Our Adventures with Emily

Moving Around Florida

2012-02-17T16:16:00.001-05:00

We can only stay 2 weeks in a Thousand Trails park and that is usually long enough for us. Before we left the Orlando area we went back to one of our favorite Hispanic restaurants El Cerro. We love the food there. We had a short ride of 60 miles over to the Tampa area to Lazydays. They have a nice campground where you get the Tampa paper everyday and free WiFi. Over at the dealership they have a free breakfast and lunch everyday except Sunday. And because of a mess up with there service department last year the week was free. While we were there the local Escapee Chapter was having a rally there and it was nice chatting with those folks. We checked out the motor homes there but we didn’t find anything we like more than ours. Not even close. We got to go for dinner to one of our favorite restaurants Plummers. It’s not a fancy place but it’s good comfort food and their soup the best I have had. This time it was a kielbasa stew and it was to die for. We also went over to Plant City and picked up some strawberries. Florida has the best strawberries and this year they are plentiful. I think we’re on our 4th 1/2 flat. Paula likes to go to a casino occasionally so we also went over to Tampa to the casino. Our next trip was a little longer. 70 some miles down to the SKP park in Wauchula. We were going to stay there 10 days and then move over to the Peace River Thousand for 6. The SKP parks are all 1st come 1st served. They never turn a member away but some times you have to camp in a no facilities area until a full hook up spot opens. When I called the SKP park the day before we left to find out if they were full they told me there would probably be at least 8 rv’s ahead of us for a full hookup site. I checked the Thousand Trails web site and they had availability for 2 weeks so we decided to go to the SKP park for 2 Nights and then move. We did go to BINGO at the the SKP park and I had a rare BINGO but had to share it with 2 other folks. We did hate leaving there as everyone was so friendly but we are now at the Peace River Thousand Trails. We are parked in a water & electric site. We could have moved to a full hook up site but there was only 1 full hook up site when it was our turn and we didn’t want that site. We have a satellite dome on out roof for Directv and we try and get a site with a clear view of the southern sky. We’re here for 2 weeks and probably won’t be doing much. Time for some down time. There is a restaurant that some folks we were talking to yesterday recommended and that is in our future. Tonight we’re having shrimp tacos. The only place we have ever found them is Algodones Mx. We mentioned shrimp tacos to a Spanish lady who was checking us out and she said she never heard of them. They are great.

Florida

2012-02-02T18:42:00.001-05:00

We entered Florida on January 3,2012. We had reservations a 3 Flags in Wildwood about 70 miles north of Tampa. We were crossing paths with Bob & Linda for a few days so soon as we set up we went over to say hello. We chatted & caught up with then for quite a while and made plans to play cards the next night. The next evening they called and told us their dog Blazer had passed away. What sad news. There are dogs and there are special dogs and Blazer was up at the top in the special dog category. He will surely be missed.

After a busy 4 months in Pa. we went into super slowdown in Wildwood. We went to the farmers market and bought some strawberries and tomatoes but not to much as we planned on going to the Webster flea market and that's where we load up on fresh fruit & veggies and we did. We especially like Florida strawberries and we have gone through several flats. On a rainy day we went over to the Villages to see the movie War Horse which was excellent. The Villages is a huge retirement area with separate roads for golf carts, nice downtown common areas with restaurants, shops, movie theaters and nightly entertainment. After our 2 weeks were up in 3 Flags we decided to go to the Escapee park in Bushnell. It was a tough long 25 mile ride but we made it. We enjoy SKP parks as everyone is always so friendly but at Sumpter Oaks we always seem to have problems with our site and this time was no different. We had a 50amp site but the pedestal was over in the next door site so we had to use our extension which is only 30amp. Also the sewer was uphill even with us staying up on the air bags, the water pressure was low and we couldn’t get a signal with our roof top satellite dish. One big plus was our friends Cindy & Phil were there. We hadn’t seen them since we were broke down up in Dease Lake BC and is was good to catch up with them. We also sat down with a couple at the ice cream social and them or us couldn’t remember where we met until bingo up in Alaska at Denali NP at a small SKP happy hour. 2 couples at this small park who we had been with in Alaska. Wow small world. Since this was the 1st park we were in since leaving Pa. that allowed us to wash the rv and Emily was quite dirty so we made this a work week. Paula worked on the inside and I got the outside washed and waxed. Paula also went to the club house daily to chat with other ladies doing crafts and Phil taught her how to make spinners using soda cans. When our week was up we again hitched up the CRV and began our 60 mile trek over to the Orlando Thousand Trails. This is a nice spacious (for Florida) park. We enjoy this area and will probably stop back on our way out of Florida. We went to a campground (Bee’s) up the road that has a great all you can eat fish fry. There’s also a winery (Lakeridge) that makes several wines that we love. We went there on Saturday to a festival and they were having a buy 1 case get a 2nd free and we took advantage. There’s also a little Cuban restaurant ( El Cerro) that we love. We also drove over to a Disney Resort Port Orleans the French Quarter and then from there we took the boat down to Downtown Disney and spent the day there. Today we got our Golden Coral fix. We met up with about 50 other Escapee’s for Chapter 57’s monthly luncheon.

It’s 6:25 PM and 76 degrees and as I’m writing this I occasionally look out our front window and several people are out walking and bike riding with coats & hooded sweatshirts on. Oh well they must know something we don’t know. Now for what it’s worth we’re all caught up and it’s time to get into the mind frame of those folks walking around with coats on and have a cup of green tea.

Time to catch up

2012-02-01T09:26:00.001-05:00

It’s been a while and I’ll probably forget a lot but here goes.

We had stopped in Dease Lake BC and had gotten permission to stay the night. When checking the car I noticed the RV’s radiator was leaking. I went into the store and asked if the was a mechanic in town. They said Charlie could help but he was camping. Someone else said to call Turtle. We had no cell phone service, which we found out later no one had cell phone service in Dease lake, but the gal in back of the counter offered to call him. He came up and looked at it, scratched his head and said how do I get to the engine. He had never worked on a Diesel pusher and said I should call Charlie but he was camping. The next day we were sitting in the RV waiting for Charlie to return from camping when a RV pulled in front of us. It was our friends Cindy & Phil. They saw us sitting there and stopped to check on us. As we were talking Charlie pulled in. He said he had pulled many rads damaged by the poor BC roads. Cindy said she would call our daughter and let her know our situation. We said our goodbyes and followed Charlie back to his garage. We shared a 15 amp service with a gold prospector for 3 weeks while waiting for our rad to go 600 miles to the repair shop only to find out they couldn’t repair and then waiting for a new rad from Monaco in Oregon. We just wanted to get back to the states so we made no stops except to sleep and within a few days we crossed the border into Washington state. We settled into a campground with facilities for the 1st time in a month. The next day we decided to go south a little to hit Oregon before turning east. We were surprised how dry and desert like this part of Wash. is. We stopped in Illinois to have a brief visit with our friends Ed & Hazle. As we entered western Pa. we had to decide if we wanted to put up for a few days and wait for hurricane Irene to pass or continue to Robins driveway near Wilkes-Barre Pa. and ride out the storm there. We decide to continue on the Robins. It was good to be back in northeastern Pa. with our family. When we left in Oct. 2010 our granddaughter Amelia was only a month old and we were anxious to get to know her and also to have lots of time with our grandson Connor. It wasn’t long after we got setup when the rain started and not long after Irene passed Tropical Storm Lee came in and the rain continued and the river kept getting higher. Luckily we were pretty high up as it wasn’t long until mass evacuations began. The river crested higher than it ever had. The new dikes spared Wilkes-Barre city but the flooding in other towns was worse than 1972. While we were in Pa. we had lots of quality time with our grandkids and really got to know Amelia. We also got reinvolved with our local church.Paula helped making lasagna rollups and pumpkin rolls and pie. We helped with the trunk or treat for Halloween, the pork supper & the Christmas open house. This was also the saddest return to Pa. First my sister was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had to have it removed and then in mid Oct my mom got sick. After going with her to the ER we came home that day and for the next 2 weeks she seemed to improve. Then the pain got worse and we returned to the ER. This time they recommended Hospice for pain management & comfort. Hospice Community Care in Wilkes-Barre was fantastic. On Nov 23 my mom had her 85th birthday. All year long she would always say she 85 and when she awoke on the 23rd she said she shook her fist in the air and said I made it. On Nov 29th her pain & suffering ended and she joined my father who had passed away 50 years ago on Oct 25th. Mom we will miss you more than you will ever know.

We stayed in Pa. until after Christmas. Some nights I would forget to disconnect the hose and it would freeze up but other than that the motorhome handled the cold better than we did. Our 1st stop was only 80miles away. We had gotten a new car in Sept and ordered a new base plate so we could tow the car behind the rv. We had canceled several appointments to have the baseplate installed so we decided to stop on our way out of Pa. They supplied us with 30amp power and we stayed there 2 nights. With the Honda hooked on the back we made it to a Thousand Trails park in SC in 2 days and it was warm. Now we could slow down. We stayed there 3 nights and then moved to a thousand trails park in Florida.

Now to see if I can remember how to publish this

8-8-2011

2011-08-12T13:32:00.001-04:00

It was a short drive to the state park in Ninilchek. We parked facing Cook Inlet. We had a view of volcanic mountains out out front window along with the inlet. A little to our left was a boat loading business. Most of their business was putting charter boats in and out of the inlet. They did it with big tractors that backed them into the water then another guy that rode in on the trailer would release them and with a jerk forward of the tractor they were off the trailer. This went on all day. As the wind was always blowing and the temp was only in the 50’s we spent most of the day just watching activity in the water out our front window. The best part was watching the Orca whale feeding and of course the magnificent Bald Eagles. There wasn’t much to the town but we did visit an old Russian town. We did some metal detecting on the beach but the best we found was a huge sinker. We decided we had seen enough and been cold to long and it was time to leave Alaska but since the Salmon were running we would make one more stop at Hyder which was well over 1000 miles away. We moved up to the Palmer to stock up ay Wal-Mart for our long trip to Hyder and then back to the lower 48. While here we went over to the Iditarod headquarters. Joe Redington’s (The father of the Iditarod) was there with a team of Alaskan Huskies and 4 puppies. We toured the headquarters and then went on a sled dog ride. Paula enjoyed meeting and greeting with the puppies. The next day we began what we normally don’t do. 3 long 300 to 400 mile travel days. The first day we arrived in Tok our 1st repeat town. We stayed the night at the rear lot of a gas station. The next day we began the part of the Alaskan highway we missed on the way up as we turned off in Whitehorse and took the Klondike to Dawson City and the Top of the World Highway to Chicken then on to Tok. We arrived in Whitehorse and boondocked at a local campground. The next day after stopping to see the black gophers we missed on the way up we turned off the Alaskan Highway onto the Cassier Hwy. We arrived in Dease Lake on the 23rd with only around 250 mile until Hyder We passed several temp fish camps so we figured the salmon were still running. We filled up with Diesel and got permission to stay in their lot overnight. We pulled over to an out of the way spot. When I went back to check on the car I noticed the RV radiator was leaking. To Be Continued!!!

7-17-2011

2011-07-17T21:52:00.001-04:00

Last post I wrote that 6 SKP rigs pulled into our campground in Talkeetna and we did have a great happy hour. The next day we moved over to Anchorage. We found Anchorage to be like any other big city. Everyone was in a hurry and had no patience for us tourist on the road. We visited earthquake park, saw an earthquake movie where the seats shook at certain parts. We went to check out a gift shop at a 1st Nation hospital but it was closed for the 4th of July weekend. Fire works weren’t set to go off until midnight and it only got dusk at that time so we didn’t go. We went to the market on 3rd St. and ran into the Rhinehimers & Kings. The 3rd town we have met up with them. I had another halibut taco at the market and it totally different than any taco I have ever had. Not sure what was on it but it was good. We usually stay away from chain restaurants when we’re someplace new but there was a Golden Coral there and they are my weakness so we went and it was gooooood. We got up at 5 one morning and drove to Turnagain Arm with hopes of catching a Bore Tide but no luck. We did see a beautiful swan and the scenery was worth the ride.

After leaving Anchorage we traveled down to Seward. The ride down was absolutely beautiful. The 1st thing we did there was take a boat ride. A sea otter gave us a send off as we left the harbor. We saw porpoises,sea lions,puffins and all kinds of different birds. The best was the whales. 2 adults & a young one. They really put on a show. Another day we went and visited Exit glacier. We followed the trail up to the glacier and we were able to stand on it. Quite an experience after seeing so many glaciers ever since Glacier NP. On the trail who did we cross paths with but the Rhinehimers & Kings. Later in the week the Devonshires pulled into our campground. We keep crossing paths with our friends. The Sea Life center was a nice way to spend part of an overcast day. The last place we visited in Seward was Bear Creek Weir. This weir is used to count sockeye and coho salmon smolt emigrating from Bear Lake in the spring and sockeye and coho salmon adults returning to the lake during the summer and fall. We were sitting on the creek bank taking pictures of the salmon as they jumped the water fall and cheering on the ones that were struggling to make the jump. I heard Paula say Ohhh Tom and I turned my head toward her. What we had was a grizzly bear about 15 feet away and we were in between him and lunch. We slowly got up and walked the path out to the road and into our car.

From Seward we next traveled to the other side of the peninsula to Homer. Homer has the Homer Spit. The spit is a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) long piece of land jutting out into Kachemak Bay. We parked on the spit at a city park. The view out our front window was crashing waves. There tide here are quite different. At high tide the water was about 15 feet from the RV and at low tide about a football field away. While at Homer we took a boat ride over to an old fishing town of Seldovia. When we got back to our car we had a note from the Rhinehimers & Kings that they were in the campground next to where we were parked so we stopped over to say hi. We also went to dinner with then and another couple at the Elks. There visitor center in Homer was one of the better ones and they also had a trail setup along some marsh and down to the beach. We had no wildlife sighting except for an eagle, which is still special even though we see several every day, but we were told about a bakery that was along the trail where it came out to the road. We picked up some sticky buns and they were delicious. While parked at the beach we enjoyed all the activity out our front window. We watched freighters, fishing boats, cruise ships, eagles, sea otters, kite fliers, wind surfers, kayaks. & horse back riders. We took some scenic drives that overlooked Homer, the bay, and Several glaciers. We did enjoy our time in Homer but today we moved up to Ninilchek.

6-30-2011

2011-06-30T19:51:00.001-04:00

We arrived at Denali National Park on 6-21 and settled in for 1 week. What a beautiful park. There is only 1 public road into the park and private cars can only drive in around 15 miles and after that you must take a bus. While at Denali several SKP folks came and went. The Reinhimers , the Kings & Devonshires along with our traveling friends Carol & Everrett. It was nice to see and talk to familiar faces. While at the park we did several trails which took us along rivers and lakes and train trestles. On our walk along Salvage river we were treated to Arctic Ground Squirrels (very similar to Prairie Dogs), 2 baby Marmots playing & a mom & dad Ptaragin with several chicks. On another trail we were all admiring the work of the beavers when we heard a splash and there was a cow moose in the lake. She was not concerned with us just having a leisurely walk in the lake. We took a 70 mile bus ride into the park where we saw caribou, grizzlies, moose, dall sheep, and the High One, Mt Mckinley. The clouds parted pretty good and gave us a nice view. Our little camera didn’t do it justice. We also went to a sled dog demo (we love those Alaskan Huskies). At 7:30 every night Carol, Everett, Paula and I walked down to the Amphitheater for the ranger presentation. We enjoyed everyone of them. We were busy the entire time we were there. On the 28th we left Denali and moved to the tourist town of Talkeetna. In the summer it is a staging area for climbers who are going to attempt to summit Denali. The Alaskan train stops here so there are buses all over. We watch Man vs Food on the travel channel and there are 2 places Adam has been to in town. We also have been to both places and one twice. The roadhouse has one of the if not the best breakfasts I have had (I retired from the phone company and I know breakfast places) so we went there 2 times. There is a great place to view Denali in town but it has been clouded in everytime we have checked. Some of the range has been visible but not Denali. A little while ago 6 SKP motorhomes pulled in so we went out to meet them. I think a happy hour is in our future. Tomorrow we leave for Anchorage. We’ll spend the 4th weekend there and then move over to the Kenai Peninsula for a few weeks.

June 18,2011

2011-06-19T02:18:00.001-04:00

We spent longer in Fairbanks than we thought we would. That’s what is so good about this life style. If we’re enjoying a place we can stay longer. We’re not on a time table. It was rainy and cool when we first got here so we spent some down time. We did get some shopping in and stopped at the Creamer waterfowl refuge several times. We took a ride to University of Alaska botanical garden. A lot of folks were working in the area and it was a little to early in the year for something like that. We then took a ride down to the Pump House Restaurant. It was to early to eat but they had old artifacts from the gold rush days around. While walking along the Chena river on which the Pump House was located a beautiful bald eagle flew about 15 feet over us. What a magnificent sight. We have seen a lot of eagles in our travels but never that close. Another day we took a ride to the North Pole and met with the great one Santa himself. Next up was the visitor center in Fairbanks. It has an excellent display. From there we stopped at the headquarters for the Yukon Quest Int’l Sled dog Race. Jodi Bailey and 4 of her dogs were there. Both her and her Alaskan Huskies ran last year in the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races. She enjoyed talking about the races and dogs and happily answered all of our questions. We enjoyed petting the oh so friendly dogs. The Alaskan huskies are not as big as we thought they would be. After visiting the city museum we headed back to the rv. Yesterday we took a ride on a sternwheeler along the Chena river. We had a bush pilot take off and land along side of us, visited an Chena Indian village, tasted smoked salmon and to me the highlight was a demonstration at the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher. Sled dogs were hooked up to a 4 wheeler, that is used for training, and off they went. The dogs that were not picked went crazy trying to show there dissatisfaction at not being chosen to do the run. Today we went to Pioneer Park. It is made up of authentic buildings from the early 1900’s used as museums and gift shops. While in Fairbanks we ate at 2 interesting places. Big Daddy’s BBQ. It is billed as the Northernmost Southern Barbecue and was featured on Diner’s Drivin’s & Dives. I enjoyed Paula didn’t. And Soapy Smiths. Soapy’s owners (quite a character) grandfather was the 1st governor after statehood. The place is filled with memorabilia. It never really gets dark here at this time of the year just dusk for a few hours. Tomorrow is the summer solstice festival and that is how we’ll finish our stay. Tuesday we’ll move over to Denali National Park and begin another adventure.

6-13-2011

2011-06-14T02:19:00.001-04:00

On June 11th we began our ride on the Top of the World Highway. The highway is so named because, along much of its length, it skirts the crest of the hills, giving looks down on the valleys. It is also one of the most northerly highways in the world at those longitudes. It was a rough ride with some of it chip seal and some loose gravel. There were several switch backs and several white knuckle areas where you rode along the edge of some long drop offs. It reminded me a lot of the Apache trail in Arizona. The views were great and made the ride bearable. We’re glad we did it but wouldn’t do it again. We entered Canada on May 17 and today we were going to cross back into the USA. The border crossing was simple and we began our tour of Alaska. The road was dirt for the next 40 miles or so to town of Chicken. It is a small town and they were having a music fest so we decided to travel on. The road we just traveled from Dawson City to Chicken is only open in the summer as the only way across the Yukon river at Dawson is by ferry so when the river freezes over the road is closed. Except for the frost heaves the road from Chicken to Tok was pretty good. That evening we had our bottle of champagne that we had been carrying since we bought it at a winery in Florida. At Tok we returned to the Alaskan highway. Some of the rivers are still icy here. We made our way to Delta Junction and the end of the Alaskan highway. A little north of Delta Junction the had our 1st sighting of the Alaskan pipeline. Were now in Fairbanks having a few down days. Tomorrow we’ll do some exploring here and decide when we’re going to head over to Denali NP

6-10-2011

2011-06-14T01:17:00.001-04:00

We pulled into Watson Lake on June 3rd. We were now in the Yukon Territory. We went to the sign post forest where people have placed 1000’s of signs from there home towns and a northern lights show. When going to the show we saw a small diner that looked like a good breakfast place. If I learned anything in my time working with the phone company it’s was how to spot a good breakfast place. We went over the next morning and it was crowded so we ended out sharing a table with a young man. We found out a lot of the folks in the diner were firefighters in town to fight the forest fire along the Cassier Highway. The young man we were sitting with was a helicopter pilot down from Whitehorse to fight the fire. We enjoyed our chat with him. Several people told us to stop in Teslin for a cinnamon bun so we did and they were great. When we reached Whitehorse we decided to stay a few days. While there we toured the Yukon Brewery which was a step back in time. It was a small operation and quite a few of the operations that would normally be handled by machinery were done by hand. We visited a dam built by the power company where they built a fish ladder so salmon could get over the dam. We did some trails along the Yukon river and walked around town. It was the biggest town we had been in in quite awhile. They gave visitors a parking pass for 3 days so we didn’t have to pay at any of the meters. We walked around town and ate diner at a great 50’s diner. It is also home of the World Biggest Windvane a DC-3 Aircraft. We decided to veer off the Alaskan Highway and head toward toward the top of the world highway. When we were walking around Whitehorse some locals we were talking to told us about another cinnamon bun place along the Klondike highway so when we got to Braeburn we stopped to get one. It was huge about 3 times bigger than the one we got in Testa and even though we thought it impossible it was better. We arrived in Dawson City on June 9th. We decided to stay at a Provincial Park across on the other side of the Yukon river and since there was no bridge we loaded Emily on a ferry and across we went. Dawson City had it’s beginnings with the Klondike gold rush so one of the 1st things we did was pan for gold with no success. We also walked around the discovery claim where the gold was discovered and toured a dredge which was used to move a lot of dirt and remove the gold from the dirt. We also walked around town and toured the local museum. Next up the Top of the World Highway.

