyone else's and thought I'd give back.

Your wish is my command….just finished uploading the August pictures.

I love all the early morning shots around the Fort.

You did a great job on this report.

Can't wait for your next one.

I use Photobucket, too. I upgraded to pro a while back so I didn't have to worry about how many photos I had on there. It works fine for me. What kinds of problems are you having with it?

TCD

Thank you!

It's not so much that I am having problems. Just wished there was a faster method. I'll get better at it, and will figure it out eventually.

Your wait might not be that long, I'm on a roll here. Rainy day!

Loved the report!!!

I use photobucket also. What I normally do is when I get home from a trip is put my camera chip in the computer and download the pics to my computer in a dedicated folder for that trip. Then right before bed, I go to photobucket and go to the bulk download option and select the entire folder and hit download into a dedicated album for the trip, then the next morning they are all there!!

Then as I'm writing the trip report I have fortfiends on one screen, and photobucket on the other and copy image codes as I go along. (I have dual monitors).

I also got the pro account cause I was above the picture limit too. Only $40 every two years, it's a bargain!!

Thank you!

That is a very good idea. My photos are already organized very nicely thanks to iPhoto. I'll bet it wouldn't be too hard to figure out how to do just that. I also keep 2 windows open, is that what you mean? And then I toggle back and forth between the 2.

Too boring with no park action? You are still at the Fort after all. :)

Good point. No place I'd rather be. All of my glam-girlie type friends in suburban mommy world think I'm a little off. They just don't know what they're missing. But we won't tell them, then none of us would ever be able to get reservations!

[MetalDad 33]

I write the TR update in MS Word, add the photobucket photo codes to the word document, then copy/paste the whole segment into FF.net.

My TR's generally end up in 2 segments per day, 3 if really busy or lots of photos. If it's a big report, like my last one, I carry around my latest update on a flash drive so I can work on it during a break at work, or at home.

It is time consuming, but what's really cool, is going back and reading your old TR like 6-9 months later, all the details come right back to mind, and it's way more thorough than thumbing through an album.

Not to mention, your group can see the trip from your perspective.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Thank you!

That is a very good idea. My photos are already organized very nicely thanks to iPhoto. I'll bet it wouldn't be too hard to figure out how to do just that. I also keep 2 windows open, is that what you mean? And then I toggle back and forth between the 2.

Yes, have two windows open, but like I said, I actually have two monitors so I have one window open in each monitor, but before that, just toggled.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

I would never consider a TR about the Fort boring. I have been to the Fort 5 times in the last year and only made it to a park once.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

[fortpartyof4 108]

I write the TR update in MS Word, add the photobucket photo codes to the word document, then copy/paste the whole segment into FF.net.

My TR's generally end up in 2 segments per day, 3 if really busy or lots of photos. If it's a big report, like my last one, I carry around my latest update on a flash drive so I can work on it during a break at work, or at home.

It is time consuming, but what's really cool, is going back and reading your old TR like 6-9 months later, all the details come right back to mind, and it's way more thorough than thumbing through an album.

Not to mention, your group can see the trip from your perspective.

Well that would explain why yours are so easy to read, and funny! I just did top-of-the-head thoughts and dumped in a bunch of pictures! Maybe I will try your method for the next one. Minus the flash drive.

Yes, have two windows open, but like I said, I actually have two monitors so I have one window open in each monitor, but before that, just toggled.

Ah, I see. Don't have that setup here!

Is that a bottle of that wonderful nectar otherwise known as Dew?!?

Love me some Mt. Dew!!

I would never consider a TR about the Fort boring. I have been to the Fort 5 times in the last year and only made it to a park once.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

My pleasure! Already cranking out another one! No worries, though - your post count record will remain intact. I couldn't touch that!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Is that a bottle of that wonderful nectar otherwise known as Dew?!?

Love me some Mt. Dew!!

Yep, I live off that stuff! (Diet)

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Catching up on TRs and just read this one cover to cover.....you did an excellent job.

Love the Pirates cruise stuff and the fishing, canoe trip, etc.