Here We Go Again

Golf Cart Adventures #3

Twelve years ago, Robert and I had just moved to The Villages and were new to Florida. That also qualified us as very new to tropical storms and the hurricane season here, as well.

We’ve always been die-hard adventurers and now we enjoyed exploring our new town, catching an alligator sleeping on the bank of a lake with our binoculars, taking back roads and short cuts just to see where they go, or don’t go, going for an iced coffee in town at Dunkin' Donuts in our little navy blue two-seater golf cart, “Lucy”.

This will be our third installment for golf cart misadventures. The first was finding out we had a horn, but it was on the floor where Robert’s foot found it at the most inopportune times. The second was learning that each of our six batteries had six cells to be filled with distilled water, not one. Please join us now on our third misadventure…

“Wait … wait … WAIT, CJ.”

“Yeah? What, Robert?”

“Uh, Hun, you’re mixed up. You forgot our very first MISadventure. Morse Road, the first time we ever took a ride in Lucy. Now do you remember?”

“Oops! I did forget that one. You mean we’ve actually had four MISadvntures?”

“Well, actually five, Dear, but that one’s for next time … this one will be number four.”

Robert is right. I’ll give it to you in a nutshell, ok? This was our very first MISadventure with Lucy. We were still unpacking boxes from the move and we needed a break. Someone told us we were only about a mile from Spanish Springs Square.

We thought we’d do some s’ploring, you know, find the Square and see what’s there. Maybe head down to CR 466 toward the Walmart then go back and head down Morse Road and take the bridge across Lake Sumter and see what’s down there.

If you’re unfamiliar with The Villages, there are golf cart specific roads to anywhere you want to go. There are also golf cart bridges over and tunnels under major roadways. Unless you have a street-licensed golf cart with larger wheels and a faster speed capability, you have to stay off major routes.

Okay, that’s out of the way. So Robert and I set off to do our s’ploring. We headed towards Morse Road on Rio Grande, took the left and drove down Morse to the stop light at Morse and 466 and turned right toward Walmart.

We’re cruisin’ along having fun —the maiden voyage, so to speak, and about a half a block later, from beside me, I hear, “S’cuse me, Ma’am? Hello? S’cuse me!"

I looked to the lane on my right and there was an officer in a patrol car with his window down and it appeared he was speaking to me. “Hello! Can I help you, sir?”

“Yes Ma’am. Are you folks street-licensed?”

“Excuse me?” I’m sure I gave him a goofy ‘what in the world are you talking about?’ kind of a look.

“Is your cart licensed to be driven on the street?”

Robert leaned over me and said, “No sir, why?”

(pointing over toward the sidewalk) “See that road over there? That’s where you should be. Now git in the right lane and turn up that driveway over there, or I’ll hafta give ya’ a ticket.”

In unison, “Thank you, Officer. This is our first day here, Sir. We’re sorry.”

“I kinda figgered. You can get golf cart maps just about anywheres. The map shows all the roads, bridges and tunnels all over The Villages.”

(Waving) In unison, “Thank you again, Officer.”

There. That was the true MISadventure #1 …

Now, back to our storm … It's worth mentioning at the outset that we both love rain and thunderstorms. We can usually be found on our front porch during a storm, watching Mother Nature work her magical pyrotechnics in the sky.

One particular day, however, we had way more than an ordinary adventure. During the afternoon, our weather radio announced we were under a severe thunderstorm watch until 5:45 p.m. The announcement came two hours early, but the clouds already looked huge and black. They billowed thickly overhead in all directions as Robert pulled into the garage after work at 4:00.

We were both excited, our eyes glued to the promising sky, as we exchanged our usual greetings, a kiss, and small talk as to how our respective days had treated us.

Then with a twinkle in his eye, Robert asked whether we had any errands to run, meaning in Lucy, our golf cart. He looked so disappointed when I told him I'd already picked up the mail and I had just finished putting the groceries away after my trip to the market.

Just then, a huge bolt of lightning lit up the kitchen. "One one-thousand, two one-thous ..." we began ... and then it thundered loudly. We both looked at each other grinning like fools.

"Do you want to go for an iced coffee at Dunkin'?"

"Now? You want to go during the storm they’re warning us about?"

He grinned and nodded impishly. “Uh Huh … c’mon, you know you want to.”

(As Forrest Gump so aptly put it, “Stupid is as Stupid does.”)

The rain began just as we finished putting the canvas and see through plastic sides down on Lucy, snapped them in place, and then zipped ourselves safely inside. We backed out of the garage and took off on our third and newest adventure: to test Lucy for the first time during a storm.

It was so exciting and we were like two wide-eyed innocent children again, giggling, and marveling at our biggest adventure, so far. We felt safe, secure, and ready for anything Mother Nature had in her weather toolbox.

“Bring it On-n-n-!”

We headed down Rio Grande Boulevard at a fast clip toward our town square in a light rain. We waved at a number of neighbors who were racing in the opposite direction (towards home). The looks on their faces cannot be described, but their hand and arm motions were definitely saying we were headed in the wrong direction. We just smiled and waved …

By the time we got to Dunkin' Donuts, in Spanish Springs Square, the rain had even tapered off a little more. We found a parking spot right in front and Robert ran inside for our iced coffees.

When he got back to the golf cart, the sky had turned as black as night. This time when lightning flashed there was no time for counting. The thunder came at the same time and louder than anything we had ever experienced. The storm was right on top of us. We backed out of our parking space and headed out into the wildest weather these two seniors had ever seen before, or since.

We soon learned there are all sorts of little openings in a golf cart, expressly designed, I would imagine, to give riders a nice breeze if the sides happen to be zipped down on a hot day. In a storm like the one on top of us, those little openings worked against you. The rain was an impenetrable wall and so heavy that we were soaked through in a matter of seconds.

The golf cart lane on Rio Grande Boulevard had somehow morphed into the rapids-laden Colorado River, as the rainwater rushed toward the storm drains. As we navigated through the water, the spray shot high into the air on both sides of the golf cart, which forced it again and again through the tiny openings keeping us soaked.

As we slowly made our way home again, we were accompanied by the perfectly timed background bass of Mama Nature’s thunder and lightning.

It was incredible, scary, and exhilarating all at the same time and something we’ll never forget. A golf cart will not keep you dry, but it will help you make one hell of a great memory!

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, please share it and consider one of three paid subscriptions for “CJ’s World” on Substack. You won’t miss any future posts and you will find some nice gifts.  Hugs, CJ.