June 3,2011

2011-06-03T19:26:00.001-04:00

We made it to Dawson City and Mile post 0 on the 29th. We stayed 2 nights and did some exploring. After picture taking at Mile post 0 we went into the visitor center. We found out a little about the town and got directions to an old wooden railroad tressle and a pamphlet on a walking tour. After searching a little we found the wooden bridge and it was worth the search. The walking tour was not so great. Most of the buildings it took us to were gone or completely remodeled. There was several nice murals and we enjoy them. The Chamber of Commerce had a nice exhibit of things used during the making of the Alaskan Highway. They had a model of the Kiskatinaw Curved Bridge which is on the old Alaskan Highway. It’s the only original timber bridge still in use. On the 31st when we started our adventure up the highway our 1st diversion was at mile marker 17 when we turned off of the new highway and onto the old. In a few short miles we reached the bridge and it was worth the little side trip. We crossed over and continued back to the new highway. That night we stayed at a camp along the Sikanni river. It was nice to listen to the water flowing. There wasn’t much wildlife along the way except the big one. A momma black bear and her 2 cubs. The cubs went running across the road in front of us and into the woods but the momma stayed put and watched us as we passed by. The road has begun to narrow a bit and hugs the mountains on one side and lakes & rivers on the other at places. We’re traveling through the northern Rockies. Yesterday as we were approaching the entrance to Laird Hot Spring Prov Park we saw several buffalo wandering around. Yesterday we soaked in the hot springs and it felt so good. We were going to to to for a quick dip before we left but we woke up to s**n. Not sure what elevation we’re at but it’s June and this is not right. We have no radio,tv or cell signal here so we’ll check at the office to find out how the roads are. If there’s any doubt we’ll stay here another night but we were looking forward to hookup at Watson Lake as we haven’t had any for awhile. The roads were good so we moved to Watson Lake in the Yukon. On the way today we had a moose run across the road in front of us and about 8 horses running loose along the side of the road. Don’t know what you will see along these roads.

May 28,2011

2011-05-28T19:38:00.001-04:00

Jasper did not top Banff. We took a tram ride to about 7500’ but the view from the top was cloudy. The view from the tram was great. We also had a good time walking around town checking out the shops and train station. We also took some scenic rides. On the 27th we left Jasper and headed to Grand Cache. We were going to stop at the hot springs along the way but the weather was rainy and cool so we skipped that and continued on our way. We stopped at the visitor center going into Grand Cache. Nothing was happening in town but they had a nice exhibit there and the folks there as all the people working in customer contact jobs here in Canada were great. We parked at the Grand Cache muni park. For $30 if left a lot to be desired. Just water and electric, our surge protector shut us down a few times for low voltage, and the WiFi was down. Today we moved up to Grand Prairie. It’s a big town with around 50,000 people. It is very smoky here from the forest fire east of us. We went to Wal-Mart today and Best Buy to check on a camera since I dropped mine and most of the pictures are blurry. The prices were way to high and since Paula’s camera started working well stick with hers. We only bought what was really needed as the prices here are so high. Tomorrow we’ll head to Dawson Creek to the beginning of the Alaskan highway. We’ll stay there a few days and then get on the move. Carol said today we are only averaging 50 miles a day so sooner or later we’ll have to start traveling.

May 25,2011

2011-05-28T18:56:00.001-04:00

The rain we travel in over to Banff NP stopped and we had a great time there. Downtown was very touristy but we had a good time walking around there. Our 1st stop was the visitor center where we picked up several maps including the most important , a trails map. The lady at the center marked all the trails that were suitable for us older folks. We did all the trails we were interested in. My favorite was the Cave & Basin. We went through marshy land feed by hot springs. In the 60’s as an experiment several varieties of tropical fish were placed in one of the warm marshy areas and they are still there. It was neat to look in the water and see Mollies swimming around.Several. On our 2nd fell day in the area we traveled about an hour up to Lake Louise. The visitor center had a lot of history of the area and was very interesting. The lake was still frozen and most of the trails were closed because of snow and avalanche conditions. We did walk part way around the lake. On the way back we took 1A a route with more scenic overlooks. We filled our days in the area with trails and scenic drives. One stop took us to an old mining town. Paula & I were very surprised to discover that they mined anthracite coal there. We always thought that hard coal was only mined in the area of the country where we are from.

Yesterday we traveled from Banff to Jasper about 180 miles but it took us over 8 1/2 hours. We traveled the Icefields parkway which is called The Most Beautiful Road In The World. And it probably is. It travel continuously through 2 national parks. It has many scenic pull offs of which we took advantage. As we were coming up one especially steep area next to us walking down was a mountain goat and here little one. In another area we saw cars pulled off the side of the road so I told Paula to get the camera ready. It was a grizzly not far off the road trying his best to find something to munch on. Further down the road was the Columbia Icefields. We stopped there to eat lunch and enjoy the magnificent glaciers. Our last stop before our campground was Athabasca Falls. I love water falls and this was a good one. We walked the trails all around the falls. We are now set up in Jasper NP and this morning we’ll head to the visitor center to get information on the area and decide what we’ll do and how log we’ll stay here. It’ll have a tough time topping Banff.

May 19,2011

2011-05-28T18:55:00.003-04:00

Yesterday the 4 of us went into Radium Hot Springs. Our 1st stop was the visitor center where the gal helping us was a wealth of info. From there we went to a bank a bank where we changed over some US money to Canadian. Next we made our way to the hot springs. It was within the Kootenay NP so at the entrance to the park we bought our annual NP passes. On the way up to the hot spring we passed several long horn sheep just walking up the road. The hot springs a view rock cliffs of Sinclair Canyon. Then came the spacious mineral hot springs pool. We soaked for a couple hours and at that it was hard to leave. We stopped in town to pick up a bottle of wine and headed back to the campground. We sat sat the picnic table for a few hours munching on crackers, cheese & sausage. A good day was had by all.

Today we moved over to a campground in Banaff NP in Alberta Canada. It was a rainy 90 mile drive with some 8% grades thru the Canadian Rockies. We had to be alert as we had deer & elk grazing all along the side of the road. We’re going to stay hear for 5 nights at least. It’s a long weekend here being Victoria day so the campgrounds will be very busy. A lot to do in this area hopefully the rain will stop

May 17,2011

2011-05-28T18:55:00.001-04:00

Today we began our adventure north of the border. We have been parked in Kalispell Mt. at an Elks club for a week. Carol & Ev arrived yesterday and we made some preliminary plans. The gas station across the street had a dump station and since we had been park for a week with no sewer I went over to check it out and found out the guy with the key wouldn’t be there until noon and we were ready to leave to we so we left without dumping. We were headed to Kootenay NP in British Columbia. They have a dump station so no problem. We had a very easy border crossing. A few questions and that was that. It was a very small border crossing and there was no facilities to convert some cash so we’ll just stop in a bank. Carol called Kootenay and was told they were doing construction there so they wouldn’t be open until June 1st so we decided to stop at Dry Gulch a Provincial park. It’s a small but scenic park. Only 9 of the 26 sites are open. We couldn’t figure out why they close most of the park since there is no facilities here, just a few pit toilets. Not even a dump station which we will need soon. Both of us had trouble negotiating the turn at the top but we made it. Tomorrow we’re off to the nearby town of Radium Hot Springs to soak in the hot spring. We will post when we get to a WiFi location

Mail is Lost

2011-05-15T11:44:00.001-04:00

We’re winding down our stay at the Elks club in Kalispell. We had a Italian buffet and a prime rib dinner at the club. Both were excellent. Carol & Ev are only 100 miles away and will be here on Monday. Hopefully the last of our pills will also be. They were mailed on Friday morning. Our mail is another story. It was mailed last Saturday from our mail forwarding service. We have a tracking number but it does not show up anywhere in the postal system. They say they will find it eventually and it will get here but they have no idea when. If it’s not here when my Plavix arrives we will just have it returned to sender when it does. The folks here at the Kalispell P.O. have been great.

We went to Glacier N.P. the other day and it was beautiful. The Road to the Sun was only open for about 20 miles as they’re still plowing snow from the road. It was a beautiful ride. Snow capped mountains (actually snow on the side of the road), beautiful lakes with the mountains reflecting on them, lodges, and rustic campgrounds. This is one of the most beautiful states we have been in.

The other day when we were riding around Paula spotted a car dealer that had some classic cars in their showroom. We stopped on the way back. Besides a few 30’s modified cars there was a 69 Camero RS/SS and a Beautiful 57 Vette. The 1st car I bought new was a 68 Camero RS and the interior of the 69 was the same as mine with the 4 speed and the instrument package. The Vette was an automatic with fuel injection 1 of just over a 100 made. The Camero was close to $40,000 (I paid $3200 brand new ordered from the factory for my 68) and they vette was around $80,000.

Hopefully Tuesday we’ll enter Canada. We won’t have internet unless we’re somewhere that has WiFi but for $20 I added Canada to our phone for a month.

Montana

2011-05-10T20:41:00.001-04:00

We’re now parked at an Elks Lodge in Kalispell Mt about 80 miles from where we’re going to cross into Canada. We’ve driven 2150 miles since leaving Frederickburg Tx. Travel thru Wyoming was windy but Emily handled it very well. Our travels along side of and into the rockies has made it hard to keep my eyes on the road. The rockies are still snow capped and when we traveled thru the passes the snow was closer than I like it. You can always tell when the road was going to climb to a high elevation as there would be a place to pull over to install tire chains in colder weather. One day it was raining as we went thru a pass and I expected it to turn white any time. While we were camped in Deer Lodge Mt there was a winter storm watch on 10 to 14 inches above 6000 feet and 2 to 4 below. Not knowing what elevations we would be traveling thru we stayed put for 3 nights. We were happy we didn’t travel in the wet weather as today traveling up US 93 the scenery got even better. Pictures just don’t do justice. We’ll wait here for our mail and pills to catch up and for Carol & Ev to arrive. Then we’ll head into the Canadian Rockies. Tomorrow or the next day we’ll head over to Glacier NP. From what I’ve read there still plowing the snow off the roads so not sure how much access we’ll have.

We’re up North

2011-05-04T14:03:00.001-04:00

We left Medina Lake April 27th and went up to Fredericksburg Tx for a few days. We love all the shops on Main St.,the German restaurants, and Opa’s meat market. We ate at the Auslander and had an excellent German meal and we picked up Brats & Knacks & sausage at Opa’s. We also have some Boudin sausage in the freezer. The weather was windy but we decided to leave Frederickburg on the 29th. The coach did well in the wind so we made it to a Wal-Mart in Norman Ok over 400 miles. That's a real long day for us as we usually go less than 200 a day. I worry about storms this time of year going thru tornado alley so we were on the move. The next day we made it to Russel Ks about 330 miles and boy it was cold. It was in the upper 80’s low 90’s when we left Tx and now it was 40’s and below freezing at night and windy. This is going to take a lot of adjustment. Besides the cold and wind there were no storms in the forecast so we slowed down and only traveled 280 miles to to Chappel Neb. (a new state for us). We’re now in Cheyenne Wy. We’re visiting with Paula’s niece and kids. We went to an excellent Mexican restaurant last night. Today they want to have a cook out but it’s just about noon and only 45 degrees so I think it will be mostly a cook in. We were going to head to Casper today but they were calling for snow and I just read that they had icy roads. Tomorrow we’ll head to Casper Wy and then up into Montana.

Easter Monday

2011-04-25T10:25:00.001-04:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We spent the day at the campground. We went to church at 10 and had dinner at the activity center at 2. It wasn’t a pot luck like at most parks but a fully prepared meal. We sat with some folks from East Texas and had a good time. Today's our anniversary 41 years and still going strong. Not much to do in this area so we’ll head toward Bandera and when we see somewhere we think we want to eat we’ll stop there. We leave here on Wednesday so between today and tomorrow it’s get ready to travel mode. We are going to miss this park. It’s very peaceful and quite. The deer walking around all day make it very relaxing to us. This weekend the park was filled and it was still rather quite. We’re not sure where we are going on Wednesday. We were going to go to San Angelo to see Jan & Chuck but we hear they’re over at the CARE center training some new folks. We’ll give them a call later. If there gone we may go to Fredericksburg for a few days. After that we’ll make our decisions on the temperatures in Wyoming & Montana. Travel Safe Everyone

A Quick Update

2011-04-18T12:28:00.001-04:00

Haven’t written for a while so here’s what we have been up to. We kept watching the weather over in the Mississippi Louisiana area as we wanted to spend some time there but it just didn’t seem to want to warm up. Since it was so beautiful in Florida we just stayed put in . We had been looking for a little bigger RV for a while now and one turned up in Florida. We are enjoying the extra space. Before we knew it it was the middle of March and we were just heading out of Florida. On our way to Texas we stopped in Abita Springs La. The Acme Oyster House in nearby Covington has the best fully dressed best roast beef Po Boys I’ve ever had. They call it a 10 napkin and it is. Next we moved over to the Coushatta Casino in western La. Crawfish were in season and they had a seafood buffet with all you can eat crawfish. We waited in line over a hour to get in but it was well worth it. From there we moved into Texas and to a COE park to meet up with some fellow 2007 classmates. We then stopped at the SKP park in Livingston. This is they park where we volunteer at the CARE center but not this year. I had a sinus infection while we were there and even though I wasn’t contagious I sounded like I was so I pretty much stayed away from the center.I missed visiting with the folks there. From there we settled in at the Lake Conroe TT. There was a Culvers down the road and since that is our favorite fast food restaurant and mostly only found in the upper Midwest we made it our first stop. While there we also went to Houston and visited Paula’s cousins and went to Coldsprings and had lunch with the Daltons & the Keiffers. After Lake Conroe we went into tourist mode visiting and touring the towns on Shiner (Shiner Bock is made there and we did tour the brewery), Gonzales ( the cannon that started the Texas independence war wasn’t there it was on loan in Houston), Gruene ( great shops and restaurant. We ate on the deck overlooking the Guadalupe River) & New Braunfels where we had a great German meal. We’re now in Medina Lake TT. We have stayed at campgrounds where deer wander around but nothing like this one. Yesterday we went to Bandera Tx. the Cowboy Capitol of the World. Except for a day trip to San Antonio we’re pretty much going to be Lazy for the next week or so. As soon as the weather clears up north we’ll begin our trip to Montana. We’ll explore that area until Carole & Everett catch up and we begin our summer in the Canadian Rockies and Alaska.

Moving around Florida

2011-01-24T21:26:00.001-05:00

We enjoyed our time in Wauchula. Most days we either toured or played cards with Bob & Linda. We went to visit Solomon's Castle. The castle and everything in it is made of recycled products and the guide tells something humorous about everything. The Lipizzaner Stallions train in the area so off we went. After touring the stable and getting up close with the horses we went to the outdoor arena to watch the horses perform. All of us enjoyed the show. We next moved up to the Tampa area. The campground was typical of a lot of Florida campgrounds in very tight coders. We stayed in tourist mode. 1st we went to Ybor city. It’s were Tampa had it’s beginnings with we cigar rolling industry but now it’s shops and places to eat. Robins friend told us to eat at the Columbia and have the 1905 salad. We stopped there but they had a long waiting list so we decided to move on. We had asked him if he had a place he would recommend for a Cuban sandwich (Smoked ham, pork, salami, Swiss cheese, dill pickle and mustard on hot Cuban bread) and we decided to head there. It was a local diner type restaurant over near the stadium. We were the only folks there that didn’t speak Spanish. The sandwich was great. Another day we went over to Tampa Electric to watch the Manatee’s. Manatee’s require warm water and when the gulf & Tampa Bay gets cold they migrate to warmer spring fed areas or near power plants where cooling tower water warms the nearby water. At Tampa electric they have a pier where we could walk out in the clear water to observe the manatees. We also saw catfish, tarpons, stingrays and hammerhead sharks swimming in the warm waters. The next day we went to a local flea and produce market. We got another 1/2 flat Plant City Strawberries, tomatoes, salt potatoes, snap peas, cabbage, squash and a melon for $12. Our last stop in the area was the Pier in St Pete. There was some shops there but mostly we enjoyed watching the pelicans and other birds. The main reason for going was there was a Columbia restaurant there. We both had a Cuban sandwich, a cup of Spanish bean soup and a fantastic 1905 salad ( The Columbia's legendary salad tossed at your table. Crisp iceberg lettuce with julienne of baked ham, natural Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, grated Romano cheese and our famous garlic dressing (our 100 year old family recipe of fresh garlic, oregano, wine vinegar and Spanish extra virgin olive oil). The week went by fast and we know we’ll return to the Tampa area. We’re now over in the Orlando area. We’re going to take some down time then do a few Disney things. Not sure what but it won’t be the theme parks. For now it’s time to catch up on some maintenance on the vehicles.

Back in Florida

2011-01-05T11:29:00.001-05:00

We finished our camp hosting at Reed Bingham state park on the 30th. The campground was about 2/3 full our last week and that’s the way we like it. Lots of campers to visit with. We moved down to Zepherhills Fl on the 31st.We needed some stuff at Wal-Mart and on our way there we noticed a Clocks restaurant. It’s a small Fl chain where we’ve stopped before and enjoyed their comfort food so that’s where we had New Years eve supper. On the 1st we headed about 25 miles to Tampa for the Outback Bowl with Penn State against Florida. It has been quite awhile since I have gone down to State College for a Penn State game so I was really enjoying all the hoop la. While walking down the street the Blue Band was practicing across the way so we stopped and listened for a bit. All along the street everyone was is party mode. Watching the Blue Band march into the stadium was like being at State College for a game and watching them march across campus to Beaver Stadium. We had excellent seats for the game only 11 rows back from the field. Even though we lost it was a great day & game. On the 2nd we went down to Plant City for strawberries. They are without doubt the best we have ever had. We have moved down to Wauchula Fl for about a week & a half. The weather since we have been back in Fl is beautiful. Shorts and tee’s. Last night Linda & Bob came over for dinner and we were able to spend the evening outside. We sure don’t miss the cold Pennsylvania winters.

Tickets in Hand

2010-12-17T13:09:00.001-05:00

Last we wrote I was trying to reach Penn State for tickets to the Outback Bowl on 1/1/11. Well the tickets arrived in the mail yesterday.

We’re still in S Georgia and the weather has finally moderated. It had got down as low as 21. We have been very slow here at Reed Bingham state park. We usually only have 2 or 3 campers in overnight. There had been 3 host couples but one couple had to leave and they were suppose to be here next month also. The ranger asked us last night what our plans were for next month but we have some reservations in Florida. We couldn’t have had an easier gig. With the couple leaving we have picked up a few extra days but we don’t mind. On the 19th we’re having a potluck with the staff and there families along with the other host couple. We’ll have a quiet Christmas this year and then on the 31st we’ll head back down to Florida .

Merry Christmas

Tom & Paula

Plans Change

2010-12-06T10:43:00.001-05:00

Last I wrote we were headed to Fort McCoy to join fellow Escapee Boomers at a Pow Wow over Thanksgiving weekend. We had a great time. There was native Americans in attendance from all over the USA. On Thanksgiving we helped serve over 330 people. On Friday and Saturday we helped with the gate and parking. We also had pot lucks and campfires every night. We pulled out on Sunday morning and headed north to Georgia. We pulled into a campground in Brookfield Ga. to meet up with Paula’s friend from school and to rest up. On Tuesday the 30th we moved south around 30 miles to Reed Bingham state park where we’ll camphost for the next month. The days have been brisk but nice but with this current southern cold spell it’s been in the low 30’s in the morning. Yesterday we went to Lakewood Ga. to the city of murals. It’s a small Ga. town but they tell there history with murals painted on the sides of the historic buildings. We did enjoy our time there. When we leave here at the end of the month we planned on traveling west but we have decided to return to Fl for at least January.

Last night it was announced that Penn State will play a bowl game on the 1st in Tampa. I just made campground reservations but the Penn State ticket number is constantly busy. I would like to get our tickets thru them so we’ll be with all the PSU folks but I may just have to get them thru Ticketmaster. I’ll keep trying for a little bit.

Another Beautiful Day in Florida

2010-11-23T10:25:00.001-05:00

It’s 9:30am 72 degrees and the sun is shining. Wow. The other day we we’re going into Wal-Mart and the Sally’s were ringing their bell and I said to Paula there’s something wrong with this picture. We only had shorts and tee shirts on and it was closing in on Xmas. Last Tuesday I was riding my bike and I saw a pickup with Disney characters on it and thought that sure looks like Bob & Linda’s and it was. What a pleasant surprise. We had a good week hanging out together. They have worked at Disney a few times and know there way around here. Tomorrow is travel day. We’ll only move around 60 miles north to Chambers Farm http://chambersfarm.org/Index.html in Fort McCoy. We’ll meet up (our neighbor here at Bee’s went up yesterday) with other Escapee Boomers. There is a Pow Wow with Indians from as far a Nova Scotia and we’ll spend the Thanksgiving weekend there. From there we’ll move up to Ga. to begin camp hosting at Reed Bingham state park. Have a Great Thanksgiving everyone

Slowly Moving North

2010-11-14T22:58:00.001-05:00

The weather cleared up while we were at the SKP park in Wachula and I got the RV and car washed and the roof seams caulked. we stayed there a week and last Wed we moved about 90 miles to Clermont Florida which is a little NW of Orlando. This is one of the friendliest parks we have stayed at. This is a C2C park and usually we can only stay a week at a time but when we checked in the guy at the office said he would give us the $10 C2C rate if we wanted to stay longer which we probably will for another week. The 1st 2 days here I waxed the car & RV. Feel a lot better with getting that done. Friday they had an all you can eat Fish dinner and it was great as were the folks we sat with. Can’t wait until Tuesdays for the all you can eat chicken dinner. Yesterday we went down to Tampa to Camping World an got 2 new chairs and then went over to Lazydays to look at some RV’s. We took a 2008 Holiday Rambler Endeavor out for a drive and was very impressed except for the high mileage coming in at over 42,000. Some of the other units we looked at just didn’t have what we wanted. We’ll keep on looking. When we got home we went over to the clubhouse for an ice cream social and again had a good time with the folks we sat with. This morning we went to church here at the campground and stayed for social hour. Tomorrow we’re going to head over to Webster to one of the biggest flea markets. I go there for the fried green tomatoes and also the sausage and kraut sandwich.

When we leave here we’ll move about 70 miles north to meet up with some Escapee Boomers at Fort McCoy where we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving. Then we’ll head up to Reed Bingham state park in S Georgia to camp host for December. Hope the weather stays as nice as it’s been.

In Florida

2010-11-04T18:53:00.001-04:00

We didn’t have the 200 trick or treaters that signed up At Skidaway SP but we imagine we had over a 100 ( a lot of candy left over). We went out and sat by the road so the kids just had to stop by. We were near the end of the the course that the park had laid out and the parents looked whipped. The next day we left for Daytona. After dumping I moved the RV to a spot to hook up the car and when I went to go outside the latch on the door broke. It took awhile before I was able to get the door open. After getting the car connected we traveled to Daytona without incident. We took a ride down along Atlantic Ave in Daytona Beach a couldn’t believe how dead it was. Condo type buildings and stores sitting empty. We got a hold of Maggie and met her at 5 Guys for dinner. 3 1/2 hours later we left 5 Guys. Yesterday we mover to a SKP park around 60 miles south of Tampa. Haven’t done much here as it’s been raining a lot. Hoping to get the RV washed and waxed over the next several days. Time will tell.

Enjoying the South

2010-10-29T21:03:00.001-04:00

We enjoyed our time at Myrtle Beach. The park we stayed at was only a few miles from the beach and we went there several times. On Saturday we were sitting at the beach soaking in the rays and listening to the Penn State game live on our Droid phone via a local Wilkes–Barre Pa. radio station. We went to eat at Sticky Fingers a small BBQ restaurant chain we 1st went to in Chattanooga Tn. last year ( they have a great Memphis style dry rub) and Golden Coral. We left Myrtle Beach on Tuesday the 26th and headed south to Savannah Ga. I decided to take US17 opposed to I95 and except for a few stretches with a lot of traffic lights, it was a good choice. As we left Myrtle Beach we noticed gas prices as low as $2.51 and as we traveled prices ranged up to $2.82. We arrived at Skidaway state park near Savannah Ga. to record tying temps and the humidity was right up there. We have spent time wandering around the historic district and the river front area. We also went to eat at The Lady and Sons which is Paula Deens restaurant. The food was excellent. The state parks in Ga. usually celebrate Halloween with events and trick or treating for the kids from the surrounding area and those in the park. We picked up some bags of candy the other day so we thought we were prepared. When we go home today there was a note on our door to leave our light on outside if we were accepting trick or treaters and that they have 200 kids signed up to participate. Wow. I think we need to run into town tomorrow to get some more candy. Sunday we’ll pack up and head down to Daytona Beach Fl

Back to Shorts Weather

2010-10-22T08:50:00.001-04:00

We’re finally back on the road. Thanks Robin for letting us use your driveway. Last Saturday we went to our grandsons U10 soccer game. Boy it was cold. On Sunday the day we had been waiting for arrived. We were watching our grandkids while there parents went to a wedding. It was everything we anticipated and more. Connor is always a joy to be with and Amelia (5 weeks old) stayed awake much of the 7 hours, which really made our last time with them for a while very special but also harder to start traveling. On Monday we did our final travel preparations and at around 8:30 am on Tuesdays we hit the road. After a few days we arrived in Myrtle Beach SC. We arrived to bright sunshine and temps hovering around 80. Gone are the jeans & back on are the shorts. Yippee. We’ll hang out in this area for 5 nights then move down to a state park near Savanna Ga. After that we’ll move south but we’re just not sure where. We’ll let you know.

We’re Counting Down

2010-10-14T12:29:00.001-04:00

We leave Pa. in 5 days. This has been the longest we’ve stayed in Pa. since we went fulltime. We did the supper and birthday shopping with Connor then on Sunday we picked him up again for his last overnight this time through Pa.. We had a great time and on Monday we took him to tour the Lackawanna Coal Mine in Scranton. We explored 300 feet beneath the earth through an anthracite coal mine originally opened in 1860. Accompany a miner in the winding underground gangways and rock tunnel past three different veins of hard coal, past the mule boy and the nipper, past the monkey vein and the dead chute. Yesterday we went to upstate NY to say goodbye to Paula’s mom. Today and tomorrow we’re suppose to get heavy rain and wind (a nor'easter). I did get the bike rack on the car and the chair and ladder attached to the back of the RV. The deck furniture has also been put down in Robin’s basement. Hopefully we’ll have a dry & free day so I can wash the MH. Saturday we’ll go to Connor’s soccer game and Sunday we’ll watch the kids while our son and daughter in law go to a wedding. Monday we’ll get everything stowed and Tuesday morning we’ll head out. Next time we write we should be in Sunny Myrtle Beach SC.

Rain Rain Go Away

2010-10-06T08:22:00.001-04:00

Last Thursday we had the remnants of a tropical storm go thru and drop over 5 in of rain. We have been in a drought all summer and the river was showing rocks and islands it hasn’t shown for quite a while. In 1 day filled to just below low land flood stage. Monday a system stalled over Pa. and it’s been raining for 2 days and today is suppose to be the same. The weather always seems to be an extreme anymore.

Last week was fair week and we watched the weather and picked the driest day to go. We had a good time and ate to much. We don’t normally get flu shots but this year we did. Now watch this year I’ll get sick. Other than the shots and fair we’ve been doing the normal. Breakfast with the guys ( leave in 15 min) , Sat soccer games , and checking in on Amelia. Tomorrow we pick up Connor after school and take him to dinner and shopping for his birthday. Sunday after church we pick him up again and he’ll stay until Monday since he has it off from school. It’s so hard to get time with him between scouts, school & soccer. Friday or early next week we’ll head up to upstate NY for the day to say goodbye to Paula’s mom.

Time to head to breakfast.

Still in Pa.

2010-09-14T10:05:00.001-04:00

We’ll be in Pa. for another month but boy I’ve got some hitch itch. Our short trips are not getting rid of it but once we leave we probably won’t be back for a year. It’s going to be harder than ever to stay gone that long this time. Explain later.

Since we got back from upstate NY we’ve had our grandson for a few days, been to several of his soccer games, went to our local high school football game ( our daughter is the adviser for the HS cheerleaders), went to the dentist some more, and went to breakfast with about 15 telephone company retirees. They go to breakfast every other week and I go when I can.

At one time I had to have the newest in techno stuff. Over the years I got away from that. Even with computers I’m using XP and have no desire to upgrade. When they get all loaded up with junk I wipe it all clean, load back up what I want and start over again. Same with our cell phone. We had a phone that was closing in on 5 years old and the battery life was not getting any better. Well I’m back in the newest and greatest phase again. I ordered a Verizon Droid X and got it last Wed. I doubt I’ll learn it all by the time it’s time to trade it in but I think I’ll have fun trying.

It’s always hard to leave Pa. as by the time we get back our grandson has grown and changed so much. This time it’s going to be twice as hard. On the 10th our granddaughter Amelia Helen Nankivell arrived. She is so beautiful and she will change so much in the year we are gone,It’s going to be tough. They should be heading home as I write. Paula is going to make their meals for the next week so that should help in their adjustment to the real world.

Tomorrow we plan on going to the rv show in Hershey and Friday we get our flu shots. Besides spending time with family that’s about all we have planned.

Randy Travis

2010-08-25T09:28:00.001-04:00

Randy Travis did not disappoint. He put on a great show. Earlier in the day I took the tracker to the Dr. for new brakes & tires. On Saturday we went up to our campsite and brought back some stuff for storage at Robins. Sunday we went to our new cousins baptism. Yesterday I was back at the dentist. Boy I’ll be glad when that's all done. Tomorrow we’re going to close up Emily’s slides and head to upstate NY. Paula’s family is having a reunion. When we come back on Sunday we’ll pickup our grandson to stay the night and Monday. His mom & dad have meetings at the schools they teach at but he doesn’t start back until Tuesday. We’ll have a fun day of board games.

Some friends that we met on the road are going thru some tough times. They found a mass on Jay’s brain and he will be operated on later this week and his wife Fay had a heart attack and had surgery. Please keep them in your thoughts & prayers.

Jersey Shore

2010-08-19T21:05:00.001-04:00

We had a great time at Seaside Heights NJ. Connor loved the ocean and boardwalk and the pool at the motel. We’re not used to traveling without the RV there was several times there was sometime we wish we had brought with us. We also didn’t like having neighbors coming home late at night. The RV will go with us from now on.

Tuesday I had my annual stress test and I’m still waiting for the results. Yesterday we both had dentist appointments. I have 2 more visits. I hope this denture thing works out. Paula went out to lunch with the ladies from the church today and had a good time. I stayed home and took it easy just cutting Robin’s grass. Tomorrow we go to see Randy Travis and we’re looking forward to the concert.

We’re still parked in Robin’s driveway and it’s working out ok. We still have a lot of stuff up at out campground in Falls and we’re going to have to start bringing it back to Robin’s to store. We’ve had the same site for around 6 years but with spending next summer in Alaska and traveling the following summer we’re going to give the site up.

Enjoy your summer everyone

Still in Plains

2010-08-09T12:14:00.001-04:00

We’re still parked in our daughters driveway and it’s working out ok. It’s been a busy week. Paula had a Dr. appt this week and I spent 3 day’s doing some wiring at our sons. Boy that attic was hot. Then Friday our daughter had a happy hour fund raiser at a local bar so we went to that. Saturday I put a 30a receptacle for the RV and cut the grass. Yesterday I changed the oil in the car and RV and cleaned out and washed the tracker. Our grandson will be over in a bit. Tomorrow we’re taking him down the Jersey shore for a few days. We’re not taking the RV as I want to stay close to the boardwalk and the ocean. We haven’t traveled with out the RV for a long time and it’s hard trying to remember to pack the right stuff. Wish us luck in remembering to take all the right stuff.

We survived

2010-07-31T08:41:00.001-04:00

We made it through another week of cub scout camp. We are tired and sore but we really enjoyed ourselves. The week flew by. Today we’ll rest and tonight we’ll go to a local church bazaar.

Cub Scout Camp Begins

2010-07-25T10:20:00.001-04:00

Boy it’s been hot. Not much getting done. The weather radio has been going crazy with storm warnings and tornado watches. Areas around us have had problems but nothing here. We’re parked in our daughter driveway and we only have 20a service but we’re shaded so it could be worse. Her dogs make her stop over every time they go for a walk and we enjoy seeing them.

Today starts our week of cub scout day camp. We setup at 3:30 then I go and get certified for the BB gun range. I did the BB’s last year but I wasn’t certified. We enjoy our time with the kids but at the end of the week we’re whipped.

Enjoy! Enjoy!

Rally

2010-07-21T17:42:00.001-04:00

After having had the RV parked for around 2 months we hooked up the car and headed about 100 miles south to an Escapee Chapter 20 Rally. A good time was had by all with the only problem being the heat coupled with low park voltage. It was definitely better than cold and rainy. We sure ate more than we should have but that's what being around Escapee’s is all about, good conversation & good food. When we came back north on Sunday we didn’t return to How Kola our home park but parked in our daughter’s driveway. She lives in Plains and the Cub Scout camp we volunteer at is going to be in Plains this year so we won’t have to get moving to early next week. Hope everyone is enjoying there summer. We are.

Hot Hot Hot

2010-07-07T12:36:00.001-04:00

We normally enjoy all the warmth there is and rarely run the AC in the RV but to many 90 degree days has gotten to us and we have turned on the air. We had a nice 4th of July weekend but we are oh so happy the campground is back to it’s quiet self. In a little bit I have to drive down to the valley for my yearly heart doctor visit. Tomorrow we’re going to upstate NY to see Paula’s mom, Monday Paula has a dentist appt., and Wednesday we head down to the Escapee Chapter 20 rally. About as busy as we like to be.

Enjoy! Enjoy!

Tom & Paula

It’s a girl

2010-06-28T21:18:00.001-04:00

It’s official as it can be that our new grandbaby is going to be a girl. She’s due on Sept 10.

Work Day

2010-06-24T17:34:00.001-04:00

With my back feeling better it’s time to get busy. I started WII excising again with Paula. Between yesterday and today I scraped and painted the deck and work bench. Nothing fancy as this will probably be our last year at our home park here in Pa. If all goes well we’ll spend next summer in Alaska and the following summer on the great lakes. We’ll miss our friend here at How Kola but it’s time to move on. Tomorrow both of us has doctor appts. and then blood work after which we’ll pick up my mom and take here to the cemeteries. Then we’ll head over to our sons to see there new pool. Then when we get back to the campground I’ll help Ed up the road with hid bedroom awning. Busy day and that’s good occasionally.

We know we’ll be camphosting at Reed Bingham SP in Georgia in Dec but we haven’t filled in the Nov. time slot yet. We’ve applied to 3 state parks in Ga. and the 1st one to call is the winner.

Till next time Enjoy! Enjoy!

Happy Fathers Day

2010-06-20T10:58:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we met up with some folks we know from the CARE center in east Texas. Doug & Sandi were on staff the 1st 2 years we volunteered at CARE. They were on there way to New England and stopped to camp in the Pocono Mtns. We went for lunch then stopped for a hour at the casino then went back to their camp site and had a great time reminiscing. Today were going to our daughters for dinner. Happy Fathers Day. Have a great day.

Catching Up 2

2010-06-17T22:27:00.001-04:00

While in Rockport we went to lunch with friends from class 2007, went to an oyster fest and visited with Joe & Leona who have workamped at the Lagoons forever. After a week we moved up to Livingston Tx about 60 miles north of Houston. We were about 2 weeks early for our volunteering at the Escapee’s CARE center but we let them know we were over in the park if they needed us and they did. On April 1st we officially began our month at CARE. We worked with a great group of volunteers for the month. May 1st we moved back over to the park to spend a few days with Ed & Hazel and then began our trip back to Pa. We toured the Foretravel plant in Nacogdoches Tx then stopped at Cass County Park for the night. The road to the park was long and very bumpy. We won’t stop there again. From there we moved up to Ark. to a COE park and settled in for a few days of doing nothing. We had the park pretty much to our selves and it was so nice and quiet. After that we went into travel mode stopping to sleep in Wal-Mart parking lots until we got to about 30 miles from How Kola our home park where we stopped at Promised Land state park to meet up with Carol & Ev. Since we’ve been back in Pa. I’ve had several dentist visits, been to breakfast every other Wed. with fellow Verizon retirees, we’ve had Connor up for several weekends, gone to upstate New York several times, Philadelphia once,scout night at the local Yankee AAA team and visited with friend here at the campground.

And now we are caught up.

Catching Up

2010-06-15T11:43:00.001-04:00

Our last blog entry was 1/11/10 and today is 6/15/10 so it’s been awhile.

After we left the Florida west coast we went east to check out another RV. I was just what we wanted and after all the deals were made, papers signed and bank approvals the banks changed there minds because we have no permanent address. Even though Emily has been good to us we were ready for that extra 7 feet. We were disappointed and down so we decided it was time to leave Florida. On 1/29/10 we went up to Ocala National Forrest to say hi to Carol & Ev. They were camp hosting there. Plans are right now to travel with them to Alaska next summer. We decided to leave via US98 along the gulf coast. We stopped at Ho Hum Campground in Carabelle Fl. We ended up spending a week there. We pulled in to the site and all the view out our front window was the gulf and beautiful sunrises. From there we moved to a SKP park in Summerdale Al. They were celebrating Mardi Gras while we were there with dinners, parades and entertainment. From there we moved over to St. Bernard state park just south of New Orleans. We have been to the Mississippi River and taken a steam boat down toward the mouth but I wanted to see how close we could get by car so we took SR23 down to Venice. I’m so glad we did as that part of La. is now being destroyed by Corporate Greed. We followed US90 thru La and we did so enjoy the food. We made our way over to the Tx gulf coast. We stopped at Palacios so we could go to the Hotel Blessing to Sunday dinner. It’s one of our favorite places to eat. We moved down to Rockport for a week. We were disappointed as because of the cold winter the shrimp moved to deep water and were not as plentiful as they usually are.

I’m using Windows Writer for the 1st time so I’m going to publish this for today

Cold In Florida

2010-01-11T11:33:00.003-05:00

We have been here in Bushnell, Florida for a week now. We haven't been warm since we arrived. We weren't warm before we got here either. It seems we haven't had really warm weather since we left the Rio Grand Valley last spring. This summer was rainy and cool, and the fall was worse. As for me, I'm ready for the warm sunny days that Florida is known for. I know it's the same all over the country. The north is worse off than here, and the northeast is just as bad. We get what we get, and live with it. We don't have to like it, but it will get back to normal soon.
Early this morning, between 5 and 6 the electric went out. I asked Tom where the clock was, and he said right there. I looked up at the window finding it really dark. Since there is a light right near us I knew what happened. Well, the bed got chilly really fast with no electric blanket. I got up and turned on the furnace. It took a while to warm up, and then the electric came back on. Right now it seems to be warming up.
We were going to the Webster flea market today. I can't see going in this cold, so we decided to stay home. I have some cleaning to do, but first I wanted to update the blog. Tom has some things he wants to get done also. At least I don't have to cook to day.
Yesterday a few couples from the class of 2007 got together at the home of Paul and Connie Anderson. They invited us for dinner of stuffed shells. We all took something to add. and we stuffed ourselves. Molly took a wonderful salad. Howie brought a dessert.(Nora was not feeling well so Howie came alone) Tom and I took some wine and the class cookies. I also took some of my sticky buns for Paul and Connie to enjoy. Of course she served some with the dessert. One things I can say about the class, we sure can cook, and we sure can eat what we cook. But the most important thing is the company. What wonderful, terrific friends we have made.
On Friday we took a trip down to Lazydays RV. We wanted to see what they have there. They have a good web site, and there were a couple of units there we wanted to check out. Nothing really seemed to stand out and grab us. We'll just keep looking. The Tampa RV show starts this week, and we have plans to go. Some out friends want to meet us on Thursday, and we might join them for a while. It'll be fun. Maybe something there will reach out and grab us. No hurry.

COLD!!!!!

2010-01-05T19:17:00.002-05:00

As some of you know, we had planned to go to the gulf coast to visit the SKP park in Summerdale, AL. Then the plan was a stop in Louisiana for some good Cajun food. Well, as can be done, our plans have changed due to the weather. As we were leaving Tennessee, it was so cold we thought we wouldn't get warm. We wanted to fill up with propane, and standing outside to get the job done was something we haven't had to contend with since we started full timing. Usually we are where it's warm and sunny, or move to someplace that fits the bill. This year we are having trouble finding such a place. It seems that Old Man Winter isn't going to cooperate for the near future. Here we are in Central Florida at the SKP park in Bushnell and it's very cold. The tank heaters go on at night, and the water hose gets disconnected. It seems the temps will go into the 20's again tonight, and it will be more of the same through the week-end. Some of our friends say that the Rio Grande Valley in Texas is a bit warmer. By the time we traveled there it hopefully will be warm here. Sometimes it happens like this. Luckily not often.
Today Tom had to take a trip to see a docter in the area. While home in PA. he banged is leg really hard on the bathtub, and has been having trouble with some swelling and pain. His foot was all black and blue, and it was hard to find his ankle. He was hoping that the bruising was because of his meds. The doctor confirmed as much, and told him it could take weeks to get completely better. What a relief. We were thinking it was worse that it is. Now we know we can still do some of the things we have planned to do here.
Last night I had a surprise call from one of my high school friends. Maggie lives in Port Orange, Fla. We talked for about a hour and a half. It was wonderful talking to her. Now we hope to connect with some of our 2007 classmates. Sunday we have been invited to Connie and Paul Anderson's for dinner. If all goes right, there will be about 8 of us. It's so great to know we can find someone we know most everywhere we go.
The last statement is really true. Just this week we have heard from Phoenix, AZ., Demming, NM., Tampa, Fla., Livingston, Tx,. Mercedes, Tx., also Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia. What a life we live. It's terrific.

Christmas at Home

2009-12-28T15:08:00.005-05:00

What a wonderful time we had while home for Christmas. The ride home was uneventful, after the fog lifted. Robin had the bed all set up, and the dogs were so happy to see us. Jax slept with us for a bit, then went to stay with George and his Mom. Every morning they came in to give us our morning kisses. I suppose they are missing us now.
Connor came to sleep over on the week-end before Christmas. We have this recipe for old fashioned cut-out cookies that my grandmother handed down. As a child we made them every year, and decorated them. That was a tradition I kept up. Since we've been on the road I haven't made them. This year we had such a good time. Connor counted the cookie cutters and found out we have 70, yes 70 of them. I was surprised at the final count. We had so much fun doing them. Wait till you see the picture. We shared them with Tom's sister, Beckie, and our son's family, and our Moms. There are only 2 left for Tom here. I guess we'll have to cut the recipe down and make them for ourselves while traveling. My grandmother used to have them in her cookie jar all the time. She would cut them out in these great big circle, and sprinkle them with sugar. I remember as a child going to the cupboard for them.
What fun I had baking. I made lots of cinnamon buns and sticky buns. I had taken my bread maker home so I could do it for every one. I also make this good pecan chocolate chip bread. Of course That is one of Robin's favorites. Robin and I also made ravioli. Years ago my mom gave me a pasta maker. I haven't made them foe years, but Robin wanted them for Christmas Eve. I told her she had to help. We made both cheese and meat. She has plenty left in the freezer for later on. She couldn't believe it was so easy to do. Kind of time consuming and tedious, but well worth the effort. We had lots of cheese filling left so we made stuffed shells. Boxed shells. We used some of our sauce from Trader Joe's. It was so good.
Christmas day was really just like it always was. Going next door to Tom's mom's, and having dinner. I had baked the ham and stuffing and made the gravy the day before. I added the sweet potatoes. Mom made creamed potatoes and cheesy spinach. Beckie made some deviled eggs, and her son brought some cookies. Tom and Jenn just have to bring Connor. That's enough for us. Connor shops at school every year. This year he gave me a cute pink bracelet. I told him I would wear it every day. So if you see me with it on and it doesn't match what I have on, too bad.
The day after Christmas we went on over to Tom and Jenn's. Connor showed us his new drum set. He played (?) for us for a bit. Then we got to play Uno Flash. We got it for him for Christmas. Everyone had such fun. Tom says he won't be winning that game anytime soon. You have to think fast and make your move before the buzzer goes off. And you never know when your turn is coming. The game decides. I suggest it for everyone.
Now we are back with Emily after a beautiful day of traveling. The only thing yesterday was a four car accident that was mostly a fender bender that involved a U-Haul trailer. There weren't many trucks on the road, so it was a nice day to travel with cloudless skies and we had fun seeing the different license plates. I'm thinking the other travelers were thinking South Dakota was far away from home. Little do they know, we are home where ever we are. We just didn't have Emily with us. Tomorrow we are on our way South. Hopefully, we will find some warmer weather.

Home for the Holidays

2009-12-17T11:12:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it home to Plains, Pa. Emily is in storage in Tennessee. The folks were kind enough to let us keep her plugged in, so the furnace will go on if she gets below 40. She is winterized, and all set to endure the weather till we get back. Tom says we'll head south as fast as possible when we get back. There's no snow, but we'er just not used to the cold. I've been doing some baking. Tomorrow Robin will be home, and we will be making some homemade ravioli. I havent done that in years. We used to have then for Christmas eve dinner. The kids love them. On Saturday Connor will be sleeping over. The plan is to make the Christmas cut-outs that we've made every year since we were married. It's an old recipe from my grandmother, and a family tradition. Tom and I have a system. Connor loves to do them. We have lots of fun decorating them. I think I must have about 50 cookie cutters. Everything from a set a of lips to a cactus to the state of Pennsylvania. I have stopped buying them now. The recipe make so many I wouldn't have room in the motor home. Besides, there's just no room to carry the cookie cutters.
Tonight we plan to go to a basketball game to see Robin's cheerleaders. I suspect we'll be busy till the day we leave. We still have to find a nice day to go to Upstate New York to see my Mom. It will be a day trip for us, but you just never know about the weather up there. It can be nice one minute, and then if the lake effect snow starts you're doomed. We'll just have to pick the right day.
The tree that we usually carry with us was left home this year. Robin put it up before we got home. She then put the garland that we put over the slide-out on her mantle. It looks nice. We'll have to get a nice picture for our Christmas greeting. Maybe Connor will be in it. Maybe the dogs. We'll see. It's nice to be home, but it's probably the last time for a while. We just aren't that fond of the cold. Besides, I have a hankerin' for some gulf shrimp. Maybe even some Louisianna cajan meals. Yum Yum!!! Stay warm if your up north, and enjoy the warmth if your down south.

Adiarsville, Ga.

2009-12-09T11:01:00.003-05:00

Cloudland Canyon is left behind. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. The folks we worked with were great. It was cold up on the mountain, and the snow we had a couple of days before we left and melted. We came south for about 65 miles, and are camped here at Leisure Time Campground. It doesn'y have much to offer, but our neighbor Joan from How Kola lives here during the winter. We've had a nice chat with her, and then the rain came. The plan was to go to Marietta. Trader Joe's is there. We haven't been to Trader Joe's for quite some time. There are no stores in the northeastern part of the country, so we have to wait till we come south. The idea was to pick up some wine, some spaghetti sauce, and see what else caught our eye. I spied some salsa that looks pretty good, and a big bag of chips to go with it. Tom sampled some of their coffee. If we had gone there last, we probably would have bought some of their other goodies from the freezer section. Everything looked so good.
From there we went on to Sams Club. I wanted to pick up some Chai Tea. Our store in Wilkes-Barre doesn't carry it, but the one in Scranton does. Well, this one didn't either. Tom got some blueberry muffins(one of his weaknesses), and I picked up some pecans for baking at home. The next time I see the tea, I'll pick up about 5 cans of it. I have a mugful every morning, and I'm beginning to get down to the bottom of the container. Maybe we'll be able to get to Scranton in the few days we're home.
Next came Wal-Mart. We picked up and UNO FLASH game for Connor for Christmas. He is such a good game player. He loves UNO ATTACK. Beats us more often than not. Also we added some stuff to the pantry. But of course, that the way it is when you go into Wal-Mart. You always come out with more that you went in for.
Then we went to Gondolier for a meal. Now, there are 2 types of Gondolier restaurants. At the time we didn't know this was a take-out, counter serve type. The one we went to in Tenn. was a nice sit down type. The food was as good as last time, and the meals were cheaper, but the atmosphere wasn't there. I brought home half of mine, but Tom ate the whole thing. He said if they had had bruchetta he would have bought half of his home, too. Then it was time to come home.
It rained all day, very heavy at times, but it seemed to not be bad when we were going to and from the car. Tom just opened a couple of windows. It's getting warm in here with the sun shining so bright. It feels good. Now if we can get Emily up to Bristol, and then drive home, we'll be set for the Holiday. Wish us luck. This may be the last time we try to do this. Oh well, there's no time clock to punch. No time limit to go here or there. When it's good to go, we'll go.

Almost Done at Cloudland

2009-11-30T22:34:00.004-05:00

I can't believe a whole month has passed since we came here. Tomorrow stars our last 5 days of work. As of yesterday they have closed most of the campground, and we won't have much to do. The work is never hard. There is only one bath house left open. Tim, the volunteer coordinator asked us if we would come back next year. That mean a lot. He's been very please with the way we do our thing with the other campers and the job we do with our chores. Our answer was that we don't plan that far in advance, we'll have to call next year. It's been pretty cold here at night when the sky is clear and no cloud cover. We've only had maybe 3 or 4 days of rain. The folks have been extremely nice, but folks usually are here in the South. It's been a pleasure to be here.
We have been to Chattanooga a couple of times. If you've never been, I recommend it. It has something for everyone. Good food, lots to do, and free, that's right, free shuttle service. You can park your car and take the shuttle to the aquarium, or just go downtown for lunch. The city has a variety of nice little shops and is utilizing the old warehouse district. They are bringing it back to life. Everything is clean and tidy. We would have liked to go on Sunday to the Market, but we had some other things to get done. Maybe next time. It's supposed to be really nice with lots of vendors.
Our converter stopped working. A trip to Camping World took care of that problem. They had just the one we wanted, so Tom installed it and PRESTO we have all the light we need. Our batteries are all charged up and all is well. While there we took a look at one of the motor homes we had seen on line. For a 2007 Monaco it wasn't in the best shape. I guess some folks don't care how they take care of things. Oh well, when and if we find the right one maybe we'll up grade. That one would have been ideal. I had everything we want. Maybe next time.
We had a great Thanksgiving. Ann, one of the camp hosts, made the turkey and stuffing and gravy. Everyone brought dishes to add to it. I took the sweet potatoes and spinach with cheese sauce. I also made a big batch of the peanut butter fudge Tom likes so much. Well, we brought about 10 pieces home. I guess it was a hit. I told him I'd make more when we get home for Christmas. Robin wants sticky buns, and pumpkin roll. Connor wants shape cookies. (That's what he calls my cut out cookies). The year we went full timing was the first year since we were married that I hadn't made them. This year the tradition continues.
Now I have to go to bed. Tom's been there for over an hour, and we have to be up and out in the morning. The air is so fresh here that you can fall asleep really easy. We'll miss this place. The good thing is....we can always come back.

Days Off

2009-11-17T18:46:00.002-05:00

Today is the second of five days off. The plan was to travel to Chattanooga, Tenn. to see the sights. It started to rain before we rolled out of bed, so we decided to stay home. Tom did some stuff on the computer, and I did my thing. Those of you that know me best, know I like to bake or cook. Well, today was baking. This year I made sure my bread machine came with us. It was sticky bun day today. It was the first time, I tried this in this oven. We haven't tried them yet, that will come at breakfast tomorrow, but I think they came out OK. Let's hope so. Ann and Ron came over to give us some Thanksgiving info, and I gave them half of them. She said only one each, but no one can eat just one. Oops, let's edit this. Tom just opened the buns and is having one with some tea. Now we'll wait for a couple of minutes......He says they are good.
It's always hit or miss with the bread. I was using yeast in those little packets, and the first loaf, which was whole wheat, looked like Cloudland Canyon. Sunk in the middle. The second loaf, potato bread, looked really nice. The third loaf, I tried whole wheat again, didn't look nearly as bad. For Thanksgiving I'll make some oat bread. It's all yummy. I love that machine.
The other day we went to town to eat. We ended up at LaLita's. It's a Mexican restaurant. Tom chose a platter of taco, enchilada, and burrito. I had enchilada, renello, and something else. I can't remember the name. Everything was really good. We hope go back before we leave.
Tonight we find out who goes to the finals on Dancing with the Stars. We have our favorites, as I'm sure everyone does. I hope the best dancer wins. You just never know how folks will vote. I guess we'll just wait and find out.
Tonight we sat and watched the fog roll in over the campground. It looks really eerie out there. Looks likes one of those old Dracula movies. I hope it improves by the morning so we can go to see the Choo Choo in Chattanooga. It should be fun.

Hiking Sitton's Gulch Trail

2009-11-09T14:21:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, along with Ron and Ann, we set off hiking on the Sitton's Gulch Trail. Tom followed Ron down the mountain to the parking area to leave his truck, and drove back up to their camping spot on the east rim. From there we hiked on down to see the waterfalls at the bottom of the canyon. The waterfall trail is about 2 miles round trip. Not bad except for the 1200 steps. We only went down, so we went about 600 steps. Then we crossed the bridge to where the Gulch trail starts. It works it's way along the bottom of the west side of the canyon following Daniel Creek. The way the creek tumbles and falls over numerous falls and cascades is so beautiful Tom took some great pictures, and could have taken so many more. We stopped about half way and had a snack and a drink. Although we started off at 11:00 and ended at about 3:15, we had a really wonderful day. After the hike we all decided to go for pizza at Rafael's. It doesn't matter what size pizza you order, you get one free. It was really good. No doubt we'll be back before we leave here.
Yesterday we stayed around home trying to rest our aching legs. We fixed some ribs on the grill. With a side of my cole slaw and some fried okra. MMMMMMM!!! We ate outside at the picnic table. I think the temp went up to about 75. What a perfect day.
Just before I went to bed on Saturday night I received a phone call from Joan. She lives across from us at How Kola. She had some bad news for us. Our friends Butch and Jo Miller from up there were just starting to go full timing in their new fifth wheel. They were excited to be going traveling. Butch retired last year, and when they got the new trailer they thought they had a piece of heaven. Joan called to tell us that Butch had had an apparent heart attack while diving and hit a vehicle on the side of the road. They think he was gone before impact. Jo is in a hospital in Johnson City Tenn. quite banged up. The truck is totally gone, but the trailer seems to be OK. I really don't know much more than that, but we are saddened by the thought they didn't get far. Jo has a lot on her plate right now. Her health isn't really all that good, but she seemed to be getting so much better this summer. We worry about her. Butch, rest in peace our friend.
That's the ups and downs of the weekend. Two days left till we start working. The rain is on the way. I don't imagine there will be many campers out in the bad weather.The bright colors are fading to rusts and browns and are still beautiful. This is a beautiful peaceful place. Some of God's handiwork.

Cloudland Canyon State Park

2009-11-06T19:37:00.002-05:00

Here we are at the beautiful state park in northern Georgia. We arrived last Saturday, and started work the next morning. We worked for 5 days, and now we are off for 5. Our jobs are to clean the bathhouses each day, and keep the camp sites clean. Selling wood is, I suppose, is also one of our duties. If someone comes in after the office closes we have to get the nights fee. A golf cart is ours for the month. Oh, I forgot. When we checked in they asked if we could stay on for an extra week. As of right now our leaving date is Dec. 9. Folks here are really friendly and the campers are vary good at keeping things tidy. This weekend is fully booked, and we have a family with 3 little girls next door. It's nice to hear children.
Today we took a trip to a Civil War Battlefield. It's a really nice place not unlike Gettysburg, Pa. Tom wanted to get his America the Beautiful Pass. We were going to get it before we left home, but with getting ready to travel we forgot. The good news is that the state parks in Louisiana take the pass. After Christmas we plan on going there for maybe a month. We'll see. Gotta go get some of that good Cajun food. Tomorrow we plan to go to the lookout path. It overlooks the canyon, and is really stunning this time of year. I'm afraid we'll miss peak season for the leaves, but we missed it by about a week. Believe me, we know how many leaves have fallen, Tom blows out the sights. Sometimes you can't even see where they are because there are so many leaves falling on them. I'm sure it will still be wonderful.
Last night we went to a pot luck dinner. One pair of volunteers is leaving, and we were welcomed. I made a chicken pot pie that came out really good. I also took a loaf of bread I made in the morning. Ann, with her husband Ron, have given us lots of instruction and have have been very nice to us. They work over at the East Rim Campground. We work on the West Rim. She loved the bread, so I gave her the leftovers. There was lots of good food, and about 26 really nice folks to eat it. Including rangers and their families. It seems we'll have a great month.
So many times we are happy to report how many good people we find where ever we happen to stop. Whether we stay for a day or a month. It does the heart good.

A Good Day

2009-10-29T21:00:00.003-04:00

First let me start by saying we are Mets fans. OK When you finish laughing you can read the rest......Done now? The reason we want the Phillies to win is because they are a National League team. They are also from PA. as are we. As I write this the Phils lead 1-0 with 2 on base. Go Phillies.
Today started off on a good foot with the sun shining and warmer than it has been.
Tom went out and washed the car and Emily, and it went down hill from there. I did some cleaning inside, and we took a break for lunch. The sun disappeared and sure enough during the afternoon it started to rain. It rained on and off. Right now there is no precipitation. The forecast is nice till Saturday, which is moving day. Oh well, it could be worse.
I did the pleasant job of defrosting the fridge today. It doesn't really take too long once you get started, bu you have to do something with all the food in the freezer while you do it. We have a nice size cooler and I fit everything in that. So it's all clean and shiny now.
Tomorrow we may go out and pick up a few things we need before we go to Cloudland. They have trick or treating there, so we'll have to pick up some candy or something for the kids who come along. If it rains we'll have to eat it ourselves. And of course some wine. Can't go far without it.

Cool Damp Day

2009-10-28T20:32:00.004-04:00

The past couple of days have been rainy and cool. Today in the afternoon it finally started to clear out and the sun showed it face till sunset. Tomorrow should be better. I wanted to do the laundry today, but the facility here isn't so great. It has 2 each washer and dryer, one of each is out of order. We decided to wait till our next stop. I just wanted a fresh start when we leave here. Oh well.
I was going to make stew for supper, but it ended up to be really great vegetable beef soup instead. I just kept adding stuff I found in the fridge and cupboard. We have some left over, so that will be good to have on travel day. We just paid for a few more days here. At 2 bucks a day you can't go wrong. While the soup was cooking we watch a movie called "Camilla". It has Bridget Fonda and Jessica Tandy starring. Some of it was filmed at one of our favorite places. We both said at the same time, "Isn't that Jekyll Island?" If you have never been there, you won't be disappointed if you make the trip. It's on the coast of Georgia just north of Jacksonville, Florida. Somewhere in the blog are the pics, but they don't do it justice.
Tomorrow will probably be cleaning day. Tom has some things to do outside, and I have the inside to take care of. Maybe we'll be able to open the windows and get some fresh air in here. I've been fighting a sinus thing that I get every fall. It seems to be almost gone now. Just the post nasal drip left. I'll take that over not breathing at night. Of course, Tom doesn't get colds anymore since he drinks his green tea. He swears by it, and I think it works for him. Now it's time to watch the Phillies win the World Series. We hope.

Cumberland State Park

2009-10-25T17:26:00.004-04:00

As I told you all last post, we were on our way out to dinner at the State Park. We sure weren't disappointed. The catfish (the Friday special) was absolutely amazing. The salad bar was just right, and didn't hinder our appetite for the fish. Ton doesn't usually like fish, but this he was waiting for. It's lightly breaded and seasoned to perfection. It just melted in your mouth. There was also baked fish, roast beef and gravy, cold baked ham, cabbage salad (not our favorite), hush puppies(which weren't hard but soft and wonderful), mashed potatoes. greens, and a bunch of other good things to choose from. The desserts, spelled with double S because you want 2 helpings, were delicious. Cherry cobbler or hot brownie sundae that you could top with soft serve ice cream. Then of course their famous home made banana pudding. I went for the brownie, Tom for the banana pudding. Needless to say, we waddled on home. A wonderful ending to a rainy day.
Yesterday and today we went running around doing some errands. We've been having trouble with our car battery, and when we figured out it was the original that came with the car, we thought it was time we replaced the poor hard working thing. No Sam's Club here, and Wal-Mart doesn't carry it, so we went to Auto Zone. They had to get it from another store, so we went back today. We had been waited on by the store manager, and when we went back today he had ordered the higher priced battery, but gave it to us for the other price. Tom put it in, and off we went.
We also took the short drive over to the flea market. It's advertised to be the biggest in Tenn. It is quite large, but a good portion of the vendors are done for the year. It was still a good hours exercise. On the way home we stopped at the bakery outlet. It's hard for me to pass up a Hostess Snowball. We picked up a few things there and came on home.
Sunday is the day to check in with our Moms, and we did that, too. Now we'll call Connor, and relax for the rest of the evening. What a wonderful day. The sun is shining on the trees bringing out the lovely colors, and we just look out the windows watch the beauty. What could be better?

Fall Creek Falls State Park.

2009-10-23T12:53:00.003-04:00

As we leave behind the Raccoon Valley Escapee park we head west to our Coast to Coast home park at Crossville, Tenn. The location is perfect for those who like to visit some beautiful scenery. We took a trip yesterday about 25 mile away to the Fall Creek Falls State Park. Within the park is the tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mts. Also are a number of other falls that are quite beautiful. Add to that the colors of Autumn, and you have a wonderful day of beauty and exercise. The walk to see each of the different falls isn't very long, but some are rocky and steep. It's not for the folks who have trouble with knees or ankles. I suppose it would be difficult in the rain, I wouldn't want to slip and fall on any of the pathways.
You can also walk out on any of 3 suspension bridges that span out over the water. There are a number of hiking trails, including the one that goes to the base of the falls. The sign says it's not an easy hike, and it's not short. I imagine the view wuld be spectacular, though.
As nice as the day was, we had a somethiong great waiting for us on the way home. Just before you get into the park we spotted a place called the Fire House BBQ. Outside was a big smoker, and we decided to stop after the park. We were so anxious to get some good BBQ. IT WAS SO GOOD!!! The menu isn't large, but you do have some choices. We chose the BBQ sandwich and fries. It was juicy and warm, with just the right amount of sauce, and the mound of fries was just enough to finish filling up the tummy. When we come back to this area we;ll definately go back.
Today we are sitting tight waiting for the supper hour to arrive. The Cumberland Mt. State Park has a wonderful buffet. Each night they have a different special. Tonight is the catfish night. Tom has been waiting for this. Also their home made banana pudding. Saturday is rib night. Another night is fried chicken. Always at least 3 different meats. I'll write more about that tomorrow.
We are spending a very rainy and windy day inside. At least it's a little warmer. Hopefully it will continue to be. We've had enough of the 30 degree temps. After Christmas we'll get really warm.

Barb and Roy with Italian Food

2009-10-18T17:47:00.003-04:00

Friday afternoon we pulled into the Escapees Park in Raccoon Valley Tennessee. Bard and Roy Dalton, who worked at CARE with us, are working here till the end of the month. We decided to go out to eat after Roy was done for the day. They took us to a new place called Gondoliers'. They have the best Italian food! First they give you fresh baked garlic bread sticks with dipping sauce. Then comes your big salad, and your appetizer. We chose bruchetta. It alone was terrific. By the time the main course came, we were wondering where we would fine a place in our tummies to put some of it. I managed about 1/3 of my Veal Roma. It's veal with eggplant and ricotta cheese, and the rest of the plate was filled with spaghetti. Then as always it's covered with some great sauce. I'm telling you. It is so delicious. Tom managed about 1/2 of his ravioli combination. Cheese, meat and spinach. We waddled on out without even thinking about dessert. It was hard to pass them up. Stuff like 5, ye 5 layer chocolate cake, and a pie that was about 8 inches high. I don't even know what kind it was. There just wasn't any room. Needless to say we took a couple of menus that had addresses of the others so we can have another great eating experience.
Today we went over to the ice cream social. Most, if not all, of the SKP parks have an ice cream social once a week. The days vary, but they are much the same. For a dollar you get a big hunk of ice cream, take it over to the topping table to put on what you want. Of course the toppings vary from place to place. This time I had cookie dough and Tom had strawberry. Yummy. Then we went for a walk around the park.
Now we are in for the evening and I think popcorn for me tonight. Tom had a bowl of cereal. Did I forget to mention that I fixed dinner today? Roast chicken, stuffing and gravy, peas for me, and cauliflower for Tom. Tuesday is pot luck. I still don't know what I'll make. It depends on what's in the freezer and the cupboard. Some folks say RVer's eat their way across the country. Maybe what they say is true. You can get some good recipes. Don't you wish you were here? We're glad we are.

Our Last Weekend at How Kola

2009-10-09T15:20:00.002-04:00

Today is Friday and that means the final weekend for us here at home. By home I mean our home campground. Depending on the weather, we will be heading out on Wed. or Thur. Our daughter Robin has the day off from school for the holiday, and she is going to fix Tom supper and have a cake. That should be the end of the trips down the mountain. We'll take Connor home, and finish packing up. Most of the other folks here are already winterized, and those who aren't will be by Sunday evening. Some might come up for an afternoon and sit out, and some will stick it out till the last second. It's sad to say "so long" to folks knowing you won't see them till next July. The hardest is the grandson. We really miss him when we're away. He loves the packages we send him each month.
Yesterday we went up to see Mom. She seems pretty good considering, and we know she is well taken care of. The rest of my family is there, so I know she won't be lonely. We know she's happy we're doing this RVing thing. The scenery was soooo beautiful! I would say we picked the perfect day for the trip. The sun was shining on the mountains, and the trees where, I'd say, at their peak. It was a gorgeous day.
Today we took the Christmas tree and decorations from under the bed to leave them at Robin's house for the year. Since we are coming home for the holidays, we decided to leave them. It makes room for my bread maker, which really makes me happy. Now I can make sticky buns and cinnamon rolls when ever I want. Maybe even with cream cheese icing. Are you hungry yet? I always made them at home and sold batches of them during Thanksgiving and Christmas. I've been missing it. I'm sure Tom will be glad we found room for it. Anyone who is likely to cross paths with us, please let us know. Maybe a batch will be waiting for you.
Drive careful.

Fall Is Here

2009-10-07T10:36:00.006-04:00

Now is the time for most of the RVers to hit the road going south. Tom and I are no exception. Emily has been scrubbed inside and out, and has a new satellite dome. It has been getting chilly here during the night, and the electric blanket is back on the bed. God's paintbrush has been busy with all of the maples and birch, etc., and the campground is beautiful. I went out yesterday for a short walk and took the camera with me. The sun was shining through the partly cloudy sky, and I think I took some great pictures. I put one on face book and everyone liked it. When Tom gets home (he's at breakfast with the guys) he will add some to this post.
As most of you know, we will be camp hosting in a State Park in Georgia for the month of November. Cloudland Canyon State Park is in the northwestern corner of the state just south of Chattanooga, Tenn. This will be our first try at camp hosting, and I think we should be fine. Anyone in the area please stop in to see us. We are anxious to start seeing our traveling friends again.It's nice being home, but we are getting antsy to get moving.
Connor will be spending the weekend with us. We'll be missing his birthday again this year, so we plan to take him out shopping and celebrating his birthday and Tom's. Tom will be 62 on Saturday, and can't wait for his National Park Pass. I should also mention is Social Security. But that won't come till December. Columbus Day falls this weekend so we get an extra day. I hope the weather stays fairly nice.
Tomorrow we plan to take one more trip up to see my Mom in upstate N.Y. It's supposed to be sunny and warm, so a day trip it is. Then all of our commitments will be covered and we will be free to leave when we are ready. It's been a very cool rainy summer, with a few warm days thrown in there. I think we had the air on twice just to see if it still worked. We have a nice shady site, and we don't really need it. I think we'll hit the road either Tuesday or Wednesday. On the move again....AHHHHH.

Finally Summer

2009-08-13T14:54:00.003-04:00

I know...It's about time I posted. We have had some lazy days and some busy days. It has rained so much this summer, it has been hard to find a few nice days together to do anything. We did manage to have 4 out of 5 days the week we helped with Cub Scout Day Camp. What a joy. Somewhere in the range of 60 kids. Tom helped out with the bee bee shooting range. Myself and Amy had charge of the Pixies. Those are kids whose parents are helping out elsewhere with the cubs. We had anywhere between 5 and 8 kiddos to keep busy. We hiked, explored, did crafts, and just played games. It was a terrific week. Our son Tom was the Program director. He did all the planning and had great special visitors everyday. One was the County Coroner, another was a deputy sheriff, and a State Trooper. I think they liked the trooper the best. He gave a really great discussion and answer time. But they really got excited when he opened the trunk and got to the good stuff. According to the scouts, anyway. When he started to pull out the riot gear and shot gun they got really excited. What a good week we had. If need be, we will be ready to go back next year. We were very tired every night, but we really enjoyed it.
The other night we went to St. Benedict,s summer bazaar. Man, talk about good food. Any thing you could think of in Northeaster Pa.bazaar food they had it. Of course we came home feeling over full. Most everyone in our campground goes at least one night. Good food at good prices and live entertainment. What a combination.
We have also spent lots of time at our daughter's house. (formerly ours) Yesterday we cut down 2 small trees. What a job that was! But the yard looks so much better. We still have some work to do up in the attic to get things where they belong. We've gotten rid of so much this year. We had a yard sale which didn't bring in much, but lots of stuff is gone. Some things went to Goodwill which is where it should have gone in the first place.
We've had some problems also this summer. Our GPS Nelly died. Now we have her sister who is the smarter of the two. She as lots of features Nelly didn't have. One of our lap tops bit the dust. We had just bought a new monitor because the screen cracked and stopped working. We had used it with a TV, but the new monitor took up much less space, which is important in a motor home. Then the compressor we had stopped. Now we have a bigger one. Also the weed wacker quit. I know there were other things that broke, but they were the big ones. Tank God it wasn't the fridge or furnace, or something big like that. We all know things like that happen once in a while. Ours just all happened at once.
I think that's enough for one post. The next one will have more news. We hope everyone is having a good summer. We are!

Having a Great Week

2009-07-17T12:55:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend we traveled to upstate New York. My high school class was celebrating our 60th birthdays with a get-together. It was so great to see old friends. Tom stayed at the campground, and had a surprise visit with my brother Ken. My friend Penny picked me up and off we went. There are no friends like old friends.
On Tuesday some of the girls got together again just to go out and gab. We had some finger food and drinks at the Solsville Hotel. Just a great time again. We had hugs and kisses and hope to do it again next year. I had some nice time with my Mom. On Tuesday when I was visiting her my sister came in. The three of us laughed a lot and really enjoyed being together.
On Wednesday we hooked up and and headed for Troy, Pa. They have a great fairground there, and we met up with Escapes Chapter 20. Since we are new members of the chapter, we have met some wonderful new friends. Last night we all went out to the Edgewood, The food was good and so was the company. Most of us had either fried chicken or lasagna. They were the specials for the night. Everyone declined dessert, but didn't go away hungry.
Today is registration, and supper will be hot dogs and chili. Tomorrow is breakfast, then times for crafts or games or just exploring the area. Of course the pot luck on Saturday night is a given. Nothing like pot lucks at a rally. I made some spaghetti and meat sauce to take. Since I will be teaching some folks about Swedish weaving tomorrow, I thought I better cook today. It'll taste better after it seasons through.
We have had a camp fire every night so far because the weather has been so nice for the past few days. Today it has rained some. We'll see how it goes tonight. Soon we'll be off to registration, so the rally will be officially underway. There's nothing like a group of SKPs to get a good time going. Ya gotta love 'em.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

2009-06-22T19:41:00.005-04:00

I'm sure we're not the only ones who are sick of the rain. But enough is enough already. Today is the first day that the sun was up before us and was still there at supper. Mind you, it wasn't there all day, but we're not complaining. The week looks a lot better than anything we've seen since we've been home.
All was not lost. Connor came to visit for a couple of days, and boy did we have a good time. Our daughter had given him this dinosaur thing. It has these little plastic dinos hidden in a block of hard clay. In the box comes a wooden hammer, a pointed punch, paint, and a couple of brushes. We had the greatest time finding the dinos by chipping away the clay. It was like being archaeologists. He found 5 different types, and was thrilled. When the rain stopped we went outside and he started to paint them. Some he saved for the next time. Also we spent many enjoyable hours playing Battleship, Go Fish, and other games he likes.
On up to the playground, but it was so wet he had to take off his shoes just to play on the swing. Every kid loves to put their feet in puddles. He had such a good time till the thunder started. What was weird, was he read to me at bedtime in stead of me reading to him. I thought it was cool. It was so wonderful having him to ourselves for awhile.
Over the weekend we had more company. We babysat for the granddogs. Geroge and Jax came for 2 nights while Robin sanded and painted the hallway floor. They really enjoyed taking walks through the campground. I suppose there are so many good dog type smells for them to sniff, like chippys and ducks and geese, and other dogs. Of course, because of the rain, we spent lots of time inside. As you will see in the pictures, they like lots of lap time, and they also helped me with my knitting. Just before they left, George got his toy stuck in one of the skeins of yarn, and I had to untangle the whole thing. What a mess. It was hairy yarn on top of it all. It took less time than I thought going into the job. We so enjoy having them. Tom says George is a good Escapee. When you ask him for a hug he gets excited and jumps up and delivers. All the while he's moaning and groaning like you wouldn't believe. They both sure know how to show their love, and we sure do take all they give.
Today we both had doctor appointments. Everything looks good, and tomorrow we go get the blood work. I have to make appointments for bone scan and mammogram. We're hoping all checks out OK. Also tomorrow we pick up our new eye glasses and I go to the dentist. Busy, busy. busy. We'll have to get on the road to rest. Only kidding. The sooner we get all this done, the sooner we're free to do what we want. It's still good to be home for a time.

Catching Up

2009-06-10T14:30:00.002-04:00

Tom and I have been very busy since we pulled in. A couple of trips down to our daughter's house (formerly ours) to retreive some of the stuff we store there for the winter. What with raking leaves and washing the deck and getting things back to the way we want them, the days are flying by. Our grandson had a couple of baseball games left, so of course we went to see them. Big hugs there. He is still in school till the end of the week, and his week-end is busy, so maybe he'll be with us next week for a few days.
Last night I went down to have the end of year picnic with my group of ladies from the church. It was so good to see everyone. Our pastor is leaving our church at the end of June, and we plan to spend every Sunday there till she leaves. Also there will be a send off open house which we have tickets for. This coming Sunday there will be a dedication for items given to the church by the Hochenbury Family. Our good friend Marge Hockenbury passed away a few days after my Dad. She had been our next door neighbor for many many years, and we miss her terribly.
As you can see we have been busy, and will continue to be busy while we are home. We have a few trips planned for the summer, and will be in and out of the campground. Monday we took a trip to Upstate New York to see my Mom. She is doing quite well. We had a really nice visit. We'll go again next month.
I spent a few hours today cleaning and polishing the wood in Emily. Now that some of my muscles are poking at me, I think I'll call it quits for the day. Tomorrow we have eye appointments for new glasses. I really need them. Tom too. As I'm writing this, our hummers come and go for drinks. The feeder is on the window here by the table. They were looking before I even put out the feeder.
It's good to be hime for a while, but I knoe we will be anxious to get going again in September. What a blessing to be able to do this thing we do.

A Great Finish to the Month of May.

2009-06-02T20:09:00.003-04:00

The month of May may not have started so great, but the end was worth waiting for. The Elks Pre-Rally and the Escapade were both great fun. We enjoyed the Escapade so much I don't think we'll miss any more of them. We had get-togethers with the Class of 2007, and fellow CARE volunteers. We are now RCAs. Roving Care Ambassadors. That is one thing we are proud of.
Escapees do some good things for charity. The quilters make quilts for CARE, and this year some went to a battered women and children shelter. I wish our schedule had given me some more time to get to help them out. Next time I will make the time. Another thing we SKPs do is make little baby hats. They are donated to hospitals. Some 1500 of them were given out this year. Also some were given to a local charity that give hats to children who have none. If a child goes to school without a hat, they have one when they go home. I have been making hats all the way home. When we stopped to visit my cousin on the way home, she gave me a bagful of yarn for baby hats. Thanks to my friend Bobby from the class of 2007 I have started knitting again. I wish she was closer so she could teach me more.
We went out to eat more in the past 2 weeks than we have in the last couple of months. We'll miss all of our friends while we are home, but it's so go to be here. Our daughter came up to night and brought some pizza and wings. She also brought the dogs, and Tom's Mom. It was fun feeding the dogs the pizza bones. You know---the crusts. That's what our grandson calls them. They were so excited to be here. I thought they would have forgotten, but no. They cried when they saw us. It's not very warm here. At least not what we're used to. I know it will warm up though.
Tom is very tired from driving for 4 days. The last night we were in Sedalia we were in the parking lot on the asphalt. When we were leaving we had Emily weighed. She's must be doing things right, she is not over weight. We could still put in a few hundred lbs. on the front tires. So many of the rigs had to be towed out because of the wet ground. Emily was such a good girl and simply drove right out. God love her. We stayed at Wal-Mart the first 2 nights, and at a Coast 2 Coast park in western PA. last night. 3 nights of dry camping. Not bad. It was nice to have full hook-ups last night. A couple of days of cleaning, and then we'll settle for a rest. Just take in the birds and chippies and bunnies. What a way to spend the day. Life's good.

Escapade 2009 Sedalia, Mo.

2009-05-25T22:31:00.002-04:00

Here we are at Escapade. This is our first time,m but it won't be our last. One of the first things we did is go to the CARE booth. WE visited with Doug and Sandy for a while, then did the vendors. One thing we bought is an Escapee plaque for Emily's back ladder. It has our names and SKP #. Yesterday we dropped off a blanket I did for CARE and chatted with Kay and Joe Peterson. They are the founders and owners of the Club. They are mostly retired now, but it is run by second and third generations.
On we went to Chapter Row. Most of the chapters are represented, along with the BOFs. They are Birds of a Feather groups. For example-wood carvers, quilters, beaders, hikers, boon dockers, etc. We stopped and visited with the folks from Chapter 19 of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. We became members while there during the winter. It was good to see them. Tomorrow we will go sit in for them so they can take a break. We are also scheduled to do the same for Doug and Sandy on Thursday.
Today I went to a craft class on quilting. It wasn't what I expected. If I have time I may help with a CARE quilt. That way I can really learn.
Last night they had the best group of entertainers we've seen in a long time. At the last rally we saw Neil Sedaka and the Osman Brothers and both were really great. But last night was New Odessey. Three really talented guys who play 30 different instruments. What a show they put on. On of the most entertaining renditions of IN A GADA DA VIDA that I've ever heard. They blew the roof off the place. If you ever get a chance to see them, do so. They are truly terrific. Tonight's group was the Brent Family. We didn't stay to see the whole performance. It wasn't our cup of tea. Too much running all over the stage while they tried to sing. Made me dizzy. Sometimes I couldn't understand what they were singing. Day after tomorrow is a show by SKPs. It should be fun. In the morning Wednesday is the dog show. Jay from our class is going to dress up like Elvis and the Schnauzer, Lulu, will be dressed as Peggy Sue. Can't wait to see that.
Last night we went to a Chinese buffet with some fellow elks, and members of the SKP CO-OP THE RANCH at Lakewood, New Mexico. We had a really good time. Tonight we came home and had soup. It warmed us up, what with all this rain. It has poured all day. Everything is saturated. Let me tell you--we have seen enough of Missouri rain!
Pictures will be in next time, it is late and time for bed. I wanted everyone to know what a good time we are having here. There is nothing like a bunch of SKPs.

Elks Pre Rally

2009-05-21T21:33:00.004-04:00

Here we are at the Elks pre-rally. Actually it's a pre-Escapade. We have met some really nice folks, as is usual for any bunch of SKPs we have come across. The rally is in the Boone County Fairgrounds in Columbia, Mo. Today most of us took a trip about 30 miles north to the Cooper Oak Winery. This little winery makes all of it's own barrels, and the barrels for many others, plus grows the grapes and makes the wine. Hence the name Cooper Oak. They also cut their own trees and cut the wood to make the barrels. First came the tour of the cooperage. What a thing to watch. It was very noisy so no one talked till we got to a quieter section of the barn. We saw most every step in the process of making the barrels. The first stop was the cutting of the slats. then we saw them fire them. Then came the metal band, and all the rolling and coating and sanding. They sell most of the barrels they make to wineries in California. Some go to South America some to Japan and some to China. They keep some. The owner says he gets to keep the rejects for himself. I don't suppose there is anything really wrong with the ones he keeps. They like to make at least 100 a week. Some weeks are busier that others.
Then came the wine tasting. Now I don't like wine, and Tom does. But...I bought 2 bottles and he didn't buy any. I really liked the ice wine. I also got the sweet white. I'll get it out for a special occasion. A good time was had by all.
At 5:30 we had our pot luck. I took my famous cheesy potatoes. The ones our son calls heart attack potatoes. There was a really nice variety of really good food. We all ate too much and rolled on out afterwards.
tomorrow morning we may go into town for a while. They have a candy factory tour that some folks have taken, and they say it's quite interesting. Well, I for one would love a tour of a candy factory. Maybe buy some product. A walking tour of downtown may also be on the to do list. We'll have to see how much time we have. Tomorrow night is our catered dinner. I think it's chicken. I'm not sure. They take care of everything. All we have to take is ourselves. That shouldn't be to hard.
Today we also talked to Sandy and Doug Cameron from the CARE Center. They are on their way to Escapade. Can't wait to see them. I have finished a blanket for the raffle that the CARE booth has. I hope it brings them lots of moola. Donations have been down some with this economy, as are most donations. The Elks here are having a silent auction to benefit CARE, and also drawings every night. Such good folks.
Some folks from the class of 2007 are on the volunteer list for parking and such and are already at the Escapade. We got a call today from Marcia and Joe. They were wondering if we were coming in early. Not till after this Elks rally. We'll all still get together while we are there. Can't wait for those hugs. See you all in a few days. Hugs for all till we arrive.

Branson, Mo

2009-05-14T13:25:00.003-04:00

Where do I start? Is it with the rain? Is it with the tornadoes? Well, it's rained just about everyday since we've been here. By here I mean Turkey Creek Escapee Park in Branson Missouri. We checked in April 29th. We have been up to the stone house, which is the storm shelter, 2 times. Once was before breakfast, and the other was last night. I woke up Tom and told him to get dressed because the horn was going to go off. Sure enough. Within 5 minutes we were out the door. We were lucky both times and didn't have anything to worry about. I'd rather be safe than sorry. The Turkey Creek is over it's banks, but not into the campground yet. This morning we were told there were 2 water moccasins down by the water mating. They tried to get them, but they think they both got away. We still are supposed to get more rain this afternoon. When will it stop?
Not all has been yucky since we've been here. We have seen some great entertainment. We went to see Jim Stafford at his theater. We remember seeing his TV show in the 70's. He was funny and told some terrific stories. He still plays the guitar like no body's business. He has magic fingers. His kids both played piano, and did other bit parts. I'd recommend it to anyone. Last night at the campground they had some very talented folks. Gordy Wensel and Debbie Kaye. They have regular jobs at the Hard Luck Cafe here in Branson where they are Singing Servers. They did a mixture of country, 50's and 60's, gospel, and comedy. It was just as good as any show worth $25.00. We put money in the tip jar, and if we go back to the Rio Grande Valley next winter we will stop in to hear them again when they perform there. They had another fella with them. I can't remember his name, but I wish I could. He was really good. He has started to work with them at the Cafe. He does a lot of Elvis. He'll do well here.
One day was sunny for a couple of hours, so we went to town. They have an old 5 & 10 here that everyone goes to. You can find some really neat things there. The only thing is the taxes you have to pay when you buy anything. We picked up a couple of items, but the tax is between 14 and 15 %!!! Everything is is way out of line. It seems everyone has a gimmick. All these signs for half price tickets, but you have to go to these timeshare seminars. One guy was going to give us $100 to go to one. Ya right! Man sometimes they almost drag you into the shop. Then they find out your an RVer, and they tell you they can't do business with us. That made me really mad. Not that I would have sat through any hour of selling, but to me it was discrimination. Oh well. We've decided we won't be back anyway.
On Mothers' Day we went to Shoney's for the breakfast buffet. We have been going to go since we go to the south. Wrong place at the wrong time I guess. We enjoyed it. We always do. Everything is fresh out of the kitchen, and they have just about anything you want. Yummy! After Jim Stafford we went to Penny Gilley's. She started the small restaurant because she couldn't find anything Cajun here. She is from Louisiana, and was missing the good food. We each had Jambalaya, Tom had a roast beef Po Boy, and I had a shrimp Po Boy. We were sitting there eating, and in she came. She stopped at each table and chatted for a bit. They sold Abita Rootbeer. We hadn't had that since Abita Springs, La. The food was great, and we enjoyed meeting her. Bye the way, She is related to Mickey Gilley only through a former marriage, and she has her own show on RFD TV. Nice lady.
Tonight we are going to the dine-out. We will be going with other campers here to The Rib Crib for the all you can eat rib night. Sounds good to me. We'll let you all know how it goes. If it is as good as the dine-in we'll be happy. The other night at the dine-in we had lasagna, garlic bread, green beans, salad, dessert, and beverage. It's prepared by the managers here, and it was delicious. They have a dinner here every Tuesday. They do a good job on them.
I think that's all. If I think of other things, I'll write it next time. I was a bit under the weather for a few days, and when I did the last post I didn't put in some things. So if you read it before I added the hummers and prairie dogs, check it out again. I love to look at those pictures. Soon we will be on the move. On our way to Escapade. Can't wait to see some our friends. Then on to home. It will be good to be home for awhile.

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

2009-05-08T15:12:00.004-04:00

What a wonderful place! We found the campground and signed in at the little building. The campground is in the woods like the campgrounds we used to go to with the pop-up years ago. One of the first things we noticed were the hummers. Right after we set up, Tom suggested we get out the feeder. I mixed up some hummer juice, and filled the feeder and put it on the window. It took maybe 2 minutes for the little beauties to find it. They were all over it. What fun we had having breakfast with our little friends. The birds were everywhere. We woke up each morning to their singing. I even saw a summer tanager. He was bright red, like a cardinal, but shaped more like a robin. He was beautiful. I wish I had gotten a picture, but he was only there briefly. In the evening is when the deer came out. One night about 15 or so came walking by and decided to rest for a bit in a campsite across from ours was empty. We got some photos, but one of them was trying to play with the others, and they finally got up and stated to romp and play. Soon they went on their way. One morning I thought I heard a turkey gobble. I got out of bed and sure enough there he was. At the top of his lungs walking through the campground at about 7:30. I wish I had that picture, too. He was the biggest turkey I ever saw.
The reason we decided to come here was for the buffalo and long horn cattle that roam on the open range. The herds number around 6 to 7 hundred. What a sight to see. At one point we had to stop the car and just watch them as the grazed near the side of the road. They were so close to us we could have reached out to touch them. Of course they could have been dangerous. They have a herd of elk also, but the didn't come out. It was windy, and elk don't like the wind. It's something about these little hairs they have. We did get our fill of the buffalo, though. maybe next time we'll see the elk. Definitely there will be a next time.
One of our favorite things to do is watch prairie dogs. Well, they are in abundance at the refuge. As you drive over the rise you have to go really slow. They have homes on both sides of the road, and they don't look both ways. In fact they will yell at you if you don't pay attention to them. They are just so busy. We had watched them in Williams, AZ when we were there visiting the Grand Canyon last year, but we didn't get this close. You could get out and walk around them, but they are wild, and it isn't a good idea to get too close. My favorite picture is of this fat little guy sitting up. Wait till you see it. We went back a second day just to watch them.
We collected enough wood to have a small fire and did hot dogs. They taste so good over the fire. I had some marshmallows, and the fire was just about out. There is so much to see in the refuge. It's such a beautiful drive. We'er so glad we went.

Amarillo, Texas

2009-05-04T18:44:00.003-04:00

While at the Rally and going around the vendors, we found a place called Oasis RV resort in Amarillo. It's a really nice park with big sites. It's a Passport America campground, and it had no limited stay. I suppose because it is a nearly new place it needs to promote itself for awhile. The biggest plus was the free-yes that's right, free-laundry. You can do as much as you want, as many times as you want. They have 3 buildings with 4 washers and 4 dryers each. I was nice and only used 2 at a time. Some folks used all 4, which made it difficult. The Rally closed on Tuesday morning, and the Oasis was just the right distance away to stop for the night. Because we left the rally a day early and stopped the first night in Tucumcari, we arrived before everyone else who decided to stop there. It was just the right distance from Albequeque for what most RVers drive, and lots of folks came in for a couple of days. We were staying for a few days, so I waited to do laundry until most of the others were gone.
Right down the road was the Cadillac Ranch. I wanted to stop there because I had seen it in pictures and read about it. It's 10 old cadillacs buried face down headed west. Well, I was disappointed. It was in a field that was plowed, ready for planting. Yes there is a very wide pathway that you use to walke to it from the road, but that was it. I thought it would be in some sort of area with grass or a plaque, or at least some sort of explanation. There was nothing but the walkway and the cars. That is unless you count all the empty paint cans that folks just throw on the ground in stead of the dumpster put there for just that purpose.
One day we took off to find old Route 66. Of course we found it. Lot's of old gas stations-closed of course. Lot's of old places to eat. You just have to love the old buildings. They have an old theater that is redone, but we didn't see that. We then went to see the stockyards. Not much to that but lots of empty cattle pens. Maybe that is because we went on a day when the sale was 4 days away. Tom also gave Emily a good wash down. At the Oasis you can do it when ever you want. Not so at most RV parks. If we get back that way we will definately visit again.
Then it was off to one of my favorite places, Witchita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. You'll see read all about it next post.

Branson, Mo. and Rain

2009-05-01T16:05:00.004-04:00

Here we are in Branson, Missouri, and all we've had is rain, We have a pretty good signal here so the blog will keep me busy for a while. Tonight we will be going to Culver's for supper. We found it on the GPS quite by surprise. But for now, I will catch everyone up on where we have been lately, and what we've been doing.
I think the last thing I mentioned was our trip into Artesia in New Mexico. There are these great sculptures there that tell the story of the early days during the cattle drives. We did the walking tour. There is one that still has to be completed,m but maybe we'll see it next time we visit.
Then it was on the The Rally. Every year the Affinity Group put on the rally. They are Camping World, Coast to Coast, a magazine group, Good Sams Club. This year it was in Albuquerque. All of the RVs were parked at the Balloon Festival Park. The exhibits were about 30 to 40 minutes away in the fair grounds. Everyone was frustrated with the transportation. The organizers had contracted for tour buses to transport us from venue to venue. Well, not enough buses for the amount of folks. The first day we waited for 2 hours to get on a bus to the fair grounds, and another 2 hours to get one going back. Needless to say, we drove the rest of the time. That worked out quite well. I'm sure most everyone had a pretty good time. The first night we met some of the 2007 class for happy hour. It was good to see some folks we hadn't seen for some time. Another great thing was the entertainment they had scheduled. The first night was Neil Sedaka. He was really great. He hasn't lost a step. His voice was still as good as it always was. We really enjoyed him. the next night was Rita Coolidge. She wasn't my cup of tea, but Tom liked it. She was heavily into Jazz. Tom loves Jazz, so he was happy. Lot's of folks we talked to left early. The last night was the Osman brothers. What a show they put on. Man they are talented! It was Jay, Merle, and Wayne. They let us all know where and what the rest of the family is doing. With the great songs, and the things they put up on the big screens, it was one fabulous show.
We left the Rally on Monday. We had seen everything and done everything we wanted. We have decided to put in some solar panels so we can do more boon docking. That's another blog. Then it was on to Tucumcari, New Mexico. The old Route 66 goes right through the town. We stayed in the same place as last year. We also went to Ken's Ice Cream place. It's right down the road, and you get a really good size cone for about a buck. We only stayed overnight, then moved to Amarillo, Tx. I think that will be in for tomorrow. I'll have to make a few posts to catch up, and that way they won't be so long. Now Tom can put in the pictures. Enjoy.

Just an Update

2009-04-28T20:30:00.003-04:00

This is just an update till we get someplace where we have a really good cell phone signal. We have been at the Rally where we were dry camping (no hook-ups), and some places where we had little or no signal. We have some great pictures to share, but the signal has to be good to get the pictures all downloaded to Picasa. We revisited Tucumcari, New Mexico, and have spent some time in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. What a great place that was. Wait till you see the pictures.
Tomorrow we will be heading toward Branson Missouri. We are hoping to stay at the SKP park there, and then attend the Escapade. Maybe take in a couple of shows. As you can tell we are heading east. We hope to be home come the second week of June. It'll be good to be around family for a while. I have finished another blanket, and will be donating it for the CARE booth. It just needs the finishing touches. While we sit for a few days I'll catch up on some things that need to be done.
Right now we staying at an RV park that is loaded with bird life. They have feeders and houses out all over, and I am so enjoying it. I purchased a new bird book, and it is proving to be great. I bet we wake up to beautiful music tomorrow. Here's hoping for a great connection.

Trips From the Ranch

2009-04-07T19:45:00.003-04:00

The area within a few miles of the Ranch SKP park is rich in history and places to visit. Yesterday we did the trip to Carlsbad Caverns. It's about 50 miles away. As we drove up the National Park road we knew we would stop to take pictures on the way back. Very scenic. You have to check in as soon as you get into the building, pay for what ever tour you would like. There were quite a few to choose from. We opted for the self guided walking tour. Down we went 75 stories. Then we started walking. It was quite breathtaking. It's hard to get really good pictures because of the darkness. Tom did what he could. Other people had tripods set up. Really like pros. Well, we like what we saw, plus we got some good exercise while we were at it. When we came out we took some photos of the view from the top of the mountain. Magnificent. You could see for ever and a day. On the way down we did the same. Nothing like the high desert.
Today we went of to Roswell. About 70 miles away, it's the home of the UFO Museum. We walked around the exhibits and saw the short documentary. It's a lot of reading, and some repetition. Everyone makes up their own minds about what really happened in 1947 in the month of July. It was all pretty interesting, and we were glad we went. After the museum we went to get some Mexican food at the place down the street. It was OK. I would say average. Then we hit a T-shirt store for the grandson. Then we were on the way home.
In the little town of Artesia we stopped to take some pictures of the Trail Boss. It's a sculpture in the middle of town. In a couple of days we are going back to take the walking tour to see the rest of the sculptures they have located around the town. That way we get to see some of the place, and we get to meet some of the locals. That's what we like.
Tomorrow is a some cleaning and down time. It seems the wind is coming back as I'm writing. I hope we get some sleep tonight. Good thing we have nothing planned for tomorrow.

The Drive to The Ranch

2009-04-04T13:28:00.004-04:00

The day started out with our slide popping. We didn't know where the sound came from. Tom went up to the office to pay, and I found the problem. We had forgotten to remove the censor for the indoor-outdoor thermometer. I opened the slide and took it off. It closed fine. We started the 2 hour journey. A few miles up the road we saw a sign that said no vehicles over 11,000 pounds. Well, since we are about 26,000 we took the detour road. It took us miles out of our way. The road was so bad it was a miracle that anything worked when we stopped. We went on and on for miles. Then the wind came up. It was really bad. At one point we had to stop for Tom to check on things because a gust had blown something at us, and it made a terrible bang. We thought we had blown a tire. It must have been a stone or some sort of litter. Our 2 hour journey ended up to be about 4 hours of rough road and terrible winds.
When we finally got to the Ranch, we pulled in right behind a fifth wheel. We couldn't believe it was Deb and Rod from our class rally. That was the second time we met them by accident since leaving Bourne. They will be here for about 3 nights, We may stay for the week. The Ranch is near Carlsbad, and we want to see the Caverns. There is plenty to keep us busy while here. The folks greeted us with big SKP hugs. The wind just keeps blowing. In fact, it is still blowing. Here it is after noon on Saturday, and the wind isn't letting up. Poor Emily has been rocking for 24 hours now. It was so bad during the night that Tom got out of bed about 3:00 and stayed up. I stayed in bed just going in and out of sleep. This is the worst we have seen. No one is outside, and we don't plan on go out either. It's like a 24 hour earthquake. It's not supposed to stop till later on tonight or tomorrow morning.
I'm going to make dinner, and we'll enjoy some movies or whatever. Later the NCAA games will be on. We'll make it though and travel on. They say if you don't like the weather today stick around. That's what we plan to do.

Pecos SKP Tra Park

2009-04-02T16:19:00.003-04:00

After leaving Abilene we headed off to Pecos. Birthplace of the rodeo. We left early and had a nice travel day. It took us till about 1:30. We had stopped for a sandwich and to check the car about noon, so we could just set up when we stopped. Some friends of ours, Bobbi and Jim, and Leslie and Bill, had just been here before us. Through reading her blog we know sort of what to expect. The folks are very nice, but the park isn't much. The plan was to stay only a couple of nights.
When the office opened at 3:00 we went over and did the check in thing. Of course at SKP parks you don't pay till you leave, so they just took our info and sight number. The laundry is located in the office building, and as we were leaving someone stopped us to talk. The more we talked the more folks came in. Barb, one of the workers here, finally said we should all go to lunch the next day(yesterday). Everyone thought it was a great idea. The consensus was we would go to Alfredo's. So that's what 10 of us did. It's not much to look at, but the food is good, and you get a lot for your money. Tom and I both had the Mexican Plate with 1 taco 1 tamale, 1enchilada with red sauce, beans and rice. We were well pleased. The plate was only $6.95. They also start you off with this great salsa and chips. It was great. Hot, but great. My tongue hurt when we left. The food itself was not spicy, but that salsa sure was. They kept filling our drinks, too. If we were to stay another couple of days we would probably go again. At 7:00 we all met to play some Farkle. No one knew how to play, so Tom and I taught them. We played till around 9. Then called it a day. Nothing like and Escapees Park to meet great people.
Today we did the West of the Pecos Museum. It housed in the old hotel and saloon. There are even bullet holes in the wall and plaques that tell you where folks were shot. The whole history of the town and surrounding area is within the walls of the museum. They have so much stuff in there you could go back several times and still miss somethings. There are old clothes, furniture, doctors' office rooms, barber room, and off course the bridal suite. In the saloon this animated bartender talks about things that happened here in Pecos in the early days. From then on you are on your own. Lots of saddles, and western gear, kitchen tools, old pulpits from churches. You name it, it's in there. There is even an accounts receivable book from the mercantile. We really had a good time looking through the old place. Not a bad way to spend the morning.
After we came home for a sandwich we headed out for the park and zoo. Zoo, I use the term loosely. What a poor excuse for a zoo. It had peacocks and pea hens. 2 ostriches, 2 buffalo, 3 long horn cows, donkeys, and goats. That's it. So much for our trip to the zoo. Once there we found out we could have walked from the park. It sits right behind us.
There is an old train station that will house the Rodeo Hall of Fame, but it not open yet. I guess it's a work in progress. Pecos reminded us both of old route 66. It's a lot like Tucumcari New Mexico. There are so many old abandon gas stations and eateries along business 20. Buildings right out of the 50's. You can tell Pecos has seen better days. They are trying to build up downtown again, but there is a lot of work to be done. It's a great place to stay for a day or two. I suppose it gets quite busy during rodeo.
We have been having some very high winds. Last night we were rocking in the bed. It woke us up several times. Now today it is cooler, but very nice and sunny. Tomorrow we head out for the Ranch. It's another SKP Park, so we will be with friends again. If you aren't friends when you get there, you are when you leave. I hope the weather cooperates with us and the winds don't blow too hard. It's only about 2 hours away, so it'll be a short trip. I'm glad we stopped here. The home of Pecos Bill.

A Wonderful Week-end

2009-03-30T20:02:00.005-04:00

We arrived in Abilene around noon on Saturday. Set up was really easy because we have a nice level spot. The satellite dish set up with no problems, and we called Rick. What was so wierd was he was right down the road at the gas station we had just stopped at. We missed him by about 5 minutes. But because he was only 1/4 mile down the road, he was herealmost before we hung up the phone. We sat around and talked till it was time to go out to dinner. Tom and I had been looking for BBQ, and he knew just the place. Now we like local places more that chain restaurants, but he took us to Famous Daves. Man, what a good choice! We all got combination platters, but mine was by far the best. Well, maybe not. It depends on what you like. I had rib tips and chicken wings. Tom had chopped pork and spicy sausage link. Rick had chopped briskey and BBQ chicken. Each comes with corn on the cob, 2 sides, and a corn muffin, and toast. With all that you get refills on your drinks. There was enough left of mine to bring home for another supper. The beans were so good. There were chunks of pork (not pork fat), Jalapinos, and I think some beef also. Needless to say, we were all full and rolled on home. Rick to his, and us to ours. When we got here Tom got on the computer to see where else they may be.
Yesterday Rick came over somewhere about noon, and I fixed dinner for us. Rick being a bachelor, cooks and sometimes bakes. He asked me if I had Heart Attack Potatoes. I figured out he meant my bacon cheesy potatoes. His sister had made me a book of my mother's recipes, and I pulled it out. We had fun going through it and giving him copies of what he wanted. Soon after he left to do his laundry.
Rick has about 2 years left before he retires from the Air Force. He has been all over the world. Some places I'm sure he could have done without. But mostly he has been in safe places. The B1's and cargo planes fly over all day. He's done work on most of them.
Today we were supposed to head for Pecos. The wind has been so bad that we decided to stay another day. Tomorrow, windy or not, we leave. Off to another SKP park.
Oh, by the way, for all of you ladies in the class of 2007, BEWARE!!! I think it's catching. Yesterday for dinner I put some Texas toast in the oven.....You know what happened. Look at the photos to follow. Just be careful. I want to know who else has caught this dreaded disease.

L B J Historical Park.

2009-03-27T21:50:00.003-04:00

What a wonderful day we had. About 10: we took off down the road to the Texas White House. You folks who are about our age remember when LBJ became president. This tour more or less takes you through his life. There are 2 parts to the park. When you first arrive at the visitors' center they give you a handful of information and a CD to play while you drive your car. We don't have a CD player in the car, so they gave us a booklet that we didn't use. If you read the signs and the map you know where you are going and what you are seeing.
The first part of the complex is a State Park. You begin with a 25 minute movie in which LBJ and Lady Bird narrate as they take you on a auto tour of the grounds. It was made about 1966 so it's old. Nonetheless, it was quite interesting. The next stop is a working farm. It has chickens, cows, sheep, goats, turkeys, and more. They have a rather large garden where they grow lots of vegetables. They use everything. They make cheese, bake bread, cook all the food they eat, and even make soap. You can go in and out of all the buildings and can see the canned goods such as corn, peaches, beans, cherries, etc. They do everything as they did it back in the 1800's
The state park also offers the things every other state park offers. Swimming, tennis, hiking trails, and picnic areas.
The next part of the day was spent at the LBJ National Historical Park. The Johnsons gave the ranch to be used as a park that is opened to the public. It came with 2 conditions. 1)There is to be no charge for people wanting to visit. 2)It will remain a working ranch. Both of the stipulations are in place. You have to drive carfully because of the cattle roaming free. I believe they said about 700 acres. As you drive you pass by the school house where President Johnson went to school as a child. Then comes the reconstucted house in which he was born. The next stop was the cemetery where many generations of Johnsons are buried, under the old live oak trees in such a beautiful setting. Then you drive past the house where his grandparents lived for the latter years of their lives. Then the map takes you along the border of the ranch up towards the start of the runway and back around till you reach the house itself. No one is allowed inside the house, but in May they will open the living room and the dining room. A Park Ranger takes you on a tour of the grounds and into the Texas Oval Office. While president Johnson spent 25% of his time at the Texas White House. He did most of his entertaining there. There is a little house where the secret service had headquarters while working there. It will also open soon to the public. The doors have been locked since the day Lady Bird died. It will be interesting to see what's inside.
We both enjoyed our day so much. It was much better than I expected. I would recommend a visit to anyone who is in the area. The flowers are now starting to bloom, since we had some rain, and things are greening up and the rivers have some water now. It is really an awsome part of the country. The Beautiful Hill Country. Tomorrow we will be leaving for Abilene. We hear it will be cold and windy there for a couple of days. YUCK. But it sure will be good to see Rick. If we don't like the weather we can go somewhere else. That's what's fun.

More Fun in Fredricksburg

2009-03-26T17:53:00.003-04:00

On Monday we had a nice visit with our friends Everett and Carol. They had volunteered with us at CARE. Ev was flying into San Antonio from Florida after visiting his daughter. On the way back they stopped by. They are at the present time work camping at Inks Lake State Park. We had a nice few hours, and they were on their way.
On Tuesday we went to Kerrville to Culvers. We met Greg and Jean from our 2007 class for lunch. Tom and I have been waiting for a chance to go to Culvers. We haven't been to one since we were in Minnesota. That was much too long. They have frozen custard that is to die for. Those of you in the mid west know what I'm talking about. The only trouble is they only have a few in this part of the country. I guess if had those burgers when ever we wanted them they wouldn't be so good when we finally get them. We certainly enjoyed the meal and the yogurt after. And of course the friends and conversation. Such nice folks.
Yesterday we went into Fredricksburg to see the National Museum of the Pacific War. It it partially housed in the former hotel building owned and operated by the Nimitz family. Admiral Nimitz was born and raised there. What a great old building. The museum itself was so interesting. There is so much to see. The first building is just for Admiral Nimitz and the family. Another part of the museum is a Japanese Peace garden. It was donated by the Japanese to help promote peace. It's very beautiful. Then there is a big building the houses the Pacific War Museum. We could have spent hours in there. So much to see. Everything from compasses to nurses uniforms to Japanese swords and tools.
Outside in the middle of all this is the Veterans' Walk of Honor. What a wonderful tribute to those who served. There are so many plaques. It is supposed to have every boat and ship that served in WWII in the Pacific. So many men are pictured. Some in honor of and some in memory of. AWESOME! The Greatest Generation.
After we were done seeing what we wanted to see in these building, we went down the street a bit for the last part of the museum. It's called The Pacific Combat Zone and Center for Pacific Waq Studies. It is set up outside like an island ready for war and occupied by the Japanese. It has bunkers, pillboxes, tanks, and much more. It is surrounded by bamboo, and looks like a pacific island. There are 3 buildings at this part of the museum. The first one is a replica of the inside of an aircraft carrier. Complete with plane. We saw a brief old newsreel, and headed to the next building. It housed PT 309. It is the only PT boat from the pacific war in a museum. It was bigger than I thought it would be. Then we went to a building that was a Quonset Hut. It was set up like a military hospital would have been on Okinawa if we had invaded the Japanese mainland. Outside near the entrance was a housing of an atomic bomb they were going to drop on Japan. It was smaller than I thought. Looking at it, you wouldn't think such a small thing could do so much damage. The last exhibit was a mock burial plot like the ones on the islands. Complete with dog tags on the crosses.
What a full day. It ended with a trip to Opa's. They make sausage, etc. We picked up some bratwurst and knockwurst. Can't wait to cook them up. Folks say they are the best. Nothing like home town meat markets. We have one at home that makes terrific kielbasa and porketta. I'll get some when we hit home. I can almost smell it cooking.
Tomorrow we plan to go to the LBJ Ranch. We were going today, but then we got a severe weather warning, so we did the laundry and I got a haircut. On Saturday we hit the road and head for Abilene to see our nephew Rick. That is if Uncle Sam doesn't want him working. He is a lifer in the Air Force. What's nice is we can change plans if we want. We can always come back. This is a beautiful area. I'm sure we will be back to visit again.

Last Rally Night

2009-03-22T19:28:00.006-04:00

The last night of the rally was as much fun as the rest of the week. We had a appetiser contest. I made the chicken wing dip that everyone likes, and came in third place. Second was a wonderful crab/seafood mixture on English muffins. YUMMY!!!! The winner was a fish dish with lime and other ingredients. I didn't care for it because it had so much raw onion in it. It won by a large margin, I just don't like that much onion. We all had fun with and ate too much. Then came dinner at 6:00. Bob and the guys had cooked turkey all afternoon. The deep fryer was right across from Emily and I smelled it all day. I made those candied sweet potatoes that Tom's Mom taught me to make. We had such a great array of dishes. It was billed as Thanksgiving in March, and since it was the third Thursday, I guess it really was. We all sat around and talked until the brown bag auction started. After lots of laughs and swapping of gifts we ended up with a copy of "RV Vacation for Dummies" which brought out the laugh if the night. Then we started good-buys to those leaving the next day.
In the morning all the left-overs were served, and the ones of us who were staying the extra day cleaned up the rally room. The rest of the day some folks went out to see the sights, and some like us just stayed home and did stuff. Tom got permits to wash the car and Emily, and I started to stow things to be on the move again. The next day most of the rest of us were on our way after many SKP hugs and well wishes. We know we will all see each other soon. Then we were on our way to Fredricksburg.
Fredricksburg is only about 40 miles from Boerne where the rally was. Just a short drive. It's a really nice little town. It was settled by German folks, and is still very much German. Last night we ate at the Altdorf. We each had Jager Schnitsel-a pork cutlet. It came with a choice of three-potatoes, noodles, red cabbage, and saurkraut. Also a choice of soup or salad. I also had some of the sugar cane root beer. It was all very good. Not something I could eat everyday because of the German flavor, but we enjoyed the meal.
We did some shopping in the really cool 5 and 10. It was just like the old Woolworth stores. We picked up a couple of little things for gifts. Then we went to a little Texas gourmet store. It had all kinds of jellies, jams, salsas, sauces, pickles, etc. Everything they sold had a sample opened with crackers or wheat thins. We could have made a meal there, but knew we were going to eat at the Altdorf. I bought-get this-Amaretto Pecan Honey Butter. What wonderful stuff. Kind of pricey, but I think it's worth it.
All night long we had really windy conditions. We woke up to cloudy skies and cool temps. After it warmed up some off we went. Two things on our list to do here were The Wildflower Farm, and Luckenbach, Tx. Luckenbach was not much. The pamphlet says it has a post office, a beer joint, and a dance hall. Well, that's about it. The sing says"Welcome to Luckenbach. Population 3." That's right 3. But Hey, they have live music everyday. The beer joint was going strong, and also a little snack stand attached to the dance hall. The post office is filled with memorabilia, and some stuff for sale. There is also a hat place that was molding the hats and selling assessories like hat bands to go with them. I was fun to watch. When you see the pictures you will notice the liscence plates nailed on the stage and the restrooms. They come from all over. Even Europe. What I was surprised to see was the bikers. They were everywhere. Hundereds of them. I would venture to say many more than cars. There were only a few cars in the parking lot. We'll have to find out if they are having some kind of rally thing going on this week.
After Luckenbach we stopped at Wildseed Farms. Well, no flowers. Too early. You can see the fields have been planted, and they are growing strong, but we weren't lucky enough to see them in bloom. The sell all kinds of lawn ornaments and some landscaping plants and cactus, etc. They have wine tasting, and also samples like last night at the gourmet store. We were sort of disappointed, but will survive I'm sure. Tomorrow is another day, and we have lots planned. We love being tourists.

Class of 2007 Rally

2009-03-20T22:26:00.003-04:00

Escapees Class of 2007 have met in Borrne, Tx. for our first annual reunion rally. What a time we have had. The class reunited at the Alamo Fiesta RV Resort here. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 of us attended. What a great place for the reunion. We had a very nice Rally Center for any activities. Because it had a full kitchen we were able to have really nice meals as well as a place to meet to do crafts and workshops.
On Tuesday, the first day, when we went to orientation we were to take something for the Hobo Stew. It started with some beef and then we all added stuff. As you can see by the pictures there was quite a variety. It was sooooo good. What made the meal so great was the dishes folks brought to share. Everyone really enjoyed it.
It's good to see everyone again and catch up. The next day some of the ladies did crafts. I went over to the room to see what they were doing. Bobbi taught me how to do some great things with recycled plastic bags. She also got me into knitting some hats for newborns. I'll make some for the hospitals at home. Marcia also helped me with the plastic bag items. Patti did a workshop on T-shirt braiding trim. I will do some of that when I get a chance.
Then came happy hour. We were to take a liqueur or cordial for tasting, and something chocolate. Let me tell you, there were enough calories for a whole year on that table. There must have been about 15 different bottles to sample. We all had little cups. After we each took a plate of goodies some of the folks took the bottles around to each table and you could taste what you wanted. Tom and I weren't to crazy about most of them. I did like the Amaretto. The Bailey's was also good. Of course all of the chocolates went down well with the tasting. After all of that we had the chili cook-off. Tom was a judge for that. We had seven different cooks enter. Everyone else took bread or salad to share. Joe won the prize for the best chili. Bob came in second. I sampled each one, and each one was different.I liked Bob's best. So did Tom, but it was a really close call. Then came margarator time. Ours had strawberry Dacaris, and Marcia and Joe's had margaritas. That night Mark gave us a lesson in star gazing. It was neat to see each star come out and have him tell us the names and what constellation they belong to. We were lucky enough to see the space shuttle/space station go across the sky. It only lasted a few minutes. It was going much faster than I thought it would. Marty had taken his telescope, or what I thought was one, and we all saw Venus. It was like a tiny little crescent moon. I was amazed. We all were happy that he agreed to do in on such short notice.
What a terrific day. There is more to come tomorrow. I am sure glad we started fulltiming in 2007. I can't imagine missing this. How lucky we are.

About One Week Left

2009-03-04T18:32:00.001-05:00

We can't believe we have onle one week left in the valley. it has been really nice while we've been here. Sometimes it gets chilly at night. A couple of nights ago we had the electric blanket on. We don't use the furnace during the night. Maybe in the morning just to get the chill out. When the sun comes out it warms up really fast. I have been in the pool a couple of times lately. Today I was in the hot tub. The wind blow here quite a bit, and when you get out of the pool it's cold.
Tomorrow is the end of season picnic with the Chapter 19 group. I made those cheesy potatoes with bacon people like so much. We'll have hot dogs and pot luck. We hear they play a couple of games and have some kind of fun auction. We'll let you all know how it goes after. It sounds like a good time.
On Monday we took our last trip to Mexico. We bought some items for Connor's Easter box. Just some Mexican toys and such. They have these giant marshmallows, as big a a kid's fist, so they have to be in the box. I've heard they don't use as much sugar in Mexico to make them. Also a couple of bottles of liquor. There's a bakery there we stop at each time we go. We really like the cinnamon buns. They come fresh right out of the oven, 50 cents each. Yum!!! I looked again for a turquoise ring, but didn't find anything I liked.
There are so many empty spots available in the park. Lots of folks have headed out already. Why they would want to leave here and go where it is colder is beyond me. We have decided we would like to come back to Fig Tree next year for a couple of months. Maybe mid January to mid March. We'll see. We know we will be home for Christmas. Some folks have told me just come here and then fly home and back. I don't think that'll happen. Enough to think about this year. Next year will take care of itself.
Time to watch the news. Yuck. I'd rather watch something joyful, but we have to keep up with things. At least it has been a beautiful day.

South Padre Island.

2009-02-24T19:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we were supposed to go over to South Padre Island. When we got up it was soooo cold. I know you folks up North won't feel sorry for us, but is was in the low forties. Needless to say we didn't go anywhere near the water. I put on some working clothes and got started. First came the sweeping and mopping the floor. Then came the polishing of the wood. There's a lot of wood in a RV. Before lunch I got the front done. After lunch I hit the bedroom and the bathroom.
Today was a good day to go. It was really warm by the time we got there. We had to find beach access that was free. Most of the places had these little building that wants $4.oo. We didn't know if it was for the car or each of us. We ended up at this really nice stretch of beach that really only had a few folks. We wondered where all the birds were. Then someone brought out some bread or something, and the birds came from out of nowhere.
The area there is strictly tourist trappish. Next week when the spring breakers come it will be very busy. We have been told not to attempt to go the whole month of March. For us it wasn't anything special, but we do so love being by the water. We ate our lunch on the beach and stayed till about 2:oo. It was a great day.
For supper we had BLTs and cole slaw. Tom made the comment that it is a summer meal. Well. I feels like summer. They tasted good. Really fresh veggies make everything taste good. Now we are out of tomatos. We'll have to go somewhere tomorrow for some more. We'll see. We don't have to do anything if we don't want. What a life.

Revisiting Spots

2009-02-18T21:17:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend we stopped back at the Don-Wes flea market. There are a couple of stalls that sell crocs for $6. I wanted a different color than the bright pink I bought before. The only colors they had in my size were bright green and red. I took them both. Tom also took a pair. We got them all for $5 a piece. As we walked up and down the rows I found a stall I didn't know was there. It had all kinds of colors, but 3 pair is enough. Of course we went across the street to buy fruit and veggies.
Yesterday we went back over to Mexico. Tom wanted to check another place for glasses. They aren't that much less than here. We decided to get them here in the states. If something goes wrong, we can always get them fixed. We won't always be near Mexico. For the 20 or so buck difference we think it will be worth it. I tried to find a turquoise ring. They didn't have all that many. Not any I wanted. They sell a lot of pendent/earring combos, but I don't need that. I just want a ring. We'll be in New Mexico at "The Rally", so I might be able to pick up what I'm locking for there. They have lots of Indian stores there.We'll see.
Tonight we went to the Harlingen Elks for supper. Wednesday is spaghetti night. It's "all you can eat", so if you go away hungry it's your own fault. They start you off with so much I don't know how anyone could go back for more. They let you come back for more sauce if your spaghetti get to dry. With a small salad and all the bread you want, it's a great meal for $5. They have lunch meals there also. We may go get the pork tenderloin one day. So much to eat, so few days. We'll have to go on a diet when we leave here. I have to tell the RVers out there about the 15 spots they have for camping. For $8 you can get water and electric. There is a dump station on sight. Not a bad deal. You can stay for quite a while. They have a huge pool, but it wasn't open when we were there. They have shower house with rest rooms, so you don't have to use the dump station so often. You have to be a member of the Elks, and they ask only that you go have a dinner when available.
Tomorrow we go for lunch with the Chapter 19 folks. Another big lunch, but no supper. We usually don't want any supper after the Golden Corral. The company is also super. The chapter is really active, and does some fun outings. That's why we joined. Then it's on to Wal-Mart for a few things.
It has been really warm here the past couple of days. Even humid. Right now we have the fan on and the windows open at 9:00 at night. All you folks in Florida wanting warmer weather should have come to the valley. We really recommend it. We'll be coming back for sure.

Fig Tree Park

2009-02-14T20:11:00.002-05:00

On Thursday we left Mission and came here to Harlingen. It's about 40 miles east of Mission. We are so much closer to things we like to do. We knew right away we would like this park. The folks are so friendly. Everyone waves and says HI.
Last night we went to the horse races. They have six little wooden horses that move accordingly with what is rolled on 2 dice. You can bet on as many horses as you want, and each bet costs a quarter. We did manage to win one race. Our take was $1.25. It was great fun, and we met some great people. The races took place after the beef stew dinner. I thought it was way too hot for stew, and Tom agreed. Tonight they had fish fry. It was like a pot luck. We didn't go to that either. It was 92 this afternoon, with a beautiful breeze. Lots of the folks were inside with the air on. We are just absorbing the warmth.
We did get some chairs. Not the ones we want, but they will do till we find some rockers. Also we went to the flea market today. I picked up 2 more pair of crocs, and Tom picked one also. Then it was off across the street to get some fruit and veggies. The produce is so abundant here. One thing they don't have is strawberries. Oh well, tomorrow I will make orange juice which I really love.
They have a very nice library here. I have exchanged some of the books I have read for new ones. Most parks have "take one-leave one" rules. Some have so many books they just want you to take them. I can usually find what I want. They have a nice pool and shuffle broad courts. We'll get better acclimated before the month is out. We have lots we want to do this week. It's nice to know we have all the time we need.

Traversing the Valley

2009-02-10T20:25:00.003-05:00

Over the past few days we have been to quite a few RV Parks around here. Our month is up on Thursday, and we have been talking about moving east a little. So many of the things we do and places we go are down that way. It will also give us a better feel for where we would come back to. The park we are in presently is Sleepy Valley in Palmview. That's just west the Mission city limits. We like the park and the folk. They have been very nice and friendly.
During the Chapter 19 lunch and meeting on Thursday, we learned of some parks that have openings. Some we went to see are out of our price range, and some just weren't what we are looking for. You can sure pick and choose, except in February. Everything seems to be full. Tom did some hard work on the computer, and made an on-line reservation with a place called Snow to Sun. He called today to find out what time we could come in, and they have no record of the reservation and nothing available. Boy, I've seen him happier! He sent an e-mail to the company, and did get a call back. He had a conversation with someone, and let them know how unhappy he was.
This morning we took a trip down to Riverside Club. The Chapter 19 folks were going on a River Cruise. About 11:00 we boarded the boat, and off we went down river. We got just so far then turned around and went up to the dam. The boat tuned back around and back we went back to the resturant. We had to wait a very long time to have our order taken. When the food finally came it was fantastic. They have a pork tenderloin sandwich that fills the whole plate, and everyone who ordered that said that it was worth the wait. It looked amazing. Tom had chicken fried steak and I had chicken fried chicken. It was OK, but we were wishing we had the tenderloin.
The food was good, but the boat ride was sort of boring. I would say save your money. You can see the river just standing there on the bank.
When we got home Tom got a call from the manager of the company that has that Snow to Sun park. She wanted to see if she could shuffle things around to see if we could have a spot. Well, we could honestly tell her we had made other plans. While we were waiting for lunch we talked quite a bit about other places with our new friends. We heard about Fig Tree park. They are staying there now, but leaving soon. We called, they had room, that's were we will go on Thursday. Now that we know where we are going we will get ready tomorrow. We will go minus our chairs. The seats on both of them have just ripped apart. They are really nice rockers, but there is no way we can repair them. They are all rivoted and I just can't see anyway to make other seats.
Now we have a new mission. New chairs. We'll find what we want someplace. On to our next spot. Something new to explore and take in. No doubt something wonderful.

Another Great Trip South of the Border

2009-02-04T16:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we took off about 9:00 for Mexico. I guess Tuesday is a good day to go because it wasn't to awfully crowded. It was really pleasant just walking the streets. We really did lots. We have been looking for a good price for Volfenac. It's a anti-inflammatory gel that works quite well. We kept going into all the pharmacies, and let me tell you, there's a lot of the. I was also in the market for some turquoise earrings. I kept looking till I found what I wanted. A haircut was also on the list. I cut Tom's, but Tom DOES NOT cut mine. I found a terrific place, sat in the chair, waited about 5 minutes, and got the job done. Five bucks. That's right. Just the way I wanted. Off we went.
A great place to eat in Progresso is Aurturo's. It's in the first block as you go over the bridge. We had heard of it through another blog. Donna and Stu had been there and really enjoyed it. We ordered the Taco Trio. It was a combination of three tacos (beef, pork, and shrimp), re fried beans, and rice. It was really yummy. I have to say though, it is a different taco than Algodonas south of Yuma. Good none the less. The first thing you get when you sit down is chips and salsa and taco sauce. Tom says the salsa was excellent. I don't eat raw onions, so you have to take his word for it. With a couple bottles of water we were pretty happy.
Out we went to finish up shopping. I was looking at some jewelry and Tom was in another pharmacy. He didn't come out for a while, so I went back to find him. He was buying the Volfenac. We got 5 tubes for $2.80 each. That's a good price, as many of them were selling for $3.95 and higher. I was happy with that.
Next came my hat. I had seen one earlier int he day, and I told the guy I would be back after my haircut. He was surprized to see me. He said "I remember you, nobody comes back", they just say that. He had told me $10.00 in the morning, now he wanted 12. Well, I only paid 10.
After all the little purchases we headed back over the bridge. Customs was quite easy. No Line. There is this ice cream place on this side of the bridge where you can get 2 banana splits for $2. We stopped there last time and again this time. Not bad for a buck. We got in the car and headed out. We stopped a a vegetable stand and got some cabbage and tomatoes. I made some cole slaw this morning for dinner tonight. It'll go good with the pork BBQ I made .
Today is another nice day. A beautiful breeze, and up in the high 70's. What more could anyone ask for. We'er lovin' it.

Birding At Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

2009-01-30T19:02:00.004-05:00

Before we get into the birding, I have to tell you about eating at Pepe's On The River. We were one of the first groups to arrive, and the waitress started to take our orders just about noon. There were some 22 of us, and about 1:30 we started to get our food. Needless to say we were not happy with the service there. Seeing as 8 of the folks never even got their orders at all, I'd say we would never go back. When we told them 8 still had no food, they told us that there was now 2 tables ahead of them and they would have to wait. We all figured we had waited long enough. They went away really hungry, and ended up eating elsewhere.
The group we were with is part of the Class of 2007 from Escapees. The class is one active group. Some other classmates were in Florida, and they had lunch at the same time. They called us and we all called out a big "HI". We took a group picture. Other than the food fiasco we had a terrific time. John and Susan Coleman, who worked with us for a while at CARE, were also there. She had told me they are members of the class, but I had not remembered. It was good to see them.
On Wednesday we met with Carol and Everett. More fellow volunteers from CARE. I took pineapple upside-down cake for dessert, and Carol made some kind of soup with lentils, and we had some good biscuits. We stayed the better part of the day just talking and exchanging ideas of where to go next. We'll see them down the road after we leave here on our way to Bourne.
Now for the birding. We left about 11:00 this morning. It was a chilly start to the day. We had to wait till it warmed up a little. For those of you who don't know, the wind blows here alot which makes it somewhat chilly early in the day. The State Park isn't far from us. We parked in the designated area, and walked to the visitors' center. The fee for the day was $5 each. The tram came at 12:30 and took us to the first stop. We got off there and started to walk. They have these cool bird blinds where you can watch the birds at the feeders. I had wanted to see the green jays, and boy I got my fill. We also got to see some beautiful orioles. The highlight of the day was seeing some javelinas. They look like wild boars. There was a group of about 10 or more. They were at one of the blinds where we were watching the birds. It was really something to see. Along with the Chachalacas and kiskadees we were pretty happy with what we saw. Wait till you see the green jays.
I'm looking out at the sunset as I write this. Just another beautiful end to another beautiful day.

Another Great Pot Luck.

2009-01-26T20:07:00.002-05:00

Tonight, being Monday, was pot luck night. I thought I had some hamburger, but didn't. So I took out chicken breast and made some elbow macaroni, cooked the chicken, and mixed it all up with some sauce. It really wasn't to bad. There is only about one helping left so I guess it went over well. I asked why there aren't more folks attending. The nice lady I sat next to said too many people go out to eat. It's too much trouble to cook. I hope I never get that way. I really like to cook.
Tomorrow we are traveling to Pepe's On The River to meet some friends from the Class of 2007. That's our Escapees group. We haven't met most of the class who are here in the valley.It will be great to meet them. Some say it's a terrific place, some say not so. We'll make up our own minds.
Yesterday we went to church here at the park. About 200 come every Sunday. The preacher is really nice and add lots of humor to his message. During the sermon he referred to us as Q-tips. You know----white hair-white shoes. Everyone laughed. We really have had a great time here, and are looking forward to many more.

Good Food New Friends

2009-01-23T12:25:00.002-05:00

Last Friday we went to the local Elks lodge for fish fry. You could have your choice of battered or cornbread. We chose battered. There was also french fries, cole slaw, stuffing, and drinks. Everything was pretty good, but some of the fish was in the fryer too long. Tom and I enjoyed it, but some of the folks didn't care for it and said they won't be back. To each his own. They also have prime rib night once a month. You have to have reservations for that. Folks just kept coming in the door. We were leaving and there was still a line.
Every Monday here at Sleepy Valley they have a pot luck. Not everyone goes, but we met some really nice folks. The food was excellent. Just enough entrees and veggies vs desserts. After the meal there is always game time. I had taken my dice to play Farkle. We had 12 folks who wanted to learn how to play. Man, trying to keep score for 12 isn't easy. Tom sat at one end, and I sat at the other. Lois, the activities director already knew how to play. We had a really good time. Some want the rules and Tom printed some copies to give out. We played 2 games and called it quits. By that time it was 10:00 and time to close up.
The next night we went up to the clubhouse for some entertainment. It was $5 each to listen to Vance Greek and the Deep River Boys. They were fantastic. Four guys from Rio Hondo, which means deep river, came to sing some gospel, some country, and some hymns. It was a variety of very good music. Before we knew it, they were finishing up. If they come again while we are here we'll go hear them. There is entertainment every Tues. and Thurs. The price varies from $3 to $5. Not bad!
Yesterday we went to the Golden Coral in Weslaco to have lunch with Chapter 19 from Escapees. The buffet was terrific. All kinds of good stuff to eat. The folks were great, and gave out lots of SKP hugs. They have a long list of activities. Vicky has it all planned out, and they have an outing nearly every week. The next one is to the zoo, and on to a historical mansion, then another place. In February they plan to take a river cruise. We are thinking of going to that. They are a very active group, and if we keep coming back to the valley, we may join the group.
There is always something to do in the area. We could be out 7 days a week if we wanted. There is always a flea market open or some kind of festival, and SKPs meetings. And of course, there is always Mexico. What fun we are having. What a life.

We Really Like This Place

2009-01-18T20:28:00.003-05:00

What a great place this is. We have been looking for a spot like this for a while. Today was such a lovely day! It's 7:30 p.m., and the window is still open and we are wearing shorts. The steak we cooked outside was great. HEB had a sale on T-Bones, 3.99 a lb. We got a couple of big ones. One is enough for both of us. With a salad made from fresh local veggies and some fried potatoes--yum yum.
Yesterday was a good day for a trip to Mexico. New eye glasses are what's on the agenda. We wanted to find out how much they charge. The exams will be free. Maybe Saturday wasn't such a good day to go. Next time will be during the week. I have an idea now what I would like to purchase. One thing that surprised me was the marshmallows. They have the the size of a fist. HUGE! They would be so good over the fire. It's too bad we won't be home till July. They'll go bad by then. I might get some tequila. They have all kinds. I am also looking for some silver earrings. Maybe with some turquoise. We'll see.
The other day was flea market day. They have a great one in Donna. No sooner did we get there than we ran in to Everett Stone. He was and Carol were volunteering at CARE with us. There is a bike repair place at the market, and he was getting his bike fixed. They are staying with friends at the park near the market. We did a lot of walking, not much buying. I bought a pair of crocs, and if we go back I'll get some more. I picked up a few pair of earrings, and not much else. After we left there, we went to the produce market. I like to get juice oranges. I also got some grapefruit. Everything is delicious.
At this moment we are watching the football game in Pittsburgh. It is snowing and cold. Of course the Eagles lost. Oh well, one team from PA. is OK. It's only just starting the second half so I shouldn't count my chickens. The weather has been so awful up north. We feel really bad for them, but we're really glad to be here.
Today Tom received an e-mail back from friends that are planning a get-together of the 2007 class. We haven't seen most of the folks for about a year now. The plans are to meet the middle of March near San Antonio. It'll be good to see our friends again. But right now we are content to just be here in the sun and warmth and meet some new friends and get to know the area better. We'll just sit back and count our blessings. And blessed we sure are.

Mission, Texas

2009-01-13T19:40:00.002-05:00

Finally we found the weather we have been waiting for. We love the palm trees, and the sun warming our insides. This morning was pretty chilly when we got up, but by lunch time, we were driving around with the windows open. I'm really not complaining. I know how cold it is up north. The "resort" we are in is named Sleepy Valley Resort. It is located on the west end of Mission in the Rio Grande Valley. The folks here have been very friendly so far, and welcomed us right away. Of all things, we couldn't locate our sewer connection. We had ladies walking around looking for the white cap. The ground is covered with some kind of grassy type vine. Someone finally found it. From what we understand, we have to cut our own grass. That's a first for us. The info they gave us when we checked in told us that mowers are available for our use. They sight isn't as big as some, but bigger than some others. There is some concrete, and some gravel, so there really isn't much to cut.
A stop at the HEB grocery store was a must. The fridge is now full. I have to get used to this cooking thing again. We have to find out where the good fruit stands are. I love fresh squeezed orange juice. Grapefruit is a favorite also. Can't wait for it. They have some huge flea markets here. We love going to them and just walking around. We never seem to buy much, but really enjoy going.
We plan a trip to Mexico in the next day or so. We'll cross over in Progresso. Maybe get together with some friends, and find some other SKPs out there. They have gatherings a few times a month. Anyone out there, give us hit in the comments at the end of the blog entry.

At the Beach

2009-01-08T21:19:00.003-05:00

For the last 2 days we've gone to the beach. Yesterday was cooler than today. You didn't really need a jacket, but it was nice that we didn't wear shorts. Today was much warmer. We took lunch, folding chairs, and something to read. Lots of RVs park on the beach overnight. Someday we will when it's warmer. It would be great if Ed and Hazel could be with us. I have visions of setting up together, getting out the margarator, or maybe some wine. I don't drink it myself, but they do and so does Tom. We could maybe have some shrimp and crab legs. What a fun time that would be. Just sitting watching and listening to the water and the bird life.Yesterday on the ferry we saw a dolphin swimming next to us in the channel. Cool. Today no luck.
I don't think I mentioned we are in Rockport at the Western Horizons campground. It is really nice here. We are very happy with the spot we have. Out the front window is a great view of the "lake" here. Every morning we have blue herons, egrets, ducks, and today we even had a white pelican. Tom has taken some pics that I haven't seen yet, but I know are great. We really like this place, and if we had not made reservations in Mission, we would be staying for another week.
Tomorrow may bring bad weather, so we have no specific plans. There is always something do do here.

Cold Weather and Marley

2009-01-06T21:32:00.002-05:00

Texas has been having some unseasonable weather of late. We have been very chilly for the past few days. It's too cold to go to the island out to the beach, so we decided to go to the movies. We saw Marley and Me. What a great movie for pet lovers. We could really identify with the whole story. Tom had read the book, and really wanted to see it. Our daughter had seen it and went home to hug her dogs. On Tuesday night you can get free popcorn. We went in the afternoon, so we didn't have that option.
Before it was movie time we went to see if our friends Leona and Joe were at The Lagoons. We stayed there last year for a week in the late fall before going to Livingston. They worked in Minnesota where we worked. It was good to see them. We had a nice chat for about an hour, and off we went. After a stop at an RV dealer, it was off to the movies. After the movie we stopped and bought a pizza to bring home. It wasn't too bad.
If the weather cooperates tomorrow, we plan to go the Port Aransas for the ferry to the island. On the way home we'll stop for some shrimp. We saw some of the shrimp boats today while driving around, and they were much smaller than the ones up in Palacious. Can't wait to taste some.

The Blessing Hotel

2009-01-04T19:04:00.004-05:00

In one word...DEEEELICIOUS!! As you will see from the pictures, this is an old building. It is still rented out as apartments and rooms. You can see the old front desk and the mail cubbies. There are old pictures on the walls, and old oil cloth on the floor. The furniture is old mixed with more up to date items like TVs. The best part is the meals. Today I ate the best stuffing ever. There was also turkey, roast beef, fried chicken, ham, cabbage with ham, salad, corn bread (it wouldn't be Texas if they didn't have corn bread), home made yeast dinner rolls, greens beans made with bacon and tiny white potatoes, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, yams, and some other veggies. Add some potato salad and other fixin's, and you get a really full tummy. You walk into the dining room, pay the cashier, pick up a plate, and go to the stove. Everything is in the pot it was cooked in. You just scoop it out onto the plate. You can go back for more, but they want you to use a clean plate. Then you go sit at tables that may have other folks there. Some tables are long, some are round. Tom and I were really taken with the place. Will we go back? You betcha! Next time thru this part of the country, we'll stop to eat for sure. You don't need reservations. Just go, eat, and enjoy. The dessert was in little bowls. Some kind of peachy something, and a spice cake. They know you only need a little bit after you have the meal.
After we left the Hotel we drove around town. Almost everyone here has a smoker. Some are larger than others. Blessing is a poor little Texas town. You can still see some hurricane damage. Though Blessing is west of the worst hit, it doesn't take much to blow down some of these places. We have a lot to be thankful for.
We're off tomorrow for Rockport. We just keep going south. The cold front came through. When I started talking to my Mom it was 78. During the conversation the temp started to drop. By the time we hung up, it was down in the 60's and still dropping. Now we have the electric heater going and I have on a sweatshirt. Some rain is expected tomorrow. We don't have far to travel, so we don't have to rush. I like this not rushing stuff.

Blessing, Tx.

2009-01-03T20:02:00.007-05:00

Tom and I arrived here on Tuesday afternoon. The plan was to just veg out and recharge our bodies. That we have done! We have been watching TV and lots of movies. Today is the first day that our satellite dish has worked. There are lots of trees here. We are in Chapparel RV Park. There isn't much to do, but that was the plan. Blessing is a wee small town, but has a great place to eat. At least that's what we hear from most RVers. Tomorrow we'll find out. I'll let you all know how it goes.
http://www.texasbob.com/eats/tbe_blessing.html
Yesterday we drove into Palacious. It is known around these parts as the Shrimp Capitol of the World. We took some pictures of the shrimp boats in the bay. I couldn't believe how big they are, or how many there are. We didn't get any shrimp, we are saving that for Rockport next week. We made the assumption that they have mostly wholesale businesses. In Rockport we can get it fresh off the boat.
Today was also laundry day. The laundry room is nothing to brag about, but it got the job done. It took us the better part of the middle of the day. We didn't want to take the time to do that job before we left Livingston. Man, we love that place. We have met so many good friends there. This year Hazel and I played games with some of the ladies. When other volunteers came they played, too. Last year we were much to busy to have so much fun. The new volunteer coordinator is doing a great job. Hats off to Dan. He has made being there so easy. We'll go back for sure.
Another thing happened while we were there. Tom joined the elks. He was initiated in Huntsville, but is a member of Gillette, Wy. It took some doing, but it got done. Now we have all the benefits of camping and good food where available. Just another way to get past all the high cost campgrounds.
I just want to say again how much we love the CARE Center. If any of you folks want to have a very worthwhile month, just call Dan at CARE at 936-327-4256. He'll let you know what times he needs folks to come help. Or you can send us a comment at the end of this entry, and we'll answer any questions you might have about what we do there. Folks like Jan and Chuck, Sandy and Doug, R.B., Miss Terri, Dan, Carl, and Joe will welcome you with big smiles and Escapee hugs. If you're really lucky, you'll get EVEN-STEVEN by Miss Ellie, the resident sweetheart. We will definitely be back.
On Monday we will head for Rockport for a week, then on to Mission in the Rio Grand Valley. We have some friends there, and will get together with them while we are there. We have a month there before heading on up toward the hill country for a get together with class mates, and maybe a rally. It all depends on the weather. If we don't like the weather, we'll just start the engine and move. Ya gotta love it. We sure do!!!

It's beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-21T21:27:00.002-05:00

No, we did not fall off the face off the earth. We are both busy here, but not like last year. We have a full crew of volunteers and all is running smoothly. Ed and Hazel have moved on to Lampasses to be with family. Stan and Stacy, 2 singles not together, have taken their place. We have Ted and Karen with us again this year, and new friends Carol and Everett. Bob and Diana have been here the longest. Everyone works well together. There is only a week left for us, and then we head south to warmer temps.
Christmas Eve will be the volunteer party for the residents. Tomorrow some of us begin cooking the goodies. I plan on making some fudge, and chicken wing dip. Maybe some other treats as well. I know we will have a nice array of good stuff to eat. Someone will read the Christmas story and then The Night Before Christmas. Some games are planned, as well as a Dirty Bingo. We always have a good time.
I have been down with quite a bad cold. I missed about 3 days of work, and now about 10 days later I am feeling more like my old (oops...not really old) self. I still am really tired in the evening, and fall asleep watching TV. That never happens. Tom yes, me no. Tom and some of the other folks were kind enough to fill in for me. I wasn't the first to get it, and I wasn't the last. Lots of folks have come down with it. I just hope that most of it will be gone for the holidays. We have been delivering quite a few meals lately.
It is mighty cold out tonight. I know it's not as bad as up north with all the snow, but we have have had unusually cold weather for this part of Texas. We've had snow, the earliest in 48 years, freezing temps, very high winds. But like they say here, stick around a bit and it'll change. Sure enough, it does. Trouble is it changes back. We can stick it out for another week.
We'll get out our e-mail card in a day or so. Best of the season to you all.

At the CARE Center

2008-11-14T22:26:00.002-05:00

We are finally here at CARE. Our friends Ed and Hazel arrived on MOnday, and we have been doing things together every day since. Monday nght I fixed pizza for us all, and Tuesday Ed had I went over to the blood drive to to our thing. Tom and Hazel both take colesteral meds. We went up to Lufkin on Wednesday to the candy factory. Afteer a trip to Sam's we went over to there motorhome to have snacks and margaritas. They fired up the margarator, and we all had a good time. Yesterday we took off for Houston to some RV dealers. They are looking for a diesel motorhome. Tom and I love to look. Emily isn't going anywhere. There were some beauties there, though. After coming home we went and made banana splits. YUMMY!!
Today we all had our orientation at CARE. Since Ed and Hazel were on the schedule for this evening, we figured it was the time to do it. Tom and I are on starting Monday morning. The folks we take over for leave that morning. From now on we will all be busy, and not off at the same time. Not that we won't be together doing chores. We have found out that we won't be as busy as we were last year. That means we will be able to spend more time with the residents. Most of them just need someone to talk to about things. We have recieved bunches of Escapee hugs, and smiles all around. It's nice to be back.

GreatTime With Great Friends

2008-11-05T21:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Ed and Hazel came to Livingston to vote. They found us at the laundry, we had to do something while Emily was getting fixed. We went back to our site and sat and talked for awhile. The decision was made to run into town to try this BBQ place for lunch. The smoker was going out back, and we placed our order. We took everything back to the CARE Center, because Ed and Hazel wanted to visit with all the folks. Everyone was so happy to see them. They had to leave about 2:30 so they could get back before dark. The drive takes about 4 hours. They'll be back to stay on Monday. The plan is to hang out till we get down to volunteering. We'll have a great time. Margarita time!!
The call came that Emily was ready to come home about 2:30. When our friends left we walked home, got the car, and took off to the fix-it shop. Joel West did a great job. The weld that holds the air bag to the chassis broke, and the bracket cut the propane line. He replaced the gas line, and bolted on the air bags so they won't come off again. He also did some work for a recall on the refrigerator. This morning we had nice hot water, and I cooked oatmeal for breakfast. It's nice to have Em back together again.
It was good to Ed and Hazel. It'll be really great to be with them at CARE again. They are such good friends.

Back To The Opry

2008-11-02T20:16:00.002-05:00

When we arrived in the park last week, the first place we visited was the CARE Center. One of the first things they asked was if we wanted to go to Liberty to the Opry. Of course we said yes. Last night was the night. The theme was "Legends of County Music". We heard some great music from some great musicians and singers. The house band is soooooo good. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
We went to Chili's to eat before the show, as the service at Ann's Seafood, where they usually go, has not been so good the last couple of times. Maybe we'll get there ourselves. We are not crazy about Mexican food, but we were able to get food we liked, and where full when we left. Dessert came at the Opry. I had coconut cream pie, and Tom had lemon meringue. The best coconut cream I've ever had.
We went off to vespers this evening. They always have communion. Volunteer speakers do a fine job of keeping the services going. Last week Tom helped serve, and this week there were so many folks that more cups had to be filled to make sure everyone got served. That's a really good thing.
Tomorrow we have to get Emily ready for the visit to the fix-it shop. The refrigerator is our main concern. We have the freezer empty, and I'll defrost it tomorrow. We have to be there by 8 in the morning. It's up and at 'em. And don't forget to vote on Tuesday. Let me tell you, we are surely the minority here in Texas. They are so Republican. They are also very ready to tell you so. Even if you don't ask. You gotta love them.

A Cold Start to a Busy Day

2008-10-28T19:36:00.003-04:00

Today when we got out of bed it was a sunny warm 36 degrees. Mind you, I'm not complaining. Home was the same, but snow sleet and freezing rain. Knowing it would warm up was enough for us.
First we went to take the tour of the Escapees Grounds. They have an old trolley that takes groups around and a guide to tell you what you're looking at. They trolley has broke down, so we just toured the headquarters building and the mailing facility. It was very interesting how they take care of every one's mail. For those of you who don't know, it is a mail forwarding service for Escapees. Somewhere around 11,000 folks. It's like a city post office. The whole tour took about an hour and a half.
We stopped off at Emily to drop off our jackets, then went on to CARE for lunch. Today was roast pork, yams, cabbage, salad, dessert, and beverage. Not bad for $5. We saw some more of our old friends, and they were glad to see us. Miss Terry can sure cook up some great food. While we were there they announced they had made $6,000at the yard sale over the week-end. What a great turnout.
I finally got a dentist appointment. It was at 2:30, which gave us time to chat with folks. I didn't even see the dentist. The dental assistant took an X-ray, and cleaned out the crown and put it back on. I was finished and back home in under an hour. Not bad for being there for the first time. I had visions of waiting for hours.
Back home I got out my sewing machine and finished a project I have been working on all summer. I'm glad it's done. I love it when something is finished and comes out so great. Now it's on to something new.
The sun is setting really fast. It gets dark quickly here. All of a sudden you have to turn on the lights. It's almost time for dancing with the stars, and we are hoping that Cloris goes home. She has done a great job, but like Tom says, she must be getting terribly tired. For an 82 year old she has done a fantastic job, but it's time for her to go. We won't be watching the Phillies tonight. They have been postponed because of the weather. We'll have to wait till tomorrow to watch them celebrate. Am I counting my chickens? We'll wait and see.

It's Good To Be Back

2008-10-25T18:52:00.002-04:00

Thursday afternoon we arrived back in Livingston. We set up, had lunch, and went to visit the CARE Center. We received good Escapees hugs from some of our old friends, and were invited to go the the Liberty Opry with them on Nov 1st. Of course we said yes. At 4:00 everyday they have "meet and greet" at the activities center. We went over and said hi and checked in over there.
Friday we went over to Care because they have breakfast for 3.00 every Friday. You can have eggs, biscuits and gravy, potatoes, sausage or bacon, sometimes oatmeal, toast, juice, coffee, and cereal if you want that. In the afternoon, root beer floats on at 2:30. Some of the folks were there and happy to see us. We had a nice chat with Louise and Gwen. On Nov. 15 we are scheduled to go to work over there, so we will be here till then.
On the 4th of Nov. we have to take Emily out to get fixed. We hope it only takes one day. That just happens to be election day, and we hope you all vote. I won't get on my soapbox, but I think it is important that everyone votes. It's a privilege not all people have, so just do it. Tom and I have already voted by absentee ballot.
Today Tom worked on cleaning the awning. I did some cleaning inside. Now it's time for Penn State to play Ohio. WE ARE__PENN STATE. GO LIONS.
I can't forget to mention that as we were taking a bike ride the Thursday night, we found Fay ans Jay from the class of 2007. We stopped and had a nice time catching up. Lulu their little schnauser, was happy to see us, too. They did all the necessary things to become Texans. There are certin benifits to becoming Texans, much the same as becoming citizens of South Dakota like we did. They managed to do it in one day, and left this morning to go to a work camping position down south of here. It was sure good to see them.
The game just started, so I'm off to watch. Catch you later.